Jbrady33's 3 gallon "Picotope" LOTS 'O PICS

[jbrady33]

5/2013

UPDATE!

Heavy trim again, the result:



Planted spillway is coming along (how to over here http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...778&highlight=)



I got 2 hunks this size out of that little tank! (Crypt Wendtii green)


Feeding time!


pile on!



3/2103
UPDATE

Finally did a trim, you wouldn't believe how much crytp wendtii green I got out of that left side!



Feeding time!



3/2013

UPDATE, latest pics - Time for a trim don'tcha think!





Some of the gang:



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The Begining:

Picked up a 3 gallon JBJ Picotope (Didn't even know they existed until h2oaggie had to go and make me aware of them over here

Built nice, all glass and fairly cheap. (little over $40) comes with 9 watt cfl light (in actinic, swapped mine for daylight - thanks again h2oaggie!) and tiny little HOB filter (which seems to work just fine so far!) EDIT - Swapped the HOB for an Aquaclear 30, the little ones are ok but I feel better with the 30 - can have lots of bio + a purigen pillow

Might swap the light out for LED someday, but a fugeray on top would be way to bulky. Maybe the Finnex Mighty Ray? EDIT - ate my words, the Fugeray worked out just fine

Leftover EcoComplete from my main tank, found wood (dried, debarked and soaked), mostly Petsmart plants and a few trimmings form my main tank. The petsmart plants are actually ok, but too pricey for a big tank. (Anubias nana glue to the wood, Anubias Congensis blued to a rock (half price - was dropping leaves), amazon sword compacta, micro-sword & bacopia carolina in the little envelopes, and there was needle leaf ludwigia in an envelope but it browned and died right away.

11/14/2012
Did a "rip it all out and rescape" Treated all the old plants & wood with Excel to fight some old BBA that seems to have stopped spreading since I raised the light. Added some new 'grasses' and a Red Tiger Lotus from OVT (Thanks again!) Somewhere along the line I added a mirror behind the tank and some floaters.

The shrimp were a little annoyed during all this, but they seem to be enjoying the wood immensely. Must have exposed some yummy eatin'!


the new:









11/6/2012 a few CRS and little Amano's added to the mix, as well as Assassin snails (that immediately ate the ramshorns I had, not the pond snails ) Added a little Fissidens, Java moss was getting on my nerves

Had to raise the light to combat BBA, which means I had to cut a new top! I like it, feels much more open that the light on legs.






10-2-2012 some PFR shrimp, new Fugeray light, Aquaclear 30 filter, some new plants and a marimo ball:




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Minor update, 10/2012

Added DIY lid (see here), detail of foam pre-filter on HOB (For the intake I sawed off the stock strainer (was too long for the tank anyway), sawed a few notches in the side of the pipe, and covered it all with the round foam prefilter from an Edge (off the shelf at petcosmart) with a small ziptie to hold it on.)








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slight rescape & cleanup Sept 2012:










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Initial pics from August 2012:


With 700ml water bottle for scale


Close up


Closer up