10 Gallon Planted Tanks [pic heavy]

[kingjombeejoe]

FOR A FULL LIST OF PLANTS SEE POST 3. I will try to update as I get more and lose some, but any questions about them or my experience with something don't hesitate to ask.

I just want to show the progress of my 10 gallon tanks.

The first tank was the learning tank.. I started off by putttiing cat litter mixd with gravel as a sustrate, first mistake. Then I used a bubble filter and since I was under the impression the bubbles would make my diy co2 less effective I turned it off during the day, second mistake. So that gave me some bad BGA

first attempt
01/30/2013


Pretty bad, but I had the internets to learn me So I turned out the light for 3 days and left the filter on and the BGA actually started to go away. Then I saw what it could look like and decided to start over.

The first thing I did was clean it out (duh) I saved some of the cat litter mud to seed the new tank. I put cat litter mud, red clay powder and some calcium bentonite clay in the bottom and capped it with black blasting sand. Then I got an aquaclear 20 with a pre-sponge since I was planning on getting shrimp. I kept the bubble filter to help cycle the tank and added plants as I was able to get them.

Equipment:
10 gal tank
2-Walmart clip on lights
2-13w cfl daylight bulbs
Aquaclear 20 filter
Fluval prefilter sponge
paintball co2 tank
Parker Veriflo single stage regulator w// Palmmers pursuit paintball-1/4MPT adapter
Ista 3in1 bubble counter/check valve/diffuser

Plants:
Java Moss - Taxiphyllum barbieri
Amazon Sword (Echinodorus amazonicus)
Cryptocoryne, Wendtii, Bronze (Cryptocoryne wendtii v. Tropica)
alternanthera reineckii cardinalis
eichhornia diversifolia
acmella repens
hydrocotyle sp japan
micranthemum umbrosum
lindernia rotundifolia variegated
hydrocotyle leucocephala (brazilian pennywort)
vallisneria americana (jungle val)
Phyllanthus fluitans (red root floater)
salvinia natans

Living things:
9-Indian Dwarf Puffer (Tetraodon travancoricus)
1-Otocinclus Catfish (Otocinclus sp.)

here are the after pictures
02/26/2013

02/27/2013

03/05/2013 Shrimp added brown Cherry Shrimp culls for testing

03/15/2013 Dwarf puffers added 9 out of the 11 shrimp relocated still trying to catch the others

03/25/2013 Pellia rock added

04/10/2013 A few trims and +/- some plants

04/20/2013
[IMG][/IMG]
05/08/2013


The second tank is still empty but I'm waiting for some plants and I will update with tank stock and equipment when I get the list together.

So what do you guys think. I'd love to hear your feedback and suggestions. suggestions.

[alipper]

Tanks look good. Always nice to see another local too.

[kingjombeejoe]

Nymphoides sp. ''Taiwan', HYGROPHILA POLYSPERMA 'SUNSET', EICHHORNIA DIVERSIFOLIA, ALTERNANTHERA REINECKII 'ROSAEFOLIA', ALTERNANTHERA REINECKII 'LILACINA', ACMELLA REPENS, ACIOTIS ACUMINIFOLIA, LUDWIGIA GLANDULOSA, LUDWIGIA REPENS, LOBELIA CARDINALIS 'SMALL FORM', Hygrophila lacustris, Alternanthera Reineckii 'Ocipus', Java Moss - Taxiphyllum barbieri, Amazon Sword (Echinodorus amazonicus), Cryptocoryne, Wendtii, Bronze (Cryptocoryne wendtii v. Tropica), alternanthera reineckii cardinalis, eichhornia diversifolia, acmella repens, hydrocotyle sp japan, micranthemum umbrosum, lindernia rotundifolia variegated, hydrocotyle leucocephala (brazilian pennywort), vallisneria americana (jungle val), Phyllanthus fluitans (red root floater),salvinia natans, and some other unknown crypts and moss

[kingjombeejoe]

Update:03/18/2013 Tank #2

I ordered some plants Friday and they came in today so I had to rush this tank because I have no room in tank #1. My other "tanks" are bare bottom or too small. I only planted them temporarily until i can get some wood or rocks to tie them to.

Any ideas or suggestions for this tank? Like plants, hardscape? I want to keep this one no co2 if possible.

Setup:
I used my special clay mud mixture under the sand in this one too, but I added a sprinkling of Osmocote to it.
I replaced the 2 light bulbs with 2- mini 14w daylight (5000k 800lumen) cfls from homedepot, in a standard "kit" hood. Is this too much light?
I also replaced the included internal filter for another aquaclear20 with pre-sponge. I have the biobag in my other established filter for now. I only put in the sponge and carbon for now.

Plants that I have:
cryptocoryne wendtii green
java fern
needle leaf java fern
anubias (unknown)
anubias petite (so small I put it in my co2 tank until it gets a little bigger)
pellia (floating in a jar for now)

If you have any ideas please post them. I'm even open to moving plants from my other tank that may fit with this setup.

Now the pictures
The anubias petite in my other tank for now

wheres waldo?

The lights are so small they fit under the covers completely

Sorry about the bubbles

[caykuu]

Unless my eyes are deceiving me, it looks like the java fern's rhizome is buried under the substrate?

If so, quickly take it out! :O Or it will surely die... java ferns do best when attached to rocks or wood. If you aren't able to do that, then make sure it's very shallowly placed in the substrate so that the rhizomes are exposed to light.

[kingjombeejoe]

Yeah its only for a few days until i can get something to tie it to.

[caykuu]

Ah, I see. *whew*

[kingjombeejoe]

Update 03/25/2013

[GMYukonon24s]

Nice job, your tank looks great!

[kingjombeejoe]

Just some tanks shots added a lot of crypts to tank 2 and some repens to tank 1


Next Projects coming soon 40B and a 20H thank you petco $1 per gallon

Some random close up shots of plants and things

[hedge_fund]

Nice job on the plants. They look healthy and clean.

[OVT]

That is quet a difference - looking pretty good now.

How are your 9 puffers doing in the 10g? I have 8 in a 17g heavily planted tank and I still worry that it is not large enough. I am also guessing that your experiment with shrimp did not go that well?
Thanks!

[kingjombeejoe]

Originally Posted by hedge_fund

Nice job on the plants. They look healthy and clean.

I can thank the Ottos and the shrimp for the cleanliness of the tank and with such a small tank I'm always trimming so the plants dont have a lot of time to grow any algae on them. I just wish the glass was the same story.

Originally Posted by OVT

That is quet a difference - looking pretty good now.

How are your 9 puffers doing in the 10g? I have 8 in a 17g heavily planted tank and I still worry that it is not large enough. I am also guessing that your experiment with shrimp did not go that well?
Thanks!

I plan on giving them a bigger home soon, but surprisingly enough they are all doing fine and they are not aggressive at all toward each other(except when its food time) and as far as the shrimp they are all still alive. I even found a few more which must have been babies that grew up since before I took the others out. I actually find it funny when a puffer will be chasing a bloodworm to the bottom of the tank and a shrimp will snatch it up and the puffer just swims away. I guess I got lucky and have nice puffers.

FOR THE FULL LIST OF PLANTS I HAVE SEE POST 3
Update 04/20/2013
Trimmed some added some but some of the plants are there temporarily until they get moved to new tanks. It's a jungle in there.
Tank 2 most of the crypts melted away but there is some new growth so they might be ok this one is not doing as good as planned also some temporary plants in there until i trade them for something else

[OVT]

Ghaa. My puffers killed off all Ottos but 2, but are totally ignoring Molly fry. Trade you?

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[kingjombeejoe]

05/08/2013 Update
I got my 40b filled and cycling for now but the plants are growing like crazy. I should have a nice start once I move them over


More random shots