6.6g New Dirty setup 56k Warning (No longer using dirt)

[Hilde]

Originally Posted by rnaodm

The sides look dark, making it impossible to take nice looking pictures,

The T8s don't reach the sides. Possible to add another and stagger them so light hits the sides?

[SaltyNC]

I've thought about adding some LED's under the stock hood, but I don't know that it is worth the time and expense. I will probably upgrade the entire light or maybe just deal with this one for now and learn from it, and then later move to a nicer tank and use this one for growing plants using the DSM.

And yes, it is very hard to take good pics. I've struggled with that. To keep my main stone from blowing out, I have to take the exposure compensation way down, and then I lose detail in the shadow.

[Hilde]

Originally Posted by rnaodm

my light looks dim yet my plants are growing incredibly fast.

A bulb with a different kelvin rating would probably help then. What is the kelvin rating? How old is the bulb? They get dim when they get old and algae problems start occurring.

Originally Posted by SaltyNC

I will probably upgrade the entire light

If you upgrade get a Corlife light strip at Pet Blvd. The bulb goes all the way to the end of the strip. I chose Pet Blvd for bulb replacements for my coralife for they have good reviews.

[rnaodm]

Originally Posted by Hilde

A bulb with a different kelvin rating would probably help then. What is the kelvin rating? How old is the bulb? They get dim when they get old and algae problems start occurring.

If you upgrade get a Corlife light strip at Pet Blvd. The bulb goes all the way to the end of the strip. I chose Pet Blvd for bulb replacements for my coralife for they have good reviews.

Its brand new, came with the tank, I was really hoping it would be sufficient as that's why I bought an all in one, I wanted everything to work.

Thanks ill check out the link, unfortunately funds are extremely limited. If I knew the stock light would be crap, I wouldn't of bought the kit at all.

The Bulb is defiantly faulty, or just a crappy manufacturer. Picked up a new Zoo med Tropic Sun 5500k bulb off a buddy who never used it, and the tanks literally twice as bright! It's a bit yellowy, I'll deal with it for now. Eventually pick up a whole new fixture but either way, big improvement.

[rnaodm]

Im not too happy with the rocks/plants, I think I may drain the tank tomorrow and find another way to scape it. Maybe leave the right rock alone, move the two smaller rocks to the left, opening the middle.

Bleh I dunno

[rnaodm]

Redid the rocks, moved/trimmed a couple plants. Picking up some HC/HS soon hopefully to replace the moss and get a mixed carpet/foreground growing..

Id like the shrimp to eventually breed so Ill likely pickup a piece of cholla wood, cover it in the moss and either toss what im not using or give away the rest.

Edit: Picked up some HC, should of bought more. Took out all the moss.

Ive got some trimmings and all the moss in a clear bowl in a window sill for now, Id hate to toss something I just paid for.

Might do a 2.5g let everything grow wild.......

re......sist more ttttttannnkkkssss

[rnaodm]

Tanks doing well, picked up four forktail rainbow fish. I have ten CRS coming tomorrow. Plants are all growing healthy but I made a mistake with the stem plants, I dont like them.

Tough to see what the plants will look like in tank when you bought them in plastic containers.

I dont care for the aquascape either, I used to scape pretty nice mini reefs, but I just dont have the knack for the freshwater version. I think its missing some type of drift wood.

Im likely going to remove the stem plants all together, Sorry no pictures, my memory card reader disappeared :/

[rnaodm]

I got rid of the stem plants, I sort of liked them, but I don't really have any room for more tanks so I can grow em out.

I had some green slime algae, turns out my nephew fed the fish daily, and so did a parent or two...... So im doing alot of water changes and looking for the chem to kill the cyanobacteria.

At first the tank was dirt substrate with a sand cap, but the dirt level was too high so I couldn't make the sand very deep, and because of that I ended up getting alot of dirt kicked up on the sand bed, wasn't pretty.

So I went to the LFS today, Picked up some floramax gravel, a couple more bacopa plants and another which slips my mind.

I'm still not very good when it comes to aquascaping, and the waters a bit cloudy, but what do you guys think.

Ive got to pick up a few more of the foxtail rainbows currently in the tank, they really color up, I think the two currently in the tank are m/f

Also not sure if that drift wood is necessary, or if its just placed wrong

[rnaodm]

One of the plants I took out, the root system is longer then the plant! I wanted to know is that a good thing or were they growing so long because they were starving?

[Smitty06]

That is an amazon sword, its root system should be longer than the plant its. Swords are known for growing huge with a root system that spreads everywhere often gutting your substrate when you pull it up.

[Hilde]

Originally Posted by rnaodm

Yea id like a foreground carpet, completely undecided on which exactly.
Though I like this:

That would work with your light.

For a black background you could use black silk fabric. Fold it over construction paper or cardboard and tape the board to the tank.

[rnaodm]

Bought some lace, removed the wood added some smaller plants, I wish I wrote down the types because one of the species is dying quickly(Which is happening for the second time, Why does it keep dying almost instantly, is it because im buying it from petsmarts bagsoplants?)





Also got some Pencilfish


I'm sorry for the terrible photos, I can't take good aquarium pics.

[rnaodm]

Turned the ISO down on the camera took come of the cloudyness/blur out of the tank shots, Ill play with it some more. But as you can see one of the two new plants I bought is doing very very well, the other, I siphoned out as it was turning to mush :/

I bought some plants off a local PT member, when they arrive ill post some more(Hopefully Better) pictures!

[rnaodm]

20 days later, Got some more plants and some more growth. Took out both amazon swords and gave them to my father as I bought him a nano planted tank for xmas.

Picking up a 24" 54w light fixture tomorrow, the Maracyn has the green slime almost gone.

Earlier today I came across what was labeled as "orange Bacopa" but cant find it on google





Once the bacteria clears up ill get close up shots, as for now, like most things, it looks better from afar.

Turns out one of the pencil fish was super agressive, never letting any other pencil fish out from a corner of a tank, quite a shame considering he was the prettiest. I had 5 didn't expect one to turn rogue, so hes caught and going back. Id like to grab a few more as they color up surprisingly, I guess its just the luck of the draw in getting an agressive one.

[stevenjohn21]

Any updates on this ? Did you buy a new light fixture or stick with the original ?