5 Gallon 1st Dirt Tank

[Darth Toro]

Figured I would try and do a journal on my first dirt tank. I am hoping for help from you all with sugestions on anything. I am planning on doing a low tech tank. I saw this tank at my lfs and for $15 I though it was worth it. I also bought an Aqueon glass top thats says it will fit 16" tanks but it is a hair to big and will not fit without some kind of modification. Or I can just leave it out. That is my first problem. I tried to illustrate in the pics below. I'm open to any ideas to rectify the problem. I was thinking of cutting the plastic of the tank top with a dremmel or razor, but im not sure if I want to ruin the tank like that. I may just go with out the lid. Not sure what Fauna or Flora I am planing on keeping yet.

Here are my current specs

Tank: 5 gallon Deep Blue tank
Lighting: 6" Clamp light with 6500K CFL
Substrate: Miracle Grow Organic top soil. I dried and seperated it a long time ago, not sure if that matters. Play Sand Cap.
Filter: Foam filter. see pic below.
Heater: Theo 50 Watt










Here is the overlap below on the lid

How it should look. Dont mind the chip that happened while trying to force it in. Not a good idead by me. Thank it didnt hurt the tank or me.

[PeterN1986]

Those bulbs are good. I used two of them in two of those shop light domes over my 20H before I indulged in a Finnex Ray2, which I have to mount above my tank. When I had the CFL's, I got a lot of good growth and the tank looked nice.

[Darth Toro]

They are good. I've used them before too. For now I'm not going to worry about the lid. Next step is going to be rinsing the sand. Also I need to brainstorm some aquascapeing ideas.

[hambone870]

Nice I almost bought those same bulbs from lowes. I'm contemplating using cfl bulbs vs led right now for my 20 long I'm building.

Hope you have some good results with em!