xenxes's Fluval Spec 2g / Vase 2g - Twin Betta Tanks

[xenxes]

Current Status (6/19/12):

New Combined Progression Pics

Merged old Fluval Spec thread into this one. Now Betta Tank & Betta Vase.


Old female beta (RIP)


New female beta (her progeny)


Bowl: Old Bowl Progression Pics
---------------------------

Equipment:
- Walmart Stem Vase ($9)
- Hagen Elite Mini ($7)
- Ikea Lamp ($10 @ Ikea, $20 Online)

Flora:
- Aponogeton
- Green Cabomba
- Lindernia Parviflora
- Amazon Micro Sword
- Ludwigia Arcuata
- Rotala Macrandra
- Hygrophila Polysperma (I think, not sure what that green plant in front left is?)

Fauna:
- 1 Female Betta
- 6 MTS


Tank: Old Tank Progression Pics
-----------------------------

Equipment:
- Fluval Spec, all stock ($32 from Wag's 1/2 off coupon)
- Fluval 13W Mini CFL ($23)
- Pagoda from Petsmart

Fauna:
1x Male Half Moon Betta
6x Malaysian Trumpet Snails

Flora:
2x Crinum Thaianum (water onions)
1x patch of Hemianthus Callitrichoides (baby dwarf tears)
Ludwigia Arcuata
Frogbits
Red Root Floaters
Green Cabomba
Lindernia Parviflora
Amazon Micro Sword
Rotala Macrandra
Hygrophila Polysperma (maybe, not sure what the 3 green leafy plants in the middle are)

Substrate:
1/2" Miracle Grow, baked @ 350F then filtered
1/2" Fluval Plant Stratum
1/2" Tahitian Moon Sand
(not sure what I was going for here...)

[jacketherington]

Where did you find the statue in your cube? I have been liking for something just like that.

[xenxes]

The pagoda? Petsmart

Can anyone recommend a light and filter for this thing? I tried clamping on my Spec light and that simply won't work with the concave angle of the bowl. Maybe a standalone, I'd like something sleek to hide behind the bowl.

As for a filter it would be angled down with the suction cups, wonder how that would work...

[Newman]

i'd recommend DHG for the groundcover around the aponogeton. going to look great.

the light can just be a simple desk lamp with a daylight CFL of about 10-13W

filtering is more tough. I guess some sort of internal filter that you can hide...

at this point, you let the plants grow and take a firm hold before you introduce a filter and start spraying water at the soil, uprooting everything lol.

[xenxes]

TY, been meaning to pickup some DHG from a LFS (little far from here). I don't have too many low light plants at my disposal.

If filtering doesn't work I'll probably *have to* pick up another Spec and use this as a shrimp tank

Newman how did you do your hood? I saw that you had a cover on yours?

[Newman]

o that. well it was just a lame looking hood from a 2.5 gal bowfront tank. the tank is no longer lit by that hood. it's lit by a 5 arm floor lamp lol. useful for multiple bowls. not exactly compact looking though :P

[xenxes]

Threw in some xmas moss all around, the aponogeton grew 2 more leaves in 2 days, with barely any light


My current bedroom shelves

[GMYukonon24s]

That's a nice bowl and spec.

[Sophie and Mom]

Originally Posted by xenxes

My current bedroom shelves

What do you have in the little vase?

[xenxes]

Originally Posted by GMYukonon24s

That's a nice bowl and spec.

TY

Originally Posted by Sophie and Mom

What do you have in the little vase?

That's the female betta eventually going in the filtered / planted vase, she was pretty ragged and had fin rot. It's easier to keep the little vase clean and medicated. Her fin's almost completely regrown, I'm thinking another couple days. Fish poo makes excellent orchid fertilizer.

[xenxes]

Got the filter and light and set them up.

The filter was setup the same way as my 0.5g cube, I superglued sponge in the intake as prefilter, stuffed it with a layer of carbon, some old biomedia, and stuffed foam into the output nozzle, angling it up to the water surface for minimum flow. This little thing is rated 58 gph on max!

The light is very very weak, perhaps I can change the bulb, but IKEA lamps are weird :/

[Newman]

hopefully the lamp can grow something.

[atom]

If you figure out how to change the bulb let me know! I might use the Ikea light on mine and the stock light, but not sure how I feel about mixing cool and warm light.

I like the strange eclipse like halo the light creates on your table!

Do you find the elite mini creates a vortex in a round vase? I did with mine and I couldn't get the water to stop swirling.

[xenxes]

The filter does not create a vortex when I angle it straight up, but I did angle it about 45 degrees so I get water movement (a swirl) going clockwise. It's kinda cool to see the shadows of the frogbits on the shelf as they rotate. Again I have flow near a trickle (stuffed it full of sponges, output being most important).

I highly doubt anything will grow under the lamp by itself, but the aponogeton has been doing fine with indirect sunlight coming in the room. I did break off a few leaves getting the filter in just right :/ I could not Google out a bulb replacement, I'm hoping it's just a standard LED I can grab on eBay, may take it apart later.

I agree about warm and cool not mixing, but in this case they actually highlight the colors of the fish:


Hiding the mechanical timer behind the orchid

[Newman]

betta is in already huh

cycled?