Nano Fluval Chi 5 Gal.

[Chizpa305]

Updated Picture and Data: 06/18/2012

Lightning: 26 watts with 3 U-shaped bulbs (one blue and two white)
Filter: Eheim 2211.
CO2: None.
Substrate: Aquasoil Amazonia I.

Flora:
Marsilea crenata (Dwarf four leaf clover) (front)
Hemianthus Callithrichoides (Dwarf baby tears) (all over the place)
Lysimachia nummularia 'aurea' (Golden Lloydiella) (back right)
Didiplis diandra (Blood Stargrass) (back middle)
Still unidentified Ludwigia (Back, left)

Fauna:
5 Neon Tetras.
4 Adult Fire red Shrimps with many babies.

[Chizpa305]

Hi all, this is a journal of my tank. it has been about two months since I set it up. I want to hear your opinions and ideas about it.

At the time the water has a yellowish tint. I have made water changes but the tint does not go away. I use very little ferts to prevent excess organic matter and algae. If anyone knows how to solve this problem please let me know.

I keem the water level like that because when I had it to the top a few of my fish jumped out and died. I am thinking of making a little glass cover or something so that I can fill the water without loosing more fish.

About the flora I want to add some more plants, but I am having a difficult time finding the ones I want, like Pogostemon helferi. But once I get it I will plant them to the left side next to the ornamental rock.

[Couesfanatic]

The yellow soil is from the Aquasoil. The new aqua soil is supposed to have fixed that. It will go away after a while. Mine took 4 months of weekly water changes.

Tank looks good. I'd pull the cave, add a lid and let it grow in. Nice Job.

[Chizpa305]

Thanks. I am working on the plexiglass lid. I need to make the perforations for the filter's intake and outtake tubes to go through. Also I am planning on changing those horrible green tubes for something more subtle, but that would be more into the future (not a big concern right now).

The Amazonia that I used was bought some time ago but was stored until I used it recently for this tank, so maybe it is what is causing the yellow tint. I hope it will go away sometime.

I will put some more pics soon after I add some Micro Swords at the far right side.

[aweeby]

i say change your hardscape. the plants look like they'll fill in great and look really healthy, the tint'll clear up in no time, but you're just holding yourself back with the resin thing and the weirdly smooth pebbles. Get some interesting stone and some driftwood, maybe manzanita twigs or something. the black base is also kind of visible. but to each his own. that's my 2c.

[Chizpa305]

Thanks aweeby. the round pebbles are going to be removed. They were only placed for two reasons.

1- To anchor recently planted HC Cuba to the bottom until they rooted a little.

2- The ones at the left side were placed to prevent vegetation from growing on that area because I want to plant something else there and I dont know how soon I will be able to get it.

I think I will leave the cave ornament. It gives shelter for the shrimps and it just looks cool in my opinion. the black base.. well I left it there on purpose too. It serves as some kind of boundary to the marsilea crenata which btw grows uncontrollably fast in all directions and I did't want to have them colonize every inch of soil. In proper time It will sure blend with the vegetation and become unnoticeable.

[Chizpa305]

Update: I planted the Micro Sword Narrow Leaf (Liliaeopsis Mauritius) at the back. I will let it grow a little before posting any pictures. Still working on the lid. I want to fill the water all the way up, but need that lid first. Apart from that everything else is the same. Fish looking nice with very strong colors and plants doing good too.

I want to use this opportunity to talk about something that happened some weeks ago. When I first installed the 26 watts lights (before I had any fish or shrimps in the tank) I noticed that the plants started to pearl quite a lot. I was excited about that because I don't have any CO2 and it was the first time my plants were pearling bubbles. But that just lasted 2 days. They have not pearled any more. I have the lights turned on about 8 ~ 10 hrs a day and the plants look very healthy whatsoever. Does anyone knows why might this had happened?

[xenxes]

Wow, is that too much light for the tank, 26W? Pearls may be just from a water change, and oxygen getting trapped down below.

Anyway, nice to see a local Miamian. Love the tank, good thing you removed that annoying center piece / stock light

I agree with aweeby that you should change the hardscape, remove the rocks and decor and get a piece of driftwood and tie some moss on it, for a more natural look. For hiding spots for shrimp, get some cholla wood or bamboo charcoal, easily hidden beneath plants. After your plants grow out more you really won't need a hiding place for the shrimp, as dense plants foliage is enough.

[aretreesfree]

whats the stand? looks good.

[Chizpa305]

Originally Posted by xenxes

Wow, is that too much light for the tank, 26W? Pearls may be just from a water change, and oxygen getting trapped down below.

Anyway, nice to see a local Miamian. Love the tank, good thing you removed that annoying center piece / stock light

I agree with aweeby that you should change the hardscape, remove the rocks and decor and get a piece of driftwood and tie some moss on it, for a more natural look. For hiding spots for shrimp, get some cholla wood or bamboo charcoal, easily hidden beneath plants. After your plants grow out more you really won't need a hiding place for the shrimp, as dense plants foliage is enough.

Yeah the stock light/filter piece was not good for plants. I struggled deciding whether or not to take it out because after all that is what makes that tank cost what it costs. I mean I could find a plain glass tank (bigger than mine) for less than $5 up in Hialeah . But well, I already had this tank and finally after unsuccessful attempts of growing plants under the crappy stock light, I decided to take it out and replace it with the current light.

Well thanks for the ideas and tips. But for the time being the cave is staying Let's just see how it turns out and latter I will see.

[Chizpa305]

Originally Posted by aretreesfree

whats the stand? looks good.

Hi, I got the stand in a Bed Bath & Beyond. It has roughly the same base area as the tank and it fits perfectly. The only downside is that it has no doors. the filter and the rest of the aquarium tools are in the bottom and can be seen. I will probably get another stand or make one myself. One that has a little door where I can hide those equipments.

[Chizpa305]

There is not much going on in the tank. I bought some Flourish Iron to see if the Didiplis Diandra gets the reddish coloration. I am dozing daily along with the Flourish Excel. We will all see if this products does what it is supposed to.

I will post some pictures of the tank from when I was first trying to set it up (I have made some changes since then) Maybe I should have had started this journal from there, but anyways I dance to my own drummers and I do it backwards.

[Chizpa305]

This is the ADA Power Sand that goes under the substrate.


I left one inch on each side so that it would not be visible after adding the substrate.


I was going to try growing the Marsilea crenata (here in the emersed state) with the not powerful stock light which is also a filter and a fountain. It is a cool piece except for the fact that the light sucks.


and here I finally planted the Marsilea which was not doing so good

As you can see I first had the substrate flat. Now I have chanched that as well. I added the extra substrate I had left to the back side to give it a sense of depth. burrowing some of the Marsilea crenata in the process.


You can see here the first layer of substrate along with the buried Marsilea which by the way is still alive after a month of being under the substrate (that is one hardy plant)

Well that is all for now, thank you all for watching and posting comments.

[dasob85]

very pretty tank. thats a beautiful guppy too

[xenxes]

Originally Posted by Chizpa305

Yeah the stock light/filter piece was not good for plants. I struggled deciding whether or not to take it out because after all that is what makes that tank cost what it costs. I mean I could find a plain glass tank (bigger than mine) for less than $5 up in Hialeah . But well, I already had this tank and finally after unsuccessful attempts of growing plants under the crappy stock light, I decided to take it out and replace it with the current light.

Well thanks for the ideas and tips. But for the time being the cave is staying Let's just see how it turns out and latter I will see.

Lol WHAT? Please tell me where you can find a glass tank for $5 in Hialeah. Probably won't hold water w/o some work?

As for the light, that's considered pretty high for a tank this size (5.2 watt / g). But if you're dosing Excel daily you might not encounter a big algae problem, and if you do, add Nerites until you achieve balance. I only use it as an algaecide, not sure if it helps that much with growth when you have fauna producing natural CO2. I haven't gassed any of my tanks and plan to keep them natural, they're all still growing fine.