Box o'wood & crypts

[xjasminex]

So I bought myself the fluval spec V. I was just going to look at it, but looking turned into lusting then love.....and so on.

Here's the start!


Then the hardscape...

It's actually two pieces I found at petsmarts, perfect for this tank I thought!

Here's the ferts...

Where there is no caps, I plan to have a moss carpet.

Substrate...


All put together...

[xjasminex]

Now the crypts, I bought two pots of crypt parva from my LFS.





Now should I let them have a dry start or just fill it?

[rocksmom]

You planted them pretty densely, so I say just fill it. What other crypts are you putting in?

Nice wood by the way. I can't believe you found them at petsmart. Mine never have any.

[xjasminex]

I ordered some wendtii bronze from knuggs for my goldfish tank so I plan on planting some of the smaller ones in the back. I'm going to try to have a moss carpet area too, I ordered peacock moss from him. And maybe a small lotus in the corner. I have some in my ten gallon floating on their bulbs.

Yea, my petsmart has mopani wood in the reptile section, it leeches tannins like crazy in the begining but purigen will take care of that!

[Big O]

Is that osmocote plus caps?
What size is that tank?
I might be wrong but that seems like way too much for that tank.
I use 8 or 10 in my 29g and my plants are super healthy.
Nice start tho.
My dos pennies,
big o

[xjasminex]

Thanks for the positive thoughts!
There's osmocote plus and mts clay caps, it's a five gallon.
My substrate is supposed to suck up ions so I'm hoping it will do so!

[poppyseed]

Woo boy, is that mopani wood? I got a piece at petsmart forever ago. It lived in a 3 gallon forever, and it leached tannins foreeeveeer, as in it never stopped :P. I had that up and running for months and months.

Hope you fair better than I!

Looks good by the way I am pumped to see people trying this tank out.

[xjasminex]

I have a huge piece in my fifty five gallon, I love the stuff, it sinks and never floats, I don't think it leaches that many tannins anymore. Pluss the texture is killer.

I plan on using purigen in this tank to try and control the tannin level though. Im really loving the dimensions, I planned on this being a shrimp tank, but I would love to have this Pygmy cories in there too!

[SpecGrrl]

Someone told me mopani might be too rough for my bettas fins.

Has your betta been fine with mopani?

[SpecGrrl]

I too caved in and bought a Spec V, but will play around with a standard 5 first !

[CryptKeeper54]

Nice start. Looks promising. I wish I could get this tank; hopefully amazon starts selling it cause I sure could use the free shipping.

[acitydweller]

Looks like an amazing tank setup. If you selected crypts, i'd say fill it with water. the sooner the better.

[xjasminex]

The mopani I have in my ten gallon betta tank and my 55 goldfish tank have both been dremmel sanded so all the sharper parts are dull. Plus I attached lots of plants to the one in my 10 g betta tank to help too.

Yea, I filled it last night, I have yet to check on it cuz I didn't spend the night at home last night. I'll take pic to show the tannins.
I'm really hoping it turns out good!

[xjasminex]

Added the bronze crypts from knuggs, I hope the light is enough for the crypt parva, some leaves have turned yellowy...

[SpecGrrl]

Pretty!

I bought Malaysian Driftwood yesterday and am boiling it now.