First Attempt - Planted Nano Tank

[RobMc]

Hi fish tank people! I have a betta fish currently living in a small bowl and wanted to do something nice for him. This is my first attempt at planting an aquarium so I hope it works out.

It's an 8 gal planted Fluval Flora with - Anubias / Crypt / Micro Sword / Java Fern / Wysteria / random betta bulb

The wysteria should fill in the back / grow taller. My main concern is aeration in the front.

I hope the thin layer of sand allows enough gas exchange with the substrate.

Hardscape: (Found / boiled - driftwood / rocks) Fluval substrate / AQ sand


The Rest:







Minnows for the Cycle:

[CatSoup]

Originally Posted by RobMc

Minnows for the Cycle:

The tank looks good, but please take these guys back to the LFS so that they don't have to suffer through the cycle. Your tank will cycle just fine without fish having to be in the ammonia.

[RobMc]

I will be doing regular water changes and have introduced beneficial bacteria directly to the filter / gravel. I don't intend on killing them with their own waste - I just need an experimental fish to insure that the conditions are safe for my betta.

Thanks,
Rob

[NWA-Planted]

Tank is looking good

Sent from a dark corner in my happy place

[DannyDapper]

I just got this tank too! Looking forward to setting it up as soon as it comes in the mail!

[aokashi]

You should be fine. I kept 4 healthy fat rosy red minnows in a densely planted 1.5 gallons before. I had to return them after 2 months to the LFS because I had to go back overseas. boy, what a giant difference there was between the LFS feeders and these seemingly abused fish....

I felt bad returning them to their deaths, but really had no choice.

[CatSoup]

Pet shops take terrible care of their fish. Comparing yours to theirs is like comparing an iPhone to a payphone. LOL

[aokashi]

but the point is thy are feeders! lol nothing is worser than returning them to the LFS!

[CatSoup]

Originally Posted by aokashi

but the point is thy are feeders! lol nothing is worser than returning them to the LFS!

Meh It's usually a quick death, and definitely quicker than ammonia burns and stress related illnesses. I'm all about living by the golden rule, even when it comes to fish.

[aokashi]

Ive never seen a ammonia in my planted tanks. nor nitrites or nitrates....

Plants usually takes up ammonia way too fast in an establish system to have it affect anything.

Claustrophobic abuse... maybe
Ammonia poisoning...doubt.

lol

[somewhatshocked]

Sorry, it's absolutely inexcusable to use a fish to "cycle" a tank in 2012. There's enough information about the fishless cycle on this forum for anyone to make it through. You can't say you're using a fish to test the waters because it's cheap or to cycle and not expect people to express their opinions about how silly it is on a forum like this.

That said, it appears that you're using aragonite or crushed coral sand that will greatly increase your tank's pH. That 'sand' will also end up sinking below the Fluval Stratum.

[AVN]

I use home bred guppies as ammonia and tests for my cycles, they usually end up dying and adding more ammonia. I really don't care, what's 5 guppies when your tank produces hundreds monthly... It's more economical than a bottle of quick start if you ask me.

And who is to judge what death is fine for the fish? If anyone, it should be their owners. Without them, the fish wouldn't exist let alone survive. (I am only referring to home-bred feeders)

Whether they die by predation, old age, disease, or ammonia burn, it really doesn't matter, because they're all going to get blended up one day anyways. They're feeders, disposable and cheap.

[somewhatshocked]

Don't expect to be taken seriously by fellow hobbyists when you show such rampant disregard for the life of your livestock. Especially if you ever hope to buy livestock from fellow hobbyists who have read your comments.

Who is to judge? Fellow hobbyists. We're judging. Because others brought it up.

It's a nearly universally frowned upon practice.

[AVN]

Feel what you want, but I'm sure I have a valid point that fellow hobbyists would take seriously, even if they don't agree. How can you reasonably generalize "nearly universal" when there's clearly plenty of others who share opinions other than your own?

I specifically said I only do this to my feeder guppies, and ONLY when I'm cycling new tanks (the frequency of when I do is irrelevant, but it's RARE, I cycle using old media and established system water but irrelevantzzz)

That's HARDLY showing "rampant disregard" for all of my livestock.

Believe me, in any other case I would agree with you, but in this one they're going to die regardless, and either death is equally gruesome to me.

Even if I didn't use them in place of ammonia bottles, I would HAVE to cull them all, they reproduce too prolifically for me to maintain. Either that or I take them to my overcrowded LFS where they'll be put into crowded and filthy conditions while they starve to death.

Another point, these are feeders. They are not my livestock anymore than the hair algae or the Ghost Shrimp they live with. They are feeders. They are born to die, it may be morally grey, but that's what it is.

Either way, they're stressed, then they're dead.

Now, I don't want to blow anything up and derail any more threads, so if you want to have this discussion with me I would love to hear what you have to say in a PM. I believe your arguments are very valid, but I also believe mine hold some weight. If you feel like I am on a path that I'll regret in the future, please take the time out of your day to enlighten me.

[somewhatshocked]

Google or search this forum for "fishless cycle" and most people seriously frown upon using living creatures to cycle a tank.

I don't care what livestock you use. It's my opinion that it's unnecessary and inexcusable. It is, in my opinion, rampant disregard for your livestock.

People shouldn't mention using living fish to cycle tanks if they don't want it discussed. End of story.