Finnex 4 Gallon

[Outlawboss]

Originally Posted by twister23

so was that light $200? I know I have to at least change the bulb. do you have any bulb recommendations?

Sorry I missed this post. No the light is only $60 at AFA. I think the extra bulbs are $14 a piece. So not too bad.

[MARIMOBALL]

what a nice tank . Didplis is one o my favorite plants. I like the way you manage to keep an all green plant tank and yet each plants has its own shade o green. I have read your entire journal and was nice to see this tank evolution.

[rrrrramos]

If you go with a background, go with the black. It makes everything pop more than the other two. Do you find that the D. diandra grows pretty easy to manage or is it more of a fast stem? I had some at one point but it was only short trimming that died quickly. Beautiful plant though, and I've always been a huge fan of your tank!

[Outlawboss]

MARIMOBALL, thanks for the compliments. Hey do you go to the SCAPE meetings? I've been waiting for one in San Diego but it seems like that doesn't happen too often.

rrrrramos, I think I agree. The black background was the best. The others kind of caught a reflection off the plants and it make the lighting look weird. D. Diandra is one of my favs also. I have it in both of my tanks. It's a fast grower, but not as fast as some of the others (like a quickly growing rotala). Trimming is easy, cut off the tops and either replant them, toss them or sell them on the S&S.

[MARIMOBALL]

Yes I attend most SCAPE meetings they are great and you meet new people that are in the hobby once you go you will be hooked. We had 3 San Diego meetings this year and there is always an SD carpool. This month one member volunteered to carpool and no one came with him.

[Outlawboss]

I'll have to keep my eyes open for the next San Diego get together!

[VincentK]

Wow, fantastic tank and pictures, love the shrimp, whatever happened to those amanos? Do those not reproduce well?

[Outlawboss]

Thanks VincentK. The amanos are still there. I've got 4 very large ones in there. They do get eggs and lay them in this tank, but the babies won't live in freshwater. They need brackish/saltier water, but I've never really read the full details. If I could figure out how to raise the babies though. I'd have about a zillion of them because my 2 females are constantly berried.

[EdTheEdge]

Drop dead gorgeous tanks these......

[chumblaka]

I don't know if this has been asked before but what kind of substrate are you using? This thread made me buy a finnex off eBay on impulse. Great tank and I can't wait till I get mines. Also I might go with DIY CO2 on mines, but what was the cost breakdown for doing the paintball CO2?

[Ugly Genius]

I love the look of the moss and the MP on the left-side rock in your thirty. I'd like to steal that look one day and do a rockscape with mosses and MP on tall, sharp, narrow, and jaggy rocks.

The four's looking really nice, Outlaw! Besides all the obvious stuff that's rad -- the 'scape, plant choices, photos, et cetera -- I'm impressed that you're able to keep all these fast and wild-growing plants in check. I think most of us in this hobby can recognize that this neatly-maintained tank is the consequence of lots and lots of effort. Good job!

[Outlawboss]

chumblaka - Wow this tank made you want the Finnex? That's....well that's awesome! Thanks very much. In answer to your question I'm using Amazonia substrate. It's what they happened to have at the LFS when I got it, and so far it's served me well.

DIY Co2 is definitely cheaper than paintball to start with, but as a personal preference I don't like mixing yeast solutions. I like the consistency of pressurized so I always recommend the paintball option. You can get into it for about $150 total. That's for a paintball cylinder, diffuser, tubing and a cheap regulator with built-in solenoid.

UGThanks a lot dude. You're right about them growing fast. I have to trim and replant every week, but it's therapudic. These last two posts made me kind of laugh. Here you have one guy who says that my Finnex inspired him to get a tank. Then, the very next post, you have the guy (well one of them, between you and Craigthor) who inspired ME to get a tank. I just think that's hella cool that they were in that order.

That moss/MP on the wood looks even better now that it's grown in. I'd love to see it on a jagged landscape like you described. Sounds awesome.

More pictures since I had the camera with me yesterday. Oh, and I got some close-ups of a pregnant Amano for you VincentK, if you happen to read this. Nothing has really changed. Added some Fissidens but that's about it. It's fun experimenting with what type of shots I can get in such a small tank.

[Gabriel]

lovely picture on your tank but what are you planning on stocking next.

[chumblaka]

Hmmm, all the LFS around here suck, I've found one that has Eco-Complete for pretty expensive but that's about it for substrates. Also if that Amano gives birth I'll be happy to buy some of the little shrimps, they don't sell those around here either.

[Outlawboss]

Thanks Gabriel for the compliments. I'm not sure I understand the question? You mean what fish will I get? I have an endlers in there for now. I really like them for this tank. They're nice and active and they don't bother the baby shrimp too much.

chumblaka, I wish I could get those Amano babies to live. I'm just not equipped for it. I see them hatch, but they're gone within a day or two. They need a brackish/saltwater type setup to live in for awhile. Maybe I SHOULD set one up. Seems like a lot of people here would like Amanos.