My medium-light, low-tech 5 gallon

[Church]

^ Yeah they're Trigonostigma hengeli (Hengel's Rasboras). They ARE pretty small. I'd say about maybe 1/2 inch or so? Not as tiny as Celestial Pearl Danios, and not as large as Neon Tetras.

[lauraleellbp]

I'm on well water, and I know it's pretty hard (need new test kits so no actual stats). E. tenellus for me acts like crypts- all the old growth melts off, but if you trim off the yellowed leaves new ones quickly replace them.

Mine stay much lower to the ground overall than the way they came in the mail, despite being in low-tech tanks, not sure what that's all about?

[ColeMan]

hey man! love the tank!

I kind of like mark's idea about not covering the rocks - i think they're application is very successful in this tank. I like this idea even more because you can grow the moss in the shady little nooks where other foreground plants won't grow, plus I think the dark green will really look great and maybe even help make the tank look bigger...

[Church]

I really like this idea too, and I'm very happy that others (beside myself) like the look of the petrified wood. I absolutely LOVE petrified wood, and so knowing that I can sort of "feature" it makes me happy. What kind of moss would you recommend? I'm thinking willow moss, but java moss is much more accessible to me...

Thanks for your comments, and keep 'em coming folks! I need all the help I can get!!!!!

[ADDICTED2BUBBLES]

I would think flame moss in the back tied on a few rocls, and then some tTW moss in the frount on a few rocks, or small pcs of wood .... that would give good contrast of the moss look, and I LOOVVVEEEE flame moss, its a bright green , and goes straight up !! I am looking for some myself !! I just put another flouresent light over my 5 gal I need to make a journal of it !! also I need more plants that arent so big ~~~ ..

[Church]

Ok, I took some recent crappy pics of the tank, and I forgot to upload them. I might as well do that now, even though I'm gonna have some hi-res pics to post later on tonight! (yay!)

So I just wanted to update a bit and show that I finally got another nano-filter, so I could take the big honkin' whisper filter out. And I also added a few c. balansae and c. retrospiralis. OH YEAH and I also added a new inhabitant, the lovely honey gourami!

Here they are, and once again, sorry for the crappy pics. Stay tuned later tonight for some good pics!











YUCK these pictures are AWFUL!

[Church]

Haven't updated in a while, so I figure now's a good time. Here are 3 new pics:







Not much going on, but at least everything is healthy. I don't do much of anything with this tank. It's reached a balance, for the most part. I feed the fish, but not the plants. I don't add Excel. I just change about 20% water every two weeks.

It's much more stunning in real life. Pictures don't do it justice. I love this tank. It just takes care of itself.

[ddtran46]

how do you prevent your fish from jumping out?

[Church]

It's never been a problem for me, so I don't worry about it. I guess a better answer would be "I keep them happy so they don't want to go anywhere else."

But seriously, they've never even looked like they have the inclination to jump out.

[ddtran46]

haha. thanks Church. im thinking about buy those fish for my 7 gallon. how many would you recommend? it looks so nice in your tank.

[Church]

There's a school of 11 in here, and they seem to be okay. Even with the honey gourami, everyone seems to get along fine and have room to swim.

[lauraleellbp]

Looking awesome!

I still think it needs come C. parva, though.

[CL]

nice! You should do a Christmas moss carpet

[Church]

I was thinking fontanus moss, but I'm gonna get on that real soon! Laura, I gave up on the parva idea, since no one ever seems to have more than a few plantlets at a time to sell.

[Saraja87]

Those crypts look really lush and I love the unique rocks. Seeing the same rock scape over and over can get really boring so it's always nice to see a different positioning. It kind of looks like a forest path.

I'd like to see some kind of lower plant, doesn't have to be carpeting if that's not what you're going for. Just something to fill in between the substrate and the lush crypt leaves to make it look a little thicker.