[NoodleAquatics]

Size: 20g long 30"×12"×12"
Stock:
8x corydoras eques
9 boraras urophthalmoides
8 ember tetras
Assassin snails

Plants:
Water lettuce
Vallisneria americana
Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Helenthium quadricostatus
Echinodorus yellow sun
Echinodorus red ozelot
Echinodorus bleheri
Sag grass

Filtration: DIY above tank sump using a planter box, holds heater as well.

Lighting: JC&P Full Spectrum 30"

Fertilizer: Thrive S x3 weekly
API root tabs for the echinodorus as needed for extra boost.

Upon first setup

Couple weeks after, the staurogyne repens in there didn't fare well, snails ate it.

I had asked here about adding a slope, which I had done but the cories flattened it by this point.

Further progress...

And where I am at today with this tank

The quadricostatus tissue culture is struggling to take off as its constantly dug up, but the rest of everything is doing well anyways.
My lettuce has done so well it has flowered indoors.

Thanks to the member here who suggested not planting hydrocotyle, best advice I've had with that plant and it grows fantastic tied to the driftwood.

 

[Discusluv]

Beautiful. Love the set-up of this tank.
C.eques is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful corydoras species offered for aquarium. I have 6 myself.

 

[JCnyc]

Great setup! I keep embers with exclamation-point rasboras too.

 

[NoodleAquatics]

Scored some plants today locally, got a heck ton more vals, so added those to the tank today

And the ever growing hydrocotyle leucocephala lol

 

[NoodleAquatics]

Added cabomba and a new ozelot sword. Trimmed some of the hydrocotyle leucocephala.

 

[jake21]

Just an fyi but that ozelot sword can get pretty large - well over 12 inches. As to how quickly it will grow - well that depends on how much it likes your tank....

 

[NoodleAquatics]

Just an fyi but that ozelot sword can get pretty large - well over 12 inches. As to how quickly it will grow - well that depends on how much it likes your tank....

I know, I have other tanks it can move to if it outgrows this one, for now all 4 swords in the tank are small.

 

[NoodleAquatics]

Trimmed the vals as they were shading out the other plants a but, moved the one ozelot sword to behind the other ones

 

[victorusaconte]

What plant is this?

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[Phil Edwards]

If you haven't moved it since the previous picture, I'd say it's an emergent form of an Echinodorus. If it's well established and throwing off multiple leaves, you should be ok trimming off the original growth as they're not adapted to underwater growth and look like they're decaying.

 

[NoodleAquatics]

What plant is this?

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Echinodorus red ozelot, but emersed form as I just bought it, so it's still converting

If you haven't moved it since the previous picture, I'd say it's an emergent form of an Echinodorus. If it's well established and throwing off multiple leaves, you should be ok trimming off the original growth as they're not adapted to underwater growth and look like they're decaying.

I know it's emersed, just bought it from the store, so in the fun stage of it adapting. But it's growing a new leaf already, so as it gets it's new leaves, the emersed leaves will be removed

 

[NoodleAquatics]

I'm at week 26 with this setup...
Gave the hydrocotyle a bit of a trim and some some of the excess, and propagated the cabomba.
Went slightly heavier on the tannins this weeks water change though lol

I also no longer have the boraras urophthalmoides in this tank, they moved to their own tank. Now it is the corydoras eques and ember tetras permanently in this tank, with a hoplosternum punctatum catfish juvenile growing out temporarily until he is ready to move to my adult tank (I bred that little guy, can see him in the video in one of the group shots, he's the Grey sausage-looking catfish)

 

[Phil Edwards]

Looking great! It's got a soothing feel; you must get a lot of enjoyment watching it.

 

[NoodleAquatics]

Looking great! It's got a soothing feel; you must get a lot of enjoyment watching it.

One of my favourites to watch! It helps too it's directly in front of my couch too lol easy viewing.
But the fish work out really well and keep it interesting every day lol

 

[Phil Edwards]

One of these days I'm going to do something similar. I've fallen in love with Aspidoras and want to do some species tanks for them.

 

[NoodleAquatics]

One of these days I'm going to do something similar. I've fallen in love with Aspidoras and want to do some species tanks for them.

Yassss
Theyre so adorable and very underrated!

 

[NoodleAquatics]

Added another piece of driftwood.

 

[victorusaconte]

View attachment 1031942

Added another piece of driftwood.

Nice rare looking driftwood u got there. My opnion, looks more natural, for my eyes, if you turn it more towards the front glass. Like if it was a root trying to grow somewhere. Like, bend it towards the front glass a little more. But, again, that's my opinion.

The way it is rn looks really interesting, like a huge tree was broken and a large piece fell in to this area.

I know, I'm crazy.

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[NoodleAquatics]

Nice rare looking driftwood u got there. My opnion, looks more natural, for my eyes, if you turn it more towards the front glass. Like if it was a root trying to grow somewhere. Like, bend it towards the front glass a little more. But, again, that's my opinion.

The way it is rn looks really interesting, like a huge tree was broken and a large piece fell in to this area.

I know, I'm crazy.

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Ive actually totally redid this tank today, I'm thinking looking more natural the way the new scape is.

 

[NoodleAquatics]

Did a redo.
I flipped that wood around, angled it like it's a tree stump going out of the water, and draped the mass of hydrocotyle leucocephala over top of it.

Feels a bit more like I've got a piece of the Amazon sitting right in my living room.
Feels more authentic this scape, I think.


This is the main piece of wood, since I redid it all I took it out for a quick photo. All one solid piece.