[GrampsGrunge]

I started this tank(s) back in 2012, it's a plain Jane rimmed 2.5 gallon with a Tupperware 1.2 gallon satellite tub that's fed water by a tube from the Aquaclear 20 HOB that filters the main tank, and the tub drains back though a 3/8th's overflow tube. It's what I started as my grow out tank for my rag tag collection of Java fern leftovers from my aquariums of 10 years ago. The original setup of the satellite tank was a potted baby Water Lily tuber, which has gone on to completely fill out the 85 gallon stock trough pond. I had a 3 little young WhiteClouds as the first inhabitants of this tank.

My 5 Gallon was getting too full of plants, and I have little room to start with a bigger tank right now.

The new idea with the little tank is to make this a partial soil substrate, so I can try growing some small Crypts. The soil is unusual as I'm using the clay-ish sand from the bed of a small freshwater streamlet. The main tank is also going with low voltage heat cable, siliconed onto the outside of the tank's bottom pane. With our house at 64 degrees the main tank's water has been at a pretty even 70 degrees, with the satellite tank running a degree or so cooler. My plant lighting for both tanks is a 22 watt daylight spiral CFL in a clamp-on reflector. So far the tank has been running for 3 days with just a few floating Java ferns to help with cycling. I've bought some Cryptocoryne Parva for the 'foreground', what little space there is. My thinking is the 'live clay' will also help with getting this up and running quickly. I may try to jumpstart the little tank with some mulm from my 85 gallon semitropical container pond. I'll keep this thread updated as time goes on.

 

[GrampsGrunge]

Started the tank about 10 day ago, I've had a rethink about the heat-cable and am using a submersed heater for now.

Water conditions at this time are:

Carbonates 2 kH
General hardness 3-4
I'm dosing very lightly some macro nutrients of a Potassium/Magnesium vitamin supplement made of Potassium Gluconate and Magnesium stearate, with help from some Dolomite gravel as a calcium buffer, mixed with washed river sand capping the stream-clay/sand.

I changed out the old CFL spiral 22w in the clamp-on reflector for a 9 watt, TCP Daylight 60 watt equivalent LED bulb, it seems dimmer than the CFL, but the growth in both tanks reamains the same. Maybe better spread of color and color rendering? The White clouds are certainly looking brighter and more colorful under this light.

I think I like D.I.Y. low-tech LED lighting.

Our water is a surface well source and comes with very little dH or kH, some tannins, and some iron. I never noticed that adding extra iron to our water ever helped boost my plant's growth in the past. Certainly our pond's Lilys and Water Hyacinth grow with vibrant green with nothing more than some dolomite to buffer the very soft water we have.

I'm presently growing out Water Sprite I have in the 5 gallon, along with the C.Parva and C.Undulata I picked up earlier. There's a sickly Anubias Nana narrowleaf I was gifted, I'm not sure if it's going to make it or not, it's only got a few healthy looking leaves.

 

[GrampsGrunge]

On-going small tank drama, there's been a rise in Diatom algae covering the plants. The Water Sprite is having second thoughts about growing as a substrate plant and is now floating.

But I've got a new Crypt.Undulata start that is taking root and putting out a pair of leaves, the Anubia has slowly been adjusting and has added a couple leaves, and the gravel rooted Java fern has been growing well with numerous new leaves.

One thing adding to the algae is that I've 'borrowed' the satellite container to grow out some 15 free swimming rosy barb fry. When they get a little bigger than 3/8" they'll be moved into their own 10 gallon tank.