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Impulsive 20H

13788 Views 33 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  bigboij
New pics up!

skip to the update, it looks nothing like these first pics anymore :)

Click here to jump to the update!










This is my first tank, it started out as a community fish tank.

I had happened to see pictures of some Takashi Amano so where on the net and decided I wanted to have a planted tank.

So I did what most newbs did and rushed out to petco and bought some plants. Unfortunately, what they sold me were expensive plants that ended up being not true aquarium plants and they withered away.

I found this site and went and acquired some new more appropriate plants. This is a super low budget tank I’m doing so my progress is very slow.

i started with a single 15 watt hood with a GE plant light. so my ultra low light tank stayed alive but grew little too none. It took me a couple weeks but I finally got a deal on a Cora life 24" 28w plant light, bringing me up to 43w and 2.x wpg.

I’m currently stuck with some HUGE substrate, which was fine with just fish but isn’t the best for plants I’m finding out. Hopefully I can change it out this coming weekend. (I’m thinking flourite) the plants still seem to be doing fine, so im not in a supper hurry. Any suggestions would be great I’m on a budget so this has been pushed back due to costs a lot.

the only ferts I’m using is 3 drops daily of Brightwell Aquatics FlorinMulti. This was a suggestion from the guy at the lfs. I’m dosing according the halving the recommended dosing for a 50g listed on the back. is the stuff any good?

Carbon source don't have one but I believe the flourin multi does have some in its mix. Thought about Excel but i have shrimps and ive heard it can cause damage, thou i think i wouldn't use enough for it to be harmful.

Filtration a Whisper 30, currently has carbon in in want to put in purigen but im broke and the lfs wants 15 bucks for the bag, maybe on payday

Flora: Java Moss, Java Fern, Bacopa, Ludwiga Repens, Anacharis, Anubas Nana, Dwarf hairgrass, Corkscrew Val, something I think is a sword, some kind of Crypt.

Fauna: 4 Zebra Danios, 8 Blood fin Tetra, 1 Black skirt Tetra, 1 Pictus Cat, 1 Bamboo shrimp, 10+ Ghost shrimp , 3 Ottos, one pair of Guppies.

Pics , from my cell phone my good cam is currently a paperweight.







comments, suggestions, hate, all appreciated .
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so far so good
Did the much needed overhaul of the tank

I replaced the substrate completely got rid of the large river stone. Now I'm using Pondcare Aquatic Planting Media, Capped with some standard black aquarium stone. Not quite sure if i want to keep this as the cap or try something else, it does hold down the other stuff quite nice. I have root tabs so the soil, get everything started.

I had plans of a real nice rock setup, but... I found my rock's lovely stripes were Pyrite. From what searching I did I found the to be a no no for an aquarium.(is this true or did I misread?) So im stuck with my old rocks and, tiny piece of Driftwood for my hardscape. I want to get out and try to hit up some creeks/rivers for some nice DW but, here in CO we got lots of conifer trees which are no no's too. I might have to look at the lfs or online.

I added two different types of Hygro since my last post also.

Setup a DIY Co2 system, its using a bamboo diffuser at the moment. I ordered a Glass one on ebay so just waiting on it.

Layout, need to find a source of HC here locally, I really wanna start a carpet in the open areas.




FTS




Messing with the camera settings, this one looks more like what I see.




I need hardscape suggestions, please help!!!

I need to keep a cave/overhang of some sort for my Bamboo shrimp and Pictus, they get stressed without cover.
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oh ya,

I picked up some planting tools for real cheap at Harbor Freight, 5 bucks a piece.


this thing helps so much, getting a curved tipped one next week. They were out at the time.
(Clickable)




just need to find a good pair of long stem scissors. and im set.
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my one week update tons of growth now i need to find out the proper way to trim the hygro (which has roots growing out of it from everywhere).

The Diy Co2 is working fantastic i have consent pearling and bubble streams raising from my plants. still waiting on my Co2 checker is still on the way but the fish seem fine. i am running a airstone at night to help.

I also added 15 CRS and they have almost eradicated my hair algae issue i had right after adding the Co2.

starting to see what i believe is BBA on my anubias, which is minimal but im keeping an eye on it.




i need to get a descent camera this 5mp does this tank no justice.
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good job! haha it looks just like my tank did when i started! be careful not to get too addicted though, i've spent probably over $700 on my 10g tank over the past two and a half years, so try to figure out what you want and THEN buy it instead of experimenting with lots of stuff. remember, "he who buys cheap buys twice." as long as you are in the hobby, live by that rule.
did a rescape last week. Im finding my HoB is not enough flow for me and i have ordered a canister filter to help cover the job. im trying to avoid using a power head if all possible.





i know i need to trim

with this cheap camera i get great pics with a flash .....minus the big white spot in the middle of the pic
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It looks really good!
latest up to date shot, ive removed the anacris and wysteria amonst moving everything and adding a few new plants

\



what would it take to get this thread moved to the tank journals section, it seems better suited there
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looking good! heres a couple of things you may want to think about:
1. that borneo fern that you have in there isn't aquatic, it'll quickly die in there if you leave it submerged.

2. keep you taller plants in the back of the tank, and shorter ones in front. ie, your java ferns shouldnt be used as a background plant, because they grow extremely slowly and they don't get all that big. also, your Vallisneria and Ludwigia shouldnt be used as midground or foreground plants. they get really big, so you should move them back into the background and move the Java ferns up.

3. the amazon sword in the back there will get HUGE if you let it. I'm not telling you to move it, because you could definitely make it look good, but just so you know, it'll outgrow your tank by a lot. Make sure to keep cutting it back, or replace it with crypts that won't get as big.

4. congratulations on the canister filter! i was so much happier with mine once i got it, theyre so much nicer than the old loud HOB's.
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did a bit of a revamp for the most part i wanted bury my DW so the shrimp wouldn't hide under it all the time.

Thinned everything out quite a bit as well, going to trying growing a mini 4 leaf clover and DHG carpet.


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looking very good! keep up the good work, it looks like everything is growing in very well :)
Looking good!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that pictus cat will outgrow your tank. They get pretty large and are very active swimmers, so they really do best with 50+ gallons.
Looking good!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that pictus cat will outgrow your tank. They get pretty large and are very active swimmers, so they really do best with 50+ gallons.
Yea, I know he'll get big, and have to go. he's a refuge from a buddies tank disaster. For now he's still a small fella and hides in the ludwiga all the time. Eventually he'll hopefully get that 55+ :icon_smil
An update, ive rescaped just a little bit.

Moved the java fern back to the back to fill in the bottom of my swords, and to hide it a little i didnt care for it up front.

Also cut the lighting back to see if that will help with my algae problem im just using the 28w t5 at the moment. Made my ludwiga repens start turn bright red on a few of the stems.

finally got the zebra danios out, and added two more black skirt tetras, still haven't been able to catch the pictus cat.

You can see the algae im fighting, mainly on the leaves of the anubias to the right.
http://g.imageshack.us/img141/100b1350.jpg/1/

With flash, since its the only way this camera can catch detail
http://g.imageshack.us/img177/1001349n.jpg/1/

Also need a plant id, I got a tiny piece of this awhile back and its started growing pretty good in the last few weeks.
http://g.imageshack.us/img177/1001363.jpg/1/
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removed the Swords and did a total revamp due to the destruction all the roots caused.

i plan on taking the crypts on the hill and the cardinal plant switching places. Im also thinking of cutting up my mini clover and planting it more spread out to make a better carpet right now i just took the long runner chains i had from before and bunched them up and stuck them in the gravel as their quite the pain to plant.

all i got are cell phone pics at the moment just after planting so its still hazy.




i love my chop stick diffusers they work 10x better than my glass diffuser. smaller bubbles and i never have to clean em.
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i believe your mystery plant is lobelia cardinalis. i like your tank, nice job.
got a tripod still the same crappy cam but now less blurry due to "shakes mcgee"

testing out the new toy so i hadn't cleaned the glass or topped it off for the shots.

also planing on getting some black sand to re cap my substrate it grows great as it is but its ugly



Close up of the start of my 4leaf clover carpet, im thinking my 28w t5 lighting is just a bit low might pick up another of the same light



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just a quick update

added a few cardinal tetras, im wanting to get rid of/swap out the blood fins for more of these guys.

added a couple stems of rotela (two types but i dont recall which) they were in rough shape when i got them but their starting to pull through.

My 4leaf clover carpet is slowly but surely filling in





My DHG is finally filling in i think the seachem tab is to thank
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