[meowschwitz]

Updated: 06/12/2014 (NEW HARDSCAPE!)

01/21/2013

12/13/2012

09/29/2012

09/01/2012, Flooded.

08/11/2012, Day 61 of dry start.

07/28/2012, Day 47 of dry start.

05/12/2012, Before dry start.

It's a sexy tank. You can't deny it. So I'm going to get one.

Tank: Mr. Aqua 12G Long
Stand: Target 6 Cube Organizer
Filter: UG connected to SunSun 3-stage (264GPH)
Lighting: Odyssea T5HO 36" 78watt, using only one bulb, mounted 12" above tank
Heater: Hydor 200W 5/8"
Substrate: Black lava rock (small grain)
Hardscape: Malaysian driftwood, Seiryu stone
Flora:

• Riccardia chamedryfolia (Mini Pellia)
• Taxiphyllum sp. (Mini Christmas Tree Moss)
• Taxiphyllum ferriei (Weeping Moss)
• Fissidens nobilis (Mini Fissidens)
• Fissidens geppii
• Jungermannia pseudocylcops (Rose Moss)
• Blepharostoma trichophyllum (Mini Rose Moss)
• Notocyphus lutescens
• Anubias nana 'micro'

Fauna: TBA
Tap water: pH = ~7.0, KH = 0-1, GH = 0-1, TDS = ~30
Tank water: pH = 7.8, KH = 4, GH = 5, TDS = 195

 

[nnarth212]

Hiya!

First post here. Returning to fresh water after an exclusive decade or two with terrestrial species. Your tank piques my interest because I am starting with a 11.4 Mr. Aqua cube, IN SF!

Tank: Mr. Aqua 12G Cube
Stand: cabinet with doors
Filter: Zoo Med ...500 I think, not purchased
Lighting: DIY par30 ~50 watt 6000k single LED pedant
Heater: small?
Substrate: Black Diamond
Hardscape: NO IDEA
Flora: NO IDEA
Fauna: Tap water: CHECK

I don't plan to use an under gravel filter...

I plan to use a plastic spray bar that'll span the entire length of the tank top side.

GOAL-- a good deal of plants. A few tetras.

PROFIT!

 

[Kunsthure]

Forget the SunSun. One of mine broke down after about a year and a half. Just replaced it with a Fluval 206.

I've been researching mini canisters for my 13g and the options look like a Zoo Med 501 and a TOM mini canister. Both have mixed reviews. So I'm undecided.

-Lisa

 

[meowschwitz]

Hardscape teaser.

 

[Kai808]

Hardscape teaser.

Wow Cool! I have a similar scape currently in dry start! The only thing I was worried about was having the rocks too close to the glass for cleaning purposes. It took me almost a year to find my stones. How long did it take you? But I'm definitely subscribed to this.

 

[meowschwitz]

Didn't take too long. AFA here in SF has plenty of seiryu stone, as well as some bonsai shops. I've used these same rocks in several other scapes, so I've had them for a while.

I'm going to have to tear down this scape soon in order to setup the UGF; I was just bored last night and decided to mess around with the hardscape. Took plenty of pics to make sure I get it the same or as similar as possible the next time around.

 

[Kai808]

I can't believe you set up this beautiful hardscape knowing you'll have to tear it down to install the UGF! You must have been really bored.

 

[meowschwitz]

Hey, I didn't know it'd turn out so nice. :flick: Of course, now I regret it... c'est la vie.

 

[fishykid1]

Hey, I didn't know it'd turn out so nice. :flick: Of course, now I regret it... c'est la vie.

Why would you put a UGF on a tank like this? Just curious...

 

[meowschwitz]

I plan to keep shrimp. Extending filtration to the substrate will certainly provide a nicer environment for them.

 

[etane]

Nice scape. The different color rocks enhances the contour's depth.

I had the same tank (for two days) and couldn't figure out how to enhance depth since the tank is so narrow.

 

[mythin]

Sweet looking hardscape man! did you figure out what kind of flora you plan on doing yet?

 

[meowschwitz]

Video update. Changed the hardscape up a bit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBP7JCzI6x0&feature=youtu.be

If you can guess the TV show playing in the background, you are awesome.

 

[sayurasem]

Nice scape! That is a lot of rocks, I'm pretty sure it will raise heavy TDS... So I don't know about shrimp. I only has 2-piece (15lb worth) of seiryu stones in hoping it will not raise the TDS too much. As for the light I have the same, you might want to raise it atleast 5" above the tank. I have my fixture 7" above the tank right now. I will raise it again probably 10" above the tank so I can extend my lighting period at night. For the filter I used to run Eheim 2213 on my tank but find that a little lack of flow (because I place intake and out put on the same side I the tank). I use Eheim 2217 now and yes... It's a bit too much flow with 200+ gph. What I'm going to do is to load my 2217 with more cocoa puffs to slow the flow a bit.

Overall your tank is looking great! Can't wait till what kind of stand you are going to put on.
*just saw the vid. Hamster lol!

 

[meowschwitz]

I only have 8 lbs of seiryu in there. They're all relatively small pieces. I plan to keep orange neos and possible OEBT, so higher TDS shouldn't be a problem, considering my tap has pH = ~7.0, KH = 0-1, GH = 0-1, TDS = ~30. I hung up the light fixture after making the vid; it's now about 10 inches about the top of the tank.

 

[meowschwitz]

Under gravel filter set up with lava rock. Liam's (mordalphus) Top Secret Sauce placed beneath substrate.

Light mounted about 10 inches from the top of the tank. Using only one bulb, so about 39 watts.

Day 1 of dry start.

Flora: mini pellia, mini fissidens, mini christmas moss, mini rose moss, rose moss, weeping moss, notocyphus lutescens

 

[HappyToLearn]

Nice work!
I like the moss tank you have pictured to the right of your Sexy 12G. Do you have any other pics of that tank posted?

 

[sayurasem]

nice! did you chopped up the mosses? What is your foreground going to be? btw I never knew you can just light up 1 bulb on the fixture!

 

[meowschwitz]

Nice work!
I like the moss tank you have pictured to the right of your Sexy 12G. Do you have any other pics of that tank posted?

That tank is kind of messy at the moment, with an unsightly breeder net hanging right in the front of it. So no pics yet, but I'll be fixing it up real soon and will definitely take pics then.

nice! did you chopped up the mosses? What is your foreground going to be? btw I never knew you can just light up 1 bulb on the fixture!

Chopped it up as much as possible with an X-Acto knife. Foreground will be mini pellia. And yeah, I just unhooked one of the bulbs in the fixture.

 

[dxiong5]

Nice set up! I like how the wood and rocks blend together; they complement one another very well. Awesome video as well - looks very homey for the little guy in there

Did you secure your plants to the wood/rocks/substrate? Or are you DSM'ing and letting them attach?

//

edit: saw that you posted "Day 1 of dry start." I gotta read the posts instead of just looking at the pics. Still awesome tank, looking forward to when it grows in.