[Kathyy]

*Materials on Hand
Bought a dozen 12x15" aquarium panes and only needed 2. What to do, what to do. Build a nano tank of course! Didn't spend a dime until the tank had survived a week full of water then went a bit nuts. This was a quick build for me, from first glass cut to planting was just over a month.

Equipment
On hand - all materials to build 15.5x12.5x12" 9 gallon rimless tank, plywood scrap, 1x3" board to support light, hardware and paint, 1/2" hose for the pump return.
Bought - MicMol Mini Color LED, Finnex 50 watt titanium heater, Swiss Tropical corner mattenfilter foam and supports, Rio 90 water pump, $ store foam core, 1/2" elbow. Had outlet grounded.

Scaping materials
All on hand
Plaster sand well washed, gravel sifted from old substrate, variety of rocks picked up from the back yard, manzanita sticks left over from big tank's scape. Even reusing stainless steel screws.

Plants
Bought, Hydrocotyle 'Japan', Anubias 'Petit', will need a houseplant or two as well.
On hand, Eleocharis 'Belem', Marsilea sp., Cryptocoryne sp. and moss, likely a small form of java.

Low light, low tech. Weekly 10% water change, water fortified with tiny amounts of NPK+GH+KH+M. May or may not use metricide carefully diluted and measured out. Light 12" off the top of the tank and at 50% in afternoon and evening, 1% white as nightlight until dawn.

Concept
Shrub with exposed roots on stream bank. Hairgrass, Marsilea, pennywort are growing at water line, moss and Marsilea in sand and plant to be named later behind the wood as a reminder of terrestrial plants.

Will be a shrimp tank for sure but anything else is up in the air. Early days as tank needs to cycle.

Loads of build photos on the phone but......

 

[PhilipS]

Nano tank idea is a good one.

Or you could use the panes to divide a long tank and host lots of different shrimps, and nano scapes.

 

[Kathyy]

Thanks for saving me from back to back posts! Dividing a tank is a great idea. Oh well. Actually I have 2 whole panes left..... Pico or divided tank????

Well I don't see any way to edit my original post from the phone but I can post photos replying using the phone. Too lazy to make them pretty.

That's Ginger checking out the giant water bowl.
The first attempt at a light post, switched to a stronger L bracket as this one wasn't vertical enough and a bit wobbly.
The end result last night, plastic bin is to cut to cover the power strip to protect from drips. Going to go moss some rocks, stick moss between foam and its supports now.

 

[PhilipS]

Looking good Kathy.

 

[Kathyy]

Thanks!

Tank has been a lot of fun so far. I worked out that the 'special' red/green/blue channel is the best nightlight. Bought, made Spyra pots for and installed house plants, did a water change and added a bunch of rams horn snails this week. They have been very busy.

Decided on the cliche Peace lily and button fern above water. Button fern is successful on the epiphyte branch over the big tank. Peace lily was a good choice for strong shadowing and texture contrast with the wood.

Cycling is moving along. Saw first tinge of nitrate yesterday.

Stocking. Am drawn to green neons - Paracheirodon simulans, neon rasboras - Microdevario kubotai and Norman's lampeyes - Aplocheilichthys normani but least killifish - Heterandria formosa and pygmy corys - Corydoras pygmaeus are also interesting. I've never been drawn to CPD but am sure they deserve a close look as well. Will likely be stocking cherry shrimp and hoping a few babies survive.

The idea of a submerged woody plant with exposed roots seems to be working out. I originally was planning roots wrapping around the filter foam but using the heavy sticks makes for a nice above water arrangement. Pointless to plant moss on the foam as intended but turned out to be super easy to tuck moss between foam and its support so hoping it grows and softens the straight lines.

 

[thatphotoguy]

Its looking good!!

 

[Kathyy]

Tank is cycled for the biological load it has at the moment with zero nitrate detected but plants seem fine so I'll leave dosing as is for now. There are over a dozen pea sized ramshorn snails, a 1/2" platy fry and a 1.5" male platy in there getting fed daily. I think the amount of food they are getting is about the amount I'd be feeding the permanent inhabitants too.

So what to get? Made up a poll and would love to get some opinions.
Water is moderately hard, tank's pH is 7.4.
These fish ought to be fine with my water but of course am concerned about jumping and behavior. I've only had the threadfins before and they were nice in a 10 gallon.
Threadfins, Iriatherina
Gertrude's blue eye, Pseudomugil
Norman's Lampeye
Least killifish
Pygmy Corydoras

Am leaning to the Blue eyes plus Corydoras plus cherry shrimp. How many of each would you choose for this scape or would you go a different way with the fish listed? Or do something else entirely?

Remember it's a fairly deep tank for its length, very little water movement with some ripples on the surface with a good bit of the 15x12 foot print taken up by the 1/4 circle mattenfilter. Swooping schoolers wouldn't be happy but darting ones would be fine. Sight lines broken up with the roots.

 

[PhilipS]

Both of the Killifish (Lamprey and the Least) will enjoy your planted tank. Lots of room for trios or small schools of 5 to breed and hiding spots for eggs and the live fry. The Least is a live bearer.

I'm new to Killis and will visit the SAKE Killifish show next month in Phoenix in hopes of finding a certain specie that no one in my local planted/fish club has. There were many Californians last year. Something for everyone even if you don't have Killis.

The Killis can be very colorful and ornate, like small reef fish.

 

[Kathyy]

Lamprey, shudder. Spellchecker is an amazing thing, does it ever get it right?

Thanks for that and all that have voted on the poll, it's helping. Apparently pygmy corys are a must! Waiting on the tank to grow in, no new Anubias leaves yet, guess that would be a sign that things are starting to grow in.

 

[Kathyy]

Well I decided on Spotted Blue Eye Rainbowfish, Pseudomugil gertrudae, and cherry shrimp. Got the male platy out as he sleeps at the top of the tank but the little one doesn't sleep up there so don't know when she will be leaving.

Also had an interesting surprise yesterday. I spotted a baby peppered Corydoras in there! The substrate, wood, rocks and equipment were either new or completely dry when put in this tank so an egg must have hitch hiked on either the moss or the Brazilian pennywort. I'd think moss but it was treated quite roughly being out of water for a while and tied to wood with strong thread as I've not seen the Corydoras at the top of the tank when spawning.

I hadn't been dosing micros as the jar was put away and it was a bother. The Brazilian pennywort was looking puny. I bought some bottles to make up micro and macro solutions and this week the new growth definitely is better colored and has better roots as well.

A bit surprised at how long the peace lily flower is lasting. It looks so much like Anubias and Anubias flowers last a day.