[jhwku]

Getting back into the planted tank scene. Picked up this tank during black Friday. Been looking for a tank as clean looking as this to match the style of my house. Now only to make sure that I dont mess up my house keeping up this tank.

Specs
Spec V 5.6 gallon tanl
7500K LED day & night lighting system
Overflow filtration system

Thinking about getting some Fluval Shrimp Stratum for my substrate with some HC for my carpet. Maybe add some stone to give it a mountain range look.

Still need ideas for what fish to put in it that will stay small that I can have a decent size school of. Thinking of 5 cardinals or neons but may consider some killifish. Also may eventually add some RCS.


Dry Set up

Planted

filled

12/15/12

12/23/12

1/3/13

1/12/13

1/27/13

2/17/13

3/23/13

 

[!shadow!]

These are nice fish but the prefer schooling so once you add in a few not sure if their requirements would be met in a small tank. Who knows you might be able to pull it off just as long as you do your water changes and doesn't overload the tank's filter. Either way most small fish such as what you choosed will do fine. I was tempted to get one of these myself but decided to put it off for another time. Good luck with the project, i'm sure HC is going to look great.

Boraras brigittae

or blue eyed rainbowfish

 

[jhwku]

Thanks for the comments. I like the Boraras as a schooling fish. I may need to order them though, so has anyone had any luck on aquabid with smaller fish?

 

[jhwku]

Planted and scaped today. Starting the dry start method for a couple of weeks to get the HC rooted. Here is an image. For Fauna I am going to use green tetra's my lfs gets them regularly and i can put enough for a good size school

 

[GMYukonon24s]

Both of them fish are nice.

 

[jhwku]

Thinking about filling the tank up this weekend, or putting my aquaticlife lights over the tank for more light until i fill the tank. any suggestions how to make sure that HC has successfully rooted?

 

[jhwku]

Tank has been filled and very few pieces of HC floated so start to dose this week and really see growth.

 

[jhwku]

Update 12/15/12

added green neon tetras to the tank, good alternative for such a small tank with a similar look to the cardinals

 

[Centromochlus]

Rock chalk, Jayhawk!

 

[jhwku]

Another update. added some cherry shrimp and an Oto to help clean up the tank a little. Added some color in the back corner as well.

 

[jhwku]

Just did a water change thought I would take a picture. One of my cherry's gave birth but havnt been able to find the little guys checked the filter and everything.

 

[jhwku]

Had to replace an OTO that had White Fungus today. Also started to see baby shrimp all around the tank. The top of my rocks seem to be growing quite a bit of algae even though I have turned my light cycle down. Here are some pictures

 

[Leeroyv]

liking the look of this alot cant wait to get mine filled and cycled

 

[andrewss]

lookin good

 

[jhwku]

Thanks this tank is coming along day by day. cant wait for the carpet to fill in and to have some trimmings to spread around this tank. looks like a lot of people got this tank, looking forward to seeing all the different ways it gets scaped

 

[jhwku]

Update 1/12/13
Have 4 Red cherries saddled but still none that are berried yet. Have been like this for about 2 weeks. One of the females I received berried laid its eggs and now the shrimp are gaining confidence and showing themselves around the tank regularly. I still need to figure out how to efficiently dose this tank with the EI method, because I am starting to grow a bit of algae.

 

[jhwku]

3 out of the 4 females are berried as of this afternoon with the 4th looking to be so as well. Soon I will have an army.

 

[Tecstasy]

Tank is looking good, wish you luck with the berries

 

[jhwku]

A 2 week update everything is growing like crazy did my first big trim on this tank. Here are the before and after pictures. Please excuse the trimmed photo as I had just added a water clarifier.

Before

After

 

[jhwku]

Its been a while. My tank is now officially infested with red cherry shrimp. Not only that but my females are berried again. I need to figure something to do with all these shrimp besides make shrimp scampi. Growth is great here is a picture.