[SifuSeafood]

Setup my second tank yesterday!

It was really fun but at times frustrating playing with all the branches of manzanita wood.


Equipment
Tank: UNS 90LS
Lighting: Twinstar 900EA
Chihiros stainless steel canister filter (ADA ES-600 replica)
CO2: GLA Primo w/ 5# tank

Substrate
Tropica Plant Growth substrate
Safe-T-Sorb
UNS Controsoil
Carib Sea Super Natural Sunset Gold

Hardscape
Manzanita wood
Ohko/dragon stone

Flora
Background
Microsorum pteropus 'narrow'
Alternanthera reineckii 'mini'

Midground
Anubis nana pangolino
Bucephalandra brownie purple
Bucephalandra mini coin
Bucephalandra mini belindae
Lilaeopsis brasiliana
helanthium tenellum broadleaf
Cryptocoryne parva
Fissidens fontanus/splachnobryoides

Foreground
Riccardia chamedryfolia
Staurogyne sp. repens
Hemianthus callictrichoides

Fauna

TBD.
Celestial pearl danio or chili rasboras?
Caradina shrimp

&&&

Plant layout

 

[Williak]

Wow can't wait to see this come together! Beautiful tank too, been eyeing one of these myself. Hardscape layout is great- nice spread with the manzanita!

 

[Grobbins48]

Great start and love the thought into the design. Will be fun to watch what you do with this!

 

[JerSaint22]

Looks great! Love the layout and planting plan!
Can't wait to see it full of shrimp and micro fish, consider Corydora Pygmaeus they are awesome and have a ton of personality in a tiny package.

 

[SifuSeafood]

Man, I've had some ups and downs with this tank! Hopefully, things are rebounding now.

This is the tank as of last Monday 7/9/2018.

Adjusted some branches because they just didn't stay in place once flooded.

Shortly after flooding, I decided to remove the sand. I should have spent the proper amount of time creating dividers for the substrate. I really didn't want to fight an uphill battle of keeping the Controsoil out of the sand, at times I can be a huge perfectionist. Ultimately, I think I will still love the tank and foreground once the carpet fills in.

Tannins stained the water for the first two weeks after flooding, but I added 50 micron filter floss during my latest 80% WC and it's been keeping it fairly low. Much more enjoyable to look at.

Here is the tank two days prior.

It doesn't have that ordinary effect you typically see with tannins. I think it's because of the incredibly shallow depth and width (and maybe the matte backdrop). It was just a slightly brown haze. Once drained into a bucket it did look like tea though. So, I was able to rule out bacterial/algae blooms, etc.


Really excited for once this tank reaches maturity and stability. I'm getting a lot of melt from some of the java ferns and bucephalandra... which worries me. But still remaining hopeful. Blasting CO2 for awhile until I can see some improvements and dial it in for appropriate levels before getting livestock.


Side note: if anyone else decides to use IKEA furniture for nano tanks, I highly recommend applying 2 or 3 layers of car wax on it as a sealant, lol. Just make sure it doesn't leave a haze! I used Collinite 845 with great effect. I think using a car wax that doesn't leave marks on black plastic would suffice.

 

[swarley]

Beautiful work. I look forward to its progress!

 

[Williak]

Looks great so far, been seeing these pics on Reddit!

Can’t wait to see this grow in


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