# New 10g Long



## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Hey guys, I'm moving back to my apartment at school in a little over a month so I'm planning a new tank for my room. I wanted to try something new and stay away from the regular tank shapes/stocking/etc. Here is the setup!

Tank:
I have been looking at different tank shapes trying to find a good fit. I've been liking the shallower look for quite a while, so I figured this was as good a chance as any to try it out. The mr aqua 12 gallon long looked great, but it is glass. Since this tank will be with me at school I'll eventually have to move it, and I DO NOT like moving glass tanks. I'm going to have a custom acrylic tank built. Dimensions will be 32"x9"x9", black background, euro braced with a single cross brace in the center. This will give me a way larger footprint than a regular 10g even though the tank is only 11g. It's going to be made by GPS in Sacramento. They called me after I requested a quote to get a feel for what I was looking for, and the quote came quickly after with a few solid models of potential configurations. I'm impressed with them so far, a lot of the other acrylic manufacturers I have contacted just didn't seem interested in doing business, it's kinda strange. Does anyone have experience with GPS?

Filter:
I'm going to build another in tank filter for this setup. See my last build thread, http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/freshwater-aquarium/5-gallon-desk-tank-130978/#post1459165, if you're interested. This filter will be built into the far end of the tank (end furthest from my desk). It's going to have three chambers, one for mechanical, one for biological, and one for a small sump to hide the pump and heater. This is probably tough to visualize, I'll try to get some solid models up soon. I really like this type of filter because it is so quiet. All the equipment is submerged so the water damps out any vibrations. The filter return will run to the far end of the tank to give me good flow across the whole length of the tank. I'm not sure if I'll run the return outside across the back of the tank, or keep it internal and run it under the gravel along the back.

Heater:
I used a Marina 78 degree fixed heater on my last tank and really liked it. I'll probably use something similar. We will see, for small tanks I don't really feel like heater choice is critical.

Lights:
I'm going to be building myself a new LED fixture. probably will use 10-15 1W diodes, but I'll use a dim-able driver this time so I can fine tune my brightness. I'm not exactly sure how I want to mount it all, but these 1W diodes don't generate too much heat so nothing fancy. For now I think I'll just mount them all to a long piece of aluminum L-bracket. The L-bracket will mount to a piece of acrylic which I will heat up and bend into place over the tank. I hope this will look really clean and be quick to put together. The diodes will be mostly 6500k white, perhaps with some 450nm blue and 660 nm red for color. I'll probably use the cheap Epistar diodes again just because they are so cheap, and this tank is so shallow I really don't need fancier diodes.

Substrate/ferts:
Probably going to use playsand. I just really like the way it looks and the cories love it. I tried fluorite sand on my last tank and didn't feel like it was worth it. I also disliked how cloudy it was when disturbed. I'll probably start out with flourish comprehensive, it's always done well by me. I'd like to try some root tabs too so we will see about that.

CO2:
I've been wanting to try out CO2 on one of my tanks for a long time. My dad has a 5lb cylinder with regulator, solenoid and ph controller that isn't being used. It was from a 100g tank we had in a previous house when I was younger. I'm going to borrow it for this tank. I'm feeling really uncertain about the ph controller though. I don't have much experience with CO2 setups (so please chime in here) but it seems to me a pH controller isn't actually a very good way to control CO2 levels in the tank. Since it isn't actually measuring the CO2 concentration, it seems that any of the things that could normally change pH would throw the CO2 concentrations off. Maybe if you kept a careful eye on other water parameters the pH probe could give accurate CO2 regulation. I just feel iffy about it. I think it would be better for me to just put the CO2 solenoid on the same (or similar) timer as my lights and use a drop checker to estimate concentration. I'd really like feedback on this if anyone has experience. Either way, for diffusion I think I'm going to just route the CO2 hose into the filter return, if this is insufficient I can try something else.

Inverts:
Definitely going to add malaysian trumpet snails to this tank. I absolutely love these things. Their gentle burrowing keeps the substrate SO healthy. And since they burrow you hardly ever see them except when they come up to eat sinking tablets.
I'll probably get a few amano shrimp, I've been hearing what great algae eaters they are and want to see it for myself. I'll also be putting in some smaller shrimp. Probably just cherries since they are so easy, but it could be fun to try something new with some different color.

Fish:
For a while I was contemplating trying to build my stocking around a pair of blue rams (love this fish) but I think that despite the increased footprint of this tank there just isn't enough space for rams. Instead my centerpiece is going to be a school of ember tetras. I'll also be getting about 6 corydorus habrosus for the first time, I have been looking forward to getting some of these little guys since I found out about them. I'll likely get a few otos as well, these guys are just too great with plants to pass up, and they always do well for me. I'm not sure how full the tank will look with these two schools and the otos, I'll have to wait and see. If there is space for more fish I may add a sparkling gourami or two, but it's more likely that if I really think I have room for more fish I'll just add to the ember tetra school. 

Plants:
I was thinking about trying some dwarf baby tears, but I think it's going to be too high maintenance for me. I really want to plant part of the aquarium with pygmy sword, really like the look of this stuff. I'll probably have some anubias nana or anubias barteri growing in the shade of a biggish piece of driftwood. I also really want to try some hydrocotle tripartita, I've loved the look of this plant ever since I first saw it, just haven't gotten to try it out yet. I'll likely plant a few stands of stem plants as well, we will see. I'd love to get plant suggestions if anyone has any 

That's all for now, let me know what you think! I'd love to hear all suggestions.


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

This sounds like it'll be a neat project, I can't wait to see the custom tank! not sure how CO2 or pH regulating works but hopefully someone will drop in and weigh in on that. I don't know much about the technical parts of building a tank, but I'm interested to see how it works out.

i like the sound of your livestock and plants too, though I was under the impression tetras may need more space than 10/11 gallons. though the footprint is probably what really matters for them. I love your choices of inverts- i definitely like MTS, and from my small bit of experience with shrimp, I love them too.

just curious- do you know what the water parameters are where you'll be setting up the tank?


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

The water is terribly hard, like 300-400 tds if I remember correctly. I had good results diluting it with distilled for my last tank. This time I'll be picking up a GH/KH test kit so I can tell exactly what is going on.

Tetras are pretty active and DO prefer more space. However I have two thing going for me. First, as you said the footprint does help. Second, ember tetras are pretty small, as far as I know they are some of the smallest, and I selected them for exactly this reason. 

I'll be posting pictures and explanations of every part of the build so you guys can all follow along


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

Awesome! Glad to hear all that. my GH/KH kit is super handy. My water is so soft, plants don't grow very well, but my south american fish seem to flourish in it. I was thinking tetras and cories usually preferred softer water, but if you've got a system, I'm all about that!  

that makes me want to look into ember tetras for my 29 gallon...hmmm


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

I wish I had space for a 29... First thing I'm gonna do when I get a house is setup a 29 with a blue ram pair, rummy noses, and hatchetfish =D


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

that'll be an awesome tank! I definitely want to get hatchets at some point, but currently, I have kind of a hodge podge of fish in my 29 (an angel who's mate died, 3 remaining betta females from a sorority, a couple of swordtails, the last zebra danio from my shoal, cories and a bn pleco), along with a bunch of snails. thank goodness for plants! after the miscellaneous fish die, i'm considering german blue rams or apistos, along with another shoal of something.


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Ooh apistos are another fish I'd like to try eventually. multiple tank syndrome is going to strike hard once I have space haha...


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

i still live at home, and i have MTS for sure. two small betta tanks, along with the 29 gallon, lol. Whenever i finally move out I'm sure I'll keep my 29, get something bigger, and keep at least one 5 gallon tank for a betta....i'll have to get a python!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Ok been working on the tank plans and wanted to get feedback on a few points.

My last tank had a built in overflow. The cherry shrimp loved to get stuck in it (especially the babies). Shrimp are going to be a big part of this tank and I really don't want them getting sucked into the filter. Is there anything I can do to baby shrimp proof an overflow or do I just need to use an intake tube with a sponge? It seems to me that any screen I put across the overflow that is fine enough to keep baby cherries out will also collect almost all the debris that the mechanical filter foam would normally collect. Thoughts? I really like the overflow because it keeps all the parts of the filter out of the main tank and would like to keep it this way if I can.

I think I'm going to build my self a small CO2 reactor and tuck it into the sump for my CO2 diffusion. Anyone done this before? I'm also concerned that this will make my tank water "misty" looking.


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Here are a few screen shots of what I've got so far. External dimensions are still 32x9x9. The filter takes up the last three inches of the tank's length. Most of the objects are just rough outlines of pump/heater/etc. so I can get a feel for how it will all fit. The pipe along the back of the tank is the return from the filter, it will run under the sand and pop up to an adjustable 90 degree elbow. The objects in the filter are the pump (small box), CO2 reactor (big tube), heater (small tube). The pump will pump the return water to the top of the reactor via a hose, and the return will exit the bottom of the reactor and flow along the back of the tank. This model is still incomplete, most notably there is not yet any way for water to enter the filter as I haven't decided quite how I want the part yet. I'll try to post updated models in a few days.

Oh edit: First filter chamber is mechanical sponge, second is biological, probably ceramic.


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

Very interesting!! Its so long!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Changed tank height to 10" from 9 ", I think this looks much better. Also added the light which I will just make from a piece of aluminum channel.


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Just ordered my tank, and I'm about ready to order the pump, heater, pipe, and fittings!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

It looks like I will not be using a dimmable driver. I can't find one that I like. All the drivers with the features I want require external power supplies or other components I don't want to deal with. So fixed current it is. On the bright side, the driver I used on my last tank is great so I can just use another of those and it'll be a known quantity.

Sorry I don't have more pictures for you all yet, until I get the tank there really isn't much to do. I'll be home for a few weeks before school starts soon so hopefully I can start building the CO2 reactor and filter then. For now I have a few things I'd love to get feedback and opinions on.

Not sure how I want to arrange all the plants or even which species I want to use. I'd really like to try out hydrocotyle tripartita. Have any of you grown this before?

In the past my aquascaping generally just consisted of "tall in the back, short in the front, javafern on the driftwood". I'd like to try something with a bit more direction this time but I don't really know exactly what I want yet. A long pice of driftwood could look nice going down the tank. But I'd also really like to have some big rocks. I want to try not to use any plants I've had before but like I said I really haven't decided which. Suggestions?


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

If it isn't too late, maybe have a bit of swimming room in front of the filter?
Personally, I don't like to look at the filters after a while - they great at the start, but then they get annoying... if you know what I mean? - and the extra space is great for the fishies!  Even if it is 3 to 4 inches..  I think you thank yourself later if you did it like that, but your tank, you know whats best :-D

I love the tank, can't wait to see it all set up! I will be following!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

That's a good point. I could try putting the filter in the back corner instead. This should also help the tank feel longer. Only problem is that I won't be able to see the CO2 reactor working, which I was kind of excited about. Oh well, I'll move things around again and post it up so you guys can see how it looks.


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

BAM

The cylinder next to the filter is the intake with a big sponge over it if you couldn't tell.


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

very nice


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

I really like the new setup - and just think, look at all of that fishy swimming room! 
I like it - and super jelly!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Jelly?


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

Jealous!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

I've ordered everything I can think of:

Pump
Heater
Acrylic for building filter
Pipe and fittings for both plumbing and CO2 reactor
Airstone for reactor
Aluminum channel for light
LEDs and driver
Already have sand
Filter floss
Prefilter foam
Thermometer for tank

Haven't settled on a bio media yet, cheap suggestions?

Build starts when I get home in 11 days!


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

sponge of some kind?
idk the difference between kinds of media....


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

I saw some one on here using straws (just cute them up) - for bacteria - looks cheap!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

That was me :-D


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## Tracy Bird (Sep 20, 2011)

Looks like you enjoy making items for your tanks, me too!

Your planning looks great and I love your ideas, why didn't you make the the tank yourself? No doubt you could do it, its not that hard and an acrylic tank this size is perfect for DIY...

When we gonna get some images?


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

You know, I considered it. I've worked with Acrylic before, know how to bond it etc. But I just didn't want to put the time into that part of the project. I also don't have the proper tools for machining and working with 1/4" acrylic. The company I ended up hiring to build the tank is right by my home and their level of finish seemed really nice so I figured I'd give them a try.

I'll have pictures very early in september, I'm currently finishing up my summer internship and will move back home to start the tank build when thats done.


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

Jeffrey said:


> That was me :-D


Woops, that is awkward! 
Oh well, thats how much your idea stuck to me - and how much I love your 5g! - it is a great idea though!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Ordered thermal epoxy because I though I was out.

Can anyone recommend a good place to order Corydorus Habrosus or a good lfs near san luis obispo?


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

i know Izzy has purchased some fish from The Wet Spot. They're located in Oregon. Not sure if they have c. habrosus, but it'd be worth a look!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Just got an email that my tank is done! Can't wait to get home and pick it up.

Current plant list is:
Hydrocotyle tripartita (semi carpetish)
anubias nana (driftwood, will remove if it can't handle the light)
fissidens fontanus (to cover the driftwood)
Staurogyne repens (general foreground clumps)
Echinodurus Angustifolia (background)
hygrophila corymbosa stricta (foreground clump to add some red, not sure if this is the right plant for me, I'm looking for something low, bushy and red, ideas?)
cryptocoryne parva (midground)


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Was out at a fish store in san diego helping my uncle with some stuff for his reef tank and I happened to stumble across the perfect piece of mopani driftwood! It is probably 16 inches long, great color, nice arch in the middle, and is just the right shape to wrap around the filter and wind down the middle of the tank. Can't wait to get home and get to work!


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

hurry up and go home man  i'm excited for you too!


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

Ohhh, we need to see pics of the tank and the wood! Please get home ASAP!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

So I'm not sure, but it seems like you guys want real pictures? I don't know, just a vibe I'm getting.

Got my LEDs and driver in the mail today. Looking pretty good. Some of the solder joints attaching the LEDs to the substrate look kinda poor, I may have to touch them up when I assemble the fixture. Shouldn't be a problem. Still haven't decided exactly how strong I want to make the light (I can control this by the number of diodes used). I'm thinking around 10W should be plenty, but I can always adjust after it's partly assembled. Is there any interest in a diy LED tutorial? Making fixtures like these is pretty simple and they are WAY cheaper than some of the ready made options. For example, this unit cost about $25 in parts and is equivalent in output to (very roughly, please don't kill me for this :shock maybe about 20W CFL, but it will last years and years without ever needing new bulbs. It's also very easy to tailor color/wavelength to wherever you want.

Bonus picture of driftwood! Probably tough to get a good idea of how it will look in the tank, but I promise more pictures later!


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

very nice!


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

Wow, that driftwood looks great! 
And I would love the tutorial on LED's!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Got my tank, it's beautiful. Excellent level of finish. Good seams, very sturdy. The tank pictures show the tank filled, I took them during the leak test.

Also took pictures of all the goodies and parts I got in the mail from amazon/mcmaster

edit: oops forgot pictures -.-


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

there


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

The drift wood has been soaking in a kiddie pool for three days now. The water hasn't turned brown at all that I can tell. However, today the wood had those white stringies growing on it and the water was cloudy so I did a water change. I know I've read it somewhere before, but can anyone recommend a good way to kill off the fungus? I'm not sure I have anything big enough to boil it in...


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## Tracy Bird (Sep 20, 2011)

I like that tank!

Did they use "black" acrylic (as opposed to clear) for the back? 

No more images of stuff in bags, we want images of stuff in tank.... :lol:

I can tell...its gonna' be really nice when its done.


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Yes the back panel is black.

I should be able to get a bunch of pictures up in the next few days as I document the build. Going to build and test the CO2 reactor first. If there are no surprises there I'll go ahead and build the rest of the filter. All that's left to do after that is the light.


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Knocked out some easy plumbing this afternoon. The small one is the intake, it just holds the pre filter and will empty into the mechanical filtration chamber. Longer piece is the return, the last 90 is just lightly pressed on so I can turn it every few days to mix up the flow a bit. All pieces are sanded up really rough, I'm going to try to get some of the moss to grow on them and cover them. I'll also be spray painting them all black so they blend into the back.

Sorry for the flowers, my regular bedspread is packed lol


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

Looking cool! 
Can't wait to see water in there!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Lots of progress today!

The reducing fittings for the CO2 reactor were just a little too big around to fit into the polycarbonate tube. So my dad and I found some spare parts out in the shop that let us chuck them up in the drill press and sand them down. Like a poor man's lathe :lol:. Also cut the polycarb tube to length. Next we cut the aluminum channel for the light fixture, cleaned up the cut and wet sanded the whole thing. It looks super nice, great finish.

After that I dry fit all the plumbing and stuck it all in the tank to test out the reactor. It works great, bubble retention is excellent. Whole thing is very quiet, and the bubble are pretty :-D

Next I need to dry out and glue the plumbing. Cut the acrylic sheets for the filter chambers. Bond and solder all the LEDs, and finally glue in the plumbing and filter plates. I'll keep updating as I go, let me know if there are any questions.


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

I did all the electrical stuff for the light last night.

Cleaned the aluminum channel and diode heatsinks with alcohol. Mixed up the thermal epoxy and bonded them together. Went straight down the line an soldered them all together in series. Finished up the string by soldering on a connector for the driver. Soldered an old electrical cord to the AC side of the driver and Voila! Instant LED Fixture. I haven't started work on the mount for the light, I'll do that at the shop at school.


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

so shiny and high tech


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Guilty :-D

I'm still concerned about the driftwood, it's still fuzzy. But the water doesn't discolor at all, so I don't feel like I'm going to have any problems with tannins once I get it into the tank. From what I have read, the wood usually gets fuzzy for a while at first but then it dies off as the tank gets more established. I think I'm going to stop soaking it. When I set up the tank I'll just plant it and add the mts, then wait for the fuzz to go away before adding any other livestock. Thoughts?


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

makes sense to me! worth a shot. if someone else knows i hope they correct me


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

What you set up the tank without tanking photos of it - see what i did there?? 
J/K..


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Cut out the acrylic panels for the filter the other day. Just gotta sand them down a bit and then everything is ready to be installed.


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

Wow, you came back from the dead! 
Can't wait to see! Haha, you doing this on purpose!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Acrylic filter plates are sanded down, and the plumbing is all glued together. Just need to add holes for the inlet and outlet of the filter and I'm all ready to assemble. I did change plans slightly for the filter layout. Instead of three chambers there will only be two. There just wasn't space for three. So I will have bio and mechanical in the same chamber, one on top of the other. This should make it a little easier to fiddle around in the sump if I need to and makes assembly a bit simpler. Hopefully more pics tomorrow!


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

OK,
Please get some pics of everything - including setting it up plus what it looks like before has anything (besides filter...)


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

OK will do, anything specific you want to see?


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

Yep, for start to finish!  I really just want to see a time-lapse - even though it would be a small one 
But this tank sounds so interesting, that I just have to see an overload of pics!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Almost done with the filter. I drilled holes for intake and return. Trimmed the middle two plates so water can flow between chambers. Sanded corners so they fit nicely against the acrylic seams. I am currently installing the filter and am posting while some of the silicone sets.

I switched back to the three chamber filter. I needed the extra partition in there in order to have an overflow to set the water level in the main tank. Now I have all the media in the first chamber. The heater will be in the second chamber instead of in the sump, this makes sure it always stays submerged no matter what. The third chamber just hides the pump and CO2 reactor, this should be the only place in the tank with a variable water level. If any of the pictures look out of order it is just because I am test fitting. Also, if they look upside down, I had the top of the aquarium facing me while I worked and had all the parts arrayed that way too. Some of the pictures are hard to see, all the parts are black because I wanted to hide them lol.


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

Wow, the tank looks sick!
Awesome job! Super excited for you!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

let it set over night and got it all filled up for testing today. Return and reactor work great as expected. However the water level in the main tank was getting really high before the water would flow through the filter properly. I fiddled with it for a while, changed things back and forth. Ultimately I ended up figuring out that the pre filter and it's half inch tube were just too great a resistance for the small amount of water level drop between chambers. I knew before hand that using the same size pipe for inlet and outlet wasn't the best idea, especially since the inlet was gravity fed, but I just figured my flowrate was so low it wouldn't matter. I think using 3/4 inch pvc instead of 1/2 and a coarser pre filter would work well, but I don't really want to take it apart. For now I have just twisted off the pipe for the intake so I just have a hole in the plate as the inlet. I'm kinda annoyed with this since the fish/shrimp can just swim in/out, but the flow rate is slow low they should be able to just swim right out. If it gives me any trouble I'll make some modifications, otherwise I'll just leave it alone. It's all packed up for my move to school so I'll take more pictures once I get there.


I've been thinking about stocking again, and I really want feedback. Current stock list is:
8 Corydorus Habrosus
8 Ember Tetra
Cherry Shrimp
Malaysian Trumpet Snail

Maybe:
3 Otocinclus
3-5 Amano Shrimp

Tank water volume is 11 gallons. Does this seem reasonable? I'll probably omit both the otos and the amano shrimp. I'm just really concerned about being overstocked.


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

Personally, i think the oto's and shrimp will be ok.. Remember that shrimp have small bio-loads, that is why you can put 3 -4 in 1/2G 
The tank will look very interesting!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Tank is filled up and running. Dresser wasn't flat so I put some 1/8 inch cork sheet between, the tank is still settling into that. I'm only running polyfill in the filter for now, media bags for the bio media should be here on thursday. Plants should be here on friday. Got the CO2 all setup, reactor works so well, it's very close to 100% diffusion. Unfortunately, my regulator is a bit old, and the solenoid stuck open after a few switches. I'm gonna take it apart and clean it up, if that doesn't do it I'll have to contact the supplier for a replacement. Just a few pictures of the tank, I'll put up more when the plants get here. Old Iphone camera doesn't show the light well.


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Got my plants in the mail yesterday! Ended up buying:
Blyxa japonica
Anubias barteri var. nana
Cryptocoryne parva
Echinodorus angustifolia Vesuvius
Hygrophila corymbosa stricta
Lilaeopsis mauritiana
Hemianthus callitrichoides
Heteranthera zosterifolia

Also bought Fissidens fontanus but that's not here yet.

Tried hot gluing the driftwood to rocks to hold it down but that didn't work, so I just super glued it. Works great. Tucked the anubias into the wood and got that whole thing positioned in the tank. Then I planted everything else, took a few hours. Most of the plants were in great condition. Was a little disappointed with how the stargrass was shipped, it seemed pretty pretty dry and bruised. They did send me 4 bunches though instead of the three that I ordered. Blyxa was a bit melty too, Oh well.


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## Boredomb (Feb 21, 2011)

That's going to look awesome when the plants fill in!


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## BWG (Oct 11, 2011)

Looking really good! I've been following along, lurking and waiting for this. 

The stocking list is good. I'd feel comfortable doing that in a 10 gallon. You have more surface area (not sure how much since I have to go find the tank dimensions again) so I think you can increase it some as well.


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

Wow, thanks for all those pics! It is a beautiful tank!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

So heres my plan now. Early this week, if params are ok, I'm gonna pick up a few otos. Then I need to finish mounting the light, and attach the fissidens. If everything is still going smoothly then I'll go ahead and order some shrimp. Not sure yet which species I want, might try crystal reds, maybe high grade cherries. Anyone have a favorite color variation? I think after the shrimp I'm just going to leave it alone for a few months and let the plants grown in and the shrimp colonize. When I'm happy with it I'll order a bunch of corydorus habrosus. After that, if I feel like I have space I'll go ahead and pick up some ember tetras.


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

wow,it's really lovely !
i like your idea of the shrimp. i like the crystal reds,but then again i don't
think i have seen a shrimp i didn't like


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Long overdue update

As the plants grew, some did well and others didn't. The baby tears looked nice but it made a mess, I don't think it cared for the play sand because it never rooted well, I decided it wasn't going to be worth the hassle and maintenance so I just took it out. Blyxa was doing poorly so I removed it as well. The crypt parka is doing awesome and I love it. It's a slow grower, but it's goring so dense it looks like it may end up looking a bit carpety which would be awesome. Anubias is doing great with minimal green spot algae. The Anubias actually bloomed the other day, I'll include a picture of the flower. The star grass has been a bit odd. The healthy sections are beautiful. It grows like a weed, but I can't get it to root. Most of what is left is more or less free floating. The bottoms just fade away. I have tried replanting them a few times, but they just keep growing up while the bottoms fade away. I don't feel like it's an issue with light, they seem to be getting enough, and it's not just that the bottoms get sparse and stalky, the stems are actually dying. Any suggestions?

A little while after planting I had bought two otos and 5 amano shrimp. The otos were never too healthy and they both died after a few weeks. I don't think it was anything specific. The amanos have been suer healthy the whole time. A few weeks later I rehomed 3 ember tetras from another tank into this one, they are also doing great. I'm expecting 12 c. habrosus, and 5 otos in the mail on wednesday. I'm a little nervous about adding so much at once, but the price was right and the quality of fish around here is low so I figured I'd give it a shot. I'll be testing regularly and changing more water than usual until I'm confident I didn't disrupt anything. Can't wait for c. habrosus!

I was initially going to add a bunch of cherries in here, but now I think I'll leave them out. The filter intake was providing to much resistance to the water flow and causing the filter to operate strangely. I derped a bit when designing the intake. So I just removed the intake pipe and now water enters through hole about 1" in diameter. If the fish ever swim in the flow is low enough that they just swim back out. I expect that Cherry Shrimp (esp the babies) would get stuck however. I could probably fix the intake. but I would have to cut out a new intake while the filter panels were still in the tank. I just don't want to deal with it, so no cherries this time.

I finally mounted the light just the other day. It looks amazing, turned out just as well as I had hoped. Light intensity seems about right too, I am still running 12W of white.

I'll try to remember to post pictures when the new fishes get here!

Now my computer is being dumb, restart before posting pictures...


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

Yay! Good to hear your update. I bet extra water changes will help.


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Pics!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Does anyone know what kind of algae is growing in the fourth picture? The stalk with the star shaped pom pom at the end?


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

First of all, I have never bought fish online before and don't know what typical shipping practices and loss rates are like. 

Got my fish in the mail on tuesday just like I was supposed to. They were pretty well packed, double bagged with a styrofoam and newspaper lined box. Of 12 cories and 5 otos, 1 oto and 1 cory were dead on arrival. Not too bad I guess. Acclimated them very slowly over about an hour. My tank tested at pH of 6.8, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 15 nitrate just before adding them. Fish appeared to be in decent condition. 1 more of each died the first night. Did a 25% wc on wednesday. 1 more oto died thursday. On friday two of the cories died, I thought they were all looking good but apparently those two weren't doing well. Scooped them out and did about a 15% wc. Currently one of the otos is looking bad, I doubt it will make it. It is very pale and isn't swimming well. The remaining oto and 8 cories all seem pretty good. Cories have been becoming more active and curious each day, so I'm felling pretty confident they will make it. One cory is still clamping fins and being a bit lethargic, but looks fine otherwise, breathing is normal speed. No signs of ammonia or nitrite yet and testing daily.

I was pretty sure the otos wouldn't ship well, so no surprises there. I guess I'll just buy them locally in the future. It does seem like if they can't be shipped well they shouldn't be offered online, maybe it usually works? The cories seemed to tolerate shipping decently. It's a shame that 4 died. It's about what I expected, I figured a few would die and padded my order to account for it, but I wish they had all lived. Once I got them into the tank though, I realized just how TINY this species is. They absolutely disappear into the tank. I wish I could have ended up with closer to 15. If I run into any locally I'll probably pick them up, not sure if I want to ship them again though. The four that died were some of the smaller ones, I feel like they were probably too small to ship. The larger ones perked up much faster and seemed to handle shipping better, so I'm kinda disappointed that the seller sent me the small ones. Then again, maybe my experience isn't typical and it usually works out ok.

Overall I got about what I expected. I wish more of the cories had lived. It would have been nice if the seller had included a few extra of each fish, but the price per fish is so low I think it's just expected that the buyer do this if they want extra, that's fine with me. And I could see how it might be difficult to receive and have to care for more fish than you expected. I ordered a few plants as well and those came just fine. Vendor had good communication. I knew exactly when my fish were shipped and when to expect them.

I absolutely love this species, so cute and SO well suited to this tank. I did notice that they have very small barbels, almost couldn't see them. I'm not sure if this is damage or if they just don't grow long on this species, does anyone know? Let me know what you think!


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

So cute! I just love cories, and the little species are fascinating. You're also grabbing my interest with the otos, very cute too.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

The ones that made it look really healthy and cute! Love the tank!


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## Flint (Oct 22, 2013)

We need a whole tank pic!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Whole tank as requested. I removed the star grass =( I was worried about the amount of debris it was creating that settled on the substrate.


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## Flint (Oct 22, 2013)

You're starting up my MTS again, lol. I have an empty 75 sitting here and a soon to be empty 10 gal.... :hmm:

-runs off to the drawing board-


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

If it were me I'd turn the 10 into a shrimp tank, and put a single large school of tetra in the 75. I love how the smaller fishes behave when they have the space/numbers to act naturally. Can't wait to see what you end up with =p


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

Flint said:


> You're starting up my MTS again, lol. I have an empty 75 sitting here and a soon to be empty 10 gal.... :hmm:
> 
> -runs off to the drawing board-


Good for you! 
So much you can do with a 75g, the sky - err, sea? - is the limit!


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## Flint (Oct 22, 2013)

I'm thinking either a ridiculously large betta sorority in the 75 or a nice community. The 10 gallon I'm a bit stuck with, but I could potentially do a mini-community. I really want some Dwarf Chain Loaches in there but they are $20 a piece.... 7 of them would be crazy expensive and there's live shipping on top of it. Yikes. 

I'll probably do the 10 gallon first seeing as the only experience I have with planted tanks is my 2.5 that has some java fern I'm managing to kill somehow (probably because I moved it into the kitchen with no light for almost two weeks due to weather) and some crypts. I don't fertilize it or anything. It just sits in the bathroom window and the fish waste does its job. 

I think I want to go big on the 10 gallon, though and do high-tech. CO2, high-light, the works. I just don't know how I'm going to find high light bulbs to go into the hood that came with the tank. It came with incandescents which are ugly yellow and don't do anything for plants but the shield doesn't allow me to put a regular household bulb in. Maybe those swirly household bulbs would fit?


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

I contacted the seller about all the dead fish. They weren't covered by his regular policy since they arrived alive, and I didn't contact him until almost a week later, but he graciously covered the loss with store credit. I tested my water and everything was fine, so I had him go ahead and send me replacements. This time there was one oto doa. Everything else shipped fine and is looking great, including four otos. Cories are tiny but all seem healthy. 

The plan now is to just leave then tank alone for a while, let the plants fill in and give everything a chance to stabilize.


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Bit of a problem with the cores. Not something I'm familiar with. They're all still alive and looking good. I have a school of 13 now, they're eating fine and being active, though a few of the smallest still seem a bit tired from shipping. Three of the fish from the original shipment are getting a bit fat. They are sluggish, and seem to have trouble orienting themselves. Their buoyancy isn't quite right. They have good energy and are still swimming, they just can't do it very well. When they sit on the sand they're bellies stick out so far they kind of rock. It doesn't seem like dropsy, because it has come on really slowly and the fish don't have that pinecone look. Some of the fish are also flashing. I thought it was just playful at first but the frequency is increasing. No idea what this is.

I thought it might be a swim bladder issue from adapting to a higher CO2 environment, but their respiration seems very relaxed and they don't seem agitated apart from the flashing.

Currently I'm thinking it may be constipation from the dietary change. I don't know what the supplier was feeding them. I'm feeding them hikari sinking tablets and ocean nutrition community formula flakes (they eat the flakes that sink).

Second picture is of the most affected fish. First picture, the big cory who's tail is pointing to the left of the picture is starting to swell a bit.

Suggestions? I really don't have much experience with sick fish, but I feel like if this is something serious I've recognized it pretty early, just need to know what to do.


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Made some progress figuring out what is going on. What I thought was algae, are actually hydras. I'd never had these before and didn't even realize they were creatures. I just poked one and it contracted, so definitely not algae. I've been reading about them for a bit and apparently they can sting and harass small fish. The cores that have had the hardest time have been less than 1/2" long so I think this could be contributing to the losses. I think there is a decent chance that this is what is causing the flashing as well. The disoriented fish I am still not sure about. It's even fatter today. It's also more lethargic and has even worse balance :-(


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## Flint (Oct 22, 2013)

Could you perhaps move them to a breeder net in the tank until you figure out what to do about the critters?


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Been doing water changes with reduced feeding. Seems to have helped, cories are flashing less and I see fewer hydra. Can't really say if it's all related or not. The disoriented cory seems maybe a bit better today. It still has great energy and respiration seems normal. I did lose an oto to similar symptoms though, slightly bloated and disoriented, spent most of its time near the top. Overall the tank seems pretty healthy, water is getting clearer and there isnt much algae. Substrate is spotless and the plants are growing well, new leaves everyday.


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

It is great got that you it under control!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

I wouldn't say it's under control yet. I've still got hydra, but tank overall seems healthy. Water has gotten very clear in the last few days and the plants are doing great, the Anubis especially is putting out about a leaf a day. 

Sick Cory is still sick, but still alive. He still eats and acts normal other than the swimming. Doesn't seem agitated. I'm not expecting him to make it though. Something is definitely wrong with him, and without knowing what it is I really can't do much.

I'm seeing a bit of green spot and hair algae growing in some parts of the tank, and I have been getting a bit of surface film. I think it's because my flow rate is too low. Current pump is rated for I think 80 gph. It's pushing water through a fair bit of pipe since I've got the reactor in there, so I'd be surprised if I were getting more than maybe 50 gph. The water in the tank is pretty calm and the filter output isn't strong enough to agitate the surface much. It isn't able to sweep the tank of debris too well either. I've ordered a 160 gph pump that I think will be much better. I'm a little worried that it will be too much flow for the tiny cories, but if it is I can turn it down.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Tank as a whole is doing well. Plants are finally showing the growth I've been trying to get. I tested water today after yesterday's water change and I'm very happy with the parameters. 

pH 6.7
Gh 7
Kh 4
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20 (a little high, I've adjusted my macro dosing slightly to compensate)

The drop checker and ph/kh tables both put my CO2 at about 25ppm, which is just what I want.

I still have the hydras and more algae than I want (none would be nice). I'm not going to do anything about these just yet, I feel like the tank still needs a break from change. I'm going away for a few days this weekend, I'll do a water change before I go and reduced lighting/CO2 while I'm gone. When I get back I'll do another water change and add the new pump. After that I'll decide what to do about the hydras.


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Back from the weekend and ready to work on the tank! Gonna be testing all the parameters and using my new phosphate test kit for the first time. I'll be installing the new pump too! I'm a little worried that the filter might not be able to flow as much as the new pump can push but we will see!


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Phosphate was about 1.5 if anyone is interested. Not a super meaningful test at this point since I haven't been fertilizing for the last few days.

New pump works fine. It's a bit noisier than the last one but that makes sense since it's flowing more. It's probably doing about 120gph and flow in the tank is way better, maybe a bit too high. The fish don't seem to mind it but I'll watch them over the next few days, probably end up turning it down a bit. I think I may modify the filter input to make it a skimmer. I didn't want a skimmer at first because I was planning to have cherry shrimp in here. But since I have decided not to add cherries to the tank I may as well add a skimmer. We'll see how the extra surface agitation does, maybe it won't be necessary.


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

The cories are still getting sick, don't know why. Disorientation and difficulty swimming, sometimes death. I'm down to 8 but another one is looking bad. It's weird because all the rest of the fish seem fine including the other cories.

Despite that, I think the tank as a whole is getting healthier and healthy. One thing that I suspected was harming the cories were my co2 levels. Whenever I got a surface film the CO2 would spike a bit, and the ensuing water change would very quickly lower it. I can't imagine this cycle was easy on them. So I went ahead and modified the filter input to be a skimmer. So glad I did, surface is always crystal clear now. The tank also outgassed CO2 way more quickly now. I'm running about 3x as many bps to maintain similar levels. In this case the extra outgassing is exactly what I needed, before the tank didn't really have a mechanism to protect against CO2 buildup so this helps stabilize the CO2 level. I imagine that if CO2 was being kept in, oxygen was also being kept out, so the water is probably better oxygenated now too.

I noticed that my heater was reading four degrees too low, so what should have been 76 degree water was actually 80. Corrected that and now the water is solidly at 76 degrees.

The hydra have almost disappeared in the last few days. I don't think the like the additional flow. The cories' flashing seems to have lessened too, and while I can't really say for sure, in this case I do think they are related.

About two weeks ago I tried out making my own root tabs. Forgot to post about it sorry =/. I used osmocote plant fertilizer and empty gel capsules for delivery. I spaced about 10 of them out throughout the tank and under the plants I thought would benefit most. They really seem to be working. The crypts especially are growing way faster than I've ever seen a crypt grow. Today when I was doing my water tests I pulled an additional water sample from the substrate using a syringe and tested that for nitrate and phosphate. The levels were significantly higher, about 15ppm and 1.5ppm in the tank, and 100ppm and 10ppm in the substrate, Awesome! In the pictures I included shots of my two grouping of crypt wendtii green, all of the growth is new in the last two weeks since the melting (they were new with the cories).

I've got algae growth almost entirely under control. I still get a little bit of gsa on the anubias and a little bit of hair algae on the fissidens. The lilaeopsis maritiana however is giving me trouble. It just doesn't grow much and it doesn't look healthy. It is slowly spreading out but it just doesn't look all that great. Now that co2 and nutrients are stable, I think I might trim it way back and see if it come back pretty. If it doesn't I may just replace it with another plant, I'm thinking maybe eleocharis parvula, I really like the more delicate looking blades. I'll probably order some new plants this week to help fill in the tank a bit, I suspect it's a bit under planted right now.


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