5g planted nano tank?

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#1
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#1
So my 5g that I raised my angel fry in is now sitting empty. And just like highway tolls, although I justified the second tank as a 'temporary measure' to my husband, we both know it's not going anywhere now :)

But it doesn't have a lighted canopy, just a cheap translucent one - the fry were raised by the kitchen cabinet light that shines directly above it. Not enough light for much but java moss. And the filter is the bulky ugly foam filter that was safe for fry. Buying a lighted canopy and external filter costs just about as much as getting a complete kit from my lfs!

The 5g kit comes with 9w florescent tube, and apparently there aren't many small tank canopies readily available designed to accommodate higher wattage. While that is still way more wpg than my 39g (approx 1wpg), the planted nano tanks I've been eyeing online seem to have like 4wpg. Plus, the lighting is over open-lidded tanks. This is not an option. (Read: meow mix. And kitchen splatter.)

So clearly I want killer plants. But I also want critters. Debating amongst ADF, betta, and shrimp, or some combo of. Will approx. 2wpg in a 5g let me get awesome ground coverage and killer plants, and be okay for a frog or betta? Do I want to search for a place that can supply a different kind of canopy/lighting system to achieve 4wpg?

Comments, ideas, suggestions, please.
 

ZackLanduyt

ZackLanduyt

Large Fish
#2
Jun 18, 2010
135
0
16
Lima OH. USA
#2
I built my own hood for my 38 and am going to make one for my 10, depending on the dimensions of the tank a hood should be easy to make, and you can build around the lighting fixture, built my hood an and stand with about 17 bucks in wood
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#5
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#5
Oohhh, please show pics! I'm not terribly handy - particularly when it comes to electrical things - so don't think I'm up to making one myself. I might have to take you up on your offer . . . . Really sweet of you . . . .
 

bassbonediva

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
#6
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#6
My friend has the stock hood on her 5.5gal and her plants are going nuts. It accomodates a 10-15W CFL bulb (the regular cheap screw-in kind you can get at a hardware or place like Walmart). She has dwarf sag that is seriously like a foot tall! I wonder if you could get a lamp (like a desk lamp) that would accomodate a similar bulb and use that...
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#8
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#8
bassbonediva said:
I wonder if you could get a lamp (like a desk lamp) that would accomodate a similar bulb and use that...
Click to expand...
Well, the other issue is the very tight space that this tank will live in, so the less external hardware/extraneous 'stuff' the better.

I should also add that the actual tank aesthetic (not just what's in it) is important. While I'm happy running around in peasant skirts with dirt on my hands talking to squirrels in my spare time, my husband (okay, me too, but less so) is very 'design-oriented' with our wee condo. This is why when I got my 39g, I went with the Eclipse tank - very streamlined, self-contained, no visible filter, fits almost snug against the wall. We are also thinking of putting our place on the market soon to find something bigger, so it needs to look like a space out of a Martha Stewart magazine.

@ ZackLanduyt: Thanks, I look forward to seeing your handiwork!
 

bassbonediva

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
#10
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#10
What are your tank dimensions?

I was thinking of something along these lines:
Walmart.com: Vision Max Full Spectrum Desk Lamp: Decor
It's streamlined, can sit to the side of the tank (instead of behind it) and provides full-spectrum light (which is essential for plants). It's got a 13W bulb, which would give you just over 2WPG. If you scroll down the page, you can read reviews. About the fifth review down, the person writing the review states that they have used it on a 10gal planted aquarium.
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#11
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#11
riseabovethesun said:
Because you were very excited about my frog, you should get a frog.

Ribbit ribbit! What ever happened to the frog thread...
Click to expand...
Yes, I am really leaning towards an ADF!
I asked you to start a thread for me ;) I'm so lazy.
Start one! I know only a little about ADFs . . . . I think I kept a couple for a short period of time in a community tank when I was about twelve. I've done a bit of research online, but would like to hear personal experience with keeping them.
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#12
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#12
bassbonediva said:
What are your tank dimensions?

I was thinking of something along these lines:
Walmart.com: Vision Max Full Spectrum Desk Lamp: Decor
It's streamlined, can sit to the side of the tank (instead of behind it) and provides full-spectrum light (which is essential for plants). It's got a 13W bulb, which would give you just over 2WPG. If you scroll down the page, you can read reviews. About the fifth review down, the person writing the review states that they have used it on a 10gal planted aquarium.
Click to expand...
So do you mean that it is used in addition to the regular lighted canopy (which is 9w)? Or are you suggesting that it could be used with the see-through plastic canopy I currently have?
 

ZackLanduyt

ZackLanduyt

Large Fish
#13
Jun 18, 2010
135
0
16
Lima OH. USA
#13
DSCN0793.jpg

DSCN0792.jpg

DSCN0794.jpg

DSCN0795.jpg

DSCN0796.jpg here are a few pictures of my hood, keep in mind i used a cheaper wood, if you really wanted to you could use something a little more expensive and it could be beautiful, i can make something like this, or something that is all of the same height, and stands on top of the tank, i can do a few drawings for you should you decide the craftmanship is good enough, also I am across the pond so shipping my be expensive?? but this is entirely up to you!!
Also the wood can be painted any color you would like, i can include handles or you can purchase handles that you would like, or tell me what style you would like, the wood can be left bare so you can paint it if you would like, or stain etc. etc.
 

ZackLanduyt

ZackLanduyt

Large Fish
#14
Jun 18, 2010
135
0
16
Lima OH. USA
#14
also i will of course fill in all the holes left by the screws, and sand your hood a good deal more than what i did on mine, i was anxious and plan on building another one when i move, the finish on your hood will be much much better!!
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#15
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#15
Oh, Zack, what you built is so awesome! And you are too darling about making one for me!
BTW, I'm not across the pond - I live in Canada. Just above ya! 'Across the pond' - for us North Americans - would be our UK posters on the other side of the Atlantic.
However, most Canadians do use the 'British' spelling with words like 'colour', 'flavour', 'neighbour'.
I need to think about how 'finished' I want the tank to look. Actually, I know. As explained above, right now I must have this tank look almost like a piece of furniture, or art . . . . .
Could the wood be stained black?
Re shipping: I sent some BC river stones to a fishy friend today living in Iowa - over 11lbs, cost about $27. Not prohibitively expensive for dead things to be shipped. ;)

I'd love to hear from others about what the kit's lights - that would give me just under 2wpg - would let me grow, and what critters will be happy in a 5g with this store-bought unit. (Zack, you are still not off the hook ;) )
 

ZackLanduyt

ZackLanduyt

Large Fish
#16
Jun 18, 2010
135
0
16
Lima OH. USA
#16
Ah oopsie I see that now idk what I was thinking, anyway if you would like a build let me know, I would love to help ya out, I would make it for free just pay for supplies, and I believe you can get a black stain, I take it you want a dark grey with the knots and grain black? That would look amazing!! Well let me know if you would like a sketch made up, also I can get your light fixtres and build them into the hood, it can be prewired, I use a little push button switch for mine but you can have anything you like, it will be a plug and play deal!!
 

L

littletankbigworld

Superstar Fish
#17
Aug 16, 2009
1,318
0
0
SW Pennsylvania
#17
I have 3 WPG on my 5 gallon and certain plants grow crazily. Swords and hygrophila shoot out many new leaves each week in the setup. I even had a sword create a plantlet in there once and that was without dosing. However, with dosing, I can't get anacharis, water wisteria or hornwort to grow.
 

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