Emmanuel's 100g Tank

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#41
Feb 22, 2008
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#41
I suppose it's time for a picture update...

15 gallon w/o flash



Then with flash... b/c a lot of the algae distorts the colors, etc... I have no more otos to clean off the diatoms... so I'll just have to do it by hand until it sorts itself out... I've got the magnet to clean the front and sides.... but I've got to use my algae scrubber for the back. : |



Plants I've got: Alternathera reineckii, Dwarf Hairgrass, Italian Val (it's still recovering from the H202 treatment to get rid of the bba while in the 10 gallon), Aponogeton crispus(?), banana plant, dwarf sag. On driftwood; anubias nana, java moss, purple waffle (non aquatic, but has been surviving and putting out lots of new leaves... doesn't have roots in water... all others that had roots in water died... let's see how long this one can keep going).


10 gallon



It has no inhabitants. I've got 2 HOB filters running in it at the time, enough for 30 gallons.

Plants I've got: glosso, javamoss on driftwood (left), anubias nana and javamoss on driftwood (right). There's a bit of hc from the 20 gallon that kept getting uprooted, as well as a small dwarf sag offshoot from the 15 gallon that was uprooted.

After the glosso settles in, and the tank finishes re-cycling (ok, it already has, but the glosso needs to settle), and there's no risk of it getting uprooted by the cories, I'll put the peppered cories in here, and probably the female betta, b/c she keeps living in hiding in the 15 gallon.

Also, the 10 gallon is going to be open top now. I've got a 40 watt 'daylight' flourescent bulb on that clip-on lamp. I'm going to make a 'custom edge' to place the lamp higher... and so i won't keep risking breaking the glass by clipping it there...
 

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#44
Feb 22, 2008
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#44
I have a DIY CO2 in the glosso tank.
It's at 4 WPG right now, and I'm probably going to up it to 6 WPG, depending on how the glosso keeps growing. It's showing good vertical growth right now. I'm going to have to keep cutting and 'train' it to grow horizontally. Hopefully that works.

If the HC doesn't work out in my 20... I may put the glosso in there, w/5 WPG and CO2 using the paintball cylinder I've got.
 

ishar

ishar

MFT Staff
#45
Jul 27, 2007
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Hamilton, ON.
#45
Cool. I would say 4WPG is plenty- NO need to go to 6wpg at all. That would be way too high I think.

How did you hook up your paintball cylinder? Mine has been going well enough for the two days its been up, but I am curious of how you did it :)
 

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#46
Feb 22, 2008
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#46
I haven't set it up yet. I'm waiting till I finish paying off my summer class before I buy the parts. I paid my dad's car this month too... so there's several $100 gone :(

I'll probably be able to order the parts in 3 weeks or so. I'm going to the field for a week, so I'm getting some major overtime! oh yeah! lol.

I may set it up the same way as you. That seemed like a simple enough way. I've still got time to set it up though, so we'll see how it turns out. :p
 

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#47
Feb 22, 2008
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#47
oh snap! OK, I think I was sold HM under the name glosso.... haha, idk why it didn't strike me till today.

It's definitely not glosso, but I'm not 100% sure if it's HM... I'll take pics if I can tomorrow, but depending on how swamped I am trying to get ready for my trip, I may just wait till next weekend.
 

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#48
Feb 22, 2008
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#48
The new look! :D I think I'm sticking to this one... That's the piece of driftwood I was planning on using on my 20 gallon.... I thought it looked better like this! :D Plus, it wouldn't sink when it was lying horizontally, but it stayed when vertical, go figure.

What may change though, after I get more time, I'm going to replace the (what I'm assuming is) HM and the dwarf sag with more hairgrass.

I'm going to replace that bio-wheel filter with a small canister filter I ordered from Drs. Foster & Smith, which should help me with CO2 loss. That other small filter you see with the blue airline is what I'm using for diffusion. Cheaper than a powerhead, and not excessively powerful (it's rated for a 3 gallon). I'm going to stick with DIY co2 for now, but eventually, I'm going to use my paintball cylinder in this tank, and get a 5 or 10 lbs co2 cylinder to split between the 20 and 10 gallons.

 

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#52
Feb 22, 2008
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#52
Couple updates, no pictures... :p

15 gallon

Upgraded lighting to a SunPac 40 watt w/moonlight.... It's a 50/50 bulb though, so I have to replace it.

I also pulled out the stuff on the right side. I'll additionally be removing the dwarf sag on the back left side. This tank will just consist of dwarf hairgrass, and the java moss on the driftwood. I was going to use duckweed to keep excess nutrients at bay, but I don't want it to get tangled in my moss - it's a pain to separate! I may have a couple of floating pieces of hornwort for now.

I have a mini canister filter on it.

Also ordered some stuff from one of our new sponsors Green Leaf Aquariums for CO2

Red Sea Regulator for CO2 Cylinder

Cool Looking Drop Checker

And this diffuser (I think that's the one he said he's sending), because they sold out of this one, which I really wanted... but it's all good.

I'll be ordering more stuff shortly for a 5 lbs co2 tank for the 20... :D

10 gallon

Got it a mini canister filter, and the old light system from the 15 gallon
Full of shrimp, several berried shrimp!! :D Lots of moss everywhere... It's just a junk tank for now... Until I can get my 20 gallon up and running, which will be a few more months.
 

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#53
Feb 22, 2008
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#53
hehe. So I finally got to hook up my new toys that I got from Green Leaf Aquariums and they're awesome!!! *BOUNCINGS

I also went to PetCo and got a 29 gallon... those 55's were just begging me to take them home!!! Maybe after I graduate from college............. in 4 years.. :( dang... I'll be 25 by the time I'm finally finished.

I ordered a big mat of microsword for the 15 gallon from someone The Planted Tank. I'll even have some left over for the other tanks.

My 20 oz paintball cylinder for some reason leaks, so I've gotta get something to make a seal between the regulator and the cylinder... there's no leak on the 12 oz though, so that's what I have hooked up right now... CO2 is pumping at about 1 bps.
 

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#54
Feb 22, 2008
1,370
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#54
Holy mole! I ordered some micro sword from another member on planted tank... and I got it today... and it was a TON of microsword. enough for the 15, 10, and 20 gallons!!! I'm so excited about planting it already... Unfortunately though... I had class til 10 pm tonight... and well, the aquarium lights are off... and I have to get up early for work tomorrow... so I just put it in the 5 gallon tank to hold until I get out of class tomorrow afternoon...

I haven't been this excited about aquarium plants before!!!! Woo!!!!
 

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#55
Feb 22, 2008
1,370
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#55
Stay tuned... I will have what I believe IMO to be the most amazing update for this tank of mine! :D

Pictures to come up tomorrow after I get out of work... speaking of which... I need to go to sleep.
 

Orion

Orion

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
#58
Feb 10, 2003
5,803
3
38
Kentucky
www.thefishcave.net
#58
Hah, I like your drip acclimation tool. I've got something very similar I use. I took the rigid tubes from some older sponge filters to give it the 'U' shape to go over the top of the rim of a tank. Been using it for years, works like charm :)

I think the Microsword looks really good. I'm not trying to sound rude, but if it were me, I think I would have flipped the driftwood though. If it were flipped, I think it might well look pretty darn close to a small tree on the side of the banks with the roots going all the way down into the bottom of the river. Then you could have the java moss grow up the roots, tword the stump. You could probably use some slate or other type of good stacking rock to balance out the 'roots' to give the stump a more vertical look by placing them in the back. I don't think any of the rocks would be very noticeable due to the microsword anyway. Then look for some smaller stick looking driftwood, that can be placed behind the main piece that can jut back out into the open water. I think that by flipping the driftwood might give some more 'action' in the foreground area with the hardscape rather than leaving it all soft with the roots sticking up, and the extra pieces still going in the top of the tank to keep it a little busy up there.

I personally might also like to take some medium river rocks and place them on the left side. If you flipped the driftwood, the stump would pretty much be close in the same position I believe, and either some of the rock starting higher in the left corner and sloping down a bit to the wood, or the rocks comming from the wood going to the corner. I always like rocks just because it tends to add a little bit of contrast to most planted tanks in shape and texture to what's going on with the rest of the 'scape.

Hey you wanted comments so you got an earful ;) Even just as it is I think it's coming along wonderfully.
 

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#59
Feb 22, 2008
1,370
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#59
I know exactly what you mean. I tried the flipped over scape, but it kept floating.
I'll save the idea for when I finally get me a "big" tank, like a 75 gallon, though. :)

I'll probably look into some river-rock too. I couldn't find any I liked, but i may have stumbled into some pretty decent stuff on Friday.
 

Orion

Orion

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
#60
Feb 10, 2003
5,803
3
38
Kentucky
www.thefishcave.net
#60
;) Pulling off the seemingly impossible with smaller tanks is part of the fun, even if no one knows you did it but you. I'm guessing that part of the driftwood is hollow, or forms a 'bowl' shape where the branches run out then. You could try taking some air line tubing and sucking the air out once you've got it in the water the orientation you want. Because there ain't no way your turning that thing upside down under water in that tank lol.
 

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