# Almost natural 1 gallon Bowl



## alaskaRiver (Jan 12, 2006)

*Natural 1 gallon bowl redone*

After seeing the post by Graedog I thought I would post some pictures of my little bowl. I assume it to be about one gallon, although I never measured it. For the most part I started this tank on July 6, (it had been used for previous concepts in the past). 
The base is Fluorite that i had left over from another tank. It is a really low maintenance tank I only top of the water about once a week and stopped doing water changes about a month ago. 
In the past the bowl has held some guppies and shrimp. However for the time being there are only small white worms and other really small aquatic insects as the inhabitants. I feed them some shrimp pellets every other day or so. This also doubles as the fertilizer that goes in. 
For plants there is a lawn of glosso, a small anubias, two stems of rotala indica?, and a small piece of lobelia cardinalis. 
So far things have been going good basically no algae to speak of.

Here are a few pictures;
July 7, Sorry for the dirty look. This was taken right after I was done planting. 









This one is from August 20. 









Here is what it looks like today. 


















Here is few from the top.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

alaskaRiver, GREAT SHOTS!

I barely know stuff about aquascaping but I love the look of the BRIGHT GREEN and Brown. 
I think it looks great!
You guys are going to get me hooked on Glosso!

(How warm is it where you keep the Bowl? And is it a constant temperature?)


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## alaskaRiver (Jan 12, 2006)

The bowl is just on a stand in my living room. I live in the Bay Area so I haven't been using a heater. The light keeps the water a little above room temp. Its usually is in the high 70's, I don't think it moves around to much.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

Great! 

Year round? 
In Upstate New York it gets pretty cold in the wintertime, and I don't keep the heat on while I am out of the house. 

I will be 'winterizing' my home bound 'bowls' in the next 3 months.


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## alaskaRiver (Jan 12, 2006)

I am not exactly sure if I will need to do anything for what people call "winter" here. My apartment stays at a fairly constant temp and since there is no real fish or such in the tank I am not too concerned about temp swings.


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## graedog (Jul 10, 2004)

*looking good*

Thats looking really good

Its hard scaping a bowl because of the limited veiwing areas.
Fun though

Graeme


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## alaskaRiver (Jan 12, 2006)

Thanks Graeme, 

Yeah trying to work in something that I can barely fit my hand in was always a challenge. Even with tongs it is hard. Another hard part is trying to take good pictures. No matter how many I take, they never come out just like I want.


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## shake (Feb 26, 2006)

Hi Graeme,

Looks like you started a trend here. Every one will go out and start to plant their vases/bowls now.

BTW, the bowls looking good


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## graedog (Jul 10, 2004)

*I agree*

I agree Alaske

i cant really get my hand in and when i do it over flows....
And yes even with tongs and tweezers its tough.
I feel like one of those guys that builds model boats inside bottles..

Anyway yours is looking good.
Give it a week or so of growth and it will look GREAT

Mines ready to trim,that i arent looking forward to.
Hi Shake

Graeme


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## onemyndseye (May 12, 2006)

Great looking Nano! 

"...cant get my hand in there...."

I have the same problem with my nano and it drives me nuts as I much prefere to get in there and dig around  I have somewhat of a solution for this brewing for my tank.... it will not really help you guys but it should be interesting 

Take care 
-Justin
One Mynds Eye


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## MATTHEW MAHLING (Dec 1, 2005)

The glosso really make that bowl look excellent. Details on the light please?


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

That looks great! A very striking aquascape and a pleasure to behold. 

I don't know if I'd have the patience needed to try and plant something so small and awkward.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Cute bowl and great photos.


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## alaskaRiver (Jan 12, 2006)

Thanks for the comments. I don't remember what the exact wattage of the light is, I think it is 18 watts. The light came from Staples, just a generic desk lamp they sell for 10 or 20 dollars. The nice thing about it is the arm swings far from the base so it doesn't have to sit right next to the bowl.
Also last week I got a betta from the fish store that now inhabits the bowl. He really seems to enjoy himself in there and is constantly hunting small aquatic insects that live in the glosso. It looks really wierd to see him try to jam himself under the plants to try and get them. I'll try to take some pictures of him later tonight to show you what I mean.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

> He really seems to enjoy himself in there and is constantly hunting small aquatic insects that live in the glosso. It looks really wierd to see him try to jam himself under the plants to try and get them. I'll try to take some pictures of him later tonight to show you what I mean.


 That sounds cool! I can't wait!


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## Angie (Dec 4, 2005)

How do you keep him from jumping out? I didnt notice a top and Betta's are bad about jumping out.


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## alaskaRiver (Jan 12, 2006)

Angie, 
I never really thought about that, I didn't know that was a problem with bettas. However the light does cover most of the opening. If he was to try and jump out he would have to do it through a small opening so I think it will be okay, I hope.


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## duchessren (Sep 16, 2006)

What kinds of plants are good for these bowls with no extra lighting than that which is already in the room? Is there such a thing?


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

I have a 2nd Betta Bowl (Vase) at home that is 9 cups of water with one Betta in it;and just by chance I had in the past just tossed small (very small) trimmings into. They have all done very well. Slow growth, but healthy. I tried dosing Seachem products into it, but in the end; I think they did better when just left alone. The only light the Bowl/Vase gets is indirect sunlight and light from the rooms. I saw some 'burn' marks on them that might or might not have come from ferts. I have decided to just let this be from now on. The Betta and 'plants' seem do better this way. :smile:


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## graedog (Jul 10, 2004)

*Update please*

Hi Alaska

Id really love a photo update.
Cheeky arent I ?

Hope the bowls going really well.

Graeme


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## alaskaRiver (Jan 12, 2006)

Sorry it took so long to reply, busy with things you know how it goes. I snapped a few pictures really quick, I did not have enough time to get the shots I really wanted so these will have to do. As you can see the Glosso has really grown in the last 3 weeks and is due for a trim this weekend to thin it out. I also think that some of the Rotala will have to go as well. Hopefully I will get some better pictures up on Sunday after I finish. 


















I also thought I would show you all this to serve as a warning, make sure you know what you are buying and that you have a tank that can handle what you buy. The black thing next to the plant is a DVD case standing up straight to give you an idea of the size of the amazon sword.


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## graedog (Jul 10, 2004)

*Its looking good*

Hi Alaska

Your bowl is looking really good
As you mentioned that glosso is growing great

Thanks for the update
Graeme


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

> The black thing next to the plant is a DVD case standing up straight to give you an idea of the size of the amazon sword.


 Oh my gosh, that is wonderful! I chuckled so hard!

I must be the only person in the world that can kill an Amazon Sword!

(Well, not really kill - I am still nursing it along next to my Red Melon Sword. Starting to look a 'little' better.)

Yours looks GREAT!!!


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

Alaska, your bowl is looking good. That is one lucky betta with such a lush landscape.

WOW! That's one big swordplant. Did you have anything else in there before it got so big?


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## alaskaRiver (Jan 12, 2006)

Thank you all very much for the comments. As to the sword, the container it is currently growing in, the one in the picture, was not the aquarium that the plant was originally grown in. I first had it growing in a six gallon aquarium where it was completely submerged for about 6 months. Then I moved it to the glass container that it is growing in now with a substrate that is completely potting soil. I just took out the terrestrial plant that was growing in there, put in the sword with a little more soil and filled the jar to the top with water. I really am suprised as to how good it has grown, I wasn't sure it would really work.


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## treesmcdonald (Mar 14, 2006)

Great looking bowl! I was going to go ahead and set my nano up but after seeing how great your glasso looks I think I'm going to wait until I can get my hands on some. Interesting foreground plants are hard to come by. All I have been able to find at the lfs is pygmy chains.



Jimbo205 said:


> Oh my gosh, that is wonderful! I chuckled so hard!
> 
> I must be the only person in the world that can kill an Amazon Sword!
> 
> ...


Don't worry Jimbo I too have almost killed a sword plant. I have even killed SEVERAL clumps of java moss!!!  I bought a huge beautiful ozelot sword that was so large the tips of the leaves stuck out of my 50 gallon. It is now tiny and pathetic but I am slowly nursing it back. I have thought about moving it to a half filled vase with soil to try to grow it back to its original size. I read some where on the forum that plants adjust faster and better to moving from emersed culture to submerged culture than from different water qualities. I haven't done it yet because I am worried that I might kill it but after seeing Alaska's i might just go for it!


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## Stargazer53 (Oct 12, 2006)

Wow. Kudos to you with planting all that glosso....must say though, it looks really nice.


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## alaskaRiver (Jan 12, 2006)

Thanks for the comments Stargazer53, but did't really have to much planting to do, small bowl. Nothing like doing a big tank, I do not look forward to ever planting a 75 gallon or bigger.

So here are some more pictures after I pulled about a sandwich bag of glosso out of the bowl. Worked out nice I was able to trade the plants for some cherry shrimp from the LFS, real nice guys.

Once again just some really quick pics, the betta turned out really good, wish I could say the same for the plants. The bowl just hasn't been the same since I added Brody. I think I feed him to much and he ate almost all the small aquatic insects that lived in the bowl before him. Oh well, I'll try to clean it up this weekend. 



























Also I forgot to add, I am looking for a small amount of moss to put in my 3 gallon new Cherry shrimp tank, if any one knows where I could pic some up that would be great, just a real small amount. I heard that you cannot buy it from stores in California, Thanks for any help. AlaskaRiver


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## flagg (Nov 29, 2004)

Great looking bowl! Keep us posted on its progress!

-ricardo


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## alaskaRiver (Jan 12, 2006)

*Rescaped*

I was sitting around this afternoon and decided that the bowl needed a new look. So I took everything out, cleaned the glass really good while I had the chance, oh and added a layer of soil underneath the Flourite. The anubias that is attached to the rock has some fur algae or something growing on it, hopefully I will be able to get rid of it soon.

Just in case anyone is interested the plants are; 
Rotala Indica?
Glosso
Small Anubias 
Penny wort
crypt wendti green

Brody the Betta will return in a day or so, I just like to make sure the water will be okay. 
Here are some pictures, this time from the beginning rather than once it has grown in. 



























Have a good day, any comments or criticisms are appreciated.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

How much of an X-factor does the wood provide? 

Versus having soil beneath or mixed in with the Flourite. 

Is that one of those things (the wood) where you have to wait and see what it does to the water chemistry 
and / or if anything weird starts to grow on it or out of it? 

I love the looks of the Bowl. 
Great work as usual! I love the appearance of the new light.


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## alaskaRiver (Jan 12, 2006)

Thanks for the comments Jimbo, always nice to hear. Believe it of not all the wood that is incorporated into this scape was part of the previous one as well. Once the glosso really started to grow it just covered it up pretty quick. So I don't think that it will change the water at all. 
However, algae may be a different story that only time will tell. A few weeks before I redid the the bowl the wood started to grow some fur algae on it, but so did the anubias so I don't think it was because of the wood. Previously some parts of the wood got a slight dusting of green, but nothing to bad so I hope it works out again. If not I guess I could always strictly use rocks.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

> A few weeks before I redid the the bowl the wood started to grow some fur algae on it, but so did the anubias


I got this on one or two Anubias leaves also and was trying to figure out if that was because it was too close to the light.

I will NOT try putting Seachem Excel directly algae AGAIN. Unless I learn a better way to do it. It killed the algae and then killed the leaves. Good thing the Rhizome was and is very, very healthy.


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## alaskaRiver (Jan 12, 2006)

Jimbo205 said:


> I got this on one or two Anubias leaves also and was trying to figure out if that was because it was too close to the light.


I am somewhat worried about this myself being that my anubias is really close to the light and when it happened before it was farther away than it is now.

The way I placed some of the plants is designed to remedy this by hopefully growing to shade the anubias. I just hope it works as planned and that the other plants grow in fast enough.


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