# Tank of the Moment



## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

This is a current tank of mine that I've been fooling around with:


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

I love it! An excellent use of the different shades of green and the various leaf shapes.


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## gravy9 (Aug 28, 2008)

Beautiful tank. Excellent greens.

How long have you had it? Also, can you share your specs please?


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## derekp (Nov 5, 2008)

Very nice. I look at it and all I can think is that it looks like mr. amano created it himself. Nice work.


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## Nelumbo74 (May 2, 2008)

Very nice. What is the plant to the right of the Blyxa? Looks fern-like.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Tanks for the comments!

Tank has actually been running for about 18 months. Here are the specs:

*Equipment:* 46g bowfront, 96x2 cf light (10k x 6700k), Eheim 2213, co2 (pressurized) w/ceramic diffusor
*Hardscape:* Manzanita wood, moss rock, aquasoil amazonia I
*Flora:* Blyxa japonica, Riccia fluitians, Rotala sp. green, Bolbitis heudelottii, Cryptocoryne parva, Bacopa caroliniana, Echinodorus tenellus micro, Cyperus helferi, Hygrophila sp. roraima, Hygrophila corymbosa
*Fauna:* Gold tetras, Cardinal tetras, Amano and Cherry shrimp

The Blyxa is pretty much surrounded by Bolbitis


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## gravy9 (Aug 28, 2008)

Wow. Just a 2213 for a 46-g? Is that enough? I've been reading that it's not enough?


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

gravy9 said:


> Wow. Just a 2213 for a 46-g? Is that enough? I've been reading that it's not enough?


That's it. Just the 2213 no power heads, no nothing. I'm not sure what more flow would do for me. The plants are healthy on both sides of the tank and I could clearly see the co2 bubbles reaching to the far side. I've never subscribed to the large flow theory. Not that more flow would hurt, but I just don't think it's necessary.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

This tank actually resides on my amoire (5.5 ft tall). Last time I put a tank that high. Just too difficult to maintain.


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## K20A2 (Aug 12, 2006)

I like it.

How about that background.. Just a piece of white gloss standard background paper? 

Ive never thought of doing anything other then black, although on my 75 I have nothing, just the green painted dining room wall behind it. I might have to try something white one day.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

K20A2 said:


> I like it.
> 
> How about that background.. Just a piece of white gloss standard background paper?
> 
> Ive never thought of doing anything other then black, although on my 75 I have nothing, just the green painted dining room wall behind it. I might have to try something white one day.


The background is a piece of presentation board with a light strip in between the tank and the board.


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## K20A2 (Aug 12, 2006)

I've been seeing this look more and more and I really like it. What kind of light are you using in the background? Link, so I can get a visual?

Thanks.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

K20A2 said:


> I've been seeing this look more and more and I really like it. What kind of light are you using in the background? Link, so I can get a visual?
> 
> Thanks.


I just threw whatever I had sitting around for the background light. It's just a cheapo fluro tube light with a 15watt bulb, probably around 5500. The background would look whiter with a higher K.


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## K20A2 (Aug 12, 2006)

Word.

Thanks man.


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## DarioDario (Nov 14, 2008)

Where were you able to find those manzanita branches? My LFS only carries large stumps


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Couple of closeup shots:


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Current pic:


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## tsound (Aug 22, 2006)

i'm mostly a lurker here,...but i HAD to leave a comment for this one.

absolutely stunning!

the contrast and combination of leaf shapes and colors is amazing.

the big-leafed plant center/left is the corymbosa?


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks for the comment. Yes you are right the big-leafed palnt is corymbosa


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Just gorgeous! I think the trick to less flow is less fauna. All those plants are able to use all the fish wastes and such. I love it! 

BTW when you said armoie (sp?), I thought "Can he mean a regular height?" You must have to use a ladder that high! ... all that beauty so high!....


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks Tex Gal. Yeah your always better off with less fauna more flora, but I honestly don't get the flow thing. Once the tank gets going you really only need the filter to move things around a bit. I don't think you need a filter to transport waste into the filter, since it's probably getting trapped anyway by the plants and eventually used. The flow rule is more important in Fish only tanks where you need to remove it. There's just no way you need alot of flow to move ferts and co2 around. 

The armorie is like 5 feet tall. If you look at post #9 you could see it comes up to the window. The eheim 2213 is sitting 2 feet off the ground so it's going up a long way to the top of my 46g. Yep I use a step ladder. Last time I put a tank up there.


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## richardesc (Aug 13, 2008)

awesome tank! I like it a lot. Your plants looks very healthy.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

I love all your tanks HOC, and this one in particular is just very peaceful to look at. I can imagine it as a great stress relief. :yo:I like how you have positioned the Blyxa


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks for the comment Robert. Yes it is a peaceful tank and works well in the bedroom I have the lights on late (1 to 10) so I can enjoy it. Always fun to experiment with different plant combinations. I'm pretty happy with the Blyxa, Boblitus and Riccia that dominate the scape. 

- Jeff


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Couple of add'l pics:


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## kiwik (Apr 3, 2007)

wow. beautiful. do you have pics from initial setup?


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

kiwik said:


> wow. beautiful. do you have pics from initial setup?


Sorry no initial pics. The tank was a few different setups before this one mostly a grow out tank and I started to rearrange into the current scape.


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## ch3fb0yrdee (Jul 26, 2008)

I love this tank. Everything is so green and balanced. Every time i see tanks like this, its makes me so jealous.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks for the comment.


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## Bunbuku (Feb 10, 2008)

houseofcards said:


> Thanks Tex Gal. Yeah your always better off with less fauna more flora


What your rule of thumb for the fauna:tank size, assuming we are talking about small schooling fish? Do the shrimp carry the same "weight" as fish when it comes to the bioload?


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

Bunbuku, to preserve HoC's thread, and to allow others to comment on their ideas, I've created a new thread for your question here.


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