# Nano stocking question



## thrillreefer (Dec 16, 2008)

I have a small "lamp aquarium" of around 1.25 gallons, established about 6 months ago. It currently houses a small male betta and is heavily planted. It has an airpump for water circulation but no mechanical filter, relying on plants and microbial activity for filtration. I perform substantial water changes (at least half) every 1-2 weeks with aged tap water.

















Here's my question - Algae has been an ongoing problem, mostly filamentous types growing on plant leaves and glass, as well as standard green microalgae. It's not terrible, but I would like to add another fish or invertebrate to do a bit of the maintenance for me. I'm considering an Otocinclus to mow down some of the algae. Found a few mentions of otos and bettas coexisting in tanks as small as 2 gallons, so maybe give it a shot. Is this foolish? Is the tank too small for this to work?

Not sure about inverts, since I introduced two grass shrimp with the betta, but they were quickly eaten. I am willing to try snails or perhaps another type of shrimp, but feel that they will be picked on and/or eaten. Any suggestions?

Thanks


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

Cool idea. Did you make that or buy it?

The algae is likely due to the lighting. Is it an incandescent bulb? If so, that's likely part of the problem- not the right kind of light. Try a compact fluorescent. 

Personally, I'd start with doing that. 1.5 gallons really isn't enough for algae eating fish let alone in that kind of restricted vertical space. Sure, an otto may look perfect, but take into account the lack of a consistant temperature and no filter and there will be issues. Bettas are OK without filtration/air/heat. 

If it were me, I'd just do invertebrates. Move the betta to another bowl, one with more surface area. He'll likely be more happy. Then you can have both form and function in the lamp.


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## thrillreefer (Dec 16, 2008)

Made it. Basically just a lampshade and socket jury-rigged and attached to the top of a large vase. I hear you on the otocinclus, I never found them that hardy even in larger planted tanks. Bulb may be the issue, but the one I'm using is a "daylight" 15W spiral CFL. The package says 5500K, which is the best I could find. I wonder if there are aquarium-specific spiral CFLs? If not, seems like a decent market out there for lighting planted nanos. I've also got an airpump with a tube that runs down to the bottom so that the low surface area is less of a problem, and the water is stirred up gently. The betta has always seemed healthy. 

Maybe I'll try a stem plant or two to soak up nutrients, and would be nice to get some red in the tank besides the fish. Looking at either Alternanthera reneckii or Rotala indica. One variable I've been looking at is the gravel depth. Right now it's about 1.5 inches with laterite mixed into the bottom half (small handful). Does this seem shallow, especially given the tiny footprint (6" diameter)?


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

Sounds like you're really thinking things through. 

There are nano-CFLs out there I think. I dropped out of staying on top of the fish-drygoods a long time ago. The one you have should be a pretty good bulb considering. 

The betta is likely OK, I recommended removing him just because you can't keep inverts then! I have some shrimp-only tanks, so I guess I am biased. :lol:

The gravel shouldn't matter in regard to depth unless you're referring to possible difficulties in planing stem plants in a shallow substrate. I'd personally keep it as is though I am not into planted tanks as much as you/others may be. That would be a good question for the substrate forum (I think we have one... or perhaps the plant/nutrient forum). 

I'd recommend floating plants but that will effect the light into the depths... or perhaps a fast growing moss would work to suck up the nutrients. You'll need to prune more often though. This is certainly a challenging ecosystem to work with!  

I think you'd make a good nano-reefer. Not that I'm saying give up on FW, you just seem like you have the right ideas, logic and care that would make a good nano-reef keeper.

Anywhooo... GL and hope I helped a little.


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## thrillreefer (Dec 16, 2008)

Funny you should say that...my main tank is a 30 gal mixed reef (hence the name). This lamp tank is actually my first foray back into FW in about 8 years. I'd move the betta and go for some shrimp, but I have nowhere to put him. Also he's pretty tame by this point since he lives right where we hang out in the living room. Let's me scoop him out of the tank by hand to move to a glass for water changes. 

Was waffling over a micro reef lamp or this idea, but my wife wanted to see what a planted tank looked like so I went for this one. I'd like to make a large floor lamp dominated by mangroves at some point, but that's down the road a way.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

that looks like a very nice house for the betta, give it some snails...


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## thrillreefer (Dec 16, 2008)

I would def like to try some snails. Trouble is, large ones (even 1") just seem too huge for this tank, it is tiny! 6" diameter at the bottom, 15" high tapering to maybe 8" diameter at the top. But small snails are almost certainly going to be food. 

I think I've decided to get my jollies with some new plants instead. Java moss and java fern are starting to get established on the back piece of wood, so that is cool. I need some red, so I'm looking at a red variety of crypt or so red stem plants. Probably wait until I get back from my honeymoon though...heading to Fiji next Fri for 2.5 weeks!


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

congrats!!! sounds like fun! how about a crypt usteriana just messing, you can probably get a red variety of crypt wentii here in the forun. have fun!


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## thrillreefer (Dec 16, 2008)

Went to the LFS for some saltwater snails, but couldn't find anything worth getting for the lamp. All their snails were pretty big, and the stem plants were picked over with nothing red at all. Thought about a red Crypt (wendtii I think) but there's only room for one in here and the one I have keeps sending up floating leaves and flower spikes, which is cool.

BTW, is it normal for crypts to send up floating leaves? I've never seen them do that. The flower spikes are white, split into a "Y" and each arm is maybe 1.5 or 2" long. Could be something else? Got it as a bulb (light brown and hairy) and it started the floating leaves pretty soon after that, maybe one floating per one submerged.


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

It didn't register that "reefer" was in your name, D'oh. 

There's a few that do that, at least that I know of. There is a native species (a relative) whose name is slipping my mind, but it does that as well. Not grown from a bulb though.
You may have gotten a lily of some sort tho the leaves don't look much like any that I've seen. 
I'd suggest Malaysian Trumpet Snails although I may be chastised for doing so. Snails don't get much respect and MTS are very prolific. The cool thing is that you won't see too many of them during the day. If you peek at the lamp at night, it will be a disturbing city of snails! haha... I like them so hey, to each their own. 

Your lamp looks bigger than 1.5 gal to me. I really like the idea and would like to see your updates and any more pics you got. I couldn't believe there's driftwood in there.


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## thrillreefer (Dec 16, 2008)

Unfortunately I didn't take to many pictures of the setup since my digital was on the fritz at the time. Basically, I siliconed a tall thin slice of driftwood along the back wall, with a piece of airline tubing sandwiched between the glass and the wood. Luckily, there was a little crack that I was able to poke the tube through so that it's very well hidden. My uncle gave me some java fern and val (which luckily stays nice a short). Got some java moss and attached that to the driftwood, and planted the bulb.

I had pretty severe algae issues at the beginning, which is probably to be expected with a tank this small. I'm sure with just the betta it is "overstocked" so I have to be diligent about water changes.

I recently did a serious cleanout, and ruthlessly took out any dead/dying leaves and severely algae covered ones. The betta seems to be much happier, and the plants have a bit more room to grow out. Looks sparse by comparison, but better than choked with plants as before.


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## thrillreefer (Dec 16, 2008)

I like this pic, you can see the JM on the wood a bit better, and note the stream of bubbles rising. I think the distortion caused by the curve makes everything look bigger than it is, it's very small.

I'll post some pics later of the innards so you can see how I attached the bulb to the vase...


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