# He's at it again 20 gallon high NPT-ish



## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Got a bunch of plants for some of my other tanks. All stems and they were the clippings of someones tanks. Didn't think there were that man. Well I was wrong. It stuffed my 2 10 gallon tanks, and my 2 gallon to capacity. I had been planning on setting this tank up in another couple of weeks, but that all changed. I originally tried doing an NPT setup in a 5 gallon bucket until this tank was up and running. I decided to nix that idea and did this instead.










All the plants are in pots for the time being. I don't have the lights I want or a glass top yet, so this is temporary. Not to mention, I need to build a stand so I can move my 10 gallon tank to put this one in it's place.

The tank is a 20 gallon high with a 15watt 6500K spiral CFL bulb in a desk lamp that is balanced precariously on the screen top and shelf. The screen is strictly to keep fuzzy paws out of the tank. The planters have an inch or so of gravel on the bottom with 3 to 4 inches of MGOPS and a gravel cap. I am going to up the lights to 3 15 or 20 watt 6500K spiral CFL bulbs in dome fixtures in a couple of weeks. There is no CO2 or ferts yet on this tank. For now I am hoping the plants will survive and maybe even grow some in this setup until I can turn this into an actual tank. Once it gets setup, it will be MGOPM capped with black sand. A lot of the plants will carry over, but I will also be looking for some more moss and crypts to add to the tank. The filter is a AquaClear 30 for now, and I may use 2 of those or get an Eheim when I set it up. Will have to wait and see what money will allow. It will also get DIY CO2 in the future. That is it for now, but I figured I would start this sooner rather than later.

More pics.


















Almost forgot a plants list, here it is.

Back left is the Ludwigia repens x arcuata. 
Back right is Hygrophila polysperma. 
Front left is Hydrocotyle sipthorpioides and some Hygrophila polysperma 'sunset'.
Front middle is all Hygrophila polysperma 'sunset'. 
Front right is Bacopa caroliniana and the cabomba.

This will be an actual NPT really soon.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

20 gallon high

[/B][/U]Added some cabomba to grow out, and the driftwood from the 10 gallon. Not much else. The plants are looking a little better, and I really need a heater for the tank.

Pics


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Got an update a few days in the making. Here it is.

Tons of growth. Going to need to trim and replant soon. I am getting new lights and a glass top on Thursday, so everything will really take off. Have been adding ferts to this tank as well, and everything is responding really well. I also need to get a heater as the temp swings is causing some shedding. It is not really bad though. I may trim this tank up tomorrow as well. Did a 25% water change on it, and I may have to do it again because of all the tannins.

FTS









Cabomba shot just for Bob.









The plants Malay gave me. New growth on all of them.









Myiro is growing like crazy too.









Tons of other growth and lots of plants coloring up.


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## jerilovesfrogs (Nov 29, 2010)

they have grown a lot! what are you going to do with them?


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

jerilovesfrogs said:


> they have grown a lot! what are you going to do with them?


Thanks man. I am planning on sending them to some other members that want a few. The H. polysperma 'sunset' seems to be the popular one. But a lot of them are going to continue to grow out until I get this tank up and running for real and actually scape it. A lot of these plants are going to get used in The Plant Factory rack I am going to get up and running in the spring.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Wow, I missed some stuff. Got the lights and glass top on Thursday, and I love them.










Also got a bunch of Alternanthera reineckii 'Cardinalis' and a piece of drift wood.

Did a 50% water change to get some of the tannins out. I also tied all of the Java Fern from my emersed setup to a piece of drift wood I got the other day and stuck it in this tank. Had to wedge it in as it wanted to float up.

FTS









The drift wood with Java Fern 'Windelov', regular, 'Narrow Leaf', and 'Tropica'.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Just added a Rio 110 HOB filter for more circulation. Probably going to do a yeast CO2 reactor on this tank next week as well.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Did a 50% water change on this tank. I need another light and some CO2. Hopefully Thurs. for the CO2 at least. All the plants are growing well. Just need the tannins to stop.

FTS









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Middle









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H. polysperma 'sunset'


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Need to get some of the plants trimmed and organized a little better. 50% WC and added CO2 today. Finally.

FTS










CO2










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Right side


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

This is fun! I tried something similar in a small outdoor pond this year--potting cuttings of many different species. Most grew very well, until the raccoons trashed the pond. . .grrrr!

What kind of sprial compact fluorescents are you using in the clamp lights? Those things are amazingly effective for the price.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Michael said:


> This is fun! I tried something similar in a small outdoor pond this year--potting cuttings of many different species. Most grew very well, until the raccoons trashed the pond. . .grrrr!
> 
> What kind of sprial compact fluorescents are you using in the clamp lights? Those things are amazingly effective for the price.


This tank is pretty cool. It is working out better than I thought too. My next one is going to be a 3 tank rack set up the same way as this is with the pots and all. And I really want to try a small pond. I am looking into that for next summer as well.

These are the bulbs I am using. I just upgraded my 10 gallon to the same lighting only 15 watt bulbs instead of the 20. They are amazing bulbs, and the reflectors rock too. I was really surprised at how well they do.


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## Dielectric (Oct 7, 2008)

i was wondering why you were hoarding the MD bottles


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Dielectric said:


> i was wondering why you were hoarding the MD bottles


Lol. Not hording them, just drink a LOT of MD. They are great for the CO2 though.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)




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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Got a trio of Pineapple Wag Swordtails the other day. All the fish are still alive. I have even seen at least one fry. So I am happy about that. I pulled a bunch of the H. polysperma out today and threw it in the garbage. I have a feeling I am going to be putting the AS in really soon. Maybe this week when I need something to keep my mind off the fact that I am quitting smoking. We will see. If I do set it up though, I am going to have to move it soon, so I am not sure. I know I will at least be redoing some of the pots in there. I need to space everything out a little better, and I really need some otos cuz of the algae on the glass. May go get 3 or 4 of those today. Here is a pic of one of the swordtails. And a video I got of them.










Counted at least 3 fry in the 20 gallon. Glad of that. I just hope they are the same as the other fish. I don't want to have to cull them in this jungle of a tank.

Swordtails


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

FTS









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Right side


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Got fed up with the 20 gallon being on the floor and trying to work on it that way. So, I put it on the stand. I am going to have to move it again really soon, but at least in the meantime, water changes will be easier.

Had to take out as many pots as possible. Took out all but 2, 1 piece of wood, and the fish.









Everything back in it.









FTS









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The fish. Finally got a picture of them. Both females look pregnant, and I have counted at least 10 fry so far.


















I am contemplating actually scaping this tank now that it is not on the floor. But we shall see.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Just found a female swordtail dead. I think the tank move stressed her out.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Picked a couple things up for this tank. Well, the fiancee did. She got me 3 otos and a Crypt.

C. wendtii 'Red'?









I almost want to put the AS in the tank and scape it today.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

So, I completely redid this tank. It has AS capped with leveling sand, and an actual scape now. I will take some pics tomorrow. I left the lights off so the swords and oto could chill out a bit. I am sort of happy with it. I will see how it is tomorrow when it is not so cloudy. May change out the filter insert to one with carbon in it for a few days. Yes, I will do that. Now I just hope I didn't do a really big bad, and hope all the fish are ok.

On the list of things not to do in a tank, I found out the pots were a bad idea. Not enough flow was getting through them, and when I emptied them all, it smelled like death. I won't be doing that again any time soon.

Now I need a bunch of MTS to keep everything nice and stirred up.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

OK. I know I said pics tomorrow, but I didn't want to do that to you guys. So here are a few. Nothing special, but a few.

Emptying the tank.









Pineapple Wag Swordtail fry. Some are already showing a bit of color in their fins, and such.









Filling the tank back up. I actually had a garbage bag this time.









FTS. Insanely cloudy cuz I didn't rinse my sand like an idiot and none of my filter media is fine enough to catch the particles. *headdesk*









Hopefully the tank will be a bit clearer tomorrow. Probably not though. And let's hope my fish are all still alive then too. Until then.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

The tank cleared up a bit over night, and all the fish are still alive.

FTS









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Right side


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Video of the new additions.roud:






Enjoy.roud:


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Got some new fish today. A male and female L144 plecos.

Male on the left, female on the right.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

How could you add those black neons?! They will eat your little babies!! Nice job rescaping!


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Tex Gal said:


> How could you add those black neons?! They will eat your little babies!! Nice job rescaping!


So far they have left the swordtail fry alone. So they may do that with these guys too. Plus there will be a lot more hiding spots. And thanks.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Trimmed this tank up big time. Yanked all the H. difformis out so I could replace it with some H. corymbrosa angustifolia. Also added some C. wendtii 'Tropica' and trimmed off some dead leaves. All fish still alive and well.

FTS









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Right side.









C. wendtii. Already stopped melting and is putting out new leaves.









Hydrocotyle sipthorpioides.









C. wendtii 'Tropica' The plant 150 sent me was huge. I wish I would have gotten a pic of it before I separated it.

















H. corymbrosa angustifolia









Black neons









Otos.

















Mama swordtail.









Swordtail fry.

























Papa swordtail









Group shot.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Got this tank clean and in some sort of order yesterday. Before and after shots as well.

Before










After

FTS









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The A. reneickii really likes this tank for some reason.









On my way to a java fern jungle.









And crypt jungle.









The angustifolia.


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## Dielectric (Oct 7, 2008)

that myrio looks nice and thick. the stem on that hygro looks like a tree.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Dielectric said:


> that myrio looks nice and thick. the stem on that hygro looks like a tree.


Thanks man. The myrio started as like 6 stems and now they are all branching like crazy. Looks good that way though. The hygro is also going crazy. I think it is the Aquasoil to be honest.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

It's been a while. Here ya go. 

FTS









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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Hacked back this tank a lot. Need some caves. And I think my female L144 is carrying eggs.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

I added some PVC pipes to the tank to act as caves for the L144 pair I have in here. They dug a pit under one of them. But, from time to time, I see them in the cave. I wonder if I will have some babies soon.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

bryanmc1988 said:


> thats an awesome way of growing ur plants lol


Thanks man. It really worked out well. Until I got sick of it and wanted it scaped.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)




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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Found some eggs in this tank about a week ago. They hatched about 4 days ago.


























L144 wigglers.


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## mariannep (Mar 18, 2012)

veeeery cute!


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

mariannep said:


> veeeery cute!


Thanks.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Think I am getting ready to replace this tank with something a bit bigger.


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## mariannep (Mar 18, 2012)

I love the red color on that Alternanthera sesilis? What do you think would be its requirements in an NPT? What type of water do you have?


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

mariannep said:


> I love the red color on that Alternanthera sesilis? What do you think would be its requirements in an NPT? What type of water do you have?


Thanks. That plant is actually A. renicki (sp?). Not sure on my water params. Medium light, DIY CO2, and ferts. As far as PH, and all that. I have no idea. I will try to get some numbers for you though.


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)




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## Transposon (Jul 16, 2005)

Wow! Great tank.
Baby pleco so adorable!


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## cableguy69846 (Feb 7, 2011)

Transposon said:


> Wow! Great tank.
> Baby pleco so adorable!


Thank you. The tank is sill up and running, but, it needs a little TLC.

Sent from my phone via my job's wifi, most likely.


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