# rescaped - 1ft cube



## EvolutionZ (Jul 26, 2007)

hi guys. rescaped my 1ft cube tank today for a pair of apisto.

first of all. the tank specs :

tank size - 30cm cube.

substrate - bottom 2L GeX light green packing, top 2.8L red packing.

lighting - BOYU 18watt single tube.

filteration - GeX hang on filter(highly recommanded!) with biohomePLUS.

co2 - excel

ferts - Wondergro macro and micro+ using EI along with excel.

temperature - 27C

flora - japanese hairgrass, normal hairgrass and stem plant(suspect that its didiplis diandra)

fauna - 8 boraras brigittae, 1 pair of apistogramma agasizzi 'red-black' and 2 otos.

picture time :

siphone all water out and pour in my GeX soil in.









ohko rocks i got.. washing this few rocks is damn hard! i got to soak them in bleach for 1 day 1 night to get rid of the dust and algae on them.









well... i only found out that this few rocks are too big so decided to take out a hammer and a screwdriver.

this is what i get after breaking the 2 bigger rocks.









everything was in.was hoping hairgrass at the back to grow long long..









unknown Stem plant. suspected its didplis diandra. but compared to the long didiplis i saw a the same LFS i got this plant. this was so much shorter.









at a angle.









no hooks to hook my fan to the tank. so i found out i can acctually place the fan on top of my HOB filter!










Commons please!


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## kjaer (Feb 4, 2008)

I think the rocks are placed to symmetrical and IMO the tank is too small for apistos.


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## EvolutionZ (Jul 26, 2007)

thanks for your comments bro.
anyway. this tank is okay for apisto.
some even divide 2ft tank by 3 for apisto. so each portion is 20cm x 30cm x 30cm. they dun have any problems with the apisto =)


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## kjaer (Feb 4, 2008)

Thats just my opinion. I think they show a more natural behavior in a bigger tank.


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## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

nice start! My suggestion is to make the rock formation less "symmetrical".


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## EvolutionZ (Jul 26, 2007)

hi guys.. did some changes to the tank.

found some spiky moss and i had some small ohko rocks. tied them and placed them infront of the main rocks.. looks better?



















one of the best HOB Filter i would say.. still got the thingy below the waterfall to spread the flow around the tank.










angle shot.










my 2 planted tank.


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## fishman9809 (Feb 4, 2008)

Wait, so this is for apistos? I was trying to find an example tank, I am going to make a Eclispe 12 into a Apisto tank, got any pics of the apistos you got?


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## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

I agree with the comments about the rocks being too symmetrical.

Also if this tank is for a pair of Apistos, where are their caves? I also think you'll need a lot more cover and structure to keep them happy. Maybe might be best stickking with some micro shoaling fish instead?


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## EvolutionZ (Jul 26, 2007)

don't have to worry guys.. i had a friend who's 1ft cube have very little hiding space. yet the apisto lived well and even bred. for pots. since i am still cycling the tank, i haven't decide where to put them.


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## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

I think the apistos will do fine as long as you don't have many other fish/shrimp in the tank. Once you get a nice bush with the moss that should be good....otherwise the hairgrass will obscure it too much.

Try moving the large stone closer to either smaller stone, that will remove the symmetry....


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## EvolutionZ (Jul 26, 2007)

was told by a apisto guru that my tank don't have enough hiding space for apisto, he told me to either rescape or change the background plants.

i decided to go for a change of plants.

narrowleaf java fern.. soooo expensive compared to the normal java fern.










now my tank looks go wild! crpyt wendtti geen at the back... blxya japonica at the middle back. and didiplis diandra in the middle!










closed up.










angle shot










why i said that GeX HOB is one of the best hang on back filter? for a 330l/hr HOB. look at the huge space for media.(easily can fill up 200g of biohome/biohomePLUS)

inside is with around 100g of biohomeplus. and still got alot space. the and sponge is easily avaliable at c328 or polyart.










comments please


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## Fishman123 (Dec 11, 2007)

I think the scape looks nice, I'm not sure if it's going to be suitable for a pair of apistos though. Who knows, every fish is different, you'll never know until you try them.


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

i hate to say but im not sure the apistos are good for the tank either...i had just one in a 5 gallon and he crocked in about 3 weeks...just not good for them and i would say move the rocks like everyone else says it just look weird


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## CmLaracy (Apr 28, 2007)

I say you pick up some of those stones that have the moss on them, tighten the two side rocks closer to the main rock, and place the moss ones on the outside like this...










Just on a larger scale. It'll look great, five upright rocks will look nicer than 3. photo curtesy of resilience, it's his wonderful scape.


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## fishman9809 (Feb 4, 2008)

Hey, that''s Sapheiron's tank layout. LOL


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## EvolutionZ (Jul 26, 2007)

Thanks for all your comments.
will try to play around with my rocks. 
as for the apisto. lots of people have tried it and with no problem at all.. well, since i decided i will go for a try =)


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## fishman9809 (Feb 4, 2008)

how many gallons is a 12x12? It seems a little small for apistos. Will they be alone in the tank?


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## EvolutionZ (Jul 26, 2007)

its around 7gallon for that.
like i say many times. many people have keep and successfully breed apisto even in a smaller tank then a 1ft cube. they will be living with 2 otos and 8 boraras brigrittae.


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## fishman9809 (Feb 4, 2008)

well, if the apistos breed, they will attack the boraras brigittae if not given a cove or some typ eof dwelling to hide in. I am going to use a wide diameter pvc pipe an dbury it in my substrate in order to give them a cave, the pipe will then be covered in South American moss, and echinodorus tellenus.


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## EvolutionZ (Jul 26, 2007)

the boraras serves as dither fishes to spread the apisto aggresion around the tank.. and i will remove the boraras once fries are free swimming


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## fishman9809 (Feb 4, 2008)

well ,the aggression starts when the START to mate, if you see it, put the boraras briggittae in a small container, they are so small, they can live anywhere!!!!


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## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

the higher plant mass looks good. if you let it, the didiplis can outgrow the other plants, either keep it trimmed or place it in the background....

as for the apistos, with a high plant mass and regular water changes it may work, just keep a close eye on them....


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## rountreesj (Aug 14, 2007)

well I have no clue about what fish do best where, *BUT* I have learned that when this many people say not to do something, chances are they're right. Now I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just saying, would you like to live in a 2'x2' closet?

These guys probably are giving you their best $0.02 worth (which I've come to find is worth more than two pennies).


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## EvolutionZ (Jul 26, 2007)

well. differnt country have different opinion on fish keeping?
i have been to other forums which members are serious apisto players and also they are from the same country as me(singapore) almost all of them keep their apisto(for breeding) in a 1ft cube tank or even lower. very few keep them in a 1.5ft or 2ft as it takes up too much space.

don't have to worry guys, i do enough study before i commit something.


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## EvolutionZ (Jul 26, 2007)

fishman9809 said:


> well ,the aggression starts when the START to mate, if you see it, put the boraras briggittae in a small container, they are so small, they can live anywhere!!!!


you are wrong. apisto shows aggression anytime. chiclids are naturally aggresive, of course it will depends on each individual fishes. some might just kill off it's mate even when its NOT breeding.


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## EvolutionZ (Jul 26, 2007)

hooha said:


> the higher plant mass looks good. if you let it, the didiplis can outgrow the other plants, either keep it trimmed or place it in the background....
> 
> as for the apistos, with a high plant mass and regular water changes it may work, just keep a close eye on them....


thanks bro, yes i will keep them trimmed and in placed. 
anyway. this thread is suppose to be my 1ft cube journal thread. please don't turned it to a apisto argueing thread. thanks


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## EvolutionZ (Jul 26, 2007)

update : sadly, my 1st batch of jap HG are slowly dieing off.. i removed most of them and added in a new batch hopefully it can creep..










also having half a pot of C.parva in the middle..


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## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

you can try some type of root fertilization under the hairgrass.....root tabs will be way too big though - if you can break them into small pieces and place them securely under the substrate that may help out....


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## EvolutionZ (Jul 26, 2007)

im having a few oceanfree Root Monster under the jap HG.. hopefully this time round they can creep =)


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## Aqualike (Dec 25, 2006)

You better move the main rock to avoid placing it at the central of the tank, seem like it divide the tank to 2 parts. Also the small rock at left side to close to the glass, seem the view like smaller than it should be, and there is some thing in the tank wanna jump out. The Crypt should be move to a corner, below one side of a rock.


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## EvolutionZ (Jul 26, 2007)

thanks for your advice, but im not gonna shift anything anymore.. i like it this way, thanks =)


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## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

that's what's important.....whether you like it. Later on if you want to refine your scape I would follow the advice given as it's very sound.


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## EvolutionZ (Jul 26, 2007)

ever since the female starts to take care of the batch of fries, the male have been dashing around and i cant do anything..

ended up the male ate all the fries, and i have a bare background with all the blxya japonica floating..

so today i changed 50% of the water( to get back the apisto into breeding mode, saw them danceing just now)

and did a minor rescape.

took out the rocks and placed in a wood with spiky moss..

with some java fern tied to wood as the background plants..

lots of hiding space for them!


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