# Mini-M



## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Wanted to share with you guys my newly finished layout and new Tiger shrimp tank that I finished the other day.

ADA products thanks to ADGshop.com for most of it.....
Mini-M ~5.5g
Mini Solar 27w/8000k
Co2 Advance system
Mini input/put lily pipes powered by Eheim 2211
Mini pollen glass and drop checker
Powersand special S
Aquasoil Amazonia
Black wood
moss cotton
wood tight
Pro Pinsettes L

Fauna.....
Tiger shrimp
Boraras Merah
Otocinclus Niger

Flora....
Microsorum pteropus "narrow"
Anubias Nana "petite"
Marsiela Minuta
Eleocharis Parvulus
Vesicularia ferriei
Micranthemum Ubrosum
Didiplis diandra
Rotala sp. Green

Hopefully the tiger shrimp will like and flourish with babies but if they survive I will be happy. I wanted to enter this into the AGA contest but the layout took much longer to accomplish and it took me a long time to gather enough plants that worked.

Well here goes........ let me know what you think and be honest! Constructive criticism welcome!


















It should look much better once it all fills in, at least in my mind it will....so AGA contest worthy?


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

Here is my honest opinion (not that I'm an expert or something), but the wood looks too thick for this tank and the ferns are also too thick. BUT it might look better if the moss is grown over the wood to hide the thickness and the rotala in the back is grown in to shadow some of the thickness. It's just that the thickness takes away from the "oh, this tank is bigger than it looks" effect. Otherwise nice positioning of the wood.

*Oh btw, where did you find that 2211??!?!*


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## gf225 (Mar 26, 2005)

ADA-tastic!! 

I think this has great potential, although my first thought is also that the wood appears too thick for the small space. However, I also agree with John, in that once mature the moss etc. will soften its dominance.

I look forward to seeing it once grown in.

BTW I love the Marsiela minuta, not seen that before.


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

Like glosso, but a little smaller and darker green. Not as fragile, but takes so long to grow.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Looks great!... I like the fact that you have dedicated a tank to Tiger shrimp, instead of Cherrys or Crystals. If your succesful maybe I can purchase some from you.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Thanks for the words of criticism! 

I too aslo thought that the wood was a bit thick but is was the best I could find and the idea was for the moss to take coverage along with the rest of the plants which should thin out the wood. The tiger shrimp look much more subtle and cooler to me then CRS and RCS which I have as well.


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## ranmasatome (Aug 5, 2005)

nice.. you have a sweet little scape going on here for yourself... the only thing tht bothers me is that it is a little too equipment cluttered.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

The equipment clutter is just to get it going and it took awhile to get the filter going so I wasn't gonna stop that for the picture. I had to replace the original pollen glass that came with the 74ver2 co2 kit cause it really cluttered it all with the mini-pollen glass.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

turtlehead said:


> Here is my honest opinion (not that I'm an expert or something), but the wood looks too thick for this tank and the ferns are also too thick. BUT it might look better if the moss is grown over the wood to hide the thickness and the rotala in the back is grown in to shadow some of the thickness. It's just that the thickness takes away from the "oh, this tank is bigger than it looks" effect. Otherwise nice positioning of the wood.
> 
> *Oh btw, where did you find that 2211??!?!*


Forgot to add..... I found a 2011 on ebay for $30 shipped but it needed a few parts and I also happened to score a 2211 for $20 locally which only needed a new impellar rod!


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## SUBORPHAN (Apr 20, 2006)

Loving the tank. once the plants fil in it will look fantastic. glad to see another ADA hardcore fan.


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## Ajax (Apr 3, 2006)

Great job! I think once it fills in, that a contest photo without the equipment will reveal a scape that looks much larger than it is. My only advice would be to add another anubias on the left hand side just to the right of the branch that curves upward.

John


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Thanks John for the input! I felt that it needed more anubias but had a hard time fitting some in due to the limited space for foreground but I think I figured something out.


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

If you need it I can sell you some anubias petite.


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## Ajax (Apr 3, 2006)

Of course my advice is contradictory to my own tank which has a single anubias smack dab in the center :lol:


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Thanks John and Turtlehead.

I bought lots of plants to set this one up and actually have a good amount nana petite that was left over.


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## redstrat (Apr 3, 2006)

I really like this layout!! it really captures my interest and makes me want to look longer. I'd love to see more pics when it fills in


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

I will be updating probably every week up to the deadline which I seriously doubt I will make. 

I added a little piece of anubias to the left DW but more of in front right of it cause it didn't look right to the right. Also my umbrosum that is on the left have all dwindled away cause I forgot to mist them while I was laying everything else out so I have to find some of that now.


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## standoyo (Aug 25, 2005)

Nice tank with droolworthy gear. :wink:

It's probably worthwhile to trim the straggly strands of moss that will grow out of place.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Thanks Stan, 

I was going to snip them since I somehow missed them when I tied the moss down but I thought it might give off a good effect once it starts to "weep" so I want to see how it will grow first before snipping it.


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## YzMxer99 (Jul 17, 2006)

eklikewhoa - really like the Mini-m you got going on there. I've become a fan of the bold hard scape in the mini tanks. Your's has a dark, misterious old oak in the forest look. It's going to be really neat when it fills in a bit on the ground. I'm courious to see how you trim this bad boy though! I have a hard spot in mine to get to, your's looks like its going to have a couple. lol. Keep up the great work and keep updating.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Thanks for the comments!

Here are some pictures of the whole setup and some of the inhabitants....


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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

really nice!
you got the whole setup there, if u dont mind, how much did that put you out?
will look great once matured!


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

I spent too much if you factor in all the plants/hardscape/etc that I bought for this tank but did not use.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Looks really nice!

The wood in the upper front right and upper back left is alittle tight, but will probably soften up once it greens. How many pieces of wood is it actually?


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

There are 5pc. and the front right was not planned in the initial scape but it kinda helped it so in it went.


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## Steven_Chong (Mar 17, 2005)

Don't know if this helps but: It looks better than ANY of the minis I saw set up at the ADA gallery. Hmm, but that's not sayind much since most were just a hunk of wood on sand with some moss on it. Anyway, looks like you're off to a great start dude.


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## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

I really like this nano and I think that, in 5-6 months, it will be primo.

Congrats on the hardscape; it really flows well, maybe except for the upper right branch, wich I think its too long. Maybe when moss covers it up, will be be smooth down and contributes to add a better feeling to the general layout. 

This being said, I agree with Steven in every word.

Regards,
André


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## whitetiger61 (Aug 12, 2006)

I really like this tank..I think once the moss grows in it will be contest worthy...I have the mini s and went with rocks instead of driftwood..but if i could have found the right wood i would have went that way..i got my moss to grow a little faster by trimming it frequently..everytime i seen it growing out of place i would trim it..also for these tanks cuticle scissors work great..


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Thanks for all the kind words!!!!

I don't really like the right branch either and it wasn't meant to be in the scape. It's easily removable so if it doesn't fit once grown in I will remove it.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)




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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

could you please give us a shot of it beside say a coffe mug to put it in perspective 
and its looks lovely btw


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Forgot the coffee mug....next photo will have a coke can or something since I don't drink coffee


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

Awesome picture of the tiger shrimp above. You make me want to get a couple for myself!

Your tank looks good, but I think the additional plants and shapes over took away some of that hardscape "flare" and organizational focus that was previously there. The left side of the driftwood looks fantastic with the new moss growth on it though.

-John N.


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## YzMxer99 (Jul 17, 2006)

Love the new pic! That is some great growth you got going on there. What settings/setup did you change with the new pic? It's a lot brighter and clearer.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

I think the stems in the back kinda took away from the scape too, I am thinking about planting all of each sp. in one bunch instead of spreading it out as it is and maybe that will help it. The moss is really taking off! I am seeing lots of new sprouts all over!

YzMxer99,,,, the only difference is the addition of the background stems and the black backdrop which I think is keeping the lights from flooding all over. Camera settings and all are the same.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Here's the picture with a pepsi can.....


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## C.ton (Nov 6, 2006)

nice, do you have a picture of the full setup? i'm trying to get a image of how a ada's tank and equipment would look together in a room


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Could have sworn I posted some full shots on pg.3 but here is another view......


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## Dave Spencer (Mar 4, 2007)

That`s a lovely looking tank. Good luck with the Marsilea foreground. I am currently trying to grow one with some Marsilea crenata I found hiding amongst my Echinodorus tenellus.

Dave.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Well I removed the stems out back cause it didn't turn out as good as I imagined it.

I was suggested Eleocharis Acicularis for background plant by a well respected scaper and think he might be on to something. Any other suggestions?

Picture shows the umbrosum there but it has been moved as well, I left the umbrosum thinking maybe it was the leaves of the Rotala/Didiplis standing out in the scape but the umbrosum does as well.


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## Ajax (Apr 3, 2006)

Maybe do the Eleocharis around the sides toward the back, and some E. tenellus in the middle back. The E. tenellus will get pretty tall when you grow it in AS/PS, and would probably be just the right height for the Mini-M. I just planted some in my Mini-M last week, and it's already getting close to the surface.


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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

wow thats soo small! i love it when you see the picture it looks massive!
really nice work, will be great to see it a bit more mature and tidy!


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## Costanza (Feb 1, 2006)

Beatuful Mini, Eklikewhoa. Once it fills in it will look even nicer; please keep us updated!


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Ajax said:


> Maybe do the Eleocharis around the sides toward the back, and some E. tenellus in the middle back. The E. tenellus will get pretty tall when you grow it in AS/PS, and would probably be just the right height for the Mini-M. I just planted some in my Mini-M last week, and it's already getting close to the surface.


Isn't E.Tenellus a bit wider in leaf then the Eleocharis? When will you be posting some pictures of that Mini of yours John? I am a bit worried that the thick "grass" as background would kinda stand out between the thin Eleocharis but maybe vice-versa? I have E.Tenellus "micro" or whatever it is which is what I see in some/most of Amano's scapes which stays pretty small/short and gets the nice bronze/red color in the mid-ground mixed with the marsilea minuta and the E.parvulus.

Thanks for all the comments everyone! I myself and eager to see the growth of this tank as it's much harder to memorize how it looks now when it finally fills in.


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## Ajax (Apr 3, 2006)

Yes, the E. tenellus is definitely wider. If you're looking for something as a back drop, I don't think the E. acicularis will be tall enough to show up behind the blackwood. I have some E. acicularis in my Mini-M as well. I will post pics soon, but I want it to fill in a bit first.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Yeah I thought about that too and I think it's not so much as a full backdrop/background but it would add some perspective to the scape. Something to peek out from around the DW would be good but we'll see. 

Hopefully I can find some Acicularis at one of the LFS so I can see how it looks cause this imagining stuff isn't working too well.


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## FishandTurtleJunkie (Apr 14, 2007)

This is one of the few nanos that are well thought out and laid out nicely. I agree with Acicularis as thinner plants would make this tank look larger than it is, and de-emphasize the thickness of the wood (which I like).


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Thanks for the comment F&Tjunkie.

I am still waiting on some Acicularis but the Tenellus Micro that is in there is spreading already and the Minuta as well...the moss has taken a wierd growth pattern but I have since trimmed it some in hopes for better growth. 

Only a month and a half left to go.........


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## ranmasatome (Aug 5, 2005)

its starting to tame out..


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## corbius (Aug 14, 2005)

great great great great....clap clap clap


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## hedson_25 (Sep 20, 2005)

i´m eager to see the out come...


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Some new pictures taken today....


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

Good! But something needs to be behind that wood!


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

I'm still waiting to find some E.Acicularis for the background.


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## Yoshi (Apr 7, 2007)

how often do you find yourself having to bleach the lilies and other co2 equip?


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

I have bleached the co2 diffuser once since I started the tank and the pipes have not been removed since install.... on my other tank it has algae growing like crazy in the pipes but the light shines on them so I guess it depends.


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## Yoshi (Apr 7, 2007)

Ahh, I see, thanks for answering my question. They look really clean for not having been bleached. 

One other question, how "long" is the Mini-Pollen Glass Diffuser? I can't seem to find the length listed anywhere (could you measure it from the top of the curve to bottom of the tube?).

I love the ADA setup, the tank looks great!


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## Tankman (Feb 19, 2006)

Cool man


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Thanks for all the comps!!

The mini-pollen is 4.5" from top to bottom and the pipe is about 1/4"


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## UG Dude! (Apr 12, 2007)

Looks natural, though I think the the tank would look even better if you swap the normal variety of java fern with 'narrow'!...


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## winsonli (Feb 18, 2007)

Looks nice. Would like to see pictures with the new background plants.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

I never got any real background plants in..... just the tenellus. 

the moss has grown out some and it looks like I as sold something other then the requested weeping moss from a few members here and PT so I will have to re-do some of the tank. Don't you just hate it when someone doesn't know what they are dealing with....I even posted the common name and the scientific name just to keep the confusion to a min.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Here are some pictures of the tank I took today....you can see that there are two different types of moss in the tank and the moss on the branch on the right has lifted itself off.

Also the Boraras merah that were in there did not like life too much and they jumped out so I got new fishies for the tank....


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## Leonard (Mar 4, 2007)

nice little new fishes! I'd also like to have these in my 6g, but they'll probobly eat my shrimps...
But don't you think they'll also jump out of the tank, isn't it better to have a bottom living fish, lite Otocinclus or dwarf Corydoras? I'd never have a fish who lives in the top of the tank if had it open like you....


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

For some reason when I bought them they were mid-level and in my tank they stay about mid-level as well. Sometimes they go to the top but I don't see them jumping out anytime soon and hope they don't.

I don't really want to do Otocinclus or corydoras cause they do better in groups and since this tank is pretty small it wouldn't be any better then having the jumping fish in the tank.


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## JustOneMore21 (Mar 19, 2007)

I love your tank....its beautiful! And the Killies are too cute.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

JustOneMore21 said:


> I love your tank....its beautiful! And the Killies are too cute.


Thanks!


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## ranmasatome (Aug 5, 2005)

Oh my gosh... i was stunned for a moment when i saw the growth!! amazing!!! i love updates... anyway.. i think its time for a little trimming?


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## nevada (Apr 3, 2005)

well i love the way the moss grows in your tank. somehow it create a wild effect on the tank. try to introduce more lights or shift the lighting to the front so that the glosso will have enough lighting and therefore it will grows side ways ...


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

The foreground is actually minuta and the non planted parts actually have some thriving and the driftwood is shading those areas.


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## longhornxtreme (Feb 20, 2007)

How's your M. minuta foreground going? I'm about to have a living move and I was contemplating tearing my 29g down and actually attempting to scape something for once. I definitely want a foreground plant but I'm scared about glosso's maintenance,

So pretty much a choice between HC and MM. 

29G, 110w CF ahsupply suspended
pressurized co2 with diy inline reactor off of eheim classic canister
pps-pro + excel dosing
eco complete, fluorish tabs below crypts


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## LordSul (Mar 17, 2006)

Wow!! Great journal, and a great tank. Although Im not into driftwood, this tank has evolved very beatifully with the moss and the glosso. I like the way the glosso has grıown in your tank, tiny bushy effect, after they get all around I think the tank will look awesome.

Im in love with those java ferns, but in my opinion they should be more dominant, more visible.

Goodjob,


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

The foreground is not glosso but actually marsilea minuta which looks much better in the right conditions. 

I have torn down the scape since everything grew in and in the beginning I was sold two different types of moss which was not suppose to be. 

I have gone a different route with the tank and will post new pictures once it fills in a bit better. I am using M.Minuta and it is growing out super nice!


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## longhornxtreme (Feb 20, 2007)

I guess I'm going to go the MM way once I get settled in. 

Things to do:

Order Manzanita
Mock up a scape in 3D
Order the plants

Woohoo.


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## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

Nice tank, EK!!!! The ONLY suggestion that I have is that maybe if you could get rid (somehow) of the "runner" of the rostrata, it may be a tad less distracting. Otherwise, it is very well made, dude!! Nice work! It is very annoying to see people that voted on your tank before it was near completion; how can somebody "grade" the tank if this is a "Journal" and it will be very obvious that the tank is inevitably going to go through some rough phases and so on. VERY irritating! I give you a "5" for this one! Well done!


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Thanks man!

There is no rostrata in my tank though....it's E.tennellus.


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