# Jeffboyarrdee's ADA 45cm



## jeffboyarrdee (Jun 9, 2007)

Hello here is an update on my 8 gallon. I have found small tanks to be easier to clean but are very high maintenance when it comes to stem plants in such a small tank. I trim the plants every 3-4 weeks. I dose brighty K, occasionally some brighty step 1, ECA, and Green Bacter. Initially i had ammonia spikes and my shrimp have been dying off one by one...i had lost like 5 crystal reds. And now i put in a couple black diamonds and so i hope they can repopulate the tank. 
























this is i think. Microcarpea Minima and since i cut it low under bright lighting it kinda spreads like a foreground and forms a nice bush.

















here is a link to my original thread on planted tank
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/photo-album/44908-jeffboyarrdees-45-cm-ada-update-6-a.html


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## Jessie (Apr 23, 2007)

Very nice! I love the balance of simplicity and color. Those chocolate gouramis are wonderful, too!


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## Haeun (Oct 19, 2006)

Looks wonderful!!! At the moment, the rocks look almost overpowering, but I'm sure they'll be magnificent once the plants grow in a bit more. I love that bit of red in the back. Can't wait to see your next update!


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## dirrtybirdy (May 22, 2007)

nice. looks very peaceful and calm. very simple and nice


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## Guest (Jun 20, 2007)

the more i look at those rocks the more i like the scape, nice choice on plants as well!... cant wait to see it fill in a bit.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Jun 9, 2007)

thanks everyone for the comments.
I agree too that after i planted the tank maybe i overdid it with the rocks...i know i can always take out rocks if i need to...possibly the 2nd largest rock on the right side? im not sure...i can either go with a triangular look like the current, or i can make a small valley type between the two largest rocks...ill try both.


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## MATTHEW MAHLING (Dec 1, 2005)

Jeff, this tank rocks! Don't touch a stone. 
Are those Maten or Yamaya's from AF?


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## Leonard (Mar 4, 2007)

Really nice!!!!! The rocks are stunning, they look such kompact, lagre and hard! this make the whole tank look bigger. The choice of plants with small leaves are also a good effect!  Very well done!


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## jeffboyarrdee (Jun 9, 2007)

I think this is Yamaya stone? When i go back to work ill tell you the for sure name. Yea the stone i knew from the start i wanted to work with them, and all the plants in the back are mostly rotala's which are my favorite types of plants. I am glad people are liking the hardscape...it has taken me a long time to gain the eye for this aquascaping, i still need coaxing from time to time. But everyone can see my original thread on planted tank and how i started out my layout...it has changed drastically.

Since i am transferring to a UC next year i wont be home to take care of the trimming of the tank, so i will be replacing the back of the tank with valsneria nana, i dont know if this will be too tall or not or maybe just planting a hairgrass in the back? I am not too sure...i just want to change the tank into one that does not need to be trimmed so often, just like my 50 gallon. But hopefully my brother can help me out with water changes and feeding my fish.


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## Haeun (Oct 19, 2006)

8 gallon, you can probably take to school, unless it is far from where you live. I had a 29 gallon, a 10 gallon and a 2.5 gallon at UCSD last year, but I think I'll keep just two nanos at school in the fall.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Jun 9, 2007)

i have an 8 gallon and my 50 gallon...i have another 8 gallon that i am going to bring to ucla, and those two tanks i currently have are already set up and i still want them there. my brother can help me he'll be at home.


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## nevada (Apr 3, 2005)

Simply beautiful, i like the colour combination between the plants.


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## hedson_25 (Sep 20, 2005)

very nice 
where did you get those rock?


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## jeffboyarrdee (Jun 9, 2007)

i got the rock at Aquaforest Aquarium in San Fran


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## jeffboyarrdee (Jun 9, 2007)

here is an update on my 8 gallon. The tank has been doing very well. I think it is pretty much stable, i rarely get any type of algae, i got rid of my black beard algae using spot treatments of excel, and dosing excel after water changes. I got rid of my green spot algae too, i occassionaly get some though on the sides of the glass after like 2 weeks. I only have been dosing 2 ml brighty k daily. This tank has become pretty low maintenance.


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## aquanut (Jun 26, 2007)

looking better and better jeff, very nice!


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Lot's of good scapers named Jeff


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## jeffboyarrdee (Jun 9, 2007)

today i added 7 red ruby tetras! This tank really needs a school of something, but i dont know how noticeable they will be in a picture since they are small fish.


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## arowanaman (Jun 14, 2006)

looks really good, well balanced. I bet it is a PITA to groom those stem plants every week?


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## jeffboyarrdee (Jun 9, 2007)

I actually only trim the plants maybe once every two months maybe even three. I only dose brighty k and no other ferts so as not to induce superfast growth. But trimming isn't too bad in such a small tank. But in the beginning it was a pain yea because i wanted fast growth to compete initial algae.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Jun 9, 2007)

here is my 45 cm tank, it grows real fast. it was fully grown again like a jungle within 5 weeks. and there was close to no algae whatsoever when i got back to it, compared to my 50 gallon which was also filled, but had so much algae. this turned out to be a very low maintenance tank.


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## CmLaracy (Apr 28, 2007)

wow you've got a thick layer of substrate there! jesus, its so big, it practically cuts the tank volume in half! Nice scape


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## jeffboyarrdee (Jun 9, 2007)

yea i know there is alot of substrate...i am a fan of thick substrates, my plants are actually doing VERY well with all that substrate in there.


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## hedson_25 (Sep 20, 2005)

very nice!


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## jeffboyarrdee (Jun 9, 2007)

sorry guys, i forgot i didnt take a picture with the plants grown out. and so this past winterbreak i actually cut it AGAIN! haha, but so far nothing new, maybe in the summer i will Redo this tank with different Rocks and just the red rotala, and make a really deep red tank.


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## bigstick120 (Mar 8, 2005)

What light and wattage are you running on this tank?


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## jeffboyarrdee (Jun 9, 2007)

i am running the 36 watt PC ADA bulb.
the fixture is a fixture that only aquaforestaquarium sells, they had it made to fit the ADA bulb.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Jun 9, 2007)

sorry guys! coming back for spring break i decided last minute to redo the whole tank, theres a lack of maintenance so i could not take a final final picture. I tried my best at designing the hardscape layout, usually id ask for input, it will still be appreciated but i wont be here after this week since im going back to school, so i wont be able to change it haha. But yea so i took out all the plants, and added one bigger rock and went for the triangle layout with plants only on one side and i wanted an open field on the left side because i made this a crystal red shrimp breeding tank. my hopes for this tank is for it to grow in nicely as well as a breeding grounds for the shrimp so that they can minimize the algae in the tank while im gone.

Plants: 
rotala rotundafolia red (singapore) (right corner)
rotala green (right corner)
isoetes tawainese (mid left)
micro carpea (mid right)
HC
mini pelia (middle)

12 crystal red shrimp









This is the final picture of the tank before...the best i could do since im never home.

















This is the tank now

here are some pictures of the shrimp

























































So yea i just hope they live...i used 60% of the old tank water...so i dont think cycling was a problem and i also used the same soil and i didnt change the filter at all. It is a little cloudy probably from filling and a slight bacteria bloom, but that will go away in a few days i predict.


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## roybot73 (Feb 5, 2008)

Any updates?


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