# 5.5g rimless AGA journal



## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Well i wasn't happy with my eclipse 3g (mainly because i kept scratching the acrylic and the filter is crap) so i decided to upgrade to a 5.5g. I removed the rim and made a light fixture from an old 10g incandescent fixture and some wood. Here are a few of the current specs:

-lighting- 20w screw in flourescents
-filter- Tom Rapids mini canister
-substrate- Eco complete
-plants- crypt lucens, java fern, marselia minuta, and crypt spiralis--the spiralis is in there for cycling purposes only and more plants will be added tomorrow when i get to my LFS
-fish- none currently but otos will be added soon and hopefully a school of some kind of boraras in the future

anyways here are some pictures of the build and how the tank looks after i filled it up tonight:















I left some room near the rocks because I want to add some downoi around them. I'm also thinking about adding a few rocks to the right side with some blyxa behind them to balance the tank out. Let me know what you'll think because I'm very open to suggestions.


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## gravy9 (Aug 28, 2008)

Very nice work on the tanks. The light looks very nice.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Why did you leave so much room between the tank and the lights? Just wondering?


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

gravy9 said:


> Very nice work on the tanks. The light looks very nice.


Thanks Gravy!

Well i added a few plants and a few more rocks to try to balance out the tank.

-current plants-
rotala indica (it might be rotundi but it was labeled as indica)
crypt wendtii red
sagittaria
crypt lucens
marselia minuta

-future plants- i left some room on the right side for some blyxa and some room all along the rocks for some downoi...now i just need to get my hands on some *wink wink*

Let me know what you'll think. Thanks!

FTS


Angled


Left Side


Right Side


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Tex Gal said:


> Why did you leave so much room between the tank and the lights? Just wondering?


good question Tex Gal. I really don't have a solid answer. For one, i didn't want overheating to be an issue and i also knew it'd be easier to arrange the equipment with some room. I also wanted to keep the rimless look as much as possible (without suspending the fixture) so i tried to keep the lights off the tank. Hopefully i'll be able to take the legs off and suspend the fixture in the future to give it the 100% rimless look.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I really like your new plant additions. They look great.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Tex Gal said:


> I really like your new plant additions. They look great.


Thanks a bunch, i like them too they just need to grow out a bit and i think they'll look great. I really need to get my hands on some downoi and blyxa because i really think they'll bring this tank all together. Also, any idea on how long eco complete tends to cloud up the water?


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Not a whole lot has changed besides the water clearing up but here's an update anyway. I moved the filter intake and spraybar to the left side because i like the water flow better that way. I also added the fish from my 3g after checking my parameters; this includes 2 otos and 2 rummy nose tetras. The tetras will be moved to my brother's 29g tank when i leave for college but the otos will be comming with me. When i get settled in back at school i plan on buying a school of harlequin rasboras or one of the boraras species (prob 5-6 fish). Also, i believe my crypt wendtii reds are melting but this was kind of expected...anyways here's the pics so let me know what you'll think:

FTS






One of the otos just hanging out


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## nguyendetecting (Dec 26, 2008)

great looking tank, was the trim hard to take off?? Great diy hood btw


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

nguyendetecting said:


> great looking tank, was the trim hard to take off?? Great diy hood btw


Thanks! The trim wasn't too hard to take off. I rushed and cracked one tank but i took my time on the second one. I found it was easier to slice/cut the corners of the trim and just basically peal the trim off. But i just can't stress enough that you need to take your time and dont yank too hard on the trim.


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## marke14 (Mar 27, 2007)

I know this is probably a dumb question, but are you worried about the rim as a structural component? Is it just the silicon that holds any tank together?


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

marke14 said:


> I know this is probably a dumb question, but are you worried about the rim as a structural component? Is it just the silicon that holds any tank together?


From my research, anything 10g and under is relatively safe to take the trim off of. Some people have even done it to 20g which is just way too risky IMO. So i'm not too worried about the structural integrity.


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## FBG (Jan 2, 2006)

I've taken the rim off of three aquariums to date and none of them have fallen apart of leaked a drop. been running for as long as 4 months. (two 10gallons, and a 2.5)


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## marke14 (Mar 27, 2007)

Thanks!


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## foofooree (Mar 11, 2007)

That tank looks really nice! I like it


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

foofooree said:


> That tank looks really nice! I like it


Thanks! I'm liking it a lot too. It's been fun watching the growth day by day. I can't wait till my blyxa and downoi get here- they should almost complete the tank. Also, i dug under some of the substrate around the marselia and found a lot of runners with plants sprouting on them so the foreground should start filling out quicker. I figure I'll go ahead and update it again since it's a journal:


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## FishandTurtleJunkie (Apr 14, 2007)

It is coming together nicely. When the marsilea fills in it will really look great.


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## 954baby (Feb 8, 2008)

Try to post a pic i'd like to see how it looks. I just set up a tank that looks a lot like yours.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

FishandTurtleJunkie said:


> It is coming together nicely. When the marsilea fills in it will really look great.


Thanks FishandTurtleJunkie! I agree, i cannot wait for the foreground to fill in. I'll also be adding a few more plants in the next couple of days. I'll update it when i do so.



954baby said:


> Try to post a pic i'd like to see how it looks. I just set up a tank that looks a lot like yours.


I've posted several throughout this journal (the most recent one is about 2 days old), but i'll post another after work tomorrow. Do you have a thread for your tank? If so i'd like to follow it


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## ShostAmateur (Dec 8, 2008)

I like the set-up a lot. Did a very nice job with it -- all the equipment is un-obtrusive to viewing the tank. The new plants look good, and I agree with others, it'll be great to see them fill in!


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

ShostAmateur said:


> I like the set-up a lot. Did a very nice job with it -- all the equipment is un-obtrusive to viewing the tank. The new plants look good, and I agree with others, it'll be great to see them fill in!


Thanks ShostAmateur! When i make the move back to school tomorrow i will set it up to where the heater won't be very visible either. I can't wait for it to fill in either trust me. The marselia is finally pretty well acclimated so it shouldn't be a whole lot longer till it's filled in.

Anyways here some of the update shots i said id post:

FTS


rotalas


marselia growth


more growth


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Well i got my plants in today as well as a few extras and i also made the move back to school. Here's the tank all set back up!.

Current plants include:
-rotala rotundifolia
-crypt lucens
-dwarf sag
-java fern
-blyxa
-downoi
-dwarf hair grass
-marselia minuta
-1 unidentified plant

I hope you'll like it. It's time to sit back and watch it grow!


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## Deeck (Apr 29, 2008)

hilikus16 said:


> Well i got my plants in today as well as a few extras and i also made the move back to school. Here's the tank all set back up!.
> 
> Current plants include:
> -rotala rotundifolia
> ...


in the picture? that plant is pogostemon helferi 
good look

salute on chile


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Thanks Deeck but it's actually the plant in the far right hand corner between the blyxa and crypt wendtii red that i'm unsure about. I got it as an extra with my plants- im guessing its some kind of ludwigia? I'll get a picture of it when it grows a bit


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## gravy9 (Aug 28, 2008)

Very nice development on the tank. Keep up the good work.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

gravy9 said:


> Very nice development on the tank. Keep up the good work.


Thanks Gravy! I'm thinking about getting a small school of neon tetras or harlequins today. I can't wait...the otos just don't entertain me enough


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

well i went to my LFS and picked up a school of 6 neon tetras and 3 ghost shrimp. i cant stop starring at my tank now. The shrimp are especially fun to watch. Anyways here's some pictures of the new inhabitants:

FTS


Tetras


Shrimp


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Thanks Nola! I'll get a few more pictures up in a couple days...its filling in nicely so far.


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## foofooree (Mar 11, 2007)

The tank looks great!


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

foofooree said:


> The tank looks great!


Thanks foofooree!

Here's a little update. The water is a bit cloudy still from moving a few rocks, replanting a few plants, etc. Not much has changed though it's just filling in slowly. Here's the pics:

FTS




I have a few other pictures but imageshack is acting up so ill post them later.
Anyways let me know what you'll think!


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## csaxe21 (Nov 25, 2008)

Great looking tank! I love the driftwood and the rocks.


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

Do you mind explaining how you built the canopy. It looks amazing


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Thanks guys!

The canopy was very easy to build and I did it with rather basic tools. I basically just made a ~16"x6"x3.5" box with one end open. I used small finishing nails since screws would split the wood because i used poplar wood (i believe).

The hardest part of the build was cutting the top piece (the biggest piece with the light switch on it) to the right length because I had to account for the width of the two side pieces and the legs- otherwise the legs wouldn't line up on the glass. I simply added the widths of the two side pieces and the legs together and subtracted them from the total length of the top piece and too my surprise the legs line up perfectly.

Then, i decided on a height of 2" (if i remember correctly) for the canopy to sit. I simply cut legs and added 2 on each side. I also cut a ridge in the bottom of each leg so it could sit on the glass.

Next, i screwed a hole in the top piece for the light/light switch which i scrapped out of a 10g incandescent hood. It's not a complete hole, though, because the light fixture actually hangs from a nut-and-bolt type configuration on the outside of the hood. The light switch is shoved up through the hole and a ring with threads screws around the light switch. I had to use a large drill bit for most of the hole and i finished it off with a smaller one so there was a "ledge" for the ring with threads to catch.

I finally added some epoxy putty for security on the light fixture, spray painted it black, and covered the inside with a very shiny duct tape that you can find at home depot or lowes. I threw 2x13w screw in fluorescent bulbs and now it works like a charm. I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out; and I can take the legs off and suspend it if i have the option.

Here's some detailed pictures of the canopy:

Here's how the corners look


This is how the legs sit on the glass


The inside




The lightswitch. You can see the ring screwed onto the switch.


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

I saw some lights like those at Walmart for 7 bucks. they are 26W 6500K for a pack of 2. 

Thank you for that post. Very informative.

What about adding some moss on the wood. Has your glosso started to fill in?


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

dj2606 said:


> I saw some lights like those at Walmart for 7 bucks. they are 26W 6500K for a pack of 2.
> 
> Thank you for that post. Very informative.
> 
> What about adding some moss on the wood. Has your glosso started to fill in?


The bulbs i'm using are actually the exact same ones. I just upgraded to them last week.

Although my tank is a perfect candidate for moss, i seem to prefer the raw look of the branches. i think once the lucens fill in along with the java fern, the branches will be softened out a lot.

I'm actually using marselia minuta, not glosso. They look very similar but as i'm noticing, the marselia fills in much slower. At the rate it's going i'm really considering ripping it all out and getting some over-used HC. I'll give it another week or two and see what kind of progress it makes.


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

OOHHH AHHHH!!!! the HC IMO, would complement better. You should do it. 

What do you think of them? Work well? I was going to do 3 and a 10,000k florescent strip also. But the more I think about it 3 might be overkill with the 10k strip. 

I'm currently waiting on HC for my 10g and my 29g](*,)


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

ya i'm sure i'll switch over to HC eventually now that i have decent lighting.

the bulbs are great IMO. I've only had them for a week but i've already noticed the increased growth up from 20w. The color is perfect too...too bad i can't get a decent picture of my tank. They're also doing a good job at keeping the tops of my rotala red and i'm noticing my tiny blyxa has some red on it too.

Maybe if you grow that HC fast enough in the next few weeks you could spare me some


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

Yes, i sure can. Hopefully it will grow fast. It was purchased from aqua botanics last week and still waiting for them to ship it. Fingers crossed. Surprisingly, it was only $4.20 per pot.

The update photos were taken with then new lights? Or the old 20w?


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## andrewg (Jul 27, 2008)

Sorry to get off track hilikus16, but I can assure dj2606 and possibly you too that the HC from aquabotonic is top notch and mine grew surprisingly fast under a similar setup. Getting back to your tank, I think you should leave the clover just because (1) contrast in leaf shapes could be intriguing and (2) HC is soooooo overused. Anyways, nice tank.


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

When i purchased the HC their site they were a week behind in shipping. Which worked for me, because I'm still waiting on diffusers for my pressurized Co2.

You really think the HC wouldn't work? IMO the height of marselia minuta will be a little tall. HC tends to hug the bottom and the small size will add more depth making the stem plants and wood look higher. Just my $.02.

Well hilikus16 if you decide to change just let me know, as I will be glad to spare some HC once its established.

P.S.
Also off topic, sorry. andrewg what part of nova are you from. I'm located in va beach.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

dj2606 said:


> Yes, i sure can. Hopefully it will grow fast. It was purchased from aqua botanics last week and still waiting for them to ship it. Fingers crossed. Surprisingly, it was only $4.20 per pot.
> 
> The update photos were taken with then new lights? Or the old 20w?


All the photos starting on page 4 are with 26w of light. All my older pics are with 20w.



andrewg said:


> Sorry to get off track hilikus16, but I can assure dj2606 and possibly you too that the HC from aquabotonic is top notch and mine grew surprisingly fast under a similar setup. Getting back to your tank, I think you should leave the clover just because (1) contrast in leaf shapes could be intriguing and (2) HC is soooooo overused. Anyways, nice tank.


Your definitely right about the marselia as far as the leaf contrast goes. I think it would look perfect when it's filled in it's just taking so long. HC is definitely overused but with good reason. I'll give the marselia another week or two and see how it does- if there's not much progress i'll rip it out and go with a different foreground (HC, Glosso, elatine, etc.)

Anyways thanks for the comments guys!


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

> Well hilikus16 if you decide to change just let me know, as I will be glad to spare some HC once its established.


Thanks i'll definitely let you know. Do you have a link to your tank by any chance?


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## Pinto (Mar 22, 2008)

This is some nice carpentry. I like the layout. Are you going for strong light. I read that small tanks need more light. So what is consider strong for tanks under 10g, anyone know?


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

Not yet. I am currently waiting on the plants, which will arrive tomorrow, and my roommate's camera is out of service. Trying to borrow one from a friend.

Should i start a photobucket account to post them?


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Pinto said:


> This is some nice carpentry. I like the layout. Are you going for strong light. I read that small tanks need more light. So what is consider strong for tanks under 10g, anyone know?


Thanks Pinto! I'm just going for medium light seeing as i have about 4.7wpg. It seems that you have to almost double the WPG rule when it comes to tanks below 10g- that's my general rule of thumb but i could be totally wrong.



dj2606 said:


> Not yet. I am currently waiting on the plants, which will arrive tomorrow, and my roommate's camera is out of service. Trying to borrow one from a friend.
> 
> Should i start a photobucket account to post them?


I just use imageshack.us every time but photobucket works fine too


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Out of the blue today i decided i wanted to make a DIY co2 system. So i got all the supplies and used some i had lying around and i made a decent little setup.

I used a 20oz sprite bottle (what's the max size bottle you would use for a 5.5g?), an 8oz (i think) water bottle, and a red sea nano filter i had lying around missing the bottom half of the intake tube. I picked up some airstones from petco that fit pefectly inside the intake tube; all i had to do was make some holes above the airstone so it didn't plug the flow completely.

I did about 10 minutes worth of research on a recipe so im basically just going to play around with it on my own and find out what works best. For my first try i used almost a full cup of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of yeast, and about 3/4 of the bottle filled with luke warm water. I'm currently getting just under a bubble per second so we'll see if it's enough.

I haven't done much research on co2 set ups so i have a few questions about them: What other responsibilities come with co2? What kind of dosing do i have to do? Can i just dose flourish comprehensive and iron? Any suggestions on a recipe? I don't have too much co2 for my fish, right?

Anyways here's the pictures of the set up. Let me know what you'll think!

This is before i switched to a sprite bottle


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

So you have a airstone in the intake of the filter. But where does the co2 go from there? A Bit confused.

Why not use glass diffusers
http://aqmagic.com/store/index.php?cName=co2-equipment-diffuser
I recommend the 3 pcs set, so you can switch them out while cleaning. When i ordered mine they actually gave me 7 diffusers for the price of three.

What method of fertilizing do you use currently? 
Personally I use the PPS Pro. It's very easy and simple to use.
( if you decide to use this method you can purchase dry fertilizers here http://www.aquariumfertilizer.com/index.php?c=snw36qwi40cx170v2mpyj8ae2n9whqei )

You could try the 2 liter. If you notice its a bit much just cut down on your recipe. For example, use 4 cups of water 1 cup of sugar 1/2 tsp yeast and baking soda. I don't see it being to much though.
the mix I use:
6 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 tsp dry active yeast
1 tsp baking soda


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## Peter16 (Jan 12, 2009)

the gas should be crushed up by the impeller into tiny bubbles.


I like your diy, just like the one i made yesterday out of the blue.

How is it going today ?


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

How do you keep from loosing the Co2 in the back housing of the filter. Once it passes through the impeller it will bubble into the air.


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## Peter16 (Jan 12, 2009)

It is churned up into really small bubbles (the size a diffuser would release) and they slowly ascend to the surface.

I was told to do this by some experience members on here, they said it has been working for them for years.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

> I like your diy, just like the one i made yesterday out of the blue.
> 
> How is it going today ?


It's going great so far. It's running at about 1 bubble every 3 seconds and it's putting a decent amount of tiny bubbles everywhere in my tank.



> How do you keep from loosing the Co2 in the back housing of the filter. Once it passes through the impeller it will bubble into the air.


peter pretty much answered that spot on. the impeller is chopping the bubbles up into a bunch of tiny bubbles and then they just flow right out of the filter.

Thanks for the link to those diffusers. For now i'm going to have to stick to the poor college kid DIY system but i'm really interested in that 1/2" glass diffuser for $6. I'll upgrade eventually.

Is flourish comprehensive going to be enough as far as dosing ferts goes?


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

It's time for a little update because a few things have happened with my tank.

First, I trimmed the rotalas down a lot and sold them to a member. I've got some before and after pictures to show in a minute.

Second, I added another 20oz bottle to my DIY co2 system for more co2 and more consistent co2. It's made a noticeable difference- i can see bubbles everywhere now!

Also, I just ordered the ingredients for the PPS-pro fertilizing system from GLA. I'm hoping that's the missing piece of the puzzle into making my tank take off (especially the marselia).

Here's a few pictures because what's an update without pictures?

Before trim


After trim


It's ugly, but hey it works


some bubbles


the current setup


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## Peter16 (Jan 12, 2009)

Good to hear everything is going well.
I might attatch a 2nd bottle, as my c02 levels are still low.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

I recommend it...that second bottle made a world of difference for me


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

My co2 is hard at work. Here's proof. Now i just need to get rid of this aglae...


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

Looks to be Diatom algae. Present on newly setups tanks, just give it some time and it will go away.

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

I'm hoping that's all it is. My otos don't seem to be even putting a dent in it tho. That's why i'm wondering if it's another type of algae or if it's just too overwhelming for my otos. I think i also have some hair algae, as mentioned by Zapins in my algae thread.


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

Do you have any amano shrimps. Those guys love algae and could help your otto's.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

dj2606 said:


> Do you have any amano shrimps. Those guys love algae and could help your otto's.


I don't, and unfortunately i'm not sure if there is anywhere around here that sells them. I might have to get some online eventually.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

well...my tank is slipping deeper and deeper into algae infestation. I have a good bit of thread/hair algae on my plants (especially my downoi), some GDA on my glass, and a few spots of BGA. I have shortened my photo period to around 9 hours (down from 13), increased my nitrates, and i have been dosing excel daily. I just can't get rid of this stuff. I think a black out is in order if there's no sign of hope by tomorrow.

Algae is just no fun. I hope it doesn't turn me away from planted aquariums like it has done to many.

I'll get pictures up in the next couple days.


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## foofooree (Mar 11, 2007)

Well, a 13 hour photo period is a bit long. Try dropping it to 6 hours from nine.


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## NowMed (Feb 10, 2009)

Nice tank! Sweet Pic's! Killer Light!


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## jmontee (Feb 7, 2008)

Nikolai and Pedro at Invertz Factory have Amano shrimp available. They also have the best price I have ever seen them at, I got ten of them from them like 6 or 7 months ago and haven't lost any of them.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Thanks for the comments! My tank has actually cleared up a lot. At least 95% of the algae is gone. My water has been cloudy the past few days for some reason, though (it gets worse at night and better during the day). I'm waiting for it to clear up and then i'll get some update pictures.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Update time. My tank isn't exactly in update condition but i figure i'll post a picture and see if one of you knows how to fix it 

I got rid of my brown and thread algae problems for the most part but i still have some BGA, GSA, and BBA (which is behaving on the DW so i kind of like it). Now, the newest problem is a bad outbreak of either Green water or some kind of bacteria bloom. It's lasted about a week and a half and isn't letting up. Any ideas? I'm sick of waking up to a cloudy tank every morning.

Besides these problems, i'm still noticing some good plant growth. My marselia plants are finally putting out a new leaf every day or two. My blyxas are also starting to peak over the rocks in the right corner. I've even had to trim the rotalas twice since the last picture!

Oh and some more good news. One of the ghost shrimp is pregnant!

Picture time


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## 954baby (Feb 8, 2008)

Tank looks great! I made one just like it a few months ago. How often do you water change? I installed a UV sterilizer on a tank with bad green water and it cleared up in a few days. Also a good old fashion blackout does the trick. I'd say get some seachem excel and dose really hard for water changes and add 1ml per day. 1 500ml bottle lasts forever when you have a 5.5 gallon tank. Also for sure drop your lights to 6 hours per day. Your tank looks really good keep posting updates.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Thanks 954baby!

I do a 20% water change at least once a week. I might have to give the black out a try at the rate this algae is going. I'm currently dosing excel but it only seems to control the algae- not eliminate it. I just switched my lights back down to 2x10w so hopefully that will help. I'll shorten my photo period some more if i have to.


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

Before you buy an expensive UV sterilizer give this a shot

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/algae/58416-cheap-definitive-method-green-water.html


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

thanks for the link dj2606. I might have to give that a try- i wonder if removing the filter floss from my red sea nano and replacing it with a sock would do the trick. hmmmm...


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

Probably, but this sock method is only needed temporally until water clears. Also what is your photo period?


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

my photo period right now is 7 hours under 20w of light. I'm really considering doing a black out soon.


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

Try the sock method, your tank is small and should work relatively fast. Blackouts should be a last resort.

And remember these "tricks" will not solve the issue. Rather temporally mask the problem.

Green water algae is usually a sign of insufficient nutrients and/or Co2, possibly an ammonia spike also. Making sure that you have proper levels of both will solve the problem not mask them.

so what are your Co2 levels?

and what method of fertilizing are you using?


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

I'm not sure what my co2 levels are. I'm using two 20oz bottles and I switch one bottle every 5 days or so. Could I use two 1L bottles without putting my fish in danger? As far as dosing goes, I follow the PPS pro method. I don't have test kits to measure my nutrient levels but I follow the PPS pro method strictly. I also dose seachem flourish for micros, seachem iron, and the occasional excel.


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

Testing your Ph and Kh will tell you how much Co2.

http://www.gpodio.com/co2_chart.asp

If using the PPS Pro you have proper nutrients, just wanted to confirm that seachem wasn't your dosing regimen. They are 90% water.

What are your ammonia levels? There could have been a temporary spike, like a dead fish or shrimp.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Unfortunately i recently ran out of my test kit that includes Kh. The last time it tested it (about a week and a half ago) it was relatively high- somewhere around 10.

I just tested my pH while the lights are still out and it tested at 7.2-7.3 which is the highest it's been since i started using co2. It used to stay around 6.8 or so.

I also tested for ammonia and it's at 0.

I shoved a sock in my red sea nano filter yesterday but it's not doing too much. The sock is green now but my water is about the same. I'm hoping a black out isn't necessary. I'd like to find the imbalance that's causing this.


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

Well Kh usually remains constant. On my 10 gallon it stayed around 8 then dropped down to where it's at now (4). So don't worry about how high it is. Co2 has an inverse affect on Ph.

For Example:
increase in Co2 will decrease Ph
decrease in Co2 will increase Ph

So it looks as though insufficient Co2 levels is the source of your algae problems. This is the problem with using DIY Co2, it's unstable

Mmmmmh (scratches chin). How is your system setup? You said 20oz bottles. Mmmmh, try using 1lt bottles and staggering them. So each week one bottle's solution will be replaced. 

2 1ltr bottles ---> 1 gatorade bottle ---> diffuser (tank)


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

that's actually the diagram i used to make my setup. i'm currently replacing one bottle each week to obtain as constant of a rate of co2 as possible with DIY. My guess is that 20oz bottles just aren't enough. I'll replace them with 1L soon. Most people seem to get about 1 bubble per second with their systems...is this what i should aim for?

I'm even considering replacing both bottles today to give my tank a blast of co2 for a couple days to see if that will do the trick.


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

IMO, the diffusion method of a HOB filter is probably where your Co2 loss is. I tried that method and noticed a copious amount lost to atmosphere after the propeller in the intake and falling into tank.

Why not use a glass diffuser with a power head or spray bar.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

i definitely plan on getting a glass diffuser in the future. The HOB filter method is just temporary because i'm your typical broke college kid. i'm about to sell some clippings soon so maybe i'll get one of those $6 diffusers.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Well, i did a blackout a few days ago for about 2 1/2 days, did a 30% water change before and after, and then restarted my photo period at 3 hours of 20w CFL. My water wasn't crystal clear after the black out and it still isn't but it's noticeably better. Is this normal? Did i not do the black out for long enough?

Also, i'm in the process of upgrading my DIY co2 to 2x1L bottles instead of 2x20oz bottles. I replaced the first one today and i'll replace the second one on saturday or sunday. Hopefully this will help clear things up too.


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

Give it some time and see what happens


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## studdedsham (Oct 2, 2007)

You know... since you're a broke college kid and you're doing DIY CO2 anyways... you should really look into actually brewing something tasty. That's what I do. I can usually leave it running for a month or two before I drink it. That way it's all profit.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

studdedsham said:


> You know... since you're a broke college kid and you're doing DIY CO2 anyways... you should really look into actually brewing something tasty. That's what I do. I can usually leave it running for a month or two before I drink it. That way it's all profit.


haha, too funny. Luckily, i'm not quite that desperate. Plus i'd rather pay money for some of Pennsylvania's finest...yuengling (we just got it down here in GA this year).


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Ok, i did another black out for 3 1/2 days because i'm really sick of this green water. Before i did the black out, i stopped dosing everything but a little excel for 2 days to make sure the GW didn't have any nutrients to help it grow. I also cleaned out both my filters and replaced about 1/2 the carbon in my canister filter. I just turned the lights back on yesterday with a 4 hour photo period. I also started dosing nutrients again, but only about 2/3 the normal dose (I think i may have been dosing a bit too much).

I'm assuming my co2 levels were too low so i ordered a nano diffuser which should be here by friday, and i also finished upping my DIY co2 to 2x1L bottles. I guess i'm crossing my fingers and hoping it goes away this time.

Here's how it looks 2 days after the blackout (dwarf sag is going to need a trimming):


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## crispy0 (Feb 24, 2009)

for your co2 diffusion have you tried this website

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...44053-tiny-super-efficient-co2-reactor-2.html

scroll down about 3 posts


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

well i have a nano glass diffuser on the way so i'm hoping that will fix my co2 levels. 

next time i go home, i might get one of those tiny powerheads (not much bigger than a quarter so i've heard) at my LFS to improve the co2 circulation even more.


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## studdedsham (Oct 2, 2007)

I still have one of those mini elite filters around. I may try that out. 
hikus16, Which tiny power heads are you talking about? I haven't seen anything that small yet. Also, you have good taste in beers.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

I actually just picked up one of the tiny powerheads I was talking about this weekend. I believe it's called a hydor pico 300 (I'll check when I get home). Now all i need is my glass diffuser. Unfortunately I'm still struggling with green water still but I'll get a picture of the new powerhead asap.

Haha and thanks for the beer taste compliment...gotta love yuengling.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Good news, my GW is almost completely gone. I'll have update pictures soon.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

As promised here's some updated pictures. I just did a trim yesterday so I have some before and after pictures. I'm glad i've finally gotten rid of the Green Water.

I also added a a Hydor Pico 300 powerhead and attached a spraybar to it. I think this added flow was the final blow to the GW. I added 3 more neon tetras for a total of 6 and i can tell they definitely like the flow.

Here's the pics:

Before


After


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Well I got bored so i decided to mess around with my image enhancing program and post a better picture.


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## studdedsham (Oct 2, 2007)

Congrats on getting the green water cleared up. I've only had that problem in my pond... but never really did anything about it. 
It seems like your tetras are always in the same spot. They must really like the spray bar.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Thanks! They definitely love the flow, especially in the front where there is a strong current going across the foreground.


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## FishandTurtleJunkie (Apr 14, 2007)

Sweet good to see the scape again. Are you planning on more plants behind the stump, or moss?


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

For now I'm just trying to get my rotalas to become more bushy (hence the large trimmings) and for the lucens to grow in. I might try to squeeze in one more stem plant near the rotalas; maybe some with color. As far as moss goes, I'm just not a big fan of it for some reason so I don't plan to add any. Although, i do have some staghorn that's behaving well on the DW and it resembles moss, so I might have to reconsider.

I'll get another picture up soon because it's cleared up even more. O and i finally got my glass diffuser.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Here's a couple new pictures because I got bored.

I got my nano diffuser finally and I also trimmed the hairgrass to get rid of the old, brown algae covered leaves. Nothing else has really changed. Everything is growing good.



I couldn't quite get the perspective right on this one so it looks funny.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

I'm thinking about ripping all the dwarf sag out and replacing it with a different background plant...preferably one that's a little more tame-able. Any ideas? I want a bushier plant. I'm thinking an HM bush or maybe some type of rotala or ludwigia? I've also been looking at Lobelia Cardinalis 'Small Form'. Suggestions and comments pleasssse!


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## uglybuckling (Jun 28, 2004)

HM bushes look great, but can get out of hand. See picture below. 

Honestly you could grow any of those in this tank and they'd look good. Given that you've already got a reddish plant I'd steer away from another red in the background.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

o wow that one picture alone might keep me away from HM. I'm thinking I need a round-ish leaf plant to go along with the MM.


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## flowerfishs (Mar 26, 2009)

nice tank


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

flowerfishs said:


> nice tank


Thanks!


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## foofooree (Mar 11, 2007)

Well, I have to say I like your tank. It's different in a good way


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

foofooree said:


> Well, I have to say I like your tank. It's different in a good way


Thanks! I didn't know too much about some of the plants when I bought them so I just stuck them somewhere (like the dwarf sag) and it ended up working out ok- I think that's why it's different. I do plan on doing a major rescape in the next couple months though. Possibly and iwagumi-ish tank since I have some new rocks that I like.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Update time.

I moved home for the summer so I tore my tank down and rescaped it when i got home. I went with an iwagumi-ish tank; this is my first rock emphasized tank so let me know what you'll think. I can't decide if i should leave the branches in or not. The r. rotundifolia is a bit sloppy so i'll have to clean it up a bit. I'm looking for some HC as the main foreground to go along with the marselia minuta. Anyways here's some current specs and some pics:

Specs:
-Tank- 5.5g
-Lighting- 2x10w CFL (I plan on switching it to 2x13w in a few weeks)
-Filter- Tom Rapids Mini and a Hydor Pico 300 powerhead
-Substrate- Eco complete
-Ferts- PPS pro, Flourish Comprehensive, Flourish Iron, and Flourish Excel
-Co2- DIY with nano diffuser (I have ~2.7L of bottles)
-Inhabitants- 2 neon tetras and 2 ottos (which have bred many times!-but no surviving babies)
-Plants- R. rotundifolia, Blyxa japonica, Crypt Wendtii Red, Crypt Lucens, Lilaeopsis brasiliensis, Downoi, Eleocharis sp 'Japan', and Marselia Minuta...hopefully some HC will be on the way.


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## tony597fitter (May 1, 2009)

Looks Nice. I really like the looks of a rimless tank.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

tony597fitter said:


> Looks Nice. I really like the looks of a rimless tank.


Thanks!

I have some HC on the way so I'm considering removing the rock in the far right foreground to make room for a larger HC carpet. What do you'll think?

Also, I traded some plants for a few low grade cherry shrimps (one of them is very red though) so I'll have to get some pics up of them. Is there any chance that the duller shrimps will color up with time?


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

I finally found time to update the tank a little. It's come a long ways.

-5.5g aga
-Eheim 2213
-20w of CFL (30W afternoon burst) in a custom fixture
-Eco Complete Substrate
-DIY CO2

Flora:
-Rotala R.
-Crypt Lucens
-Crypt Wendtii Red
-Blyxa Japonica
-Dwarf Hair Grass 'Japan(?)'
-HC
-Downoi
-Sunset hygro
-Unidentified Local Species

Fauna:
2 otos
2 CPD's

Picture time







And here's a few pics from old scapes that i've done in the past few months. Some of them are cell phone pictures so excuse the quality.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

1 week after planting (4 days since last picture). A little bit of growth- I expect it to pick up a lot in the next week or so. Lily pipes on the way so the ugly green pipes will be gone.

Picture time (10w of light in photos)


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

Can anyone suggest a dosing schedule for this size tank? I'm currently dosing a modified PPS-pro mixture but i've had problems in the past 3 scapes with algae- which i believe is related to my fertilizing. Any help would be appreciated.

Current dosing schedule:

~1ml PPS-pro mixture (monday, wednesday, friday)
~0.5ml Flourish Comprehensive (tuesday, thursday, saturday)
~0.3ml Flourish Iron (tuesday, thursday, saturday)
~0.5ml Excel daily


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

~2 weeks after planting

I trimmed a good bit of old leaves on the lucens and blyxa that had some hair algae on them so it may look thinner than last pic. The HC is definitely picking up pace and everything else is showing good signs of growth.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 5, 2008)

I have a little algae problem on my hands that i've had several times before on previous scapes- I'm so sick of it i'm finally asking for help. It looks like a mix between hair algae and staghorn and it forms on the edges of my c. lucens and blyxa japonica. I've been good about keeping up with my DIY co2, so the co2 level should b constantly high (considering it's DIY). Any ideas on how to get rid of it. I dont want this to ruin yet another scape.

(Sorry for the bad pictures. These were the only two i could snap before the battery died.)


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