# My first planted tank: 5g pico



## Seano Hermano (Jan 8, 2012)

Hi everyone.  This will be my first planted aqaurium, but I've kept sw for several years now. I started with a FOWLR tank and then had a 29g mixed reef for a year and a half. I downgraded to a 10g rimless this past June, which is doing great. But I'm going to school now for architecture, and am looking for something small and easy to care for while in the dorms. 

So the plan is to get an Ecoxotic EcoPico off of ebay (simple AIO tank, aesthetically pleasing). The tank is $50 and I just need to get SeaChem Flourite substrate and plants. I am looking to do an iwagumi style aqauscape with 3-5 rocks (haven't picked them out yet). Plants will include dwarf hairgrass in the foreground, some java fern on/around the rocks, and maybe dwarf baby tears near the back corner to sort of hide the filter. I plan to dose SeaChem Flourish Excel for CO2 supplementation. 

Other inhabitants: possibly some cherry shrimp. How many can I put into this tank (I was thinking 3-5)? The tank is 5 gallons (empty), 10" L x 10" W x 12" H.

Does this sound good; am I missing anything? Thanks in advance.


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## Seano Hermano (Jan 8, 2012)

Almost forgot, obviously I will need to buy test kits, a thermometer and maybe some planting tools. I was thinking about the API freshwater mater test kit and Fluval Flora for the tools. I already have a heater that should suffice.

How deep should the substrate be? I heard 3-5". Would it be ok to go on the lower end of that? I know it helps to slope front to back.


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## Seano Hermano (Jan 8, 2012)

Also, I've seen some tanks where people let the hairgrass and java moss grow with only the substrate moist (and tank is basically empty). Does this speed up the "seeding" process to get the plants started and growing in more fully?


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Seano, welcome to APC!

Your plans sound fine to me. You could easily put 10 or 20 shrimp in this tank to start. Only 3-5 may be hard to see until they begin to breed.

A tank this size with the plants you want to use only needs substrate 1" to 2" deep. A little more would not hurt, but you definitely do not need more than 3".

Your last question is about the "dry start method" (DSM). There are two reasons why this is done. The first is that some delicate plants establish more quickly with atmospheric CO2. The second is that you can give the new tank lots of light without causing an algae outbreak. The disadvantage is that the plants must make the transition from emersed growth to submersed growth when the tank is filled.

I will let others with more experience with this technique comment further.


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## Seano Hermano (Jan 8, 2012)

Thanks for the feedback! 

Wow, the saltwater side has me thinking little on livestock. This is gonna be awesome! 

What I might do is, get the tank/plants and do the dry start method. Then just not add the shrimp until January, when the next semester begins. This will make it easier to take home over winter break.


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