# [Wet Thumb Forum]-My hex



## skylsdale (Jun 2, 2004)

I'm not sure of the size...maybe 1.5 or 2 gal? It's an old tank, one of those kits from Wal-Mart. My goal was to have a bunch of brilliant green with a bright splash of red, so I added plants and just let them go wild (I actually prefer the overgrown look). You can't make it out very well in the pictures, but there is a branch starting at the top-back of the tank, sloping down to the front-center, wrapped with java moss.

*Substrate:* some sand from a local stream, with a handful of soil at the bottom...and a ton of mulm on top.
*Lighting:* the incadescant bulb was swapped out with a screw-in 14W compact flourescent.
*Filtration:* Elite Mini Submersible filter (with the output nozzle up against a piece of wood to prevent too much flow).
*Heater:* it _was_ a Tronic 50w...but that was removed as it was needed for a nano-reef. With the heater removed, the water temps sit in the mid 70's after the light is turned on.
*Flora:* java moss, cryptocoryne (Wendtii green?), duckweed
*Fauna:* Betta splendens, and a few hitchiker snails.
*Supplements:* Nothing but fish food and waste excreted from the Betta.

Here is a shot from the front:









from the left:









and the right:


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## Miss Fishy (May 13, 2006)

What a cute little tank! That Betta looks very happy in the jungle. How long has the tank been set up for? What are the water parameters? 

From Alex.


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## skylsdale (Jun 2, 2004)

The tank has been set up for probably around 3 months now. I'm not sure about water parameters--it's a mixture of some tap water and RO/DI. As long as the plants are doing well and the fish is acting normally, I haven't bothered testing. I just top it off when it needs it, and have only done a couple water changes since it was first set up.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

What a pleasure to see this tank! Its lovely. 

So you are using a 14 watt CF in an old incandescent hood. I've been thinking about doing just that!


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## javalee (May 8, 2006)

Skylsdale, I love it! I have the exact same hex with CF spiral and betta. I tried just putting some hornwort, java fern and water lettuce in the tank with gravel---I should have expected the algae. I may try the natural approach. It might be nice to drop my weekly water changes, and my betta would be happier.

Thanks for sharing!

Hmmm...another thought: Do y'all think I could keep one watersprite in a tank like this? I have one I need to remove from my 10, but i'd like to save it somehow. Skylsdale, I think it's a 1 or 1.5 gallon?


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## skylsdale (Jun 2, 2004)

javalee, I still get some bright green algae along the sides of the tank, but I wipe it off if it gets too bad--I actually think it looks nice!


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## Ben C (Apr 16, 2006)

i would be tempted to give the betta a little access to the surface, as this is a natural zone for them. It looks a little crowded in there for the poor fella! 

otherwise, nice tank!


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## skylsdale (Jun 2, 2004)

About half of the entire surface area is regularaly open and free for him, and he utilizes ALL areas of the tank. The pictures are actually quite deceiving--there is much more room than their appears. The majority of the plants are in the front and center. Behind the diagonal piece of wood there is tons of open swimming space. Ironically, he doesn't spend much time in the more open areas, but actually foraging and snooping around among the dense moss. Don't forget: these fish are found in dense and overgrown bogs, puddles, and peat swamps in the wild.


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## skylsdale (Jun 2, 2004)

Thought I would post an update on my betta hex:

I ended up doing some 'trimming' a couple weeks ago, but once I pulled off a lot of the outer java moss, I discovered that a lot of it wasn't doing all that well underneath and against the wood. I ended up taking most of it out (even though it looked really nice). I also removed the pump and heater. Temps at night get down into the low 70's, and once the light comes on during the day, warm back up to the high 70's. There substrate has become almost completely covered in a layer of mulm, which isn't at all loose, but compacted into its own layer of substrate. The crypts are doing extremely well...so well, in fact, that I am thinking about transferring everything over to a 10 or 15 gal tank if they get too cramped.

Here is a front shot:










And from the side:


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## javalee (May 8, 2006)

Skylsdale,

Your thriving hex was the inspiration for my planted betta hex. I only hope that my crypts become as healthy as yours! Looks like they got sooo healthy that they may have shaded your java moss. I'm going to review your thread again and compare with my methods to see if I can improve lighting or something. Thanks for the update!

BTW, speaking of lighting, do you use the acrylic plate that covers the top and separates the tank from the lighting/hood? I think I have exactly the same hex, and i was wondering how the use of that top controls the heat and light from a compact fluorescent bulb. Thanks!


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## skylsdale (Jun 2, 2004)

Yup, I use the acrylic cover (with the feeding hole in the front). I just put it on there to help prevent heat from escaping, slow evaporation, and prevent any water or anything from splashing on the bulb or in the fixture.


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## Miss Fishy (May 13, 2006)

Your tank continues to look lovely! Where did all the duckweed go, or is it just not visible in the photo? 

From Alex.


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## skylsdale (Jun 2, 2004)

I just did a big removal of it a couple days ago. I've noticed that it seems to be taking longer and longer to re-establish itself after I get rid of a bunch of it.

Thanks for the compliments!


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## skylsdale (Jun 2, 2004)

It's been a while, so I figured I would post an update on the tank. There is still no heater or circulation in the tank (temps maintained by the light during the day, not too huge of a drop at night). A couple weeks ago I removed the pieces of wood that were in there to really scrub the green algae off the sides, and noticed that they were really decomposing (it was a soft wood)...so I decided to pull it out altogether. You can see that the crypts are doing well, although a bit more leggy and not quite as attractice, IMO, but I'm just seeing how things progress. Now that the wood is out of there, I think they will start to fill out a bit more; new leaves are already starting to emerge.










Here is a shot of the substrate. It was just some sand from a local river mixed with a handful of soil on the bottom. You can see the mulm layer that has built up over it (and is really solid--I can stir the water directly above it and it doesn't move):










And a shot of the only inhabitant, a red Betta:


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

Neat tank you got there. That red betta is awesome. It reminds me of a red velvet stage curtain. 

Now that the crypt has some room to spread things are gonna look pretty good soon enough! Maybe the new growth won't get as leggy. 

-John N.


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

That looks nice! and your betta has plenty of leaves to kick back on.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Two comments:

The substrate layer looks like an algae network. It won't hurt anything, but that's probably why its so solid.

Your Betta is beautiful. Are you going to add a female? Betta spawning is really incredible to watch. The male takes care of the babies and keeps the female from eating the eggs, etc. With all that algae, you wouldn't even have to feed the babies!


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## TAM (Aug 21, 2005)

John N. said:


> Neat tank you got there. That red betta is awesome. It reminds me of a red velvet stage curtain.
> 
> -John N.


What a great analogy. He's a beauty, and got to be delighted with his home. I would be.

TAM


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