# Pictures of my first NPT - 29g



## mpagri (Dec 7, 2007)

This is the first NPT i set up, little over 2 months ago. I set this tank up with plants and a small algae crew and left for college. growth has been impressive, algae very minimal (just some green on the hairgrass, but very FAT ottos). Pretty much set up Walstad style:

29g

65 watts PC light

potting soil capped with fluorite (just pool filter sand in the middle)

When I got back the sand path in the middle did not hold up very well, the fluorite was all over and lots of soil exposed. I just threw down more sand and fluorite on top of it all. Sorry for the low water line.

Crypts, giant hairgrass, monosolenium tenerum, some kind of lily, Hemianthus micranthemoides, ricca, java fern, i forget the red plant on the right is, and a few others..

a school of harlequin rasboras, two angels, that danio has to come out and theres a betta in there that came out too.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Looking great!


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## PlantMauller (Oct 15, 2007)

Nice, simple tank. Thanks for sharing. It's amazing you haven't had much algae yet. From the photo it doesn't seem like you have many plants there. At any rate, it takes about 4mos or so for the tank to 'settle down'. If you start having algae issues you can always add some fast growing stem plants or better yet some floating plants like Frogbit.


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## newbie314 (Mar 2, 2007)

No add duckweed


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## wrkucera (Jan 6, 2008)

newbie314 said:


> No add duckweed


that's not nice...


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## newbie314 (Mar 2, 2007)

I like duckweed.
I use it.
It can be a pain, but if it's growing it means it's taking nutirients out of the water column. 

And I voted "yes" for duckweed in the survey


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## guppyramkrib (Sep 5, 2007)

Nice Tank! and yes i also like duckweed


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## mpagri (Dec 7, 2007)

I'm actually set on water lettuce for up top. i love the way the roots look from the bottom and looks awesome from top too. 

Has anyone else had problems with water lettuce and HOB filters? Mine ALWAYS suck the waterlettuce down and destroy it, i am thinking about trying to contain the plants to one side with fishing line across the tank or something.


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

Nice looking tank! I like all the reds you have in there.

I'm using airline tubing to keep my floaters confined to the areas I want them. I used a connector to make a ring out of the tubing in one tank and a suction cup to keep it to the side. With a little creativity and a couple of suction cups I've strung the airline tubing across the tank to keep the floaters closer to one edge. I've found that silicon tubing is more flexible and less prone to causing swearing.


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## newbie314 (Mar 2, 2007)

Yea, somebody else who likes duckweed.
And I think the roots look neat too.


guppyramkrib said:


> Nice Tank! and yes i also like duckweed


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## sadık (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice tank !


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## Revernance (Aug 20, 2007)

It looks awesome! 
I like how the red colors glow up. 

What light is PC? 
I like the way the grass plant look in the back. (Long and skinny ) What is it?


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## Fishman123 (Dec 11, 2007)

Very nice and simple looking setup!


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## mpagri (Dec 7, 2007)

the grass in the back is Eleocharis montevidensis (giant hair grass). I want it to grow all along the back (cept where the path is) i had a lot more planted but i planted it too bunched up and everything in the middle died. if you try it out, break the plant up into little sections out of the pot and plant them spaced apart. it is growing pretty quickly back in though, but i am not sure how to train it to grow where i want, i am just picking runners out of the sand path and moving them to the back. 

PC is power compact lighting. it is the coralife 65watt FW fixture. 6700k bulb.

Thanks all for the comments.


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## cah925 (Jun 23, 2007)

Very nice, I like the path in the middle with the sand.


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