# SKSuser's 10g planted tank



## SKSuser (Mar 20, 2006)

Well, several people have asked to see my tank...... which is a pretty humbling experience at the moment.[smilie=s: 
Anyway, here it is in all its glory. Someday, when the Java Fern has totally taken over the tank, I'll aquascape a 10g using the propagated plants. I'm a pretty patient gardener and don't mind the wait. Its still pretty as it is, though definately not a show tank, plus with these pictures I'll be able to update and you can all see what great improvements I've made.
I'll save you the 1024x762 picture in favor of a smaller one. ;-)

Here's what it looked like in July, several weeks after I bought my first plants ever.

[IMG]http://home.earthlink.net/~jesselawrence/fish/10gplanted1.JPG[/IMG]

Here it is today. I started rooting several of the Java plantlets on a coconut shell yesterday. We'll see how long it is before I can take the twine off. I'm noticing from these side by side pics that the java fern has more than doubled in ammount of mature leaves. Exciting! Sometimes the leaf tips on the java fernlets stay translucent for a while before filling in the solid color. Is this a sign of deficiency, or just what baby plants do?









Current inhabitants are five balloon molly fry. Current setup is 1 15w GE Aquarium bulb on for 11 hours/day, black Petco gravel substrate, and a ViaAqua 360 attached to a DIY sponge filter. (This will be the future base for my CO2 diffuser after I get the mix right.) I'm not showing any algae at the moment, and the fry are growing fine. I assume everythings ok in the tank.

About my CO2 mix. I'm attempting to use a type of brewing yeast that was slightly modified to live in a cow rumen. My brother in law works for a organic pharmaceuticals, so I'm getting it for free, and he's getting free research on a possible alternate use for his product. This yeast is engineered to be more tolerant of acid and an anerobic environment, and seems to be more tolerant of alchohol. It seems to be similar to the champaigne yeast that some people talk about. I plan on running a side by side comparison between this yeast and red star bread yeast. We'll see how that goes.

I also plan to make a plywood hood for it. It'll either have several of the same type of bulb thats over it now, or several of the 6500K CF spirals from Walmart. I'm on a strict fish budget at the moment though. 

I also pulled this little guy out of my tank. Is it the type of snail that eats plants, or is he ok. He/she had babies, so I pulled it out. Until then, I hadn't noticed any spotting or holes in the plants, but thought, "Whuh oh!" when I saw several little ones like him. I'm planning on getting some more sensitive plants soon, so I'd like to eradicate them first if its necessary.


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## werner (Jul 6, 2006)

You have pond snails. They will eat decaying plant matter and scavenge for leftover fish food. There are some reports of them eating healthy plants, but I have never seen it. As long as you have enough other food sources, they shouldn't be a problem for your plants.



> Sometimes the leaf tips on the java fernlets stay translucent for a while before filling in the solid color. Is this a sign of deficiency, or just what baby plants do?


That's completely normal for new java fern leaves.

You're off to a good start!


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## SKSuser (Mar 20, 2006)

Thanks werner!

Well, my wife got tired of the matted crusty java moss and the twirling java fernlets that floated aimlessly around in the current, so when I broke the tank down for my recent hood replacement (more on that fiasco later), she did some scaping.









I think she did a great job, especially with no layout or prior planning and about 3 minutes notice of what I was going to do.​
The sand is Silurian brand pool sand the same as in my 55g. I like the look a lot, and its proven itself to not compact. The black gravel is leftovers from before the breakdown. The background is a black trash bag. I think it looks deceptively professional for a piece of plastic you're supposed to put rotten chicken in.
My growout tank worked wonders before the breakdown, and the moss thats currently in the tank is a pretty small portion of what grew since I started the tank. Unfortunately, some of the moss was "gucky" due to neglect, so I threw it out. The Java Ferns that remain are about 1/3 of what was there before the breakdown. The three leaves to the left of the coconut half are the original ones I got. In fact, I'm now on my third generation from Java leaf sprouts. The ferns not pictured will go to Petfairy. Yay!!! Finally, somebody local to trade with.
Boiled fresh coconut shells are well loved by my Microsorum pteropus. I've not gotten them to root to anything else so quickly. (I got that one at the grocery store for $1. With the insides I made a great frozen drink to sip while the shells boiled. :-D)

The reason for breaking the tank down was that I built the hood for one 10g tank that was not the same size as the the one set up at my house. :doh: Due to the stabalizing stilts that sit down below the rim on the glass, this was unacceptable as the hood sat off center exposing a large stream of light similar to the one pictured.
This stream of light pictured on the new tank is an ongoing problem. The largest piece of plywood I used for the top was warped when I got it. I thought that by nailing and gluing it to the sides I could make it pull up straight, but I was wrong. Fortunately, you can hide this by putting the problem on the back. Shhhh, don't tell.....

I'm capable of putting 45w of light in there with one 18" and two CFs. The 18" in there now is a Chroma 50. You can see the difference between the Lights of America "Sunlight" 6500k CF I got at Walmart (lense flare on the left) and the reddish CF (on the right) that my landlords conviniently left in my diningroom fixture.  Ahhh, the ugly fish budget shows its signs again. Haha.
Anyway, I hated the red CF even though it was free, so I took it out. I'm currently running just 30w with the one CF and the 18"

Overall, I'd say that the hood attempt was a good one. There'll be more pictures once I get daylight, the hood, and a charged camera battery to all be in the same place at the same time.










This picture is the very thrifty CO2 reactor I made. The cylinder is a rain gauge that my brother in law got as a promotion at an Ag conference. (I also got some interesting yeast from him. You're supposed to add it to cattle feed. From the literature, I was able to determine that its similar to some of the more exotic yeast some on the boards talk about. I visually confirmed this by the fact that it bottom floculates. Unfortunately, it is mixed with a powdered catylist that contaminates the water by collecting on the bottom where the yeast is trying to ferment and choking the whole process. I was able to let it grow sufficiently that I could harvest some yeast and then add it to a new mixture. It kept reproducing for a while, but unfortunately tapered off before I was able to get any signifigant CO2 production going.) Boy, how I let my post wander with my brain. :yawinkle: 
Anyway, I scraped the tacky agricultural pharmaceutical advertisement off of the gague, and drilled holes in the back just big enough for the suction cups to clip into. The tubing between the pump and the gauge is about three inches long, and I bought a whole roll of it at Lowes for $2.50 so I've got plenty of that left for another project. The L fitting came with the Via Aqua 60gph pump that is hooked into the system.
I'm using a 2L bottle running into a gatorade filtration bottle then into the tank, and redstar yeast. I made the mix on Sunday, so we'll see how long it lasts.

The more I get into it, this whole live plant thing is really exciting. I'm glad the boards are here for me to learn as I go.


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## Petfairy (Jul 17, 2006)

That looks good! Now it just needs some of my plants


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

> The background is a black trash bag. I think it looks deceptively professional for a piece of plastic you're supposed to put rotten chicken in.


That was my background on my 29gal for 2 years. It worked great!


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## SKSuser (Mar 20, 2006)

Here she is:















This hood was built at my shop where I had a tank setup to grow some african violets by this method. I think my violet growing results were better than the tutorial's, because of the environment inside the tank. So, if you've got african violets, and an unused 10g laying around and an all glass hood to keep it constantly moist and a 15w lamp... give it a try. They make great christmas gifts. Anyway, as you already know if you read my above post, I had to switch tanks. I had some slight clouding, but several days and a water change later, I'm seeing that the switch went well overall.
My next photo project will be to clean the hard water stains off the tank and try to get some decent pictures.









 
When I set out to build the hood, the intention was to spend as little cash as possible, while learning as much as I could for the future building of my 55g hood. I think it was a success. I spent a total of $4.50 on the socket for the two CFs. I salvaged the ballast and tube sockets from a work light that was my grandfather's. It was a push button start type, so I knew I needed a starter to make it turn on every morning. I had a hard time finding a starter socket locally, and the shipping on one was more than the socket was worth. In the end, I made one out of a broken tube socket. I glued some thin plexi in where the masonite backing once was. There are some live tabs sticking out inside my hood but I turn the surge strip off every time I do something to the tank anyway, so the story of my electrocution shouldn't be appearing in the newspaper anytime soon. Haha.:icon_hang
Once all the particulars are taken care of and kinks worked out, I'll paint it black. I might also practice by veneering it. My 55g has mahogony style trim, and I just happen to have a whole stack of mahogony veneer, so why not.







As you can see, there is probably enough room for another 18" bulb in there on the other side of the CFs. With the right ballast, it would not be much more cramped than it is now. I didn't feel like buying another of the right size, or finding room for two ballasts, so I figured 4.5wpg is enough anyway and called it quits.
I spray mounted aluminum foil for the reflector. If I did that again, I'd make sure the surface I was mounting to was a lot smoother. It probably doesn't harm function too much, but its unsightly.









Here is my method of keeping the hood steady on the tank. I lengthened the nailing surfaces past the level of the wood. Its a perfect fit to rest on the glass that is resting on the lip inside the tank. The sides are shorter than the front and back so that I can vent the hood better. The glass, by the way, came from an old window. I cut it to size (broke it) and then duct taped it. It works fine though. Maybe I should title this tank "Red Neck Refugium." 8-[









This is the proposed location of the fan. Presently, I set it on the glass and have it blow out the side. I'd like a better solution, because its annoying when you take the hood off and the fan falls off and lands on your bare foot. Doh!


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

Jesse, WHAT A GREAT READ!

I love the way you phrase things. And your sense of humor had me laughing like I haven't in ages. Thank you.

I just love your posts and your threads! What a breath of fresh air! And your craftsmanship and creativeness is tops. :thumbsup:

Keep it up, kiddo. This is great!


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## SKSuser (Mar 20, 2006)

Here's the latest picture of the grow out tank. Compete with petfairy's plants, and some new ones of my own.

How do you guys get the reds and different shades of green to show up in the photo? I didn't touch this shot at all, but it seems like it needs it a little. I I guess I need to work on getting the red to show up in the picture, and get the plants to produce more redish leaves while I'm at it. 











I've harvested almost enough plants to get my 55g started. I'll make a post about that tank when it looks presentable. I added Bert. He's enjoying his new palace. I decided it was about time after spending over two years in a >1gallon tank. I'm surprised he's survived to be so old.

I'm still running 4.5wpg with the DIY CO2 system.

I havn't been fertalizing other than the ocassional KNO3 by way of Spectracide Stump Remover. I still need to make a gregwatson order.

Petfairy gave me some H polysperma "Sunset," R rotundifolia, C thalictroides, H corymbosa "angustifolia."
Already in the tank was some M pteropus and some T barbieri.

My sister in law got me a gift card to Petco. I got three plants, none of which were labeled. I'm pretty sure I got an Anubias, a crypt, and a sword... right? Any guesses as to exactly what they are? I didn't really care that I didn't know exactly what they were as they were sold at a deep discount, and then I got a $2 back cupon for answering the survey. Eleven plants and plantlets cost me a total of $2.35 with tax. Woo hoo!!!:heh:


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

Wonderful photo Jesse! hoto: 

Jesse, if you were to pick other fish to have in a tank with an agressive Female Betta, what would you pick? 

What is your favorite fish? Your favorite 'tiny' fish? Your favorite 'algae' eater? And would a dwarf puffer wipe out snails and get along with Mollies and Neons? 

With photos like that, you know what you are doing. 

:thumbsup:


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## SKSuser (Mar 20, 2006)

Jimbo,
Most of that stuff is way beyond my knowlege.

One thing is sure for my favorite fish. I love gobys... gobies... gobapotomi... however the plural is spelled. However I don't have any. My wife particurlarly likes this little guy. The Mandarin:








Too bad he's saltwater. Someday when I'm rich. 

The betta is the only other question I know anything about.
Why do you say she's agressive? Is she with other betta female? If so, she needs at least 4-5 other female betta in there. All female betta tanks will establish a fairly violent pecking order; you just need to have enough other females in there for her to spread her pecking around on. If on the other hand she's killing your fish (on more than one occasion) than you really do have a problem. For their size, betta have the strongest jaws in the animal kingdom. Move over crocodiles and alligators!

That's when I'd try something thats either a lot faster, or hides at the bottom. Sometimes loaches will work, as they burrow in the sand. Corries are sometimes ok too, again a bottom feeder. Given the choice, betta will protect the top half of the aquarium, since they have to surface to breathe.
If you can stay away from something thats anywhere near betta shaped, you might be ok there too. A mature apple snail is basically an armored personel carrier that doesn't even look like a fish. It'll likely go unnoticed, and if not can curl up and protect itself til you can pull it out. That'd be worth a try, and one won't breed by itself so you're ok there too. Maybe a dwarf frog. I dunno, because every betta hates different fish.
Just don't buy anything that isn't compatable with one of your other tanks, in case you have to pull it out.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

*Betta Buddies*

Jesse, thank you for the feedback and the ideas. I appreciate that.



> Why do you say she's agressive?


I have no definite proof except that Wilma is still alive along with Fred & Barney (the 2 Black Neons), but the Yellow Fancy Guppies and 2 tiny, tiny Regular Neons are RIP. Of course, there are the times that I saw Wilma chasing one or two of the other fish. I mean, it's not like they don't have enough plants to hide in!!

My wife said that guppies breed constantly and the Female Betta reacts aggressively to the hormones. 
I would suspect that may be true since they are now gone.



> That's when I'd try something thats either a lot faster, or hides at the bottom. Sometimes loaches will work, as they burrow in the sand. Corries are sometimes ok too, again a bottom feeder. Given the choice, betta will protect the top half of the aquarium, since they have to surface to breathe.
> If you can stay away from something thats anywhere near betta shaped, you might be ok there too.


Good suggestions. Thank you.



> For their size, betta have the strongest jaws in the animal kingdom. Move over crocodiles and alligators!


 I believe you, but how the heck did you know that? :tongue1:


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## SKSuser (Mar 20, 2006)

Jimbo205 said:


> I believe you, but how the heck did you know that? :tongue1:


I don't remember exactly how I know that. It was in some journalistic abstract. I searched and found veiled reference to the study, but nothing concrete. Sorry.

So, did anybody ever have any idea what kind of crypt this is? Here it is after the leafs stopped melting and a new one has started to sprout.
(Sorry, at least the gravel is in focus.)









I finally got a good picture of the back of my hood where the fan is installed.









I gave a try at using my father's spiffy camera with its close up lense. My photographer abilities are still more compatable with a more automated camera, but in time I'll be able to use this more powerful machine.

Some close ups:

























I'm still getting a lot of pearling, but the red color is fading. I think its time for some fertalizer. Lucky for me, I still have some birthday money to play with online.


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## kiwik (Apr 3, 2007)

i've had a plant that looked like that and was red. it faded too. is it due to lack of iron? i heard red plants like more iron.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Most red plants get red when they are well fed and have good light. Some get red when they are stressed by having low nitrates. And, there are probably some that do so in response to more iron. But, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to getting red plants.


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