My (very) low-cost 7.92 gallons tank

Well, since I transferred my artemias to other containers that are still now on the porch, then I transformed a brine shrimp culture (for my term paper from my Major in Biology) to freshwater.
This is the setup:
• Size: 15.74" length x 11.81" height x 9.84" width, 7.29 gallons;
• Substrate: 11.02 lbs gravel nº 0 (Aqua Pedras);
• Heating: Roxin® HT-1300/Q3 50 W, adjusted to 27 ºC;
• Filtration: Sponge filter Xynyou® xy-2835 with air pump Tetra® Whisper The Shape of Silence™ (10-30 gallons);
• Lighting: LED 4.8 W, 12 volts, 7.87" length;
• Fotoperíodo: 10 hours daily (10 h – 20 h), with Coibeu YTS-823 timer;
• Fauna: N/A
• Flora: Elodea sp., Ceratophyllum demersum and Salvinia minima;
• pH: 6.8 (last time I measured was a few weeks ago, ok);
• Ammonia/nitrite: 0/2.8 ppm

I set up the tank on March 23th... note that the date format in the photos is dd/mm/yyyy, because that's the Brazilian date format.




I don't remember exactly but probably I dosed 5.8 % ammonia solution in March last week (I forgot the number of drops...).




Some days after, I got some cool rocks for my tank, known here in Brazil as "pedra madeira", for free... well, I also rinsed and boiled them before adding, then probably there are not any chemicals, at least I hope.




Probably several Ciliophora.


My treatment with sodium hypochlorite probably ruined the plants, however, some days after, some newer leafs started to grow.




Probably Mycetozoa.

Unknown creature.




Some days ago, I also bought dried almond leaves (or from a nut tree?) as well as Salvinia minima.





Time to treat the salvinias with sodium permanganate!










Probably a Dero worm.

The timer and heater arrived!


Well, I also bought a biological accelerator, from OceanTech (this brand probably doesn't exist in North America and Europe markets), as you can see below.




Since the site is in Portuguese, I'll try to translate it into English:

"Bio Active is a biological product selected from energetic microbes, rich in nitrifying bacteria, denitrifying bacteria, aerobic and anaerobic nitrobacteria, lactic acid bacteria, micro enzymes, and photosynthetic bacteria. The product also includes active ingredients such as bio-enzyme, organic acids, amino acids, oligosaccharides, bio-peptide, trace elements, vitamins, and carotenoids that stimulate immunity and improve the color of fish, corals, and aquatic plants."

Before adding the product, I dosed once again the ammonia solution (8 drops). Some days ago, the ammonia was 0 and the nitrite was 2.8 ppm. After adding the product, the next day ammonia was 0.8 and nitrite was 2.8 ppm. Today, I measured and the ammonia was zero and the nitrite was 2.8 ppm. Following the directions, I should add more from the product next week. Probably my bacteria are oxidizing ammonia. Now, I don't know if I should add more ammonia solution or wait until both ammonia and nitrite reach 0 ppm (I checked this guide).

Another problem is that my aquarium received a powerful blackwater tonality, then I removed the leaves and did a partial water change (8 liters), letting only one dried leaf (that was boiled for 30 min). Although the situation improved, there's still a significant blackwater tonality.

Although I'm in fishkeeping since 2012, I'll appreciate comments, suggestions, and more!

Thank you and I hope you like this thread!

Tomorrow I should test NH3/NO2 again and figure out if this biological accelerator's good.

While I try to cycle the tank, I'm maintaining these cool guys... the Artemia franciscana.



Mommy artemia that I picked today for some pictures. I suppose that her's reproducing by oviparity.




I still don't know what fish to insert in the tank after the nitrogen cycle (at first I'm thinking of maintaining only a Betta splendens). As I wrote some days ago in another thread, I had bettas with different personalities, from bettas being bullied by mollies to bettas attacking even apple snails. How to deal with it? Rasboras are very interesting fish and probably beautiful, but extremely expensive and rare here where I live. I had a very cool paradise fish that was ok with some zebra danios in my old 10 gallons tank. Unfortunately, the paradise fish committed suicide.

Although I have experience with fishkeeping since 2012, I'll accept suggestions of some fish (nano shrimp are also rare and expensive here... although in the past I had red cherries and malawas).

Well, today I spotted a damselfly nymph, probably Acanthagrion sp. (this may be the reason I'm not seeing mosquito larvae anymore). Also, I measured ammonia and nitrite levels, getting 0 and 1.75-2.8 ppm, respectively, adding a biological accelerator later.

Today I measured ammonia and nitrites once again, where I got 0 and 1 ppm, respectively.

Soon my tank will be cycled, although I don't know what fish to place. I'm also thinking about moving my tank since it's getting some direct light for a few dozen minutes and indirect light a few hours later, then I'm also receiving some green hair algae and even algae invading some of my plants' leaves (some green mixture with water green color).

I even thought about putting platies for controlling the algae, but maybe the tank's size is small. Nano shrimps are rare and extremely expensive (even the ghost ones).

Well, some updates about the project.

I'm trying to follow this article to cycle my tank.

Since April 27th, this was my timeline involving nitrogen compounds:

• 04/29/2023: ammonia 0 ppm and nitrite 0.5 ppm;
• 05/01/2023: ammonia 0 ppm and nitrite 0.5 ppm, added more biological accelerator;
• 05/03/2023: ammonia 0 ppm and nitrite 0.25 – 0.5 ppm, added eight drops of 5.8 % ammonia solution;
• 05/04/2023: ammonia 0.2 ppm e nitrite 0.5 ppm, added more biological accelerator;
• 05/05/2023: ammonia 0 ppm and nitrite 0.25 ppm;
• 05/06/2023: ammonia 0 – 0.2 ppm and nitrite 0.25 ppm;
• 05/07/2023: ammonia 0 ppm and nitrite 0.25 ppm), pH: 7.5;

Well, algae continue growing in my tank. Probably I would call it Holy Algae Empire because they are dominating everything, as you can see below. Despite this, I removed several Salvinia, because they adapted very well to the tank.

I even bought food for my future Betta splendens, but I'm seriously thinking about putting some organisms able to feed on these algae. I thought of putting one or two female platys for this when the cycling finishes. What to do?

Well, today I measured ammonia and nitrite and there're strong signs that my tank's cycled. Both nitrogen compounds are zero. However, I should continue monitoring and I'm thinking of even doing a partial water change this week.





I bought this male Betta splendens from an agricultural supply store, for just R$ 10 (about 0.34 % of Brazil's Real Average Monthly Income). The last time I bought a betta was on 06/12/2017, for R$ 7 (in another agricultural store that bankrupt some years later). In real terms (adjusted for inflation), probably the betta price got cheaper. Since he's stressed in some way, I didn't turn on the aquarium lights today and I should do this by tomorrow. I purchased a simple LED light but in less than 5 months, some LEDs started to fail. Well, I miss my old light hood...

Well, at least they ate several mosquito larvae from the tank in its first minutes...

My main objective is also to lower the pH gradually and I'm trying to do this with the almond (or another tree) dry leaves that I bought from a seller.

Well, it seems that the betta is adapting to the new environment.



This betta was the shyest I bought... I tried to feed him, but he didn't know that I exist, probably. Then, I took the floating pellets and gave them to my artemias. He is eating all the worms possible, because my tank's full of them.

The photos aren't good, I know. This week I should remove algae and detritus excess, along with siphoning and partial water change. I'll also measure the nitrogen compounds to make sure I'm not doing anything wrong.

More photos...

Finally! Well, I'm sorry for so many photos. Indeed, it's so hard to take some good pictures, because the betta is agitated, besides the fact that there's some light reflection.

Today, I measured ammonia and nitrite, getting 0 ppm. Well, it's cycled, I think. Also, I did a partial water change of 20 %. The betta's getting accostumed to me, as well as eating his betta food. The pH remains at 7.5.

Well, let's bring updates?

Probably my tank's now infested by cyanobacteria. I don't know what could I do about this issue.






Also, these bubbles appeared. May be the aquarium glass, but the fact is that there're bubbles on the rock...




Once again, this last weekend I fed the betta with my artemias.





The small culture


I realized that my lighting is crap after I brought it to a person that repairs LEDs. As I said on this thread, the things here in Brazil are extremely expensive (indeed, only our currency's cheap). I don't have any idea of what aquarium lighting to buy. Maybe I can ask my father to buy something decent in the US and later he can bring this to me next time he'll travel to Brazil.



Soon I'll finish my term paper and present this next month.

Since I also have a BSFL culture, yesterday I took several small larvae (the corn meal worked for these cool days... the meal started to heat, attracting more mommies to lay eggs). This weekend I should offer some of them to my betta, to make sure if he will accept them or not, whereas Hermetia illucens larvae have a good nutrition value.

Well, I forgot to post these two videos...


Yesterday I gave some tiny BSFL for my betta. However, reading this article, I saw that BSFL fat is about 30 %. This fat level is simply huge for my fish. Am I correct or I misunderstood anything?

A few days ago, I detected a hole on my betta's dorsal fin.

Today, however, I suppose that this hole disappeared. This seems so weird to me.

Note: the date format is always dd/mm/yyyy.





Also, I added several Ceratophyllum demersum, besides removing more detritus and cyanobacteria. Today I syphoned once more, although this time I returned the old water to the tank.