🐠 TOTM VOTE NOW: December 2024 Tank of the Month Contest (16 Gal and smaller)

Please Vote Now
We have 5 awesome tanks entered in Fishforums' December 2024 Tank of the Month contest featuring tanks sized at 16 US gallons and smaller. View all the tanks and descriptions below and then go to poll at the top of this thread, click on your choice for TOTM, and then click the "Cast" button.

Please DO NOT post any comments about any specific entry in this thread...such posts will promptly be deleted. You are not allowed to update your entry picture or video once voting has started.

Please Note:
Any attempt to influence competition results, other than by casting your allocated vote, is not permitted and may result in your entry being removed and / or further action being taken. You are not allowed to have friends or family join TFF for the main purpose of voting for you. This is a public poll so source of votes can be viewed.

Winner will be awarded a neat "Tank of the Month Winner" banner in their profile area and will be featured in a "TOTM Winner" thread for all to see and to comment on. Winner will also be added to our TOTM WALL OF FAME

You are allowed to change your vote if you wish.
This poll will end on December 9 at 4:42 P.M.

Flora​

Alternanthera Reineckii
Anubias barteri var. nana
Anubias barteri caladiifolia
Bacopa Amplexicaulis
Bacopa Caroliniana
Bucephalandra biblis
Bucephalandra pygmea Bukit Kelam
Bolbitis heudelotii
Cryptocoryne nurii "Rose Maiden"
Hygrophila polysperma
Hygrophila polysperma 'Rosanervig'
Limnophila hippuridoides
Limnophila sessiliflora "Ambulia"
Ludwigia repens
Rotala rotundifolia H'ra
Rotala Nanjenshan
Schismatoglottis prietoi
Vallisneria spiralis Rubra

Fauna​

5 x Oryzias woworae
1 x Zebra Nerite snail
Ramshorn Snail(s)
Neocaridina davidi (mix)

Equipment​

AquaOne GH 50
Sponge Filter
DIY Internal Filter

Hello!
My aquarium details:
I have a 4 years old freshwater aquarium, which brand and model is Eheim Aquastar 54 litre LED. I've upgraded the filter to an oversized EHEIM biopower 160 litre filter with mechanical filter media, Eheim Substrat Pro and Seachem Purigen (50 ml) in it, finished with a surface flow pipe for a smooth natural like water exit. Light is Eheim classicLED Daylight 7,7 W with 7-8h light per day and Eheim thermocontrol 50 W heater is at 24 Celsius. I'm loving the Purigen effect on the water clarity. I added it just recently after the sunken wood started colouring water.

Water treatment:
Tetra AquaSafe 5ml/10 litres and fertilizers are Tropica Premium Nutrition 2ml (1 pump) /50 litres 3 times a week (every other day) and root tablets are JBL ProFlora Ferropol Root. No added CO2 and no added aeration since surface flow is active.

Water parameters:
Tested last Monday the 25th November at an aquarium service centre and store called Helsinki Aquarium centre (Helsinki Akvaariokeskus).
pH 7.1
GHd 4
KHd 3
NO2 0
NO3 15

Plants:
From the left, Tiger Lotus, Cryptocoryne, Leopard Vallisneria, Amazon sword plant and 2 moss balls in the shadow at the right.

Animals:
About 15 green neon tetras, 5 Macrotocinclus affinis (Otos), a few bumblebee snails and 1 Amano shrimp.

Routines:
Daily monitoring the status of the aquarium and feeding tetras twice a day with flake food and otos with a jelly which is mimicking the idea of Repashy Soilent Green, which is unavailable in Finland. Currently, weekly 20-30% water changes by hoovering the bottom of the tank which removes leftover fish foods and debris. I also clean the filter media in the removed aquarium water in order to preserve the beneficial bacteria and scrub the front glass, leaving other glasses to grow surface film for Otos. (I like to watch my fish in action daily and especially when the green neon tetras shoal a circle in the tank, but when close enough to get a good video they may not do it.)

Hey Group! Here’s mine, same tank, 10 gallon, spec’s as follows:
Couple rasboras
Neon tetras
Blue Platys
Mickey Mouse Platys
Albino Cory
Zebra danios

Aqua Clear filter
Fluval heater
Black gravel
Anubis
Java moss
Java fern

This set up three years, nothing special but having good luck and enjoy being in this hobby for over 40 years. This is my second go around, good luck everyone!

10 gallon tank I started in Jan 2024, so almost 1 year old now. Can't remember what the plants are called. They were all harvested from other tanks I had them in. The green one grow like crazy I just trimmed a lot of it out today.

The nitrates on this one get pretty high during the week. Usually between 30 - 40 ppm. I don't think I'm overfeeding, so maybe just are few too many guppies in this small tank. I do 90% weekly water changes.

I don't have any algae issues in this tank. Never have to clean it off of anything.


Substrate

• Imagitarium aquarium sand (white and blue mixed with some black)

Live stock

• 12 male guppies ( Hybrid Panada\Dragon type ) *bred these myself in a larger tank
• 3 Bronze corydoras ( which I hatched from eggs myself )
• 1 tiger nerite snail

Hardware

• Aqueon standard open-glass tank
• NICREW ClassicLED Aquarium Light with Timer Pro, LED Digital Dimmer
• Pawfly Large Aquarium Bio Sponge Filter
• Tetra Whisper air pump
• 100W Quartz Aquarium Heater

Feed once per day, usually skip one day per week.

• Fluval Bug Bites Bottom Feeder Fish Food
• TetraMin Nutritionally Balanced Tropical Flake Food for Tropical Fish
• Frozen Brine Shrimp ( once per week usually )

Water Treatment & Ferts

• API Ammo Lock
• API Stress Zyme
• Seachem Flourish

Ten gallon tetra tank established November 2022.
Plants: Anacharis Elodea Egeria Densa, Amazon Swords, Anubias, Java Fern and Moss Ball
Fish: 6 White Cloud Mountain Minnows and 8 Emerald Dwarf Raspora.
Tetra 20 gallon Whisper HOB filter
Nicrew LED lights
Mixed gravel, Rocks and Ceramic Caves
Water temperature 71F, no heater
GH 210 ppm
KH 150 ppm
pH 7.2
Ammonia 0; nitrite 0, nitrate 5-10 ppm

End of Entries:
Slowly scroll upward as you review the 5 awesome entries and then in the poll at the top of this thread, click on your choice for Tank of the Month. Be sure to click the CAST button to register your vote.

21 members of our forum have voted in this important contest. We have many more active members. Please do your forum duty and VOTE!