ADA 60F low tech

[Wills]

Potentially very good, I think I'm just struggling to visualise the gradient that you will have with the substrate.

I think I’m going to keep it quite flat I might bank behind the back left rocks with soil so I can grow something quite high up.

I am wondering about not planting this and going for a trio of shell dwellers just fill in the gaps with shells.... it’s not a lot of water but big footprint so on the fence as to if it could work

 

[Wills]

Harscape and substrate is in - hopefully gives you a better idea of what I was wanting to achieve.

Started to put a plant plant togehter. Wanting to go for a big mix of easy grass type plants, crypts and small epiphytes like Anubias Nana and small Buce species. Having real issues sourcing some of the plants I want though, the new Brexit rules have led to many of the shops being totally out of stock.

In terms of fish what do you think for in here? My initial idea was a Betta and I've been scouring Ebay and joined a few Band groups but cant decide which type I want... Other option would be something like Oil or Ninja Catfish as they suit my hard water but worried I wouldnt see them much.

Wills

 

[eatyourpeas]

Pea puffer?

 

[Retired Viking]

Really like the shape of the tank, I think it will look cool when you are done.

 

[mbsqw1d]

View attachment 127354

View attachment 127355

Harscape and substrate is in - hopefully gives you a better idea of what I was wanting to achieve.

Started to put a plant plant togehter. Wanting to go for a big mix of easy grass type plants, crypts and small epiphytes like Anubias Nana and small Buce species. Having real issues sourcing some of the plants I want though, the new Brexit rules have led to many of the shops being totally out of stock.

In terms of fish what do you think for in here? My initial idea was a Betta and I've been scouring Ebay and joined a few Band groups but cant decide which type I want... Other option would be something like Oil or Ninja Catfish as they suit my hard water but worried I wouldnt see them much.

Wills

Yes yes yes - spot on Wills ??

Your water too hard for betta or will you RO it?

 

[Wills]

Yes yes yes - spot on Wills ??

Your water too hard for betta or will you RO it?

Do you think hardness will be an issue with a Betta? Surely they are so far away from their wild state at this point that it wont play too drastically?

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I doubt domesticated bettas care all that much as long as you avoid extremes. Refresh my memory: How big is this tank? A few catfish roaming over those rocks would be very cool. I don't know oil cats or ninja cats, but a few hara jerdoni would be cool with all those rocks.

 

[Wills]

I doubt domesticated bettas care all that much as long as you avoid extremes. Refresh my memory: How big is this tank? A few catfish roaming over those rocks would be very cool. I don't know oil cats or ninja cats, but a few hara jerdoni would be cool with all those rocks.

So my water is around 266ppm. I have had it test a little higher than this but repetitive tests at 16GH now. The tank is 30 litres (if it was full to the brim) but the footprint is 2 foot x 1 foot so I'm thinking if I did a single species tank it gives me a couple more options than 8 gallons would usually allow.

Was wondering if a single or pair of dwarf cichlids like Laetacara Dorsigera could work?

Wills

 

[mcordelia]

I like what you did with the scape, definitely a challenging size to work with, but looking very cool. The substrate especially is neat, I particularly like the color contrast with the front substrate and the rocks.

 

[mbsqw1d]

Do you think hardness will be an issue with a Betta? Surely they are so far away from their wild state at this point that it wont play too drastically?

Not sure. Ive read countless arguments but don't have experience to back anything up. Just saying what I should as a responsible forum member lol. If youve kept soft water fish in hardwater for 10+ yrs then that sounds good to me

 

[Wills]

Not sure. Ive read countless arguments but don't have experience to back anything up. Just saying what I should as a responsible forum member lol. If youve kept soft water fish in hardwater for 10+ yrs then that sounds good to me

Yeah sorry that ended up a bit rantier than I meant haha

 

[Wills]

Put the plant order in the other night, ordered from Horizon Aquatics and Java Plants due to the current Bexit situation. I think I've ordered too much though... so some of it is probably going into the big tank

1x Anubias nana 'mini mini'
2x Staurogune Repens
2x Littorella Uniflora
2x Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis
1x Crypt Wendtii
1x Crypt Willisii
1x Hygrophila Costata

I also have some good clumps of Java Moss, Flame Moss and Fissidens Moss to go on the stones. Quite tempted to try blending the Fissidens and mixing it with yoghurt to paint onto the rocks.

Wills

 

[Wills]

First few plants have arrived, really excited by some but concerned by the anubias as it kind of looks like it has staghorn algae on it what do you think? I cant tell if its some kind of water root?

 

[Wills]

And the second delivery is here

 

[Wills]

Set the filter up tonight - put the media in, cut the inlet outlet and connected the pipes.

I've had to cut the inlet and outlet pipes hilariously short. The inlet is still slightly too long but I can see how to improve it if I need to. I'm a bit concerend about how well connected the pipe is to the glass, its just on with suction cups and the pipes are quite a tough plastic so putting a decent amount of pressure on them and making them point in odd directions which in an open top tank is pretty concerning... I did buy some cheap steel lilly pipes but the inlet is a different size to the outlet which is uterly bizare... the inlet is the right size but the outlet is too small. Debating what my options there are.

I've put pics on though - would you trust these suction cups or is it just a disaster waiting to happen (pretty sure I know the answer).