Dasmall1's 10G

[dasmall1]

Hi guys! After FOUR YEARS, I'm finally starting a new tank. After I graduated high school, I left my tanks behind. Now that I'm in my senior year of college, and more importantly, now that I have nice bartending money, I've decided to start a new tank and do it right! I had to save a little money by not buying a rimless tank and reusing the same light fixture I had for my 29g, but every detail is taken care of

Right now, I'm still awaiting a few things to come in, but I added fish yesterday. I'm cycling the tank before I add plants and turn my lights on to avoid having a major ammonia spike during the slow initial plant growth period.

Equipment

Lighting:
-30" 2x 65 watt power compact fixture (luckily, the bulbs are the same length as the tank
-Will be using only 1 bulb
-4 hours, 1 hour break, 4 hours

CO2:
-Nano beetle diffuser, drop checker
-Regulator- Awaiting in mail! Has built in check valve, solenoid, and bubble counter
-5 lb CO2 tank
-On 2 hours before lights on, and off 1 hour before lights off

Filtration:
-Fluval 205
-Lily pipes- Awaiting in mail!

Intended Stats
-10 gallon
-6.5 wpg
-EI dosing
-30ppm CO2

Stock and plants
-7 Cardinal tetras
-1 Centerpiece fish (Which to choose?!)
-2 Otos
-Amano shrimp

-Rotala wallichi
-Utricularia gramnifolia
-Eleocharis acicularis
-Blyxa japonica

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Good start, plant list is looking nice, do love Wallichi, tempted to throw some in my dutch scape. Very high lighting tho, saying that my pico has so good luck to you.

 

[ian]

very nice plants list and nice start, good luck with the UG and i hope you master it!

 

[dasmall1]

So my lily pipes and CO2 regulator never came in. I've been waiting over a month. Instead of sending me the items I ordered, the guy just sent my money back over a month later!!!! I am so furious.

 

[dasmall1]

Sooooooooo..... My regulator FINALLY CAME YES YES YES!!!! Now I can order PLANTS!!! YES YES YES!!!

Sad Update real quick: My cardinals are down to 2! Sadly they slowly died one by one every other day for seemingly no reason. They would all be fine when I went to bed, and in the morning, one would be floating . I still cannot figure out what it was- water chemistry seemed fine, they were eating, etc.

Good news, though! Got to order my plants I couldn't find UG being sold by any US dealer, so I'm going to use HC instead of trying to track it down:
-6 pots hemianthus callitrichoides
-4 pots hemianthus micranthemoides
-3 pots blyxa japonica
-3 bunches rotala wallichii
-3 pots eleocharis parvula (they didn't have acicularis, but most US dealers confuse them anyway. So I'm hoping I get acicularis )

I'm going today to go buy the rest of my fish and shrimp stock.

Pictures are what everyone looks for in a journal. Screw words!!!

This regulator is pretty nifty. It has a built-in bubble counter AND built-in check valve AND built-in solenoid

The tank Substrate needs some love in care once the plants get in to hold it down. Drop checker and diffuser are so pretty

 

[This Old Spouse]

So, did you cycle the tank before putting the fish in it?

 

[dasmall1]

I did a 50% water change after day 2 and another 50% change at the end of the first week. Now I'm only doing them once a week.

 

[dasmall1]

The plants have arrived! Planting HC is something I never want to do again... and I didn't even do it well.

Here's the plants

And.. the tank! I repositioned the wood funny. I didn't notice because I made it so cloudy by reforming the substrate. Once the plants grow in, it'll need twisted back a little so that it's not leaning forward. The R. wallichii in the back is very dark green, but my lights are very high and it should turn red quickly. The blyxa goes all along the back of the wood. Hopefully it will grow taller quickly. And the HM, I just cant wait for it to get full!

 

[Ps3Steveo]

That will look great once grown in, your HC will prob go ropey looking for a week then it will take off.

 

[dasmall1]

Thanks!

I have no experience with HC, so IDK what to expect. I've had good experience with glosso, but it's definitely too big for a 10 gallon

 

[Ps3Steveo]

HC is great to work with, you don't needs lots of experience to grow it despite what some people say. If yours was grown emersed it will completely change colour when it takes hold, have a look in my journal from start to recent pics and you'll see the difference. Link in my sig "Cuban delight"

 

[dasmall1]

I see yours took so well! Mine didn't look the healthiest when it arrived (it was in the mail for a week with no heat pack). So I'm wondering if it's just dead or if it's melting and will come back. There is literally ONE green leaf from all that I bought and planted. And the wallichii completely melted too... I've never had a problem with it. No pics tho . Just turned black and died in one week.

 

[dasmall1]

But good news is the e. parvula is already sending out tons of runners, and the HM is pearling an vibrant. Pics to come in a couple days