Fred's 5.5 Gallon Cube Journal

[Rubix]

I just read through the entire thread (I had no idea I was getting into 10 pages/40 minutes ). Just wanted to thank you for an interesting read, I love what you've done with the tank; your thread really shows how tanks mature and how the people of these beautiful tanks gain experience. I love the pictures, including the macros, excellent photography - keep it coming!

 

[RadaR]

Wow Jamie. Thanks for reading the whole journal. Im honoured.
Glad you've learnt some things too, I know i certainly did. That's the reason really for the journal. For others to learn and for me to see where Ive got from. You've definetly prooved that.
Anyone can do excelent photography with a good camera I put mine down to that.
Look forward to my 80cm Nature tank coming soon!

 

[fozziebear]

i was just wondering what your goin to do with the foreground in this tank? have you considered crypt parva or marsilea minuta?

 

[Million]

I just read through the entire thread (I had no idea I was getting into 10 pages/40 minutes ). Just wanted to thank you for an interesting read, I love what you've done with the tank; your thread really shows how tanks mature and how the people of these beautiful tanks gain experience. I love the pictures, including the macros, excellent photography - keep it coming!

Haha, me too! Some of the best journal pics i've seen. Who needs revision...

I've got a slightly larger version of the cube and am hoping to get a nice planted arrangement. I have an 11w arc pod, which the LFS told me is 22w effective - This is still quite a lot less than you isn't it? I really want to have a carpeting/other good foreground plant in there, but they seem to be really high maintenance. What would you recommend?

By the way, it's mostly going to be a tank for a siamese fighter - this doesn't have too much bearing, but just that it has to have open swimming space. I was thinking bogwood with anubias attached for a feature.

For CO2, how happy were you with the Hagen system?

Thanks

 

[RadaR]

i was just wondering what your goin to do with the foreground in this tank? have you considered crypt parva or marsilea minuta?

Hi. Um, atm I'm not going to do anything. Hopefully, pretty soon I should be rescaping the tank so that there is just Mini Landscape Rocks, cyperus helferi and like you say, possibly marsilea minuta.

I just read through the entire thread (I had no idea I was getting into 10 pages/40 minutes ). Just wanted to thank you for an interesting read, I love what you've done with the tank; your thread really shows how tanks mature and how the people of these beautiful tanks gain experience. I love the pictures, including the macros, excellent photography - keep it coming!

Haha, me too! Some of the best journal pics i've seen. Who needs revision...

I've got a slightly larger version of the cube and am hoping to get a nice planted arrangement. I have an 11w arc pod, which the LFS told me is 22w effective - This is still quite a lot less than you isn't it? I really want to have a carpeting/other good foreground plant in there, but they seem to be really high maintenance. What would you recommend?

By the way, it's mostly going to be a tank for a siamese fighter - this doesn't have too much bearing, but just that it has to have open swimming space. I was thinking bogwood with anubias attached for a feature.

For CO2, how happy were you with the Hagen system?

Thanks

Thanks.
I have 46W of light, so yes you will need more. There are some good clip on lights from ebay. That could help boost the light levels. Regarding the foreground, try some sagittaria or java moss attached to slate (see jimbooos pinned thread).
The bogwood and anubias idea sounds wicked
I didn't actually use the Nutrafin system. I bought a separate diffuser that comes with the kit but I actually used DIY 2litre bottles. They kept leaking though which was a nightmare so I gave up and now use Excel.

 

[Million]

Would that clip on from eBay be as good as an Arc Pod? Also, are they bulbs that you can't get hold of, or normal ones? Just cautious as it's coming from HK, and is much cheaper!

 

[RadaR]

Would that clip on from eBay be as good as an Arc Pod? Also, are they bulbs that you can't get hold of, or normal ones? Just cautious as it's coming from HK, and is much cheaper!

As good as the Arc pods? Not sure, depends what you mean by that. Personally I prefer the ones on ebay, the arc pods are too pink. The one on ebay is similar to one that I bought. As for bulbs. It shouldn't be too hard getting hold of replacements. It's a T5 compact bulb and then all you need to know is it's length (probably 12inches) and how many pins it has on it's connection.

 

[Million]

Would that clip on from eBay be as good as an Arc Pod? Also, are they bulbs that you can't get hold of, or normal ones? Just cautious as it's coming from HK, and is much cheaper!

As good as the Arc pods? Not sure, depends what you mean by that. Personally I prefer the ones on ebay, the arc pods are too pink. The one on ebay is similar to one that I bought. As for bulbs. It shouldn't be too hard getting hold of replacements. It's a T5 compact bulb and then all you need to know is it's length (probably 12inches) and how many pins it has on it's connection.

Well, what I should ask is; would I be better off with 2 of the eBay ones, or one Arc Pod? I'm thinking the answer is 2 of the eBay ones (this is because I can afford to of them to one Pod). The Arc Pod is a neat unit, water sealed and with warranty, the eBay one looks to be unsealed, and there is unlikely to be any after sale care.

 

[three-fingers]

Replacement bulbs can be bought here, they are actually 11w compact PLS T8 bulbs, the same as the arcpod's use. If your buying replacement bulbs you'll want to go with 'cool white' ones, 'warm white' ones look terrible IMO and really only help the algae .

Personally, I don't really like my 2 arcpods, they were expensive and one of them is actually broken, I would go for 2 of the ebay ones instead of another arcpod.

 

[Million]

Replacement bulbs can be bought here, they are actually 11w compact PLS T8 bulbs, the same as the arcpod's use. If your buying replacement bulbs you'll want to go with 'cool white' ones, 'warm white' ones look terrible IMO and really only help the algae .

Personally, I don't really like my 2 arcpods, they were expensive and one of them is actually broken, I would go for 2 of the ebay ones instead of another arcpod.

Thanks for the link, and the advice Three-Fingers, do I take it you have tried the eBay light then? I was reading some of the feedback, and although most was positive, a couple said the unit was 'bottom of the range', breakable, and unsafe (not EC certified). This raises my concerns - the tank I have does have a cover glass, but it's not a tight fit so there will be exposure to water vapour.

 

[three-fingers]

I don't have one on any of my tanks, but we were using 3 of them to grow mangroves at work for a while.
They are flimsy plastic things, but no worse than the arcpods IMO, I wouldn't worry about water vapour, especially if you have a glass cover, as the ones at work got splashed from the timed sprinkler system all the time.

I find the most sturdy lights to use on small tanks are actually the ikea desk lamps that take these bulbs, see here. I use these for growing plants over my aquarium, the plants get sprayed so they are resistant enough to water vapour. Only thing is they come with a useless yellow bulb, so you'd need to buy a new one.

 

[Million]

I find the most sturdy lights to use on small tanks are actually the ikea desk lamps that take these bulbs, see here. I use these for growing plants over my aquarium, the plants get sprayed so they are resistant enough to water vapour. Only thing is they come with a useless yellow bulb, so you'd need to buy a new one.

Genius, I should have known Ikea would have something suitable! Thanks, once again. Looks like the correct spectrum bulbs from the previous link you added on bulbs would fit, so i'll get a couple of these from my local uberstore. Cheers

 

[SuperColey1]

On of the sponsors above - aquatic direct (ex TF4U) sells an arcpod copy (Soilaris) which is 18W if that helps you on the light front

Andy

 

[Million]

On of the sponsors above - aquatic direct (ex TF4U) sells an arcpod copy (Soilaris) which is 18W if that helps you on the light front

Andy

Thanks Andy, but it's still as much as an Arc Pod, even if it is a bit more powerful. I think I will still go with the 2 Ikea lamps

 

[Million]

Well, I got the two Ikea lamps - Global, they're called, if anyone was interested. I hope I haven't hijacked this thread too badly! Ordered the cool bulbs too, thanks for the advice. With the hair grass you used to have, do you think it would grow in 2.5WPG or so? I love how it looked when there was a nice thicket of this, and i'm thinking of getting khuli loaches, which would love it!