Keeton's 10g Nano

[keeton]

well lets start with how it started

8/9/09
i went for a quick look through my local P@H and saw this clearseal tank 18" x 12" x 12" for just over £10 with hood, water conditioner and fish food so i thought bargain. Soon as i saw the tank i new it was going to be planted, but didn't have a clue for stocking.

Specs:

Tank-Clearseal 10g nano 18" x 12" x 12"

Lighting-40w wallmounted fish tank light
mounted 1.5ft above the tank, to lessen the light in the tank

Filtration-Unsure yet

CO2-diy co2

Heating-25w at 26C

Nutrients-TPN+ 1ml daily

Decor-Black background, rock from local LFS

Substrate-Argos playsand

On the way home i relised i didn't know whether it would fit on my set of draws. Luckily it fits with about 1/8th an inch either side.

9/9/09
I washed the tank out to get rid of any dust or debris.

Next sand went in dry and unwashed. Big Mistake

the scum of top , a quick netting and moving the sand around made more rubbish come up.

rammed aload of filter floss in an elite mini filter to clean the sand and any rubbish floating about

clearing now with the light up

now attemped to make a nice scape with the rocks, to which i failed

from right

that ended that night with the failed hardscape.


10/9/09
Today i found a scape i like and decided on the stocking. What do you think?

Decided to go for a Carinotetraodon travancoricus (DP) set up. In the DP info page in the oddballs section it says for a 10g you can have 2 DP's and 3 Otocinclus, well im definatly going for the 3 Otocinclus but unsure on whether to go for 1 or 2 DP's
Will update soon with plant list, any suggestions?

cheers
Keeton

 

[Jallen]

Looks good. I'd wait a few months before putting in the otos.

Some dwarf hairgrass around the mound with the rocks would look good. On the right you could have some java ferns attaches to small pieces of wood or stone (I bought a big bit of mopani from the lfs and smashed it into bits with a hammer, gave me about 15 fern plugs - about 2x3" each) with some cabomba and vallis to give it some height.

Sort of a nice grassy hill with the rocks standing out on the left (with the rocks being the focal point), then on the right a more jungle like feel.

 

[keeton]

11/9/09
just removed the brace bars and going to get a glass plate for the top so the DP's dont jump. pics later

jallen - Might be using java fern narrow and maybe needle leaf java fern in the back leave and behind the rocks, not sure on any other plants. i dont like vallis tbh, might use dwarf hair grass or glosso.
we'll have to wait and see

 

[keeton]

14/9/09
Update
Decided on plants. java fern, blyxa, glosso, hydro polysperma, crypt parva.
Blyxa should hopefully be here tomorrow (big thanks to baron von bubba). hydro and glosso should be here tomorrow or wednesday and need to source a nice big fern and somewhere that sells parva.
Depending on how it fills out it the next 2 weeks i'll be able to decide on whether to have 1 or 2 DP's, but definatly going for 4 otto's if filtration premits. Still looking for filter and heater.
Layout:

critism welcome
cheers

 

[baron von bubba]

blxya posted first class this morn!
should be more than enough for what you want! :0)

 

[keeton]

blxya posted first class this morn!
should be more than enough for what you want! :0)

thanks alot, if you ever need any just give us a shout and ill chuck some in the post

 

[baron von bubba]

blxya posted first class this morn!
should be more than enough for what you want! :0)

thanks alot, if you ever need any just give us a shout and ill chuck some in the post

i kept plenty thanx dude. i bought about 5 small plants a few months ago, had about ten times that at last trim, its mental how fast it grows and thickens out when in good conditions! :0)

 

[keeton]

15/9/09
Update

Recieved my Blyxa Japonic from Baron Von Bubba today and set up my co2 unit and have started to dose ferts. Hopefully some of the other plants should be here tomorrow.
Will be buying a filter and heater on friday if funds permit then i'll be ready to get my puffer/puffers and otto's.

Picture dont do it justice (crap phone camera)
I'm liking how its coming together

Critism welcome
Cheers

 

[baron von bubba]

may be worth chucking some fast growing stems in there to get you thro the initial set up?
help keep the algae at bay until its all settled.

 

[keeton]

the hydro is pretty quick growing and that should be here tomorrow also will have a nice java fern that will hopefully grow quickly

cheers

 

[keeton]

17/9/09
Update

Got my Glossostigma elatinoides and hygrophila polysperma today, the Hydro i trimmed really small and and pruned alot of leaves as i hasn't traveled to good. Hopefully it will pick up, also how quick will Glosso spread with good co2 and TPN+?

Few pictures before i planted anything:

With the Hydro:

All Planted with Glosso:

All Critism Welcome
Cheers

*edit* cant see glosso very well, its in little clumps. Hydro is planted all the way around rock at the back. *edit*

 

[Jallen]

That looks absolutely awesome.


Also your phone camera is brilliant, really clear and focused pictures with good colours.

 

[keeton]

18/9/09
Update:

Hydro is looking abit better already, the blyxa looks great and seems to be doing well. Got nothing so far from the glosso, hopefully it will pick up and spread abit.
Will Plants Pearl with DIY co2? Dont think it does with it running all the time, correct me if im wrong.

Jallen: thanks mate

Cheers

 

[keeton]

20/9/09
Update for 2 days ago (been lazy)


well in 3 three day the hydrophila has grown about 3 inches and is looking really good at the moment. The other day i noticed the blyxa wasn't looking to go and was starting to melt probs from being posted, today it looks like its getting better. which cant be said for the glosso which hasn't done anything, i think its dying but hopefully will pull through.
Got abit of thread algae and abit of dust algae on the glass, the seems better everyday. quite common on new setup if im correct?
Not yet decided on other plants now? any suggestions?
one more thing before the pictures, What other low plant (not hairgrass) will carpet easily e.g glosso, hc kind of height but easier?

(sorry for crap pictures, off my phone)

and glosso dying

All comments and critism welcome

 

[Mr Bliss]

What other low plant (not hairgrass) will carpet easily e.g glosso, hc kind of height but easier?

Pogostemon helferi is in my experience easy, although it will often lose most of its leaves at first after planting. It's got a pretty unique look though; some people like it, some don't. It grows pretty fast once it has settled.