Llj's 2.5g Planted Tank Journal

[lljdma06]

The anubias kept popping out, so I moved them. I replaced the Rotala with more bacopa. I really like the Bacopa growing out of the water, it is charming. I reduced the amount of wood to only two small pieces and reattached the java fern and attached a little moss. Finally, I moved the crypts to the front. There isn't much of a layout, but it's not that big a deal to me in this tank.

The tank had a problem with cyanobacteria, BGA. Unfortunately, I binned nearly all of my Seachem chemicals, including the Nitrogen. I had them for over a year already, and I'm sure these things have a shelf live. Besides, I don't really use the stuff anymore. Maybe the Trace on occasion, which I kept, since it was a newer bottle. To combat it, I cleaned up the tank and reduced the photoperiod by a huge margin. I no longer have a timer on this tank and it is situated in a different part of the room, near a window. I know, wierd, but hear it out first. I turn on the light when I get up, about 6am and turn off the tank at around noon. The tank then sits until I return to work at night, about 7pm, when I turn the lights back on until I go to bed. So it gets about 8 hours total of actual light. I know, a really long siesta, but the tank isn't without light that long. In the late afternoon, I get a little sunlight that filters into the tank, quite attractive, but it is very dim.

In the past, adding nitrates has eliminated BGA for me as well, but with only a single betta, getting enough nitrates is a problem. I never had a BGA problem when the tank housed growing platy fry, which consume a lot more food than a single betta. As a temporary solution, until I can get my hands on some C. pygmaeus, I moved three C. anaeus from my 20g to this tank. I know, very overstocked, but so far, it's been a week already and the cories are doing great (showing breeding behavior) with the betta and I haven't seen any BGA creep up. Time will tell, but right now, I kind of like the setup. I'll increase the maintenance to twice a week, until I can replace the betta and the cories with the pygmies. I do not recommend this stocking for a Newbie, and this is only temporary.

Some pictures to look at.

Thanks,

llj

 

[lljdma06]

Good news: BGA is gone. Tank looks pretty nice.

Bad news: One of my Kitties decided that Bacopa is yummy, so she grabbed some stems and proceeded to knock the lid to the floor, where it split into a gazillion pieces. So poor Alberich, the betta, is confined to a bowl with a lid (He's a big jumper). I still have the three bronze cories that are residing in this tank until I get the pygmies. I doubt they'll jump. It sucks because they don't sell the lids separately, I have to buy a whole other 2.5g. Oh, the horror, to have to buy another tank!

The madness!

 

[Viettxboii]

well you always had your lid sticking out a bit more to accomodate teh filters and equipment so that mightve added to why it fell off...why not go to a hardwarestore and get then to cut a new lid, make it a bitter smaller to accomodate your equipment.
Also i like your tank, quite a bit, so good luck and we'll see how it turns out =D
Also if you cut the lid , yoou dont have to get a new tank and transplant anything, if anything you could salvage the "Marineland" hand to make lifting the lid easier.

 

[lljdma06]

well you always had your lid sticking out a bit more to accomodate teh filters and equipment so that mightve added to why it fell off...why not go to a hardwarestore and get then to cut a new lid, make it a bitter smaller to accomodate your equipment.
Also i like your tank, quite a bit, so good luck and we'll see how it turns out =D
Also if you cut the lid , yoou dont have to get a new tank and transplant anything, if anything you could salvage the "Marineland" hand to make lifting the lid easier.

Is it really that much cheaper to have a hardware store person cut a piece of glass for me or is it better and just easier to fork over the $9.99 to just get a new tank? You're right, though, the lid has always jutted to accomodate the equipment, which when you mix in 4 rambunctious kittens, it's a recipe for disaster. It's really tempting, however, to keep the cories as they are, buy another tank, buy another RedSea filter, and make a new home for Alberich. It's not like I don't have most of the equipment anyways. I even have a spare light, wood, and lots and lots of potential cuttings.

llj

 

[K.J.]

Yuch. One of my kittens did that to me too. I had it resting on their cage, and they snuck over and knocked it off. Ergo, one lid short. It was the same kind of tank, too.

 

[Viettxboii]

now i have my canopy jutting out...what to do what to do...

 

[lljdma06]

now i have my canopy jutting out...what to do what to do...

Either A. Not have the canopy

or B. Not have a cat

or C. The canopy juts out.

 

[Viettxboii]

looks like my option is C..
ur with A right now now?

 

[lljdma06]

looks like my option is C..
ur with A right now now?

Yes, I've opted for A. The betta is in a large, lidded bowl, with 100% water changes 2x a week, and he's thriving, so I'm not worried. Right now, I have 5 very small C. aeneus in this tank, and they don't jump. I know, seems grossly overstocked, but I'm guessing these cats were mass bred. They are very small for bronze corydoras, and since their move 2 weeks ago, they have much improved. They haven't grown, but they have gained weight, are much more active, and their color has improved 100%. I've had the same cories for over a year and they've not changed much. They were originally in a 20g that seemed ideal, but I guess the serpaes were a little agressive or the tannic conditions weren't to their liking. There is also quite a bit more current in this little tank, though this species can either be found in still or running waters. This isn't stocking for a beginner, though, and I may still consider moving them back to the 20g, but in greater numbers. I'd like pygmy cories for this tank, but my budget won't allow it right now.

llj

 

[lljdma06]

The cories are continueing to do well in this little tank. It is a simple, no-frills setup. I'll post pictures soon.

 

[radioman]

I just bought this tank at petsmart. I set it up last night and threw some amano shrimp in it with some dwarf hairgrass. I am wondering what light you used. Does it have to be for an aquarium or can it be just a desk lamp. I thoght that regular lights didnt work to grow plants. What kind of bulb is it?

 

[lljdma06]

I just bought this tank at petsmart. I set it up last night and threw some amano shrimp in it with some dwarf hairgrass. I am wondering what light you used. Does it have to be for an aquarium or can it be just a desk lamp. I thoght that regular lights didnt work to grow plants. What kind of bulb is it?

It is a regular desk lamp, but the tube is a twin-tube 13W CF bulb. It is rated as a full-spectrum daylight bulb. I got it for $15 at OfficeMax, but it was on sale that day, it is usually $19.99 plus tax. I have about 5WPG and it is a low-light tank. But the plants that are currently in there are doing very well, albeit growing slowly. This is what I wanted out of a low-light tank anyway. I've grown most of the hardy plants in this tank pretty well.

IMO, I don't think dwarf hairgrass will do well. If you opt for this lighting level, you're better off with E. tennellus as a grass-like plant. I had it in there some months ago and it did very well. I pulled it out because it was too invasive and my corydoras like the space in the substrate. I already push it by having cories in there in the first place, so I might as well give them the room that they need. One of them is getting rather fat, so I suspect it's a female.

llj

 

[lljdma06]

Here is the promised picture.

It is nothing flashy, and certainly no aquascaping wonder, but it serves the corydoras well and it is very easy for me to care for. A curious thing with the Bacopa. Recently, the leaves have been getting much, much smaller. Normally, they are about an inch long, but now the cuttings have leaves that are 1/2 inch or less, and the growth is stiffer and more compact. It looks quite nice in this nano. I put a pothos sprig for fun.

Several of the fish are gaining weight, I'm assuming since they are larger, that I've got a few females filling with eggs.

Thanks for looking

 

[pratty675]

nice

 

[lljdma06]

This tank is my cutey tank. It doesn't have much with regards to scape, but the plants and stock are very happy and healthy, and there is constant activity. The corydoras, much to my surprise, are really quite happy with such small living quarters. I'd like to eventually create a similar setup for a school of C. trilineatus in my office, once the permanent location is decided, as the office is always between 70-72, which suits corydoras fine. I'm probably going to add Pelia as a floater in this tank, as it will shade the anubia and help with algae. I may also replace the Bacopa with Egeria since the Egeria has finer leaves and is a much brighter green, or I may put the two together and go for some contrast.

Sorry for being image-heavy, it's just that this tank is too cute! And surprisingly stable. It is a nice budget option for a nano aquarium, but the stocking is definitely for a more experienced aquarist, as a lot can go wrong if you are not careful.

llj