My First Planted

[PaperArrow]

This is my first planted aquarium apart form a small experiment with riccia in a cylindrical vase dosing flourish (rubbish idea)



Stuff used...

4l approx tank (uk)

Arcadia aquapod 11w ....should have got 9w its a bit long

Azoo mignon 60 (replaced activated carbon)

Nutrafin co2

Diffuser from aqua essentials around £10 (absolute bargain)

Aqua soil amazonia

Pure laterite

Hydor mini heater 7.5w (fits in hang on filter)

Small computer fan running at 9v directed at lamp.

1 pond snail ...soon i expect to be millions


Plants received 15th march from aqua essentials

1 pot pogostemon Helferi

1 pot Hemianthus Callitrichoides Cuba

1 pot Eleocharis acicularis

I planted them the same day

My routine

40% water change everyday after lights out

1 pipette water conditioner

1 pipette Tetra plant planta min food

Lights on for 8 hours a day

I have been very pleased with the growth rate of the plants so far…..they have been planted for just under two weeks,

I am a little concerned that the plants are not as green as I would like, and the (touch wood) only algae I have at the moment is the greening of the top of my ceramic disc on the diffuser and a few strings of very fine stuff that disappears if I stir the water at night.

Any way here are some pictures…..


shortly after planting....

12 days after planting......

Pen and mini mag for scale

The only live stock...

P.S....I am looking for a tiny plant that looks a bit like, this i am sure i have seen it.....

Many thanksc pruning

 

[cheesy feet]

Wow,you really went high tech.Great tank,hope to see how it developes

 

[fozziebear]

aw its so small and cute! love it, you though about putting some dwarf rasboras in there?

 

[RadaR]

Nice one. It looks really great!

 

[adamgreen240]

Nice one. It looks really great!

looks gr8

well done!!!

 

[mlawson]

Nice tank. The plants look great with good growth.. I like the Pogostemon helferi and Hemianthus callichtroides combination, which is similar to my tank. Out of interest, why do you do a 40% water change a day? Is this not a bit excessive and unnecessary?

 

[PaperArrow]

Thanks very much everyone for the positive comments.

As for stocking, I do not want to rush, as at about 4 litres using the online calculators I can safely add 1 inch of fish!, this rules out any type of shoaling fish, I am considering 4 shrimp, but am worried about them escaping as the tank is open top?, And I do not want to cover it, as in my opinion the pogostemons best viewed from above.

As for the 40% water changes yes it may sound excessive…However I find it necessary, if I forget a single water change thread algae will have developed the following morning.
I feel the replenishment of trace elements also should be beneficial
A 40% water change is less than a two litre bottle of pop.

 

[mlawson]

As for the 40% water changes yes it may sound excessive…However I find it necessary, if I forget a single water change thread algae will have developed the following morning.
I feel the replenishment of trace elements also should be beneficial
A 40% water change is less than a two litre bottle of pop.

I suppose with a small tank like that it would not cause a hassle and if it benefits the plants and reduces algae then it's a good idea.

 

[Themuleous]

First off, lovely looking tank really like how small plants like HC and P. helferi look huge in small tanks, gives a great effect.

As for stocking, I do not want to rush, as at about 4 litres using the online calculators I can safely add 1 inch of fish!, this rules out any type of shoaling fish, I am considering 4 shrimp, but am worried about them escaping as the tank is open top?, And I do not want to cover it, as in my opinion the pogostemons best viewed from above.

You'll need to get over the initial NH3 and NO2 spikes due to the aquasoil before adding an live stock anyway, that seems to take a couple of weeks by all accounts, give you some thinking time Do you test the water much? I think you could easily have 4-5 dwarf rasboras, they'd be OK even in that size tank and would help with the illusion of scale. The mass of plants will keep the water 'clean' and healthy for them.

As for the 40% water changes yes it may sound excessive…However I find it necessary, if I forget a single water change thread algae will have developed the following morning.
I feel the replenishment of trace elements also should be beneficial
A 40% water change is less than a two litre bottle of pop.

If there is one lesson Ive learned from my nano, its not to skrimp on the water changes! I've upped mine to 50% every other day, it seem to be the experience of people that the smaller the tank the more water changes you need. Even on a 50lt I'd do 2 a week. I think it help stabilises the water which algae hates. I dont think you can 'over' water change a tank

Your probably also right about it replenishing the nutrients.

As for suggestions for plants how about one of the Hydrocotyle species, poss Hydrocotyle verticillata?

Sam

 

[Heather.]

Very pretty little tank..

 

[PaperArrow]

Thanks Heather
Fingers crossed mlawson
Thanks Sam, You are right about the aquasoil, I think the tank is still going through maturation, No2 is still up at 0.8, and ammonia is now almost 0.1

Ph around 6 – 6.4 I find test kits have very inaccurate colour charts, I use hagen
A little low perhaps, but IF I remember correctly, should suit the dwarf rasbora

No3 varys dramatically night and day from 110 – 20
Gh from 2 - 2.6
Kh below 10 mg/l
Fe 0.4

So …..Still loads of thinking time, I have had a look at your journals and if I recall correctly your EI nano was the first I ever read on this forum and one of 4 journals that really got me thinking about planting…… top, top stuff.

Oh ….Any one experience with the dwarf rasboras jumping?

Thanks for the plant name, I will try to find an example in an lfs to see how big they are etc…as it looks like it may just be what I am after.

Many thanks

 

[Themuleous]

You are right about the aquasoil, I think the tank is still going through maturation, No2 is still up at 0.8, and ammonia is now almost 0.1

At least its going in the right direction, does seem to take a while by all accounts.

should suit the dwarf rasbora

Would be ideal for dwarf rasboras

I have had a look at your journals and if I recall correctly your EI nano was the first I ever read on this forum and one of 4 journals that really got me thinking about planting…… top, top stuff.

Thanks glad it got you into it, I'm lagging behind on the nano front now, still yet to get an 'algae free,' stable tank going, but hoping the next one should work, just waiting from my new plants now.

Oh ….Any one experience with the dwarf rasboras jumping?

You probably read what happened to mine! I think I found the cause though -> the aerosol deodorant I use. When I started a thread on it, lots of people say its highly toxic to fish and shrimp, and the open top of the tank just meant it flooded in (no isses with my other tank as its got a lid). I've changed to roll on and have stripped the tank so hopefully that should have cleaned it out, read for new fish stock.

Sam

 

[PaperArrow]

Day 15…………

Amonia and No2 now = 0, still changing water daily; however I have decreased changes to only 1.5 litres per day now, partly to welcome the shrimp’s arrival yesterday.

6 x shrimps which arrived in an Amano batch at the lfs…….

All appear very happy and lively, colours have intensified…..plus bonus … one is carrying eggs (see pic) …..Filled intake of filter with sponge just in case….



Still No visible algae the small thread algae I mentioned earlier didn’t appear today – thank you shrimps...

Growth still ok, hc growing fast and pearling but not thick, and the runners are a bit clumsy.

As for micro rasboras…….how hard are they to find btw! I didn’t have any luck at all


Oh …..Thanks about the deodorant warning…..you may have saved 6 shrimps there

Many thanks

 

[planter]

Well done ! I really love this little tank. could the plant you were after be marsilea hirsuta?

http/www.tropica.dk/productcard_1.asp?id=010

 

[mlawson]

Nice tank. I love the shrimps.