Soar.

[stang1]

Beautiful tank and beautiful pictures!

 

[JamieH]

i'm beggining to wish i never found this forum.... there as so many amazing tanks here in so many styles....

 

[nickboden]

Nice tank. I hope to create something as good in 2007.

Hope you don't mind if I ask where you got your Aquacube from ?

What HOB filter do you use ? Don't you use any heating ?

 

[lljdma06]

Glad to see corydoras in a nano. They look like C. pygmaeus to me, but a little paler?

llj

 

[Graeme Edwards]

They are Lj, the pictures were taken only hours after going hence the pale look. They are much more vivid, if you could say that about Cp, they were in abit of shock, but are very happy now. These poticular fish " I " ( thants me Moody AKA Graeme ) reared from wee eggs. I have 7 ( I think ) mature adults and 11 of thier offspring, so they must be happy in my other tank. They were really easy to rear too, not a mass production of brine shrimp in sight. They are about 3 month old now. There is six in this nano, other 5 will go into my other tank with thier parents.

Hope you don't mind if I ask where you got your Aquacube from ?

What HOB filter do you use ? Don't you use any heating ?

My girlfreind got the cube from a garden center down Staford some where. Any where that sells tropica may beable to get you one. The filter is an AquaVital 160 hang on the back filter. Aquaticonline.co.uk sell three sizes, cant recomend them enough for a nano tank.
There is no heating, its in a warm room and the halogen provides quite allot of heat when the light is on, it can get above 25C in there. Word of caution though. Be ing a small volume of water the temperature fluctuates very quick so think twice before adding fish, plants will be fine as you can see.

Rregards,
Graeme.

 

[MoreCoffee]

I've also got a couple of these Aqua Vital HoB filters and they are pretty good for nano's, but you do need to modify the filter media to get the best from them ...... especially as just about everybody that sells them does NOT sell the replacement filter cartridges

Also might be worth considering that Eheim do a similar HoB filter. Eheim External Filter Liberty
(Not sure about replacement filter media on these)

The one thing I wasn't not too keen on with this design of filter is that the water return is right next to the intake. In one setup I found that water flow (and therefore Co2 circulation) was a bit erratic. I'd also rather be able to direct the flow across the tank rather than it going straight down, this lead to good circulation at one end of the tank but very little at the other.
Graeme has more experience with these filters though and he may not have had the same problems.

For my PFK nano, I intend to use one of these EDEN 501 external filters.

Al

 

[Themuleous]

Could you not attach a piece of pipe to the intake so that its over the over side of the tank? Untidy yes but it might solve the problem, and it'd be removed for photos anyway?

Sam

 

[Graeme Edwards]

I've also got a couple of these Aqua Vital HoB filters and they are pretty good for nano's, but you do need to modify the filter media to get the best from them ...... especially as just about everybody that sells them does NOT sell the replacement filter cartridges

Also might be worth considering that Eheim do a similar HoB filter. Eheim External Filter Liberty
(Not sure about replacement filter media on these)

The one thing I wasn't not too keen on with this design of filter is that the water return is right next to the intake. In one setup I found that water flow (and therefore Co2 circulation) was a bit erratic. I'd also rather be able to direct the flow across the tank rather than it going straight down, this lead to good circulation at one end of the tank but very little at the other.
Graeme has more experience with these filters though and he may not have had the same problems.

For my PFK nano, I intend to use one of these EDEN 501 external filters.

Al

I dont have any real issues with it, yes its not the most efficient. My tanks are very clean so there is never any real detritus for it to filter out. There is a small portion of water that gets sucked back up almost striate away but that isn't a really problem. It also depends on how the tank is layed out and where you out the HOB. With this design, the water heads for the furthest corner opposite the filter OUT, then round to the rear corner, then up over the moss and riccia and back to the filter intake. Similar with my SHAKKEI too. Put it at the back of a planted tank with tall plants in front and its a different story I'm sure.
We plant heads keep good water, so as long as we keep doing that the HOB will be more for water circulation ( which is fine in a nano of this size ) and biological filtration, which the filter will still be doing.
They are great for nano's or better worded, peco's. After that a small external would be more affective.

Could you not attach a piece of pipe to the intake so that its over the over side of the tank? Untidy yes but it might solve the problem, and it'd be removed for photos anyway?

Sam

It is posssible, but difficult in such a small tank.

 

[Themuleous]

Thats what I figured

 

[George Farmer]

Another disadvantage of the HOB is the CO2 loss, even when the water level is topped off. The bubble rate in my nano is only a little less than what I was running in my Juwel Rio 125, that has well over 10x volume.

That last photo is great Graeme, although the corys look a little like beached dolphins.

It must be very rewarding to have bred them yourself, to now see them in your lovely little creation. How are they getting on?

 

[Graeme Edwards]

They are doing really well. It is a great sence of acheievment indeed. I will in the future design an aqua scape that will suet the hole group ( 18). They dont like it when i do a water change, they bolt into every corner, moss, riccia any little hole. beleive it or not i have had to look for them, which is crazy in such a small tank.

Ill keep on top of this design and keep trying to get good pictures.

Its nice to aqua scape, but its as equaly as good when you take a picture that shows it off to its best and gives the design the mood you are after, very satisfing.

 

[lljdma06]

They are Lj, the pictures were taken only hours after going hence the pale look. They are much more vivid, if you could say that about Cp, they were in abit of shock, but are very happy now. These poticular fish " I " ( thants me Moody AKA Graeme ) reared from wee eggs. I have 7 ( I think ) mature adults and 11 of thier offspring, so they must be happy in my other tank. They were really easy to rear too, not a mass production of brine shrimp in sight. They are about 3 month old now. There is six in this nano, other 5 will go into my other tank with thier parents.


Rregards,
Graeme.

Awww. They are super cute! I kept C. pygmaeus a while back in IL and probably will again. They are a great little fish.

llj

 

[George Farmer]

Its nice to aqua scape, but its as equaly as good when you take a picture that shows it off to its best and gives the design the mood you are after, very satisfing.

I couldn't agree more.

Only lately have I really begun to understand the relationship between aquascape and photograph. I think it's vital to capture the essence of the layout, and convey it to the viewer in the manner that the creator intends. Pity I'm stuck with my P&S until funds allow something better, by which time my current layout will be gone.

AGA say their contest is not a photography contest, but surely the judges like to see a nice photo, complimenting the skills of the aquascaper. Whether or not it influences their marking though, I wouldn't like to say.

Graeme - you should check out www.aquatic-photography.com if you haven't already. There's some awesome experience on there.

I look forward to seeing this little wonder progress.

 

[Graeme Edwards]

Its nice to aqua scape, but its as equaly as good when you take a picture that shows it off to its best and gives the design the mood you are after, very satisfing.

I couldn't agree more.

Only lately have I really begun to understand the relationship between aquascape and photograph. I think it's vital to capture the essence of the layout, and convey it to the viewer in the manner that the creator intends. Pity I'm stuck with my P&S until funds allow something better, by which time my current layout will be gone.

AGA say their contest is not a photography contest, but surely the judges like to see a nice photo, complimenting the skills of the aquascaper. Whether or not it influences their marking though, I wouldn't like to say.

Graeme - you should check out www.aquatic-photography.com if you haven't already. There's some awesome experience on there.

I look forward to seeing this little wonder progress.

I think at the moment me, you and a few others are a rare breed in the UK.

Yes its fantastic having a stunning design in your hame, but its "LIVING ART" remember so we should capture it through the media of photography, seeing it through its varyous stages in its life in such a way as to emerse your self within it.
When you dont have an SLR camara, some creativity is all thats needed.

I get to a stage in a design where i know that it is sustainable for how ever long i wish, so then its time to change. Its also to try another design, plants that i have never grown before and to add another tank to the portfolio.
Perhaps the aim for me and you George is to one day create a book of our own aquascapes like Amana, perhaps not for the shops shelvs but if only for our own.

Cheers,
Graeme.

 

[Graeme Edwards]

Well well, its been a heck of a long time since i last post here.
Ive been a very busy lad lately, with buying a house and spending every spare minute driving from either work or my parents to the house and GUTTING it out from top to bottom, so I'm whacked!!!!!!!


Thought id give and update on my cube.
Iv have constantly said that with nano or pico designs water changes as frequent as ever other day are a NECESSITY!!!!
Well Ive blown my own theory

With being so busy, the cube has had 1 water change in 3 weeks to add to this it has had NO Co2 for the past 10 days, and NO liquid fertilization at all,OMG he says!
But thanks to ADA the cube has done Ok! barely any algae in fact no algae on any of the plants, a smidgen on the glass and i mean barely noticeable, and the usual on the sand, which i might add was a problem with regular water changes and high Co2 levels.

Proof!!!!!!!??





TAH DAH