Toms Puffer Tank Journal

[tom_os]

i have a 15l tank which i got for free at the tip.

i decided that i would turn it into a dwarf puffer tank. (only one but i will add some shrimps for interest)

the hardware is, 25w heater, currently a fluval 1+ filter but will be replaced with an old filter form my 60l which is more powerful and an 11w arcadia arc pod

this is what it looked like this morning, before the trip to my lfs

and now heres what i did to it

firstly i emptied the tank apart form the reed plant and java fern on bogwood

then i found a piece of slate that i though i would cover in java moss (it was a bugger to tie it on and used a mile of fishing tackle)

i liked it but i would prefer it to grow on the bogwood, so i took the moss off the slate apart from a little bit at the edge. i then tied on the bogwood to the slate and attached moss to the bogwood. the idea being the moss will grow from the slate onto the wood hiding the gap between

i then attached annibus nana i think, it is to cover the filter which will be behind it.

i then added a coconut cave with a litle java moss on top.

finally with a few rocks and a little plant, not sure what its called, i left the water to clear

i will take some more pics when the water is clear

please tell me what you think

 

[three-fingers]

Looks very good .

I take it you want to let the "reed plant" grow up out of the water? If so, what are your plans for giving it light?

 

[tom_os]

Looks very good .

I take it you want to let the "reed plant" grow up out of the water? If so, what are your plans for giving it light?

i was actually going to let it rest on the water surface and provide some shade from the light

 

[three-fingers]

Can you post another pic of it? It doesn't quite look aquatic, and will like rot like that if that's the case .

Some "Dwarf" Sagittaria would be great though, it does that in my tank .

 

[tom_os]

Can you post another pic of it? It doesn't quite look aquatic, and will like rot like that if that's the case .

Some "Dwarf" Sagittaria would be great though, it does that in my tank .

i will post some more pics in a bit

i have had it about 4 months in a differnt tank and it has grown loads, no leves have rotted

if you imagine vallis but with thicker leaves and darker green then its basically that

 

[three-fingers]

4 months isnt that long and the growth may not be sustainable, so there's a decent chance it could even just be an Acorus species, but I'd be interested in more pics as I've never seen one grow like that in the aquarium .

 

[tom_os]

here the latst pics, water has cleared slightly

 

[tom_os]

just made a lid, the cheap way

i bought this huge piece of 3mm clear acrylic for £10 and have made 4 lids so far

cut it using scissiors to the rough shape

then just cut grooves for wires and the light. i had to put a pen on it to show you the lid is actually there

heres a pic of the reed plant for you, three-fingers

 

[bagu]

sad day today

my oldest puffer died

i cried like a baby

 

[tom_os]

sorry to hear that

im still looking for mine

 

[three-fingers]

Tank looks good, how easy is it to cut acrylic?

I'm now pretty sure the plant is just Ophiopogon japonicus (mondo grass), so wont do well long term.

 

[tom_os]

i wil keep an eye on the plant

its really easy to cut, i just used kitchen scissors

 

[paul_219]

Nice tank not bad at all.

 

[oliesminis]

Really nice looking tank