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40l Nano

Ben M

Member
Joined
1 Sep 2009
Messages
662
Hi, I thought I would start a journal for my 40l nano tank. It is a Superfish Aquacube 40, with the standard 18W lamp and 100lph filter. I am dosing EI ferts and liquid carbon and doing a 50% water change weekly. The current stocking is a pair of lemon BNs and 2 or 3 small fry, approx 10 adult endlers and many fry, and some cherry shrimp. I hope to breed a lot of cherry shrimp, as there are only about 25 ish in ATM, and I'd like to have the tank full of them. This will probably mean thinning out the endler fry once they are big enough to move on.

The plants are Java fern, needle leaf Java fern, crypts and Anubias. I have bought some Pellia and a bit of moss that should be arriving in the post in a day or 2. The decor is what I previously had in the tank when I used it as a grow on tank for malawi cichlid fry, so it is ocean rock and coral sand. Today I added some small oak branches and some oak and beech leaves, which the shrimp and BN fry seem to be enjoying.

Here is a photo of the tank as it looks now:

vJzVPTO.jpg


I'm hoping to get the tank looking a lot better than it does now. I think that the crypts are too tall, and the normal java fern is also going to grow too large, so I think once the pellia and moss are growing I might try a different plant for the foreground. Do you have any ideas of what would be suitable in the coral sand and with the ferts I'm dosing?

Cheers,
Ben
 

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I'm thinking possibly Cryptocoryne parva for the foreground, but I do like the look of some of the small stem plants like Hemianthus callitrichoides. Do you think I'd be able to grow many of those type plants in these conditions?
 
I have rescaped the tank, as when I got the pellia I suddenly realised that it would be pretty difficult to attach it to the ocean rock. So I 'found' a big piece of sandstone in a field, and smashed it apart to make some decent sized pieces. I also collected some larger oak branches. I have attached the pellia to some sandstone at the front, and am hoping it will grow into a thick carpet across the foreground. The crypts are now growing between the rocks, and I'm hoping that they will thicken out nicely amongst the rocks. The oak branches have moss, needle leaf java fern, and bolbitis on them, but I think they are possibly bit large for the tank. But I'll wait and see how they grow.

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What do you think?
 

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I have rescaped the tank, as when I got the pellia I suddenly realised that it would be pretty difficult to attach it to the ocean rock. So I 'found' a big piece of sandstone in a field, and smashed it apart to make some decent sized pieces. I also collected some larger oak branches. I have attached the pellia to some sandstone at the front, and am hoping it will grow into a thick carpet across the foreground. The crypts are now growing between the rocks, and I'm hoping that they will thicken out nicely amongst the rocks. The oak branches have moss, needle leaf java fern, and bolbitis on them, but I think they are possibly bit large for the tank. But I'll wait and see how they grow.

Narmk7Z.jpg


What do you think?

I think it looks rather nice! Different seeing 'normal' homegrown stones being used. Will surely stop hard-as-nails water too! Easier to grow plants.
Win win win.
 

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Thanks :) The main problem I have with it is the branches look out of place to me, but I wanted something to cover up the filter and heater. I'm restricted as to where I can put the branches ATM, as they are anchored with a rock to hold them down, but I'm hoping in a couple of weeks they'll sink better so I can have them angled how I want them. And hopefully once the moss grows out better it will look more natural.

Another idea I've thought of is to remove the branch with the ferns on, and give it to my bro for his tank. Then buy a stem plant to grow right across the back of the tank, to hide the wires, heater and filter. What stem plant do you think would suit the conditions of my tank and look good in a small tank? I had Limnophila sessiliflora at one point, but I don't think it looked very good as it wasn't very compact.

Cheers,
Ben
 
Hi, here's a new photo of the tank after adding quite a few different plants. I don't intend on keeping all of them in this tank, but I'm just trying a few to see which grow the best. Up to now they've all been doing well and I'm pleased with the growth. What do you think?

12996835764_4a7ef94b1a_z.jpg
40l Nano by Ben Morfitt, on Flickr
 
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I like it.

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Thanks :) I'm going to leave it alone now, and see how it grows. I think my main problem is I'm too eager to constantly change things, so I need to control myself!
 
:D I was starting to wonder. Its been through a few changes and it's not even past page 1! You'll get a better idea of where the plants look best when it grows in a bit more.

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Haha, it's so tempting to alter things. I think I need about a dosen tanks so I can constantly be rescaping. I'm hoping this scape is going to come along well, as I've now got some decent plants and I think the ferts and liquid carbon are working well.
 
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