GreenNeedle
Member
?????? is my first aquascape of 2011. I will be doing another new scape on my 125ltr in a month or so but here goes with this one.
This will be the cheapest setup you have ever seen. From no tank to fully scaped for a grand total of £0.40p!!!!
This is a TMC Aquagrow Micro Habitat 8. It is an 8 litre cube 'in essence'. By 'in essence' I mean that the actual usable tank dimension is 16cm width x 16cm depth by 20cm height.
The tank's depth is actually more than that but it has a built in hidden filtration system behind a black piece of acrylic.
It comes complete with filter media, micro thermometer and a lighting unit which comprises of 16 LG Ultrabright TopLEDs.
I actually ended up getting this for free as it was sent to me by mistake. Then it got broken (big crack down the side near the corner of the filtration section.) The company who sent it in error told me to keep it. Therefore with the crack being out of view as it is on the side where the filtration part is I have siliconed inside and out and put the little tank into use.
Technical Specs:
Tank - 8 litre
Filter - Rear Filter Compartment - lph???? Probably around 50-100lph but moves the water well.
Heating - None
CO2 - Easycarbo Liquid Carbon 0.1ml daily
Dosing - Full EI - 0.25ml Macros, 0.1ml micros, 50% water change weekly.
Hardscape - Some stones Ianho brought round to my house. Look like granite of some sort.
Substrate - Mulm, Leonardite, Tesco value kitty litter, Wilko goldfish gravel.
Inhabitants - Currently 3 shrimp. I'll put more in once I see they are safe
Plants - Vallisneria, Microsorum Pteropus sp 'needle', Cryptocryne Parva, Bolbitis heudelotii, Anubias Barteri v Nana 'petite', Lileopsis Brasiliensis.
How has all this only cost 40p?
Here is the substrate:
The black on the bottom is Leonardite and mulm which I already had from ages ago.
The next 'chalky' layer is the Tesco kitty litter which has been lying around the house since a cat owner left it here whilst visiting.
The top layer is Wilko's cheapo goldfish gravel. Cost £1.60 and I used about a quarter so there's the 40p
Here you can see the rocks. There are 5. One is half behind the largest to support it. The 'supporting' rocks may look too large and powerful at the moment but I am hoping the Lileopsis Brasiliensis when it grows will hide all but the upper third of these.
At the back in both corners plus one just in front of the main rock are Cryptocoryne Parva. Taken from my main tank and as per all of my Crypts they have defied the size guides These are circa 15cm in some points.
The Needle Ferns are attached to the rock supporting the largest rock. These are taken from the main tank.
The Vallisineria is hidden right at the back. You are thinking I am mad putting Vals in such a small tank. These have been in my main tank for over 2 years yet they have not grown at all. They are healthy and no defficiencies but just not growing. If they get too big for this tank then I will consider that a positive
The Bolbitis heudelotii has come from my emersed nursery where it had suffered a bit of neglect for a couple of years. These are 2 very tiny pieces that have survived from what was once the width of this tank. The Lileopsis is a similar story. Hopefully these 2 will be 'resurrected'.
The Anubias petite is also from my emersed nursery but I have had it in my main tank for the previous 2 months preparing it for a scape. It was to be in the main tank however plans have slightly changed there so I have put them in this one.
A few more pictures just for the sake of it (I am no Saintly with the camera. lol)
Hope you like my 40p outlay
p.s. The little kid's toothbrush next to the tank is what I have been using to clean the inside glass at the moment. Was a bit dusty from adding the substrate.
Regards
AC
This will be the cheapest setup you have ever seen. From no tank to fully scaped for a grand total of £0.40p!!!!
This is a TMC Aquagrow Micro Habitat 8. It is an 8 litre cube 'in essence'. By 'in essence' I mean that the actual usable tank dimension is 16cm width x 16cm depth by 20cm height.
The tank's depth is actually more than that but it has a built in hidden filtration system behind a black piece of acrylic.
It comes complete with filter media, micro thermometer and a lighting unit which comprises of 16 LG Ultrabright TopLEDs.
I actually ended up getting this for free as it was sent to me by mistake. Then it got broken (big crack down the side near the corner of the filtration section.) The company who sent it in error told me to keep it. Therefore with the crack being out of view as it is on the side where the filtration part is I have siliconed inside and out and put the little tank into use.
Technical Specs:
Tank - 8 litre
Filter - Rear Filter Compartment - lph???? Probably around 50-100lph but moves the water well.
Heating - None
CO2 - Easycarbo Liquid Carbon 0.1ml daily
Dosing - Full EI - 0.25ml Macros, 0.1ml micros, 50% water change weekly.
Hardscape - Some stones Ianho brought round to my house. Look like granite of some sort.
Substrate - Mulm, Leonardite, Tesco value kitty litter, Wilko goldfish gravel.
Inhabitants - Currently 3 shrimp. I'll put more in once I see they are safe
Plants - Vallisneria, Microsorum Pteropus sp 'needle', Cryptocryne Parva, Bolbitis heudelotii, Anubias Barteri v Nana 'petite', Lileopsis Brasiliensis.
How has all this only cost 40p?
Here is the substrate:
The black on the bottom is Leonardite and mulm which I already had from ages ago.
The next 'chalky' layer is the Tesco kitty litter which has been lying around the house since a cat owner left it here whilst visiting.
The top layer is Wilko's cheapo goldfish gravel. Cost £1.60 and I used about a quarter so there's the 40p
Here you can see the rocks. There are 5. One is half behind the largest to support it. The 'supporting' rocks may look too large and powerful at the moment but I am hoping the Lileopsis Brasiliensis when it grows will hide all but the upper third of these.
At the back in both corners plus one just in front of the main rock are Cryptocoryne Parva. Taken from my main tank and as per all of my Crypts they have defied the size guides These are circa 15cm in some points.
The Needle Ferns are attached to the rock supporting the largest rock. These are taken from the main tank.
The Vallisineria is hidden right at the back. You are thinking I am mad putting Vals in such a small tank. These have been in my main tank for over 2 years yet they have not grown at all. They are healthy and no defficiencies but just not growing. If they get too big for this tank then I will consider that a positive
The Bolbitis heudelotii has come from my emersed nursery where it had suffered a bit of neglect for a couple of years. These are 2 very tiny pieces that have survived from what was once the width of this tank. The Lileopsis is a similar story. Hopefully these 2 will be 'resurrected'.
The Anubias petite is also from my emersed nursery but I have had it in my main tank for the previous 2 months preparing it for a scape. It was to be in the main tank however plans have slightly changed there so I have put them in this one.
A few more pictures just for the sake of it (I am no Saintly with the camera. lol)
Hope you like my 40p outlay
p.s. The little kid's toothbrush next to the tank is what I have been using to clean the inside glass at the moment. Was a bit dusty from adding the substrate.
Regards
AC