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Optiwhite nano "£10.25"

Garuf

Garuf

Member
Joined
30 Oct 2007
Messages
5,644
Location
Copenhagen
Here's a quick phone snap of the nano I set up today using plants readily available from a bread and butter LFS, I've named it £10.25 because that's the princely sum they all cost alas still slightly hazy, (ignore the rocks, someone forgot to soak their wood).
Plant list:
Ludwigia repens.
Rotalla rotundifolia "green"
Eleocharis parva
Microsorum pteropus
Vesicularia dubyana
Anubias barteri var.nana
Of course the plants weren't my first choice and the condition of some of them is a little ropey but I was anxious to have a tank running after so long so needs must and I handed over my money and raced home to rip of the lead weights and plant up.

Hardware:
12x10x8 optiwhite
ex700
supafish 18w - 5 hours
co2 pressurised and easy carbo (Only easy carbo atm as I need a Fe spanner to change the bottle).
Ei dosing.
IMG20101201_001.jpg

IMG20101201_002.jpg
 
Nice one Garuf,it seems ages since you had a tank running,i like the layout and the slow growth plants you have will be a challenge algae wise,good luck mate,
regards,
john.
 
Like you would not believe. It's not the scape I wanted, it's not the plants I wanted either but I was so desperate to just have something growing I just went for it so you can understand that I'm not entirely happy with it but it's more a stop gap to get back into the swing of things rather than a true scape. You never know, it might come out really nice! hahaha.
 
Yeah it really does, John. I've had the cube running growing stems for a little while but even that was 6 months ago now!
Everytank is always a challenge, I'm sure I'll be fine in the long run, just gotta trim out that hairgrass before it goes magnetic.
 
18w might be a little overkill for this tank :p I have 11w on my nanos about the same size and its too much already for slow growers.

I do like the glassware (that cost a tenner also? I want some), just add some graded gravels around the rocks for the finishing touch ;)
 
LondonDragon said:
18w might be a little overkill for this tank :p I have 11w on my nanos about the same size and its too much already for slow growers.

I do like the glassware (that cost a tenner also? I want some), just add some graded gravels around the rocks for the finishing touch ;)
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Maybe so, I normally use twice that so I should be okay, with any luck, I'll keep you informed, if it proves too much I've some unspent ae points I can put towards a 11w one.

Haha, the only thing that cost me money especially for this tank were the plants, I can do a price list if people are interested?

chump54 said:
looking good... nice work on the budget... but LD's suggestion would nearly double the costs. be careful graded gravel is pricey :D although it would look fantastic :thumbup:

Chris
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Yeah as it's really just about growing plants rather than the scape I didn't want to shell out a load more money towards graded gravels, not yet, I could do with some for my big tank though so when I get them no doubt I'll add some in here. I'm secretly surprised people are responding positively to it, with all the compromises, the already well loved wood and the fact the scape took no time at all it's a pleasant surprise.
 
First water change done, trimming the hairgrass as we speak, the water is literally crystal clear, I've never known a new set up to have it so clear so quickly, started dosing ei mix at 20ml and easy carbo, still can't find my spanners to get my co2 on which is driving me mad, dosing easy carbo though, 2ml, so it should be okay.
The ludwigia is showing signs of growth, it's a real weed it would seem!
 
P1010340.jpg

Not much to say, everythings starting to grow, the wood is still boyant and moves about too freely changing the scape, finally added co2. Quick snap from tonight.
I'm anxious to get some good stem growth so I can trim them back really hard to get the straggly original growth out of the tank.
 
First day of waterchanges every other day. Added trace for the first time. The plants obviously were craving it.
P1010396.jpg

P1010395.jpg

1hour after dosing.
 
Thank you both, growth is slightly slower than expected from the rotalla but then I suppose I was used to trimming it every week in my old tanks so anything's slower than that, not that I'm complaining, just that it took me by surprise. I'm shocked at just how much pearling there was, I turned the co2 off 20mins early before lights off thinking it must just be bubbles of co2 but the bubbles just kept coming!

Luis, I plan on adding fish but I don't really know what, I'm thinking shrimp for the first couple months then adding fish in february time that way the bioloads low if I should run into any issues with algae and I won't be unsettling tiny timid fishes.
 
Yeah I think you're right, I've never been able to keep shrimp, I'm hoping this to break the cycle.

Also, I think I've realised the reason for slow rotalla growth, pretty much all the stems are pretty much pinned to the substrate. Will they get sturdier d'ya think? I imagine they will as they get thicker but I'm not sure. Too much flow? I think I might have reached it.
 
How she looks tonight, note that the wood floating and the flow working in cahoots have ruined the foreground, I'll be hoovering out the sand as soon as I can get to the LFS to get some fine gravel. I have considered a planted foreground but I don't think it'd be as nice. Maybe in the next scape, which will be an iwagumi.
P1010403.jpg
 
That's looking nice. Your wood looks like a hand cupping another hand.

Do you have the moss tied to stones? You may want to tie them tighter and trim of all the excess. That way they'll grow back nice, bushy and uniform.
 
flygja said:
That's looking nice. Your wood looks like a hand cupping another hand.

Do you have the moss tied to stones? You may want to tie them tighter and trim of all the excess. That way they'll grow back nice, bushy and uniform.
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I can't un-see that now! Maybe it'll get a rename to reflect the hand.

I glued the moss to the stones, it's grown out all "funny" though, I suppose Java must just be a mess moss. I'm expecting some Pearl moss to replace it so it's days are numbered.

ghostsword said:
Crazy idea, but why not get some suction cups to the wood then secure it to the glass on the left side? :)
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I thought about it, like the tropica bankwood stuff but It's not so bad now the wood is getting water logged. It's something to keep in mind definitely, especially as I use wood in all my scapes.
 
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