2Ft - 15 Gallon Planted Tank

[Paradise3]

So here I am, again, with another planted tank journal that will probably end up failing similar to my last ones lol. But why not give it another shot, hey?

 
Right, I'll start where the tank came from since I'm low on money. I got it about 10 weeks a go on a selling site called preloved.
I got the tank, gravel, working filter, working lid and light, a few plastic plants, some rocks and one more thing.... Or should I say, EIGHT more things. Eight goldfish ranging from 1.5 inch up to about 4.5 inch, not including their tails.
They were a bit of an inconvenience as there was only supposed to be 4 of them BUT the whole lot was completely free. So the first thing I did was get it all home, then I cleaned it all up and got everyone comfortable in their now temporary home. The next day I put out an advert for the goldfish, someone offered £10 for all eight of them. I was fine with that, I got them for free in the first place but I couldn't provide the correct housing for them. This person had a 6ft tank for them to over-winter in and then a pond for them to go in the next Spring/Summer

 
Anyway, enough of that right? So you want the specs and then pics huh? Go ahead!
 
Size: 2ft long. 24x15x12 inch - 60.96x38.1x30.48cm. Length x Height x Depth
Temperature: 26 Degrees Celsius - 78.8 Fahrenheit.
Fish List: There isn't one right now lol. Only long term planned residents so far are 1 male betta and 1 female(presumed) Farlowella.
Current Plant List: Probably too many as usual lol!
3x Nymphoides sp. "Taiwan"
9x Cryptocoryne beckettii - Not all staying, just growing up some babies

Heteranthera zosterifolia
Limnophila sessiliflora
Hygrophila polysperma
Planned Plants: Want to add some Flame moss or something, maybe an Anubias of some form

 
Pictures: So I'll start by putting a picture up of the tank when I got it, the only thing I added was the wood just to get it soaking.
 
Tank on the 6th November 2014.

 
Tank tonight, 14th January 2015. Please bare in mind, still working on this lol.

 
Right side of the tank.

 
Left side of the tank.

 
Now, last words on this..
 
I want to give this a real go and try DIY yeast Co2. I can't afford a whole pressurized Co2 set-up, etc. so yeast Co2 is my best option.
 
How would I go about setting this up? Anyone with experience, could you please help me? Thanks

 

[Paradise3]

Quick update now the Limnophila and Heteranthera have straightened up properly Oh and some Otocinclus photo's. A fatty Oto who can't sit on the wood properly after a big meal and my other little Oto sat on the sand.
 

 

 
You'll have to excuse the quality of these photo's, my camera is currently having issues so I had to use my phone.

 

[Paradise3]

Another tank update photo
 

 

[Paradise3]

So here's another photo from 23rd Feb.

 
I have two Nymphoides and they are starting to get big so finding space for both of them was becoming a trouble. For now I have found this is working well but I know as they grow I'll most likely be forced to get rid of one of them which I don't want but if it has to happen... To add on to that, one Nymphoides has produced me a baby which is planted at the front in that photo above! XD

 
Baby Shrimp hanging around on my Elite Stingray lol.

 
And my first baby livebearer I'm 99% sure it's a Platy and I think it's from my smallest female - One Eyed Wilma! I didn't believe it at first because she really is tiny but when I found this one she was the only fish seemingly "in labour". Hiding, panting, clenching her fins, etc..

 

[sawickib]

Looks awesome, really cool transformation! I look the little baby shrimp!

 

[Paradise3]

Looks awesome, really cool transformation! I look the little baby shrimp!

 
Thank you It's still growing lol. Not quite happy with it yet. I want the Heteranthera and Limnophila to fill out a lot more and then I might get back into entering TOTM lol.

 

[sawickib]

Yea you should, i am terrible at keeping any plants alive besides java fern and marimo moss balls lol

 

[Paradise3]

Yea you should, i am terrible at keeping any plants alive besides java fern and marimo moss balls lol

 
Oh if you take a look through my older journals you'll find that plants either die or they thrive but when they thrive I get a LOT of algae too  
 
Hence my "So here I am, again, with another planted tank journal that will probably end up failing similar to my last ones lol. But why not give it another shot, hey?" lol.
 
My problems are usually my lighting is too low or the wrong type. For example, I had a 5 gallon tank that was growing amazingly... Unfortunately the hair algae was too and that was because I was using a household bulb as lighting. I wouldn't recommend it though... Like I say, plants grew but hair algae was a nightmare.

 

[jag51186]

Tank looks fantastic!! Can't wait til mine fills in more like yours!!

 

[Paradise3]

Tank looks fantastic!! Can't wait til mine fills in more like yours!!

 
Thank you!! I wouldn't call it amazing myself but thank you lol.
 
Hope yours goes well too!!

 

[Paradise3]

Updated tank photo and some extra's of some of the occupants

I stole a bit of my fiancé's Java Moss to see if I can get it growing well again but if not then no loss. Everything is growing well, finally after over a month of battling white spot I've managed to kill it off and move over my new female guppies and livebearers so my boys have more choice. Tank is now stocked how I like it, and a little bit overstocked however all fish are small and low waste producers and I keep on top of my water changes, etc.

 

 
Really need to do something about that Nymphoides on the far right hand side but don't want to get rid of it XD To proud of it really. It's now approx. 12 inch high from root to the highest leaf, started off smaller than the on in the front when I gave it to my fiancé in 2014 and then I got it back when he shut his tank down.
 
Anyway, my two Otocinclus happily going about cleaning different area's of the tank. Excuse the tiny amount of algae, I can deal with having that small bit as the Oto's and Farlowella keep it in check

 

 
And lastly, one of my many Cherry Shrimp checking out the new moss.
 

 
Also just managed to get this photo of one of my new female Platy's that I added into the tank tonight.
 

 

[jag51186]

Looking great!! You are making me want some platy's!! What do you do with all the little ones??

 

[Paradise3]

Looking great!! You are making me want some platy's!! What do you do with all the little ones??

 
So far I've only had one little one as my first three platies have not long since reached breeding age and I've only just added the two new females
 
However, the young will be left to fend for themselves and with all the adult livebearers and a betta in there to keep the numbers down low, there shouldn't be many fry left at the end and those few will be sold or given to an aquatics shop near me
 
The one fry I have had I released back into the aquarium earlier after it had grown a bit so I hope to see it doing well. If not, there will always be more lol. The "curse" of having livebearers, but I love them so I don't mind.

 

[Paradise3]

My fiance wanted to set up my spare 5.5 gallon so I ended up trimming and moving a few plants over to that tank for him so mine has a little more growing room now
 
Picture from 13th March 15.

 

[jag51186]

I really like your tank, wish I could have livebearers. My water is pretty soft when all is said and done, so it's probably not in the cards...so post lots of pics so I can live vicariously through your tank!!