Custom Tank-- finished planting the acrylic cube

[tear-scar]

Some may know that I've been keeping shrimp in a custom acrylic cube my friend gave me-- recently I made it a planted display too. My aim was to take advantage of the relative height and lack of seems to make a "mound shape" tank viewable from 2 sides.

Right Side:

Corner:

Excuse the floating plants, that's some mini riccia I am trying to restore health to.

Left Side:

The design of the tank would dictate this as the "front" as it is opposite the painted side.

Right now, there are too many species of plants in there, I want to see what grows well, and what I want to keep. The glosso and elatine triandra are difficult to see in the photo, but will soon grow into a dense carpet.

As for the critters in there . . .

That's it-- crystal red bee shrimp, and a trio of otos. I hope to add some zebra otos in there some day.

Plant species (lets hope I don't forget any; listed from background--> foreground):
Hornwort
Giant Hair Grass (eleocharis sp.)
Myriphyllum Aquatica
Hygrophila sp.
Blyxa Japonica (Japanese Fern)
Cardamine Lyrata
Hemianthus Micranthemoides
Riccia Fluitons (regular, mini floating)
Monosorium tenerum (pellia)
Dwarf Hair Grass (eleocharis sp.)
Elatine Triandra
Glossostigma Elanotoides

Edit: I did forget some!
Moss species:
Mini Moss (lower part of wood)
Erect Moss (uper part of wood)
Taiwan Moss (on two of the stones)
No java moss in here . . . I'm happy

BTW-- this tank has 35 watts of power compact lighting, on a cube 12" all around, or about 7g.

 

[LoachLover]

Looks good B)

 

[lovebuzz]

Your tanks are just amazing, I wish I could make a tank as good as any of yours.

 

[bunjiweb]

Looks great, really love the plants you have gone for and great choice of tank mates! Otos are lovely catfishes and shrimps are so funny to watch scavaging all day long!

Ben

 

[tear-scar]

Thanks guys!

Bunjiweb-- I want to breed the shrimp in there, so I'm scared of adding ANYTHING that has a non-suction disk mouth . . . do you think Hong Kong loaches could survive in there?

The current is not amazing . . . but there is one. The tank is unheated, but temperature in Hawaii stays above 60 and below 80 all year round, fluctuations are gradual. So, it is kind of cool now, but will get to upper 70's in the summer. Once the plants take off, I doubt there will be a lot of algae, but there will be some probably. When that happens the otos and shrimp will have to be put on regular veggie diet anyway, so you think the Hong Kong Loaches could survive in there?

Lovebuzz-- What I would suggest is that you give planted tanks a try! Try something simple for your first-- Buy a small tank like those for a betta so 1.5g--5g, then use rocks and wood for the scape, and tie anubias nana, java ferns, and mosses to the stones and wood. Buy a flourescent desk light from a furniture/hardware store, and watch the low light plants grow! My suggestion would be to go with a light colored substrate that is not pure white, like coral sand. Leave the foreground bare. Restrain yourself in fish too-- a small tank should have only a few dwarf fish; shrimp are great to watch. Glass shrimp are cheap, and should help with algae.

Healthy plants, healthy critters. Lay out is not as important as healthy plants, and a sick but flashy colored ram cannot compare in beauty to a healthy female guppy. Use only natural materials, keep the plants healthy, and I am sure you can create a beautiful tank. However, this site is a good starting point for good lay out execution and planted tank set up: http/www.vectrapoint.com/main/infocentral.html

Make sure to check out "beginner's guide" and also "aquascape design."

If you cannot find moss, give me an address-- I'll sell mine for really cheap, though you have to pay shipping. My ten gal which was so pretty in my signature has been completely swamped . . . plus I tossed in the half-pound of Java moss I took out of THIS tank.

 

[bunjiweb]

I would stick to just the Ottos as far as scavangers go, I think you should stear clear of Loaches as they will take over from the ottos and thus your ottos wont be as active.

I would look into something like a "Micro Razbora" These are only half an inch and I think a shoal of 8 would look absolutly superb in that tank. They would also not disturb the ottos or the shrimp.

Ben

 

[cometcattle]

It looks incredible! Great job!


I just saw some zebra ottos. I think they were about $25 each!
They would look great in that tank, though.

Is the moss attached to the top of the wood?
If so, how long did it take to attach it self?

I just bought a compact fluorescent fixture (2 X 65w) for my 29g, and I want to try something similar.

 

[tear-scar]

cometcattle-- actually, I could not move the wood, so I could not use thread. I decided to take the photos, then use some unsitely twist ties to attach the moss to the wood. I'll remove the twist ties in about 2 weeks when the moss will have attached itself.

130watts total on your new fixture . . . that's solid! I wish you the best of luck. Look at the Nature Aquarium guides and think about hardscape-- that's my suggestion.

Bunji-- K, I'll steer clear of the loaches then. I actually have 1 type of microrasbora in another tank, and there are others available as well as the similar sized "ember tetra."

Those fish would not bother the otos or shrimp, but I'm less confident in their compatibility with shrimp fry. After all, those guys are adapted to eating small invertabrates . . . like baby shrimp barely bigger than a grain of fine sand . . .

I was thinking hatchet fish might be ok since they always stay at the top . . .

 

[cometcattle]

Thanks tear-scar. I bookmarked the site you posted.

I think hatchets could work, but I would do the marbled hatchets (trio). They only get to about 1.5", whereas the silvers can grow to 2.25".

You will definately need a tight fitting lid. Hatchets are world-class jumpers.

 

[DarkSide]

Sorry, but whats a microrasbora? Never heard of em'

Very nice tank too I shall be trying something like that soon too.

 

[tear-scar]

Micro rasbora is a name we have for several small rasbora species, generally 1" maximum size or smaller.

comet-- good luck! Hey, there are some marbled hatchets at one of my LFs recently . . .