🐠 TOTM VOTE NOW: March 2025 Tank of the Month Contest (16 Gallons and smaller)

[connorlindeman]

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Please Vote Now
We have 12 awesome tanks entered in Fishforums' March 2025 Tank of the Month contest featuring tanks sized at 16 US gallons and smaller. View all the tanks and descriptions below and then go to poll at the top of this thread, click on your choice for TOTM, and then click the "Cast" button.

Please DO NOT post any comments about any specific entry in this thread...such posts will promptly be deleted. You are not allowed to update your entry picture or video once voting has started.

Please Note:
Any attempt to influence competition results, other than by casting your allocated vote, is not permitted and may result in your entry being removed and / or further action being taken. You are not allowed to have friends or family join TFF for the main purpose of voting for you. This is a public poll so source of votes can be viewed.

Winner will be awarded a neat "Tank of the Month Winner" banner in their profile area and will be featured in a "TOTM Winner" thread for all to see and to comment on. Winner will also be added to our TOTM WALL OF FAME

You are allowed to change your vote if you wish.
This poll will end on March 16 at 5:36 P.M.

 

[connorlindeman]

I guess I'll kick it off.

Ten-gallon Blackwater Chili Rasbora Aquarium​

This is my ten gallon Chili Rasbora Aquarium.
I must say I have been very impressed in the beautiful coloration of Ludwigia 'Mini Super Red'. I have had it before, but it was never as red as this.
The wood is pacific wood. When I first filled the tank, the wood leached so much tannin, that I could not see through it at all. Unexpected to say the least. All the plants that I had planted died off due to the insane tannins. 2 months of weekly water changes later, the wood tannins release began to settle into a more manageable amount. This is about as dark as the water will get over the course of a week. I planted Ludwigia 'Mini Super Red', Cryptocoryne Sp Tiger(Underrated crypt, barely visible in the back left), Crytocoryne Wendtii Red, Java fern and Broad Leaf Chain Swords(new addition you can see some melt as they settle in).

Currently the home to Chili Rasbora and one Amano Shrimp. I never really see the Amano, but the Chili Rasbora love it in there.

Here are the detailed specs for any one that is interested:
Equipement:
1) Aqueon 10 Gallon Aquarium
2) Aqueon AT10 Internal Filter
3) Aqueon 50W Heater
4) Chihiros A Series LED Light
Fauna:
1) Chili Rasbora - https://www.wetspottropicalfish.com/product/boraras-brigittae/
2) Amano Shrimp - https://aquahuna.com/products/amano-shrimp
Flora:
1) Cryptocoryne Wendtii Red
2) Cryptocoryne Sp Tiger
3) Broad Leaf Chain Sword
4) Ludwigia Sp 'Mini Super Red'
5) Java Fern
6) Oak Leaves collected from nature
Hardscape:
1) Rock collected from nature
2) Pacific Wood
3) Quikrete Pool Filter Sand

 

[Magnum Man]

well, even though my last entry didn't even get one vote, and I've already gotten flack about this nano tank... in the spirit of the game, and showing unusual stuff, that's been working...
I enter my 5.5 gallon nano tank...


it's a 5.5 gallon glass jar...
residents... a dozen Cherry Shrimp, raised here in my breeder tank, 3+ Blueberry snails ( they are live bearers and I think I have a baby ), (2) high fin sunrise Platy's this pair is about half grown, raised here, in a breeder tank... plants include a single stalk of Lucky Bamboo, which anchors the cord for the heater (75) watt, the air line for the 20 gallon rated sponge filter , and (2) 24 inch flowering Hoya vines are rooted, and growing into the windows... (4) Marimo algae balls, rest on the bottom, and a sprig of Christmas Moss, seems to be thriving in the natural light... there are 2 small pieces of spider wood stacked on top of each other, on the small rounded river gravel about a half inch deep for substrate, the light comes from the corner SW window it sits in, and an antique desk lamp on a timer, in the corner behind it... I have a micro gravel vacuum, and water changes are a snap, in this little tank, which is done with a blend of RO water, and my hard well water...

 

[Sir Guppy]

11 Gallon Cube Aquarium:

This tank has been setup up for about three months. I hope to breed the amano shrimp eventually. I’ve heard its hard, but I still hope to succeed.

Houses
-7 Black Phantom Tetras,
-4 Amano Shrimp,
-a growing army of Malaysian Trumpet Snails,
-another kind of snail whoes species I am unsure of.
Plants:
-Nana bonsai Anubias,
-Unknown

pogostemon "octopus"

Equipment:
-NICREW LED lighting
-Double Sponge Filter
-Tetra Air Pump

Water Change Schedule:
3% Water Change + Top up every three weeks.

 

[MattW]

Thought I'd enter this piece of art
My very dirty 10L fry tank (2.5 gallons)
It's home to around 20+ DB ricefish fry (2-3 months old) of varying sizes and a few ramshorn snails. The tank runs on an airstone, heater and cheap light. Along with a background of black and white paper stuck on with electrical tape. Plants include Elodea & Java fern along with a few small cuttings of other plants that I'm trying to grow. Water changes are not done often enough but the fish are healthy and levels aren't off the charts so I'm happy I do have another 10L tank in the works to split the group up and make more room for the growing fry. (These fish will not be staying in here long term as they will be given away or sold when big enough)

 

[MaloK]

Hardware:
Revamped Vintage Hagen Starter Kit
Hagen 4.77g (18.05L) Semi-Braced Glass Aquarium, 16"L, 8"W, 8.5"H (replaced by an aqueon the same size after an accident)
Tronic Gold 50w Water Heater
AquaClear A600 Filter
AQQA AQ037 12w Full Spectrum Led Light
Marina A50 Air Pump
Hygger Medium Sponge Filter

Settings:
Light: 40% full spectrum. minus 20% blue. Day starts at 9:30 Night starts at 20:30, moonlight 1 hour
Temperature: 73.0°stable 24/7 (Winter weather) goes to 80° during summer

Plants:
3x Microsorum Pteropus (Java Fern)
2x Pogostemon Erectus (Downoi Plant) that melted to shrimp food. (long ago)
1x Anubias Barteri Nana (Dwarf Anubias)
2x Anubias Barteri (Broadleaf Anubias)

Stock:
Initially 12 Cherry shrimps of various colors. Turned to a lot more than a thousand with 800 sold atm.

Water chemistry:
Nitrates are standing at 10 ppm.
Kh 70ppm, Gh 80ppm, Ph 7.4 that I maintain by adding minerals and concentrated leaf extracts to RODI Water.

Fertilization:
10 drops of NilocG Aquatics, ThriveC per week... And less.

Initially setup the 05-11-23 with plants and light, after a complete snail eradication, the shrimps where introduced 29-12-23 and multiplied exponentially.

Feeding:
Still the full pantry loaded with 5 Staple food, 4 supplements, plus cooked veggies 2 times a week and a couple more goodies. That I try to rotate without overfeeding.

Staple:
Nutrafin Spirulinae Tabs
Glassgarten Shrimp Dinner
Omega One Shrimp & Lobster Pellets
Aqueon Herbivore Shrimp
Aqueon Omnivore Shrimp

Supplement:
Glasgarten Bacter AE
Glasgarten Mineral Junkie

Veggies:
All boiled and peeled if applicable, for maximum enjoyment.
Zucchinis, Baby carrots, Broccoli, Spinach

Maintenance:
Rinse new input strainer every month
Rinse Sponge filter once a month (replaced too)
Rinse AC media every 2-3 month
Vacuum mulm accumulating area at every mini filter rinse (not been done since)
Scrape front glass every AC media rinse (almost)

Water changes:
20% per week along maintenance.

This tank has changed since it's installation.

 

[Ed Pursell]

Group, here’s my 10 gallon tank:
Set up 3 years.
1 Albino Cory
3 Neon Tetras
5 Blue Platys
1 Tiger Barb
3 Zebra Danios

Live Plants:
Some Java Moss
Java Fern
Aunubius

Equipment:
Fluval Aqua Clear HOB Filter
Fluval Heater
Black Gravel
Simple set up, small tank but good luck with it for 3 years.

 

[Fishlover1N]

This is my 15 gallon ricefish tank. It is a new tank, only setup 3 months ago. It's stocked with daisys blue ricefish and blue shrimp. The ricefish have managed to breed and I always see eggs but the fry usually get eaten.

Equipment:
- superfish internal heater 100
- superfish heater 50w
- allpondsolutions light

Plants
- anubias
- salvinia
- java fern
-amazon sword
-valisnera
- the other ones I forgot

Stocking:
- 7 daisys blue ricefish
- many blue shrimp

Water parameters:
Gh is 200ppm, Kh is 100ppm and pH is around 7.2

I feed the tank once a day, usually fit and wild flakes. They also get frozen daphnia or brine shrimp once a week. Tank maintenance is a 10% water change weekly.

 

[gwand]

This is the first tank l set up that initiated me into the hobby. It was established in 2022. It is a 10 gallon tank containing white cloud mountain minnows, neocaridina and celestial pearl danios. These are the first fish and shrimp I ever owned and they have made it to this point in time. The plants are mostly Amazon swords. There is two pieces of cholla, moss balls and river stones. The tank is kept at room temperature.

 

[Crunchycrouton]

This is my 4.9 gallon UNS aquarium. It’s my first co2 tank and it’s home to 5 cherry and rilli shrimp. It runs off of a diy co2 system, the fzone brand, and the lighting is an ONF flat nano. This aquarium is one of my smallest planted aquariums, and one of my favorites. The carpeting plant is dwarf baby tears, the other plants are Ludwigia super red, nesaea, and hydrocotyle. This tank has been up and running for around 3 months.

 

[emeraldking]

Well, I'll join in with a 60 liter tank (almost 16 gallon). In here I've got two types of goodeids in: Xenotoca doadrioi and Zoogoneticus purhepechus. Two not aggressive goodeid species.
The vegetation is kept low in number for these goodeids don't occur in rich vegetated waters. But I do have to admit that they're excellent algae eaters.
The branch is an artificial one but looks natural enough to me...
There's no heater in there for these mexican livebearers appreciate lower temps better.

 

[connorlindeman]

End of Entries:
Slowly scroll upward as you review the 10 awesome entries and then in the poll at the top of this thread, click on your choice for Tank of the Month. Be sure to click the CAST button to register your vote.

 

[Fishmanic]

So many good looking tanks.. I can’t decide.
Guess I’ll have to resort to “eenie, meenie, miney, moe”

 

[CassCats]

It is a very tough choice, so many good ones and each for a different appeal too

 

[connorlindeman]

Keep the votes coming!