View Full Version : AphexMatt's 10G Planted Tank (pic. hvy)
AphexMatt
12-30-2008, 2:25 PM
After about 2 years since my last tank fizzled out I'm back into the hobby.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/aphexmatt/tank.jpg
FTS for the non-believers... lol
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/aphexmatt/CIMG3833.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/aphexmatt/CIMG3831.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/aphexmatt/CIMG3829.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/aphexmatt/CIMG3826.jpg
The star of the show, he likes to pose for close ups... but it must be hard having everyone look at you, especially when they look like this:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/aphexmatt/CIMG3822.jpg
Thanks for looking here are the tank stats:
10G tank.
Aqueon Power Filter 10 w/ DIY sponge on intake.
50?Watt heater @ 80° F (+2° day, -3° night).
(2) Coralife Mini Aqualights each with (1) 6700K & (1) 10000K, 9Watt compact flourescent bulbs on for 10 hours uninterupted each day.
15lbs. Black Sand Flourite.
(1) piece Malaysian driftwood.
(1) piece Mopani driftwood.
Plants:
Java Moss attached to driftwood.
Guppy Grass untethered.
Stocking:
(1) Male Crowntail Betta
(8) Ghost shrimp
Camera: Casio Exilim 10.1 (still learning how to photo a tank, any suggestions?)
Plans:
Java ferns in front of the heater.
Anubias on the grouping of 4 rocks to the left.
Black background.
Custom rebuilding the Ikea furniture around the tank to include a different light setup.
Lexi_D
12-30-2008, 2:51 PM
Wow! Terrific tank and gorgeous betta! lol I love the shrimp pic! ;)
powerkit
12-30-2008, 3:05 PM
wow, terrific pics! very nice pic, glad yor back in the hobby!
rich311k
12-30-2008, 3:17 PM
Nice tank and fish!
jm1212
12-30-2008, 3:54 PM
beautiful tank
jpappy789
12-31-2008, 1:25 AM
Amazing tank!
AphexMatt
12-31-2008, 9:05 AM
Thank you everyone for your great response to my tank! Its still a work in progress, but aren't they all? Look what I found! Hitchhiker! What type do you think he/she is? I'll ask who I got the plants from what she had to confirm.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/aphexmatt/CIMG3836.jpg
snoopy65
12-31-2008, 9:18 AM
I think it looks like a ramshorn.
AphexMatt
01-02-2009, 5:26 PM
Yup confirmed Ramshorn!
He isn't the newest member of the 10G though soon these lil guys will be going in to complete the stocking.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/aphexmatt/CIMG3866.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/aphexmatt/CIMG3867.jpg
3 Otos! I got them at the Petco close to me and they are currently waiting in the 5.5G QT tank. I'm not going to keep them there too long as they do seem lively and healthy. Only 1 doesn't have a really round belly but I have seen them all eat when I was testing foods out for them.
Rbishop
01-03-2009, 5:15 AM
Very nice return!
noodles62
01-03-2009, 6:34 AM
Beautiful tank and Betta!
Chrisinator
01-03-2009, 12:30 PM
Your first Oto shot makes him look like a rocket.
Hooked Newbie
01-03-2009, 12:39 PM
Very nice little tank!
pigeonkeeper
01-03-2009, 1:25 PM
AWESOME BETTA!!
AphexMatt
01-03-2009, 11:18 PM
The Otos are little crackheads!
Update on the tank and surrounding madness: I changed the lighting on the 10G to just 2 6700K 9W bulbs, one in ea. fixture as per suggestions on plantedtank.net. I finally looked at my heater it was only 25Watts so i added another small one, this is just a temp fix though. But the big news is I have finally started putting together the ikea furniture i took apart to fit the tank in. It involves some custom wood working on my (and my fiance's fathers part) but so far I have the initial mock up...
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/aphexmatt/CIMG3875.jpg
My fiance is a decorative painter/artist so I will be able to match the new pieces to the existing. Plans include an intigrated light top over the 10G.
Nolapete
01-03-2009, 11:29 PM
Be sure to submit your tank pic for the Tank of the Month contest. It's a great tank.
st0l1
01-04-2009, 12:05 AM
Great looking tank.
Bubbles2112
01-04-2009, 12:42 AM
Be sure to submit your tank pic for the Tank of the Month contest. It's a great tank.
I agree! Your tank is great!! It has a larger tank feel to it when I look at the FTS and is very nicely done!
First of all, great tank! You've got some gnarly lookin driftwood and I love the guppy grass drapings :) Once you get that black background, the attention will be focused on what's in the tank and it will look a lot bigger!
About the otos though, I'd keep them in quarantine for at least 4 weeks, you never know what they might be harboring even if they look healthy and active. And I'm sure you don't want to endanger that beautiful betta!
Welcome back to the hobby :D
AphexMatt
01-08-2009, 10:29 AM
Thank you again everyone! I still don't think its contest ready quite yet... neither is my photography! I need a few more plants and for them to grow in and a background and new heater.... but first this update! We (my g/f and I) painted the new parts of the desk and it looks great! I did the priming and she did the wood grain.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/aphexmatt/CIMG3890.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/aphexmatt/CIMG3892.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/aphexmatt/CIMG3898.jpg
She is awesome!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/aphexmatt/CIMG3902.jpg
A comparison to the ikea laminate.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/aphexmatt/CIMG3903.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/aphexmatt/CIMG3904.jpg
All put together.
Now that was half the project, I still have to make the light top over the tank and I am still thinking about how I want to do that. I have a few ideas.
Now of course since its all together I can't help but look at the space and say, " Hmmmm, a 20G high would fit perfectly here and fill this square nicely..." The square is 27"W x 27"H x 15"D so if I did do that hang on back filter choices would either be limited or impossible but its ohh so tempting.
In the actual tank(s) business; I still have the otos in the QT (now on the top of the furniture) I was going to put them in early but I guess what you said Pik01 and my better judgment won over my excitement. The moss in the QT isn't doing all that well but its still living, it could be that the light it gets doesn't look as good to me as the main tank though. If the water conditions start going bad or it dies more I will be concerned right now I am just watching it. In the 10G all is well, the Guppy Grass is growing alot of roots down which I kinda like, lets me know that its doing well. The snail has gotten alot bigger but is shy and I haven't seen it for 2 days but it does that.
wish i could get a 10 gallon to look like that.
sweet tank man.