new ultra micro Amano style planted tank, co2, just started

new micro planted tank, co2, just started

I dont make new aquariums very often as the goal is to age the ones I have, but these micro reefs sitting idle must be used so here goes a new one I plan to age years and years with a little hardware luck

its 1/2 gallon with substrate from livewithnature.net, micro co2 fluval system using API inverted test tubes as capture and hold containers, moss carpeting, micro tree growing in

its extremely challenging to balance until it ages, the simple trick is lots of full water changes. a crs shrimp in tow for the cycling is an excellent testament to the effectiveness of large water changes during a cycle ( i realize there are 500 preferred ways to cycle )

the tank is about 4 weeks old now, for the first two weeks aged water from another planted tank was the seeding and fuel source, its now on its own water and carbon support

the trick is grow it in dense to make sure these transplanted plants have a foothold, then trim back into scape

some of my transplanted marsilea minuta plant was mailed to me in 105 degree heat and some of it is browning, this is the challenge with micro setups you just have to be patient, trust in the technique which is constant wc until stabilized, not the opposite, keeping ferts and gas high, and animals fed. its early stage cpr, it is command cycling vs completely indeliberate API confusing the heck out of me cycling

here is a reef version of the same tank design, I have three of these assembled micro tanks they were very rare demos made by ?? tank manufacturer in the late 90s as mini demos of their woodwork. the little acrylic tank and canopy were incidental but do hold water, so naturally we made long term aquariums of them and I bought all 3 my lfs had and nobody on the planet can find a link or a pic of them heh lucky


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_hAQFAED7M


any good woodworker could fab a better setup, but for a non woodworker its ready to go/plant/reef
thanks for stopping in
B

It is a true problem to tune, good call

there is 13w 50 50 reef cfl from hellolights.com

its true there must be blockage or it's too much... experimenting

have acrylic plate with electrical tape blockers for time being

this angle shows light and co2 approach with dual api tubes, tuning that as well

You know how you can invert a test tube full of water and lift it out of the tank but not break the seal, and the water will hold as you raise up the tube? Thats a capture device. I inject co2 up under that and displace all the water with pure co2 from a 20$ microsystem Fluvall co2 20 check one out, they are neat

the problem isn't efficiency, its not overdoing the tiny space so an on/off typical co2 setup couldn't be a worthy risk. The tank is maximized for no co2 as much as possible, high quality soil and dry fert mixes and then a tube or two of gas each day is the kicker
There may indeed be a better way to gas it this was just first go

not quite sure how many tubes to use still experimenting but I use the behavior of the shrimp in there as a guide

here is upshot of the co2 tube draining all its gas into the tank

one tube takes 8 hours to drain empty so it covers my light cycle well and then no co2 at night...

Sure

juvenile fish will work fine

they don't have to be in there forever

I have used one to eat the Copepods that transferred to this tank using old water. It doesn't mean it can't go back to the original tank after use,

A male endlers is appropriate. A betta, this is an exceptionally oxygenated, fed and exported system it beats the stability of tanks much larger. It is for shrimp

but a male endlers would benefit the ecosystem over quite a long time, keeps the Copepods at bay, good waste for the system. Having other seasoned tanks avail for transfers as needed reduces any risk to using micro species of fish