2.5 gallon custom cube journal

You've picked out some great plants for that tank. Most of them I had never heard of before.
 
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Downoi and Ludwigia planted... woot!. Though, to be honest, I'm a little disappointed in the Ludwigia color and leafe shape/pattern, but hopefully it gets better color and patterning with some time and care.

The Downoi, on the other hand, is no disappointment... just beautiful!

Also, I rearranged the Hydrocotyle some when I realized it was going to stay a low-grower - it is now in front of the rock on the right, and in front of the Lobelia on the left, wrapping down around the edges of that rock hill. I look forward to seeing its growth pattern - I hope I don't have to yank it.

The Blyxa and HC should be here soon, and take their places! Oh, and I'm going to order the fish any day now, and the shrimp will be picked up on Nov 6th... pretty exciting stuff! :dance:

-Jared
 
Thanks all!

Mgamer20o0 - I'm gonna stick with this Ludwigia a while and see how I like it. Oh, and thanks for the tip on the blog. I just started one up! Oh boy, another aquarium-related online thingy to blow my time on... my wife will be so happy!

Squakbert - Nope, not a Tokay. It's a Henkel's leaftail gecko Uroplatus henkeli.

Phanmc - It is pretty weird looking, and I too had my doubts about it really being L. senegalensis, but I'm pretty sure it is the real deal now. See, what I didn't plant in the nano, I left floating in my bigger tank right under 110 watts CF with injected CO2... Sure enough, only a day later, and it has the distinctive leaf venation and green-to-red color gradient characteristic of L. senegalensis.

I just tediously planted a bunch of HC, stem, by stem, by stem, throughout the foreground with the other plants. Hopefully, like I said earlier, it doesn't just overtake everything and choke it all out (fingers crossed!). I'd love for the HC to just start filling in, and for the Crypts and Downoi to respond by growing a bit more vertical... and then they all lived happily ever after!

Anyway, I'll post some more pics when I get a chance - maybe over the weekend. keep an eye here and on my blog for updates.

-Jared
 
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I highly doubt HC will outgrow and overtake anything, it's a very slow growing plant that usually gets outgrown by others. My marsilea is actually outgrowing it.
 
Got the HC in, and switched out the filter to the ZooMed 501. Also, I had a VERY ghetto retrofitted 27 watt CF in the hood, but it had been having frightening electrical problems, so I went and got one of the 27 watt HD desk lamps, gutted it, and made it into a retrofit. Anyway, here's a new FTS:

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See my blog for more pics.

The B japonica and the fish will be arriving this week, and the shrimp will be in next week. woo hoo!

-Jared
 
Added about 1/2 a cup of peat to the filter in a micro-mesh bag. This took the pH down from 7.5+ to about 6.8, and KH down from 5 to 4. It also added some tannins to the water, but I like the look. Anyway, this change was necessary for the Phoenix Rasboras I'll be getting on wednesday (they like things a little softer/more acidic than it was)!

Oh, and I should mention how awesome Frank at www.franksaquarium.com has been throughout my research and buying process. He answered all emails in a timely manner, gave me honest advice (even when it didn't benefit him), and was just all around nice. So yeah, frank's a great guy... let's just hope the fish don't disappoint!

-Jared
 
Beware the Onyx sand as it will fight your peat by hardening the water and raising the pH. I used to keep it in my Amazon blackwater tank and always wondered why I couldn't ever keep my chemistry in the acidic/soft range where I wanted it. Changed over to Tahitian Moon Sand/medium sand mix with Soilmaster on top and now my tank is a perfect little acid pool.

I just wish I knew why they call that stuff Onyx sand. It looks more like crumbled up old crappy concrete to me. I'm glad to be rid of it. Want some?
 
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