Planted Pico Project

[JAY973]

Quick Update: This attempt got much better reviews and this is what I went with or as close to it as possible. Of course even with the picture I couldn't get it the same again...LOL

So a couple of months after the original plan I finally got back to the tank and this is where I'm at.

I have a close out Walmart 13w CFL light, RedSea Nano filter (came highly recommended), RedSea paintball Co2 Kit with 20oz Co2, black background. Trust me the diffuser in there is temporary it's all I had, what came with the kit would shot the water out of the tank...LOL Oh the substrate is SMS, no heater I'm going to see what temp range it can stay without one for now. I built a base to raise the tank closer to the light nothing fancy.

Right now all that's in there is very little hairgrass but I didn't take a pic. I hope to pack the tank today with clippings to plant cycle the tank and I hope to find a nano diffuser locally.

 

[JAY973]

Well this is what I'm settling for until I get my hands on some hardscape that really inspires me. With the limits of the stones I do have at the moment I decided to go for a mountain appearance. It all has some growing in to do but there is hope and I like it.

Flora list
Lobelia cardinalis sp dwarf
Eleocharis parvula
Ammania sp. bonsai
Glossostigma elatinoides
Eleocharis acicularis (Dwarf Hairgrass)

Fuana
2 Red Cherry shrimp
snails which hitched a rid on the plant clippings

I know the drop checker is hideous but it's only temporary to very the Co2 levels are within range, which it seems to be now and the blue tubing will be replace with clear. Hope you guys like it.

 

[serissime]

looks awesome!

 

[bushwhacker]

LOL

Cool project! I just have to say...



...that I'm pretty sure the rocks are a LOT more than 10 years old. :

now thats the understatement of the year

 

[JAY973]

***Disclaimer I never claimed I knew what I was doing in this hobby***

I have to say I think it's funny now, but I was worried about my plants in the name of trial and error (aka science) I let it play out.

Set the Stage
I've never been any good at ratios so I thought I'd eyeball using Hydrogen Peroxide to treat BBA algae using a 12cc syringe. The pico's water volume is a little over 1.5 gal.

Flora
Stargrass
Dwarf Hairgrass
Lobelia cardinalis
Glosso

Fauna
2 RCS
Pond Snails

The accident
I used the first 12cc with little immediate effect (this is were I'm to fast for my own good) not realizing there isn't an immediate reaction I pumped another 12cc. Well as I'm about to load another 12cc fizzing starts to pick up next thing I know the Pico is more of a HOT TUB in a blink of an eye.

The humor really being how much 24cc of peroxide can make a 1.5gal pico fizz. It was fizzing everywhere even in areas I hadn't targeted with the syringe. The stargrass is the only plant that looks bleach affected by peroxide.

Unfortunely 2 days later the sole 2 RCS inhabitants didn't make it but I'm lucky that's all I had in there I thought after starting the filter they would've been fine. Now that I think about it I believe the killing of the filter bacteria because of the peroxide would've impacted the tank just as bad.

You can see in the pic the pale leaves on the Stargrass in the back left and you can just make out some of the BBA that's now greyish on the rocks.

Anyway I think after my H2O2 accident I'm going to take the opportunity to do a tank redo and experiment with the AquaSoil I bought a few months back. I'd like to get my hands on some nice hardscape like rocks or thin small branchy pieces of wood. I dred pulling up that Glosso because it did take so long for it to spread like that. I can see the difference in May - Sep very little change Sep-Nov the Glosso is almost filled in. I haven't change anything still just topping off.

Open to suggestions.

 

[WeedCali]

so whatever happened with this project? i really like the tank

 

[jbradt]

Looks great... keep the updates coming!

 

[odinthejd]

looks good

 

[JAY973]

so whatever happened with this project? i really like the tank

Thanks for asking.

I think I'm going to call it quits with the dwarf hairgrass not filling in the way I'd like. I hope to do something a little more creative soon.

There's a RCS trio in the tank but they aren't reproducing.

 

[WeedCali]

wow i like it. i want to do a 5 gallon nano tank.