5 gallon Tank Journal

[phoenixkiller]

I would title this thread "5 gallon build", but I already know what equipment I'm getting.

To bring you up to date, I convinced my dad to let me upgrade my Betta tank from a 2.5 to a 5 gallon, secretly so I would be able to plant the tank (You can't really plant a 2.5 gallon tank). I haven't gotten anything for it yet, save for some supplies for the DIY CO2 system. So here's what I'm gonna do:

Lighting: Black Full Spectrum Desk Lamp at Menards
I'm getting this, and this is medium-high is what I'm told.

Tank: Standard 5 gallon tank, nothing fancy like a Fluval Chi.

Filtration: Aqua Clear 20

Heater: None, until I have a tremendous need for one.

Substrate: White pool filter sand

Livestock: 1 Betta, maybe some RCS culls as a snack for him in the future

Plants: I don't know yet. Maybe you can throw in some ideas. I won't be getting any until the tank has been cycled for a while

Top/hood/lid: None. Gonna be an open-top (Evaporation is gonna be an issue, I know) set up.

Plant Supplementation:
1. CO2 - Starting for a few months with DIY CO2 and see how it goes. In a
few months I will get a good paintball set up (I don't have enough
money right now for some good quality supplies).
2. Fertilizers - Dry, powdered fertilizers is the name of the game. What I'm
dose is a good amount of Potassium Nitrate, Potassium
Sulfate, Mono Potassium Phosphate, and Plantex CSM + B.

Post your questions, comments, tips and criticisms for my idea. I can still change my mind, I have until Tuesday (6/5/12) before I go to Petsmart/Petco/LFS for the majority of the above listed supplies. I will post updates as they come.

Overall plan for this tank:

I am looking to do a heavily planted high tech-ish setup with a Betta and a consistent amount of RCS culls.

 

[Austin.b]

I would title this thread "5 gallon build", but I already know what equipment I'm getting.

To bring you up to date, I convinced my dad to let me upgrade my Betta tank from a 2.5 to a 5 gallon, secretly so I would be able to plant the tank (You can't really plant a 2.5 gallon tank). I haven't gotten anything for it yet, save for some supplies for the DIY CO2 system. So here's what I'm gonna do:

Lighting: Black Full Spectrum Desk Lamp at Menards
I'm getting this, and this is medium-high is what I'm told.

Tank: Standard 5 gallon tank, nothing fancy like a Fluval Chi.

Filtration: Aqua Clear 20

Heater: None, until I have a tremendous need for one.

Substrate: White pool filter sand

Livestock: 1 Betta, maybe some RCS culls as a snack for him in the future

Plants: I don't know yet. Maybe you can throw in some ideas. I won't be getting any until the tank has been cycled for a while

Top/hood/lid: None. Gonna be an open-top (Evaporation is gonna be an issue, I know) set up.

Plant Supplementation:
1. CO2 - Starting for a few months with DIY CO2 and see how it goes. In a
few months I will get a good paintball set up (I don't have enough
money right now for some good quality supplies).
2. Fertilizers - Dry, powdered fertilizers is the name of the game. What I'm
dose is a good amount of Potassium Nitrate, Potassium
Sulfate, Mono Potassium Phosphate, and Plantex CSM + B.

Post your questions, comments, tips and criticisms for my idea. I can still change my mind, I have until Tuesday (6/5/12) before I go to Petsmart/Petco/LFS for the majority of the above listed supplies. I will post updates as they come.

Overall plan for this tank:

I am looking to do a heavily planted high tech-ish setup with a Betta and a consistent amount of RCS culls.

Be careful of bloating if you have a constant supply of food in there for him.

Hmm for plants you can try a carpet of glossostigma or hydrocotyle sp. 'Japan, then have a bunch of stems in the back? What do you think?

Definitely following along!

 

[phoenixkiller]

Be careful of bloating if you have a constant supply of food in there for him.

Hmm for plants you can try a carpet of glossostigma or hydrocotyle sp. 'Japan, then have a bunch of stems in the back? What do you think?

Definitely following along!

Yeah, the RCS culls thing was just an idea, nothing set in stone. I may just throw in one or two every once in a while.

I was actually thinking of something like Hydrocotyle Tripartia, AKA Hydrocotyle sp. 'Japan' (I think). Glossostigma is a bit much for me right now, that's gonna be a while. I'll get some easy/easier plants for the back. Keep the ideas coming!

Thanks for following, I'm sure I will need your help with this tank .

 

[phoenixkiller]

I'm probably gonna order some supplies today, so I have some questions.

Should I get a glass diffuser, or just diffuse it with the AC 20?

I am also considering a small piece (or two) of driftwood. Pros and cons? What types are the best? Is it possible to do DW on a tank with a carpet of something?

 

[maxwellag]

You can easily plant a 2.5 gallon tank... it is cheaper to have because you need smaller amounts of ferts and light. You could plant both tanks nicely.

 

[phoenixkiller]

You can easily plant a 2.5 gallon tank... it is cheaper to have because you need smaller amounts of ferts and light. You could plant both tanks nicely.

You could, not too much room though. Your opinion on the DW and/or the diffuser question?

 

[maxwellag]

Yeah, the RCS culls thing was just an idea, nothing set in stone. I may just throw in one or two every once in a while.

I was actually thinking of something like Hydrocotyle Tripartia, AKA Hydrocotyle sp. 'Japan' (I think). Glossostigma is a bit much for me right now, that's gonna be a while. I'll get some easy/easier plants for the back. Keep the ideas coming!

Thanks for following, I'm sure I will need your help with this tank .

Hydrocotyle tripartita needs high lighting and lots of co2. I'm not sure a DIG setup would work. I also don't recommend paintball co2 setups because they're hard to adjust and sometimes explode.

 

[maxwellag]

I'm probably gonna order some supplies today, so I have some questions.

Should I get a glass diffuser, or just diffuse it with the AC 20?

I am also considering a small piece (or two) of driftwood. Pros and cons? What types are the best? Is it possible to do DW on a tank with a carpet of something?

Don't get a glass diffuser- DIY co2 doesn't produce enough pressure. I would use the filter, but don't forget a check valve. I use driftwood in all but one of my tanks and love it. It doesn't really matter what kind, but my favorites are cholla, mopani and manzanita. It is easy to grow a carpet of something around it- just break a bunch of the plant small "bushes" around the driftwood. They will fill in and grow around it.
Pros:
-looks good
-provides hiding spots
-makes tanks look more natural
-sometimes lowers ph
Cons:
-sometimes lowers ph (both pro and con)
-leaches tannins until you soak it for long enough
-sometimes doesn't sink
-sometimes rots

 

[phoenixkiller]

Don't get a glass diffuser- DIY co2 doesn't produce enough pressure. I would use the filter, but don't forget a check valve. I use driftwood in all but one of my tanks and love it. It doesn't really matter what kind, but my favorites are cholla, mopani and manzanita. It is easy to grow a carpet of something around it- just break a bunch of the plant small "bushes" around the driftwood. They will fill in and grow around it.
Pros:
-looks good
-provides hiding spots
-makes tanks look more natural
-sometimes lowers ph
Cons:
-sometimes lowers ph (both pro and con)
-leaches tannins until you soak it for long enough
-sometimes doesn't sink
-sometimes rots

I'll just diffuse it in the filter.

Sounds cool. I'll find a good piece of one of those kinds, maybe the tank will look a wee bit better .

 

[maxwellag]

I'll just diffuse it in the filter.

Sounds cool. I'll find a good piece of one of those kinds, maybe the tank will look a wee bit better .

Petco usually has good selection of mopani and manzanita. Cholla is basically bark with tiny holes that shrimp love to live in, so it is a lot more uncommon.

 

[phoenixkiller]

I'll check Petco when I go shopping on Tuesday. Thanks again.

 

[PC1]

DIY co2 will run a diffuser, I have used them for years. Be sure to keep an eye on how much DIY is going into a small tank. You can overdose easy.

 

[maxwellag]

DIY co2 will run a diffuser, I have used them for years. Be sure to keep an eye on how much DIY is going into a small tank. You can overdose easy.

IME it has enough pressure for a few days then doesn't have enough pressure, requiring the mix to be changed. I used one 2 liter with a check valve and glass diffuser and the check valve got clogged. I tried it again with a second 2 liter to catch gunk. It worked for a while, but soon lost pressure.

 

[PC1]

It' a trip how things work differently for people. I did use a filter bottle as well to help with the little mess that can make it through the tube. I would get an avg of 2 weeks per bottle when I used mine.

 

[maxwellag]

It' a trip how things work differently for people. I did use a filter bottle as well to help with the little mess that can make it through the tube. I would get an avg of 2 weeks per bottle when I used mine.

Maybe my diffuser just required lots of pressure lol. Mine was a larger diffuser so that might have something to do with it.

 

[PC1]

very possible, I used little ones. Maybe about a nickle size plate

 

[maxwellag]

Here's a list of plants that are smaller sized that may work (sorted by lighting requirements):

Low
Anubias barteri
Bolbitis heudelotii
Ceratophyllum demersum
Cladophora aegagropila
Cryptocoryne beckettii
Marsilea hirsuta
Microsorum pteropus
Monosolenium tenerum
Vesicularia Xmas
Vesicularia dubyana

Medium
Bacopa australis
Bacopa monnieri
Cryptocoryne parva
Diplidis diandra
Echinodorus angustifolius
Echinodorus parviflorus
Echinodorus tenellus
Lilaeopsis mauritiana
Littorella uniflora
Pogostemon helferi (downoi)
Riccia fluitans
Utricularia graminifolia
Vallisneria nana

High
Echinodorus quadricostatus
Eleocharis acicularis
Eleocharis parvula
Glossostigma elatinoides
Hemianthus callitrichoides (dwarf baby tears)
Hemianthus micranthemoides
Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides
Hygrophila corymbosa
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis (micro sword)
Lilaeopsis novae-zelandiae
Lobelia cardinalis
Ludwigia arcuata
Micranthemum umbrosum
Mayaca sellowiana
Ranunculus limosella
Rotala rotundifolia
Rotala wallichii

 

[maxwellag]

very possible, I used little ones. Maybe about a nickle size plate

I was using one that was about a half dollar size. I wonder if the holes are smaller or something. Who knows! lol

 

[Austin.b]

Here's a list of plants that are smaller sized that may work (sorted by lighting requirements):

Low
Anubias barteri
Bolbitis heudelotii
Ceratophyllum demersum
Cladophora aegagropila
Cryptocoryne beckettii
Marsilea hirsuta
Microsorum pteropus
Monosolenium tenerum
Vesicularia Xmas
Vesicularia dubyana

Medium
Bacopa australis
Bacopa monnieri
Cryptocoryne parva
Diplidis diandra
Echinodorus angustifolius
Echinodorus parviflorus
Echinodorus tenellus
Lilaeopsis mauritiana
Littorella uniflora
Pogostemon helferi (downoi)
Riccia fluitans
Utricularia graminifolia
Vallisneria nana

High
Echinodorus quadricostatus
Eleocharis acicularis
Eleocharis parvula
Glossostigma elatinoides
Hemianthus callitrichoides (dwarf baby tears)
Hemianthus micranthemoides
Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides
Hygrophila corymbosa
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis (micro sword)
Lilaeopsis novae-zelandiae
Lobelia cardinalis
Ludwigia arcuata
Micranthemum umbrosum
Mayaca sellowiana
Ranunculus limosella
Rotala rotundifolia
Rotala wallichii

Nice List!!!!!

However, i do disagree that Rotala Rotundifolia and Hygrophila corymbosa need high light.

 

[maxwellag]

Nice List!!!!!

However, i do disagree that Rotala Rotundifolia and Hygrophila corymbosa need high light.

I have had mediocre results with them in lower amounts of lighting. They grew, but it was an odd stringy growth.