1.5 Nano Planted

[phin]

my kids got me a 1.5g "glowfish" aquarium for my desk at work a couple years ago. I've since had it set up with a crayfish. I manage 1 or 2 one gallon water changes per week. Filter is a tetra whisper in-tank 3i Small Aquarium Filter: Internal Filter Perfect for up to 3 gallon Tank. I have it filled with seachem matrix and a cut of poly-fill on top. I change the poly-fill weekly.

The light that comes with it is a 9 blue led lamp.

After reading about some planted nano builds I've decided to overhaul my nano desktop tank and plant it.

Above the tank, under the cabinet over the desk is a 32" t8 fixture (about 10" from the top of the water). Currently it has a phillips TL70 4100K lamp in it. I could replace the bulb with a daylight lamp I suppose, or I could clamp a standard fixture over the tank and screw in a daylight CFL. Thoughts on this?

Substrate is black gravel mixed with black aquarium sand I scooped out of a broken down tank at my LFS, so I don't know exactly what it is. I'm not planning on changing the substrate as it is nutrient rich after a couple years of crayfish waste. I can add root tabs if I need to.

Well, I'm taking suggestions for flora and fauna. Shrimp I suppose, possibly a few rasboras? I'll rehome the crayfish, as it won't be compatible wth any type of aquascaping as shim constantly re-arranges everything.

I haven't thought about CO2 injection, but with a tank this small I might just do excel.

Any thoughts, suggestions, best practices when going planted this small?

I'm not dead-set on ANYTHING and am open to ANY suggestions regarding planting this tank, so all suggestions, criticisms, or random general comments are welcome.

 

[phin]

Some more thoughts:

Without the crayfish I would not need the lid. I could then remove the black rim and have a rimless acrylic tank and fill the water line up to the top, adding about a liter of water to my tank (estimate). However this would necessitate me changing filters, which I would not mind doing since there isn't much space in there to begin with.

Any suggestions on external (not HOB) filters for a 1.5g? Wouldn't mind a DIY filter or something off the shelf.

edit: Leaning toward the zoomed nano 501 filter (same as zoomed nano 10 I think). Flow rate is 80gph, but I can probably slow that down. Anyone with experience here---other suggestions still welcomed.

 

[gman42]

You could get a azoo palm filter, or another azoo filter. The azoo filters are super small.

 

[aqua_chem]

Is this a normal tank design, or some whack-tastic design like a bowl or bowfront? If it's not a bowl or something weird like that, you can use the Azoo Palm filter.The Zoomed 501 seems like overkill on a tank that size, especially if you aren't doing CO2. If you're stuck on the mini-canister, also look at the Tom Rapids Mini-canister filter.

In my opinion, a tank that small is not suitable for any size of fish, nanos included.

Do you have any thoughts for what the design of the tank is going to be?

 

[phin]

Is this a normal tank design, or some whack-tastic design like a bowl or bowfront? If it's not a bowl or something weird like that, you can use the Azoo Palm filter.The Zoomed 501 seems like overkill on a tank that size, especially if you aren't doing CO2. If you're stuck on the mini-canister, also look at the Tom Rapids Mini-canister filter.

In my opinion, a tank that small is not suitable for any size of fish, nanos included.

Do you have any thoughts for what the design of the tank is going to be?

I like the azoo palm filter. The tank design is normal (pretty much). At the base, the tank is 7"x7", at the top the tank measures 7.5"x7.5". It is 7.25" tall.

I'm leaning more toward wabi-sabi than minimalist. I have some nice rocks as a centerpiece for the scape. I would like the whole bottom to be carpeted, some taller plants in the back (thin-leaf roseatte or swords, not stem or bush), smooth transition, no more than three species of plants.

Won't add fish on a tank this size, perhaps some RCS to contrast with the greenery. open to all suggestions on fauna as well. I would like the tank to be about the plants and the scape, with the critters to be secondary/accent to the scape.

 

[aqua_chem]

Do you mean wabi-kusa? That would be an interesting use of a tank that size.

 

[phin]

No, I was thinking wabi-sabi, like thus:



But I agree, wabi kusa is intriguing to me and i will consider it. I would still be able to put inverts in the water, possibly a small amphibian (but would need a lid).

 

[aqua_chem]

Do you mean iwagumi? I've never heard it called wabi-sabi before. But yes, I think that wabi-kusa would somewhat offset the disadvantage of low water volume, but I still don't think I would put any non-inverts in there.

 

[phin]

There's been a 4-part series in Tropical Fish Hobbiest over the last 4 months under the column Adventures in Aquascaping. It has walked through a 5.5 gallon nano build. The technique described in the magazine is wabi-sabi. That was the first time I heard the term. I assumed it was more well known.

 

[phin]

Question:

The water line of this tank will be 9" from the t8 fixture above it. The tank is 7.5" deep. Do you think switching out the 36" bulb above it with a 6500K 30w T8 will be sufficient? Or should I add a clip on lamp with a 6500k CFL bulb (10 or 13w)?

If I use the fixture on my desk it will not be on a timer, but will get about 9 hrs light a day (when I'm in the office), so no light during weekends/holidays I could also leave this light on over the weekend. I could plug a clip on desk lamp into a timer and ensure at least a normal light schedule. which would be best?

 

[Scottyhorse]

Putting it on a timer wouldn't hurt at all!

 

[phin]

I can't put the T8 on a timer. If I just left it on over the weekend, but turned it off when I left each week day - any problems with that?

 

[aqua_chem]

Why can't you put the T8 on a timer?

I think given the size of the setup, a clip-on lamp with a 10w or 13w CFL will give you more light with less bulk.

 

[phin]

The T8 is installed on the underside of a cabinet that overhangs my desk. It's wired in, and I'm not exactly sure where it draws from. Its not "my" lamp to be splicing into. I'll probably go with a clip on lamp. I've already got some 6500K CFLs, I probably have a clip on desk lamp around too.