20 Long Invert Tank Update

[TankMan7]

The tank is really coming along, thanks to your advice. The algae is just about cleared up and the tank is almost cycled (nitrite is down to .25 and added ammonia is gone in less than 24 hours). The HC is taking and spreading - it must be happy as it is pearling nicely. Repens is taking off and the crypts are growing strong. Ludwigia is a weed - what can I say...

Thanks for the algae advice! Now time to get some shrimp and some celestial rasbora.

 

[wildroseofky]

Your tank is looking good. I so want a 20 g long.

 

[Coyne]

That looks pretty sweet. I like the red rocks against the green plants.

Unless your 100% sold on the CPDs, Im going to throw out Ember Tetras for your consideration. Theyre just as small, if not smaller, and have a reddish coloring that will also contrast with the green plants. They are also, at least by me, a little bit less expensive than CPDs.

 

[TankMan7]

Thanks for the nice replies. I am pretty sold on Danios, but those Tetras do look nice. I just happen to have a breeder near where I live, so the Danios aren't too hard to find and the price is pretty good.

 

[Fresh2o]

Thanks for the nice replies. I am pretty sold on Danios, but those Tetras do look nice. I just happen to have a breeder near where I live, so the Danios aren't too hard to find and the price is pretty good.

Nice setup. Which CO2 diffuser are you using? Lights? What is the foreground plant in pic #1?

 

[TankMan7]

I am using a Fluval diffuser. I have two strips of lights - a Current USA LED + and a twin bulb T5 with one 6700k and one 10000k bulb. That plant up front is Staurogyne Repens.

 

[Fresh2o]

I am using a Fluval diffuser. I have two strips of lights - a Current USA LED + and a twin bulb T5 with one 6700k and one 10000k bulb. That plant up front is Staurogyne Repens.

Cool. I was asking because I am currently using DYI CO2. ATM it is going into one of the HOB filter intake tubes. I am using two sponges + biomax so I figure what does not get trapped in the sponges gets pushed back into the tank.

I also picked up some Staurogyne repens in the form of a Topfin gel pack and it is tiny! Like HC tiny. I need to use toothpicks to keep it from getting uprooted by the Malaysian trumpet snails.

 

[TankMan7]

I got my Repens in one of those packs, too. It has more than tripled in size in 3 weeks. It grows really well.

 

[Fresh2o]

I got my Repens in one of those packs, too. It has more than tripled in size in 3 weeks. It grows really well.

Did you resolve the string algae issue?

What inverts are on your stocking list?

I compared the repens in your tank startup thread and the leaves are pretty decent size to begin with compared to the ones I picked up last week (see below...MTS keep moving the toothpicks). In my tank I can tell that the new growth is slightly larger and hoping that it will continue that way. Makes me wonder how long the plants are kept in those packs under ambient room lighting.

 

[TankMan7]

your repens is super tiny! Very interesting.
My algae is under control and almost gone, thanks to all of the helpful advice. Once I trim back the baby tears, any last remnants will be gone.
At this point, I have a few ghost shrimp in there just to test the waters. I am planning on RCS and possibly a Cardinas - CRS maybe. I am also going to have a small school of celestial rasbora in there. I have assassin snails breeding like crazy in my 30g, so I may move some of those into this tank, but we will see about that.

 

[Jkeating8]

Did you resolve the string algae issue? What inverts are on your stocking list? I compared the repens in your tank startup thread and the leaves are pretty decent size to begin with compared to the ones I picked up last week (see below...MTS keep moving the toothpicks). In my tank I can tell that the new growth is slightly larger and hoping that it will continue that way. Makes me wonder how long the plants are kept in those packs under ambient room lighting.

The reason your leaves are much smaller is because they were tissue culture plants. They will start putting out submerged growth which will be much larger.