6G Edge journal - low tech

[TXaggie]

MTS is taking hold, got a Fluval Egde 6 gallon to set up a second nano tank. I'm happy with my scape in my 29 gallon and my betta is happy in his nano, so this is my new project! Hopefully it will be better planned and executed than my previous two tanks. (As in I won't feel the need to redo it multiple times...a girl can dream, right?)

Anywho, working out hard scape and planting plan currently. I have a lovely piece of driftwood I just picked up and a piece of quartz I bought on vacation are they are the two things I want for sure in the scape. I have some random river rock to use as well, not as pretty though.

Flora: I'm trying to use plants from my other tanks to save on costs, but not over complicate or crowd the tank. I was thinking of transferring one of my two anubias from my 29g and put some bacopa Carolina in as well. I'd like a 3rd plant in the center of the tank (directly beneath the LEDs) but I'm a little stumped on what to use. I'd like something new that contrasts well with the stems and anubias. Any suggestions??

Fauna: killifish pair, either a. Australe 'gold' or a. Striatum. Young nerite snail or other small cleanup crew, maybe.

Here's my hard scape mockup:



And planting plan:



I do get indirect sunlight on the right side of the tank.

I'd love some plant suggestions or feedback! Thanks. : )


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice

 

[Brookster123]

maybe a crypt wendti red? Could be a nice color contrast. .

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

I can certainly relate to MTS. Welcome to the club! +1 on Brook's suggestion. Following

 

[YaBuddyHuddie]

Following. I'm working on a 6g edge right now myself

 

[TXaggie]

Hmmm....had not thought of the crypt red. Those might be cool, and I think I could thin out the ones in my main tank again. I'm beginning to understand how people have plants to sell or swap, I seem to be trimming/thinning regularly now that my plants are doing well in my 29g!

I'll think about the crypt. I'm a little worried about putting too slow growing of a plant directly under the LEDs and flow from the filter. I don't want to create an algae farm in that spot, but maybe my stems will be enough to suck up nutrients.

I think the hardest part for this tank is going to be getting a hold of the killifish.

Any ideas from you experienced people on whether I should add some shrimp or a snail? I thought about moving some dwarf cories over from my main tank, but I really don't want to overload the stock and it's supposed to be for the killies.


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice

 

[TXaggie]

Whew, just finished a 2 hour tank set up marathon....but I'm happy with how it's looking!

First I did a plant trim and thin out on my main tank. I ended up with quite a bit more crypts than I thought I would have and fewer nice stems. My bacopa is a good grower though, so I'm sure I'll have more stems available soon. Here's a pic of the massacre:



My poor anubias is so small, I didn't even realize how badly it was doing. The rhizome is huge though, so I'm hoping it'll regrow now that it's in a better spot. Tied it on my awesome tiny driftwood piece and put it in its spot so we'll see how it does. I really like the hard scape, the quartz really does have some sparkle under the LEDs.




The tank looks so bare, but I know things will grow in quite a bit. I'm debating how much to fertilize while it's livestock free, although I was thinking of throwing in a few cherry shrimplets for fun. I've got a sponge in there that has been In my main tank for the last month or so, and I threw that in the filter and started another one in the main tank filter to try to keep a source of BB readily available for when I do find my killifish.

Another cloudy pic to share:




Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice

 

[TXaggie]

Less cloudy now, but seeing some melt from the crypts I transferred. And I realized I am out of root tabs after setting up my new aquarium. Doh. Oh well, ordered some Rutabs and Boost to try from Peabodys Paradise. Edit: I appreciate the suggestion for the crypts, Brookster, I think they'll look great grown in right there.



I also added a few cherry shrimp from my 29 gallon. They're really active despite the warm temps in my kitchen, so hopefully they'll do well in this tank. Or they'll get eaten by my killifish, who knows. I did resist buying any Paska's rainbowfish at the fish store yesterday, I was very tempted though because they are awesome. Seriouslyfish says they need a pretty low pH though (<6.6) so they they're not really a good option for any of my tanks. Sticking to the killifish plan!

 

[TXaggie]

I'm almost embarrassed to upload photos of how bad my tank looks now that the crypts have melted and my anubias is not doing well either. The bacopa was a total failure. I think I might try to get some water sprite to try in that corner instead, I really like having stem plants in my tanks but I don't think my other two options in my established tanks will work either. (I have stargrass and rotala as well as the bacopa).

Tank water stats aren't too bad:
Ammonia 0.25 (this reading makes me suspicious though, as I've gotten that before with my API kit at home but the same sample tested clear at the LFS)
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5.0

Did a 50% change this AM. I've still got the second sponge and the biomedia for this tanks filter sitting in my main tank so I'm hoping if I add that to the tank right before I bring new fish home I can boost the BB and keep the mini cycle from being to detrimental. There's a good chance I'll come back with a pair of killifish this weekend, there's a convention and auction near me happening that I'm hoping to get some fish at. Maybe I'll get lucky and someone will be selling water sprite too.

Any suggestion on what I should do as far as ferts for this tank at this point? I'm waiting on my order of Rutabs so I can give something to my crypts, but I don't know how much good excel or liquid ferts will do my poor little anubias. : (

Any hope for that plant?

And the tank looks really empty with only rocks in the right corner:



My cherry shrimp appear to be unphased though at least.

 

[Brookster123]

I don't think it's all that bad.. crypts are babies when it comes to being moved, give them a couple weeks and a couple root tabs and they should come back.. the anubias will do much better completely removed from the substrate.. the bacopa?? Can't win em all patience is key. I've had newly scaped tanks go downhill and come back big time!!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[TXaggie]

Thanks, Brookster! That's helpful to hear it doesn't look as bad as I think it does. : ) I'll reposition the anubias higher up on the driftwood and see if I can get it to anchor there. The darn thing keeps escaping from the thread I'm using.

Haha, the bacopa was an experiment at least. No big loss as it needed trimming in my main tank anyway!

 

[Brookster123]

With anubias.. try wrapping the root/s around the thread a couple times.. zip ties also work well. You can get all different colors. .

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[TXaggie]

Ooooohhhhhh....zip ties. That would work way better!!

 

[TXaggie]

Zip ties are my new best aquascaping friend. This is about the position I wanted the thing in from the beginning. Yay!

 

[TXaggie]

Water sprite acquired. Hopefully fish tomorrow!!


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Brookster123]

Yayyy zip ties! Best part is when you want them gone just snip em and they'll float to the surface..tank is looking to be coming together splendidly. .

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[TXaggie]

Good to know the zip ties will just float away, that will be helpful!

Aaaaannndddd....I got fish today! At the Texas Area Killifish Organization show and auction. Super nice people, and very helpful with information. I purchased a trio of Fp. gardeni Innidere, young female and male with an older female. Really amazing looking fish, pics don't do them justice!



I also made some floating java moss mops to try to make the tank a little more comfortable for them; the experienced killi people all have large yarn mops that the fish hide and spawn in. Hoping this moss will do the trick.





I'll post an update after I have some more growth and the killies settle in a bit.


......


Also I made a shrimp "bowl" with my leftover water sprite and moss. Somebody stop me before I hurt myself.

 

[fishenthusiast]

Your tank looks good so far. My bronze crypts took nearly 3 months to color up, and they are just starting to grow new leaves (I have a medium tech setup). Oh crypts... slow but rewarding


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Brookster123]

Haha enough!! No keep it uo, looks sweet.. those killies are sweet little fish, i had some for a while.. if there is java moss on the tank they will breed in it and make a mess of it..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[TXaggie]

Thanks y'all! I'm super excited about this tank and the killies, talking with some real killi enthusiasts this weekend and seeing all the fish was great. I don't think I quite grasped the variety of species they came in, and I certainly didn't realize that other good starter species are out there besides the standard gardeni and australe. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with the fry from these guys (the older female is already laying eggs) but hopefully I can find someone local that will take them.

Brookster, I was hoping to avoid java moss due to the mess, but I realized after this weekend that I need some kind of mop for them to be comfortable until that water sprite really grows in. Oh well, I'll just be cleaning it off my filter intake for the rest of time. I couldn't bring myself to make artificial mops for my scaped tank on display in the kitchen....

 

[TXaggie]

Couldn't resist another fish pic; these guys are so cool! My java moss mops are sad looking thgh, hoping they make it...