Trenna's first "OPP" tank

[trennamw]

Ok lots of updates ...

The various choices for the top of the stand were too expensive, even with employee discounts, so I grabbed some 12" and 6" 1cm sample tiles from the scratched pile and they worked out fine. I used the foamies with the stand kit to shim the center, since it's lower than the sides.



For a free solution I think it is structurally and visually pretty decent. This Quartz - Cambria Blackwood - complements the substrate nicely.

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The dry start was disappointing. The crypts did well (lots of roots and new leaves), the dwarf hair grass didn't do much of anything, not even roots, and much of it browned. The rotalia molded. I was spraying it with osmocote in water, and had root tabs down already. I hit the mold with peroxide.



So I gave up and filled the tank at about 6 weeks.

So the overall nutrients are Excel, leaf Zone, and DIY Osmocote root tabs. Light is ... Oh shoot. Satellite? LFS said itd be fine for medium light plants given the photoperiod and depth of water. I realize I'm pushing it with some of the plants but I'm curious what will happen.

One week and the crypts didn't melt. Everything is growing a lot more than with the dry start.

Everyone at work was giving me crap that the tank was still uninhabited. "You still don't have fish?" So I printed out the stocking scheme I was considering and taped it to the tank Wednesday night.



Thursday morning I was out, when I came in midday I found my coworkers had decided to help.

(Continued in next post)





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[trennamw]

My coworkers stocking scheme: red and yellow post-it fish.



The driftwood grew funky stuff this week, apparently this is common.





Went shopping today, intending to get the teensy Danio tinwini or CPDs to start (I'm using a sponge from my big tank, I did check that the tank is cycled fully).

But the Danio grow larger than I expected and the CPDs are duller than I expected, and I found this wonderful Betta.

I'd thought all along a Betta may be a good bet -- what better way to fight the concept that Bettas should be kept in cubes? I'll get it a few cohabitants down the road. Otos maybe, possibly a few nano fish too big to eat.

And more plants.

So here's where I was at the end of the day. It's missing a lot of depth and texture and drama but it's full, which was my intended starting point.

The filter was bugging the betta so I turned it off. I've kept a betta in an unfiltered planted tank, so I know it'll be ok till I put in a gentler filter.






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[Delapool]

Trenna's first "OPP" tank

Love the fish! (but feeding??) And the betta is nice too

Such a lot going on, looking nice though and wow, on the driftwood. I hope it has settled down.

 

[trennamw]

Doing pretty well. The betta stopped hiding today and tends to come say hello to people who stop by my desk. He's puttering around all over.

Starting to consider tank mates. Neons are so overdone but the coloring is a good compliment to the betta, if he will tolerate them.


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[Fresh2o]

Ember tetras should contrast the colors of the tank. CPDs might be a good choice as well.


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[trennamw]

Ember tetras should contrast the colors of the tank. CPDs might be a good choice as well.


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Could be! The CPDs in the LFS tanks look dark and dull but there isn't a lot of light.

The Betta (still unnamed) is starting to show a ton of personality. Got a better pic too.




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[Fresh2o]

Could be! The CPDs in the LFS tanks look dark and dull but there isn't a lot of light.

The Betta (still unnamed) is starting to show a ton of personality. Got a better pic too.

View attachment 289089


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The CPDs at my LFS were kept in a tank with white gravel and all of them look washed out. However, shortly after QT they began to darken and the details of their coloration started to show. The orange flashing fins displayed by the males can be striking.
That is a gorgeous Betta!


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[trennamw]

Cardinals may be the best color complement ... The betta has a very true red and his white is getting more and more iridescent-blue. And they're not as common-looking as regular neons.

The wisteria aren't doing really well, quite a bit melting.


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