My First Planted Tank!

[Strick]

Here's a 2.5g hex I set up on my desk at work. I just put the plants in this morning, so the water is still a little cloudy. Whaddya think?

I love this quote!

A little closer... macro lens = brighter.

And a little closer...

The rock thingy I got from WalMart, and cut the fake plants off. After I took the pictures I reconsidered and removed the Java Fern in the back - the Cabomba filled out so well you could barely see it anyway. It has much more room in my other tank, which is also where I put the other half of the Anubias.

No fauna yet (except for a couple of tiny pond snails I missed when I was inspecting the plants). I want to put in some ghost shrimp, and then a betta. I quick-cycled (2 weeks) the tank using old gravel, filter and some decaying betta pellets for ammonia.

Now, can I add the shrimp immediately? Or should I let things sit for a while?

 

[neilanh]

Looks good!

you can go ahead and add a few shrimp

 

[Strick]

I'm kinda waffling on what to put in it... My original intent was a betta and a few shrimp, but I think I might like something else instead.

You guys have any ideas? What would work well in heavily planted, heated 2.5g tank?

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Well with such a small tank, your very limited. If I were you I would just stick with your original plan.

 

[kygrl]

Very pretty!

 

[marchmaxima]

It's a lovely little tank. If I had one of those, I'd stare at it all day and wouldn't get any work done!

 

[joy13]

In a tank that small a betta would be the way to go, there might be some other type of fish but most of them school and need more room. The ghost shrimp might be on the menu when they molt. You might could go with a strictly shrimp tank and get some CRS.

 

[new2betas]

Cute tank...I agree with joy13...I wold go with either a betta or a CRS tank.

 

[RoseHippi]

Any new pictures of this tank? How is it doing?

 

[Strick]

The tank hasn't changed much. The cabomba's doing well (I've actually had to prune it twice already...), but the HC refused to grow and started to rot so I yanked it.

It does have a new occupant, though! Meet Sultan:

He's a tough one. I came into work last Monday and he was absolutely plastered with ich. He'd lie on the bottom for a few minutes, and then flail around violently like he'd been startled, then go back to the bottom. He looked terrible - I honestly thought he wouldn't make it. I made an emergency run for some malachite green, and now he looks as good as he did when I took the picture.

I had two shrimp in there with him, but one died... and I'm pretty sure he ate the other one over the weekend. He seems happy enough being alone, so I think I'll just leave him that way.

 

[marchmaxima]

Sultan has lovely colour!