2.5 Gallon Photo Log

[travis simonson]

Very nice job I'll bet Chubbs loves his new home.

[Glenc]

Very nice! You would never guess it was a nano tank. Glad to hear you have found a good balance with healthy plants and algea. That's the toughest thing to get down. I can't seem to keep my water clear, it's driving me nuts! Sit back and enjoy your tank. You earned it!

[Purrbox]

Well here's the next update. I definately need to pull a few more species, but I'm having a hard time figuring out which ones.

[Purrbox]

Well, after some more thought I've got a tenative plan for this tank.

I'm currently planning on moving the Hemianthus Micranthemoides "Erect", Rotala Rotundifolia "Green", Rotala Rotundifolia "Colorata", Rotala sp "Goias", and Rotala sp "Vietnam" to the 5.5 Gallon. This would leave me with the Eleocharis acicularis (Dwarf Hairgrass), Cryptocoryne Lucens, Ranuculus Papulentus, Hydrocotyle Sibthorpioides, Elatine Triandra, Pogostemon Helferi (Downoi), and Anubias Nana Petite in this tank.

I plan on letting the Dwarf Hairgrass fill in as the main background plant and using the Crypts, Ranuculus Papulentus, Hydrocotyle Sibthorpioides in the background to give some contrasting leaf shape. The Anubias Nana Petite would stay on the drift wood in the midground. The Elatine Triandre would be moved from the right side to the left side and allowed to assume a more upright growth, to form a low bush in front of the driftwood. The Downoi along with some Hemianthus Callitrichoides, which I expect to receive later this week, would round out the foreground.

I'll have to wait to make these changes until I've had a chance to free up some additional room in the 5.5 Gallon Tank, which should happen the middle of next month. I'll post pics one I've finished rearranging everything.

[Purrbox]

Finally got everything together and had the time to overhaul the aquascaping in the tank.

I replaced the white gravel with a mix of 40% Onyx Sand and 60% Turface MVP. The Onyx and Turface are nearly identical in color and look very nice in the tank. Despite hearing that Turface is a lightweight substrate and can be difficult to plant, I found that it was no more difficult to get the plants to stay planted than normal. I gave both a thorough rinse before adding to the tank. There was minimal clouding which cleared overnight.

I ended up removing the Cryptocoryne Lucens, Elatine Triandre, and Pogostemon Helferi (Downoi). I added Cryptocoryne Parva and Hemianthus Callitrichoides. HC has got to be one of the biggest pains there ever was to get planted. Much worse than planting Elatine Triandre largely due to the small size of the plant making it difficult to work with. I think the final aquascaping turned out really nice, and I am looking forward to seeing it grow in.

[rich311k]

I like the arrangement. When it grows in it is going to really look special.

[newfound77951]

I definately need to pull a few more species, but I'm having a hard time figuring out which ones.

Same here, in my 55!

Tank looks awesome! No way anyone would ever think it was 2.5 gal. I bet it looks even better in person. Keep the updates coming!

[Jchillin]

I like the looks of the substrate mix...really stands out IMO. I agree, can't wait to see what the HC looks like when it grows in.

[Glenc]

H.C is fun to plant isn't it! I have told people in a few different posts to be in a good mood when you plant it, now you know why! It's worth the effort as it will form a nice carpet fairly quickly. Once it does, you can move it in one or two big chunks and it will stay together. I moved a 15" piece into my 20 gallon in three sections from my old ten gallon. I cut it into pieces with my little boys sand box shovel and placed it in, substrate and all! Love the tank, it's going to be another beauty, will be watching it as it grows.

[Purrbox]

Since I've planted Elatine Triandra in the past, I knew better than to start planting the HC when I was tired or frustrated. This was definitely worse than Elatine Triandra. I found myself doing a bit more than muttering under my breathe by the time I was done with the tank. Thankfully, I haven't had any floaters and everything appears to be staying firmly in place. If I can make it through the next water change without disturbing anything, I think it will be good to go.