I have been looking at his threads. Helping me keep motivated and excited about this project. I have a Top Fin 10 filter from my ten gallon. I'm going to use that to start off with, that way I can hook it up to my 75 and get it some bacteria.
Okay, so here is my shopping list thus far:
7.13 Glass Cube
Custom glass top, I know a good local glass place and will get measurements.
12" Finnex Fugeray
Light Timer
Digital Thermometer
Heater
Eco Complete
New Questions:
1. I'm considering pygmy cories to go with the betta. Would 5-6 pygmies and the betta in a planted tank of this size be too much?
2. I want the substrate to be higher in the back than the front. How do I keep it from sliding forward?
3. I'm think micro swords, red wendtii and jungle vals. Will these be suitable for this light, and what other plants that are easily found would you suggest?
4. Are there in carpeting grasses that will work with the light (I don't want to have to use CO2)?
5. What fertilizers or doses do I need?
6. Do I need any test kits to watch my water parameters to keep the plants healthy?
7. I'm also thinking of potentially putting a floating plant in. It will be kept to one corner. How would I keep it there and what type of plant would you suggest?
8. What is a suitable heater? I'd like to have one I could hide in the pump.
9. What should I use for a background to hide wires, pump, etc?
Thanks again for the help!
Nik
Your shopping list looks fine, let me see what questions I can answer...I didn't study tho lol
1. I would just put in about 4 Pygmy cories and a betta in that tank. I guess you can go with 5-6, not sure though.
2. If you are using Eco-complete, you should have no issue with it sliding, I find that it holds a slope very well.
3. Micro swords will eventually carpet in the front, but take literally forever to lol. The crypt will work fine, but jungle Val grows quite tall for a tank of that size...usually you see jungle Val in taller tanks as the background since they grow like 5 feet tall or more..so you would have to keep trimming it which I do not think is healthy for the plant so IMO no jungle Val.
4. Dwarf sag is a common low-med light carpet plant with a "grassy" look, I would recommend it. I have it in my 60g and it spreads quite fast.
5. You need to put some form of CO2 in the tank first of all, I would just use Excel or glut. Then, you would need the regular ferts (micros and macros); I dose PPS-Pro dry ferts in all my tanks and I would totally recommend that. Dry ferts are always better than liquid ferts IMO.
6. Other than the regular freshwater test kit, you really don't need anything else except I would buy a phosphate, and GH & KH test kit. So you should have Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH, Phosphate, and a GH & KH IMO.
7. Any floating plant like water sprite, salvinia, frog bit, dwarf water lettuce, etc. would work as a floating plant, you can float lots of plants and some are just supposed to be floated. There is quite a list to pick from!
8. I would use a Hydor Theo 25 watt...Brian recommended me one on my 6g and I have heard great things about them, though I have not been able to try mine out since my 6g is currently going through the DSM process...
9. Ooh! I got some etched window film from Billbug68 - he used it on his 12g - and I personally think it looks really cool and appealing, so I got some from him and used it on my 6g...also I think Brian's gf made simething very similar to the etched window film that he is using on her tank
Where you would use a black background on a large framed tank you use etched window film on a small rimless tank lol.
