Palmtop

[dskidmore]

Hi guys,

I haven't been around much lately (got a dog with issues, spent all my spare research time on that...) but I've been occasionally reading posts.

My desktop 2.5 gal tank is still doing great. No more nasty algae since the new fertilization routine, everything is spreading and filling out. Getting pictures is still annoying due to the glare situation.

The 75 gallon is struggling along. I tried to institute the same fertilization change at home as I have at work, but the weekly 50% water changes and hand-cleaning the tank for the fresh start is much harder to do in the big tank.

So...

With the 2.5 gallon tank swimming along, I want a another challenge at work. A few of the plants in there are so tiny that they get lost even in the 2.5 gallon, so I was thinking of doing a teacup tank on the same principles. I found a little spherical vase, (3 cups?) but I'm thinking of maybe using a large wine glass instead? The trick is finding something small and elegant, without too much optical distortion. The wine glass the stem will raise the tank up closer to the light? Suggestions?

As with the 2.5 gallon tank, the teacup tank would house only plants and snails. (I may someday add shrimp to the 2.5, but certianly not the teacup tank.) There would be no filtraiton, the water changes would come from the 2.5 gallon tank that is fertilized. (I'm not anxious to try scaling down my fert pellets that much.)

What do you think?

 

[Purrbox]

Sounds Great. You might want to check out my thread on my Pico. The original container did come with a stand. Here's a page that I find very inspirational when it comes to these tiny aquariums.

 

[dskidmore]

Purbox's Pico

Ack! The addiction is setting back in! I want to research all the plants and equiptment mentioned!

I'm finding I've forgotten all my plant names. I'll have to go back to the records I took when they were sent to me. (I have a horrible memory for names. There are wild plant I'm familiar enough with to eat, but couldn't tell you what they're called.)

 

[7Enigma]

Sounds very interesting. I have a VERY small anubias portion which was about 1/2" rhizome that I chucked into my QT low light no fert tank. I had expected it to die since it was such a small piece of rhizome but to my amazement over the past couple of months it has sprouted these tiny, perfectly round leaves. The stems are only ~1/4" and the leaves are smaller than a dime in size. I think I have 3-4 leaves total now, but the interesting thing is the rhizome itself has rotted out.

Little oddball plantlets like this (small java fern plantlets, tiny piece of Riccia, maybe a little bit of christmas moss) would look great in a tiny tank like you're thinking of starting. Goodluck, and get us some pics!

 

[dskidmore]

Well, I measured the vase last night, it's actually 4 cups, a full 1/4 gallon. I guess it's a place to start... I'm going to fill it way up with sand, and not top it off, so the effective volume will be more like 2 cups. I found some "boulders" in the garden, still have to sort through the driftwood pile. (That box of pieces was the best investment I've made in aquascaping.)

Speaking of small driftwood pieces... The driftwood in my 2.5 gallon has shown obvious deterioration over the life of the tank. Any advice on using small pieces of driftwood in a long-term stable tank?

 

[dskidmore]

First attempt at hardscape:

First Layout

Second Layout

Third Layout

I like third layout except for the fact that I'm using rock from different regions. I need to see if I have a very small granite piece to replace the sedimentary rock on the left.

It's interesting working with the sphere, as it tends to magnify anything inside. Have to keep hardscape well away from the walls if you want to see it clearly.

 

[dskidmore]

Brought the palmtop to work today, begining to plant. I took out the little rock and put the big one vertically behind the medium rock. I'll take picts after it's planted.

 

[dskidmore]

Added lots of pearlweed today. Will have to bring my camera in to work now that I have something worth photographing.

 

[dskidmore]

Need a slightly taller stand, but otherwise it's time to watch how it grows out...

 

[theotheragentm]

Very cool. Very tranquil. Time to daydream the day away.

 

[dskidmore]

Don't think my boss would approve of that use.

 

[dskidmore]

Well, this was one of the two tanks that moved to my new office. I got a 13w CF desk lamp for the 2.5 gallon, but it's not going to cover enough area to light the .25 gallon as well. I'm thinking of a matching lamp, but that would likely be overkill. I'd rather have cf, to keep things cool though, and it would look nice on the desk to have matching lamps.

 

[dskidmore]

Update:

The palmtop has a non-promenent place at my new desk, perched up on a cabinet close as possible to the room lights. It's struggling along, but is short of floushing. I'll likely take it apart soon. I'll probably put it in dry storage and try again next time I move. I do like the tank, I just don't have a good place for it at work now, nor at home.

 

[theotheragentm]

That's too bad. I have no room on my desk for anything, period.

 

[An t-iasg]

That was a lovely little vase! Hopefully, if you take it down, you'll find another, better place to set it up again.