INTRODUCTION
Growing up in my childhood, I’ve always had an affinity for pets –especially fish. Of course, as with many children, I didn’t know much about keeping fish and all I knew is that I loved them! There was a big break from then to now in my participation in this hobby. However, this set the stage in my adulthood (AKA: second childhood) of wanting to revisit aquaria. So about 4 years ago my girlfriend bought me a 12g Nano Cube. With this tank I joined Aquarium Advice (hence my user name) and grew my knowledge with the help of great folks in this forum along with a good old initiative to research and learn!
To make a long story short, this 12g was the “gateway” tank in expanding to more aquariums and the beginning of my multiple tank syndrome (MTS). Without delving into how many tanks I own and “plan” to own in the future, let’s just say that I love this hobby and it doesn’t end here! I enjoy the fact that there is always something new to learn, new species to encounter in flora and fauna, other enthusiasts to befriend (in an online type of way), and lately (for me), has become a medium for artistic expression. I find that my newly found interest in planted aquaria and shrimp has blown new breath in my passion for this hobby. I’ve learned (along with my bank account unfortunately) that interests evolve along with taste. I went from fish and plastic plants, to some live plants and fish, to planted tank obsessed! This sparked my latest interest; planted rimless tanks and the birth of one of my newest tanks—a 6 gallon rimless!
My 6 gallon build is still a work-in-progress, as I still have future plans in modifying the scape. I believe its current scape is best categorized as a high-tech fusion of Iwagumi, Nature, and Dutch styles; some type of controlled chaos I suppose? However, it has gone through two notable milestones that I have chosen to highlight here: first, as a Betta tank, and secondly, as a shrimp tank. You see, that’s the beauty about this hobby, it’s as versatile as “you” want to make it be. If you can take anything from my story, it is to: research, learn, and implement… Let your imagination run with it!
SETUP
Tank: GLA 36-L low iron glass rimless 6 gallon.
Lighting: 16” Finnex Ray 2 (7000k / 9 Watts: 88 HO LEDs)
Filter: Fluval 106 w/ Cal Aqua Lily Pipes (Fluxus System – 13 mm)
Substrate: Floramax, Fluval Stratum, and sand.
Hardscape: Yamaya Stone and Manzanita DW.
Heater: Hydor Theo 25w
CO2: Aquatek Mini Regulator for Paintball
Automation: 7 hour photoperiod with (2 BPS) CO2 injection that comes on 2 hours before lights and shuts off 1 hour before lights—all on timers.
MAINTENANCE
I do 30% weekly partial water changes with RO water that has been reconstituted with a remineralizer from Brightwell Aquatics called Reminderaliz-P. I do this because
shrimp need an ideal ratio of potassium, calcium, and magnesium to molt. This is also beneficial to the health of plants when using RO. I use a TDS meter to make sure that the proper amount is being applied (~200 TDS). I also test for GH/KH since shrimp are sensitive to those parameters as well. As a new setup, I tested for everything (including your standard ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites) every other day, then week, and now every other week just to make sure things are running smoothly and I’m providing a safe environment for my inhabitants. I keep my temperature set at 78F. Since, I’m running CO2, I use a drop checker to make sure my pH is within a preferred range which indicates how much CO2 is dissolved in the water. Lastly, I pull the ceramic diffuser out weekly to use H202 to unclog the pores.
Plant maintenance is another aspect. I have to occasionally trim things down and replant. Mowing the lawn of HC is somewhat a tedious chore –especially netting out the floating HC after. To maintain the growth of my plants, I dose micro and macro nutrients from GLA’s “Green Fert Pack” using the PPS-Pro dosing regimen (thanks to Rivercats’ and Fort’s help). I also, on occasion, use Flourish Excel to spot treat any problem areas.
INHABITANTS:
Fauna: 
When I first setup the tank, I used well seasoned ceramic media from my established tank to “seed” this tank to expedite the cycle process. I first started out with a single Von Rio Tetra from my community tank. Once the tank cycled, I removed the Von Rio and added a female Betta. Several months later and when my tank matured some, I decided to rehome her and bring in the shrimp. I now have Red Rili Shrimp and Tangerine Tigers as the fauna. I’d like to note that I have 4 berried female Tangerine Tigers and 1 saddled Red Rili.
Plants:
Old setup: Dwarf Baby Tears (HC), Pogostemon Erectus, Echinodorus tenellus, Rotala
Colorata, Flame Moss, and Ludwigia sp. Red.
Current setup: Dwarf Baby Tears (HC), Pogostemon Helferi (Downoi), Rotala Colorata, Flame Moss, Ludwigia sp. Red, Blyxa Japonica, and Alternanthera reineckii (which I plan to remove soon and use just Ludwigia sp. Red or Rotala Macrandra).
FEEDING:
When I had the Betta, she ate everything from quality flakes, to frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp. Currently, I’ve been feeding the shrimp some Fluval Shrimp Granules. But since this has a lot of protein, I’ve been also feeding BorneoWild Spinach along with fresh blanched spinach and zucchini. I typically feed once a day or every other day since most of the time they’re grazing on the biofilm found naturally in the tank.
CONCLUSIONS:
I find this hobby to be rewarding to the mind and soul. This nano 6g build has been just a joy to have. I understood when embarking on a nano build—especially when it involves “high-tech” conditions of intense lighting, comprehensive fertilizer dosing regimens, fast growing plants, and CO2—that it would be challenging to setup and maintain. Although it does require more work (and money) than a low-tech setup, I find the extra work in maintaining this tank to be therapeutic –like my own little zen garden in my office. Further, I look at this tank as a culmination of what I’ve learned so far and I owe it in part due to the help of the great folks here on Aquarium Advice (and in “Google-land” of course). I plan to keep only 2 nanos, sell the rest, and to make room for one huge rimless tank in the not so distant future – stay tuned!
