Tropical Fish Keeping banner

Quickly thrown together 10 gallon

3K views 27 replies 6 participants last post by  Boredomb 
#1 ·
I ended up with some extra low light plants with from a plant package I bought for another tank. Not wanting to just chuck them I decided to throw a 10 gallon tank together quick as I had most of the equipment sitting around.





I had to use extra rocks to hold down the driftwood, so I might have overdone it with them.

Specs
Light: Coralife 15w 10,000k T8 (I couldn't find 6,500k)
Filter: Finnex PX-360
Heater: Aqueon 50w
Substrate: 2 inches of Mircle Grow Organic Choice Potting Mix capped with 1 inch of playsand
Ferts: Haven't fertilized yet. Will probably just dose once a week with a little Plantex+B
Plants: Cryptocoryne wendtii 'bronze', Anubias barteri 'nana;, Anubias barteri 'coffeefolia', Microsorum pteropus 'narrow', Ceratopteris thalictroides

I might eventually remove the waterspite as I'm hoping having the Java fern so high will create shading that way. I want to add some other anubias and crypts, as well as some mosses. First I'm trying to decide if I like the layout. No clue what fish I'll put in here.
 
See less See more
2
#3 ·
I have done any testing yet, since I haven't started the cycle. I am doing regular water changes, but I've only had the Miracle-Gro in for about a week. You're right about it containing poultry litter though. It's going to leech ammonia at first, but since I'm going to be cycling it won't matter. I did plenty of research and talked to people that use it in their dirtied tanks, so I'm not worried. It was just cheaper and much easier than making my own mineralized topsoil (and that stuff I've seen made using dog feces!).
 
#5 ·
I haven't figured out what I'm going to stock yet, but definitely nanos. :D They should help make the tank look bigger, plus I'm in love with the ones I have. Since it has a riverine look of sorts I had been leaning towards Microdevario kubotai.
 
#9 ·
Ah and on the densely planted part. I went to my LFS today and saw planted micro swords. Bought three of them and pretty much made a carpet on a piece of my 10g. My dario hysginon instantly went to it, one literally just stays there. Maybe you can look into that?
 
#12 ·
nawilson89-Please let me know how those micro swords do for you. I'm not sure how well they'd do in my tank, honestly though I never thought about them before. I have an overabundance of stem plants in my 29 gallon that I could trim and put in here, but I have no idea where and have it look nice. If I had better luck with Hygrophila pinnatafida I'd love to add that in between the rocks since the runners will attached themselves. I have horrible luck with that plant though. Down to one stem.

Oh and seems like I do have a blackwater tank lol. I think the Miracle gro is leeching tannins. I used the wood before and never noticed that it did.

aussieJJDude-Thanks. :D I had just meant when you look up aquascaping tips and they say one focal point. I just jammed everything in lol. This was me getting annoyed and giving up. Came out better than the stuff I was trying.

Boredomb- Thank you as well. I can't say it's because of the Miracle Gro, but after only two weeks my crypts are growing new leaves. That's already better when I had tried them before in Eco Complete with root tabs. All the did then was melt.


I got a really great deal on some C. wendtii 'Mi Oya' (they are huge!) that I'm going put in the back. If they look too big I'll throw them in another tank. I have a few other plants arriving next week, so hopefully I don't turn this from looking good to horrible.
 
#13 ·
Apologies for the bad pics. This is fully planted now. On the right side is Crypt wendtii 'green gecko' with Anubias barteri 'coffeefolia' behind it. Center is Anubias barteri 'nana'. Along the back is Crypt wendtii 'Mi Oya'. On the left is Crypt wendtii 'bronze' with Anubias barteri 'nana gold' in the back. On the driftwood is Microsorum pteropus 'narrow' and Anubias barteri 'micro'. Peacock moss is wedged in between many of the rocks.







Right side view


Any thoughts, changes, critiques for me?
 
#15 ·
You asked for crits! How it is too perfect - that the crits! :D
Na my crit is:


It is too good! I love it - do you want to come to aus to decorate my tank? ;-)
 
#16 ·
Thanks guys. You can't even see the Mi Oya in the pictures but the leaves reach the top of the tank. I'm hoping it doesn't melt too badly since it will take a long time to get back to that size. I think I'll switch out the water sprite (which looks like Wisteria to me) for some red root floater I have.

I did some testing today after a week with no water changes.
Ammonia-2.0
NO2-2.0
NO3- 5.0
The plan before I dirted it had been just to switch out the filter with one of the identical ones on my 29 gallon. With the Miracle Gro I have to figure out what would be my best course for cycling.
 
#17 ·
Now with decent pictures

I finally took some decent pictures. I've been getting nice growth from everything. The biggest problem had been with the Java fern. Now that I've started boosting the GH though it is growing well and all the bad leaves have plantlets forming. I've also added Amazon frogbit, dwarf water lettuce, and Salvinia cucullata. The dwarf water lettuce doesn't get long roots in my tanks like everyone else's seems to, but it does grow and spread.

I've also got three stems of Hygrophila pinnatafida sitting here waiting to go in. No idea where though. I've always killed that plant before. Was hoping the soil would help. It supposedly attaches to driftwood and stones as well so I figured I'd try. Maybe remvoe the big orange rock in the front right and put it there?







 
#22 ·
The new plants (while they live)

I stuck the Hygro in. Not sure if I like where it is, but again I suck at aquascaping. My hope is that if I manage to keep it alive that the runners will attached to the rocks around it.



Fish arriving tomorrow. Fedex is strange, but that is a whole different story.
 
#27 ·
I'm going to try. I need to trim the 29 really good and plants some new things in there. I always seem to get free plants when I order some (that sword was my only freebie). I have tons of mid/background plants in that tank so if I can't find room I'll give it to my grandma. I wish I knew if it would stay short I'm in need of foreground plants.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top