1ft cube non-CO2 planted aquascape

**valice** · 27th Apr 2007, 00:15

Just set up a new 1ft cube for another pair of dwarf cichlid.
It is a non-CO2 tank.

The tank is currently 4 days old. Abit of hair algae here and there. Believe it is the result of getting submersed plants from farms. I don't know. Is plant mass sufficient for non-co2 tank? Never set up non-co2 tanks before, so need advice for that.

Please also give your kind critique and comments.

**|squee|** · 27th Apr 2007, 00:51

You filled in pretty nicely, I think the floating plants will compensate for any lack of "plant growth".

Nice, but I don't know about the fish choice... sounds a little out of place for dwarf cichlids

**valice** · 27th Apr 2007, 00:55

Ideally, it will be a school of 6-8 pieces of Axelrodia riesei and one pair of Dicrossus maculatus.

**yorky** · 27th Apr 2007, 10:50

Nice!
However wouldn't the D. maculatus be too big for a 1-footer?
They do grow rather large.

**valice** · 27th Apr 2007, 10:53

Will see how in the end. Might in the end transfer them to another tank and then keep this tank for a A.mendezi or T.candidi.

The ones I have reserved are pretty full grown. So hope they will do well.

**Fei Miao** · 27th Apr 2007, 11:30

Nice scape, I think you choice of fish fits in nicely. However personally I prefer T.candidi as the main act.

**Quixotic** · 27th Apr 2007, 12:14

Hmm... is D. maculatus a harem breeder like D. filamentosus? A pair may not work out if your intention if to breed it, plus it grows so much larger.

T. candidi seems to be a perfect fit for the tank.

**richietay** · 27th Apr 2007, 12:30

I like the arrangement of plants, wood etc, and the entire scape looks nice.

Either the A.mendezi or T.candidi, both will fit in well for the tank.

**valice** · 27th Apr 2007, 13:39

Originally Posted by Fei Miao

Nice scape, I think you choice of fish fits in nicely. However personally I prefer T.candidi as the main act.

I would also think that T.candidi will look great in this tank.
But that will need to wait till sometime in Aug or Sept when the "shipment" comes back.

Originally Posted by Quixotic

Hmm... is D. maculatus a harem breeder like D. filamentosus? A pair may not work out if your intention if to breed it, plus it grows so much larger.

T. candidi seems to be a perfect fit for the tank.

As a apistogramma keeper, my main motive is not to breed, but really to understand and observe their multitude of interesting behaviours. Moreover, D.maculatus are not easy to breed from the literatures I read so far.

Yah. They are pretty large. At nearly 10cm. So well. Till Aug/Sept then see when my T.candidi comes back to town.

**valice** · 27th Apr 2007, 13:41

Originally Posted by richietay

I like the arrangement of plants, wood etc, and the entire scape looks nice.

Thanks for the compliment richie. Still waiting for the plants to grow till full height for the trim. Then can slope the hedge.

Actually, the plants were in fact sort of a small mistake.

Wanted to have MM as the main hedge behind the crypts. But don't know why, when ordering, I put in the MU serial numbers. Only have planting then I sort of suspect it to be MU.

**yorky** · 27th Apr 2007, 13:54

Originally Posted by valice

I would also think that T.candidi will look great in this tank.
But that will need to wait till sometime in Aug or Sept when the "shipment" comes back.

Patience will be rewarded..
We will pool our might ya? 4 pairs hehe

**valice** · 27th Apr 2007, 14:18

Hey hey.. I haven't discuss it with the "supplier".
Wonder if 2 pairs in this tank will be too much. What do you think?

**Milk** · 27th Apr 2007, 14:52

Originally Posted by valice

Hey hey.. I haven't discuss it with the "supplier".
Wonder if 2 pairs in this tank will be too much. What do you think?

Definately toooo much!!! You will ended up with a messy tank when they start chasing each other around...

Regards
Milk
P.s: Please include me inside the pool leh..I wanna get more genes...

**valice** · 27th Apr 2007, 15:29

Okie. Point taken Dimas. You can take one of my pair if you are interested.
But to be discussed further. I still haven't contact the "supplier".

**ronald_t80** · 27th Apr 2007, 16:23

Nice scape Valice!!! i cant believe its just 4 days old!!!

Hope to see the progress next few weeks....especially with youe fishies inside.

**uklau** · 27th Apr 2007, 16:55

...Absolutely beautiful. My dream tank. Mind to share the type of lighting you are using (& the wattage)? Thanks.

**wasabi8888** · 27th Apr 2007, 17:04

Vincent

very nice.. what's MU?

no base fert i supposed...

**valice** · 27th Apr 2007, 17:43

Originally Posted by ronald_t80

Nice scape Valice!!! i cant believe its just 4 days old!!!

Hope to see the progress next few weeks....especially with youe fishies inside.

Thanks ronald.

The rubies should be going in after two weeks and the dicrossus after one month. Maybe later will get some yamato to tackle the hair algae currently I am seeing in the tank. If they die, then could also help in the nitrogen cycle.

But I used back an old filter, so hopefully that helps to spend up the cycling abit.

And I used like 10pots of plants for this scape. So it might looked like it grow in...

Originally Posted by uklau

...Absolutely beautiful. My dream tank. Mind to share the type of lighting you are using (& the wattage)? Thanks.

Thanks for the complement uklau.
The lighting is a 40cm 18W Boyu PL lighting. Think it is abit too high for a non-co2 tank. Will continue to observe the algae growth and the plant growth. And make necessary adjustments.

Btw, are you the same uklau in CS?

Originally Posted by wasabi8888

very nice.. what's MU?

no base fert i supposed...

Ooops... Sorry for the short-form. MU is Micranthemum umbrosum. Wanted to get Micranthemum micranthemoides (MM) which is now reclassified as Hemianthus micranthemodies (HM). Substrate is ADA Amazonia with Europet find sand in front.

Oh... One more thing to add about ADA glass tanks. I noticed that the glass they used blue based rather than green base like the ones we get when we make our tanks. So probably that's why there is sort of a blue blue graduated effect when we look at Amano's tank. But that's my suspicion.