1ft cube tank

**yeoyl87** · 5th Dec 2007, 23:14

Just to share with you guys my 1ft cube scape. About 3 mths old. Welcome to comment and give advices

Statistics of Tank
Tank Size : 1ft x 1ft x 1ft (Estimated 25litres of water)
Lighting : 1x 18w PL, 1 x 13w PL 0900hrs to 1900hrs daily
CO2 : roughly 2bps 0800hrs to 1800hrs daily
Substrate: Bottom layer (ADA Amazonia I), Top Layer (ADA Amazonia II), 1 Wonder-Gro Root Tab 2cm under Tiger Lotus
Fertilization: Wonder-Gro Macro, Wonder-Gro Micro and Wonder-Gro Root Tab
Scape on 20/09/07

Scape on 22/11/07

**illumnae** · 5th Dec 2007, 23:24

very nice and lush growth! wish my jap hairgrass could spread like that too =D

**marle** · 5th Dec 2007, 23:39

think such scapes are really nice with such healthy plants.. only thing i thought that is odd is the vallisneria at the back during the start, but it proved to be a success at the later stages!

any fan for this tank?

**cs_sg** · 5th Dec 2007, 23:43

Hi Alan,
Very healthy plants there

A good variety in a 1feet cube!

I'm not good at scaping but its the red lotus on the left sheltered by the bog wood which make it look a bit out. Just the feeling I get when I looked at the tank.

If this were my tank, I would have planted the red lotus where the Lobelia cardinalis is, if I want to add a splash of red. I think a nice bush of Hemianthus micranthemoides would look great under that bog wood given proper trimming.

**ah^siao** · 5th Dec 2007, 23:44

lush growth on your weeping moss.

**Aquaculture** · 6th Dec 2007, 00:27

Really envy your lush foreground of Jap hairgrass... very nice bro

**wafer123** · 6th Dec 2007, 00:39

nic scape.
Wish can have one at home.

**Nevada** · 6th Dec 2007, 01:54

I like the way the whole scape changed! It grows really well creating a nice environment for the fauna. It creates a natural and relaxing feeling also while looking at the tank ... Great Work!

**blackBRUSHalgae** · 6th Dec 2007, 02:06

what happened to your HC and Riccia?

**marle** · 6th Dec 2007, 02:09

Originally Posted by blackBRUSHalgae

what happened to your HC and Riccia?

sharp eyesight

**ranmasatome** · 6th Dec 2007, 03:14

I just have a strange feeling about the vals.... perhaps if you replaced that with rotala green, then trimmed it for a lush effect.... the vals just looks kinda big for a tank this size.

**uklau** · 6th Dec 2007, 07:21

Beautiful small tank. Well done, bro.

**yeoyl87** · 6th Dec 2007, 09:58

Thanks guys for the comments and suggestions.

marle
yes, I used a small DC fan to cool my tank

cs_sg
I realised the problem on my Red Tiger Lotus after the "tree" grow thicker. Will be shifting them soon. Their roots are very long. I guess it is going to be messy. 0.o

blackBRUSHalgae
The HC cant do well with Jap Hairgrass around (at least for my case). The jap hairgrass are simply too invasive. They are overwelm very soon after I planted them. The riccia was taken out as they are not in my plan at all. I only used them to cover my bare ground while waiting for jap hairgrass to grow during the very initial stages.

ranmasatome
I am using Val "mini twister". I thought they will stay small but I am proven wrong. I got same weird feeling as you. They had been taken out but I am still sourcing for another plant to replace. Tried Rotala "green". The effect didn't turn out well. The scape end up looking very "spiky" and the tree was also overwelm by them. I was thinking of crypt or echi but unsure of which species to use.

**uklau** · 6th Dec 2007, 14:18

Originally Posted by yeoyl87

I am using Val "mini twister". I thought they will stay small but I am proven wrong.

Isn't there a dwarf version available for this plant? I remembered I had it in my previous tank but never grow so big. Bought it from NA.

**ranmasatome** · 6th Dec 2007, 16:18

the trick to rotala green is trimming... good trimming technique will get this plant to grow densely (almost like a green ball) and not look so "spiky". But perhaps i understand that to maintain it well (like a green ball) in a small tank like yours it does take some time and effort...so perhaps changing to something else may help in reducing the maintenance of the tank. If you are choosing bewteen crypt or echi... my personal preference is crypts.
Or if not you can see if Vals nanas works for you. its much thinner and more slender.

**yeoyl87** · 6th Dec 2007, 19:30

uklau
I am using the mini version aka "mini twister". They will still grow to the height of 1.5ft for my case.

ranmasatome
Thats very interesting

Can share some tips on trimming? I am very interested.

**Jaws** · 6th Dec 2007, 19:51

Very nice... I wish my plants can grow so well.

**ranmasatome** · 6th Dec 2007, 22:34

For Rotala green.. actually you have to start out planting quite densely.. if you can't plant densely then plant a few plants really close together.. then when they get tall..half them and replant the tops until you cover the area you want densely. After that... every 2-3-4weeks or so (depending on your growth rate) trim off the tops...

For the first time you do a trim.. do it low... perhaps leave only about 1/4 of the plant.. subsequent trimmings trim about 2-3 cm above the last trim... by the time you get to your desired height... the plant should have branched until kingdom come... and will look very lush. Of course, you have to judge for yourself if the plant is healthy and growing well to followup with a trim..