My noob nano tank - just some moss and slow growing plants

[Dodofish]

I got this new tank for my books cabinet, and have just setup today.

It's my second time trying to tie moss, so it is still far from good.

Tank Dimension: 30cm(L) X 14cm(W) X 23cm(H)
Filter: Inbuilt overflow filter (160Litre/Hour)
Substrate: Easy Aqua Plant Substrate
Sand: ANS Sunset Fine Sand
Setup: Lavarocks, Erect Moss (I believe it is Singapore Moss), Petite Nana (Leftover from my broken tank - Very bad condition), Styrogyne Repen, C-Parva
Invertebrates: None at the moment, still waiting for water to cycle

Still waiting for Moss to convert to submerged condition. Hope it won't be too far from what I want.

[thebaldingaquarist]

Looks cute.
I like the way your rocks are laid out and the position of the moss!

Some notes though, nana needs to have their rhizome exposed to light. buried will cause the rhizome to die off.

not sure if you would like some comments.

[wongce]

The sand in the middle will slowly sink done as it mix with the clay round sand ...

Good effort, but the scape looks a bit short...

[Dodofish]

Looks cute.
I like the way your rocks are laid out and the position of the moss!

Some notes though, nana needs to have their rhizome exposed to light. buried will cause the rhizome to die off.

not sure if you would like some comments.

Thanks erctheanda. But whether the moss can survive is a big question, as I skip some steps during the setup.

[Dodofish]

The sand in the middle will slowly sink done as it mix with the clay round sand ...

Good effort, but the scape looks a bit short...

Understood. I could have created a more curvy path to accentuate a better depth. what should I do to prevent the sand from sinking?

its my first time using sand...

[inrewind]

I feel you should have used powder type soil. Don't have to be ADA, maybe GEX will do. The fine sand makes the soil look really round & huge so that throws off the scale. But I believe it's a good effort!

[Dodofish]

I feel you should have used powder type soil. Don't have to be ADA, maybe GEX will do. The fine sand makes the soil look really round & huge so that throws off the scale. But I believe it's a good effort!

You are really right. I find the substrate distracting too. I actually tried to use whatever leftover I got. Still left with 4kg in my store room.

Anyway whether the plants can survive is still a question. I don't have experience in low tech tank so I am not sure what I need to do for fertilizer regime. I will probably wait for first sign of deficiency before I do any more things.


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[popimac]

Good effort! Wonder what lighting are you using? With strong light, I believe your moss have a better chance of striving

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[Dodofish]

Good effort! Wonder what lighting are you using? With strong light, I believe your moss have a better chance of striving

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The lighting comes with the aquarium as a set. It has 30 pcs of 0.6watt of led. :/


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[Dodofish]

Added some hairgrass and reposition the nana plantlet. Seems like hairgrass is not coping well.

Might have to consider other small grasses or make my own plantlets.

[bluebubbles]

Added some hairgrass and reposition the nana plantlet. Seems like hairgrass is not coping well.

Might have to consider other small grasses or make my own plantlets.

Hi John

Nana loves to "climb", you may want to consider having your nana burried in between the gaps of those lava rocks instead of burried them into the subtrate? In case your thai moss fails you, nana will help to cover the missing gap so that those rocks won't look "botak". If both thrives, it give that "mountain" a wild greenery feel. This method will also give you more ground space to add some other soil loving plantlets.

[golfball]

Can consider covering the exposed substrate with more dwarf hair grass.

[golfball]

Its a nice layout

[Dodofish]

Hi John

Nana loves to "climb", you may want to consider having your nana burried in between the gaps of those lava rocks instead of burried them into the subtrate? In case your thai moss fails you, nana will help to cover the missing gap so that those rocks won't look "botak". If both thrives, it give that "mountain" a wild greenery feel. This method will also give you more ground space to add some other soil loving plantlets.

hi bro,

long time no see.

I actually tried to insert the nana between the rocks but it doesn't seems to work and don't really look well. The nana are currently on mini lead strips which hold them on the substrate. I didn't sink them in because the rhizome will melt.

I just hope the moss can thrive. If they don't, I will have to get new one likely mini pelia to redo the rocky scape.

for the substrate, I have insert very small glosso from my main tank. Seems to be coping well, hopefully they can slowly cover up, and gripped the substrate.

[Dodofish]

Can consider covering the exposed substrate with more dwarf hair grass.

Thanks bro. I have actually inserted a few strains of dwarf hairgrass into the exposed substrate to provide grip. But it's quite hard because the tank is really very small and my planting tools are a little big for it. Feels clumsy each time I need to put something in.

[bluebubbles]

hi bro,

long time no see.

I actually tried to insert the nana between the rocks but it doesn't seems to work and don't really look well. The nana are currently on mini lead strips which hold them on the substrate. I didn't sink them in because the rhizome will melt.

I just hope the moss can thrive. If they don't, I will have to get new one likely mini pelia to redo the rocky scape.

for the substrate, I have insert very small glosso from my main tank. Seems to be coping well, hopefully they can slowly cover up, and gripped the substrate.

I have not been to SV since the last time we went together. All my 3 tanks are matured and in full "blooms", I am not sure what to do next. Your tank look cautiously planted. It has potential and I will be very aggressive with it by creating a background moss wall using mesh wire or even mixed the mesh wire with needle ferns, nana, peilia and all kinds of plants (and buceps if budget allows), all these don't require soil to grow. That will leave the substrate neat and empty, with couple of rocks for hiding. Eventually, those plants on the mesh will grow upward (nana) or sideways (needle ferns). Messy, but biotope are not meant to be well organised and than you have all the space to concentrate on bringing in the fish, snail, or shrimps. Very low tech setup if only I have a tank like yours to play with....

[Ingen]

Nice scape and nice bokeh effect. Are those Axelrodi?

[Dodofish]

I have not been to SV since the last time we went together. All my 3 tanks are matured and in full "blooms", I am not sure what to do next. Your tank look cautiously planted. It has potential and I will be very aggressive with it by creating a background moss wall using mesh wire or even mixed the mesh wire with needle ferns, nana, peilia and all kinds of plants (and buceps if budget allows), all these don't require soil to grow. That will leave the substrate neat and empty, with couple of rocks for hiding. Eventually, those plants on the mesh will grow upward (nana) or sideways (needle ferns). Messy, but biotope are not meant to be well organised and than you have all the space to concentrate on bringing in the fish, snail, or shrimps. Very low tech setup if only I have a tank like yours to play with....

honestly, i rarely frequent sv these days too. The last I went, I bought two bottles of fertilizers, look around a little and left. Don't want to anyhow throw money into water hehe

for this tank, space is the toughest to manage, as actual length after inbuilt filter is only 25cm and it is narrow. So I rather be a little slow, harvest whatever I have from my main tank and observe if it works.

Just want it to be as natural as possible and hopefully maintainence free.

[Dodofish]

Nice scape and nice bokeh effect. Are those Axelrodi?

Thanks bro for the kind compliments. I think the fishes are boraras brigitte, with some spotted variant. But I am really not familiar with these fishes as I just wanted the smallest for the tank.

so far so good, no casualty and corpse hehe

[bluebubbles]

for this tank, space is the toughest to manage, as actual length after inbuilt filter is only 25cm and it is narrow. So I rather be a little slow, harvest whatever I have from my main tank and observe if it works.

Just want it to be as natural as possible and hopefully maintainence free.

So your mosquito fish are living in a shoebox apartment. Trimming will be an issue if plants thrive too easily and than you will wish it can grow slowly in small tank...lol. So better not dose too much fertiliser to speed the plant's growth. As for your mosquito fish, I may recommend you this red-sandy tetra fish food. They are very cheap and my mosquito only love this as it fit their teeny mouth easily. Another plus point, this food float (powdery) and sink (heavier pellet), it suit both surface and bottom fish dwellers.