15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

[lars on]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

Im actually dosing the 10g with flourish excel Some sites are saing the leaves melting at first is a normal thing.

Ive never had a FW fish jump out of my tanks without lids, only my little percula clownfish, 40$ down the drain. But the 10 will definately get a lid. The 55 ad an acrylic slot top with a glass cover.

So I waited until dad went to bed then started gutting the tank. Left the black gravel to line around the soil on the bottom. Left one of my tubs full of tank water. Gonna put the new gravel on top, hopefully I have enough, if not ill mix in some old black. Refilling the tank is gonna be a royal pain as the only faucet I can hook the python up to is the outside hose.

Taking pics as I go!

 

[lars on]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

Tank is almost half full. Im convinced my sister hid the remote, so im stuck watching Pawn star reruns and prosti-vac commercials on loop for the past two hours.

Filling up home depot buckets and putting them into the black bin, that then sucks it back into the tank. Got sick of scooping water by hand into the bucket.

The dog is convinved anything filled with water contains fish, she concentrates so hard!

 

[PokeSephiroth]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

LOL!! I love how you stayed up till like 2 in the morning to work on your tank(s)! That's some dedication right there! I always get so excited when working on a tank =P Keep it up, Lars On!

 

[Lamental Jester]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

Correct-a-mundo on the melting. My big amazon sword did a lot of melting at first but now has new growth. It just has to adapt to the new parameters.

Two in the morning? Kudos! I was up till 5am when I set up my walstad, I applaud your efficiency

 

[lars on]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

Ahh good to know! I haven't put any of my plants in tere yet, just the hornwort floating around. But even it has new growth.

I ended up not even filling the entire tank, just over the output. The magnum isn't blowing the gravel around like sand yet, and I only put like 1" of gravel on top of the soil. Want to put the main focal driftwood and rocks on the hilly deal. Finally got the whole living room cleaned up at about 4:30! Haha tanks a little murky but the ammonia is holdin good at 1.0 still, gonna do a small water change tonight and see if that helps.

As much as I dislike farmland fish I'm gonna take a small break from work in a couple mins and see if the little calico swordtail male is still for sale, been a LONG time since I've seen a male swordtail for sale around here. Hopefully he'll be chill with the female betta until the 55s done

 

[PokeSephiroth]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

oh man, I dont think Ive ever seen a calico swordtail before! Must take pictures if you end up buying him!

Keep up with the updates, and pics! I love watching tanks developing!

 

[lars on]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

Got my swordtail! Although the Koi Angelfish was so tempting, but no room for a guy that big in the 10. After 5mins of disappointed looking that the calico guy wasnt there he popped his head out from behind a rock! Poor guy was hiding from the other swords 3x his size. Was all mopey in the tank and car. Just put him in the tank and the betta already hates him.

Also after about 5 days I think of cloudiness in the 10 it is CRYSTAL clear today! And thanks fo all the watter lettuce PokeSephiroth, tiny betta is having a ball, think half the surface is covered already! lol

55g has gotten murkier if anything, gonna test ammonia again in a second. Need to find some big amazon swords. And need to figure out if my fluval 104 works, get me some plants!

Already butthurt she has to share.

 

[PokeSephiroth]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

Awww he looks so cute! Heh, that betta is going to learn that sharing is caring. lol. Lookin' great Lars On!
I'm sure your betta won't mind sharing the water lettuce, hahaha!! Plus, that stuff grows and multiplies FAST (along with the frogbit!) You'll want to make sure that they don't block all the light for the rest of your plants, that was something I noticed when the water lettuce and frogbit started to overcrowd the surface in my 10 gallon shrimp tank

Woohoo for crystal clear water!

OOH OOH...also, let me know if you'd like some red ramshorn snails. I have some that I don't mind giving away they're gentle on my plants, never ate any of the leaves, so I'm sure they'll do well in your tank as well!

They hitchhiked with the plants that Pbmax sold/gave me (he's actually the one that gave me the first batch of dwarf water lettuce and frogbit! Now I'm passing them onto you. LOL)

 

[Betty]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

Lars on, the GSAS has a big auction coming up in April. It's open to everyone; you don't need to be a member to buy. I've seen some amazing plants go for very good prices, including swords. There is usually a big variety of common and uncommon plants.

 

[BillHN]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

Still murky, but ive already noticed the plants are growing!

If you still have the receipt, the marineland LED isn't adequate for growth imho.
You should exchange it for the 24" 2x t5's at petsmart or petco that you got it from.

 

[lars on]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

Lars on, the GSAS has a big auction coming up in April. It's open to everyone; you don't need to be a member to buy. I've seen some amazing plants go for very good prices, including swords. There is usually a big variety of common and uncommon plants.

I might have to take the day off work, pokesephiroth is gonna pick me up some stuff if he goes. But Ill try and go to this one regardless, these plants are addicting!

 

[lars on]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

big picture
tiny picture

Still murky, but ive already noticed the plants are growing!

If you still have the receipt, the marineland LED isn't adequate for growth imho.
You should exchange it for the 24" 2x t5's at petsmart or petco that you got it from.

Im buying another one online, found the one I have online for 20$ cheaper. Ordering a light for my 55g too. Ive actually noticed a huge growth in some of my plants, my ludwigia ATLEAST an inch.

 

[lars on]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

The frogbit ya gave e Pokesephiroth, almost as green as the biggest one!

Melon sword, looked really cool, hopefully its full aquatic

First plants in the 55. Magnum is blowing the Water lettuce around like mad, look like drowning jellyfish.

And finally, bought the swordtail a girlfriend!

 

[PokeSephiroth]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

So cool! I'm really surprised that the frogbit has gotten so green, so fast! Really great job, Lars On!!

 

[cichlid-gal]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

Also, the green and white leaf plant in the front right is a terrestrial plant. I learned that the hard way about 2 weeks ago :x

As that is a terrestrial plant you could take it and pot it up somehow so that the top of the plant remains out of the water...so up near the top of the tank, roots in water, plant in air. Like those riparium plants...that would look nice I think. Just have fun with all the stuff you can do.

 

[lars on]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

Too much work for one little plant, it would probably dry up from the light. Those out of tank waterfalls with plant do look awesome though.

The new center piece! Big mopani, hopefully it will fit in the tank! D;

And in car/comparison. Suckers 13lbs

 

[PokeSephiroth]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

T'was fun running around with you from petstore to petstore! LOL. quite the adventurous day we had! That driftwood looks amazeballs.

Hope it fits in your acrylic tank w/o having to cut it up! *fingers crossed*

 

[sidekicking]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

Whoa dude 13lbs that's a lot
I bet that piece cost you an arm & leg lol

 

[lars on]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

Is always fun fish nerdin out! Glad we went to farmland or I wouldnt have found my driftwood! Hoping I dont have to cut it, did you have any idea what the farmland lady was going on about? I dont thing she caught our whole conversation lol goin on about bowing the tank?

Hahha side just about!! Just shy of 70$ D; was to perfect to pass up!

Waiting for dad to go to bed so i can try and cram it in there

 

[PokeSephiroth]

Re: 15L build, 10g shrimp grow out, 55g Walstad

Yeah, no clue...she's cool though, lol. Man, today was fun! And that guy with his "overstocked 55 gallon tank" . . . lololol, oh man, too good. ;-)

Yes, take pics! Actually wait... you're not going to let it leach out first? Not that it's a bad thing if you don't... but that mopani wood is going to make your water, all tea colored (not bad for the fish, but other fish keepers don't like not-clear water. I personally love the tea colored water. lol)

some people like to dip their mopani driftwood (or any driftwood, really) and let the tannins leach out as much as possible. I've had my mopani wood for over a year now, and it still makes my water a light-tea color whenever I do water changes. LOL!!