Hi all,
I recently purchased one of those Red Sea Aquavases- the so-called "Melody," which has about a 1.5 Gallon capacity before substrate. I'd like to use it for a low-tech (in this case, read: "glorified fish bowl") tank that I'd keep at work if I determined the resident(s) could withstand not being fed two days a week. If it needs daily attention, I'll be putting it in my kitchen. Even when full, it's small enough to pick up & move around with ease.
I have the nano HOB filter that I was planning on rigging into a surface skimmer, & could get a tiny, 11 watt clip on light if need be, but my initial idea was to have it filterless & let the window light it indirectly. The primary aesthetic appeal would be from the planting, which, for practical cleaning would be mostly wood-growing java fern/moss, & truly "nana" anubias if I can get hold of some. I also will probably throw some frobit on top since I like the look, & recently read in my new copy of "Ecology of the planted Aquarium" (Whoohoo! finally got it in! Outstanding book!), that floating plants are great purifiers. I will probably also make a plex top to reduce evaporation.
My question is whether these rhizome-bearing, wood-mounted mosses, etc. do much to clean the water of fish pollutants or oxygenate it. I know they probably don't rival fast-growing stem plants... Also, I guess floating plants would inhibit gas exchange at the surface, so maybe they're not a good idea. The substrate would be determined by the plants I decided to keep.
The environment at my office is climate controlled, averaging 70-73 degrees F during the business day. It might get up in to 80 degrees on a rare weekend. I hadn't decided on occupant(s), though I'm resigned to this tank's perhaps being too small for much of anything. Maybe shrimp? I want happy livestock, not a prison! I've seen Endler's Livebearers & least killies recommended on this forum for people's jars, though it sounds like either of these would breed in a puddle, & fishing the fry out is not something I'd like to have to do at work. I thought of a pair of sparkling gouramis, but have not kept these, & I'm not sure how delicate they are--just labyrinth organs seemed like a plus for a glorified fishbowl.
Anyone have any thoughts, suggestions, experiences, or caveats? Also, anyone know a low-light aquatic ground cover? | 
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