BenBOMB

This is my first NPT. I did it because I got this tank cheap and I knew that NPT don't take much equipment and would not cost me much, and so far the only cost it gave me is the fish i'm going to be adding in there. The lighting, gravel, heater, powerhead, dirt, plants, decor, shrimp, fish (that's in there now) where all already on hand. Lets go through what I have going on. I named this tank "Foreign Stream" because when I just sit there and watch the tank it reminds me of a shallow stream and most of my plants and fish are foreign to the states.

Equipment:

• Aquarium Systems Maxi-Jet 400 Power Head 106 G.P.H.
• Aquarium Systems Visi-Therm 50 Watt Heater
• Coralife F/W T-5 Aqualight Double Strip Light-30" (36W)

Plants:

• Hygrophila polysperma 'Rosanervig' "Sunset Hygro"
• Limnobium laevigatum "Amazon Frogbit"
• Ceratopteris thalictroides "Water Sprite"
• Microsorum pteropus "Java Fern"
• Pogostemon helferi "Downoi"
• Lilaeopsis brasiliensis "Microsword"
• Vallisneria americana v. 'Biwaensis' "Corkscrew Val"
• Cryptocoryne wendtii "C. Wendtii"
• Bacopa Caroliniana "Bacopa"

Inhabitants:

• Platydoras costatus "Striped Raphael Catfish"
• Neocaridina heteropoda 'var. Red' "Red Cherry Shrimp"
• Corydoras pygmaeus "Pygmy Cory" (soon)
• Variety of Snails

Decor:

• Natural Driftwood From Local River
• Large Rock
• Estes Shallow Creek Regular Gravel
• Dirt From Outside

Step by Step Setup of "Shallow Foreign Stream":

First I found a south window to place the aquarium in front of.


Next I cleaned the tank and set it in front of the window.


Then I added the dirt and filled it with water just above the dirt line. More like mud now, ha ha.


After that I added the gravel around the edges.


Next I planted the plants and added gravel around them, then I put down my decor and filled in the rest of the gravel.




When I was finished with the gravel I started to fill it up, after half way it wasn't that cloudy so I continued till it was full. I used a small dish so I wouldn't disturb the substrate.



Here is a full tank shot the day after filling it up.


On the day I took the last full tank shot I added my Striped Rafael Catfish and 10 or so Red Cherry Shrimp. I didn't count the shrimp I just took a net swoop through my RCS breeder tank. I'm hoping to add plants over time but letting it do it's thing for now. I ordered 10 Pygmy Corys i'm going to add them in this tank, they should be here next Wensday. I'm still debating what I should have for my showcase fish. At first I was thinking a pair of Apistos would be great but I don't want fish that will eat the adult shrimp, just keep the shrimp population contained. I'll have to search the web and see what I find.

I'll try to keep this as updated as possible. Always open to any suggestions because i'm going through a learning process, I accept all criticism as well .

Regards,
Ben