First ever nano project

10070 Views 50 Replies 17 Participants Last post by FBG, May 2, 2009

FBG

Discussion Starter · Dec 4, 2008 (Edited)

7

This is a 2.5 gallon glass aquarium, and it is my first ever try at a nano.

and this is what you don't want to see after taking the rims off...

so I had to leave the bottom ring on (well...kind of.) this is what it looks like with the bottom rim on.

Today I finally found a place that sells 3M colorquartz...too bad it is only sold in 50 lb bags! so I only used about 2 or 3 pounds of the stuff. leaves more for other tanks in the future right?

here is what it looks like with everything finished.

I am in the middle of making a canister filter and a light fixture. all together I will end up having 16 watts over it. if not enough, I can go up to 24 watts. But that is all the fixture I am making will hold and still be be at the edge of the water. The bulbs are T5 at 12".

if the tank happens to spring a leak, I think I am just going to tear the aquarium apart, and position the glass where it is supposed to be, and silicone it correctly.

!ny advice, or suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.

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gravy9

· #2 · Dec 4, 2008 (Edited)

Nice work. Like you, I just setup a 3-gallon picotope last week and is in the cycling process now. I'm planning this for a betta but cycling it with 2 WC Minnows and a bunch of Cherry Shrimp.

Looking at your tank, I'm thinking of getting a 2.5 gallon tank and remove the frames also as I need a second tank for the pair of bettas that are on their way here from Thailand.

BTW, I'm using 3M Colorquartz gravel for the tank also. I'll post the pictures soon. If you needed a little bit of the gravel, you should have posted and I could have mailed it to you for the shipping cost.

If you're making the canister filter and the lighting fixture, I'd be interested in learning more about it.

What are the plants you're using for the tank and what fish do you plan for it?

Good Luck and thank you.

regards,
Ravi

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FBG

Discussion Starter · #3 · Dec 5, 2008

gravy9 said:
Nice work. Like you, I just setup a 3-gallon picotope last week and is in the cycling process now. I'm planning this for a betta but cycling it with 2 WC Minnows and a bunch of Cherry Shrimp.

Looking at your tank, I'm thinking of getting a 2.5 gallon tank and remove the frames also as I need a second tank for the pair of bettas that are on their way here from Thailand.

BTW, I'm using 3M Colorquartz gravel for the tank also. I'll post the pictures soon. If you needed a little bit of the gravel, you should have posted and I could have mailed it to you for the shipping cost.

Thank you for the offer! however Ihave been looking for this stuff for a while and intend to replace sand in other aquariums with this stuff.

If you're making the canister filter and the lighting fixture, I'd be interested in learning more about it.

I will be happy to post in the DIY section how I make the light fixture and canister filter. I will insert a link here when it is finished.

What are the plants you're using for the tank and what fish do you plan for it?

the plants include the following:
Ludwigia arcuata
Poaceae sp. 'Purple Bamboo'
Pogostemon helferi
Glossostigma elatinoides
Vesicularia montagne (Christmas moss I think...)
Riccia sp. 'Dwarf'

as for inhabitants...possibly 2 male endlers and a few cherry shrimp. both of which I tend to usually have a lot of

Good Luck and thank you.

regards,
Ravi

Thanks for the response.

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FBG

Discussion Starter · #4 · Dec 6, 2008

Alright, yesterday I finished the filter. I tested it out today and it worked well. the only problem is I forgot to seal the wire for the pump...

and I also found a small crack where the water will be coming into the pump from the aquarium. so I had to add a little silicone to both places and now I need to wait for 48 hours until everything cures completely.

on sunday I hope to have the light fixture finished... I have the metal, all I need to do is have someone cut it for me. (I don't like using electrical saws.) I will try to update everything with pictures on Sunday. so keep in touch!

FrostyNYC

· #5 · Dec 16, 2008

I just started a 2.5 myself. I'm surprised you too the bottom off... that worries me slightly. These Petco/Petsmart tanks arent made as well as ADA stuff, and there's a lot of variation in the quality of the seals and alignment.

Lucs

· #6 · Dec 17, 2008

Nice aquarium!

I'd only suggest you to move the white rock to the left, and the big one a little bit to the right, or maybe remove the white one...

See ya!

chuck griffin

· #7 · Dec 18, 2008

verry nice

FBG

Discussion Starter · #8 · Dec 24, 2008

2

Thank you for the responses.

Everything is working nicely. I took both rocks out and replaced them with other larger ones to create a higher spot. Also added HC and will try for CO2. not sure where to pick up a nano CO2 system however

here is what I did to the filter to make the wire seal properly.

I used a slip to thread (1/2" and am unsure is that is the correct name) and a threaded end cap. drilled a hole in the end cap large enough for the wire, and filled it full of silicone.

The wire goes directly out of the canisters side with no problems. It has also been running for 5 days without gaining any air or loosing any power.
I hope to add layout pictures soon.

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Chris.

· #9 · Dec 24, 2008

Great little project! I want to try a el natural tank with a 2 to 3 gallon aquarium!

FBG

Discussion Starter · #10 · Dec 28, 2008

let me know how it goes. I am always interested in what people create with aquascapes.

everything is still going fairly well. the HC is growing faster than I thought it would. I can already notice the 'plugs' growing closer to each other. The Downoi is growing faster than the HC, and producing a lot or healthy looking roots. (from when I redid the aquascape) hopefully by mid January I can get ADA soil in it!

Does anyone know of a good place to buy a cheaply priced CO2 regulator? (it is alright for it to be paintball tank operated.) I don't want to go ADA on an aquarium I only spent 10.00 or so for...I'll leave that for when I buy an ADA aquarium.

hopefully I will take time away from my schedule to take photographs of how it is growing.

mulita

· #11 · Dec 29, 2008

FBG said:
Alright, yesterday I finished the filter. I tested it out today and it worked well. ....!

Did you document the construction of this caniter filter? I am really interested as I will like to try this for a really small nano.

Chris.

· #12 · Dec 30, 2008

Just bought a 5gallon the otehr day to keep my injured gourami and 3 new fry in. Once the gourami gets better and the fry grow large enough to go back in my 20 gallon, I'll start setting this up as a slightly larger nano aquarium. lol

FBG

Discussion Starter · #13 · Dec 30, 2008

Yes I did. I can rewrite it and post it in the DIY section...maybe tomorrow. I keep saying I'll get pictures up but I keep on getting busy with other things...soon!

mulita

· #14 · Dec 30, 2008

FBG said:
Yes I did. I can rewrite it and post it in the DIY section...maybe tomorrow. I keep saying I'll get pictures up but I keep on getting busy with other things...soon!

Thanks. I'll be looking for your post to review.

FBG

Discussion Starter · #15 · Jan 3, 2009

3

ok, so I have a few photographs as promised.

FTS

HC

high point

I think I am going to take the Ludwigia arcuata out and replace it with some other stem plant. I have Purple Bamboo, Rotala rotundifolia, Hygro Sunset, Najas 'Roraima' and then Najas guadalupensis. I don't want to use the last one...it has taken over one to many of my aquariums

I should have cleaned the top of the glass in the first pic...sorry was rushed for time.

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FBG

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jan 27, 2009

4

been longer than I intended to update, but this is what it looks like now.

I made a DIY CO2 system and have it goign through the outflow and dispersing that way. but in the next few weeks I plan on buying an ADA diffuser.

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maldrien

· #17 · Jan 28, 2009

Real nice lil tank. I am looking forward to see what it's gonna look like when the HC grow more.

FBG

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jan 29, 2009

Ok, I have made the DIY for my canister filter.

DIY canister filter

Hope you enjoy.

gasteriaphile

· #19 · Jan 29, 2009

Hmmm...
I thought my 4 gallon was small! These tanks y'all have been talking about are even smaller and yet you have Endler's, lots of shrimp. My LFS owner told me not to put in that many animals. So all I have is one betta although I am going to try some cherry shrimp.

The plants in my 4 gallon (it's a Finnex by the way, much nicer than PetSmart/Petco) have not done well at all. Yet yours seem to be doing fine. Are you fertilizing? Or does the quartz gravel have fertilzer "built in"?

Here's my aquarium. The plants are, left to right:
Riccia fluitans (happy)
Bacopa caroliniana (UNhappy)
Java Moss - not sure of binomial - (has filamentous alga)
Sagittaria subulata (UNhappy)

I have not fertilized yet. Have not tested for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates yet.

Light came with the Finnex unit and is compact fluorescent 13 watts.

Fish: Betta splendens

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FBG

Discussion Starter · #20 · Jan 30, 2009

actually the plants were doing fine with no CO2 and no fertilization. However I filled it up from one of my high-tech aquariums water. so f got fertilizers and CO2 that way. the quarts 'sand' was not fertilized, it was inert.

But recently I added DIY CO2 and I got 40-60 lbs of free used aquasoil so I redid it with aquasoil. (not that much in here though!

)

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