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6 gallon “Volcano”


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Since I’ve been dropping comments about the 75 gallon redo and encouraged to post a journal link in my sig, but this is not that!  😆 I’ll get to that when it’s more than just an ugly mess needing a redo and a plan.

To keep in the spirit of sharing, though, this is currently my next to favorite tank.  Arguably the best looking right now.

In February this year, I bought a “new in box” second hand, 6 G Aqueon cube.  Bought one of their “planted tank” lights to go with it since I already had one on another cube that was a complete, used, starter kit (tank, light, filter), and those plants were growing well, so why not continue the same and they would match with pretty minimal expense.

I set it up with a nice chunk of petrified wood I got from another hobbyist (one of my favorite rocks I’ve ever had).  It got a couple tiny, baby, dwarf red lilies - front left (Nymphea lotus ‘Zenkeri’) which I knew I would have to remove eventually.  A handful of Alternanthera reineckeii ‘Roseafolia’ - back left, a single sword back right (Echinodorus barthii x E. schlueteri’Red Flame’), a trio of Cryptocoryne pontederifolia in front of the sword, and some Pogostemon helferi front right.  It also got a trio of Bucephalandra ‘Brownie Ghost’ glued to the black lava rock, and a single Anubias nana ‘Petite Pinto’ glued to the petrified wood.

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Edited by Odd Duck
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The Anubias was getting a little too much light for the nutrient level and was getting algae.  So I floated a ring and added red root floaters (Phyllanthus fluitans) to shade it.  The dwarf lilies grew even faster than I expected, so they got pulled and put in another tank (I’ll get to that one eventually).  This first pic is what got the tank named ‘Volcano’ when I posted it on FB.

Second pic is after pulling the lilies and after adding what was supposed to be 3 Crypt. wendtii ‘Pink Panther’.  You can see 2 are pink, one . . . not so much.  The oddball is a pretty enough crypt, it gives me contrast between the pink Crypts and the pink of the AR ‘Roseafolia’, so it stays.  You can see staghorn algae on the AR (not a nice look).  Things are otherwise coming along nicely.

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Next the AR ‘Roseafolia’ just had to come out. It wasn’t growing anything but algae anyway.  Replaced it with some AR ‘Mini’ and getting better growth since it’s not covered with algae (🙄🤦🏻‍♀️).

The Anubias wasn’t growing very well, and what was growing was too green, so I thought I’d try more light.  Algae was otherwise under control, finally.  Took out the floaters to maybe get the Anubias back to ‘Pinto’ and moved its friend over to join it from my algae troubled pea puffer tank.

There are a couple random Buce rhizomes laying there with weights on them, waiting to see to what variety they are.  They came in with no leaves but I know which 2 they could (should?) be, so we’ll see soon.  They just started sprouting some leaves in the last week.

These pics are July 1.  Close up of the Anubias nana ‘Petite Pinto’ pair.

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Edited by Odd Duck
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On 7/12/2021 at 11:28 PM, Colu said:

Nice tank. Is going to be a Betta tank

Thank you, I think it’s coming along well.

My aim was initially a Betta tank.  I’ve been holding out because I have a geriatric singleton pea puffer that I’ve been trying to work into a socially healthy shoal.  First I have to get the right number of puffers in the right sex ratio (which has been far tougher than I expected). I’ve tried a couple times with him with juveniles, but it didn’t work out well because I didn’t have a large enough group and probably didn’t have the right sex ratio.

He gets one last shot at it.  My *new* juvies are just starting to show me sex differentiation, so I’m (hopefully) only a couple weeks from a proper shoal.  If it doesn’t work out, this will be his retirement home.  Here he is when he was in temporary puffer jail for his previous bad behavior.

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Edited by Odd Duck
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On 7/13/2021 at 1:32 PM, Patrick_G said:

I like that you’re no afraid to switch this up! It’s looking great. I especially like the contrasting colored epiphytes on the rocks and the bright green Pogostemon in front. 

Thanks!  I really love that contrast, too!  Really makes them both stand out better.  The Crypt ponte was supposed to be nearly the same color as the pogos to contrast from the other side of the dark Buce, but it doesn’t look as bright because the ponte got so tall.  You see the color *through* the leaves instead of *on* the leaves and it doesn’t come across nearly as bright, neon green.  Plus they have that single E. ‘Red Flame’ behind them and it darkens that corner a bit.  If that sword gets big enough it will have to come out and I’ll let the pontes grow in that direction.  Maybe it will give it more contrast that way.  

I also had the *hardest* time getting that Pogostemon to establish!  The first 2 TC melted, but the second TC melted slow enough I thought, “Well, I might still have a chance at getting it to work”.  The third TC did fine, but I had split the plants between this tank and my 100 gallon.  The cories kept dislodging the ones in the 100 gallon!  I finally just stuck them all in this one and they’re doing great!

I like the aquascape to evolve and develop.  I don’t want to look at exactly the same thing for years.  I want to see what the plants want to do.  There are some I’ve given up on (almost gave up on those Pogostemon), and some I’m trying again for the first time in years.

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On 7/13/2021 at 9:01 PM, Patrick_G said:

It is really fun trying to grow different plants. That Pogostemon is impressive. I’ll have to look around for some. Is it only available as a TC? 

I’ve also seen it as potted plants, but my goal was to do a big swath of them in the 100 gallon, so TC was the only way I could afford that many plants.  Wellll, . . . . I have a little swath in my 6G.  😆 And I have sturdier, better rooted plants in the 100G.  I can’t even tell you how many times I replanted tiny pogos in the 100G.  2-6 *daily* for at least 2 weeks or more.  I kind of got ahead of myself in adding the corys.  🤷🏻‍♀️

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  • 3 weeks later...

Something very exciting today for this tank!  I won a Betta last week in a Band raffle.  There was a choice between several fish and from a seller I was strongly considering since he has great ratings and does very careful shipping, etc.  One of the fish was EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for, and young (subadult)!

I’m so happy with how he looks!  He was packed with loads of insulation and padding, came out of the box looking good, bag a good temp, feisty in the bag, and hunting within minutes of coming out of the bag.  I can barely tear myself away from him and I still need to get the WC done on my 100 G before I go out of town late this week (only a couple days).  He may get rough on my shrimp (we’ll see) but for now he’s only hunting amphipods.  I had given up on finding the right Betta or I wouldn’t have put shrimp in here. I was going to do tiny nanos.  If my 14 G cube settles soon enough, I may switch him to that one if there’s any shrimp left by then.

He’s so beautiful!

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On 8/3/2021 at 2:44 PM, Taco Playz said:

Love the volcano! Great looking tank!

Thank you!  I’m so happy to finally have a Betta in here considering I designed the tank with either Bad Pea Daddy or a Betta in mind.  It just took me sooooo long to find the one I wanted!  Then I had another tank ready for the Bad Dad, so he went in there when he proved AGAIN that he couldn’t behave himself around other puffers.

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  • 3 months later...

Wow, I’m really overdue for posting an update on this tank!  I’ve moved the Crypt pontederiifolia to the left rear after moving the Alternanthera reineckii ‘Mini’ to a hanging planter in the 46 gallon since it wasn’t impressing me in here.  The sword will be coming out this weekend to be replaced with a smaller ‘Red Pearl’ sword that should stay more proportionate for the tank.

The tiny Buces are still growing out and I still don’t know what variety they are, yet.  One of my Anubias nana ‘Pinto’ went walkabout for a while and when I went to retrieve it and glue it back down, it had a tiny friend floating around, so they both got glued down.  I’ve moved the green ‘Pink Panther’ to a different tank since I thought it was taking nutrients from one of the Pinks and now I’ve moved that Pink to a different, shallower tank to see if it will grow better in there with more light.

This pic is before cleaning so please disregard the algae on the tank walls.

 

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The Pogostemon is suffering from being over shaded by the sword, so hopefully it will come back once the swords are swapped.

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On 12/4/2021 at 1:18 AM, Odd Duck said:

moving the Alternanthera reineckii ‘Mini’

I hope you have success with this. Mine being in planters under the light I bought 3 tissue cups and now have enough for 6 planters and a few of those have outgrown the planters. It happen quick too. If it’s happy it will impress you. 

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On 12/4/2021 at 4:41 AM, Guppysnail said:

I hope you have success with this. Mine being in planters under the light I bought 3 tissue cups and now have enough for 6 planters and a few of those have outgrown the planters. It happen quick too. If it’s happy it will impress you. 

I’ve seen yours and I’m completely jealous!  Mine is practically right next to the light and is still puny and barely growing.  It’s barely under the light but off to the side.  You would think it would get some good color, or start growing emerse (it’s barely under the surface) but the stems are still kind of limp and puny and it’s very unexciting.  At least it’s still alive, but I’m so discourage when it comes to AR of any kind.

I just got a stem free from a local guy when I bought a couple other plants from him.  It looks and is growing very different for him, I’m wondering if it’s not the same plant, but he said it was.  Leaves are 3 times the size my plant struggles to produce and not even the same shape.  Either mine was labeled wrong, or his was, or it grows COMPLETELY differently for him, I’m not sure which.  Anyway, it’s red and beautiful so I’ve got it planted in a jelly jar.  I’m trying again!

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On 12/4/2021 at 11:06 AM, Patrick_G said:

I think I bought my Pogostemon Helferi after seeing yours. Mine grew well but it’s starting to get a little ratty. I’m going to buy another cup and see if it does the same thing. Maybe it just doesn’t look as good when it grows out. 

Mine did great until it got too shaded by the sword.  You can see the ones that are still getting light.  Once I pull this sword and put in the other one (arriving today) I’ll see what happens with these scrawnier stems.  I’ve read you can cut stems and replant tips like any stem plant and the base stem will sprout side branches just like the taller Pogos.  I may be doing that after I give these some time back in the “sun”.

I don’t really want to risk losing them completely by cutting.  It was hard enough getting it to grow in the first place and that was with no fish in the tank.  My Betta grubs around in these guys already since about half the whiteworms and blackworms always go right down in among them when I feed.

That current pattern will change when I remove the big sword, so I don’t know where the worms will end up.  Probably sweep across the other side more since that’s where they go in Bad Pea Daddy’s tank and his filter/tank/set up is identical except the rocks and plants.

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  • 2 months later...

Update, but sad.  I lost my Betta little over 2 weeks ago.  He developed a tiny bit of fin rot and before I could even treat him, he was gone.  The tank has been empty since then and will stay empty until it after gets moved to the fish room.  I just couldn’t bring myself to post about it.  I’m not sure what will go in the tank, but the sapphire shrimp are booming.  The Bettas want getting all of them, but he must have been getting just enough to limit the population.

When I move the tank, I will probably move some shrimp into my 14 G cube.  I’m hoping to get hummingbird tetras into the 14 G cube after the fish room move.  I don’t think the tiny tetras will significantly predate on the shrimp if the Betta wasn’t.  At least not enough to prevent/limit breeding by much.  I’ve also thought about getting emerald shrimp in the 14 G instead of the sapphires.  I don’t want anything to take away from the tetras since their colors are so fleeting and ephemeral.

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On 2/9/2022 at 10:53 PM, Torrey said:

I'm sorry you lost your betta, and I understand not being ready to say anything. 

Your shrimp ideas for the tanks sound pretty solid. Now, I need to google hummingbird tetras, because I don't know if I have seen them before. 

@Fish Folksuggested them and posted this video on this “What’s your favorite tetra” thread a while back.  I’ve been obsessed ever since.  I got a notification early last week they were available from a website that gets in unusual fish but I was in the thick of COVID so couldn’t order them.  Now that my brain is a bit more functional, I don’t really want to order them, then have to move the tank when I consolidate into my fish room.  So I’m making myself wait.  I did ask and they did say they got a bunch, so we’ll see if they still have them after I’ve at least got QT tanks moved since those will be getting moved before the 14 G cube gets moved.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I started a revamp on this tank.  I should have taken the ‘Red Flame’ sword out sooner because my Pogostemon helferi has all faded away, I think because it was too shaded.  I haven’t yet decided if I’m going to replace it or try something else.  I was fiddling with the Low Row today and decided to finally get the sword out.  I’ve moved in a trio of small Echinodorus hadi ‘Red Pearl’ in place of the single, large sword.  They should stay shorter, but still have good color for that back corner.  I also feel like I need to put something else in the left front where my Crypt. ‘Pink Panther’ also faded away.

The tank looks practically empty and is a bit of a mess right now because the sword had roots ALL the way across the tank. This is a dirt bottom, sand capped tank and my “dirt” isn’t black so it shows when the layers are disturbed.  I’ll need to do another water change to get more of the “dirt” off the surface. I do have to be a bit careful with water changes since I have berried shrimp in the tank.

Ignore the red “dirt” at the back right.  I’m very open to ideas for both, or either, of the front corners.  I want something fairly short and love interesting colors and contrast.  Has to be low tech and moderate light.

 

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