Kayen's Planted 2.5g - Learning Curve

[Kayen]

my 2.5 gallon:

Right now i have a heavy hair algae problem, and its quite difficult to remove without disturbing my hygro and fish in there atm (2 guppy fry and 1 betta)

and it destroys the bettas bubblenests everytime i try to remove the hair algae.

As you can see moss is overgrown, and hte hygro is jsut floating creating quite a mess.

Any suggestions of what i can do?

I want to try an iwagumi or something simplistic and zen with moss and rocks/ wood.

Also if i were to rescape there are a few things that i would need to acquire, that being, a better lighting mount, excel. I want to use the current filter as later on, i could inject co2 thru the venturi, doing a co2 misting of the moss.

But any suggestions ?

on how to control the problem , etc.

Edited January 9, 2009 by Kayen

[jvision]

A big trimming is definitely in need. When you get it looking almost the way you want (leave room for the plants to grow in), I'd just add Excel. CO2 is hard to get right on such a small tank, unless you're using a pressurized system. This size tank is great for Excel, especially if you use an eye dropper from an old test kit of other Seachem fertilizer.

I'd wrap a bunch of moss around a rock or piece of driftwood to keep it in place, then trim it whenever it gets unruly. For a clean look, keep the Hygro along one side and back corner. When you start adding Excel, your Hygro may need pruning every other day. To keep it looking it's best, uproot it and trim from the bottom, then replant the top.

Have plants, have fun!! :thumbs:

[Kayen]

Most of hte hygro is floating right now, and both corners are being used up rightn ow.

When my friend sets up his tank i'm deciding to give him a good amount of the current hygro.

The moss is tied and adhered to the driftwood, but its jst grow.

I originally wanted to do an iwagumi, or nature type setting but it ended up as this.

Also hair algae is quite a problem right now.

The hard scape is gone.

Also, the driftwood in the tank is quite large as it takes up mosth te space:

- Before i had live plants, this was in the start of august.

- here is hte initial moss tying, but i tied it down lots more later.

Then about start - mid september-

So yeah.

Now its just a messy jungle, and i need to downsize on that piece of driftwood.

[jvision]

Excel will help a lot w. the hair algae. I'd probably cut the wood in 1/2 - maybe stand it vertically in the middle of the tank? I think it'd look cool!

Just some ideas

Edited November 15, 2007 by jvision

[Kayen]

Hmm what to use to chop the piece of wood?

Say a mitre saw? Cause we have liek 3 in the garage (dad's a contractor)

And Excel is a forsure, when i get the money (no money, and in debt $200)

[Vallisneria]

you can use anything to cut the wood(hand saw, power saws) just make sure the saw is clean(no oil residues or anything) so nothing gets on the wood.

[Kayen]

its a nice piece of wood that woulddo great in a larger tank, perhaps when i get the money ill get bits of small wood.

Also would like to redo the stocking later on.

I would like florida flagfish later on, and perhaps somethign more(bottom feeder that can keep the most clean, probrably lotso f cherries) this is still a plan in action, i need to get cash.

So far to buy list is-

Wood, excel, slate, driftwood, Cherry shrimp and florida flagfish.

[Kayen]

Pulling a bit of hte hygro out, slowly.

I'll have a small amount of Hygrophilia PolySperma up for grabs if anyone is interested...

I bought 3 peices of slate, where ill be tying a slight bitoof moss, and the tanks rightside is full of dead moss.

I also bought some yeast, and yeah. I bought a small cheap HOB from aquagiant as well (its kinda loud =/ )

So i want to find a small branch piece of driftwood. My aquascape wants to be simple yet relaxing, and the only plant that will be used is java moss,

and what is the ideal lighting that you've found for it in your experiences?

I want to dose excel eventually.

And here is the pic with stocking plan-

anyone want to come help? im doing this tmr most likely

Come for the show. and help me : P XD what to do with spare wood and healthy hygro growing on wood ?

Inspired by the following:

<a href="http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-nano-tanks/54510-mossy-affair.html" target="_blank">http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-...ssy-affair.html</a>

and..

ADA Top 10 - 2007- Entry Number 10.

Would like to recreate entry number 7 and 11 ( mash) some time. When i move out and have the cash perhaps (10 years?)

OR OPTION 2:

Raise driftwood (making substrate space), take floating plants and plant them, dose excel (when iget some..), raise lights.

Option 2 maybe a quick fix choice, while i gather enough materials to successfully start option 1, which requires a few nice rocks, and a new place to house the betta.

If my parents would let me, i would start up another 2.5 gallon tank, and have both under 1 24 inch unit, and do option 1 on one side and option 2 on theother, mommy and daddy wont approve.

For my hygro, im looking for a 6x6x6 cube, or small clear largish container to store them in by the window (starting a pure sunlight stockless tank, hygro and moss)

Edited November 17, 2007 by Viettxboii

[jvision]

Excel is going to be the easiest way to supply carbon for a small tank like that. DIY (yeast & sugar) may get too intense; but, with your little HOB, you'll probably be fine.

For lighting, a desk lamp will work fine. Either the type with the small halogen bulb or screw-in compact flourescent - the flourescent would be better, as it disperses light better, the halogen gives more a direct beam.

BTW, I onced did a 10 gal planted tank w. just sunlight. Plants did great! I also had a pair of Apistogramma cackatooides in there. In the morning, they'd orient themselves toward the sun, so that they'd be swimming on tilt - pretty funny to see!

Have plants, have fun!

[Kayen]

My room is on the side of hte house , and recieves no sunlight at all.

Anywho i just finished ripping out a bunch of algae andd brownish yellow looking java moss, and placed them in a small 1 litre bowl, and placed it on a northeast facing window. I also planted some of the hygro instead of letting mosto f it free float (though the ones that have their roots attached to the driftwood seem to be most beautiful with many shades of colours, if my parents permit for my bday, i'd ask them if i can just set up another 2.5 beside this one and use a single 24 inch unit. And have one dedicated to hygro, and another one being an all moss iwagumi.

Anywho here are some pics : (ghetto lighting fixture yes..)

I want to add something right now on the bottom that my betta won't make a meal of, and i heard the the lfs isn't going to be carrying pygmy cories much longer since lack of interest, i want to get some for my 2.5 but feel that it is too small, however if i were to get some, what would be an approriate number, and yes i will be removing the 2 guppy fry.

[Vallisneria]

4-5 pygmy cories, cherry shrimps and a smallish fish is a lot for a 2.5g. For a tank that small I wouldn't do cories as they need to be in groups and a group would be too much for a 2.5g.

I"d stick to maybe some amano shrimp a zebra snail and a smallish fish. The amanos get bigger and my betta has never bothered mine(but the betta has eaten cherry shrimp).

[Kayen]

Well im just looking for a bottom feeder basically, i don;t want to risk cories in anythign smaller then 10g.

What would make a good easily obtainable however hardy algae eater/ bottom feeder for my tank that wont get gobbled up by the betta.

[Vallisneria]

Amano shrimp or zebra snails

[Kayen]

how much and where from? (zebra snails) And how many would be acceptable in my tank? I only have 1 pond snail in this tank, after taking the entire tank apart i've found only one pond snail in there

And amano shrimp i can't find except petsmart for $10 a pop

Edit:

Since i moved teh hygro over i have lots more free swimming space, i can see my betta and little guppies in action now.

and i need an elite singray 5 impeller(being used in teh elitestringray 5 inside the 33 as a piggyback filter), for the HOB, so much more quiet then the supplied i

, though i may just trim the current impeller down? which sounds better?

Edited November 18, 2007 by Viettxboii

[Vallisneria]

Nature's cornerstore is where I usually get my zebra snails. They are around 3$ea. Sometimes they also have spotted snails which are like zebras except instead of stripes they have spots(wow who would have thunk it by their name,lol).

Amano shrimp are usually around 3-4$ at nature's cornerstore, aquarium enthusiasts, Big als and aquarium illusions on the westend.