# My 10 gal planted nano



## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

Specs:

10 Gal
Black moon sand w/ Laterite (will put a top layer of moon sand on in the future)
AquaClear 30 (replaced Whisper 10 which is in the pics)
100w heater
Coralife dualstrip T5 - 24", 2x14w day/full spec.
DIY CO2

Plants:
Pogostemon Helferi
Marsilea Crenata
Anubias Nana small
Echinodorus Tenellus
Cryptocoryne Wendtii 
Christmas Moss

Parameters:

pH 7.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5ppm
GH 7
KH 5

The tank has been set up about a little over a month now. It cycled in two weeks and everything was stable. I just let it sit about a week longer than it needed before I added in any species.

I had my eye on shrimp and picked up 4 Tiger shrimp. They were lively, coloured up quickly, and looked to be growing nicely as well as the plants. 
This one even looked like she had a saddle coming along.. no?









Then one day hours after looking at them I found two dead. I tested the water and everything was in-check. My suspicions were on NTS, maybe a param fluctuation, maybe lack of water flow in the one corner (it happened behind/under my e. tenellus, so maybe there wasn't much water flow?)
I thought all 4 had died becuase for the next week I didn't see any at all!

It is a shock since they were so lively and cute. Much livelier than the cherries I've had in the past.
and cuter!









So now a few days have gone by and I'm starting to see my plants looking weak, pale, and the growth has stopped considerably. 
I picked up some Seachem Flourish which I hope will help replace the micros that my filter or what ever might be eating up (i have a 3 stage filter w/ carbon).

I am also giving away the e tenellus to a friend with a 30 gal. I like the look of the 'grass', but I would much prefer a stationary japonica blyxxa rather than the 'i'm going to seek out and take over this tank in a week' tenellus. It's medium-tall which I don't like, and I think it blocks the water flow. I could be paranoid, but I generally don't like this plant. My guess is with enough nutrients the M Crenata will take over, the pogostemon will brighten up, the anubias won't be so undulating (wtf happened? it was so nice looking before., now it's all twisted) and that the little specs of christmas moss on the drift wood will keep growing and make a nice covering. I'm surprised I keep finding little spore-like dots of moss STUCK to the drift. I think it will grow nicely with nutrients.

Anyways, feel free to comment, flame, drift off onto other topics, and comment on the pics.

this is the general layout, minus the filter in the back right, which now has some etenellus and some m crenata (it crept under the drift and should fill in nicely)


----------



## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

Some current pics..

This is the left corner w/ the new filter. I'm using pre-filter sponge to lessen the suction for the shrimp... but I now might just remove it and feed my CO2 into that. 









the m crenata grew 5 or size of these off shoots once the plant settled into its emersed state (1 leaf clovers instead of 4, which is its imersed state). I like this plant and cannot wait for it to carpet!









a very pissed off nerite snail.. i flicked it by accident. 









the corner where two shrimp died...









the bridgett's rasboras.. I have a fascination with rasboras. they're quirky, quick, and dart around to all levels of the tank.









the colour of the e tenellus during the first few weeks...








it now looks like it's just lost its nutrients...


----------



## NuclearTech (Mar 23, 2008)

Sorry to hear about your shrimp.

I also have the marsilea in my tank. It is my favourite as well. We must have put ours in around the same time. Every day there are new shoots to see, it's the best.


----------

