# Kaon's (Betta) tank



## Sunstar

Earthdate: 11.22.08
Subject: I need silly cone.

My last tube sort of exploded when I tried to use it, I need to get some, but I think project will be on hold for the next week or so.

Remember a while ago I was planning on using a 4 gallon tank for Claude, but it cracked. I got a plan that should work and work well. Providing I can use my Sunstarish creative thinking to get this off the ground and under water.

Materials to use/needed:
One small 4 gallon tank with crack in back
Pink foam insulation (left over from my warhammer terrain making)
cement
cement pigment (optional) I am thinking green and red or brown
sand
peat moss
roots-twigs-branches
flourite (probably red)
leaves (oak or almond.)

Plants: (preferably biotypeish) If not, low growing. No Swords, no Apons, leave your weapons here....

Methods to my madness: The ultimate Decepticon plan.

Okay, I need to well and truly clean this tank, but I went and cut my finger on a kitchen knife last night, so I will pass on doing that right now. For now, I have the foam in position and working on it while it is still loose fitting.

I have been toying with this idea for a while, but I haven't had a reason to do it. Kaon is enough of a reason for me. I am already falling in love with this creature, who for some reason likes to wedge himself between leaves a lot. He has space and here he wants to be as tight as possible. Is this normal behaviour?

The foam will be tight fitting in this tank, it will be well and truly g;lued down and sealed so water, hopefully, cannot seep through. I would like it not to seep through the crack and spoil my fun.

The foam is in three main parts, side and back walls. I will paint the tank walls black or brown, so I don't have to look at the sickly pink.

Heating will be under tank, I think I may make a small stand for the tank to rest on so the air can circulate under it. Filtration will be none. It is a small tank and I do not feel like blowing this poor fish across the tank with current.

I am shaping the foam rocks in several pieces, I will silicon most down together to make the platform. Once it is ready, I will cover it with regular cement in a thin layer, then pigmented cement in a thicker layer once dried. The rock back ground there is two parts for now, one is a top part of a cave that I wish to encase in cement then silicon the two together and patch all "wounds" with a final layer of cement. Other "rocks" in the backdrop will be covered in the thin cement then the pigmented cement. There will be a few in the walls.

The walls will set into positioned and glued down. Silicon will be sealed around all edges. Final layer of cement will be used to hide the silicon.

Once the rocks are set, I will make a blend of hypatufa. My parents did this a lot, where they mixed peat, sand and cement together to create a sort of light weight cement garden ornaments that easily took moss. Keeping in mind, that I likely will have twigs and things sticking out of this wall, I will mix the pigmented hypatufa and spackle it into the wall areas and try to make it look like rough mud.

After all that is said and done, I plan on gluing the rock base down, sealing it in as I said above, then hiding the seals with cement and blending in all the areas that need blending. I want it to look real and not something that frankenstein did to create his monster.

I think what I will do then is fill the tank up with water, no substrate and soak it for a week or two in a diluted vinegar solution to perhaps get the PH to stabilise. Cement, I realise can do things to PH. We shall see. I want this to be a happy home for the fish, not a death trap.

Once that is stabilised, I am thinking of chopping up java moss and brushing it onto areas, wrapping it on roots then getting the tank as humid as possible to get it started on the walls.(in the hypatufa) I may consider getting java ferns going as well. Even anubias if this is correct for the system I am aiming for. Who am I kidding? My collectoritis will likely kick in.

I want to have caves and hiding spots for this fish. I want the fish to be a happy lad.









Kaon (named after a Decepticon city)









Initial setup. Looks claustrophobic and will be carved out more. Right hand side needs silicon as I have ideas that I want to do, but I need to have foam glued together to do it.









I carved the foam wall out and it doesn't look like it makes much sense, having "pebbles" sticking out the side, but I am sure it will once it comes together. You can see where the rock pile is being "merged" into the walls. Cement will hide the wounds.

Thoughts?


----------



## Riceburner

nice betta.

you might want to hollow out the foam after coating....you'd be amazed how well it floats..even with a thick coat of cement.


----------



## Sunstar

it will be perma glued down.


----------



## Sunstar

Earthdate: 11.22.08
Subject: Thinking out loud.










Quick shot of how it should look. I am drying wood again that I had soaking. I have a piece that should do what I want it to do and as long as I find a couple more rootletts, things should look the way I want it to.

This is not glued yet. The rocks are simply pinned to where I want them so I can make marks and think about where I want things to go and how I want them to look. Now I am seeing some things that could cause me issues. Thank you pinning for making me see what will give me a hard time. I can easily solve this problem now. Rocks will have to be done layer by layer. I can cement them all at the same time, but I will have to glue them to their spots afterward. This is so I can seal it well at the bottom when I glue it down. I think I will get a sheet of that sticky plastic stuff people use in kitchen cupboards so I can keep the bottom of my tank relatively clean.


----------



## Ciddian

I love threads like this! Sunstar I am looking forward to seeing this tank progress  I am so terrifide to do something like this on my own. u_u


----------



## Sunstar

why would you be scared? this tank is other wise a write off. if I can get it to work, even in the partly filled with water state, it'll be better than tossing it.


----------



## Ciddian

oohh its more of working with the materials.. Like what is tank safe and such


----------



## Sunstar

reading online helps. I am "play testing" wood placement as it needs to be glued in.


----------



## Sunstar

Testing the wood positioning. I want it to look rooty and whatnot.


----------



## sawman88

i liek the idea. i have seen styrofoam shaped and made into a background. but will pink foam leech off chemicals? and what kind of paint will you be useing? as i work in construction i can scam myself from pink froam from time to time. i might look into this. thanks


----------



## Sunstar

I am looking into cement and cement pigments. Not paint.


----------



## sawman88

humm neat. well let us know what you find because i want in on the foam moulding business  i like it.


----------



## Sunstar

Earthdate: 11.26.08
Subject: Feeling a little green

Oh boy is this ever green. I might be looking around for something that can help mute the colour. I already added powdered activated charcoal to the mix to dumb it down. Perhaps once I get the grey cement, I can blend the green with the grey and the black charcoal to get something less...alien looking. I don't mind doing say, 7 layers to get the effect I want, just this level of lime is kinda frightening. Oooooh, I gots me an ugly tank!!!!

Stage two I suppose. I have a tube of silly cone. This is great. I can go about doing a few things I want to do first off. That is gluing down the foam rocks to the walls and carving them in a bit more. I did that and quite happy with how it is thus far.

I am considering getting a small air powered sponge/charcoal filter to fit in the back. This might require some rethink on the wood, but likely not. I do want to some how blend the filter into the background, if by making it perma or some how removable. I need to get the filter so I can plan that bit. As it stands now, I think I can silly cone the back wall in as soon as I start making the other rocks luminous green.

When I get the basic layer or two of cement down, I can perma glue the green rocks down, seal their edges, then build up the next layer of rock. I know what I am doing even if it is not coming out well on "paper".

I can't show Kaon this because it's his Christmas present. Although, I don't think he'll get to be in it until sometime after January. I don't think red flourite will work....probably safer with black >.>









Let the drinking begin.


----------



## ameekplec.

Nice DIY background. I can see it will look really neat once everything is done.

IMO, don't run a filter. If you're doing the whole almond leaf-blackwater biotope thing, you won't need it, and it will actually defeat the purpose of the almond leaves (stain water, release tannins). Ditto on running carbon. I would suggest running a small pump for some water movement, but not much. I'd do just enough to break up any surface scum. But you might even be able to get away with not doing that, seeing as betta are anabantoids too.

This is going to look great. Can't wait to see what you come up with next.


----------



## Sunstar

true carbon would suck out the colour. What about the crud, or just a gravel vac being sufficent?


----------



## ameekplec.

Just keepa lot of leaf litter. The crud will deal with itself, or if you want, you can just vac it up.

Bettas and many anabantoids live in fairly slow or stagnant blackwater ponds/streams that have very little or no current. Plus the lack of current will really let the betta show off his finnage.


----------



## Sunstar

I will be looking for biotype plants. Have anything? (I won't need it for a month at least) I am thinking of using that hardy water lilly I've been growing. I want it to surface.


----------



## ameekplec.

Anything cryptocoryne, especially if you keep it lower light.


----------



## Sunstar

I will be keeping lower light. Not sure I am co2 injecting DIY or otherwise. I might add some zebra danio to the nitche. I have some youngsters going.


----------



## Sunstar

More of that spinach green....


----------



## Sunstar

Earthdate: 11.28.08
Subject: Sanded fingers..ow

Okay, I am almost out of my rock cement, I am hoping to get a couple other colours from my mother to add some ochre and grey to the situation. Not that I haven't already added grey. But I am not sure how well the carbon black will stay in the stones. I mixed the ground up charcoal with th e cement then flicked it on with a toothbrush. I don't care at this point. I just want it to look lesss lime

I took three pics. One of the corner area, one of it face on and one of it with the driftwood just loosely fitted. Once the wood was in, it looked that much better to me. I just need to find some root-like bits so I can put them in to the back wall.

I want to coat the back wall in moss, the side walls in moss. I will also be painting a wee stripe of black onto the front of the tank because, well I think the ends look a little tacky. If I had black silly cone I'd have used it.

Just visualise a betta, moss, java ferns, crypts in a yellow tinted water with oak or almond leaves on the bottom. I think I am gonna go red gravel.









Corner area. Walls are more or less blended to the rocks in the forground. It should look better once I get the grey cement to cover in the pink areas and make it look sort of uniform.









See the scratches in the glass? I had this tank since I was about 14 years old...geez, that is an old tank >.>









The driftwood sort of makes it POP. I am pleased with it thus far.

As for my fingers... I recommend you don't cement bare handed... you'll sand your skin off.


----------



## ameekplec.

Looks good, and it'll definitely look even better with a "rootier" piece of wood.

Go with the 'red' flourite if you can get it - it's kind of earthy terra cotta in colour, keeping everything more natural.

I'd recommend electrical tape for the ends of the front pane - much easier to remove and fix


----------



## Sunstar

Thanks for the suggestions. I can't find anything rootier.. I've looked but I want rootlettes in the walls. I might beable to afix some rootlets to the wood if i can find something ideal/don't run out of silicone.


----------



## Sunstar

Looking rooty. I need to strip the bark off some bits yet. Fun and games


----------



## PPulcher

Very nice! Where are you finding these roots? They look great!


----------



## Sunstar

I take a walk by the lake. Collect the driftwood. I've taken to carrying a small axe in my backpack to break bits down into more managable sizes. I beleive most of it is willow. I've looked at the grain of roots attached to a living tree and it matches most of the stuff I have.


----------



## Ciddian

I am thrilled about this tank sunstar!!! 

You betta bud is gunna love it


----------



## Sunstar

I am going to dumb the rocks down and make them look a little less startling. I want to see if I can find some pigments at home depot. I am going to do that on friday. So hopefully by sunday, i can start the leeching process and soak the tank for a few weeks. 

you know me and my animals. I go nuts on them. They're my kiddies


----------



## Sunstar

Kaon:

I think I stressed him out just a little by moving him to the Photo table. I wanted to try to get a couple nice pics, but the vase, being round, just won't show him clearly enough. However, I think I got a nice face shot and a nice shiney scale shot.

He's doing really well, very lively, very happy, eats F.D. Bloodworm, sea scallops, bits of peas carrots and corn, and will jump at some of his toys to get a treat.

He flares at my finger tip, my school ring, Starscream and his reflection in the mirror. He's happy and I am won over by bettas.

his water is peat and leaf tea stained.









Such a sad looking face.









Such a pretty colour.

Video of Kaon jumping for a plastic pepper (treat involved)


----------



## Sunstar

Earthdate: 12.06.08
Subject: Mucking around

I got cement, or rather concrete (had to sift out the rocks and bigger sand) and a pigment to work with. FINALLY it is really starting to take shape. The pictures that follow, the cement is still quite damp, so it appears darker, however, I do hope that this colour returns once the tank is under water.

I need one more thing before I can finish this and that is Silicon again. My last tube was pretty much used up and it exploded.

The brown pigment, when mixed with the cement gets a most perfect mud colour. I have brushed the whole thing over with tinted cement then painted the rocks with regular cement, then brushed it off with a tooth brush. Once things are more solid, I will brush the rooties off again with the tooth brush.

Still, I am requiring a coating of hypatufa. That is a mix of peat, cement, courser sand and pigment. That I hope will give me a more "muddy" bank look around the rocks as well as a better surface for moss to adhere to. I have intention of having moss growing on all "mud:" surfaces. You folk said green was too green, well, you were right. Some green still shows, I will cover it as time goes along. I need a couple more coats of cement, probably this evening. Some silicone and then touch up spots with cement or hypatufa and then I think I can go to the leeching/curing stage.

As you can see in the following pictures, I am grouting around the roots. This is to make the roots look as if they belong. Some need to be re-glued to the bottom glass, but that will come toward the end. The biggest roots are still removable for now. If they weren't it would be hell to get in and about them.



















The photos are dark. I will try to get more taken this evening.


----------



## Sunstar

Better pic Methinks. Without the root coming from the wall.


----------



## Sunstar

Earthdate: 12.06.08
Subject: Mudding

I added the hyper-tufa mix to the walls in between the stones and around the roots. Again the big roots are not glued in. I have to wait a day or two until the hyper-tufa has solidified enough.

The scratches in the glass have really come to light, but that is because the cement has "grouted" it. I hope that the vinegar solution and a scrubby will clean them out. Perhaps I put too much effort into a low grade ancient tank, but really, this is a learning experience and to test it out on an old tank is better than mucking up a new one.

The hyper-tufa is as follows:

1 part cement
1.5 parts peat moss 
1 part heavy grit sand. 
Enough brown cement pigment to get it to look like wet mud.
Water until its thick and mud-like.

I am aiming for an appearance of mud. I want the tank to look like some flood has taken place and eroded away some of the soil to expose roots and rocks. And indentation in a small stream wall. You get the idea? Perhaps a story will come forth when I am completed and ready to put the betta in; that day is still a very long way away.

Personally, I think the texture of the wall is idea for what I want. Now the question is, will it hold up when I fill the tank? Heh, will the water not seep out that crack in the back... if that is the case, I will have to fill the water up part way and grow plants up the wall instead. I hope that doesn't happen.

I added a couple more rooties to the back wall, they appear almost white in comparison to the others. I will get a toothbrush to the rooties tomorrow. I just need it all to firm up some. The peat in the mud mix will take a few days to dry out fully. So, I have to be patient, which I can tell I am in somewhat short supply of. I am SO jazzed.

I may go out and splurge on a new java fern for this tank The ones I have in my main tank are so tiny. I also want to purchase a couple plants of Mondo grass or some other terrestrial plant. Yep yep, I got ideas going 

Anyway, the pic below is the stage I am at now. I will keep you posted.


----------



## ameekplec.

Looks good Sunstar! 

The only thing I can think of immediately is that you may run into problems with the peat moss, as when it gets water, it will expand greatly, and may jeopardize the integrity of that layer.

Otherwise, looks great


----------



## Sunstar

it is possible. Hyper-tufa is used frequently in gardenings and occasionally in small pond like things. The peat is also very thoroughly soaked. However, anticipating problems, The under layer is solid cement just tinted to the same colour as the peat blend surface. If I fail at the hyper-tufa mix, then I can redo it with solid cement later. no big deal in my mind  Anyway, this is a learning experiance for us all....someone needs to bite the bullet and give it a try. 

The PH skyrocketing is my most major concern at this juncture.


----------



## Katalyst

It looks fantastic! Nice job!


----------



## Riceburner

looks great.


----------



## Sunstar

Thanks you two 

I got some important things today for it. silicone, vinegar and popcorn. I have been reading up on the leeching process. The Hyper-tufa layer appears quite hard, but not fully dry. Kind of hard to be dry when I paint water on it at night and put a lid on to keep the humidity up. 

I will silicon the roots into their final positions. Some of them were glued down but they moved off their spots while I was working on them. Others need to be glued in fully. Once those are set, any that are on the bottom, I'll lightly cement around them in later. 

Wish me luck.


----------



## Sunstar

Earthdate: 12.09.08
Subject: Mad scientist

The next 24 hours will tell me if I made or broke this tank. For starters, I have not painted the side walls of the tank and in the left hand side, I can see water trickling up behind the foam and the glass. Also, I forgot to silicon a bead along the top rim of the tank. I will do that once I finish leaching.

So far so good, but it's been less than an hour since I added my vinegar, salt and water solution. Makes me crave french fries. Hey... a french fry... is that a baby fish from france? Ugh that was lame. Okay.

I am not sure how much of salt and vinegar I have used, but enough. I will do a water change tonight and refill it again, then a water change in the morning.... I will aim for twice a day and relocate the water pump to a different spot. To the flow is in a new area. I should get my fountain head... might be kinda fun 









So here it is, with the water solution. Looking good, getting there. I will be using Christmas moss for the background. I am getting some shortly so I am so jazzed!!!!!


----------



## Katalyst

You should be Jazzed as well as proud of yourself, it looks amazing! That is going to be one spoiled betta!


----------



## Sunstar

my babies tend to get spoiled rotten. doing PH test. Currently around 7.5 Gone up since earlier.


----------



## Katalyst

Allthough I bet Claud is going to be totally peeved with you when she see's his tank!


----------



## Sunstar

I dunno. Claude has a wonderful spot under hygro that has grown over her log. She spends all her time hiding in that log. Frag, that shrimp is getting huge. She could take down and kill any of my fish now if I let her. Could be useful in reducing my platy population... Hmmmm....

Edit: I have mini christmas stocking for Chase, Kaon and Claude


----------



## stack

wow that is way cool, you have inspired me to try my hand at foam!


----------



## Sunstar

Thank you. I think Ameekplec had a smidgen of prophecy and I had to give the mud a coat of cement heavy sand. I got a feeling there was not enough cement in the mix, so it erroded rather quickly. being that was done last night, I am curing it with water again and I will set the pump on tomorrow to get circulation.


----------



## Sunstar

Earthdate: 12.11.08
Subject: Stowaways and oddness

As I have often said, I do my water change once per week. I, as a rule keep my water change water in a bucket until the following week. This is because I am a monster softy and I rescue any baby fry to raise into big fish. So before dumping the water I look. I look well.

Seeing that Kaon is sick with some tail rot, I have him in his original jar and I am treating him. We'll get to a story about him later, just know he's not bad, it just started and he's being cared for. 

Well I decided, why bother dumping the water out when I can use it to leech the tank. Good use of waste water in my opinion. So I dump it in, scrub the sides to get most of the loose matter off and drain, fill do it again and let it sit. I come to the computer, play some HMW (a transformers game called heavy metal war) scare the piss out of Kaon who leaps from his cup, flops across the desk. At this point I am up and he flops again into my hand and is returned to his cup. He's fine, happy as ever, but really kaon? Just as well I only take the lid off when I am at my desk. Yes, Deceptifishy, you are aquatic. Just because I have Starscream on my desk, doesn't mean you are a jet. You're a fish, stop trying to fly....don't look at me with that face, you're the jumper....I know I know I taught you to jump at a pepper...you think I'll give you a treat for that? Dumbwad. 

So.... I return to the tank and What the frag?! Fry? But the bucket was empty; I checked! So I get my super huge syringe and suck the little freaks out and quickly deposit them into Kaon's vacated bowl. I find six....and huh? There's a shrimp too! I managed to get the shrimp out and also put him in the vacated bowl Talk about stressing the fish out. The salinity was quite high. I was using my home made bath salts in it too. That is made of epsom salts, baking soda and sea salt crystals. Very soothing. 

I look in today's water change bucket. So far two little shrimp, they've been returned to their home tank. 

So anyway, I siliconed the rim of the tank, it hopefully won't leak around the edges. I did it on the outside as well as the front of the inside. 

My willow twig is producing a rootlet. I have it in mind to super glue it to one of the roots that are in the wall and grow moss over the end so as to blend it in a little better and train it as a bonsai. As I said, I am working to make this resemble a river bank. This effect will be also achieved by adding plants at the top. 

So already my tank has had fish...and shrimp. Kind of wild eh?

No pics tonight.


----------



## Sunstar

Earthdate: 12.11.08
Subject: Hypothetical

I took a pic this morning because I felt the need to, play with the project in Photoshop.








That is where I am now, much of the mud colour that needs to leech out has leeched out. The water is pretty clear and I will do another water change in a few hours and yet another one tonight. My PH test gave me a lovely shade of purple, so I guess that means its pretty high. Curing and leeching will not happen overnight. It will take a while, just keeping the water changed should help it work faster.

But this is what I have in mind:










As you can see, I have plants growing out the top of the tank. A couple of the rocks are pockets that can take a small plant, such as Mondo grass. And a willow tree, I plan to shape and bonsai for my purpose. I want its branches to be leaning over the tank and the rooted trunk will be glued to the root at the corner. Sort of getting that river bank effect I am wanting so badly. I want a fair bit of moss growing at the top if the tank, covering the top of the cement walls, making it softer and more like the lovely moss covered rocks I saw at the lake where I got my willow treeling.I am not sure how I am going to deal with the plant's dormancy requirement. I will cover that issue when I get to it. It is highly possible I will have to locate some other poor sap, maybe fiscus...depends if it can be quite wet.

Anyway, that's the plan in my mind. I may have a bit more moss on the muddy walls. We shall see.


----------



## Sunstar




----------



## Ciddian

Eee... I love the open top for the plants....


----------



## sawman88

you are truly an artist. and your fish are very lucky, i just throw in rocks and pipes where ver they land and im done heh. although i did try to do some aquascaping once.. with not much success maybe i will post it.


----------



## Sunstar

Thanks you two. I am still leeching the tank. This will proceed for a few weeks. I am doing water changes about twice a day mornign and night..hopefully it will help.


----------



## Sunstar

Earthdate: 12.13.08
Subject: Plant selection

I am grabbing a number of my pygmy chain swords and taking them out the main tank and the shrimp tank. The ones in my shrimp tank did well to start then just died off.. Smothered by the plants overhead. 

Other plants I have removed from dark recesses in hopes to fatten them up are two of my crypt wendetii and the hardy water Lily which I want to use as the light reducing plant. (it was being shadowed by the lotus.)

Since Kaon is being treated(fin rot), I will give him a week or so with constant water changes before I return him to his vase, by then, I hope the plants will have rooted themselves in and can survive being around a rather weird fish.

Once his tank is ready for planting, I will take alll his plants out, leave him with bare gravel and proceed to plant the plants and let them get a hold before putting the brown eyes cutie in. (I am looking at you kaon, yes I am...you know this, that's why you perked up and ware wiggling fins at me...)

So I am working ahead getting myself prepaired for the exciting day of planting!!!!

Should I get mulm from my main tank to kick start? If so how should I do that, under the substrate? On top of it? Swished around in it? Just so I know.


----------



## Sunstar

Earthdate: 12.15.08
Subject: Anxious

Word has it, the box for the tank has been made. Primus knows if it'll fit. Heh, if my stepfather followed my directions it should. Also, I am not sure I am supposed to know that it was made. So the box is done, I am just so JAZZED!!! I need to look up some sort of Asian style feet for the box, just to finish it. I saw some sort of towel hook thing in Ikea that might do the trick, painted black to match the box, and we will have something "perfect"

I am still in the leeching phase, boy is this the boring part. I am so eager to move on with the moss growing phase. First of all, I need the moss. I expect that to be coming soon. I did ask for it to be shipped today as I did not want to risk the moss getting held over the weekend. 

Anyway, I thought I would say that little bit. Once my other half has gone to work, I will peruse the local fish bait store for red wigglers.

Edit: its a warm day, so I am gonna go collect some of that moss that is growing around the corner for the "terrestrial" part of this tank and get that started since I can't get that area fully submerged.


----------



## Sunstar

Earthdate: 12.16.08
Subject: I grow nuts with anticipation.

Ignore the cage thing. It's there just for now.

The fish I cannot add, this I realise, but no one said I cannot add the mosses I want to the upper surface so as to cut down time for when I can put Kaon into his new home. I don't have the wooden box yet, but it has been made. It is roughly the height the lamps are in the following images.









Lighting:

Ikea, is notorious for discontinuing what I want. Okay the new lights look nice, but I rather liked the shade for the NON lamps. 2 Non lamps for 9.99 is a steal, so I got a package. Unfortunately, they are WHITE not black. I will manage. Watts per gallon here is probably considered extremely high, but I hope that the plants will do what I want them to do, filter out the light.

I hope my water lily, which I am nurturing away in my vases here, will grow like I want it to grow. I also am using a palm type plant, Chrysalidocarpus lutescens, in one of the corner pots. Right now I am doing a KILL test. The water tends to pool in that pot so it might not like wet feet. If that is the case, I might go with a sundew or some other carnivorous plant. After all the little fly things have discovered the nice mossy breeding ground and are crying out YAYAYAYAA. Okay so much for the biotope idea...I suppose the point is, I should make a nice tank that the betta will enjoy and feel right at home in. Accurate plants be damned.

Logic at work:

I went out and collected what appears to be 4 species of mosses from 1 square meter/yard of turf the other day. I split it up and laid it across the top of the cement walls to blend them in and somewhat hide the rim, granted, the rim at the front still exists, but I need that there to attach Velcro to so Kaon can't leap out.

The moss will provide coverage to hide the cement like walls, and I hope it will eventually grow over the surface of the planters. If Kaon decides to explore the out side of the tank, I hope he will land on soft moist moss rather than hard rough cement. Hmmm...sundew plant is out...How would I ever come on and say "the plant ate my fish!"









The Tree:

Looking in the corner we can see the little willow tree rooting quietly in the corner. Actually, I just put it there. Supeglued it to the one root that I want it to sort of "become a part of". When I am ready for it to become a more permanent part, I will pop it off the root, trim the wires off and put it back. With glue and a small healthy dose of moss, if the surface stuff does not crawl down









The Tank:

Still leaching away. The daily water changes (100%) are killing me. Actually, not really, strengthening me. I am finding it easier to life a bucket of water and walk rather than waddle like a duck. You can see the pink rooties growing. I hope to have it blend into the dead roots and make the tank appear that much more natural.









The change of Plan:

so that is how it looks now, two lights should provide enough light for the tree and any surface plants I choose to float on it. I suppose the leaking pots can be resolved by putting in a small slip of saran wrap and filling it with the peat moss and the plants. If necessary, and it likely will, I will remove the tree/plants to trim their roots to keep them small.


----------



## Ciddian

Yeee!!!! So exciting but I am so impatient! LOL


----------



## Sunstar

Me too. I am so darned impatient right now... driving me mad

Earthdate: 12.19.08
Subject: Waiting is for the weak...

I guess I am weak. I think it is time to explore what I have been working with just a little closer.

For starts, I have slept poorly for the past few days. Mostly due to the idiots that run this building that think a tractor is a great thing to plow snow with at 3 -6 am. I'd like to sleep frag you very much. Since monday, I have only had about 2 or three hours sleep every 15 or so hours. For that I am tired, so don't be surprised if I start messing up really bad in my posts.

Okay.... that is out of the way.

I did add a bit more moss to the tank today, covered it with plastic wrap and did my water change. I am trying to train the willow root. I also glued down some beach pebbles I had collected (small ones) to the upper surface and worked the moss around them. That sums up my activity as best as I can. Otherwise, I am not really sure what I have been doing; re: what I wrote just up a paragraph.

I took a few more pics of the moss, which looks REALY wet. That is because it seems to be "wicking" the water from the tank up. Sort of good as I think it might help leach the cement at top. Again my pics are using the lame aft cage thing. It is actually a basket that you use in the freezer. I usually have fish supplies in it. The lamps are zip tied on and the overall height is how high the box should be. It is not a huge setup.









Moss and rocks as well as empty planter pocket.

Here is a close look at the corner which has all that damp moss. The "weeds" which are growing in the moss are doing well. I am not sure what they are other than they came with the moss when I collected it. I have three mosses in that picture. A star like moss, I think its juniper moss. A thick bushy sort of moss that crawls and sort of looks like it belongs with peat. Not peat moss, but soft, fuzzy wiggle your toes into it moss. I love being barefoot and I love walking on moss. The third moss is some sort of erect like moss. Sort of like flame. I figured these varieties would look nice and add some sort of eye appeal. It sure as hell looks better than the cruddy cement job I did in that corner and the tacky black rim. I figure to keep kaon from sliding behind or beside the tank, I'll use electrical tape to seal and create a corner and then coax/permit the moss to grow onto that.

The three stones here are locally collected as well. They are what sort of inspired my design of the rocks in the tank. I have these in red and grey. The small ones suit my purpose perfectly. The two that are on top of one another are actually glued down. The small one I liked so much, I glued it on so I can train the moss to merge with it. The other rock to the left of them all is just plopped there. As long as it fills out a bit more over the front of the cement base, the effect I am after is more or less obtained.









Kill test area

I did line the pot with plastic and replanted it with dry peat, but as I said, the moss wicks the water into the pots. As I said in an earlier post, if the plants die, I'll use something else. Likely mondo grass. Further investigation to carnivorous plants indicates that they prefer nutrient poor soils. I fear that using ferts would cause the soil to be not so nutrient poor.

I am hoping to coax the mosses to grow across the top in a thick matt, failing that, I have planted HC in the pot and hope that might coat the area in a thick mat, giving yet another texture and kissing my idea of a proper biotope good bye. (using local mosses and trees have already negated that.) I really like how the red rocks look together. Not too chuffed about the grey one. Too stark and bright for the "terrain"









Wow, ugly....but I will explain the mess

Here is where my training session is going with the tree. The lonely pink root is growing well. I am trying to get it involved with the hardscape to make it look more like it belongs there and has always been there rather than just glued there. I am hoping the rootlets off the tap will thicken and lengthen (oooh kinky) and grab hold of the wood and walls. I am attempting to hide the join with fissidens. Its just a very small amount. I might have to put my hand into the crawling mass of creatures tank to get the driftwood with the rest on out. I may transfer it over.

I do intend to have a fair amount of duckweed on this until my lily can fill in the way I want it to. I want to lower the light level as the wattage is something like 20 watts halogen. Barely 4 gallon tank. Doing the maths.. roughly 5 watts per gallon (excessive). I don't mind if some algae grows, in fact I would prefer this on some of the rocks. But I don't want it everywhere.

The Plastic wrap is to hold down some Christmas moss I got near the top. It would probably float away and I want it to grab the cement and start to grow down, or up. Fill in is good either way. There is some Taiwan moss or weeping moss in there as well.









Cut section of flooded forest or stream

The effect is making me vibrate with anticipation. I can't wait until I get the wooden box and I can attach my lamps and put the cage back under the table with the clementine boxes full of crap. Once I get the mosses growing, the plants planted and the fish in, I think this will be one of my nicest tanks.

Still leaching the cement. I am not sure how much longer his will take. It has been close to two weeks? I will leach for another week at least, I will work with my mosses to get them the way I want. I may even see if I can find a substantial mondo grass and see if I can split the crown.

I can't wait until I get the flourite and can start the planting/cycling process.

Things I need still:

Mondo grass
Black water extract
Flourite (red)
Window screen
Velcro strip
Some sort of feets for the box
dowels.


----------



## Sunstar

Very Minor Update: 

The PH is dropping and appears to be below 8 now. Somewhere around 7.6 I will continue to do my leeching for a while longer, but I am quite happy with this. Very Happy! So far it has taken nearly two weeks to leech, but a week or two longer shouldn't hurt. I can't do anything else until I get the flourite and I don't see that happening until late december at the earliest or Early january.


----------



## Ciddian

You should be very happy! This is an amazing DYI


----------



## Sunstar

I am pleased. I think we do need a DIY section...this would be a fun post to move there 

I added a mondo grass to the left pocket and put some fissidens on the large roots where I wanted it. That was an excersise in patience. I am rethinking my screen idea. I was going to velcro it down, but on another thought, I think I might make a wooden frame, paint it black and then add the screen/velcro or a magnet. 

I would like to do the moss wall, but I still need to leach. I will be changing my water change to every two days now I will do the water test then and see if it is still green or that lovely royal blue. 

by moss wall I mean, I want to push moss betwen the rocks, on the rock gaps and mist it for a couple weeks to get it established in what I feel are sort of key locations.

My most major worry is I hope that Kaon doesn't snare is pretty tail in it.


----------



## Ciddian

The dyi should be on its way :3


----------



## Sunstar

Kaon has been placed into a hospital tank and his water temp increased. The guy looks super happy though. swimming around. 

I put an inukshuk in his hospital so he might have something to look at.


----------



## Sunstar

Quick pic, just got the box yesterday. I still need to add a riser and some way of getting the under tank heater in.


----------



## Sunstar

Earthdate: 12.28.08
Subject: Kaon's Kondo

Phase three failed miserably as the cement dried out far too quickly. I could not be on top of the misting like I had hoped. So we sort of miss Phase 3 and wiggled our way into Phase 4: Planted.

A friend of mine dubbed the tank, as Kaon's Kondo, but the creative "artistic" name of this tank is Muddy Banks. It Definitely has been fun. Kaon is in Quarentine due to a mild touch of ich. He's fine, happy as ever, eats like a pig, and has had no new spots. Still, he has about a week left of his Quarantine to ensure Ich does not return. As it was, he only had about 1 spot on him and well, I love him, so I ensured he's happy and healthy.

There is still one or two things left to do with the box, however, I can take the tank out at any time I need to and finish the couple minor tasks that need to be done. One is an entrance up the aft end of the box to put the cord for the under tank heater. The second is little feet thing to support the tank giving me a ¼ inch air space. I also want to use weather stripping around the tank lid and sides to keep Kaon from disappearing down the back.

Since my stepfather decided to use a moulding for the lip of the box, I will have to create a wooden hinged door to keep Kaon in and hopefully flies out. HAHA as if. No, the little fly things have discovered the beds of moss and thought they are great places to bonk and rear a family of little worm things. I am sure if it continues, Kaon will love a fresh supply of wigglies. He did when I found some fruit fly maggots in the microworms. BOY did he LOVE those. "Yummy maggots mummy, I love you, you are so good to me!!!" Shame, I almost miss having maggots in my microworms...Everyone enjoyed them.

So today I got fluorite red. It was MUCH courser than I had originally wanted, but I don't mind. It was the closes place for me to get fluorite and I was not about to turn back empty handed. I got soaked for Primus sakes.. my aft was wet... (I ride a bike in winter too). I came home with two more celestial pearls. They are so pretty, one is a male I am sure this time. I wanted two males, but i think I got a female.

About that betta tank.

I downloaded a number of Benny Ng's photographs which displayed various biotopes. I was just taken by the beauty of the red streams and bright green plants. Some had rocks in it, some had lilies, some were even thickly treed. Although this tank is not a true biotope. I took what I felt were my favourite aspects of all that I had seen and worked it into this tank. Also when I asked my stepfather to create the box, I said I want it sort of asian/japanese looking. I feel he got what I was wanting well enough.









Benny Ng. Used without permission, knowlege or consent. Please forgive me.

This perhaps is the closest to my end result goal. Yes, I will add leaves, but sometime soon, I will have the right sweet almond leaves to make this perfect. Right now, the betta will have to make do with oak leaves.









Overall shot of the tank, planted with peat tea as a temporary black water stain.

I intend to get black water extract to do it the right way, but for now, I wanted to see how the effect might be. I rather dig it and I do wish I had oak leaves in it already. But since I only got so few; waste not, want not.









Close view of cave and fluorite red.

The fluorite red was incredibly course for this tank. I might have been better off with a finer grade, however, this was all I could get my mitts on. Reading what I said earlier, I wasn't going away empty handed. I could have got fluorite or fluorite dark, but it was red that I wanted. (I need to stop eating this aquarium rock salt....)

I took it home and rinsed and rinsed and rinsed and rinsed...and guess what? I rinsed it. Still it did not come clean. I gather this is the issue with this stuff, so I said frag it and put it in carefully then took the filter out of claude's tank and filtered it for about 15 minutes.

It is currently planted with only a couple plants-that is all I want.

One I am not sure of, I snared it from my sister's tank. It is redish and reminds me of a hygro. A lotus, since the water lily is giving me issues and some wendetii crypts. I realise that those are all plants with a reddish hue to them. For greenery, there is Java Fern, Wendelov Fern, and a tiny bit of an Anubia. A tiny bit of fissidens that I am seriously doubting its ability to survive since the emersed attempt of moss might have killed it.

Pigmy Chain Sword all as under water growth. As for emersed growth, I am looking at local moss, some is dying back and others are starting to grow. I assume it's an acclimatisation which is going on. Some Chinese Ivy (Cardamine lyrata) and that fern palm thing. (may die down). I have a willow that I think I killed, so I am looking for something else that might do the trick. I REALY want the tree. I believe another Mondo Grass is in my future, the one I got in here, uncurled and seems to be quite happy.









Blurry pic of Crypt, Lotus, and red hygro-like plant.

The above picture, although blurry as heck, does show how I had banked the substrate up. There is much that goes under but the lotus has access to that area. I will have to poke it from time to time to keep any bad pockets out. Some of the rock formation was buried, however if for some reason it is exposed, it will look like a rock and not something else lame.

As for rock, I do intend to toss a couple flat stones in there prior to Kaon's moveing in.









Another blurry pic. Here I am trying to show how the lotus is positioned. There was a hollow in the back that I had left for planting the lotus. The lotus was put into the hole and substrate filled in around it.

I do want the lotus to surface and go to pad. I am going to try to dwarf it though root trimming. I figure from time to time, I will dig it out and trim the roots and put it back in. We shall see. I might not get that urge, or it might drive me up the wall. We never k now with me. Sometimes the slightest thing drives me bananas.









Here is the Mondo grass a little rough around the fringes.

But I bet it is breathing a sigh of relief that it is no longer being suffocated under water. Sure I trimmed the crap out of its roots, but they should grow back and the plant should do reasonably well. I expect it to get a little dwarfed by the cramped root condtions.









Looking down at the lotus and you can see how it is placed.

This plant is just over a week old. It was growing rapidly in my main tank as offspring to my HUGE lotus.. no longer the penny sized plant I started out with. The thing is very substantial.









Duck weed, Salvina, brown moss, willow that is doing not much of anything anymore, an empty planter pocket.

Still has some unfinished areas. I am holding off, tough it looks more likely like I will get another Mondo grass (prolly another apple snail or two(for another tank)) And plant it in.

I hope the duck weed and the salvina will cover the surface of the water and lower the light.









Final pic, top and front. Gives a more complete view of the tank. Worked out thus far, very well.

I will have more pics as the plants grow and fill in. I will be following a regime of excel, and fertilisers in the water. Misting the moss with an iron/fert solution. So hopefully it will fill in over the next month. While I wait for that, I can fatten Kaon up.

Thanks for the support and encouragement! And should anyone want to try this, I recommend they get to it.


----------



## Ciddian

fantastic... Thats really a piece of art sunstar. <3


----------



## Kevdawg

wow... probably one of the best projects i've ever seen so far.


----------



## Prodicus

This is the most interesting tank I have seen here. Truly inspirational! Thanks for all the detail and photos!


----------



## hojimoe

wow you've done a fantastic job sunstar! really really really! well done! I love it!


----------



## Sunstar

Earthdate: 01.12.09
Subject: Quick Update

Without the peat water treatment, this time around. Plants are getting established however none too fast. I suppose co2 might help that. I havn't even used excel, just a dose of ferts here and there. The top has had a lot of moss die back and the palm things are too. I might ask my husband to let me go to a garden nursery to find something nice.

I am running a filter in at night only now. After Kaon is in, I may run a bubble filter at night only.










I have a couple young zerba danio swimming around in it now. I hope to have Kaon in it soon. Just a few things that need completing. I would like the danio to grow out so I can put them into the Main tank and switch the Platy out.

So far, so good.


----------



## Prodicus

Beautiful!


----------



## Sunstar

Earthdate: 01.13.09
Subject: testing 1 2 7.6

Just a little fun... I need to figure out how to get my webcam to send to the web, but I have taken a screen cap of what I see of this tank. Kind of interesting looking I do say so myself.









web cam quality...

Some how it makes it look more wild looking. I can't actually see this tank from my desk so perhaps I can watch Kaon when he goes into it. I hope he likes it and doesn't snare his tail.

Did a quick set of water tests. I wanted to see how some parameters were holding out.

PH: 7.6 (Stable)
GH: 8
KH: 9
Nitrates: 0.3 Water change is scheduled for the morning. I am doing it every three days as it is.

Looking positive.


----------



## benny

That's a very impressive tank you got there.

Cheers,


----------



## Sunstar

Thank you. I got a feeling the fellow who took the pics of the biotope found me.


----------



## Sunstar

Earthdate: 01.18.09
Subject: Update

I know this looks bad, but I was in the market for a second female...well looks like I still am. But I'll either go back another day or in a week or two. I have intention to breed them and losing Polyhex was a huge disappointment to me. She was a beautiful blue girl. Dropsy is just not a pretty illness at all. I rolled her in toilet paper, gently put her in a toilet paper tube with her name and date of death on it. I'll bury her when the weather improves and I find a nice place to do it.

I have purchased catappa leaves, so hopefully they will arrive soon. I would like to protect Kaon as much as I can and this is one way that works, or so I have read. The other bettas will also benefit from this too.

I mentioned I got a new betta girl. I saw that petsmart had some in so I decided to pick one up. I would have taken two, but I felt my husband was already going to murder me for picking up another under tank heater. The 4 watt one I had was not warming the water enough. The 8 watt has it at a stable 82°F Which to me is perfect.









Introducing: Perihex

I think she is a crown tail, steel blue. Correct me if I am incorrect. I am not sure why she is striped unless its because she is A, stressed B. Young. She is pretty small.









Looking at me.

Kaon's Kondo:









Front full

Tree has been trimmed, and unwired. It was not staying in place. I need the roots to get thicker before I try to rewire it. I removed the lotus and replaced it with the lily. I am fertilising it pretty heavily at the moment.

Fissidens is starting to do something. I thought it had died.









Top-front

There is still an empty planter, I intend to get some hygro in it once I coax some to grow terrestrial leaves. Mondo grass is doing well, some crisp white roots have been seen. Moss is perking up all over, after a heavy die back. Christmas moss is looking very frondy. I do like its texture. There appears to be some riccia growing in amongst it too. Also surface growing. I have Cardamine Lyrata which I would like to get going so I can perhaps try to train it to grow up the corner and along the edges.









home grown water lily

Not the dwarf variety. We shall see if this poses a problem If so, then I'll look into getting a dwarf come spring and plant it there. So far, it looks cute so a water lily IS a must.









Moss, salvina, duck weed, lily leaf.

I beleive in a week maybe two, I can trim the moss and see if I can get it to grow thicker. So far, looking really good.









Willow tree corner.

The tree migrated to the left hand side of the tank because I took the wire off. If I can get the roots thicker, I will rewire it and put it back where I want it. Ignore the clover leafed plant in the water. It's non aquatic. Actually, I found it in my salad the other day and was seeing if can get it to grow a root so I might see if I can plant it with the palm. I am not a goat, I don't eat clovers. Well I did in Air Cadet camp, but that was a whole other story.









Mondo Grass Corner.

It still is adjusting to its new environment, but I feel it will do fine. I chopped up some Christmas moss and piled it loosely over the top of that planter. A few more weeks it should start to grow thicker.

One of these days, my Kaon will get into his home, that day is getting ever closer. I am not rushing him into it as I need to work with it still. I don't feel that I am ready to put him in.


----------



## Tabatha

Sunstar, you've done an outstanding job, this is an awesome biotope! I've been lurking and following your thread since December and must say you have the patience of a saint!


----------



## Sunstar

Thank you very much. It's not a true biotype as I do not have exact plants from the correct area...but I will say its a sort of a simulated environment. My patience waxes and wanes from time to time. I get aggravated with the wait, but somehow, I can do it. 

Kaon...is an odd fish. he jumpped out of his current tank onto the table. Looked like he's growing impatient as he almost got into the muddy banks tank. Almost but not almost enough. Instead I had to grab him by his tail, he had almost flopped under it and drop him back in his tank. Silly animal! that fish is going to give me a fuel pump failure I tell you.


----------



## Sunstar

Earthdate: 01.25.09
Subject: Coming along, minor changes.










I have a little bit of that driftwood fungus issue. I need to let the tank mature a bit more before putting Kaon into it. I am just itching to get that fish into his home, but a few things I want to have done. One is, and probably will take more time, is to get the java ferns hooked onto their wood better. I am using zippy ties on one and that might tear the fish's tail. Patience is a virtue so I am told... I am counting the grey hairs I grow as I wait.









Front view.

The very middle plant of the above picture was replaced with hygro. I had a red plant in there(unknown name), but I felt it could use the co2 of the main tank to get it growing. Hopefully in time I can replace the hygro with the plant I want in there. Red Ludwigia might be good too, rather pretty and just waiting for growth or cuttings.









Accented with oak leaves.

The moss is growing in well, most of it is starting to merge into a cushion, which is nice. The corner pockets of moss died down. I'll leave the moss there and hopefully fresh will creep over it and fill it in. I loaded Christmas moss onto the mondo planter and that is looking like it is starting to fill in nicely. Also as accent, I added a stone right near the mondo.

I keep thinking, there has to be something I can do to improve that back drop. I suppose I will try to train the cardamine lyrata to grow up it. I have ghastly orange netting that came with clementines that I might see if a light coat of black paint or something would help... oh those evil cogs of mine are turning...I wonder...









Underwater left hand corner.

The cement rocks are the large rough stones, in order to make it look perhaps more natural, I added smaller stones I collected at the beach. This was my intent from the start and one reason why I chose the shape I was making as well as the colour. Seems to look fairly decent.









Same corner, just stepped back.

The Christmas moss at the top of the tank seems to be growing downward quite well. Actually the fissidens seems to be doing really well. It actually looks green. I can't wait until that has filled in.









I see rooties!

And little rocks piled. Stems of the water lily and a salvina that seems to have been blown under the rooties by the filter I was running earlier.









Apparently I am obsessed with this corner...what gives?

Birds eye view looking down toward the lily plant location, the pretty rocks... I rather like this shot.









Roots, rocks, leaves and lily stems.

It's all coming together well. I have a few more plans in mind for this thing. One involves making a mini canister filter. I found my old water pump and I just need to go to a hardware store and look for parts and look for the perfect plastic food canister. I can add that journal to this one as it's all part of the greater whole.

I am looking forward to the day I can get my sweet almond leaves. I may put them in the canister as I feel they'll be too big for this tank.

I'll keep you posted with updates on growth.

Oh yes, speaking of growth, that chain sword (I think) is sending out a number of runners. I expect it to fill all available area with "grass". Kaon is going to have a bird.


----------



## ozi

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!
That is the most awesome nano tank I have ever seen. It's just gorgeous!!!
It's clearly a 10/10. I didn't read much yet, I let the pictures do the talking and I was astonished. Your betta will be the happiest pet-betta in this world


----------



## Sunstar

Earthdate: 01.27.09
Subject: Kaon's Kondo

I had Perihex in here for a few days but she's off visiting pion. Should that fail, I'll rehome her into the Main tank.

Kaon is in his tank now, and I put a sheet of glass to keep the little fragger from jumping out. I also used electrical tape to tape along the corners to keep the fragger from jumping out and into a spot I can't get into.

Needless to say, you'd think I would be done with this project, but guess again. As I said, I am making a canister filter, and I came onto a fun idea. Muddy Banks V2. Same tank, but an additional system.

I came into possession of a small and extremely adorable house gecko... aaaaaaaaa ooooooo cooooo. Okay enough of my ooing. I think I can work the filter and the gecko into this project, if only temporarily.

I may make 3 walls with foam and moss, velcroed to the back and sides, with a screen front velcroed on. Basically, it's sort of a paludarium now, I could complete that transfer with a system of flowing water. The filter out going down the middle back into the water. This would create water flow and hopefully not blow Kaon across the tank.

This might mean I'll have to "unplant" most of my plants in the back for a short but, but it would not take long to replant them.

Admittedly I do not have a lot of room, but if I can get one on the wall planter, I think I would try to grow my cardamine lyrata and the rest can be moss.

Plant added to the system: Anubias petite nana. (YAY!) I got the plant for a dollar.









Kaon Note the scratched glass.. crappy tank, but doesn't matter.









Breath of air.









My hardly photographed right side.









A little fly control.

I don't expect the fly trap to live... I never had them live, but it looks interesting. Perhaps I'll be lucky this time around.


----------



## Katalyst

Awesome!!! Kaon is one lucky little betta!


----------



## ameekplec.

If you can keep the water and so the mos around the fly trap acidic, then you might have more success with it. Oh, and throw all the juicy bugs you can find in there


----------



## Sunstar

Just wait until my sweet almond leaves arrive!!!!  He'll be in heaven and the water acidic and then the Flytrap may be in love.


----------



## Katalyst

Sunstar said:


> Just wait until my sweet almond leaves arrive!!!!  He'll be in heaven and the water acidic and then the Flytrap may be in love.


He will be in heaven, I find my betta's napping on their indian almond leaves. The fry actually sleep right on top of them until they fully sink.


----------



## Sunstar

I may have to use almond leaf peices, I think a ful lsized one would be too huge for the tank, actually. kaon likes to sleep under a leaf. He hides under his oak leaf all the time.


----------



## pat3612

Wow Sunstar thats just awesome looking lucky betta if the flycatcher doesnt make it an orchid in there would look great if you could find the small ones. Great job.


----------



## Sunstar

the flycatcher is showing signs of stress. They say to leave it in even if it dies down. it might need to readjust.

Kaon appears to have found a favourite spot.









Peekaboo!


----------



## Ciddian

aweerr! What a doll! <3


----------



## Sunstar

Running a filter in it right now. I am doing that for a couple hours a day. I have had an issue with the canister construction that I need to quietly rethink. otherwise it will work.


----------



## Sunstar

I took him out for a bit because he seemed listless. then he jumpped out of his container and swam with the platy, so I put a pair of males in his tank for now and he seems to be happer. Someone to torment.

I just took a pick of Kaon in his tank:










There are a pair of male platy in there to keep him active....


----------



## Sunstar

Kaon had to be removed because he gets sick constantly.

Hydrax is in there and he's been fine. Venus fly trap and Willow failed to make it. I may try willow again this spring.

New Pics. I really need to get Co2 into this tank sometime.









Full view.









Lily pads staying little.









The moss comes and goes, it browns out then goes green and browns out again









Mondo Grass is VERY happy.


----------



## pat3612

Wow Thats really neat great job.Its really looks good.


----------



## Platypus

Where did you get the venus fly trap? is it common?


----------

