# 20G Open Top Rimless Planted Tank Journal



## Harry Muscle (Mar 21, 2007)

Thought I'd share my progress on setting up my 20G tank. The first three posts are copy/pastes from another forum where I was asking for feedback on my layout ideas. Instead of rewriting them, etc. I figured I'd just copy/paste them in here and continue the Journal in post 4 

Thanks,
Harry

And here goes the copy/paste part ...

I'm gonna be setting up my 20G Tall (20x14x16) tank next week and I thought I'd share my aquascaping plans so I could get some feedback, etc. on it.

The tank will be placed like a room divider (actually a sofa divider  ), so it will be visible from three sides with only one short side against the wall.

The first picture shows the pieces of rock and driftwood that I plan on using along with plant placement and the second picture shows the same thing but straight from above.

A - Cyperus helferi
B - Crypt crispatula 'balansae'
C - Nymphaea zenkeri 'Red' (Red Tiger Lotus)
D - Echinodorus parviflorus 'Tropica' (Compact/Tropica Sword)
E - Microsorum pteropus (Java Fern)
F - Elocharis parvula (Dwarf Hairgrass)
G - Staurogyne repens
? - Not sure what yet

The driftwood will also have some fissidens moss attached in certain places and I also have some Anubias nana petite to put somewhere.

So does this look like a nice layout? Is there something you would change? If so what? What can be improved upon? My only reservation is that I'm not a big fan of stem plants since my cories always uproot them, but I don't mind using some. Also this will be a low tech tank with no CO2 and medium light.

Thanks,
Harry


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## Harry Muscle (Mar 21, 2007)

I got the tank finally so I've placed the driftwood inside the tank (but not the rocks yet) and took some pictures with plant placement marked, etc. I've also made a minor adjustment to the wood placement.

Hopefully this will make it easier for people to visual and give feedback.

Btw, any suggestions for what plant to use for the foreground, marked by ?.

Thanks,
Harry


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## Harry Muscle (Mar 21, 2007)

To make it even easier to visual this setup, here's links to pictures of the plants I'm thinking of using:

A - Cyperus helferi


B - Crypt crispatula 'balansae'


C - Nymphaea zenkeri 'Red' (Red Tiger Lotus)


D - Echinodorus parviflorus 'Tropica' (Compact/Tropica Sword)


E - Microsorum pteropus (Java Fern)


F - Elocharis parvula (Dwarf Hairgrass)


G - Staurogyne repens


Thanks,
Harry


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## Harry Muscle (Mar 21, 2007)

Now the journal continues (the last three posts were copy/paste  ).

It's taking longer to get this tank setup that originally planned, but I did get some work done on it. Attached is a picture of the latest status.

I attached some LED moon lights to the lighting that I'm using and I had some time to look after the vinyl background and fake rim. Btw, that's not the moon lights that you're seeing in the picture ... that's the main lights turned on, the moon lights are way dimmer 

Thanks,
Harry


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## PACMAN (Mar 4, 2010)

following!


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Oooohh I love that crinkaly crypt :3

Looking forward to the tanks progression!


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## Russgro (Apr 14, 2010)

nice tank, will be nice to see you build it up.


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## Jsu (Dec 4, 2009)

What kind of live stock are you planning to put in it?


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## Harry Muscle (Mar 21, 2007)

Jsu said:


> What kind of live stock are you planning to put in it?


It's going to be mainly a shrimp tank, hopefully a breeding colony of yellow shrimp along with some A grade crystal reds and eventually some green (not dark green) shrimp if I can ever get my hands on them 

As for fish, I'm gonna move my two endlers and what's left of my panda cories (a handful have died from old age, that's how long I've had them) from my 5G which is being replaced by this tank. Once those die from old age I'm planning on getting a school of chili micro rasboras, maybe a dozen or so. They're shrimp safe for the most part so they won't intefere with any breeding I might get.

Thanks,
Harry


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## Harry Muscle (Mar 21, 2007)

It's been months and I finally have time again to finish setting up the tank. As things turned out I discovered a chip in the original tank the day I was gonna set it up and then things got busy and I hadn't had a chance to get back to setting it up.

Couple of days ago though I picked up another tank, same dimensions, etc., this time in perfect shape as far as I can tell. The downside is that now I have to once again apply the black background vinyl and trim around the top. Which makes me wonder if I wanna go with the top black vinyl trim or not. Might start another thread with a poll to see what people like better, seeing a water line or seeing black vinyl trim.

In another week or two I might have pictures or at least updates with the tank being setup ... hopefully.

Thanks,
Harry


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## camboy012406 (Jun 11, 2010)

where did you bought those plants??


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## Harry Muscle (Mar 21, 2007)

camboy012406 said:


> where did you bought those plants??


The majority I got from Menagerie, some mosses and mini pelia that I will also be using I got from online sources.

Harry


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## Dis (Apr 16, 2010)

Great start so far Harry, looking forward to seeing the progress. Where are you planning on getting your Crypt crispatula 'balansae'? 

Also, I've two off shouts from my large tiger lotus if you want a baby plant.


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## Harry Muscle (Mar 21, 2007)

Dis said:


> Great start so far Harry, looking forward to seeing the progress. Where are you planning on getting your Crypt crispatula 'balansae'?
> 
> Also, I've two off shouts from my large tiger lotus if you want a baby plant.


Actually I already have most of these plants ... I had them all ready to go when I discovered the chip in the original tank. So instead of trying to return the plants or sell them I've had them in a rubbermaid container with a pump and lights for the last couple of months ... they have been doing quite well actually.

Thanks,
Harry


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## lemuj (Dec 7, 2006)

Interesting selection of plants. Sounds just about the same plants I have in mind for my tank, with the exception of the moss. Still debating if I want to put some on my dw, thinking of keeping in bare.


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## Harry Muscle (Mar 21, 2007)

lemuj said:


> Interesting selection of plants. Sounds just about the same plants I have in mind for my tank, with the exception of the moss. Still debating if I want to put some on my dw, thinking of keeping in bare.


I got some very nice looking wood so I'm gonna try to not cover too much of it, but I like the look of moss almost as much as the wood.

Harry


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## Harry Muscle (Mar 21, 2007)

Just a bit of an update ... I found a chip in the second tank I purchased ... so I returned that one and got a third tank. Third tank turned out to have a really poor silicone job where it looked like it was cut with a dull saw and wasn't fully filling the seems. So I returned that one too. Then I bought a fourth tank, which turned out to have really ugly silicone work where there was way too much and it was overflowing (on the outside), but since the first three were duds I kept it ... but I decided to go for tank 5 just in case I could find something better. Tank 5 turned out to have a section of silicone that was letting go in one of the joints. That led me to tank 6 which turned out to be perfect ... as far as I can tell so far, but I've given it a pretty good look over.

I still have to return 2 of the tanks but at least it seems like I finally have a keeper. Next week I'll be applying the vinyl to the back, but I think I will go without the trim look, so just the black background. Might even get water in the tank next week, but based on how things have gone I think that's dreaming 

Thanks,
Harry


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## Dis (Apr 16, 2010)

sounds like a nightmare. I hope the rest of the setup goes smoother for you.

Goodluck!


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## Bebu (Jul 24, 2009)

Your joking??? Really Five? I'm afraid to ask where this all happened. Are you now banned from the store? 

Well, that sucks. Hey, I got a lonely panda that needs friends. When you get it up and running, you can have him. I'm using oto's now; almost as cute, and do a little more housekeeping then pandas.


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## Harry Muscle (Mar 21, 2007)

Bebu said:


> Your joking??? Really Five? I'm afraid to ask where this all happened. Are you now banned from the store?
> 
> Well, that sucks. Hey, I got a lonely panda that needs friends. When you get it up and running, you can have him. I'm using oto's now; almost as cute, and do a little more housekeeping then pandas.


Fortunately I spread this chaos accross 3 different stores so I didn't get banned anywhere  Although I did get some looks 

Harry


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## Harry Muscle (Mar 21, 2007)

I've added another plant to my list of chosen plants ... Marsilea crenata. I'm gonna use it for part of the fourground. Here's what it looks like:










Thanks,
Harry


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## camboy012406 (Jun 11, 2010)

you have a nice taste of plants


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## Rmwbrown (Jan 22, 2009)

The Marsilea crenata is great if you can find it... grows a lot faster than glosso so it should make for a quick foreground.


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## Rmwbrown (Jan 22, 2009)

BTW: where do you plan on getting the Cyperus helferi from?


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## Harry Muscle (Mar 21, 2007)

Rmwbrown said:


> BTW: where do you plan on getting the Cyperus helferi from?


Got it from Menagerie ... a few months back.

Harry


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## Harry Muscle (Mar 21, 2007)

I've entered the tank in the nano tank contest, so for the next 6 months or so the journal will continue over here: http://www.gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20481

Thanks,
Harry


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