My Work Desktop Nano FWP

[ajn81]

Just started up this new Fresh Water Planted tank for my desktop at work. The tank is a 2 gallon Fluval Spec with built in 3 stage filtration and return pump behind a false wall. I set the tank up this weekend, current plants are Cabomba (Cabomba caroliniana), Dwarf Hairgrass (Eleocharis acicularis), and Dwarf Baby Tears (Hemianthus callitrichoides).

Thinking about stocking with a couple of shimp and/or possibly some microrasboras.

[LotsaFishies]

So simple, calm, and beautiful! Nice going!

[NickSDC]

Looks sweet. You make me want a fwp tank!

[ajn81]

Thanks guys!

Any freshwater guys want to chime in on whether or not microrasboras would do okay in a 2 gallon tank?

[Vince]

way cool!!!!

[gnarlyfish]

That's going to be a cool shrimp tank.

[SoCalBoo]

Endlers. Begging for endlers.

Austin - how is it going? Long time, no speak. In poway, right?

[ajn81]

Endlers. Begging for endlers.

Austin - how is it going? Long time, no speak. In poway, right?

Hey Paul, it has been a while. Going pretty well, still in Poway.

As for an update on this tank, I started this tank with a couple of celestial danio's but they were quite boring pretty much hiding all day long. One weekend all but one jumped out when I left the lid off the tank. So now the tank has had just that one hiding fish in there for about 7 months . Have been meaning to put some new fish in there, but have been busy. You think Endlers would be okay in a tank this small?

As for the plants, the only one of the 3 that I started with that has taken off is the Dwarf Hairgrass (Eleocharis acicularis). I added some Vals to the tank also and it looks pretty nice. I'll try and get an update pic soon.

[SoCalBoo]

Austin,

Glad to hear you are doing well.

yeah, I think endlers would probably work. I had about a dozen in a 5 gallon (all the over-stocking haters - no need to reply...they did great and reproduced fast). microrasboras are also a good hit. I would also look to a shrimp only tank. Some RCS would look great. Some of the new Opae Ula would also look great, but may not do so well without slightly brackish SG.

We need to talk - I am setting up a 120 seaweed/fuge-ish tank. If you have any cuttings, let me know.

[specvjeff]

A few Pygmy Cory's and some Galaxy Rasbora's (also known as Celestial Danio's) would be nice!

[David M]

It's hard to adjust your head to FW when it comes to stocking density After so may years of marine and reef I am amazed at what I can do with my 40 FWPT. Actual water volume is probably ~30 gallons and I must have around 50 fish and shrimp in there, most are small of course. I started with 21 "jumbo" neons last December and still have 17, 3 of the 4 losses were jumpers (open top tank). There are 7 rams that spawn constantly so I have to think WQ is pretty good. Another 8 serpae tetras, 7-8 amano shrimp, 2 medium angels, a half dozen octocinclus, 2 clown loaches ... all seem healthy and happy. I'm planning a slightly bigger version of the set up for the g/f's house, it's just so easy to maintain

[johnc]

How are the plants doing with the stock light? I am in the process of setting one of those Specs up but I've been thinking of upgrading to the Fluval 13w CF light.

Endlers will do fine in there. I will probably have about half a dozen males and a few shrimp in my tank.

[ajn81]

How are the plants doing with the stock light? I am in the process of setting one of those Specs up but I've been thinking of upgrading to the Fluval 13w CF light.

Endlers will do fine in there. I will probably have about half a dozen males and a few shrimp in my tank.

As mentioned above, the Dwarf Hairgrass and Vals seem to do well with the stock light. Cabomba and Baby Tears did not do well.

Here's an updated pick:

[SoCalBoo]

It can be hard to tell what isn't doing well because of light, or CO2, or nutrients. I actually found CO2 to be a more limiting factor than light on my FW 120, even with water about 22" deep (thinking of question of baby's tears, which was growing at the bottom). When I went from 4x54 T5 HO to 2x54 T5 HO, didn't really notice a difference with baby's tears, which I believe are also referred to HC. But when I stopped adding CO2, it died off pretty quick.

FWIW, you might have some issues down the road dosing liquid CO2 on a small/pico tank. Most of us know that CO2 is an effective Ph reducer. Think about what it would do to that size tank if there was a slight over dose. Good news, though, is that FW fish are pretty resistant to Ph swings on the whole, although most inverts might be so lucky.

[smirkis]

am i seeing this right? did your light last 9 months without dropping out LED's? lol

joking aside, nice tank. i loved your baby tears and cabomba, i may have to upgrade my light to the 13w CFL. your pic inspired me, i actually found it on google/bing before i saw it on here so kudos for that.