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amphirion's 6 gallon project...

  • #21
omg you got duckweed in there!!!

That was my thought - get rid of it now while you only have a few bits. I hate that stuff!
 
  • #22
so---i decided to take the wood out...here's the tank as it is currently. :p
not really a "planted tank" anymore per se. heck, im considering taking out green all together!
DSCN3878.jpg
 
  • #23
Do you mind if I ask how much it cost making a tank like this?

I've always wanted to do something small, but also do it well like you've done. I tried a 10 gallon planted tanked a few years ago and failed miserably. It was ugly, hard to clean, and not very interesting. I bought everything for it at Wal Mart... which didn't have to be bad, but I bought the cheapest of everything they had. THAT was bad.


Yours looks gorgeous!
 
  • #24
I saw small tanks like this one at wall mart for under 30$ it would cost more probably for the sand and stones and plants than it would for the tank.
 
  • #25
Do you mind if I ask how much it cost making a tank like this?

I've always wanted to do something small, but also do it well like you've done. I tried a 10 gallon planted tanked a few years ago and failed miserably. It was ugly, hard to clean, and not very interesting. I bought everything for it at Wal Mart... which didn't have to be bad, but I bought the cheapest of everything they had. THAT was bad.


Yours looks gorgeous!

I agree with rball, it doesn't have to be expensive. Depending on where you live, you may be able to locate some cool rocks & driftwood nearby. Like composing & taking good pictures, aquascaping is a skill that can be learned & nurtured...

This thread & some of the other creative, interesting setups prompted me to wander around a bit in the aquatic gardening world. Wow, what I would have given for the knowledge & pics that are so freely shared now - from Tom Barr to Karen Randall to ..... :hail:

One of the pages that will probably keep bringing me back until I die is the AGA contest entries. The pics are just beyond insane - amazing!
 
  • #26
@SeaQuest: for sure, a small set up like this can be budgeted under $100 if you are frugal and want the barebones. The filters cost $15 x 2, the tank $30= $60, + gravel puts it under $70. but as Ron said, some of the best stuff can be found in your backyard! keep on the eye out for nice looking rocks near streams or when you're on a hike. manzanita grows naturally here in California so when you're on a hike look out for dead pieces :)

and yes, the plants, rocks, and wood did cost me a pretty penny, only because i am VERY finicky with my tanks and how they appear (plus i cant go hiking every single day :( )...specific pieces for specific setups....which ends up being very expensive!

here's the breakdown of the tank:

$30 for the Tank
$15 x 2 for the Filters
$65 for the Light
$50 for the Rocks
$50 for the Anubias nana 'petite'
$8 for the frogbit
$6 for the ghost shrimp (munchies)
$50x4 for the Rhinogobius zhoui
_______________________
$439 for the whole shabang.... o_O can you imagine if i had a 20 or 50 gallon tank? :-D

to see what happened to mr. stumpy please go here: http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125493
 
  • #27
Do you mind if I ask how much it cost making a tank like this?

I've always wanted to do something small, but also do it well like you've done. I tried a 10 gallon planted tanked a few years ago and failed miserably. It was ugly, hard to clean, and not very interesting. I bought everything for it at Wal Mart... which didn't have to be bad, but I bought the cheapest of everything they had. THAT was bad.


Yours looks gorgeous!
A difficult question to answer. You can spend very little to no money on a tank (provided you have some stuff laying around) or you can spend thousands on a tank. While size, of course, plays a role in the cost, it is far from the limiting factor. I've seen 10g tanks that cost far more to put together than some 55g tanks. Operating cost is something to consider as well. Again, I've seen 10g tanks that are cheaper to maintain than huge tanks. It largely depends on the flora. Plants that require higher levels of light will obviously rocket the cost of your setup. The higher you go, the more "high tech" your setup starts getting and the cost reflects that. You can start at super cheap T8, even T12, light fixtures for "low tech" tanks with plants that don't demand so much light, or you can get up into crazy T5/MH/LED combo fixtures that you might as well start selling your reproductive material to pay for. Typically, too, higher light tanks will demand CO2 injection, and that's a whole 'nother game to play. One thing I've learned is "high tech" is not equivalent to beauty. High tech tanks generally will require a lot of money invested in things like light fixtures, CO2 tanks and regulators, some way to diffuse the CO2 gas (can be DIYed for cheap or can be purchased for not-so-cheap), ways to measure the CO2 concentration in the water, high turnover filters, fertilizers... the list goes on. And then, on top of that, they typically will also require more maintenance: weekly water changes, daily fertilizing, trips to get your CO2 cylinder refilled, etc. On the other hand, I've seen plenty "low tech" tanks that use little light, are rarely (if ever) fertilized, don't have CO2 injection, maybe a water change 3 or 4 times a year, etc. that are just as gorgeous, if not more so, than some high tech tanks. It's all about what you're into. Personally, I enjoy lots of gadgets and fancy schmancy stuff, so I went high tech. If you're not into that sort of thing or the idea of all the maintenance involved turns you off or if you just can't justify spending a lot of money on a fish tank, low tech can be awesome.

The link RL7836 posted for the AGA competition is a great place to see what high tech can get you. For low tech, check out PlantedTank's Low Tech Forum. I'm sure you'll find plenty low techs that are quite stunning.
 
  • #28
elusive buggers but i did manage to get some shots:

the male (there's another, but it hides since this one is the dominant one)
RSCN3904.jpg

RSCN3917.jpg


the females:
DSCN3922.jpg

DSCN3872.jpg


the two girls kickin it:
DSCN3900.jpg
 
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  • #29
Awww your fishies are cute! :love:
 
  • #30
thanks thez! i think they're cute too!
 
  • #31
Nice tank! I'm jealous of the gobies, I can never find them anywhere.
 
  • #32
thanks a lot! here's a few more pics of the males
RSCN3942.jpg

RSCN3940.jpg


female outside male's cave:
RSCN3941.jpg
 
  • #33
Fantastic little guys! How big are they?

Do they need brackish water to get into successful breeding?
 
  • #34
@swords: nope! strictly freshwater :-D very large eggs from what im told...
 
  • #36
i have a thing for gobies as well ever since i was a kid. they are very interesting.

by the way i've noticed tank equipment costs a fortune over there, amphirion. everything would cost at least half the price or less here. 50 dollars for anubias nana ? that's amazing. they're like 3 dollars each here. frogbit goes around for 1 dollar but it's not even popular...crazy prices you've got over there.
 
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