Best products from r/Aquascape

1. Go to a homebrew store, buy a 5lb tank for $90 or so, it will cost $5 to refill in the future and might last you 6 months depending, likely less in a 55gal tho.
   
2. buy this: https://shop.glassaqua.com/products/uns-mini-co2-single-gauge-regulator
   
3. then this: https://shop.glassaqua.com/collections/co2/products/inline-co2-atomizer
   
4. then a timer like this: https://www.amazon.com/Century-Plug-Mechanical-Timer-Grounded/dp/B00MVFF59S?ref_=Oct_BSellerC_495340_&pf_rd_p=1f7ed03e-6b56-52da-837f-50a4f94e13b7&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-6&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=495340&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=DF50PCP11P6M4SRKZV11&pf_rd_r=DF50PCP11P6M4SRKZV11&pf_rd_p=1f7ed03e-6b56-52da-837f-50a4f94e13b7
   
5. but preferably this: https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Enabled-Google-Assistant-HomeKit/dp/B01NBI0A6R/ref=pd_bxgy_107_img_3/141-4234734-0750431?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01NBI0A6R&pd_rd_r=7997e8e9-6f56-11e9-8d62-07ed84270f12&pd_rd_w=TOZXS&pd_rd_wg=mtJni&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=8GW94BPKJ41S91G2319H&psc=1&refRID=8GW94BPKJ41S91G2319
   
6. Then this: http://greenleafaquariums.com/co2-bubble-counters/atomic-bubble-counter.html
   
7. Then this: https://shop.glassaqua.com/collections/co2/products/co2-pressure-proof-tubing
   
8. Then this and fill it with the juice it comes with, and hang it over the edge of the tank. You will turn on the gas then check it every couple hours and adjust that tiny knob until you get what you need, which means likely that it turns lime green/yellow midday but goes back to dark green at night, its a balancing act until you get it right. https://shop.glassaqua.com/collections/co2/products/glass-co2-drop-checker-set
   
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   Setup (in case you want this extra guide):
   
   
9. Fill the bubble counter with water from the topside (not the side with the red check valve, which is the bottom)
   
10. Plug in the timer, then tubing, then bubble counter, then inline diffuser.
    
11. Turn the big valve knob all the way to the right (clockwise / closed)
    
12. Pull out the tiny valve (fine adjustment) on the regulator and turn it all the way clockwise (closed)
    
13. Turn the big valve knob to the left (counter clockwise) until the gauge reads .3 MPa
    
14. Then turn the tiny knob to the left (counter clockwise) until you get to about 4 bubbles per second, i would recommend at least that for a 55gal heavily planted
    
15. Set timer turn on 30m before the light, and turn off 30m before the lights go out.
    
    ​
    
    It ain't cheap and won't likely solve all your algae issues (i have all manner of thread algae currently but it comes and goes) but it makes all the difference in overall plant health and growth, you will be trimming weekly if all goes well.
    
    Success, now just wait until the plants get wildly healthy in a week.

How much trouble are you having with evaporation water loss when the cover's off?

I use an auto heater. It has two larger heating coils and a set of temperatures gages. If the temperature spikes, a chiller kicks in, and if it drops, the heaters turn on. You never run the risk of cooking your fish, but you have way more heat available than you need. I have the heaters set up near where the water re-enters the tank, so the warm water cycles constantly.

YINGTU Temperature Controller, Pre-Wired Outlet Thermostat Digital, Dual Stage Hea... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RRXJNLP/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_APkiDbF5MA2ZE

This one is similar to the one I use. You can set the acceptable temperature range and differential, Determine when you want the heater/chiller to turn on, etc.

One plug is dedicated to the heater(s) and one is dedicated to the chiller. You can use it with an existing heater, or add an extension chord and plug in multiples like I do. You don't need the chiller at all if you never have trouble with your tank temperatures exceeding desirable ranges.

As a bonus, you can set an alarm to go off if your temps get out of range.

tbh my nano is a premade with a built in filter behind a plastic divider, I think it's the Marineland portrait. I'm actually not crazy about the filter because the intake gets clogged pretty easily and taking it out of the narrow space is a headache.

If you want minimal visibility, my best guess would be a small sponge filter that could go behind the rocks with only the airline tubing showing. I like this air pump for small tanks.

Someone correct me though if this isn't the best way to go for a nano.

Nice scape by the way, the rocks look great.

Hey all

Thanks to this sub and after a ton of research here and elsewhere, I finally got my first planted/aquascaped tank set up. This is an update to my hardscape post HERE

You’ll notice that I got a different rimless tank. I wasn’t happy with the number of stocking options a 5g tank was going to limit me to, so I found a slightly larger (and $$$) option. Also, now I’ve got an extra tank laying >:) I’m super stoked with how it turned out but I might setup CO2 in the future to get it to really pop. I’ll put specs for the tank below since I always find that helpful from other posters. Almost everything was bought through Amazon (since North America sucks for aquascaping materials):

Tank: Landen 10.7 Gallon Rimless

Light: Fluval Planted 3.0 Nano LED (Petsmart purchase)

Filter: Penn Plax Cascade 500

Lily Pipes: JARDLI Glass Lily Pipe

Heater: Tetra Submersible Heater 50W

Substrate: Fluval Stratum (Petco purchase)

Inert Substrate: Carib Sea ACS05839 Super Natural

Some kind of rock from my LFS, spider wood

Ferts:
Seachem Excel: .75ml every morning before the lights come on / Seachem Flourish: .75 ml twice a week

8 hours of light/day

Plants (sorry, I don’t know Latin names, and I’m lazy):
Java Fern, Anubias (of varying kinds), Java Moss, Christmas Moss, Dwarf Hair Grass, Micro Chain Sword, Crypts, Subulata (?) (the tall grassy one in the back right)

Livestock:
1 Dwarf Gourami, 5 Ember Tetras, 1 Otocinclus, 2 Ghost Shrimp (if they haven’t gotten eaten yet)

Try checking this out: Plant Deficiency Chart

Looks like some minor nutrient deficiency. Likely magnesium for old growth, but if it is still newer growth. Could be iron if considered new growth. You would have to research proper ferts for the tech level of your aquarium.

I would probably recommend root tables to keep the fertilization localized to the roots. Substrate fertilization helps keep nutrients out of the water column to minimize the risk of an algae outbreak in low-tech tanks. I use Osmocote packed in 00 gelatin capsules. Just use tweezers/forceps to plant roughly 1" below the substrate at the base of plant roots. I have a heavily planted tank with many root feeders, so I plant one every 4"-6" every 3-4 months, but you can put one straight under plants that need it too.

ITS A TRAP - or at least it seems like a gamble with a sketchy newly built website (registered 2 weeks ago), a decent company would've put a little more effort into a business name than "4aquarium" the site is nothing but generic ebay/no-name products...their facebook is like 2 days old...

As someone mentioned below it was "free" but had $5.50 shipping...

Here is the same product for $3.92 plus free shipping on Amazon.

It has this high quality about us section..."The 4aquarium.com shop was created to help people to get a aquarium stuff easiest way."

Plus this website is getting posted by some sketchy reddit user that uses multiple accounts to spam his youtube channel all day.
https://www.reddit.com/user/BestBeating
https://www.reddit.com/user/LunacyChillout
https://www.reddit.com/user/FalseLunacy

My low tech 65g- 24" deep.

Main thing is to make sure you make a slope- front to back (I used rocks to hold it in place) and get a really striking piece of wood. Two of these 36" lights fit perfectly and seem to be doing a great (and inexpensive) job at growing plants.

I'm trying some seeds too in my 20long. There apparently are some legit seeds but most seem bogus. I upgraded the light on the same tank to the one below. It was super cheap too and very bright. Be careful about leaving on for more than 12 hours as I started to see algae.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010TIEJDQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Very good idea to get the plants growing well before adding fish, you may need to add some fertilizer since there will be no fish poop(nature's fertilizer) yet. I strongly suggest you buy a water testing kit and using your testing results to guide when to add fertilizer(nitrates below 20ppm) and how much water to change per week(nitrates above 20ppm). The Spec V is a nice little tank, I have 3 of them. As long as you are committed to doing regular water changes(try starting at about 25% per week) you could have a small group(8-10) very small species of fish like the Green Neon Tetra or the Chili Rasbora. Doing a weekly water changes on a Spec literally takes less than 10min:)

Currently sold out though, but I love it. Really nice quality: https://www.amazon.com/Landen-Gallon-Rimless-Aquarium-thickness/dp/B00DC2PLRU

I've had really good luck with Finnex Stingray for low tech. They're cheap enough. I have the old model on my Spec V and they just came out with a better model 2. I bought it for my 22g long and it is doing fantastic.

https://www.amazon.com/Finnex-Stingray-Aquarium-Light-Moonlights/dp/B07RDMB99R

these are my specs. I got an acrylic tank, it’s super light. I can move by myself without much problems even with all the hard scape in it. My stand is metal. Petco Brooklyn 29 Gallon Metal Tank Stand, 30" L X 12.5" W X 29.5" H https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008VRXEK2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_QmjKDbQS51AJY . Should I still be super concerned? I’ll start looking into a bigger support in the mean time

I am quite happy with the following (I use on a 10 gallon and a 3 gallon at the same time using a T-fitting and two diffusers and two indicators):

Diffuser @$16.99 ea https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LXFUGE5/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This diffuser is good for hanging on the side of your tank. There are many others to choose from.

7 day timer @$14.65 (Three prong plug for regulator solenoid): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006LYHEHG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You DO NOT want to let it run overnight because they say it will suffocate your fish.

CO2 indicator @#17.89 (need one for each tank) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Z9KWTHS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

CO2 proof tubing @#9.99 (regular tubing may leak CO2!) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008UCOFJW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Regulator with bubble counter and solenoid @$69.99 (Yes, this one works great at that price) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N42JPDV/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Adaptor fitting to get regulator attached to a paintball tank @$9.90 (I had to modify this part, so pay attention): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I2UMZ2Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Paintball tank @$21.49 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007XKFQCM/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dicks Sporting Goods will refill for $5 using your tank.

The issue with the adaptor is that the one I got had a bleed-off relief hole too far down in the threads such that the hole was exposed even when the tank was fully screwed in because the thread depth on the tank was shallow (fewer turns total) compared to the adaptor, Had to plug and re-drill the hole.

You should at least look at these components as part of your evaluation.

I just went to a tank system, its only been set up for about a week. I'm using a paintball tank. This seemed easiest for refills, only $5 at Dick's. This is all the equipment I got for it:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B004M49QDC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B009WTXYN0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B007XKFQCM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The regulator came with a bubble counter/check valve which was a nice little surprise. I then bought 10 or 20 feet of tubing from The Home Depot for $5.00. Make sure you get thread tape to seal things up, I initially did not use it and it leaked a lot.

I've been running for a week and so far so good, I have the solenoid plugged in to the same timer as my light.

I just bought a 17 gallon tank Fire Aqua and a Fluval Light. The fluval light is the new bluetooth one and looks amazing. You can choose the sunrise, and sunset with your phone which automates things for you.

Here's some advice. Rocks, substrate, tools, plants, and wood is expensive. So don't be surprised at a hefty bill when you get what you want. Do some research on how much substrate you can put in the tank. I wasn't sure how thick I was able to lay it at the bottom, and I don't think I did enough. Research how you can give the tank more depth by adding height in certain areas and proper ways to do that. (Maybe lay down big rocks firs then add substrate over top) to create a mound.

Get a complete testing kit. I forgot to get one and I'm waiting for it to come in the mail. Also some ammonia to start your tank cycle when it starts to get cloudy. Info here.

Depends really what your budget is. My light costed more than the tank itself, and all the other stuff doesn't come cheap. Especially plants and decor.

Let me know if you have more questions.

I would say CO2 is more of a lifestyle than a cure. Its a big commitment in my mind but then I haven't tried it.

UV is easy to set up and you should see results in a week. if not just return it for a full refund within 30 days.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KP9B2W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01

Thanks! This is the light...

​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BNZVD7W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1