Ebi scrubbed, cleaned, replanted for the New Year.

[Atom]

I'm sure a few here are aware of my plant problems as of late. I got fed up with how miserable my Ebi was looking so I decided to give it a rescape. It's been running for just over a year and it was the perfect time for a change.

Tank:
Fluval Ebi 8 Gallon

Lighting:
2 x 13W Fluval Ebi Light

Filtration
Stock Ebi Nano Filter
Elite mini (temporary to help with cloudiness)

Substrate:
ADA Amazonia
Fluval Stratum

Hardscape:
Manzanita
River Pebbles
Dearly departed Nerite (shell)

Flora:
Bacopa
Reineckii Rosaelia
Staurogene Repens
Marsilea ______
Duckweed
Salvinia ______
Frogbit
Anubias Nana (pending)

Fauna: (out of action for now)
Amano Shrimp
Cherry Shrimp
Gold White Clouds


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Dosing:
Excel
Flourish
Potassium
Nitrogen
Iron
Prime

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FEB. 07 .12



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FEB. 04 .12



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FEB. 01 .12









CHEERS!

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The tank is experiencing an ammonia spike at the moment so all the inhabitants are elsewhere. Last reading was 0.50 ppm. Only added about 3 - 4 cups worth of ADA so hopefully things will be back to normal soon.

I still have to figure out my new dosing regimen. My tank was wiped out of nirates so hopefully dosing will help. I was also underfeeding my fish previously.

Here is a link to my plant problem thread: What is my tank LACKING? Definitely NOT holey, yellow, brown or melting plants!

Thanks for those that answered all my questions. It was super helpful.

[Atom]

What does everyone think of the wood? It was bigger than I thought it would be. At first I tried it vertically, but it just didn't look right. I like how there is a mini cave for the shrimp.

Never had any moss either so maybe some for the wood? Also thinking of adding some of those thinner twisted branches at the back right corner. Perhaps arching over the top? Thoughts?

If anyone had tips on how to use Staurogene Repens as a carpet please share. I've never had a carpet plant before. The stems like to float up! Thank you Bien for the wonderful plants.

I'm loving the clover-like Marisilea. I'm not sure what kind this is.

Would like thoughts on what plant to put in the right back corner. I'm looking for something fluffy, but not Cabomba

Also, any tip on getting cat hair out of the tank!?

[Arcteryx]

Love that piece of driftwood... best of luck on this go-around

[Atom]

Thanks. Paid a bit more than I wanted for the wood but I love the twists in it.

Hoping everything survives this time around.

[Arcteryx]

Yeah it adds a lot of character. Some things are just worth the price of admission.

[Atom]

Updated Photo.

Added the white clouds back into their home and also some narrow leaf java fern and a few more S. Repens. Tested the ammonia and it was back down to close to 0. I'm going to wait a few days before reintroducing the shrimp. I think I will add a dwarf cray to the tank eventually for some colour.




Closer view of wood. Stuck some S. Repens into the crevices. Hoping it will grow.
Does anyone know if shrimp will eat the white slime off of the wood? I really don't want to have to take it out and scrub it every time.



I'm thinking of adding some Rotala rotundifolia to hide the filter and heater, but I'm afraid I won't have enough space.

[Arcteryx]

Looking good!

[Morainy]

Hi Atom

How did I miss this journal? Your tank looks amazing! I love that piece of wood. It's not too big at all because it has so much character.

Maybe amano shrimp would eat the white stuff that grows on new wood? Or maybe you can put a baby pleco in there for awhile? A bristlenose, perhaps? I saw some here on the forum somewhere -- maybe Patrick has them? You could move it to a bigger tank eventually.

Could that be marsilea quadrifolia? I have some of that, it's one of my favourite plants. But yours looks bigger than mine, so I am not sure.

You're looking for a bushy plant for the back right hand corner. But I like the way the plant is right now without a plant back there. The asymmetry is nice, and the java is in the middle of that tank on that side, so it doesn't look empty. The plant that comes to mind, that you might like and that happens to do very well in an Ebi is pogostemon stellatus (I think it is). I have some if you'd like a stem or two. It grows quickly and one stem will quickly become three and so on. If you have a high light tank, the top of the plant will become purple. In the Ebi with one or two lights it will stay green, especially if you have floating plants (as I do). But it is more beautiful green, I think!

TFH Magazine :: September: Pogostemon stellatus

Edited to add: I really love my Ebi. I've had mine for about a year now, maybe longer -- I got it when it first came out. I like my bigger tanks too, but the Ebi is so easy to rescape and change around. I can redo the substrate and plants in less than half an hour, taking my time. I like trying different fish in it, then moving them to a bigger tank when they grow or need more swimming room. My chili rasboras have been in 3 different tanks now, and they seem to love the Ebi best of all. I've just set up a 6 gallon Aquastyle (without the filter or light -- I'm using an Ebi light because there's no way to use the Aquastyle's light unless you use their filter) and I'm thinking of getting another Ebi to go next to it. They are very similar-looking tanks, especially when they're both using the same light, I think they'll pair well on my dining room hutch. Definitely, if I am ever living in a place where I can only have one tank (a small one) I would pick this tank or something very similar.

[Atom]

Hi Morainy. Thanks.

I will be moving my Amano back into the tank soon. Hopefully he will take care of the slime. As for the Pleco that would just mean I would have to get another tank for him and that absolutely cannot happen, lol. I'm maxed out as it is. Thanks for the suggestion though.

I am definitely going to try to keep the assymetry. I just hate seeing filters and heaters and always try to hide them. I did pick up some Rotala rotundifolia today from AW and I'm hoping it will grow fine with my light. The corner is getting a bit crowded though so I'm worried about the bottoms. The plant you recommended (pogostemon stellatus) is beautiful! It would look wonderful in the Ebi. Love the colours. The rotala I have right now also has reddish tips. I think eventually I will replace the reineckii with another reddish plant, maybe ludwigia?

Are you using your Eheim for your betta? Is that why you are not running the filter? I love multiple Ebis lined up together! You should definitely do it. At one point I was considering 3 in a row after I saw someone else do it on the forums.

I am very happy with how my Ebi has been coming along now. I can't decide if I like my Eheim or Ebi more now. I just need to make sure I keep all the plants alive this time around. Need to nail down the dosing regime.

Cheers!

[Morainy]

Hi Atom,
Let me know if you'd like some pogostemon. I only have a few stems right now (I've given lots away, that's why!) but it multiplies very quickly and so if I give you some, we will both have plenty.

As you guessed, I'm using the Eheim for the betta. I find that male bettas do well in planted tanks without filtration, if the tanks are well maintained. They've never done well for me in a small filtered tank for some reason (the current, I'm guessing) although female bettas seem to thrive in those same tanks. Because the light is attached to the filter in the Eheim (quite a clever design), there's no way to support the tank unless I leave the filter in the tank, unused. For that reason, I'm using an extra Ebi light that I had on hand. This is a 6 gallon Eheim (taller than it is wide) with a glass top and it therefore looks almost exactly like the Ebi! Eheims don't come with substrate, so I'm using extra fine black river gravel in it. I still want to tweak the plant arrangement.

The other reason that I am happy to have an unfiltered tank is that this room is my work space and I can't stand the sound of filters!

Your tank is beautiful. Let me know if you'd like some pogostemon.