# [NANO] 15l Opti Nano - New Scape



## LondonDragon (6 Feb 2011)

Decided to clear out my nano tank: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=6731

And start something different and experience with "scaping", so this is my first try out.

Tank: AE 10x8x8" Opti-white Nano
Light: IKEA 11w: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/30018560
Filter: Niagara 300 HOB (300lph)

Hardscape: River boulders, plain sand, manzy branches

Plants (temporarely): Bolbits, Anubias, Fern, Willow moss


It all started in a box and this was what I could come up in 10 minutes:







From the box to the tank:






Time to protect the scape for filling up:






Now full up:






Full tank shot now with filter in place, the fern in the filter is now part of the filter pad, the roots have grown into the pad and can no longer separate both, but comes off nicely for rinsing in a bucket:






How it looks today after the water cleared and some temp plants added:

















This is my first attempt and still going to play around with it, have some mosses to add to the scape that I purchased yesterday from Living Waters (thanks to Matt for collecting them and Rik for delivering them).

This is all new to me and out of my comfort zone of just throwing everything in the tank and just growing plants. Some of the rocks are a little pinkish and I might replace them with something more natural looking, also not sure about the manzi!

Any critique and feedback is welcomed.

Thanks for looking 

Paulo


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## Nelson (6 Feb 2011)

*Re: 12l Opti Nano*

great start Paulo   .i like the manzi   .

get the moss in there then   .

is this your smaller nano ?.


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## LondonDragon (6 Feb 2011)

*Re: 12l Opti Nano*



			
				nelson said:
			
		

> great start Paulo   .i like the manzi   .
> get the moss in there then   .
> is this your smaller nano ?.


Thanks mate, the two nanos I have are the same size, added the manzi to break it up a little, no sure yet


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## BigTom (6 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*

Looks nice, and loving the filter fern! Personally though, I think I prefered the rockwork as it was in the box, with more of a 'pile'. Anticipate it looking much more natural once the plants grow in though.


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## LondonDragon (6 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*



			
				BigTom said:
			
		

> Looks nice, and loving the filter fern! Personally though, I think I prefered the rockwork as it was in the box, with more of a 'pile'. Anticipate it looking much more natural once the plants grow in though.


Thanks Tom, thought you would like the fern with just after I saw your bucket of mud hehe
The idea is to leave enough scape between the rocks to plant the mosses


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## BigTom (6 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*

Aye, I figured that out as I was posting, heh. Sure it'll come together nicely.


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## Piece-of-fish (7 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*

Nice start Paulo. Thanks for your pm as well.


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## LondonDragon (7 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*



			
				Piece-of-fish said:
			
		

> Nice start Paulo. Thanks for your pm as well.


Thanks Ed


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## George Farmer (7 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*

Looks great already and will only get better, I'm sure.

Well done mate.


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## LondonDragon (7 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*



			
				George Farmer said:
			
		

> Looks great already and will only get better, I'm sure.
> Well done mate.


Thanks George


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## JenCliBee (7 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*

Nice little setup paulo, looking forward to the more planted pics


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## Stu Worrall (7 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*

looks great paulo, loving the plant filter!


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## John Starkey (7 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*

Something different for you to play with Paulo   ,as it looks at the moment the only i am not keen on is the purple looking stone,but i am sure with plants around them they will blend in nicely,

good start mate 

John.


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## LondonDragon (7 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*

Thanks everyone 

@John: something new indeed, all the rocks looked the same colour before covered in water, I have a few spares that I will try and replace those with and see how it works out. cheers


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## Angus (7 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*

Looks much better with sand a water paulo.  heres my 2 pennies, the pinkish stones look unnatural when put with the darker larger stones, i think the manzi looks great! just need a couple more branches i think, and that long one could be placed at a bit more of an angle with the base of it more behind the big stone.

the plant on the HOB filter is amazing! really nice emersed growth, gonna look great with the underwater scape.

Regards, Gus.


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## Dan Crawford (7 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*

Nice work Paulo, it's good to see something different. I don't think the Manzi offers much to the scape, hope you don't mind me saying so. If you had more small pieces, then laying them on the sand around the stones may offer a really nice finish?


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## LondonDragon (7 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*



			
				fozziebear said:
			
		

> Looks much better with sand a water paulo.  heres my 2 pennies, the pinkish stones look unnatural when put with the darker larger stones, i think the manzi looks great! just need a couple more branches i think, and that long one could be placed at a bit more of an angle with the base of it more behind the big stone.


Thanks Gus, yeah not happy with the pinkish rocks, they were all the same colour out of the water haha, I have some to replace them with already  more manzi on the way too.



			
				fozziebear said:
			
		

> the plant on the HOB filter is amazing! really nice emersed growth, gonna look great with the underwater scape.


I tried it and the fern loves it there, also gets natural sunlight during the day as its in front of a window 



			
				Dan Crawford said:
			
		

> Nice work Paulo, it's good to see something different. I don't think the Manzi offers much to the scape, hope you don't mind me saying so. If you had more small pieces, then laying them on the sand around the stones may offer a really nice finish?


Thanks Dan, don't mind at all, every comment/critique is welcomed, we only learn that way, I don't have any smaller pieces at the moment, but Neil (nelson) is going to get me some at the next LFKC meet  so will try it again, also once completely planted between the stones, I have some fines gravel to transition the planted section and smaller rocks to the sand.


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## Mark Evans (7 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*

Go boy, Go!   

crackin tank Paulo! maybe take the wood out, but apart from that, great little scape.


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## LondonDragon (7 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*



			
				Mark Evans said:
			
		

> Go boy, Go!
> crackin tank Paulo! maybe take the wood out, but apart from that, great little scape.


Thanks Mark  I was just messing about with the Manzi, was in two ways about it, but will try with more smaller pieces first before I make my mind up, all the planting is temp (the bolbits might stay), the only thing that is staying is the rocks (except the pink ones) hehe


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## LondonDragon (8 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*

There went the pinkish rocks, this is how it looks now, planting to be done at the weekend:
















Thanks for looking


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## ghostsword (9 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*

There are still pink rocks there.  

I would remove all the small rocks, inclusive the second, third and fourth rock, leaving the 1st medium rock in place. 

Try it, take a photo and you will see.


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## LondonDragon (9 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*

Thanks Luis, those rocks are tricky lol they look fine when you place them in the tank at first and the more you look the more pink you will see lol I will wait now until its all planted and then update again 
I am considering a carpet of fissidens for this tank, although that will take ages to grow in!!


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## George Farmer (9 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*

I dig the pink!  Takes a real man to aquascape with pink hardscape...


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## LondonDragon (9 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*



			
				George Farmer said:
			
		

> I dig the pink!  Takes a real man to aquascape with pink hardscape...


Haha thanks George  

BTW: Thinking shimp or a smaller fish species, any recommendations?


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## ghostsword (9 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*



			
				George Farmer said:
			
		

> I dig the pink!  Takes a real man to aquascape with pink hardscape...



ahahahah, sure.. a real man to aquascape with pink.


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## flygja (10 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*

I think the pink rocks look quite cool. Something different for sure. The front-most row of little rocks are too clinical though. The gap between each rock is almost the same. I'd space it out a bit more randomly.


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## LondonDragon (10 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*



			
				flygja said:
			
		

> I think the pink rocks look quite cool. Something different for sure. The front-most row of little rocks are too clinical though. The gap between each rock is almost the same. I'd space it out a bit more randomly.


Thanks  I am gradually getting rid of the pink rocks, the spacing is mainly to plant mosses between all the rocks, when it grows then it will look more uneven  the front-row still need a little more work and I might use so gravel for grading it a little. cheers


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## Radik (10 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*

So what are you going to keep there? Some pinky frogs?


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## LondonDragon (10 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*



			
				Radik said:
			
		

> So what are you going to keep there? Some pinky frogs?


I will leave those to your tank 

At the moment I am thinking something different and have a couple of Stiphodon atropurpureus in the tank:


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## Radik (10 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*

Good choice, I will pass pink frogs to somebody else and get those Stiphodon as well  How many you got? I was reading they can fight for space, any issues so far?


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## LondonDragon (10 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano*



			
				Radik said:
			
		

> Good choice, I will pass pink frogs to somebody else and get those Stiphodon as well  How many you got? I was reading they can fight for space, any issues so far?


I haven't got them yet, hoping to go down the LFS and see them soon and then make my mind up how many, I was thinking a pair (male and female).


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## Krishs Bettas (23 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano - New Scape (Fish selected)*

Hi Paulo,

I keep about 3 Species in my planted tank. 
You proberly won't find Stiphodon atropurpureus in the UK however you will get a closey related species called 
Stiphodon Semoni  which is just as nice. Be careful with your C02 levels with stiphodons they are senstive to high C02 levels.
You proberly know that they eat algae. They also love bloodworms and algae wafers. I think that you could get away with a trio of them ( 1 Male and 2 Females). Stiphodons are good diggers so be carefull   .

*Male*

Stiphodon semoni by afroturf, on Flickr

*Female*

Female Stiphodon semoni by afroturf, on Flickr

Hopes this helps abit,
Krish


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## LondonDragon (23 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano - New Scape (Fish selected)*



			
				Krishs Bettas said:
			
		

> You proberly won't find Stiphodon atropurpureus in the UK


Many thanks for the info Krish, local shop claims to have these in stock, so I will check them out 
This will be a non CO2 tank, just the occasional fert dosing for the mosses.


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## Krishs Bettas (23 Feb 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano - New Scape (Fish selected)*

Hi Paulo,

The ones stocked at your lfs willm proberly Stiphodon Semoni instead they are just alittle less blue.
Krish


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## LondonDragon (19 Mar 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano - New Scape (Fish selected)*

Quick update, no fauna yet in the tank, haven't really done much with it, this will be the home to some Sakuras shortly.

Taken earlier:






Thanks for looking


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## mlgt (19 Mar 2011)

*Re: 15l Opti Nano - New Scape (Fish selected)*

The tank looks lovely. Im sure it will be perfect for some sakuras.


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## LondonDragon (9 Apr 2011)

Quick video I took last night, now with the Sakuras from Vivarium and some from Rik (mlgt), and the Dark Blue Tigers with orange eyes from Fisch-Heim.de also purchased at Vivarium, some started moulting last couple of days and for some reason lost their dark blue, hopefully it will come back:



Thanks for looking


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## Anonymous (9 Apr 2011)

Ha, nice green stones, looks alien to me especially with the blue tigers in there


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## nayr88 (9 Apr 2011)

Lovely tank Paulo 

The shrimp are amazing, there some sakuras in my LFS 3 for 10quid I might have to get a group. there eye burningly red hahaha
What's the best way to keep the red? Feeding decapsulated brine shrimp? 

Cheers


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## Gill (18 May 2011)

Somehow Missed this one. Love the Hardscape reminds me of a Shiva Lingam Stone Shrine. 
And those Orange Eye Blues are Exceptional, Hopefully the Deep Blue will return


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## JEK (18 May 2011)

Really nice hardscape, except the small pebbles - they look a bit to deliberately positioned IMHO.
Looking forward to see it grow in.


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## LondonDragon (19 May 2011)

Thanks guys, this was mainly just to keep the shrimp in, and haven't really made much of an effort with the scape, those pebbles just dropped them in there from the top and left them where they landed lol

I will update this soon to show the growth of the plants/mosses, rocks are looking very green lol


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## ghostsword (19 May 2011)

That is a lovely setup and how I would imagine their habitat would look like. 

I would go as far as removing the plants, just leaving the rocks. 

It looks really nice Paulo, really nice.


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## LondonDragon (19 May 2011)

Thanks Luis, looked a little empty without the plants, and for shrimp some mosses is good to collect bit of food for them to pick on during the day


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