# Mini project - 8x6x6



## Steve Smith (16 Mar 2008)

I couldn't resist buying a little 8x6x6 tank today, whilst at the british livebearers association auction.  It cost Â£4.50, and has a glass lid.  I've currently got some of my purchases in it temporarily, till I get them homed somewhere more permanent.  When that happens I want to have a go at a little nano tank.  Substrate is eco complete, got some little bits of hard scape too but not much.  Not really sure about lighting as yet...

Any suggestions on the plant front?


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## Lisa_Perry75 (17 Mar 2008)

Hair grass? As a background plant maybe?

Moss as a stem plant?


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## Garuf (17 Mar 2008)

Mini woodscape, you could almost do it as a terrarium!
Infact, next time I'm in glovers I'm buying the same size tank and seeing what I can do!


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## daniel19831123 (17 Mar 2008)

Hehe I've just bought a 24x12x12 from glover. they do very good deal on small tank. I got mine for 24 quid and that comes with 8 quid of goodies. Not that I use those aqua safe water conditioner though. could use with those tetramin


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## Steve Smith (17 Mar 2008)

These were the tanks available, for pretty good prices.  I think they are sold as betta tanks.  Mine is one of the ones stacked on the far left/middle.






Heres the guys price list:

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r23/Helterskelter1/DSCF0460Medium.jpg

(these aren't my pics, but someone else who was at the BLA auction yesterday).


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## bugs (17 Mar 2008)

Am I missing something re Betta's? Just because they will survive in a jar does it make it right to encourage people to keep them in such small tanks?

Sorry - hijacked your thread...


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## Dan Crawford (17 Mar 2008)

bugs said:
			
		

> Am I missing something re Betta's? Just because they will survive in a jar does it make it right to encourage people to keep them in such small tanks?


I think you'll find that they are show tanks and only used for short term for judging. I could be wrong. I do agree that it is wrong to keep bettas in jars like that and the term "betta tank" IMO is just a universal name for a small tank.

I bought my tank from Brian, a great guy and lives not too far from me. He wont work on anything above 6mm which is a shame.  He did a great job on my tank.


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## Steve Smith (17 Mar 2008)

Lovely little tank   I wouldn't dream of keeping a betta in one though but as you say, they are display tanks.  Some of the tanks he had on the stand had amazing weirs/trickle filters built in.

Only thing I need to do now is maybe trim the lid so I can fit the filter/lamp base clamp in and have the lid shut properly.

Didn't see you were in Daventry Dan.  Hello from Coventry


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## Lisa_Perry75 (18 Mar 2008)

Sometimes they are used to jar bettas from a young age. In one betta spawn you could have 200 fry all of which could potentially be males. Although many people use 2L coke bottles.


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## Steve Smith (18 Mar 2008)

Just been playing about.  Limited hard scape resources, but I figured its not terrible for a first go:











Plants are: Microsorum pteropus "Needle leaf", micranthemum umbrosum, Taxiphyllum alternans "taiwan moss" and Eleocharis Parvulus


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## tropicman (22 Mar 2008)

looks gorgeous mate well done


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## Themuleous (22 Mar 2008)

Cool little tank Mate, I love small tanks.

Sam


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## Garuf (18 Apr 2008)

Really well done, any updates, my 2.5's dimensions aren't too different its nice to see a good scape is possible on such a tiny scale.


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## Steve Smith (18 Apr 2008)

I broke it down a few weeks back as I moved the fish to the 27 litre (Bearing new fruit scape).  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this, might try to set it up as a mini shrimp tank on my desk at work, or just grow an aubias or something


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## Garuf (18 Apr 2008)

My idea for mine was to have an anubias petite island, I'll draw up a picture but I was thinking some willow moss stones A single landscape rock and a sand foreground and it could all look really nice and minimal.


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## Steve Smith (27 Apr 2008)

Decided to set this up again today as a little project.  I'll be over dosing dry ferts and small amounts of Excel.  Just after comments on the layout.  I'm not really going for an iwagumi style setup.  What I wanted was for it too look like the large rock has been split by the eleocharis growing through it.  Like a hill side with weathered rocks on it if that makes sense 

Can't wait for it to start to grow out and thicken up...  Lighting/filtration is the same (13w compact, Azoo mignon 240 HOB), substrate still Eco-Complete.


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## Luketendo (27 Apr 2008)

Hey how big is your filter? I'm thinking of getting one.

This scape looks promising.


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## Garuf (27 Apr 2008)

That my dear friend is one hell of a scape, so powerful! you want some super small hairgrass in there, maybe the new japonica one that aquaspot has?


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## Arana (27 Apr 2008)

very cool steve, i like it a lot mate 8)


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## Steve Smith (28 Apr 2008)

Luketendo said:
			
		

> Hey how big is your filter? I'm thinking of getting one.



Its 240 lph   Or did you mean dimensions?  If so, its about 5" long by 5" tall by maybe 3" wide.



			
				Garuf said:
			
		

> That my dear friend is one hell of a scape, so powerful! you want some super small hairgrass in there, maybe the new japonica one that aquaspot has?



I've not seen it, I'll have a look for it tomorrow though thanks   I was thinking about trying some UG but untill I got hold of some I used the eleocharis, as I still have lots floating in a container in the garden


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## johnny70 (28 Apr 2008)

Nice I like it  

Quick question about the filter, is the flow strong from it? how does the water come out? a trickle? just thinking one of these may be ok for a Fighter tank?

Cheers
JOHNNY


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## Dan Crawford (28 Apr 2008)

That looks really nice mate, great stuff.


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## Steve Smith (28 Apr 2008)

johnny70 said:
			
		

> Nice I like it
> 
> Quick question about the filter, is the flow strong from it? how does the water come out? a trickle? just thinking one of these may be ok for a Fighter tank?
> 
> ...



Its quite strong on such a small tank.  I have it flowing left to right.  I'd think its probably too much for a betta as they like minimal current don't they?  This is actually rated for tanks up to 60 litres.  This tank is just shy of 5 litres   There is a smaller version (Mignon 60, for 15 litre tanks). 

It can be reduced slightly.  There is a knob on top you can turn to reduce the flow but it doesn't make a great deal of difference.  I originally stuffed some filter wool on the cascade which reduced it quite well.  I don't think I'll need to bother as I'm not sure if they'll be any livestock in this, maybe some cherry shrimp (if I ever manage to get hold of some!)  For now I'm just happy making a mini scape and I'm hoping I can keep it going successfully 



			
				Dan Crawford said:
			
		

> That looks really nice mate, great stuff.



Thanks mate


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## Themuleous (29 Apr 2008)

Looking good 

Sam


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## johnny70 (30 Apr 2008)

Cheers for the info and link Steve  

JOHNNY


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