# Mini Ecosystem



## Marc Davis (10 Dec 2018)

Hi guys. This will be the journal for my mini ecosystem tank.

Edit: Latest video:


I'll be adding tons of critters and a couple of predators to the tank, sitting back, letting the plants take over and do it's own thing.

I did do a similar thing with a much smaller tank and it achieved its goal. It was too small for what I wanted to do though in terms of some predators and breeding.

So here is the setup.

Hardscape





Soil with sand/gravel capping.




Half filled with plants




Finished result.




Here is a full setup video and the first of the series. Subscribe if it's something you like. I will do an update every other week. Follow along guys. It should be interesting 


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Update: Aquarium upgrade


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## Edvet (10 Dec 2018)

It''s something i want in my future too


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## 19Lee81 (10 Dec 2018)

Subscribed 


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## Marc Davis (10 Dec 2018)

Edvet said:


> It''s something i want in my future too



I had a huge amount of fun with my little 10 litre tank. This is going to be even better.


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## Marc Davis (10 Dec 2018)

19Lee81 said:


> Subscribed
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thank you very much for the interest mate. Much appreciated.


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## 19Lee81 (10 Dec 2018)

Marc Davis said:


> Thank you very much for the interest mate. Much appreciated.



Love following a good tank build 


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## Costa (11 Dec 2018)

Very nice, which soil-gravel combo did you use?


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## Marc Davis (11 Dec 2018)

Costa said:


> Very nice, which soil-gravel combo did you use?



The soil is just dug up from my garden. Then capped with a layer of gravel I got from Homebase and topped off with some sand. Video shows it better.


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## Tim Harrison (11 Dec 2018)

Very nice project. It's something I've been thinking about doing for a while. This guy also gave it a go, but with no artificial anything; a silent aquarium http://www.tuncalik.com/2009/09/biotope-in-my-study/


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## Marc Davis (11 Dec 2018)

Tim Harrison said:


> Very nice project. It's something I've been thinking about doing for a while. This guy also gave it a go http://www.tuncalik.com/2009/09/biotope-in-my-study/


Yeah, i saw that one when researching. I think most people in the hobby for a while really like the idea of it.

I want it to run itself. Not because im lazy as i actually like doing the maintenance, but something about playing God and just seeing things evolve as time goes by....plus im a massive fan of the wild, jungle look tanks. Like Shrimpery's pond style on instagram.


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## Marc Davis (15 Dec 2018)

New inhabitants for the tank:


 


 


 


 

I also added several packs of live water fleas and other live food which will all be in the next update video.


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## Tim Harrison (15 Dec 2018)

I think you'd stand a better chance of building up invert colonies by allowing them to become established in a fishless tank first. But either way watching with interest to see how this works out


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## Marc Davis (15 Dec 2018)

Tim Harrison said:


> I think you'd stand a better chance of building up invert colonies by allowing them to become established in a fishless tank first. But either way watching with interest to see how this works out


I did think this myself...but I now have 3 berried shrimp and some strong males...I think there will be tons of food in no time!


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## Marc Davis (16 Dec 2018)

Bit of an issue.

Really loving the tank...so much so that I just went and brought a new bigger tank to do the whole thing in haha.

I got this 80cm x 30cm x 25cm for £15.


 

Couldn't turn that down. All it had wrong with it was a tiny chip that will not effect the water in any way.




The wife has said I will need to wait until after Xmas when the tree is down for it to go in that area, so I will carry on with this tank at the moment...and probably after the new tank is set up, although she doesn't know that yet  haha.


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## Tim Harrison (16 Dec 2018)

Nice sized shallow, perfect for emersed growth. But where will you put the Christmas tree next year ?


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## Marc Davis (17 Dec 2018)

Tim Harrison said:


> Nice sized shallow, perfect for emersed growth. But where will you put the Christmas tree next year ?


...the garden if i have to!


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## Marc Davis (17 Dec 2018)

Here is the first update video. Its been 10 days since setup and a lot has happened:


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## AverageWhiteBloke (17 Dec 2018)

What happens with the colony of water fleas then? Are they self sustaining or did you just end up with the fattest guppy in history?


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## Marc Davis (17 Dec 2018)

AverageWhiteBloke said:


> What happens with the colony of water fleas then? Are they self sustaining or did you just end up with the fattest guppy in history?



Haha, I think about 90% were eaten (to be expected) and a lot of the tiny ones are hiding in the leaf litter and everything else. As the plants grow, i will continue to add them and hopefully more and more will survive. When i set up the 80cm tank above, i will add shrimp, water fleas and snails for a few months before any fish touch the water. Its all new for me and an experiment.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (17 Dec 2018)

Ahh, ok cool. I thought the fleas were going to hit a point where they were breeding faster than they got ate which would have been cool.


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## Marc Davis (17 Dec 2018)

AverageWhiteBloke said:


> Ahh, ok cool. I thought the fleas were going to hit a point where they were breeding faster than they got ate which would have been cool.


Im hoping that will be the case at some point. Given the size of this tank, it might not be possible but we will see.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (17 Dec 2018)

Will be a struggle I reckon pal. The Endlers I have seem to be constantly looking for food, I don't think anything could reproduce faster than they eat.


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## Marc Davis (17 Dec 2018)

AverageWhiteBloke said:


> Will be a struggle I reckon pal. The Endlers I have seem to be constantly looking for food, I don't think anything could reproduce faster than they eat.



I agree, will be good to see what works in this setup, ive got a big section of java moss growing, ready for the big tank (80cm) after xmas. I'm confident that with just a few fish in that tank (think i will go with golden white clouds) i can get a colony of shrimp and water fleas. I'll seed the tank for a long period first.


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## Marc Davis (19 Dec 2018)

I'm finding that the guppies are too aggressive in this setup so i will be switching them out for 2x golden white cloud minnows. I have kept them with little critters before and they dont seem to hunt anywhere near as aggressively as guppies.


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## Marc Davis (19 Dec 2018)

Few shots of the tank. Just taken:


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## Marc Davis (20 Dec 2018)

Sneak preview of the new 80cm ecosystem setup...


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## Marc Davis (21 Dec 2018)

Here is the basic hardscape with new stand. Next job....substrate.


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## Tim Harrison (21 Dec 2018)

Looks great. Are you going for some emersed growth?


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## Marc Davis (21 Dec 2018)

Tim Harrison said:


> Looks great. Are you going for some emersed growth?


100%  substrate and plants are in now. I'll wait until the morning for photos as the water is a bit milky the moment.


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## Marc Davis (23 Dec 2018)

Ecosystem upgrade tank all planted. Water is a bit misty due to substrate and tannins from the new wood, but should be all clear in a few days. Really happy with how it all turned out. Exactly how I'd built it for a week in my head


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## Dadofthree (23 Dec 2018)

Love those lights


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## Marc Davis (23 Dec 2018)

Dadofthree said:


> Love those lights


Thanks. They are £8 in Homebase lol. I put 6500k LED bulbs in them.


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## Dadofthree (24 Dec 2018)

Marc Davis said:


> Thanks. They are £8 in Homebase lol. I put 6500k LED bulbs in them.


Luv them even more


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## Marc Davis (24 Dec 2018)

Dadofthree said:


> Luv them even more


The wife wasn't convinced that you can have industrial design mixed with farmhouse style wood...i was told "its not a bachelor pad Marc" haha. But she likes it now


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## TBRO (24 Dec 2018)

Fantastic design, lovely emergant growth. T


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## Marc Davis (24 Dec 2018)

TBRO said:


> Fantastic design, lovely emergant growth. T
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thank you very much and Merry Christmas


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## PARAGUAY (24 Dec 2018)

Looking great Marc, that emergent growth really sets it off


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## Marc Davis (24 Dec 2018)

PARAGUAY said:


> Looking great Marc, that emergent growth really sets it off



Thanks. I will completely leave that aspect of it and just have a huge jungle growing out of the top.


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## Marc Davis (24 Dec 2018)

Here is the setup video guys:


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## Dadofthree (24 Dec 2018)

Marc Davis said:


> The wife wasn't convinced that you can have industrial design mixed with farmhouse style wood...i was told "its not a bachelor pad Marc" haha. But she likes it now


Marc congrats on your tank how did you fix those lights i know there clip on but you have a rimless and what bulb did you use thanks Alan


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## Marc Davis (24 Dec 2018)

Dadofthree said:


> Marc congrats on your tank how did you fix those lights i know there clip on but you have a rimless and what bulb did you use thanks Alan


I clipped them to some diy stilts behind the tank:



 

The bulbs are 4watt led 6500k. (40watt equivalent x2)


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## techfool (24 Dec 2018)

I love the look of emersed plants but they can start to go crazy!


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## Marc Davis (24 Dec 2018)

techfool said:


> I love the look of emersed plants but they can start to go crazy!


That's exactly what I want!!


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## Tim Harrison (24 Dec 2018)

Nicely done


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## Marc Davis (25 Dec 2018)

Quick few photos. Tank is settling in and clearing. Shrimp and snails are happy.


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## Ady34 (27 Dec 2018)

Marc Davis said:


> Ecosystem upgrade tank all planted. Water is a bit misty due to substrate and tannins from the new wood, but should be all clear in a few days. Really happy with how it all turned out. Exactly how I'd built it for a week in my head
> 
> View attachment 120184



I’d be happy too, looks really nice. Do you mist  the emergent growth or let it fend for itself?

Love how fast the snail appears to move in your build video


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## Marc Davis (27 Dec 2018)

Ady34 said:


> I’d be happy too, looks really nice. Do you mist  the emergent growth or let it fend for itself?
> 
> Love how fast the snail appears to move in your build video


I mist them if I remember but mostly letting them fend for themselves.


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## Dadofthree (28 Dec 2018)

Hi marc sorry to bother you i liked your lights so much i went and got some
A little bit of help if you would did you use the little globe e14 bulbs and where did you get them
Thank you Alan


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## Marc Davis (28 Dec 2018)

Dadofthree said:


> Hi marc sorry to bother you i liked your lights so much i went and got some
> A little bit of help if you would did you use the little globe e14 bulbs and where did you get them
> Thank you Alan


They were also in Homebase with all the other bulbs. Yeah e14, 40w led daylight (6500k)


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## Marc Davis (28 Dec 2018)

Water has cleared and everything is looking good.

I think I will get my main focal fish tomorrow.


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## Dadofthree (28 Dec 2018)

Marc Davis said:


> They were also in Homebase with all the other bulbs. Yeah e14, 40w led daylight (6500k)


Thank you Marc


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## Marc Davis (4 Jan 2019)

Update time guys.

It's been about 21 days and here is how she is sitting.





 I've added different mosses to the wood and some stones in the foreground. Need these to flourish to provide cover for baby shrimp/daphnia.

I still have the filter in and will do for at least another month to make sure the plants are fully thriving.


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## TBRO (5 Jan 2019)

Looking really nice, can tell the plants are doing well by flicking through the photos and seeing them get greener! Emergant growth seems a good idea as they can use CO2 unlimited. 


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## Marc Davis (5 Jan 2019)

TBRO said:


> Looking really nice, can tell the plants are doing well by flicking through the photos and seeing them get greener! Emergant growth seems a good idea as they can use CO2 unlimited.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


cheers mate. Yeah, i pulled out some of the swords and replaced with more stems. (hygrophilia polysperma). This is to help with keeping the water perfect and add more detail and green pop.

I cant wait until the plants start exploding out of the tank in the next month.

Forgot to mention, ive added 6 white cloud mountain minnows and 3 panda corys. The white clouds are very interesting to watch. Am currently uploading episode 4 of the tank to youtube. Will post in here later which gives lots of details.


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## TBRO (5 Jan 2019)

Could you build in some kind of refugium? Section the fish can’t enter but inverts like daphnia could leave? 

The idea is really cool, just think it’s tricky to keep a high population of daphnia etc going, fish are so voracious! Daphnia last seconds in my big tank 


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## Steve Buce (5 Jan 2019)

Great looking tank, love the lights, bargain, will enjoy watching this tank evolve


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## Marc Davis (6 Jan 2019)

TBRO said:


> Could you build in some kind of refugium? Section the fish can’t enter but inverts like daphnia could leave?
> 
> The idea is really cool, just think it’s tricky to keep a high population of daphnia etc going, fish are so voracious! Daphnia last seconds in my big tank
> 
> ...


good idea. I'll look into it. My discus tank is massively populated and when i water change in there, the glass has tonnes of tiny water fleas on it. If they can survive in there...they can def populate this tank...plus i use the water from the discus tank to top up this one.


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## Marc Davis (6 Jan 2019)

Here is the latest video guys:


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (11 Jan 2019)

Where did you get the tank from? Love this build! So simple!


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## Marc Davis (11 Jan 2019)

Matt @ ScapeEasy said:


> Where did you get the tank from? Love this build! So simple!


This is the tank Matt:
https://www.portonaquapet.co.uk/sho...X9g5YKHg-zgXtar-Pj4OyUWzAes-0twBoCH4QQAvD_BwE

£47.99
lights were £8 each
stand was £30

Already had the hardscape and substrate, plants were £15.

Nice and cheap but effective.

Only problem is that i have it in our open plan kitchen/dining room and i can see people drifting off into it when im talking to them haha!


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## Marc Davis (11 Jan 2019)

Picture of my son enjoying the tank.

First thing he does every morning is check everyone is ok...he has a particular soft spot for an mts lol


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (11 Jan 2019)

Did you take the little plastic corner bits off? Was that an easy process?


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## Marc Davis (11 Jan 2019)

Matt @ ScapeEasy said:


> Did you take the little plastic corner bits off? Was that an easy process?


Yeah, just held on with a tiny blob of silicone.


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## Marc Davis (15 Jan 2019)

All the fish are doing well as are the snails and shrimp. The plants are showing really good new growth, and as you can see, we are getting a lot more emergent growth now as the aquarium plants converge from submerged to emerged conditions.

Here is the latest video:


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## CooKieS (16 Jan 2019)

I love this tank, very natural looking and great to watch it in video too.

Keep up the good work!


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## Marc Davis (16 Jan 2019)

CooKieS said:


> I love this tank, very natural looking and great to watch it in video too.
> 
> Keep up the good work!


Thanks very much mate


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## akwarium (16 Jan 2019)

It is always nice to see people taking a creative approach on their aquarium equipment, and proof that great results can be achieved without the fancy stuff. Great tank!


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## DianeC (16 Jan 2019)

Quite envious of this tank, could I persuade you to visit the High Peak and do mine??? (she says everdreaming!)


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## Marc Davis (17 Jan 2019)

Diane Coley said:


> Quite envious of this tank, could I persuade you to visit the High Peak and do mine??? (she says everdreaming!)



Of course I will.
PM me if you are serious.


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## Marc Davis (17 Jan 2019)

akwarium said:


> It is always nice to see people taking a creative approach on their aquarium equipment, and proof that great results can be achieved without the fancy stuff. Great tank!


Thanks, i do like the fancy stuff but i also like to give the tank/lights/stand a personal touch and incorporate it into a tank. I know that in recent times, its been the norm to go for completely clean lines with tank/stand and hood/lights to not distract from the scape, but i like to treat them as part of the aquascape as a whole.


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## Marc Davis (20 Jan 2019)

Was just looking at my eco tank in the dark and thought id take a snap. 
It probably needs a trim but i cant bring myself to do it.
What do you think, thin it out or leave it?


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## Marc Davis (21 Jan 2019)

I'm thinking about adding some plants in hang on the back breeding boxes riparium style. Some big ferns. I think it would look amazing, but it feels like cheating ???


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## Onoma1 (21 Jan 2019)

Marc Davis said:


> I'm thinking about adding some plants in hang on the back breeding boxes riparium style. Some big ferns. I think it would look amazing, but it feels like cheating ???



It's being flexible, creative and pragmatic... It should also look amazing


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## Marc Davis (22 Jan 2019)

Onoma1 said:


> It's being flexible, creative and pragmatic... It should also look amazing


Yeah that's what I thought haha. I'm going to do it today!


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## Marc Davis (22 Jan 2019)

Well guys...i went for it and am really pleased with how it turned out. I think its added a really good depth to the tank and also more of a jungle feel. Wife loves it too which is great.

Let me know what you think. Also, currently making episode 6 for the tank for my youtube channel so look out for that: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3uQXzXSPspf2LoGdtYGiHw


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## Marc Davis (23 Jan 2019)

*Aquarium Ecosystem: Episode 6.*

**


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## Steve Buce (23 Jan 2019)

I bet a few people will be borrowing that idea


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## Marc Davis (24 Jan 2019)

Steve Buce said:


> I bet a few people will be borrowing that idea


Hope so. It's a nice compliment.


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## Marc Davis (27 Jan 2019)

The ecosystem  tank has got a new friend. Posted in another thread but thought i would here as well:


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (27 Jan 2019)

This tank is amazing mate well done! Still keep coming back to this thread... still keep planning... at some point I'll have to convince the Mrs... pretty sure your photos & vids will help!


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## Marc Davis (27 Jan 2019)

Matt @ ScapeEasy said:


> This tank is amazing mate well done! Still keep coming back to this thread... still keep planning... at some point I'll have to convince the Mrs... pretty sure your photos & vids will help!


One thing ive learnt over the last 6 months is just to get the tanks, get an earful for about 30 mins and then once its all setup, everyone is happy lol.


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## Marc Davis (27 Jan 2019)

When I get stressed. All I have to do is turn the lights off and look up...


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## J@mes (27 Jan 2019)

This is brilliant, love it!


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## Onoma1 (28 Jan 2019)

Marc Davis said:


> When I get stressed. All I have to do is turn the lights off and look up...
> View attachment 121236



Absolutely stunning!


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## Marc Davis (30 Jan 2019)

J@mes said:


> This is brilliant, love it!





Onoma1 said:


> Absolutely stunning!


Thank you guys


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## Marc Davis (6 Feb 2019)

Ecosystem tank in natural sunlight:


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