# 30cm Cube



## Morgan Freeman (3 Jul 2012)

I went to purchase the smaller tank but the 30cm cube was £5 off and only £24 with the filter so thought why not? I had planned on just having a little emersed setup but I really can't wait any longer for a full scape so here goes!

Threw in some tescos cat litter and some seiru stones I already had. I do have 5/6 smaller stones in my mum's tank but after throwing these in I'm not sure I need to add anything else. Opinions welcome! Too much substrate? Slope won't hold? More stones?







Have a heater already but really want to upgrade to an inline and an external filter rather than this stock internal. Looks a bit naff.

Not sure on lighting, I have a desk top lamp I could use but thinking I might like some more spread.


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## JenCliBee (3 Jul 2012)

*Re: 30cm OptiWhite Cube*

I quite like the placement of the 2 back stones but im getting distracted with the front larger one... maybe a couple smaller ones would change that?


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## san-ho-zay (3 Jul 2012)

*Re: 30cm OptiWhite Cube*

Is that opti-white glass? It looks very green through the ends in the photo.


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## Morgan Freeman (3 Jul 2012)

*Re: 30cm OptiWhite Cube*



			
				JenCliBee said:
			
		

> I quite like the placement of the 2 back stones but im getting distracted with the front larger one... maybe a couple smaller ones would change that?



Yeah I will try a few different stones at the front when I pick them up, these 3 were all I had in the house.

San-ho-zay you're right. I guess they're not optiwhite, just assumed they were because they're the PAH cubes!


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## san-ho-zay (3 Jul 2012)

Hey £24 though. Still a good price.


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## Morgan Freeman (3 Jul 2012)

The smell! Ugh!


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## Otto72 (3 Jul 2012)

What is this thing with people using cat litter as substrate???


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## Morgan Freeman (3 Jul 2012)

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8572

My first time using it. I have had great success with soil but it's a nightmare for rescaping so giving cat litter a whirl.


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## JohnC (5 Jul 2012)

*Re: 30cm OptiWhite Cube*



			
				Morgan Freeman said:
			
		

> JenCliBee said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The one i have is deffo high clarity glass. I can see the difference in my two study tanks show in this photo.





The lid's are "normal" laminated safety glass, the 70L is an old clear seal tank with black silicone trimmed back.

however, P@H might have changed the tank since the recall. 

Best Regards,
John


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## Morgan Freeman (5 Jul 2012)

Cat litter is virtually ready, a slight smell left but I'm just going to leave it for now. Added a ton of dry ferts to the water and osmocote to the substrate. On holiday at the end of the month so won't be adding any livestock until I'm back.

Removed the large stone at the front, might even keep just the two stones. Plans for plants are L. Brasilensis at the front, middle left infront of the stone some Staurogyne Repens, middle right possibly some small cryptocoryne. Back left some stems but not sure which yet.


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## Morgan Freeman (16 Aug 2012)

Sorry for the lack of update, spent all my money on a trip to Bulgaria. Tanks a right state as I left the filter off while away. Been cleaning and planting today, hopefully some pics when everything clears up!


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## Morgan Freeman (26 Aug 2012)

I'm thinking of using Lilaeopsis brasiliensis as a foreground plant but unsure how well it will do with just liquid carbon? Have decided against pressurised as I quite simply don't have the money for a regulator.


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## Morgan Freeman (29 Aug 2012)

Added 3 RCS today  

I should really get some pics huh?


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## nry (29 Aug 2012)

Yep, pics, now


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## HarryRobinson (29 Aug 2012)

Make sure to put substrate supports in matey, otherwise you'll be left with 4inch flat substrate!  Looking good!


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## Morgan Freeman (3 Sep 2012)

It's not as steep now so hopefully it will hold!   

Had a complete disaster with the shrimp, they were sucked into the filter, not the inlet but at the very top where the wire enters there's some suction. Didn't realise until it was too late. Absolutely gutted. Have now replaced the filter for a HOB and made sure there's no chance of it happening again.

Still waiting for a plant order


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## Gill (3 Sep 2012)

Morgan Freeman said:
			
		

> It's not as steep now so hopefully it will hold!
> 
> Had a complete disaster with the shrimp, they were sucked into the filter, not the inlet but at the very top where the wire enters there's some suction. Didn't realise until it was too late. Absolutely gutted. Have now replaced the filter for a HOB and made sure there's no chance of it happening again.
> 
> Still waiting for a plant order



AFAIK that is one of the faults that led to the recall of these tanks.


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## jack-rythm (4 Sep 2012)

i thought he said it was the filter not the tank??why are the tanks so bad?


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## Morgan Freeman (4 Sep 2012)

The filter comes with the tank.


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## Morgan Freeman (5 Sep 2012)

Plants arrived. Absolute state. Won't mention the supplier but certainly won't be using them again!


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## skeletonw00t (5 Sep 2012)

what light is that on your tank on the left John C ?


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## wazuck (5 Sep 2012)

skeletonw00t said:
			
		

> what light is that on your tank on the left John C ?



Correct me if I'm wrong but it looks light a tmc grobeam 500/600??


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## jack-rythm (15 Sep 2012)

I been reading your posts about optiwhite tanks. I build them if your interested about a quote? For example for a price i do those 30cm cubes i saw u with, for 62.50 with an option to frost the back pane..

Jack


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## mattb180 (18 Sep 2012)

Morgan Freeman said:
			
		

> Plants arrived. Absolute state. Won't mention the supplier but certainly won't be using them again!



Why not name and shame so others know who to avoid?


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## Morgan Freeman (19 Sep 2012)

As far as I'm aware it's not allowed. Suffice to say all the plants melted and died within a few days, other plants are doing fine. 

No pics as I'm still really unhappy with how things look!


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (19 Sep 2012)

Morgan Freeman said:
			
		

> As far as I'm aware it's not allowed. Suffice to say all the plants melted and died within a few days, other plants are doing fine.
> 
> No pics as I'm still really unhappy with how things look!



Course it's allowed, if you receive bad service, your well within your rights to speak out and name them. 

What would be wrong would be to make things sound worse than they were. Just state the condition in your opinion, along with the service etc  _IN YOUR OPINION'_.


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## Morgan Freeman (20 Sep 2012)

Fair enough. It was Plants Alive. The plants were not alive, they were brown and largely leafless. The envelope had flattened the plants and a brown goo leaked out when I opened it, no doubt dead plant matter.


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## Lindy (20 Sep 2012)

I had a similar experience with them a couple of years ago but fortunately the majority recovered.


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## Matt1988 (21 Sep 2012)

Thanks for posting about plants alive I was going to order from them for my new set up once the living room is decorated but guess I'll keep looking 

Matt


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (21 Sep 2012)

I guess that's good for you then Matt. Sorry to hear about your bad experience Morgan, but if the shoe was on the other foot. I'm sure you'd want to know names. 

Any update on plants? Any customer service?


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## Matt1988 (21 Sep 2012)

Do they not have a guarantee on the quality of the plants they send? I'm sure they say something like we won't send what we wouldn't like to receive or along those lines

Matt

*Edit*
pasted from their site 
Our motto: If we wouldn’t like to receive it, we won’t send it.

We offer a full no quibble money back (or replacement) on all aquarium plants and pond plants. In the unlikely event that you are not satisfied with your aquarium plants or pond plants, contact us, where you will find our customer service second to none.

We pride ourselves on our customer service and value your custom. Our aim is to provide a service second to none so that we can look forward to repeat business


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## jack-rythm (21 Sep 2012)

they sound pretty reasonable.. someone is bound to get a bad batch at some point. if they say this and mean this then lets not be hasty. contact them and see what they can do... if they were to refuse you service then i think people could start boycotting.. but I think its early days.. Im assuming you havent contacted them? sorry only been reading the last half  To me someone that corrects a mistake has not made a mistake at all..


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## Matt1988 (21 Sep 2012)

After reading through there site properly there a family run business that have been dealing with aquatic plants for 30 odd years. May have just been a postage problem.

What was your final plan for plants anyway  

Matt


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## Morgan Freeman (21 Sep 2012)

Yes there is that but tbh I didn't really want the hassle of re-ordering and so on. I have ordered from them before and the plants have been fine. They send everything out on the monday and mine were received the next day, the state of the plants couldn't have been from just spending a night in the post. I'm sure it doesn't happen all the time but personally it's put me off using them again, I certainly don't want to encourage others to boycott or anything just to be aware.

Anyway moving on! I may aswell get some pics up in a bit be easier than explaining what the plan is!


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## mattb180 (21 Sep 2012)

Morgan Freeman said:
			
		

> Fair enough. It was Plants Alive. The plants were not alive, they were brown and largely leafless. The envelope had flattened the plants and a brown goo leaked out when I opened it, no doubt dead plant matter.



I once ordered a bunch of plants from them and was not overly impressed with the quality of what arrived. Never went back.


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## Morgan Freeman (9 Oct 2012)

Sorry about the dark pictures had to use my phone.

It's obviously not finished yet. Need the stems to grow and add some more moss to the front. Will be planting some form of low growing plant in front of the stone on the right.

As for the HOB the peace lilly only went in 2 days ago as did the stems, will be a while before they recover and adapt to emersed growth. Unsure what else to add, it will come to me.


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## Morgan Freeman (25 Oct 2012)




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## jack-rythm (26 Oct 2012)

What sort of filter is that on the back? I want to be able to just stick plants in like that immersed. Can u talk us through what u did?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2


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## Matt1988 (26 Oct 2012)

jackrythm said:
			
		

> What sort of filter is that on the back? I want to be able to just stick plants in like that immersed. Can u talk us through what u did?
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2



http://www.allpondsolutions.co.uk/aquar ... lters.html 

There you go Jack I have one on my snail breeding tank 

Matt


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## jack-rythm (26 Oct 2012)

Looks epic! I am definitely interested in this! I wanna try Hydrocotyle and Cuba immersed  

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## jack-rythm (26 Oct 2012)

What snails do u breed?!

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## jack-rythm (26 Oct 2012)

OK mate been looking.. can u just talk me through how you managed to plant in the top? Did you use substrate or anything?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2


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## Morgan Freeman (26 Oct 2012)

Just chopped up the sponge in the filter and replanted! Nutrients are passed from the water column through the roots.


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## jack-rythm (26 Oct 2012)

Sweet may try out out. Thaks for the link pal

 

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