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DOOA Neo glass terra 60cm

AlecF

Member
Joined
15 Sep 2021
Messages
568
Location
Edinburgh
This is my 4th tank, but I'm still learning. I am getting rid of a 40x40 cube, which has never felt satisying as a shape. I like low long tanks – even though this is only 60cm. This one will replace the cube. It's only 31L, but feels more, because of the form.

The DOOA has the option of adding a back wall for moss and terrarium, but I wasn't interested in that as a project and don't have the right space. Some would say that this shape of tank makes less sense if you aren't adding the extension, but I like the higher back wall.

For now I have settled on a very simple biotope set-up – biotope isn't an accurate term, but I am using it as a proxy to mean lots of leaves and branches and very few plants. I won't have a light – a relatively cheap A601 from Chihiros, via Aliexpress – for another month. I don't have a heater in yet. I'm starting slowly. The leaves are a mix of local sessile oak, a few birch, some botanicals, and a few lovely gingko.

I have a small sponge filter that is a little seeded as it's been in an existing tank for 10 days. I was thinking about a matten corner sponge, but that would be as high as the back wall. I could add a second sponge. I have a small standard rectangle 25L with only a sponge filter, for shrimps, that has done fine. With a takin style tank maybe a sponge is enough?

I've added beech twigs from an existing tank, some old bog root, and a piece of azalea from the garden. This has some pothos and other house plants draped on it. For planting the idea is to only have some hygrophila siamensis, which I got on here; and some Lilaeopsis Mauritania – I've never done well with grasses, and hope this may survive. I won't add it until I have the light. I also have some floating Brazilian hydroctyle, and a few floaters. I wanted something different from my community tank, which is heavily planted.

The 'earth' is John Innes, with some clay, zeolite, and laterite mixed in, using guesswork. I realise I have too much sand, and too much soil, given the planting will be modest, but I enjoy mixing the soil, and maybe someday I will want to plant this.

Stocking will be, firstly some shrimps, and some baby False Julii Cory, which I have. Then I may add some embers (7), possibly becoming (12), or some habrosus (7), I haven't decided. Both would come from existing tanks and if they didn't seem happy I can return them to the community tank. I'm guessing the habrosus may be happier in here, given they mostly stay low. Opinions welcome.

I am Ok to have it as shrimp only if that seems best. Possibly I will use it for growing on some baby sparkling gourami I have, or more baby Cory, as they breed quite easily with me. It's a terrible photo as the tank is just set up and the house is dark. But it was time I tried a journal and I haven't seen that many of these DOOA tanks here. I love the design. I'd prefer it if I could have it out in the open, but the shelf is all I have available.

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Lots of questions in my mind, so advice welcome. Can a tank cycle with no lights? Which of the stocking ideas seem best to start with? Is it possible to have too many emersed stems? Does anyone else have a DOOA with a similar set up? How does the Muaritania doe without CO2?
 
It looks good, I like the shallow proportions too.

Lots of questions in my mind, so advice welcome. Can a tank cycle with no lights?

Yes it will - though your plants will need some light, and getting them growing is the best way to have a biologically healthy tank. Just leave the tank a few weeks to start growing in before adding any livestock beyond the shrimp.

Which of the stocking ideas seem best to start with?

It's got a reasonable footprint, but its very shallow - you have, what, 140mm of water depth? You might be able to get away with some Habrosus, as they do stay low as you say, and are perfect little miniatures. I don't think it would be suitable for typical mid-water fish like Embers or other tetras though.

Personally I'd use it for growing on fry as you suggest, moving them onto a larger tank when they have grown on a bit.

Is it possible to have too many emersed stems?

Not really, only in terms of how much of your tank real estate you want them to take up.
 
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I'm curious, where did you get the tank from if you don't mind me asking?
 
It was £90 from horizon aquatics. I had to search around to find one available. The price seems reasonable for the good design. It's a thinner glass than some tanks, but well made.
 
It was £90 from horizon aquatics. I had to search around to find one available. The price seems reasonable for the good design. It's a thinner glass than some tanks, but well made.
Interesting, haven't seen that one on their site, probably just haven't looked properly!
 
An update on the DOOA terra, now in a new home. I still love this tank. I now have a lot of shrimp in it, along with ramshorn and bog standard snails, and newly added, 7 juvenile flash julli Cory, who are the prefect size and love exploring it. It's mainly botanicals (native as well as gingko), and for plants the siamnesis and grass (slight melting). As well as the pathos and various other houseplant.

This is low tech and not much to add for chemistry geeks. It catches the bright sun and the Cory's have taken to clumping on the sponge filter (I have 2 in there). There's some courgette and cucumber for the shrimps and snails. I've been lucky with Cory broods and this is my third, so I hope to have future babies to raise in here. The branch is azalea. This was a very easy tank to move house with, an added bonus. I'll be interested to se if the siamensis grows above the waterline.

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Hi all,
.....
and newly added, 7 juvenile flash julli Cory. I've been lucky with Cory broods and this is my third, so I hope to have future babies ...........
I'll be interested to see if the siamensis grows above the waterline..........
Are they Corydoras napoensis? I'm pretty sure that Hygrophila will grow out of the tank.

Cheers Darrel
 
Ha, sorry, covid brain. False Julii, of course. Do you think these babies are elegans? Could be, I have a few of those. Maybe ID'd them wrong. They are either False Julii or Elegans, unless those species ever cross-breed?
 
I agree those lovely little cories are from the elegens group


False julii is normally (or should refer to) corydoras trillineatus, which look different even when young.
 
I'm addicted to these DOOA and got one of the more standard formats, 45cm long, inspired by others wild microtonal habitats. This one is just some old fluval aqua soil, sand, a whole load of leaves (oak mostly, some birch), some floating plants, and a generous portion of hydrocotyle tripartite my fish keeping pal Jamie gifted me; I;ve left that floating. It has 2 shrimps and 2 ramshorns, for now, while it beds it. A tiny rubbishy heater I had, with no settings, and an old light, which I will replace with a chihiros when I can figure out the attachments. It's north facing and intended to be very simple. There's some neon pothos, for now, and the wood is all dead beech. I'm not sure if I will play anything or just let things float.
 

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While the higher back on the DOOA terra excited me, I never wanted to add the extra vertical attachment to make a moss wall, and in the end I prefer all sides the same. I have very small sponge filters in both tanks. The Terra is full of siamensis which has grown emersed, a bit leggy, and it gets caught in the lights, but a wee thrill for a beginner to see the plants change their form. I find the roots of some of the plants I have dangled in there grow into the sand and then emerge out again, as filamentous fibres, which is a bit messy, but natural I guess. The big branched fan-like piece of wood makes it a little fussy to trim. It has 4 young Cory who, if I can catch them, will head to the big tank or be gifted. I'll try to add a new pic of the terra as it looks much darker, wilder, and grizzled now.
 
I can only dream ...
You just wait, once it decides that it's flowering time it'll go mental. The ones in the picture above are rooted cuttings from a flowering mother plant that's still going strong now, a year later. The individual flowers don't last long though, so be prepared to pick up dead ones from the water surface every now and then.
 
Mine tend to grow more leggy than that, and they reach above the light. They are a distance from any window, so I wonder if perhaps they won't have enough light to flower? They are beautiful, I mean yours make mine look like gangly teenagers.
 
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