# Beginner Tank - Fluval Flora 7.8gal



## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

Hi everyone,

I've been itching to get into a new hobby and I settled on getting an aquarium. I would have liked to get a 10 - 15 gallon tank, but I live in a little studio apartment so space is limited. It sounds like the little nano aquariums can be pretty finicky to maintain so I figured the Fluval Flora kit would be a good compromise between space and ease of maintenance.

All of this is new to me so part of the reason I'm starting this thread is so people can point all the things I do wrong, haha. I'd appreciate any comments or suggestions you all have!

Anyway, here's the gear I'm using

Tank: 11.8"x11.8"x13.7" 7.8 USgal
Substrate: Fluval Stratum for plants
Light: Fluval Mini Power Compact Lamp (13W)
Filter: Aquaclear 20
Heater: Aqueon Pro Heater 50W

Flora: - Java moss, Java fern, Anubias Nana
Fauna: Still undecided, I'm looking for opinions on the options I'm considering.

Option A - 1 Betta, 2 Amano Shrimp, 4-5 Cherry Shrimp
Option B - 1 Betta, 2 Amano Shrimp, 5-6 Dwarf Corydoras

I'd really like to do option B but Aqua Advisor says I'd be over stocked and I'm wondering if my tank has enough ground area for the cory's to forage anyway. I know they prefer a sand substrate so they can sift around and not damage their barbells, but the Fluval Stratum is pretty rounded and is pretty light.

Any opinions on the stocking options I'm considering? I just started the fishless cycle so it will probably be a few weeks till I can start to add fish/shrimp.





































Thanks for looking!


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

Also, is this the dreaded black beard/brush algae on my Anubias?


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## nigerian prince (Mar 8, 2013)

i think it is, remove it from the tank immediately haha


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## opt-e (Jan 25, 2014)

Looking good so far!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

Thanks for the replies!

So do I have to remove the whole leaf or do I try to rub the algae off? I tried pulling at it with some tongs, but it seemed to be on the leaf pretty good.


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## Momobobo (Sep 28, 2010)

You can try either. A dip in something that kills BBA should be fine. Remove the Anubias and trying rubbing it off. Otherwise you can detach the whole leaf.

Looks good! I think Option B would be fine and is not overstocking at all.


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

Option B better. Betta will take out cherry.


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

You can add
All the mini cories. I have about 20 hadrosus in my spec 5 with endlers, at
Least 10 and tons of Amani and cherry shrimp some Gertrude rainbows and 3 baby bushy nose pleccos. Te spec had an amazing filter though. Water stays great. Also I had a big half moon betta and a frog in there with lots of hiding spots and my shrimp never disappeared. But.. New tank and filter so add slowly to build your filter up.
Do wcs . Add moss
Balls they are like mini natural filters. 
My spec 1 has about 24 galaxy and Amano and cherry shrimp in it.


Sent by tapatalk in north Burnaby


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

Thanks for the comments everyone!

I'm glad option B seems to be a reasonable option.


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

Just a quick update.

I added a Windelov fern and some frogbit to the tank. I figure the betta would appreciate some cover the frogbit provides.
















At this point, with no fish in the tank, should I be adding fertilizer? The kit came with some Nutrafin Plant Gro. Anyone had experience with it?

Also, I've got some sort of white slime/fungus on my driftwood. Should I be concerned about this? From what I've read it may just go away after awhile. I did boil the wood for about an hour and a half before putting it in the tank.









Thanks!


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Hi! Your tank is looking great! 
I had that slimy stuff on my piece of wood and on my rocks at the beginning too - it went away after a little while, and I even caught some fish eating it.
That said, I'm new at this too, so hopefully more experienced people chime in. 

Can't wait to see the betta you choose! I'm so itching to get one...


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

Thanks for the info! I've noticed the slime/fuzzy stuff has started to go away too. 

I can't wait to get fish in this thing as well, haha


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

Tiny update.

The tank is still cycling...I tested the water today and I think the nitrites are starting to rise.

Looks like I have a snail! Is this a Malaysian trumpet snail? I know these guys can take over a tank if I'm not careful. Is population control simply a matter of not over feeding my (future) fish?










There's a surprising amount of life in the tank that I'm starting to notice. I think I've seen planaria and possibly a few copepods too.

Anyway, that's all...wishing the tank would cycle faster. 
Would it be worth switching out the carbon bag with another biomax bag in the filter?


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Oh yah you'd be surprised how easy to get snails, planarian, and copepods. This is showing that your tank is indeed finishing it's cycling. Once you put fish into the tank some of these pests will disappear.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

I feel you pain re: wishing the tank would cycle faster.

Story of my fish-keeping life!


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

So I think my tank might finally be cycled!?

About 24 hrs ago I added ammonia so that the tank was at about 3-4ppm. I'm a little bit colour blind so I've attached a photo of the tests. If someone could verify that Ammonia and Nitrites are 0-0.25ppm and Nitrates are around 20ppm? I'm a little concerned about the pH being a bit low...










So if the water parameters are looking good I plan to pick up a few amano shrimp and a betta on Monday. I will do a big water change tomorrow to get rid of Nitrates.

Also, it looks like my Java ferns are starting to reproduce. 









I've noticed the tips of the new ferns are a darker green than the rest of the plant. Should I be concerned about this discolouration? Some sites seem to say this is normal for java ferns and some sites say this is due to nutrient deficiency.


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

So I did a big water change this morning (~75%).

I won't be back home for about 24-36 hrs and I realized now that I forgot to add a little ammonia to feed the bacteria . Anyone know how quickly the beneficial bacteria dies off when they don't have food? The filter seems to be able to get rid of 4ppm of ammonia in 24hrs so I figure I have a decent bacteria colony at this point. 

Do you guys think it will be safe to add a few amano shrimp and a betta tomorrow...
For the first week or so I plan to check the water parameters pretty often


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

Finally got some fish!

A Betta








Three Amano shrimp, who immediately found a rock to hide behind and haven't come out since....









One of the reasons I got this Betta was because it was really active in it's bowl. So far it seems super curious, exploring every nook and cranny of the tank. Now I'm sort of regretting having kind of sharp rocks in my tank. I'm worried about the little guy tearing his fins. I think I'll pick up some little pebbles to fill in gaps so he doesn't get stuck under any of the rocks.









I also just noticed he has a little pin hole in his ventral fin. I didn't see it at the shop =(.








Should I be adding aquarium salt? Or do these sort of things heal on their own?

I'm still thinking of adding some dwarf corys, but I wonder if my Betta will harass them. He's already taken a few exploratory nips at the shrimp.


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## nigerian prince (Mar 8, 2013)

do not worry about the slime, its a harmless fungus that are in some types of wood, i had it in my tank too, you can rinse it off in the water you take out during the water change


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

I had a betta wipeout all the fish in a 10g.they can be mean. He will build a bubble nest and protect it in anticipation of meeting a gal. thats why now I keep a few females instead of a male,,,,, they can be very colorful too.


tank is very artistic by the way..very pleasing to the eye and the fish should love it. if u r worried about losing ben. bacteria get a few squeezings or a piece of used media from a member and seed the filter.
the ph could be lower because of the tannins in your driftwood leaching into the water.


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

Thanks for the feedback guys!



> I had a betta wipeout all the fish in a 10g.they can be mean.


Yea, that's what I'm worried about now. Maybe the dwarf corys will be fast enough that he'll lose interest after awhile?

I started this aquarium because I thought it might be a relaxing hobby for me since I tend to be stressed a lot. Now I'm finding that I'm spending a lot of time worrying about the Betta tearing it's fins or that pin hole getting bigger. Or the Betta killing the shrimp and any future fish I get...haha


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## Clownloachlover (Apr 21, 2010)

Spit, if you are stressed out with that sized tank imagine what it is like with multiple tanks or an even larger one say a 220 gallon like I have. Once thing you have to learn is fish will be fish...if they become predatory with their tank mates there is not much you can do other than remove them from the tank...in your case the betta could be moved to a bowl and your tank could be shrimp and corys only. Personally I would have added some corys and a several rummynose tetras but that is my choices. Your tank looks great. I am guessing but I would assume your PH is low because of your driftwood, you can raise it with chemicals or let it settle out on its own. with frequent water changes that should happen, just keep an eye on your water chemistry. I test my water every three days religiously and keep a spreadsheet of my findings to see if I begin to see any trends. I also document the things I do for maintenance, ie: water changes, filter cleaning , additions of fish or plants to the tank and anything else that I do towards the upkeep of my tank. It is amazing how every three days you begin to see some trends occuring, especially during cycling of a tank. In my case I watched my ammonia rise, my nitrites increase then my ammonia dropped, my nitrites dropped and up came my nitrates...really cool to watch. Good luck...but mostly have fun!


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

Thanks for the reply Clownloachlover,

Starting a spreadsheet is a good idea. I like making plots and graphs, haha.


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

Well I've already messed something up I think.

Got back home today and noticed that the Betta is a little bit bloated. 









I fed him 5-6 Hikari Micro Wafers this morning which I thought wouldn't be too much. Do Betta's go after algae wafers? I put 1/5th of a sinking algae wafer in the tank to hopefully coax the shrimp out of hiding but I made the mistake of leaving it in the tank all day. It looked pretty much intact when I got home so if he did take a bite it wasn't much.

Tested water parameters again and they are all good (0 ammo, 0 nitrite, 10ppm nitrate).

Either way I won't feed him for 3 days and maybe feed him a bit of pea if the bloating hasn't gone down.

Update: Just checked him again this morning and it looks like the bloating is already going down a little.


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## shady280 (Oct 17, 2011)

a pea should help him if he is a bit bound up. i had bad food that my betta didn't digest very well and once i switched food he was good to go again. it made him bloat kinda like that but worse. now i use omega one betta pellets with no problem, and they are cheaper than the hikari ones too! i also got a flora tank, there nice little tanks and the kit seems pretty good, i just need a bubble counter and a better diffuser than the giant plastic one it come with. i still am looking for a place to put it in my house as its my 6th tank! it was an impulse buy at pet cetera as it was only $50 as they seem to be dumping all their stock. what kind of driftwood is that?


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

> now i use omega one betta pellets with no problem, and they are cheaper than the hikari ones too!


Yea, when I got the Betta the store was out of betta specific pellets and the guy said the Hikari food would be just fine for them. I have a feeling it was the algae wafer that he got into.



> just need a bubble counter and a better diffuser than the giant plastic one it come with.


With me being worried about the Betta getting along with other fish I'm considering using this tank as more of a planted tank now actually. I think I'll keep it low tech for now. Maybe extra plants on the ground will make the shrimp feel safe enough to come out from under their rock too.



> it was an impulse buy at pet cetera as it was only $50 as they seem to be dumping all their stock.


I did the exact same thing. I figured I couldn't pass up that deal haha.



> what kind of driftwood is that?


I think it's a small Manzanita wood branch? I got it from April's Aquarium


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

Another post in the most boring tank journal ever.

Mr. Betta is looking less bloated now. Got home to find that he has started a bubble nest. I guess that's a good sign? At least he seems a little more comfortable with his surroundings now.










There was also a shrimp sighting! Found one chilling on the wall by the bubble nest. By the time I grabbed my camera he had gone. I lifted up the big rock I was convinced all the shrimp were hiding under but didn't see anything. I'm baffled as to where they could be hiding. There aren't many places to hide in the little tank! Is it possible for a Betta to eat an entire amano shrimp?

How long can shrimp go without food? I don't have much algae in my tank and whenever I put a bit of algae wafer in the tank the Betta eats them!


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## Clownloachlover (Apr 21, 2010)

check in and around your tank for the shrimp. I have never kept shrimp before but it is my understanding they can be jumpers and perhaps have jumped right out of your tank if there is no cover on it...is that the case...no cover. if there is no cover your betta chased your shrimp they may have jumped out for what they thought might be safety.


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

I actually ended up waking up in the middle of the night and decided to check the tank. I managed to spot 2 of the three shrimp out in the open while my Betta was sleeping in the top corner of the tank. So I know at least 2 are still around!



> they may have jumped out for what they thought might be safety.


I read that they do that too. I have the cover on and I had a look around the tank but I didn't see any corpses...


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

So another update.

I decided that I wanted to get some foreground and midground plants so that my shrimp would have a place to graze and hide. So I picked up some really nice plants from Pat at Canadian Aquatics this morning. I picked up some pygmy chain sword, and a really nice anubias. Plus Pat was kind enough to throw in a little bit of glosso (I think it's glosso) for me to try.

Here's the tank now









Better look at the new plants.









I know that chain sword and glosso prefer mid to high light levels so I'm now thinking of picking up a finnex planted + light (there's a sale on right now). Maybe I could run the finnex for the regular 7-8 hour cycle, but turn on the stock light for 4 of those hours?
For now I've moved the light closer to the front of the tank where the glosso and the chain sword are.









So after all the planting, I spotted one of my Amano shrimp out in the open! And then my Betta saw it...









It was a pretty intense chase, but the Betta won in the end. He was brutal. He would take a bite, throw the shrimp around for a bit and then leave it to wriggle about. Then he would dive in again and repeat. It was a slow death for the shrimp, I felt bad for it. I've named the Betta 'King Joffrey' after the Game of Thrones character.

Anyway, looks like this is going to be a 1 fish tank. I'm kind of disappointed, but I'm actually enjoying the planted sided of the hobby so it's not that bad. This will be my planted tank that happens to have a mean Betta in it.


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## nigerian prince (Mar 8, 2013)

ya its just nature running its course, ive heard with bettas it can go either way depending on the individual, some are great with shrimp, and some hunt them into extinction
ive got a few floras ill likely put bettas in the fall, keep up the updates its very interesting and all can learn


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

Not a whole lot new to report.

I'm waiting on a Finnex 12" light to come in the mail.

The remaining two shrimp live! I found them hiding behind a rock the other day. I snuck them a bit of algae wafer.

Here's a vid of them eating while Joffrey lurks in the background.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Tank is looking great. Too bad for the shrimp. It's the circle of life?
Joffrey (ha!) is a beautiful fish.


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

Thanks!

Just a few small things to report.

I added a 12" Finnex Planted+ light the other day to hopefully help the glosso and chain sword grow. 
I think the new light changed the reflections in the tank and Joffrey really freaked out.
He spent probably 2 hours attacking his reflection in the glass. I've never seen him flare that much.




























Kind of neat to see him flare and see his beautiful fins, but I was worried he would stress himself to death. 
Today he hasn't been nearly as aggressive so hopefully he will adjust to the new lighting over time.

I also picked up a few nerite snails as a last attempt to get some other animals in the tank. Joffrey has pretty much left them alone for now so I'm hopeful they will survive.
























Thanks for looking!


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

lol... King Joffrey...


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

So it's been about a week since my last post.

I decided to try out the CO2 kit that came with the Flora kit in the hopes that it might help with the growth of the glosso and chain sword.
You can see the diffuser on the right of the tank. I also added some Water Wisteria on the left of the tank and moved the anubias to the back.










On the first day of adding CO2 the glosso was actually pearling! (EDIT: So apparently this isn't pearling. It's just a damaged plant releasing O2...haha)










But ever since I haven't seen it pearl? Any ideas what could be the reason? I have root tabs under the substrate, but I don't dose any sort of water column ferts.

At least it is starting to grow laterally now.










I'm liking the look of the moss on the wood. It got infested with hair algae so I nuked it with H2O2, which seemed to do a decent job. It is also placed pretty much in the downdraft from the filter so it ends up acting as a mechanical filter too.










Here's a comparison showing 1 week of growth. I know it's not very much, but I found it kind of neat. Top is before, bottom is after.










Thanks for looking!


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Nice journal! Keep up the hardwork and you will be rewarded! I think glosso has the perfect growth characteristics for a fluval edge. It's gonna look great when it fills in. You will definitely need to continue with CO2 if you want to see glosso do well though.


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## pistachoo (Sep 6, 2010)

Spit1A said:


> Another post in the most boring tank journal ever.


So not true! It's beautiful.



Spit1A said:


> So after all the planting, I spotted one of my Amano shrimp out in the open! And then my Betta saw it...


I'm sorry about the shrimp, but I am stoked at that photo! Your tank is lovely, and you showcase it amazingly with your photos.


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## nigerian prince (Mar 8, 2013)

great photo, guess its safe to say hes not a shrimp friendly betta haha


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

Thanks so much for the nice comments everyone! Photography is another hobby I've gotten into recently. Still lots to learn. Joffrey is so active that it's hard to get a nice clean shot of him.



> You will definitely need to continue with CO2 if you want to see glosso do well though.


Haha, I know. I think I've gotten myself headed down another expensive path. I'm starting to look into Paintball CO2 systems...



> great photo, guess its safe to say hes not a shrimp friendly betta haha


Yea, haha. It's his tank for now. I'm considering getting a slightly smaller tank just for him and using this tank as a shrimp tank. Then I could experiment and learn about keeping live plants and hopefully the shrimp would help keep algae in check.


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## shady280 (Oct 17, 2011)

I too spit am looking for a paintball setup for my flora too. The fluval setup is less than efficient so I'm researching my options.


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## Jacques (Jul 5, 2014)

Outstanding journal, Spit! Excellent photos, too. Love that rough rock (Dragon stone, maybe?), and the aquascape; looks like a peaceful little grotto.

I'm amazed this is your first tank. You've plainly done your research on everything from water chemistry to flora and fauna.

Do you have any updates now? I hope things are going smoother now, and the tank's bringing you peace.

Incidentally, I've recently got back into fishkeeping, and have set up the same tank. All the mechanical "stuff" in it looks a bit crowded, so I like your idea of using an external Aquaclear 20 instead of the internal filter that came with the tank. Thanks for that idea!


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## waterlilly (Aug 22, 2010)

Spit1A said:


> Also, is this the dreaded black beard/brush algae on my Anubias?
> 
> View attachment 53417


What kind of water conditioner do you use? I used API with aloe vera for a while and this dreaded algea began to grow. I have had the tank going for probably about 7 years and never had a problem before. I have since stopped using the product and no new algea has grown.


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## Spit1A (Apr 7, 2014)

Thanks for the kind words Jacques!


> Do you have any updates now?


There isn't a lot to report. I moved 2 weeks ago and will be moving in another 3 weeks so the tank is a bit of a mess right now. I'm not going to bother with cleaning it up until after my next move. I should be at my new place for a year or two.

Joffrey is still alive and kicking though, so that's good.

Here's a cell phone pic from tonight. 











> I like your idea of using an external Aquaclear 20


Thanks but I got the idea from someone on another fish forum. I don't remember who unfortunately. It's great that people share all their little modifications on forums like these.

Good luck with your tank! I'd be interested to see a picture of your tank once it's set up. It's always interesting to see how people set up the same tank.



> What kind of water conditioner do you use?


Waterlilly, I use Seachem Prime to condition my water. Fortunately I haven't seen any BBA for awhile. Maybe it was just a matter of the tank maturing a little?

As another update, since Joffrey has decided he doesn't want any tank mates, I've been 'forced' to make another purchase...








This Betta is costing me a lot of money...


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