# 15g column, planted. My “getting back into hobby” tank



## Thutton (Feb 17, 2020)

Hey, I had my 15g running at bare bones with some driftwood and a betta but recently decided to get back into the hobby full steam.

Setup is:
Aqueon 15g Coloumn w/ custom built stand.

Fluval C2

Tank always had fluorite substrate. 
River rocks collected personally and a nice driftwood stump suited to a tall narrow build.

Had bought fluval co2 45g kit and very soon after started building a more cost effective and advance co2 setup, aquatek valve and solenoid adapter for paintball tank and bought a 24oz bottle. Currently at 1 bubble per .8 seconds.

Finnex fugeray planted + led on modified tank lid also running the 8w t5 built into hood.

Slowly changed stock around over past couple months have landed on what I really like being;

1 Male Betta
6 Harlequin Rasbora 
3 Otocinclus 
3 Nerite Snails
4 Ghost Shrimp
Unknown amount of MTS

3 groups of Crypt Wendetti
2 Anubias
4 groups of Nymphoides Taiwan
Couple java ferns (small left over from last incarnation of tank)
1 Moss ball
Moss on driftwood stump.

Ferts are the standard seachem root tabs, 1 pump daily of Tropica specialized and a small pinch of seachem equilibrium with changes (soft water in lower mainland)

Attached will be various pictures from day 1 to now and I hope to hear thoughts or opinions. Suggestions or otherwise. (I know it doesn't compare to some of the beauties out there but it's a start)


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## akira112 (Jul 17, 2010)

Looking good!


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

I love column and cube tanks. Like how yours turned out. Good job. Now I'm on the look out for a column tank to set up in a classroom


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## Thutton (Feb 17, 2020)

Blacked out back of tank, growth boom in pretty much everything. Seems to be balanced out pretty good now


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## TomC (Apr 21, 2010)

Nice tank. I have found a 15g column planted tank difficult to maintain. Too much algae at the top, too little light at the bottom.


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## Thutton (Feb 17, 2020)

It hasn’t been without challenges, the finnex planted plus and co2 seem to be enough to boom the crypt and Anubias at the bottom with low light (I had to limit the bottom plants due to the depth) I only had some algae when I ran my second light, biweekly glass clean with mag float, along with 3 oto and a couple nerite keeps it algae free. The nymphoides grow no matter what pretty much and they shade the top now so the algae stopped at the top of my log. 

I would recommend to anyone starting a planted to not use a Column lol, next month I’m starting work on my 50g planted which will have me move my co2 etc to it, turning column into low tech with cherry shrimp. All in all I’m happy with how it has turned out.


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## Thutton (Feb 17, 2020)

Tanks changed since I got my 50g up and running, scape for viewing from 3 sides do to new location. No CO2 just Finnex Planted+ light.
New Stock:
2 Guppies (space to keep fry, Had more then one female but she didn't make it)
3 Otos
1 Nerite snail
6 Cherry Shrimp (one was found still alive after betta was removed, Born in tank couple month back. Was quite the suprise)
MTS

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