# Alicia's pea puffer tank project! (Fluval Edge 12G)



## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

Finally, We ( I, Chantal and Alicia) have decided to get a pea puffer tank as per BCA members' suggestion/advice! we would like to have low tech planted tank without CO2

We got an used Fluval Edge 12G tank from a BCA memeber(fish n chip), eco complete substrate and nice plants from tazzy toon 

















Day 1 (yesterday)

cleaning tank was bit challenging as there was some used Aquasoil in the tank and narrow opening. After we put eco complete and some rocks, we put the water in.. Can you see our beautiful rocks?? lol









There goes day 1


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

day 2

Water is clean after 24 hrs of filter running.. still some Aquasoil dusts on rocks but not so bad.









I put some java moss on rocks and added nice looking plants (tazzy toon, what is the name of plants? lol)

I'm not happy about the setup yet... I will add some kind of low tech grass plants (like crypt parava) in the tank..

Hopefully, tank will be cycled sooner as i'm cycling with the used filter media and used substrate.

any suggestion/advice on the aquascaping? I'm horrible on aquascaping...


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## Foxtail (Mar 14, 2012)

Hi David, tank looks awesome. If you are using used filter media you need to have some fish in there to feed the live bacteria with waste. Otherwise the bacteria will die.

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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

ok thanks hector. I will put guppies in!


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## Tazzy_toon (Jul 25, 2011)

looking good, i believe the plants are called Sunset Hygro. I wasn't told the name from the person who i got them from, but here is a link i found that fits the description. 
Sunset Hygro - Hygrophila polysperma 'Rosanervig'


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## Steve (Mar 27, 2013)

Look into getting some floating moss or something that the puffers can hide in!  How many are you planning on putting in there?


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

Thanks Tazzytoon!  

@steve, I'm thinking of maybe 2-3.. Aquarium west has crazy sale on them 3/$9! I think 2 will be the max though.. what kind of floating moss you think will work?? gotta look into this  


I put 3 guppies in there water is ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 5.. too early to say water is ready for pea puffer..


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

If you don't see reddish veins it's not the sunset variation, just the standard hygrophila polysperma. The sunset version seems to creep better so that would be appropriate for a smaller tank. Polysperma is quite weedy and tends to grow upwards. However, it is easy to keep.

I suggest a couple smaller plants that tend to stay lower or grow slower. Small Java ferns, Anubias, orCryptocornes to fill out the midground to foreground. You can use some plants that tend to creep upwards slowly such as pennywort as background plants.
Moss that floats more than sinks are java moss, Taiwan moss, and willow moss - the latter will adhere more to rocks and wood. The other two take longer to 'stick' to something.

Scaping - put plants around your hardscape and in bunches 
Go for taller plants on one side, lower ones on the other. Envision a slope in plant height. You can try 2 slopes. Or a bump in the middle. The last method you usually want to use a really good looking 'centerpiece' plant. IMHO, with that shape of tank I'd use the centerpiece method.
Cyperus helfri or another grassy style plant will add some nice vertical lines to your scape.


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## Tazzy_toon (Jul 25, 2011)

It does indeed have reddish leaves and veins with proper lighting.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

That's awesome then, keep trimming the tops of that plant. It will train it to send side shoots rather than upwards, keeping it more compact for a smaller tank. 
Probably don't want to keep pennywort if you already have hygro sunset.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Kinda hard to tell if they are using CO2. Probably are since I think the red plant is Rotala Macrandra. But you can see they've got some Hygros in the back of the tank. A couple different types of Anubias in the front. Just for ideas.


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## Tazzy_toon (Jul 25, 2011)

I'm not 100% on the sunset hygros, but if you look at the pic here, you can see some red that i trimmed off the top and put in a smaller tank. 









Once my tank is more healthy, I can also give you some regular Java fern and/or Narrow leaf Java Fern. If you want something smaller for the front. Plus Jungle Vals, but they might be a bit tall for your 12g.


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## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

You tank is looking good. It's kinda making me want to redo mine now!


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## TomC (Apr 21, 2010)

I have some java moss you can have free. Pickup in Cloverdale.


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

wow that is beautiful tank reckon! yeah my plan now is to move tall plants( sunset hygro (?)) to the back and plant crypt parava at the front and centre.. waiting for crypt parava... as for mosses.. I took out some java moss from my shrimp tank and stuck them on the rock.. the left rock... 

@shift.. your tank looks awesome.. I was going to do tree thing that you have.. could not find the proper driftwood for it..


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Whoa. Haha. That's not my tank. Forgot to add the disclaimer. Mine wouldn't be that algae free.


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

lol still that tank looks great!  speaking of algae, I will perhaps add 3 otto in future ( after tank is matured) in this tank. I heard that otto is the only fish that pea puffer won't attack. I just can't wait till I get some grass plants


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

Day 3 no action other than adding guppies.

Day 4

I moved plants to the back of the tank. I used tazzy toon's method. I put 3-4 stems together using elastic bands and put them in.
I have hard time anchoring them into the substrate.. I don't know if this is eco complete thing or I'm just not good at it lol









I will add some slow growing plant at the front on this weekend ( that's if i can get them on time)

I just put small amount of java moss from my shrimp tank on the rock. do you think I used too small amount of java moss?









@Tomc, thank you very much for your offer!  I will definitely pm you if I decide to add more 

overall, I'm not still 100% happy about the setting but it is still in progress so I guess I have to be more patient


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## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

With Eco complete you need to use tweezers and jab the stems deep into the substrate then the plants should stay put


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

Thanks shift! better check out at the dollar store or my work lol


shift said:


> With Eco complete you need to use tweezers and jab the stems deep into the substrate then the plants should stay put


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

Day 5

water test done.. ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 10... I think it is still too early to say tank is cycled.... or is it? as soon as Alicia read water test( we do water test together), she wanted to get pea puffers right away.. lol

I got the tweezer and replanted them works great! once again thanks shift! 
Hopefully, I can pick up crypt parava on saturday!


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

Day 6 water change measured water parameters before water change ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 10

Day 7 Finally, I got crypt parava and driftwood from pat( canadian aquatics)! soaked the driftwood in water and put plants in 90G tank for plecos to clean them.

Day 8 plecos did great job on cleaning crypt leaves. Attached flame moss to the driftwood.









I don't know how the driftwood will turn out to be but I will pray hard that it will be cool looking tree. I had so much hard time to put plants in eco-complete WITH a tweezer! I also tried without the tweezer but still same result! I'm just not good at this...  Maybe I should have got aquasoil or fluval substrate agrrrr! At least, they are anchored now and hopefully they all will be ok..

overall, I feel good about the setting but still not 100% happy yet. i guess i will have to wait for them to grow...


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## Tazzy_toon (Jul 25, 2011)

Looking good. And don't feel bad, i always have trouble getting my plants in the eco complete as well, that's why the ridiculous rubber band to anchor it. (not very professional i know) Normal tweezers don't help either. Chopped sticks works for me sometimes, but i am horrible with them at the best of time. lol I think you are doing great and any puffer will be happy to live in it.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

I've used all the popular substrates except for fluval, they all do the same thing in letting out the plants. There's sort of a trick to putting them in the sand. What I do is push the plant in straight down and then push the stem forward a bit, that seems to make sure the substrate surrounds the stem. Then carefully pull the tweezers away from the stem. There must be a youtube video or something that can help teach you.


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

thanks guys! I will look into youtube but I hope I don't have to do it for a while..  I will have to be careful on the next water change.


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## Durogity (Jun 10, 2013)

Lookin' good, I'm liking it


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

Day 9. With my wife saying " we should move the tank to our kitchen! it really looks good now", I moved the tank to the kitchen... It was hard work.. (draining water, moving them all, setting up the tank again, putting plants AGAIN).

I filled up the water and it really looks good now 









thanks Jason(durogity)!  I start liking it a lot now


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## Foxtail (Mar 14, 2012)

Looking good David... I'm jealous 

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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Very attractive set up!


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

Thanks hector and chris! Alicia is now crying for pea puffer! I'm going to wait a little to make sure the setup is perfect for them!


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## Durogity (Jun 10, 2013)

Agree with the wife, looks good in your kitchen lol


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## Tazzy_toon (Jul 25, 2011)

Those puffers are going to be super happy!


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

day 10

tested water PH 7.2 ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 5 GH 3 KH 2. put some GH booster (african cichlid conditioner) thanks steve and effox(chris).

day 11 this white stuff was all over the driftwood!









freaked out and researched it. turned out it is very common, harmless and temporary. kinda cool and annoying at the same time

I gave in and told Alicia that we will get pea puffers on this Saturday.. I think water parameter is ok. been stable for a week.


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## nigerian prince (Mar 8, 2013)

the slime on the wood is annoying, and ugly and will test your patience, i eventually just took it off with my hand in the water change bucket and its never come back


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## Tazzy_toon (Jul 25, 2011)

very exciting!!! Best of luck in getting some peacefullish ones. Make sure you have some nice snails handy!


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## Foxtail (Mar 14, 2012)

Get an oto cat or a BNP... 2 days and the slime will be gone.

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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

day 14

We finally got 3 puffers from aquarium west and 4 ottos(as per foxtail's suggestion) from charles! 















I tried my best to sex them before I picked them up but I'm not sure I got it right( I'm terrible sexing fishes lol).

they ignore ottos. ottos are scared and spend most time at the one corner. hopefully, they will eat the white slime stuff.

Unlike other puffers, mine ate frozen bloodworms! good news! I fed them using a tweezer. I picked bunch of bloodworms and wiggled them in the water until puffers saw them then I let worms go. because of water current, bloodworms looked like they were alive. I think that's why puffers were onto them like crazy. very fun to do this.. one puffer actually picked the worms from the tweezer!


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## Tazzy_toon (Jul 25, 2011)

That's awesome! I don't use the tweezers, but I usually pinch it at the top until they notice it and then drop it in. took them awhile t recognize it as food and they seem to prefer brine shrimp, but 1 of my 3 still prefers live food and is half the size of the others, she was also the best at eating the live mosquito larva, that i put in the tank, the other 2 chased them, but once they where out of site gave up, but not that one, she kept searching. They are quite the adventure, I still love to watch them, but think i need another female because i'm sure i have 2 males and one female. I bet Alicia (and family) is happy. You guys have done a great job.


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

thanks tazzy toon  I have to watch them closely for few days as ottos are there. I will put them in shrimp tank or 90G if puffers attack them


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

Ottos are not eating the white stuff and swimming all over the tank.. I think they are stressed and I'm gonna have to move them to 90G or shrimp tank..


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## Tazzy_toon (Jul 25, 2011)

have you tried just gently using a toothbrush? Oto's didn't eat it on my tank either, nor did the bnp. When i had Otos they where quite active lil fellows and where often frolicking all over the place.


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