# 2Gallon Glosso tank setup



## LS1FDRx7 (Mar 6, 2007)

Hey there

I have some what a newbie question regarding small planted aquarium setups. I'm only asking because I've finally received my own office at work and being the fact that I have tanks at home, I just can't go without a tank at work (where I spend 8-12 hours a day). So with that said, I would like to start a 2-3 gallon planted tank that will go on my computer desk.

My desired tank setup would be a whole foreground cover of Glossostigma elatinoides. With a few rocky mountains near the back. Somewhat like this picture from thislink.

I will be using a 40watt bulb, Red Sea Flourite, Red Sea Turbo Co2 Bio System, and a Tetra Whisper 10 filter. I would like to keep 2-5 small fish such as.. neon tetra, black skirt. A small heater would be use to keep the temperature around 74-76 degrees so the fish won't get sick.

Since I'm using such a small tank, 2-3 gallon, is that 40watt bulb an overkill? I just can't image other small planted tank just using 2wpg on a 2gallon tank? Seems weird, just thought I ask.


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## LS1FDRx7 (Mar 6, 2007)

Here's a picture of it at my office desk. Just waiting for the Glosso plants to arrive from Aquariumplants.com
















Feel free to direct me in the right path. If not then I just have to give it a try from my own knowledge and see where it takes me.


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## ryanimpreza (Jul 19, 2006)

looks like it is going to be sweet...I would add some hair grass up in there. I think that would look awsome. keep up posted


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## LS1FDRx7 (Mar 6, 2007)

Thanks, I'm just going to stick to Glosso for now. Try with that first and see how it goes. Would my 40watt bulb be too much for a 2-3 gallon tank?


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## the_skdster (Aug 15, 2006)

Looking good.
Many would say that 40watts on a 3gallon is super-overkill, but then again, what do I know?









*hmm. maybe I should convert my 3gallon betta tank into a planted. sounds like a plan!


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## maknwar (Jul 16, 2007)

cant wait to see it done. sounds like its gonna be sweet.


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## ryanimpreza (Jul 19, 2006)

40 watts...thats 20 wpg...I have never heard that to much light is bad but that is over like skdster said. I have never seen anything above 5 watts per gallon. I would say,,save your money and reduce the lighting to 3-4 watts per gallon.


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## LS1FDRx7 (Mar 6, 2007)

Update, I received my Glosso today and my Co2 Diffuser (Glass blown type) also. I had my Glosso put in with tweezer seperating them apart no more than 1/2 inch apart. It's been 5 hours now with my tank fully running with co2, temp at 76 degrees and light been on for 6 hours. I'm starting to notice " bubble pearls " ontop of my Glosso. Is that a good thing or bad thing? It looks actually pretty awesome.

I looked "Pearls" on other plants off of yahoo by searching, It seems to be a good thing but in my case? Is it?

Thanks!

I'll try to get some pictures, my camera sucks as Flower Mode shot (Micro shot)

I have been reading alot of articles from Tom Barr about water changes and the effect of them on your planted aquarium.

Have you ever done a water change only to find out directly after or shortly after your plants start pearling. Does this maybe only happen when you do water changes in fact.

I'm interested to see what people this is affecting and maybe why it's happening. Tom replies on the subject about the temp time that the plants are exposed to co2 gases in the air, giving the plants.. a jump start and when they are back in the water they are pearling again, meaning accelerated growth.

That's a quote I got off Tom Barr's website.

Can anyone put some inputs on this?

Thanks


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## traumatic (Jan 29, 2003)

IMO wpg is a poor rating scale for how much light a plant actually gets. Also you can throw it out the window when setting up small tanks like that. A 60w bulb on a 20 high will be less bright to a plant in a 20 long when you think about how far the light is a way from the plants. So that just proves that WPG is just silly. You can have 150 wpg and it only cover only 20% of the plants. The plants will allways grow toward the source of light no matter how bright it is. You need light to cover all corners of the tank footprint and be even all around. It's all arbitrary and really means nothing to say "wpg" except to get an idea. Your pic says a thousand words, in your tank you have most of the light in 50% of the tank. I suggest setting your lamp in the middle and shine straight down rather than off to the side pointing toward the middle. That way you get better coverage of light. In a perfect world the light should come from all directions within the dimensions of the tank.


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## Doktordet (Sep 22, 2006)

Planting glossos take up a lot of time and patience, both of which i am short on. lol. I have a few glossos growing in my 40g exodon tank but they're growing in clumps instead of a nice carpet since i planted them that way.

Anyway, glossos need a lot of lighting. so I guess your pretty good in that department. Only thing about your tank:

1. I know its a matter of personal preference, but I would put a black background on that tank, but that's just me.
2. Lose the powerhead. Allow the flow of the HOB filter to take care of water movement.

Again, all i mentioned are personal preferences. Post up some pics.


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## LS1FDRx7 (Mar 6, 2007)

I didn't have much time to observe the tank today while I was at my office. But I did noticed 6-8 snails. I was able to get 6 out and killed them with hot water in a cup. That powerhead you see came with the Co2 Turbo kit from Red Sea, I have already taken it out and replaced it with my Co2 Diffuser that just came. I will get pictures this weekend, Snails are bugging at the moment.


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## LS1FDRx7 (Mar 6, 2007)

This tank has been tear down. I didn't like the Glosso after it started growing upward vertically about 1-2 inches. Some stems were even 3 iches in height. I didn't have time to pay too much attention to it due to the fact that I had to run in and out of town from the office. A little disappointed in myself, I expected more from this plants but it seemed like it's very difficult to make it grow as a carpet effect instead of vertically stems. The glosso are now stored at my house in the backyard in a 10gallon tank. I'm just going to let it grow in my backyard's tank and maybe down the line I might find something to do with it for future tanks.

I'm going to start over after Xmas with a new carpet plant. Right now I'm testing several types of foreground plants in the basement, so we'll see how that goes.

Thanks for all of your help during this process.


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## StryfeMP (Apr 26, 2007)

I believe that this plant needs a lot of light as well as co2 to develop that carpet type effect that you're looking for; a big sign that the glosso isn't getting enough light is it grow up instead of out. Good luck on your future projects.


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## jestergraphics (May 29, 2007)

maybe try hair grass next time, its real fine and spreads nice however just eyeballing mine it looks like it about 1.5-2" tall as well but spreads like wild fire, I also have some dwarf sagitaria that spread the same way but its not as fine as the leaves are larger but that as well fills out nice but also grows 2-3" tall as well... just a couple suggestions for ya.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Any pics yet?
The tank start looks good!


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## LS1FDRx7 (Mar 6, 2007)

Guys, I have found a new interested in a different type of foreground plant (HC Cuba). Since then, I have ditch this "Glosso" tank. It's at home sitting in my basement right now. But here's some pictures of what I meant by it grew vertically 2-3 inchs since I started to plant it. I was sure enough that I provided enough light (8 hours a day) but it seemed like I was wrong. I no longer pay that much attention to it but it does have my guppys inside it just for mating reasons.
















Yep.


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## pirayaman (Nov 3, 2007)

hey whats up with that gravel is it special for plants

looks like rabbit terds hahaha seriously what is it


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## LS1FDRx7 (Mar 6, 2007)

It was called Flourite. I think it was from Red Sea or something. I threw away the bag. Yepp.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

LS1FDRx7 said:


> It was called Flourite. I think it was from Red Sea or something. I threw away the bag. Yepp.


yup flourite! 
I actually as a test used it with sand for my cactus' in their pots. They look good so far its been about 3-4 months.

When will you have pics of the new tank? I look forward to them.


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