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Sergio Veterano´s
33 Liter
Planted Aquarium
(Portugal)
Setup: October 2003.
Tank: Aquapor 53x26x34 cm.
Volume: 33 liters (nominal).
Substrate: 12 kg, first layer common gravel 4-6 mm, second layer terralit, third layer fine sand.
Water: pH 6, Temperature 29°C (even with no heater the temperature rises a lot, in the future I intend to install a fan to lower the temperature).
Filtration: Internal 50 L/h with microporous sponge and ceramic cylinders + circulation pump 100 L/h.
Lighting: 2x15 W daylight + 1x11 W + 1x9 W, 10 hours/day. The first to turn on is the left one (11 W), one hour later the rest turns on, eight hours later only the 9 W remains on and one hour later it turns off. I intend to recreate the Solar rotation. The sundown effect is magnificent. The tone of the 9 W is a warm white that falls on the leaves.
Fertilization: DIY CO2 injection, 750 ml bottle. 1 ml Seachem Flourish 2x a week.
Flora: Anubias barteri var. nana, Eleocharis vivipara, Glossostigma elatinoides, Lilaeopsis novae-zealandiae.
Decoration: volcanic rock, petrified wood.
Comments: this tank cycled for about 2 months, only with gravel and decoration. When I bought the lighting it was too weak for what I had in mind, so I opted to build a hood with respective lighting. The spotlights were a later idea, but it was good because they're directable and I can make the light fall upon whatever I want. The Anubias, despite being the smallest of their species, stand out with their large leaves. They're attached to rocks with cotton string. I especially like the contrast between the deep green of the Anubias and the bright green of the Glosso. The Eleocharis create shelters and help hide the equipment. Despite the small tank, these are barely visible. The wood, as well as the Lilaeopsis, break the monotony of the Glosso. The pump has the objective of circulating water to create a stronger current, the idea is to avoid stagnant water and the appearance of algae. The ripples also create very pretty light effects.
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