Hello folks—this one is my “mostly leftovers” rebuild. I finally pulled the plug on an old no-filter, dirted tank I started years ago. It never got to that “finished product photo” stage, and over time it turned into a scratched-up, algae-covered eyesore that just wasn’t fun to look at. So I swapped it for a cheap 20 tall I’ve had sitting in the garage from the old dollar-per-gallon days, and I built phase one of a bigger idea I’ve been tinkering with. The whole theme here is using what I already had: dragon stone from my aquascaping wall, leftover Fluval Stratum, bits from an Aquacaper kit, saved Anubias, and a ton of Crypt parva (plus some wendtii and other crypts I’m hoping will bounce back). The one new thing I bought was Activ Flora from PetSmart—kind of an “eco-complete / fluorite-ish” texture that’s ridiculously fun to plant in, even if I’m not fully sold on the bioactive claims yet (especially since I’m running a seasoned sponge filter). I also talk through my plan for a future 3D-printed filter enclosure and a centered “pool of light” layout, and I’m aiming to stock this tank with medaka rice fish once everything settles in.