Dan's First Journal - Iwagumi Style - GLA Rimless 36-L 6g Tank Build

[Brian_Nano12g]

I have no experience on that.. I'd ask around TPT or hopefully someone here can chime in on that one..

Its good that you're doing your research and developing a solid substrate plan. I hope to learn from this thread

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Ok guys! 2 new packages today, but I will do the unboxings when I get home- I just had to run and ship out a bunch of plant orders so I wasn't able to upload them right away gotta make one more stop at publix then I will get home!

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Unboxing - January 14, 2013

Mkay just got home. Here are the boxes!

Ohhh a package...feels soft!

Its the white sand for the river! Sorry the rest will be upside down except for the last 2...just go ahead and flip your monitor over already

The next box! Feels heavy!

Its a shopping bag!

But wait theres more!

Its a shopping bag, IN ANOTHER SHOPPING BAG!

*Billy Mays* "But wait theres EVEN MORE!"

Its the Seiryu Stone!

I wasnt sure how I wanted to arrange it, so I tossed in a few peices to see how it looked. This is how I have it. I want to put the b. japonica behind the first long stone in the front there and then just HC the rest. kind of simple.

So...whataya think? I wanted the tree to be the main focal point over the river, so i didnt want to use any larger stones than that...what other formations could I try? Any help and ideas are greatly appreciated!

 

[Billbug68]

Looks really good. Maybe try a larger small stone as the back one? Not too big, because I know you said you wanted them small, but maybe just a tad bigger than the front two. You've got plenty to mess around with. I'm sure you'll find what's most pleasing to your eye.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Yes I agree... One slightly larger one on the LEFT with two smaller ones in front of it. Perhaps add some smaller ones around the DW's base too?

Edit: BTW, nice stones... I might have to order from that guy on Ebay too! What ever rocks you don't use along with that Shrimp FS, since you're getting ADA AS, you can just send that all to me buddy!!! haha

 

[Billbug68]

Also, you have to remember, depending on what you plant, something like HC is going to make those small stones pretty much disappear...

Edit: unless you keep it trimmed low, of course.

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Yes I agree... One slightly larger one on the LEFT with two smaller ones in front of it. Perhaps add some smaller ones around the DW's base too?

Edit: BTW, nice stones... I might have to order from that guy on Ebay too! What ever rocks you don't use along with that Shrimp FS, since you're getting ADA AS, you can just send that all to me buddy!!! haha

Ok so how do you like this look? I like feedback on my scapes I covered up the river for now, but I will fix that later. Yeah he has some nice rocks! I will definitely send you the extra rocks and FS too of you want it

 

[redsea]

Cool! It looks great so far! I will be following this build too. Where did you get the wood and rocks again? Thanks!

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Cool! It looks great so far! I will be following this build too. Where did you get the wood and rocks again? Thanks!

I got both the wood and rocks from eBay. Wood is from the seller:
susquehanna-x-driftwood and the stone from seller: sea77777779. They both have awesome pieces for sale!

 

[aqua_chem]

My only concern with your setup is the very obviously shaded area under the log . I have this picture in my head of a nice lawn of HC in the front with a conspicuous bald patch right in the middle.

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

My only concern with your setup is the very obviously shaded area under the log . I have this picture in my head of a nice lawn of HC in the front with a conspicuous bald patch right in the middle.

Yeah, I thought about that too I was going to try to make the area under that piece of driftwood the area where the river goes once I put the sand in so the HC wouldn't be grown there.

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Maybe I should make a "bank" of sand around the base of the DW to make it like a beachy thing along the river? so i wont have that shadow as aqua_chem was talking about on the HC....

 

[Zimmanski]

Maybe I should make a "bank" of sand around the base of the DW to make it like a beachy thing along the river? so i wont have that shadow as aqua_chem was talking about on the HC....

That would look pretty cool

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Any other ideas/opinions?

 

[Billbug68]

Two lights?

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Two lights?

What do you mean...? Lol I'm confused.

 

[Billbug68]

What do you mean...? Lol I'm confused.

I mean, I really don't see the shadow posing too much of an issue with your current set up yet. Most of it is over where the sand will be anyways, but who knows what it will be once the moss grows.

You might be able to reduce/eliminate the shadow by running two fixtures. Maybe instead of running 1 ray 2, you can run 2 FugeRays. One more toward the front of the tank, and one toward the back or wherever the best placement is to reduce the shadow.

You might even try alternating days with your current fixture. One day have the light toward the front, one day toward the back... I don't know, I'm just trying to come up with a solution...

Also, I know they make little spotlight LEDs, you might be able to find one that will grow plants and mount it opposite of the tree pointing down at the shadow.

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Hmmm. Good idea billbug. I have a question on substrate again- since I will be using AS Amazonia, should I do it all normal sized amazonia, all powder type, or do normal type capped with powder type? Remember I will only be doing HC and B. Japonica in the substrate.

 

[Billbug68]

Hmmm. Good idea billbug. I have a question on substrate again- since I will be using AS Amazonia, should I do it all normal sized amazonia, all powder type, or do normal type capped with powder type? Remember I will only be doing HC and B. Japonica in the substrate.

No experience with that, but I'm almost sure you'd be fine with the standard AS. If you cap with the powder type, it might start mixing in with your sand bed more easily. Have you read it's that benificial for HC to use powder?

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

No experience with that, but I'm almost sure you'd be fine with the standard AS. If you cap with the powder type, it might start mixing in with your sand bed more easily. Have you read it's that benificial for HC to use powder?

Yes I have heard multiple people say that they had trouble keeping the HC down in the substrate, and then once they added the powder type AS on it they didnt have any uprooted and it all grew a lot better in it...but since I would be using DSM to start the tank I guess it wouldnt be an issue...I also just like that "fine sand' look...just wanted to know what would be better for it.