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Matchstick Brink - 36*22*26

greenink

Member
Joined
2 May 2011
Messages
944
Location
London
After 19 months, I've decided to close down The Transparent Tank, my first ever aquascape attempt. Thanks so much to everyone here who helped me go from total novice to roughly knowing what I'm doing, and taught me a lot of biology, chemistry and aesthetics along the way.

But all is not lost. It's being replaced by a new ADA Mini-M that can move house with me later this year. And hopefully I'll be able to actually get in the top without serious hassle!

So let's get on with it. If you prefer following on flickr, the link to the set is here: Matchstick Brink - a set on Flickr

Hardscape: mini landscape rock (from the old tank, soaked in bleach for 48 hours and then dechlorinated)
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And 1-3mm fine grain molar clay (again from the old tank, but originally ordered here).
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Filter: Eheim pro3 2075, 600lph, giving 30* flow. Am going to try using relatively low movement but huge turnover in this tank to start with, as it's so small.

CO2: inline injection direct to filter.

Plants: Heminathus Cuba, Eleocharis Parvula, Elatine Hydropiper, all from my 280l big tank.

Ferts: Osmocote under inert molar clay substrate. Lean dosing (possibly!) with standard EI mix, depending on how much the substrate takes up nutrients from the Osmocote. The odd bit of home made Excel using gluteraldehyde when needed.

Lighting: Starting out with one Grobeam 500 (currently sent back to TMC as one of the five LEDs has broken after about a year). Might supplement this with a couple of T5s I have lying around, or even get a mini TMC tile.

Set-up: dry start method, sprayed with water from the big tank. Have never tried this before, and can take my time with this so am hopeful. Had a glass cover that exactly fits the top made at a local glaziers for about £5, along with a standard ADA-style cover glass which cost £3. Just pop it on the top and away you go!

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And 'matchstick brink' because it's going to be a tiny mountain, with a big cliff...
 
Had a bit of a play around with hardscape using some spare substrate. Here were my initial ideas.

One
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Two
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Three - quite liked this one
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Four - to be honest just knocked the rocks over as I shifted the tank a bit
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Five - then realised just a weak homage to this tank by James
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Six
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Seven - my preferred option
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What do people think?
 
Number 1 stands out for me also :)
Great set up


Sent from my mobile telecommunications device
 
#3 and #7 are my favourites - think they are well balanced.


Posted from the comfort of my iPhone...
 
7 for me I like the dramatic feel it gives
 
I like 4 where you knocked the rock over. I can picture it planted each side and drawing your eye through the gully.:)
 
Thanks, really helpful. Going with the consensus on 7, and will bank ideas 1, 3 and 4 for future layouts. Now to replicate and maybe improve that using finer substrate and get the thing planted up...

This is going to be picture heavy. Hope that’s ok!

A nice clean ADA Mini M tank on the kitchen table.
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A bit of slow-release fertiliser to give long term sustenance.
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And in goes a pile of wet substrate
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A nice incline front to back to give an illusion of depth, and side to side to give a bit more interest.
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And in go the stones.
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And the final stone added for a bit of depth pull to the back, to provide some tension to an otherwise too smooth incline
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A bit of finer, sieved powder to go on top to help the HC from lifting
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And done!
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Really simple planting scheme. Hemianthus at the front, Eleocharis at the back, Elatine on the right. So much easier to plant with an empty tank – haven’t done a proper ‘strip down and replant’ ever, or set up a new tank for a long time since I really knew what I was doing, so have always been poking about in murky water.

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Nice new DoAqua! 30cm pincettes were a joy to use, and a bit of misting the surface meant it was pretty straightforward. Have gone pretty light on the planting to see what happens with a dry start.

Here’s a top view where you can see the simple planting scheme more easily.

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A ¾ shot which gives a better sense of perspective.

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And shots from the sides and back to show substrate angle. Hoping with a dry start in this tiny tank that the plants will root in the slope and bind it together, so won’t slip that much. Could well be proved wrong though!

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From the back you can see the substrate pretty clearly, with the finer layer of sieved clay at the top. A poor man’s ADA powder, and just as good.

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Have never done a dry start before, so am guessing it’s just regular misting with EI dosed aquarium water from my other tank. Is underneath a skylight until the Grobeam is back from TMC, which will take 10 days or so I’d imagine.

Fingers crossed, and any tips on dry starts really appreciated!
 
Is it eletaine hydropier on the right or micranthemum Monte Carlo ?


Think they're the same plant.

It's all done now. Misting up nicely. No idea how you're supposed to see what's going on. Loving the nice clean 'lid' though. Something hugely satisfying about it.

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I never did a dry start myself, but seeing everybody seems to get in troubles with these sloped tanks (to much water in lower area and to little in higer parts), and seeing those small tanks are quite strong for their size, i've advised people to try to change the angle the tank is sitting on, so the substrate is almost level. The tank should be able to take that easily, and it would aid in giving the whole planting surface abiout the same level of humidity far easier. (Just my thoughts)
 
Looks great so far. the sealed in effect is pretty neat with the lid
 
looks great mate love the ada mini m tanks they are great looking Nanos love the plant selection and will be watching this one

Dean
 
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