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Island Pico

NeilW

Member
Joined
25 Jun 2009
Messages
1,113
Location
Basingstoke, Hampshire
Just an idea that I'm thinking of giving a go...

img1442i.jpg
 
I was looking at the exact same glassware in TKMAXX the other Day.
The Hob Can Work, If you mod the inlet pipe with some Tubing and then attach the Inlet to the tubing.
I have done this to another HOB and It Works Great,.
I will get some pix for you.
 
Jase said:
You stole my idea for the Emmersed Competition :lol:

Sorry :lol: I saw that bowl in IKEA a while back and I've been itching to start. Not sure what to run with though atm either terrestrial, an 'island', or completely submerged.

Gill said:
I was looking at the exact same glassware in TKMAXX the other Day.
The Hob Can Work, If you mod the inlet pipe with some Tubing and then attach the Inlet to the tubing.
I have done this to another HOB and It Works Great,.
I will get some pix for you.

Sounds good you'll have to show me :thumbup:

SteveUK said:
Great idea Neil :) It's got me thinking about how you could do something with a filter in that setup. Will ponder it and post later if I come up with anything :)

Cheers Steve, any ideas are welcome! I think I may set it up when I get back later and do water changes by hand to start and then I can make a more educated/informed choice from everyone at a later point.
 
Here are some pix.

Cut the Uplift Pipe to where i could suitably push fit the tubing into.
The cut to length, and attach.
This was you can position the Inlet anywhere in the tank, without having to worry about Sucking in Gravel and Sand.

I had used Electricians Black PVC tape to Seal it in the past, but not needed if you haet up the tubing and push fit it.

001-3.jpg

003-2.jpg

004-2.jpg

007.jpg
 
NeilW said:
Jase said:
You stole my idea for the Emmersed Competition :lol:

Sorry :lol: I saw that bowl in IKEA a while back and I've been itching to start. Not sure what to run with though atm either terrestrial, an 'island', or completely submerged.

My thoughts were of doing a bit of both, with the likes of HC coming out of the water being emmerged and submersed. The raised island will give you scope for a range of plants
 
Gill said:
Here are some pix.

Cut the Uplift Pipe to where i could suitably push fit the tubing into.
The cut to length, and attach.
This was you can position the Inlet anywhere in the tank, without having to worry about Sucking in Gravel and Sand.

I had used Electricians Black PVC tape to Seal it in the past, but not needed if you haet up the tubing and push fit it.

Nice one, thanks Gill. Is the height of where the filter sits in relation to the water level still an issue?
Jase said:
My thoughts were of doing a bit of both, with the likes of HC coming out of the water being emmerged and submersed. The raised island will give you scope for a range of plants

Thats a nice idea. I'm still trying to work out how to construct 'the island'. I can think of two ways;

1) Mound of of soil constructed using a mix of Nature Soil with Tropica clay-based base layer to hold its shape in a similar way to a wabi-kusa. Aquatic moss somehow tied around the outside of the submerged part to stop the soil bleeding into the water.

2) Plastic acetate used as a divider, soil mix added in the middle and moss covered stones sloped up to the outside.

Preferably I'd like to give the first one a go as I could get a smoother curve/transition to the 'mound'. Any ideas?
 
NeilW said:
Thats a nice idea. I'm still trying to work out how to construct 'the island'. I can think of two ways;

1) Mound of of soil constructed using a mix of Nature Soil with Tropica clay-based base layer to hold its shape in a similar way to a wabi-kusa. Aquatic moss somehow tied around the outside of the submerged part to stop the soil bleeding into the water.

2) Plastic acetate used as a divider, soil mix added in the middle and moss covered stones sloped up to the outside.

Preferably I'd like to give the first one a go as I could get a smoother curve/transition to the 'mound'. Any ideas?

I think the island needs to be more solid than Naturesoil (like you say, wabi-kusa type balls), possibly sat on or surrounded by a base of rocks to hold the shape. I think you'll need a fair bit of trial and error, especially as you're going for flitration too, consider any potential erroding of the island by the flow.
 
Nice one, thanks Gill. Is the height of where the filter sits in relation to the water level still an issue?

From what I remember, It does not cause an issue.

You Could also use one of the eden 501 externals, or zoomed turtle external.
On the other hand, you could make an Pico External using a Sealeable Sandwich box and a powerhead.
 
for the pump if you wanted to disquise it you could use a key safe (you know them things people put there keys in that look like rocks and leave on the garden)
 
Created the land part tonight;

the 'island' was created using plastic acetate as a divider filled with Nature Soil
img1447w.jpg


collected some local moss earlier
img1450y.jpg


thoroughly washed to remove any soil
img1452us.jpg


chopped to a 'powder' (this can all be done with a blender if you have one). Smells like freshly mown lawn :)
img1453b.jpg


The ingredients (although I only used a splash of beer, can't go to waste ;) )
img1454o.jpg


All ingredients mixed to the consistency of paint using a palette knife. Beware the smelly buttermilk :sick:
img1455q.jpg


Finally the moss 'paste' is applied using a palette knife and paint brush
img1458e.jpg


Currently sat in my windowsill out of direct sunlight. Hopefully I'll it'll start growing!
 
tis true. many years ago, and sometimes still, roofers often poured milk onto roof slates to encourage moss growth to give a more 'weathered' look. and to also stop cats walking on roofs....they don't like walking on the slippery surface after the moss has grown
 
SteveUK said:
Bizzare, yet very cool! I've seen that youghurt/blender technique for encouraging moss on stones before. Hope it works out OK :)

Thanks Steve :D hopefully I'll get some kind of result from it. I have to agree it was a bit odd, more like icing a cake then scaping :lol:

samc said:
this will look great :thumbup:

never heard of mixing the moss with buttermilk o_O where did you hear about that? im interested in how it grow

Cheers Sam, hopefully it'll work out and I can start on the submerged bit.

I was inspired by 'environmental graffiti' and guerilla gardening and all that where you can grow any design you want on walls in moss. Found it through some graphics research a few years ago. Google search 'environmental graffiti recipe' They do all stuff like 'seed bombs' to transform the concrete jungle :lol:

saintly said:
tis true. many years ago, and sometimes still, roofers often poured milk onto roof slates to encourage moss growth to give a more 'weathered' look. and to also stop cats walking on roofs....they don't like walking on the slippery surface after the moss has grown

I think I've seen it used to make stone garden ornaments look 'aged'

saintly said:
this is awesome by the way :thumbup:

Thanks a lot Saintly :D I am always humbled by your mighty scapes!
 
that moss thing is very odd never heard off that before sort of thing you get a special jacket for :lol:


whats that


oh thats just my yogurt moss island XD
 
BAE said:
that moss thing is very odd never heard off that before sort of thing you get a special jacket for :lol:


whats that


oh thats just my yogurt moss island XD

Being on an 'arty' course in uni means I've done worse :lol:
 
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