Fluval Edge Iwagumi attempt

[Eboeagles]

I've been quietly working away at my first Iwagumi but scared of sharing pics because I'm still a total newbie and can just about keep the hardy plants alive!

So far my journals tend to not really be journals, more like a couple of posts of scapes with planting! I am however learning fast and understanding a lot more than I was a few months ago so I'm taking the plunge with a month or so grace to check I'm not failing miserably (all the pics are at least a month ago).

I started on March 10th and initially tried UG for a small carpet in the centre (around the Edges good light area) but after initially thinking it was doing well (it seemed to spread and grow) it started melting. This was my third attempt at this plant so I just pulled it out and will try another day.

Specs wise:

Fluval Edge
Fluval Edge Filter
Newattino Plus Heater
ADA Amazonia 2 (only in the central area) capped Argos play sand
Dragon stone
CO2 injection 24 hrs 1 bps (Im currently using my TMC expert set as my the planned FE set up got refused planning permission and is currently on my other tank)
TPN + 1ml every other day.

Flora:
Mainly... Eleocharis Acicularis
3 or 4 stems of Blyxa Japonica
4 pads of Round Pellia (I think)

Obviously due to the constraints of the Edge I have always planned to concentrate the planting in the centre with a lot of space at the front and sides. My main inspiration came from George's Project Scree and I was going to keep it to mainly hair grass but I'm also in the middle of trying some HC I've grown emersed on small lava rocks & a couple of pads of fissidens - Im not sure what I'll keep but at this stage I'm happy to keep trying things until the grass grows in.

So here we are - I've recently chopped the grass hard so it will spread and I have a lot of runners so once this has recovered + I get my new grass (I'm going to cheat and plant more) I'll post up to date pics.

10th March - Hardscape in

Pellila in

Planted & filled

24th March - signs of growth

My favourite angle with the Edge

This is my first time using sand & I have trouble when the filter is on full as it tends to blow it around a bit - in particular creating a hole at the front - but I've fiddled to control this a bit. I know its going to be hard work to maintain but currently I'm up for the challenge.

Im wondering if I should add a black back ground or something or leave it?

Anyway thoughts, comments and advice more than welcome!

 

[pariahrob]

Looks good to me. I'd leave it as is. It doesn't need a background. The Edge works well as is. I've been tempted by one for a little iwagumi myself. Seeing yours makes me want to try it even more.
I think once your plants are bit more established it'll look really nice.

Rob

 

[Ady34]

Hi,
really love the rockwork, looks excellent. The amount of detail from the smaller pieces of dragon stone add to the illusion of looking at something much larger. I actually like the planting quite minimal and would aim to keep it from growing in too much as with the sand it hints at a little oasis in the desert.
Only one critique is that the 2 main rocks tend to focus the eye on the filter intake, if they had been slightly left or right this wouldnt happen. Perhaps in real life this isnt an issue and is exaggerated by the lighting, and of course you view the tank from many other angles.
Its nice to see a photo from above the tank too, as this is one of the unique features of the edge, clear viewing from above.
Great little set up, and id say a cracker of a first Iwagumi.
Cheerio,
Ady.

 

[Eboeagles]

Thanks guys. That makes me happy!

Your right about the filter intake obviously didn't think about it until it was filled and set up properly.

I have been thinking about trying to source a black intake which may help it to blend in. Not sure I can move the rocks without ripping out the whole thing

 

[George Farmer]

Great job!

 

[Ady34]

have been thinking about trying to source a black intake which may help it to blend in. Not sure I can move the rocks without ripping out the whole thing

Hi,
yeah a black intake would disguise it well, it was only a minor thing though so i wouldnt worry and certainly wouldnt try altering the rockwork now. It looks great.
Cheerio,
Ady.

 

[Ian Holdich]

looks great!! Really well done, these tanks are a PITA to scape.

 

[Eboeagles]

Re: Fluval Edge Iwagumi attempt *UPDATE*

Some updated pics from last week:

Before trim and water change. I've been pretty happy with the pace of the hairgrass growth.

After a trip to the amazing living waters I came back with two pads of Riccardia chamedryfolia which I had to add in, so these were initially placed in the front - but since the water change I've moved these inbetween the main rocks as I prefer the space at the front.

I'm wondering about creating a mound at the back and carpeting the Riccardia chamedryfolia - creating a kind of green hill, but I'll leave as is for now and seer how the grass fills in. I'm still thinking the whole scape is a little 'orange' due to the rock and sand but I guess the more the plants grow the less this will be the case.

Comments and advice more than welcome

thanks for looking

phil

 

[Gill]

Great little Edge, great choice of hardscape for the scale of it.

 

[Broomy]

Very nice, love your rockwork. Great bit of inspiration for me, I've had my tank for almost a year now & only starting to really get into aqua scaping. My problem is any time I try something even layout of plants it just doesn't look natural, but yours is brilliantly natural looking so kudos.

 

[Aqua sobriquet]

Very nice job, the hardscaping looks really good.

 

[Eboeagles]

A little update.

I've added some more sand to the back as suggested by someone to add more depth + I've also added in 5 more stems of Blyxa (purchased from JohnC) as I was finding the 4 stems I had it painfully slow to grow and I always envisaged the middle back being a Blyxa forest.

After ridding myself of the small amount of BGA, I was hit by a small amount of BBA on the top of some of the rocks. I've scrubbed the rocks and dosed excel so I'm hoping it wont return. I'm figuring it was down to my fluctuating CO2 injection - I always planned to use my FE but the Mrs wasn't having it as it was on show so I stuck with my TMC set with no solenoid and its been difficult to set it at the right rate (too fiddly) - I should have sorted this by next week a I've collected most of the parts I need for an upgrade.

Anyway on with the show:
FTS

The best Edge shot

Fancy shot

I guess its also about time I introduced some of the inhabitants:

I have two Scarlet Badis which are fast becoming my favourite fish - they each have a little territory and they are forever stalking through the grass like tigers - not to mention the way they swim like little humming birds. Just beautiful...

I then have two blue neon rasbora - I wanted more but the rest in ADC were either not for sale or in quarantine, so I think I'll grab another 3 or 4 when they are ready:

Lastly I have three friendly ottos and what seems like millions of various snails, that have not been introduced purposely. Rather than bring on my assassin from my other tank I'm told snails can help lower the water hardness so I'm leaving them be and hoping to introduce some crystal black shrimp for some contrast.

As always thanks for reading and very interested to hear all your thoughts

 

[tim]

lovely looking edge very hard tanks to scape good job !

 

[grathod]

This is some fluval edge you have there mate, nicely done. I splashed out on one of the bulb version going cheap over Christmas but its been sat there as my first attempt at planting it didn't go as planned. I think mainly due to the original bulbs and spread of light.

Gotta admit George's scree tank has certainly inspired a few of us to rethink and emulate this rock scape.

Couple of quick questions and handy tips you can throw my way please... What bulbs have you used as they are not the original halogen ones me thinks and also where have you managed to hide the co2 diffuser as it is very discreet?

Please let me know as I think I'm going to have another bash at the edge... Thanks

 

[Eboeagles]

Thanks.

Basically the diffuser is low - about the height of the bottom of the inlet pipe and then there is a rock in the way so you cant see it from the front. The tubing (which is black and from Tankscape) comes in by the top of the inlet and is held behind the inlet tube - discreet as you can get it. I only wish the inlet tubing was black then I'd be happy and you wouldn't see anything in the dark.

For bulbs I use these:

http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/u1621cw-with ... -1844.html

They aren't the right size but they just push in. Once pushed though you have to stay with the MR16's - no going back.

I've learnt that you just need to plan well for the Edge, obviously its a pain to get in the corners and clean the glass but I'm used to it now. I've come a long way since first getting it for the Mrs Betta:
http://www.aquascapingworld.com/threads ... post-63991

I must admit I'm totally obsessed and already want to rescape one of my tanks yet again!

 

[tim]

if your interested eboeagles i managed to get my lfs to get me the led light bar from the 46ltr edge to replace my old halogens seems to give a fairly nice light spread

 

[Eboeagles]

ooo I didn't realise the 46 ltr had a better light spread etc! have you got any pics you can show me?

thanks

phil

 

[tim]

i'll try and post a couple in the lighting section have to wait for darkness to get the full effect so will post tomorrow bar for the 46 ltr has twice the leds as the 23 ltr im led to believe love your tank btw puts mine to shame

 

[Eboeagles]

My monthly update on my cheeky day off…

Firstly I need to say the Mrs hates this layout and is pinning for me to go back to a jungle style scape, so I've really been wanting to see some great growth to make it look amazing and keep her off my back. Although the bonus is she's been scrawling through the recent IAPLC top 200 to show me what she likes - so at least she's finally showing some interest!

However the best laid plans and all that as the Blyxa at the back had stalled in growth + I had a small attack of hair algae which I'm pretty sure came in on one of the moss pads that I have already removed. This has all been compounded by inconsistent CO2 over the last month with my solenoid playing up and then my 2kg FE emptying in approx 3 weeks. I'm back to my emergency TMC small bottle and have settled things down and I'm on the look out for a new solenoid.

Due to the Blyxa being a total disappointment after initially looking good I've thinned it out and replanted - I have a feeling I had way too many stems in there and most of them we're only rooted with one small root and close to floating up, so over crowding was also not helping the cause. While doing this I also pulled the rocks out to give them a good scrub and tried to have a bit of a tidy up at the front.

All is back in now albeit it with a slight repositioning of many of the rocks and I've created a path running in between the two central rocks which I quite like and seems to add more depth.

I'm probably going to add a few shrimp to help with the hair algae (which is pretty much under control, but still around) + I think once the plants get back up to scratch the path may bring the scape to life.

As usual comments and suggestions welcomed please!