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Zanguli's NA 90x45x50

zanguli-ya-zamba

zanguli-ya-zamba

Seedling
Joined
6 Oct 2012
Messages
911
Location
Democratic Republic of Congo
So finally here I am starting my journal :D.

A month ago I have received my first Optiwhite tank, a NA tank with the Movel wide cabinet and a SunFluor hanging linght. It took me a while before taking decision to bring such a nice tank to Congo. After talking by mail and phone with NA Portugal (great service), I took the decision to do it. I do not regret one second that I made this choice. The whole set is fantastic, very good quality.
So tank at home, now I needed hardscape, went on the shore of the river down stream of Kinshasa (Kinsuka rapids) where I know that the sand have good grain size and at the same place I have take the stones, that have a very nice texture and color.

Spec:
Tank: NA 90x45x50 cm Optiwhite
Light: NA SunFluor 4X36W 8000 k hanging at 40 CM from water
Filter: Fluval FX5
CO2: Up aqua atomizer FE 5 Kg
Substrate: Congo River sand
Hardscape: Kinsuka stones (Congo River) wood (unknow)

My sister kindly came yesterday with her Camera (Canon 5D° so I can start learning how to take pictures. I didn't had a lot of time because after 30 min power went off, so sorry for that pictures that are not top level like a lot of members pic in this forum. But I will learn slowly how to shot perfectly.

Hera are some shot of the scape, I will plant it tonight or on monday.

Front View

X2GcYfx.jpg

Angle View

el8PDDb.jpg

Side View

cuHaF7E.jpg

Rocks details

2iZcJqJ.jpg


Let Me know what do you think about it, I am open to all critics (that's what make us better in realization).
 
Looking good, could be a real winner once it's planted. Only suggestion would be for you to use some of the coarser/larger sands you have and put the large grained stuff in the back right corner graduating the grain size getting smaller toward the front. I just think this will add more interest and look more natural, this is the way it tends to be in a river, whereas a beach (sea) tends to have a homogeneous mass of the same grain size sand.

Of course you could be planting it for all I know:)
 
Planting :

- Foreground will be planted with HC. I hope that it will cover all the flat part and covering the bottom of the rock barrier. I will do my best this time to succeed with this plant. I tried twice and didn't have good result with it. I have been talking with expert here and they have given me the best advices possible to success with it. Hope that I will aply everything and that it will work. Good flow/distribution down there, water change, pruning etc.... My worries are for the left part of the foreground because outlet will be just on top of it so I hope that distribution will work there. we will see.

Midground (slope): All the slop will be cover with Staurogyne even in between the rock and wood, to have a nice green rocky hill.
The bottom of the top stone will be hide by the small Crypt Petchii (it will help to softening the transition between short stauro and the height of the stone)

Background : Around the top stone and on far left just around the small wood I will be planting different crypts (Mi Oya, Undulata, legrois)
Behind stone and crypt, I will plant a stem, but I don't know which one, I have too much choice in the pond hahaha. Need a help on this please.
See side view, behind that long wood I wanted to plant rotala Macrandra and trim it to keep it short (10 cm max), but I don't know if it will work. I don't really know what I can put there to add a nice effect without adding too much height and so break the hill effect. If you have advices for that place I will be very happy.

I will proceed soon to planting and take pictures.

Thank you very much to follow and for your comments.
Regards
Zanguli
 
Ah and I have forget to say, The wood will be cover by moss that I will trim to keep it short and dense.
The cutting on the top of the long wood will be also cover. The bottom of the middle wood where it bends I will glue 2 anubia nana.
 
hello

those rocks are pretty unique, so this means you will have a unique scape. i wish you could put 1 or 2 bigger stones.

Show us the overall look of the system.

cheers
 
virgojavier said:
Love the rocks! I will keep an eye on this thread.
Regards
Lukasz
Click to expand...
Hi Lukas,
thanks very much, I know these stones for years and I don't know why I have never use it !?
cheers

nanocube said:
Nice aquascape but IMHO put in some nice shape roots.
Thanks
Tom
Click to expand...

Hello Tom,
this the only woods I have, it is quite hard to find good shape wood here. My mother have a huge roots system at home, i will try to convince her to give it to me.
thanks

Reuben said:
Looking good, could be a real winner once it's planted. Only suggestion would be for you to use some of the coarser/larger sands you have and put the large grained stuff in the back right corner graduating the grain size getting smaller toward the front. I just think this will add more interest and look more natural, this is the way it tends to be in a river, whereas a beach (sea) tends to have a homogeneous mass of the same grain size sand.

Of course you could be planting it for all I know:)
Click to expand...
Hi Reuben,
I hope it will be a winer :D.
You are right about the grain size, but the only thing is that the right side is a view side. The door of the house is just on this side so I would prefer uniformity on this side.
Thanks for the advice !!! I will keep that in my mind for a next scape.

regards
 
Hi members,

Friday I have plant the tank :D.
i have plant it according to my plan, I only miss to plant behind the top stone, because i still don't know which stem to put. i am thinking about ludwigia arcuata because it will let flow pass easily through it due to the space shape of that plant. I was also think about rotala green to add a nice green touch up there, but for flow purposes i am not sure.
I have to go back to the pond because i need more staurogyne on slope, I still miss some small spot where I have to add it, like at the bottom of the slop.
The staurogyne around the stones and on the slope have add a really nice effect. It has revel the texture and the color of the stones. Plus flooding the tank have really enhance the stones.
I am sure you all thinking "why he didn't put picture grrr" this is because I was out of town for the week end and cameback sunday night and was sick on monday.
So tonight i will make new pic. But please put in your mind that it still miss the stem plants. and need to grow because a lot of crypt had suffer of melting before putting it in the new tank

I still have to monitor CO2 (Ph reading) to see how it "dissolve" in water. For that I will need a full day at home. But yesterday I had the time to took reading 1,5 hours before lights on Ph was 5,4 and at lights on Ph 5,1 and after 3 hours after lights on Ph 5,1. But I will need to see what is the Ph just before CO2 on.

I am quite surprise how strong is the light, hope it will be ok to start. 2x36 W at 40 cm of the water for 200L (52 G) but this is without sand and stones.
Hope I will have more feedback on the tank.

So guys tomorrow hope you will have new pictures.

best regards
 
Hello,
I had the chance to be at home for a full day, so I have taken some ph reading to see how CO2 is doing in the tank and I am not happy at all.
Tank is growing slowly now 3 weeks... I have done the first trim of the Staurogyne to induce horizontal growth. Some of the crypts are recovering and now are sprouting new leaves.
a big part of the HC have melt (yes I know CO2 reason) but an other part have settle and now srout some new leaves, and it is growing horizontally (good thing).
so here are the Ph reading:

Initial ph (tank water rest over night) : Ph 7,3
11:45 --> PH 5,88 CO2 OFF
12:00 --> PH 5,60 CO2 ON (I don't understand that drop without injecting ?????)
12:35 --> PH 5,33 35 min injection
12:50 --> PH 5,18 50 min injection
13:00 --> PH 5,15 1 h injection
13:15 --> PH 5,08 1h15 m
13:30 --> PH 5,00 1h30 M
13:45 --> PH 4,98 1h45 m
14:00 --> PH 4,95 2h00 m
14:30 --> PH 4,85 2h30 m
15:00 --> PH 4,80 3h00 m LIGHTS ON
16:30 --> PH 4,6
20:00 --> PH 4,3 CO2 OFF

As I wasn't happy of results of the first three hours I didn't really pay attention to the rest of the day. So I clearly have a distribution problem. It takes too much time to drop the ph and that means I will have a high consumption of CO2, like maybe twice what I really need !!!
I don't really know what would be a wise move ? Maybe I can increase the injection rate and reducing injection timing ?! what would be the advice for you guys ??
My sister have give me her Canon 5D so I will finally take pic tonight and post it tomorrow.

thanks members
 
Good evening all,
yesterday I took some pictures of the tank. I am still learning how to take picture with a sophisticated camera lol. I am not very satisfied with the result but the learning curve is very long :snaphappy: .
also working with a software on picture was a first for me, last time my sister workout the pictures for me. This time I tried to do it my self and I mess up with the full tank shot and the side view. I didn't had much time so I will rework the pictures tomorrow, but here are some shot like that you can have an idea of the tank.

Angle view
gkdiOg0.jpg

VdJrSix.jpg

rocks details
H9y3k3K.jpg




I Have decided to change the timing of lighting and CO2, because the CO2 was turning on when I was at work and same for the lights. In this configuration it was impossible to have a good management of CO2 timing and injection.

Since today the CO2 turns on at 06:00 PM and lights at 07:30 PM and injection rate have been increased.
Today I came back home at 6:30 so 30 min after CO2 on so don't have the data for that.

temp: 27C°

06:30 pm --> Ph 6,00
07:30 pm --> Ph 5,31
07:45 pm --> Ph 5,19
09:00 pm --> Ph 5,03
10:00 pm --> Ph 4,84

The tank is growing very slowly, but only 25 days after planting so I can not turn on all the 4 bulbs now still have to wait.
I am a bit sad that only few HC have settled and the rest have died. what would you advice me ? We still have a lot of HC in our pond, should I go and pick some more and give a second shot ?


cheers
 
Edvet said:
Will you stock it with some tetra's from Congo (maybe even selfcaught). I think it could look realy great especially with those stones.?
Click to expand...
Hi Edvet,
Yes I will stock some yellow tetra from Congo river. I think I will wait until January for that. I don't think I will catch it my self, I will ask best fisherman to catch them for me. I know some fisherman who catch ornamental fish for export so I will ask them.

Best regards
 
BigTom said:
That's looking really nice. Good to see some different rock being used, and I like the arrangement.
Click to expand...

Thanks Tom,
I really like the rocks too, and I am happy that I have nice feed back on these rocks !
I can't wait the plants to grow in and feel all the spaces between the stones. But my main regards is about the HC that I have never had success with it !

best regards
 
This tank looks really cool.
Hardscape is flawless. And I tought my hardscape was looking good. Yours is incredible and unique.
Hope you sort the plant problems.
Funny I am portuguese and never heard of NA portugal.
Living the UK for so long leads to this.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk now Free
 
Aquamaniac Fishtanks said:
This tank looks really cool.
Hardscape is flawless. And I tought my hardscape was looking good. Yours is incredible and unique.
Hope you sort the plant problems.
Funny I am portuguese and never heard of NA portugal.
Living the UK for so long leads to this.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk now Free
Click to expand...

Hi
Thanks for your nice word mate.
Yes Natural Aquario is a Portuguese company.

Cheers
 
So here is the FTS. for the Side view I need to take an other shot because the picture I have is not good.

oq4dB4a.jpg

Hope you will like it ! Sorry for the difference in the substrate on the right, but I touch the outflow power of the filter and mess up a bit. I was afraid that if I touch it I will mess up the water and other. so I decided to shoot like this. Sorry for that I know that we like clean pictures.

best regards members
 
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