Manisha
Member
Seeing all your tanks in situ, you get an idea of the sense of scale you've created in them - amazing!
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Dou's Various Tanks (ADA 60P, Do!Aqua MiniM+Cube, 90x30x36, etc.)
- Thread starter cookie.dou
- Start date
cookie.dou
Member
Some photo updates below. I also re-did the 60P and adjusted the Brio35 a bit which I will post a photo of and talk a bit more about... when I actually take the photos lol.
Female Choco Gourami Vallantis:
Male Choco Gourami Vallantis:
Low-grade Crystal Red
Wild CBS First Generation Male
Wild CBS First Generation Female (my only good photo... and had to crop lots and zoom in lol)
Female Choco Gourami Vallantis:
Male Choco Gourami Vallantis:
Low-grade Crystal Red
Wild CBS First Generation Male
Wild CBS First Generation Female (my only good photo... and had to crop lots and zoom in lol)
Digitalfiend
Member
I joined this forum just to tell you how amazing your aquascapes are. 
I just recently got into the hobby myself and have a Mini M and 60F as well as a 60P and 90P that have yet to be started - I absolutely love what you did with the 60P. Out of curiosity, is the sand in the 60P ADA Colorado sand? What is the colourful green plant in the back left with the small leaves?
Seriously, great job! I'm still in the process of building a solid oak stand for my 60P but that L-shape stand you made is a great idea. I might have to consider doing something like that as it'd let me consolidate all of my tanks. It'd probably make my wife happier too not having tanks throughout the house. ...hmmm
I just recently got into the hobby myself and have a Mini M and 60F as well as a 60P and 90P that have yet to be started - I absolutely love what you did with the 60P. Out of curiosity, is the sand in the 60P ADA Colorado sand? What is the colourful green plant in the back left with the small leaves?Seriously, great job! I'm still in the process of building a solid oak stand for my 60P but that L-shape stand you made is a great idea. I might have to consider doing something like that as it'd let me consolidate all of my tanks. It'd probably make my wife happier too not having tanks throughout the house. ...hmmm
Digitalfiend
Member
I should have read the first post closer - Colorado sand and, I assume, Monte Carlo (looks quite tall for MC!)
cookie.dou
Member
Thank you! And yup - It's Colorado sand - and I love your tank choices =). I wish I could have a 90P as well but my condo rules are 30G max... The MC grows quite bushy so you can do a lot of fun things with it (fake slopes haha). An oak stand sounds absolutely beautiful! It's nice to have everything in one area but all the wires are kind of an issue (and messy). If you do create a larger stand to fit all the tanks - I recommend that you think about where all the wires you will have will eventually go (along with where the outlets are in your home). My planning wasn't great so I don't have as much space as I predicted... and way too many power bars lol =(
Digitalfiend
Member
I really like that custom 90cm tank of yours. Whoever built it did a nice job as it looks pretty clean and the dimensions are sweet! My first aquarium was a custom starfire tank that I never actually used due to starting a family; the dimensions are similar to the Mr. Aqua 20 long, just a bit taller and deeper. It was made by a company in Orangeville and, unfortunately, the caulking isn't the cleanest job but at the time I didn't know any better and had never seen an ADA tank. It's nice but sadly it is still sitting in my basement. My wife is trying to get me to sell it but I've always wanted to do a low-tech/low-maintenance riparium, which it'd probably be perfect for.
Woodworking is my other hobby as I'm a big fan of DIY stuff around the house. I'd like to stain the oak cabinet for the 60P a nice weathered grey. I'm hoping that things turn out as I've never stained anything before and I don't want to mess it up as 1" q/s white oak isn't cheap.
I should probably start taking some pictures and post up a journal of the 60p and stand here. There are some really skilled aquascapers on this forum - it seems like a great place to pick up some ideas and techniques.Oh that Kei stone you have in your 90cm is awesome. I grabbed some a while back from Angel Fins - is that where you got yours?
cookie.dou
Member
I really like that custom 90cm tank of yours. Whoever built it did a nice job as it looks pretty clean and the dimensions are sweet! My first aquarium was a custom starfire tank that I never actually used due to starting a family; the dimensions are similar to the Mr. Aqua 20 long, just a bit taller and deeper. It was made by a company in Orangeville and, unfortunately, the caulking isn't the cleanest job but at the time I didn't know any better and had never seen an ADA tank. It's nice but sadly it is still sitting in my basement. My wife is trying to get me to sell it but I've always wanted to do a low-tech/low-maintenance riparium, which it'd probably be perfect for.
Woodworking is my other hobby as I'm a big fan of DIY stuff around the house. I'd like to stain the oak cabinet for the 60P a nice weathered grey. I'm hoping that things turn out as I've never stained anything before and I don't want to mess it up as 1" q/s white oak isn't cheap.
Oh that Kei stone you have in your 90cm is awesome. I grabbed some a while back from Angel Fins - is that where you got yours?
Oh wow - I just realized that you're in Canada too (feel free to add me on Facebook, Dou Mok)! If you're ever in Vancouver we should totally get together for a coffee/chat and you can come over/take a look at my tanks if you want.
RE: Kei Stones - I did get them from AngelFins - and I think I cleaned them out haha. I think soon enough you're going to set up that tank - I actually wish I could've went larger (I feel like I say this a lot lol)... A riparium is a great idea - but it's not easy to find information online as to what grows super well emersed (with roots underwater) - maybe I'm not looking hard enough... But If you have the space, you should definitely keep it and add it as part of one huge stand x). It seems like you're pretty handy so I'm sure it's going to look beautiful - and yes you should definitely start a journal/take some photos. If you ask, people are always willing to share here (one of the best aspects of UKAPs). I'm always lurking on the way to work and picking up ideas/techniques as well haha.
And finally... an updated photo of the 60P after another rescape...
Thoughts: It looks really messy right now - and to be honest I'm not that happy with it... but I'm more happy with it than I was before. This is with some plants freshly planted (no chance for any new growth). The prior scape was a bit too close to the front wall of the tank and I just didn't feel like it looked quite right. I have a feeling it will look a lot better once everything grows in (especially the top right area, and looking at it again - I think I need to open up the right middle where the wood kind of intersects) - it's kind of like when you have a really bad haircut but after a few months it looks good again - type of feeling haha. Things will be moved around for sure until I'm completely happy.
Edit// Adjusted photo for overexposure...
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Alexander Belchenko
Member
Are nympheas temporary there?
cookie.dou
Member
You mean the tiger lotus right? Sorry I'm not sure about the name. But no... I'm actually hoping it grows super tall and acts as cover and also like underwater vines that the fish can swim in between. I actually turned up the light intensity so now I have to monitor plant growth/algae to make sure I don't cause a huge imbalance.
The goal is to create a very wild like jungle that the fish feel completely safe in yet still look somewhat aquascaped lol.
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cookie.dou
Member
I kinda just did it without caring what they did - but be careful if you have equipment right up close to the walls of the tank as one of my vallantis got spooked and disappeared for a while... only for me to find it stuck between the wall and the prefilter =[... Saved it just in time (it was the female). I noticed without her around, all the males were fighting each other a lot more.
cookie.dou
Member
Finally able to set up my 45P that's been shut down for quite some time as I built my custom stand. I've gotten a lot of new plants that I've never worked with before and testing some new theories about low-tech carpeting and plant growth (this means no CO2, no liquid carbon) - just the use of lights and nutrients. The idea is that I have excess light which will be blocked/used up by the bolbitis in the areas that I don't want it to (while providing plenty for areas which do need it) and adding adequate fertilizers (while limiting algae to the maximum possible). It will be interesting to see how everything grows in - what melts, what doesn't - and if I can actually get a lush DHG carpet without CO2. Once cycled, I'm planning to stock with tangerine tiger shrimp and some sort of peaceful fish that won't eat the babies x).
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Alexander Belchenko
Member
Very interesting colors in your last tank. What kind of light unit you're using?
cookie.dou
Member
The chihiros light - but am trying to save up for some ADA AquaSkys to see the differences!
Alexander Belchenko
Member
I think next year it will be interesting to try rgb lights, e.g. twinstar. Also chihiros announced their own rgb model.
cookie.dou
Member
Ahhh - that's good to know. I haven't done much research into the differences yet but... seeing the photos it definitely looks promising (esp. the ones on Twinstar's FB page).
Wow, nice scapes and great set up all round...definitely taking to the next level
cookie.dou
Member
nice scape! good luck...I hope that you have dimmed the chihiros, beause without any liquid carbon or pressurised co2, you'll get some nice algae growth with that light
Yes it's dimmed for sure haha. Still finding the right balance but essentially I have a ton of melt =[. A friend of mine at a LFS was just telling me about the different reasons for melting - one of which might be extreme temperatures on either end shocking the plants at the cellular level. The latest plants re-routed to an area that was VERY cold before arriving in my tank... which may have contributed to the melt. I will try acclimating it in cold water for a longer time before planting in the future.
