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ADA Mini M - Iwagumi

GreenBrighty

Seedling
Joined
22 Oct 2011
Messages
11
Ok, I'll make a start with my first journal on ukaps. I've had a few tanks over the last couple of years (nothing really serious), but this will be my first attempt at a proper aquascape.
The last couple of weeks I've been purchasing a Mini M, quite a lot of other ADA goodies and making plans for the layout, and finding inspiration layouts.
Meanwhile, I have also been busy building an ADA style cabinet. I decided to make the cabinet white, because it looks better with the interior of my house (and also a demand by my girlfriend to approve of a tank in the living room :) ).
Here are some pics of the cabinet:
6318030829_8532b10e12.jpg
DYI Aquarium Cabinet by GreenBrighty, on Flickr

and:
6318551548_ca94614a28.jpg
DIY Aquarium Cabinet by GreenBrighty, on Flickr

The specifications of the tank are:
Tank: Ada Mini M (35 x 22 x 26 cm)
Lighting: Ada Solar Mini (27 watt)
Filtration: Eheim Classic 2211 connected to Cal Aqua Labs Influx X1 (inlet) and Cal Aqua Labs Efflux F1 (outlet).
Heating: Hydor ETH 200W
Co2: Colombo Nano CO2 kit, with Do!Aqua CO2 Music Glass Mini (10 mm), ADA CO2 Bubble Counter and ADA Gray Parts Set
Substrate: ADA Power Sand Special S, ADA Aquasoil Amazonia New Amazonia, Penac P, Penac W, Tourmaline BC, Clear Super and Bacter 100
Fertilizers: ADA Green Brighty Step 1, ADA Brighty K

ADA Goodies:
6318551202_d10b775103.jpg
ADA Goodies by GreenBrighty, on Flickr

I have always loved iwagumi layouts, so I am going to try my luck by creating an iwagumi myself. Seiryu stones have arrived last weekend, and currently I'm trying all sorts of different stone arrangements. I must say I find it really hard to create something pleasing... :crazy: I guess I just have to keep trying. :)

For the plants I will probably try to create a carpet of HC and some Echinodorus Tenellus between / behind the rocks.

I will try to post some pictures of the hardscape soon...

Cheers,

Lennart
 
NeilW said:
crackin' start. That cabinet looks awesome in the white decor of your room.
Thanks, I'm quite pleased with the result as well. I've got a bit of a minimalistic interior, so I think an iwagumi layout will go well with that as well.
 
NeilW said:
Maybe something minimal like Georges Iwagumi;
http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f= ... &start=250

or something very vibrant and green to contrast.

Was your gear from The Green Machine?

leonroy said:
Wow, nice setup, that's nearly the same as I just bought! TGM advise you I assume? :thumbup:

Most of the things are bought from the german distributor for ADA, the things that weren't available over there (tank, Penac P and Penac W) are from TGM. It really is a big difference between UK prices and euro prices. I'm from holland and the conversion from pounds to euros doesn't help either. :(
 
viktorlantos said:
Usually ADA reps are not selling stuff for other countries if there's a local representative. This is the reason we also not sell them so you had a luck ;)

Great start by the way looking forward to this setup.

Thanks! I'm not from the UK, but from Holland and over here we don't have any possibility to buy ADA stuff locally. So for me to get ADA stuff, I either have to buy it in the UK or Germany. I'm not aware of other places that ship to Holland. Do you ship to Holland by any chance?
 
Oh I thougth they are sill operating: http://www.ada-holland.nl/ but this makes sense if they aren't. Well i am not here for sale as there are nice sponsors behind the forum so that would not be fair.
But both UK reps and German rep is a good option then.

Whatever you go with i hope you will have lot of fun with the new setup. :)
 
Yesterday evening the plants did arrive, so I created the substrate, hardscape and put the plants in. Here are the pics of creating the substrate and hardscape.

Empty tank:
6331936267_ab8d5185da.jpg

1 spoon of Penac P:
6331936559_57c0038c88.jpg

1 spoon of Penac W:
6331936853_a455088119.jpg

3.5 spoons of Tourmaline BC:
6332688500_dc4e90624e.jpg

1/3 of a 2 liter bag of Power Sand Special S is added to the tank.:
6332688790_f7b478d94a.jpg

Keeping the power sand away from the sides of the tank:
6332689082_08f5c446b4.jpg

1 spoon of Clear super:
6331937997_2042f45049.jpg

1 spoon of Bacter 100:
6331938285_04005a13cd.jpg

Adding Aqua Soil New Amazonia powder type:
6331938537_4969aecbbc.jpg

Finished substrate:
6331938825_75a78626b4.jpg

Hardscape of Seiryu stones:
6332144463_7dec2b3dc8.jpg

Pics with plants will soon follow.
 
Mark Evans said:
Nice presentation.

If I may suggest, closing the stones up a little. :thumbup:

Thanks Mark, good suggestion. I'll see if it's possible to get them any closer, because beneath the substrate they are almost touching each other.

Gary Nelson said:
This is going to look nice - I really like the white cabinet too... I will be watching this progress - well done :thumbup:

Thanks!
 
I have made some pics of the planting process. Unfortunately one of the stones moved a bit when I was filling the tank, which resulted in a (minor) 'landslide' to the front of the tank as you can see. :(

HC on the foreground:
6334277643_93ae59da99.jpg
Hemianthus Callitrichoides by GreenBrighty, on Flickr

Echinodorus Tenellus in the background:
6335031086_6d103d8e50.jpg
Echinodorus Tenellus by GreenBrighty, on Flickr

Directly after filling tank:
6335031384_88b1d03021.jpg
Planting completed by GreenBrighty, on Flickr

And a picture with all the equipment in place:
6334278615_7ca76e565a.jpg
Mini M with equipment by GreenBrighty, on Flickr

The tank is now 1 day old and the water is already clearing. I'll try to make a picture this afternoon, when the lights are on.
 
Hi,

Like the equipment & pictures, what I find disturbing is mentioned earlier V shape of stones, exactly at the center of the tank. Possibly the effect will disappear when plants will grow and fill it out :thumbup:
 
This is definitely one to watch for the future.

I also love your cabinet, maybe you could create a thread on how you made it!
 
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