Hi there. This is a journal for a tank that was an idle daydream, until I clicked order on the new Dennerle Scaper's Tank from Hobby Shrimp and dropped myself right in it, so to speak! It's a posh tank by my standards, hence the title.
I quickly emailed Ed at Freshwater Shrimp and went to pick up some wood and rock (they are, dangerously, just around the corner from my house). I chose several small bits of Manzanita and some Seiru that was Ed's personal collection, which he offered me when he saw the greedy look in my eye (thanks and apologies Ed).
The tank came the next day. Great service!
This is going to be an experiment with low-tech/semi-low-tech methods. To begin the experimentation I built up the substrate with polystyrene. That's some Bonsai clay and Green Machine Wabi Kusa clay scattered around it.
Topped with John Innes Seedling Compost. Looks thick, but is really only an inch or so because of the polystyrene (though I did remove some of it). There's also a scattering of ADA Amazonia powder left over from my 30cm high tech: Seven Moss Cube, and a little bit of Sphagnum moss that was also mouldering in a bag out in the shed.
I tried hot-glue to fix the Manzanita to the rocks, but it didn't work too well. Went with black silicone instead. I hope I've done it effectively enough. We'll see when I fill it!
The Amazonia was not quite enough covering, so I quickly got some work done, (working from home + tanks = massive procrastination!) and then tubed into town to pick up some gravel from the ADC on Great Portland St. Came home with Dennerle black quartz powder, and a bag full of plants.
I individually superglued a few tiny strands of Java moss to the wood, and a tiny bit of Christmas moss onto the rocks. These were cuttings from the 30cm.
Going to try to get some mulm today from the external filter on my 30cm, to get bacteria started in this tank. The little internal filter you see here is a stop-gap until I get something more substantial.
Oh yeah, the main challenge with this tank is going to be light. Keeping it down that is, as it's going to be using mostly natural light from a south-ish facing window. The window is blocked by the house next door so doesn't get more than a couple of hrs direct sunlight, but still it's going to be interesting. Hoping to use a more elegant backing than a couple of bits of printer paper, and lots of floating plants, and maybe emergent plants too.
I quickly emailed Ed at Freshwater Shrimp and went to pick up some wood and rock (they are, dangerously, just around the corner from my house). I chose several small bits of Manzanita and some Seiru that was Ed's personal collection, which he offered me when he saw the greedy look in my eye (thanks and apologies Ed).
The tank came the next day. Great service!
This is going to be an experiment with low-tech/semi-low-tech methods. To begin the experimentation I built up the substrate with polystyrene. That's some Bonsai clay and Green Machine Wabi Kusa clay scattered around it.
Topped with John Innes Seedling Compost. Looks thick, but is really only an inch or so because of the polystyrene (though I did remove some of it). There's also a scattering of ADA Amazonia powder left over from my 30cm high tech: Seven Moss Cube, and a little bit of Sphagnum moss that was also mouldering in a bag out in the shed.
I tried hot-glue to fix the Manzanita to the rocks, but it didn't work too well. Went with black silicone instead. I hope I've done it effectively enough. We'll see when I fill it!
The Amazonia was not quite enough covering, so I quickly got some work done, (working from home + tanks = massive procrastination!) and then tubed into town to pick up some gravel from the ADC on Great Portland St. Came home with Dennerle black quartz powder, and a bag full of plants.
I individually superglued a few tiny strands of Java moss to the wood, and a tiny bit of Christmas moss onto the rocks. These were cuttings from the 30cm.
Going to try to get some mulm today from the external filter on my 30cm, to get bacteria started in this tank. The little internal filter you see here is a stop-gap until I get something more substantial.
Oh yeah, the main challenge with this tank is going to be light. Keeping it down that is, as it's going to be using mostly natural light from a south-ish facing window. The window is blocked by the house next door so doesn't get more than a couple of hrs direct sunlight, but still it's going to be interesting. Hoping to use a more elegant backing than a couple of bits of printer paper, and lots of floating plants, and maybe emergent plants too.