NeilW's 30cm Iwagumi - 'Mono'

[viktorlantos]

On the Otto i bet if you use some toothbrush on the silicone edges and remove the algae they will find a different place to hang on Good capture by the way.

 

[NeilW]

On the Otto i bet if you use some toothbrush on the silicone edges and remove the algae they will find a different place to hang on Good capture by the way.

Cheers for the tip, I'll try and find a toothbrush and give it a go mate I had to be quick for that photo!

I'm interested in giving the tank a good clean all round when I rescape so I think I'll get in with the toothbrush then.

 

[NeilW]

Thought I would update this with what I'm up to and my current thinking.

The tank has suffered due to a mega busy uni third year with surface scum and moss lifting. Today I had a big sort out and a rethink. The plan is to ditch the 'ideal' of going low tech and dose 0.8ml EasyCarbo and 0.3mls TPN+ daily. I'll see how the plants respond to this and if I still get algae/surface scum as a result of the rubbish flow from the big rock then I'll try and purchase one of the new TMC LED fixtures off their Microhabitat to lower the light. Last time the staghorn started when the inlet and outlet were in the old position, so I'm hoping that I'll be in a better place to begin with. I'm determined to make this 'scape work!

This is how the tank looks now. I've now completely removed the partially dying moss and meticulously sorted out the the good bits for my new Mini 'S'. The anubias has been moved slightly nearer the rock to help improve the flow around it. My new idea is to almost exclusively use various lengths of hairgrass similar to the ADA tank on the previous page, so I've moved the existing dwarf variety to the foreground. So I'll be keeping the anubias, ditching the crypts and buying a couple of pots of both parvula and acicularis. Sound like a plan?

Cheers,
Neil

 

[viktorlantos]

The tank has suffered due to a mega busy uni third year with surface scum

I know some people hate this, but next time try to use an airpump for the nights. when CO2 goes off, turn on aeration. Turn that off when the CO2 comes back with a timer. Not only helps the scum, but fishes and shrimps will love the extra aeration.

would not like ot open up another discussion on plant health / CO2 / fert / surface scum topic here, just a tip to try. If you do not like the result it was not a big investment.

 

[Garuf]

No Viktor, you speak the truth, I was reading that High lord Barr is using wet and dry filters these days for that exact reason!

 

[NeilW]

The tank has suffered due to a mega busy uni third year with surface scum

I know some people hate this, but next time try to use an airpump for the nights. when CO2 goes off, turn on aeration. Turn that off when the CO2 comes back with a timer. Not only helps the scum, but fishes and shrimps will love the extra aeration.

Thanks for the great tip mate . Funny thing is that I don't run CO2, only liquid carbon so nothing mega. I think that last time my balance was off between lighting, flow and plant demands. Hopefully I've fixed the flow issue by moving the inlet and outlet pipe and I will address the plant demands better by regularly dosing. Cheers again for the input though, I may well give the air pump a go if everything goes wrong again.

No Viktor, you speak the truth, I was reading that High lord Barr is using wet and dry filters these days for that exact reason!

Always interesting to read this sort of thing as it goes to show that a lot of what is 'right' is what people find through tinkering and experimenting with their own specific tanks to find out a solution.

 

[NeilW]

Hello everyone

I havn't been on the forum in while due to uni and moving house. On the plus side I've managed to get rid of any traces of algae in the tank with regular liquid carbon dosing at 0.8mls daily, regular water changes and better circulation with a temporary hang on filter. Also been dosing some Phyton Git and Green Gain ADA voodoo. The shrimp seem to be enjoying the change in tap water and are more active. Future plans are to DIY-up an acrylic spray bar so I can ditch the Liberty HOB and also get hold of more pots of hairgrass to fill it out.

a quick snap of the tank currently;

and this is a dodgy mock-up of what I want it to be like with concave grass planting;

cheers for looking,
Neil

 

[nayr88]

Hey Neil, liking the ideas mate. The spray bar is a must! That hob inlet makes me sick in my mouth a little ha ha

I like the HG plan, I know you can't do it in paint but the anubas would look better moved forward a little, say to underneath the (very nice looking) shrimp on the main rock......or in my tank

I'm not to keen on the tall hg were the hob inlet is, the only way I could see it 'working' would be if it went across the back on the tank at that height behind the smaller rock, and then say something like P.helferi around the front of the rock and going down along behind the sloping rock that goes into the gravel....

Not a negative comment btw,I loved you previous planting of this scape and sure it'll be a cracker once again.

Good luck buddy

 

[NeilW]

Hey Neil, liking the ideas mate. The spray bar is a must! That hob inlet makes me sick in my mouth a little ha ha

I agree it looks rank, my main issue is you cant view the tank from the side either. As a plus though it will be pre-cycled for my Mini-S. If I get the spray bar sorted before I set up the Mini-S I'll squash the sponge from the HOB into my external to keep it going.

I like the HG plan, I know you can't do it in paint but the anubas would look better moved forward a little

I agree, I was going to move it forward but its got a habit of uprooting itself at the moment so its ended up being moved a bit. I'll fix it at some point

I'm not to keen on the tall hg were the hob inlet is, the only way I could see it 'working' would be if it went across the back on the tank at that height behind the smaller rock, and then say something like P.helferi around the front of the rock and going down along behind the sloping rock that goes into the gravel....

I think I'll try it concave but the shaping of it will be more subtle and less severe, also I don't think I'll have it the same height as the left side. See how we go and if it looks odd i can always give it a haircut

Not a negative comment btw,I loved you previous planting of this scape and sure it'll be a cracker once again.

No worries, constructive criticism is always well received The plan for this one is a tank thats sustainable and not going to cause me a headache like before! It's a great learning curve to keep persevering with the same 'scape and also works with Amano's idea of keeping the rockwork and just changing the planting. Cheers again

 

[Tom]

Is this scape still going Neil?

 

[NeilW]

Is this scape still going Neil?

Surprisingly it is! However its looking rather bare and unloved recently due to a lack of time, although not completely neglected as I have been keeping it clean and tidy. I added another rock in the foreground a few weeks back to prevent the soil slipping forward from the lack of roots but it was nothing noteworthy so I didn't do a write up. The next plan when I get the time is to DIY an acrylic spray bar so I can ditch the HOB thats making up the flow and of course add more plants!

This is its current state;

Any suggestions welcome for planting.

Cheers for looking though mate

 

[Tom]

Ahh, that rock makes a huge difference, I like it!

 

[Garuf]

Still the nicest nano out there. I know this might be seen as slander, but why not ditch the out take for a standard ehiem one for a while and see if it helps? While testing flow rates on my own filer I found I could claw back between 50-70lph extra by simply changing to the stock tubes.

 

[NeilW]

Ahh, that rock makes a huge difference, I like it!

Cheers, I'm glad you think so as it was a bit of a risk. Seems its balanced the whole tank out now though

Still the nicest nano out there. I know this might be seen as slander, but why not ditch the out take for a standard ehiem one for a while and see if it helps? While testing flow rates on my own filer I found I could claw back between 50-70lph extra by simply changing to the stock tubes.

Thanks very much mate I havn't had time to check the forum in a while but I reckon Tom's ADA nano is a stunner, the plantings spot on so I'll take some inspiration!

Surprisingly I havn't tried just switching to the stock pipe so I may just give it a go! I know I've got issues with that lily straight away as its not right for the standard tubing so its reduced down. Maybe if the stock crook pipe works then I could try just a larger glass lily thats more appropriate for the tubing instead of going to the hassle of DIYing

Another reason behind neglecting my own tank was having to deal with the algae infested eye-sore that was my dads kitchen nano. Worked a bit of budget low tech magic on it to stop it annoying me when I walked past it so this is what it looks like now;

certainly not a looker but at least it doesn't burn my eyes now

Cheers again

 

[DavidC]

I love your tank. Simple yet effective (although getting it to look that way is far from simple)

 

[NeilW]

I love your tank. Simple yet effective (although getting it to look that way is far from simple)

Thanks very much David

At the time I was reading a lot of stuff on general japanese aesthetics and rock gardens, so I think thats what inspired a lot of the 'complexity' in simpleness if that makes sense?

Just about to read the book 'White' by Kenya Hara which is meant to be a more heavy weight design classic on the concept and meaning of 'white' (or 'negative space') in Japanese culture.

 

[NeilW]

On Garufs advice I swapped the lily to the stock Eheim shepherd's crook and I'll see how we go;

The original Do!Aqua glass pipe was a reduced size as I got it on the cheap, so we'll see how we go with some more unobstructed directional flow. If it does the job I'll get one of these jet type glass ones thats the appropriate size to replace the green plastic.

Thats plan A anyways. If that fails plan B is to DIY a spray bar.

Cheers all,
Neil

 

[ghostsword]

Neil, that is a very strong scape, looks really bold.

Are you adding any emersed plants on top of the rock? Maybe some moss with glosso?

 

[Tom]

Have you noticed any improvement in flow?
You just need some plants in there now

Tom

 

[NeilW]

Neil, that is a very strong scape, looks really bold.

Are you adding any emersed plants on top of the rock? Maybe some moss with glosso?

Thanks mate

It's already got a touch of coral pellia emersed on the rock where it attached itself from a trimming I did months ago but it is ridiculously slow growing.

I may add some moss, but I need to work out a way of attaching it and keeping it wet to begin with so it can adapt?

Have you noticed any improvement in flow?
You just need some plants in there now

Tom

Have noticed a difference in flow, so far so good *touch wood*

In respect to plants I managed to get over to Aquajardin yesterday and pick up some 1-2-Grow dwarf hairgrass;

(sorry about the water marks)

First time I've used the 1-2-Grow pots and the quality is unbelievable, its that healthy and green that it looks almost flourescent, bit of a Frankenstein's lab creation even. I think the tank is too 'bling' at the minute and I need to mix more species in to get the natural look.

Also got hold of some Tropica Xmas moss although I'll hopefully tie that tomorrow

Cheers