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opti-mike - new pic

Mrmikey

Mrmikey

Member
Joined
2 Apr 2010
Messages
372
Hi everyone,

Im starting this journal early and will be a on going process over the next few weeks.

So what have i got? At the moment I have a tank made by aquriums ltd. It measures 66cm L x 30cm H x 38cm D. I have some Manzy wood from tom and thats pretty much it.

Im planning on making a moss tank with shrimps, i may add some slow growers just for a bit of texture but am not 100% yet see how the moss gets on first. I want it to be quiet atmospheric and natural looking.

I will be getting some ADA Amazonian II but am unsure weather to have some sort of gravel at the front? I think I will have to place the wood and try and visualize what Im aiming for.

Filtration has got to be good. I want something with a build in heater and a ton of flow and quiet as its in my bedroom. Ive looked at the eheim 2173 but I think it would be a bit underpowered. The new 2178 is a bit expensive so Im hoping they bring out something very soon that fills the gap.

Now co2 or not to co2? I know injecting co2 then takes it into high tech tank but if it help the x moss it may be considered.

I plan on using my superfish 18w light so no luminaries here yet but a o2t 60cm would be great but I doubt i need it for moss.

Ill be using ro water as breeding the shrimps is the main goal, i just want them to have a nice scape to frolic in:)
 
Re: opti-mike

yeah I have a jbl regulator on stand-by, I may rig it up to a FE, I know there's a good tutorial on how to do it so I may take a leap of faith.

I mix my once ferts, I know you have to dose for moss but am going to get some advice on that a bit closer to the time of cycling the tank and filter.

Heres the lay-out of wood i was hoping for, but when i put it in the tank it didnt fit, a little trim got it in there and a bit of bending :)

img3644k.jpg


in the tank, somehow gotta play around to get it like photo above again a bit of trimming may be needed.

img3646.jpg
 
Re: opti-mike

as you can see flow is going to be a nightmare!
 
Re: opti-mike

the last bit went in well, this is what im aiming for with xmas moss all over it. The wood at the front needs some tweeking but u get the idea.

If i could grow a glosso carpet that would be great but it didnt work in my 30l so may use something like flame moss?

img3648f.jpg
 
opti-mike

Cheers, could be challanging couldn't it:( well I'll tie the front bit of wood to the main bit just to secure it if I do knock it, but there is about 3 inches maybe 4 between the wood in the forground and the glass.
 
Re: opti-mike

I like it man, the wood is really interesting and will look crazy coverd in moss, try leave some of the more spindley bits bare, it'll be nice to see some wood :)

Man I dunno what the glossos beef is in your other tank haha. Its got an attitude problem! I havnt seen a flame carpet. Could look good.
 
opti-mike

Yeah I like it but can see it causing all sorts of problems. Mainly flow distribution, so I will have to have a bit of a think how to do it. I'm going to have a lily pipe on the left so I'm wondering wether a spray bar along the back might be counter productive. I'm sure Clive recomends it all going in the same direction.

I'm thinking of having the substrate along the back about 6 inches high on the left, dipping down then up towards the cluster of wood then down again then up to the glass. Basically making a bit of a hump under where the 2 woods meet.
This might be a good place to put some weeping moss? Maybe a java of some sort?

I live on Brighton sea front and can get pebbles galore, so was wondering wether dark gray ones might look good? They are rounded and some covered in flame moss may look pretty cool. I've put them in my 30l nano and like the look even though I've rushed it.

Still wondering if Nile sand would look nice in there somewhere just to add a splash of contrast. But if I did it in a stright line along the front it will look crap.... Decisions decisions
 
Re: opti-mike

Decent looking tank. Love the details of the wood work. However if you are going into shrimps keeping especially for crystal red shrimps, i would suggest you cut down on the ferts regime/EI. Co2 should be fine if you have existing co2 system. Waiting for more updates of your tank.
 
Re: opti-mike

been away for a bit, went to south africa shark diving. I had a near fatal attack on my finger! Its alright only a couple of inches long.

Well, my tank is still empty and I need a plan of action.

like it man, the wood is really interesting and will look crazy coverd in moss, try leave some of the more spindley bits bare, it'll be nice to see some wood

Man I dunno what the glossos beef is in your other tank haha. Its got an attitude problem! I havnt seen a flame carpet. Could look good.
Click to expand...

Yeah i want it to be quite atmospheric and i think the moss all over it will look great. I will defiantly be using xmas moss over most of it as I have quite a bit.

I reckon it would look good with a flat layer of Nile sand half inch thick, and some weeping moss draped over the wood. Just simple like that. Maybe some more moss around the base of some of the larger branches.
Click to expand...

hey tom i really cant decide what to do with the substrate? A layer of nile sand is the easiest option and would look smart. However there is part of me that wants to do it in black Amazonian II. Even though im planning a moss carpet and u wont see it I just think it will keep it moody looking. Also im thinking of adding a bit of japonica in the rear corners. Going to order both! see what i think and then will decide.

Weeping moss will now feature:) i think im going to have it drapped over the big brench that runs across the back, and a on the front bit of wood to hide the join where it meets large back bit of wood.
 
Re: opti-mike

so my AdA and nile sand has arrived. I went and bought some black plastic mat for underneath the tank. Ive trimmed it up and its sitting nice.

I have put some of the ADA in to create a 1/2 inch flat layer. I will post the 3 photos to get some feedback.

I will also fill it up with nile sand only, see what that looks like. Im in no real rush as I dont even have a filter. I have been looking at getting a second hand eheim 2074 which has 1500lph . This may be ok for my low light moss tank? ....ha well for now.
 
Re: opti-mike

ok so i have 3 options with the ada what do u think?

dsc03211i.jpg

This one has a slight hump under the cluster of branches
img4288o.jpg

this one has the corners stacked a bit higher
img4235j.jpg

and flat

I was also thinking about the bit of wppd that sticks up on the left, the one that goes up and touches the big branch, just left of centre. I feel its slightly in the way and spoils the big ark made by the back bit of wood.
 
Re: opti-mike

great idea for the manzi setup. Are you planting in the substrate leaving it bare? Also you mentioned nile sand above but that looks like aquasoil amazonia? I like the hump one by the way as it gives a bit of movement towards the branches :)
 
Re: opti-mike

stuworrall said:
great idea for the manzi setup. Are you planting in the substrate leaving it bare? Also you mentioned nile sand above but that looks like aquasoil amazonia? I like the hump one by the way as it gives a bit of movement towards the branches :)
Click to expand...

Cheers stu, im planning on a moss carpet, flame along the back and probably xmas moss for the most part of it. Nile sand was another option I have 5 litres of the stuff. I wanna try a bit of japonica blyxa in the corners see how that looks. I like the hump one to, especially as I want weeping moss just above which will drape towards it as well.

Again if anyone has weeping moss or xmas moss for sale please pm me. hoping to get it filled up some time next week, thanks:)
 
Re: opti-mike

ok so here some shots with the nile sand
img4306pw.jpg

flat
img4310g.jpg

big bump
img4325t.jpg

slight bump
img4322a.jpg

And a rubbish photoshop just to show u what im thinking in terms of moss placement. I have REMOVED the branch mentioned in previous post in photoshop as well. I think its better.

When i bought the wood it turned up with a couple of handfuls of broken bits. Im now just seeing that some fit together. I will blue-tack them on in my next post see what u think.

Still kind liking the black ADA as it gives a more atmospheric look, but this is what im thinking. Use the ADA to start with as it helps stabilize the pH for my shrimps, also as it will take ages to get a flame moss carpet so they will look more striking against the black ADA while it grows in.
Another thought was that in the future if i get bored of it i can shape the moss mats to have paths running though them just topped with Nile sand. if that makes sense.
Also if i get really ambitious in the future i wouldn't ming trying a glosso carpet with a big jarv growing above the weeping moss in the middle. Japoinca all down the back and some other plants just to mix it up. Basically ada covers all bases.
 
Re: opti-mike

Hi,

I like the dark one better but if you're planning to get the substrate covered then it really doesn't matter, does it?

cheers,

GM
 
Re: opti-mike

yeah, i agree, the black does look better. Are you going to back the substrate?
 
opti-mike

I agree gmartins black ada is what I am going to use. The thought was more for about how it would look growing in... It will be cover one day in flame moss.

Ianho yeah I was going to slope it up just a bit. That was till I used a bit too much on my new nano scape. So I need order another 3 litre bag needed! Typical. It's alright coz I need to get the filter first.
 
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