• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Twenty Seven Thousand.

Ady34

Global Moderator
UKAPS Team
Joined
27 Jul 2011
Messages
5,097
Location
Co. Durham
Hi,
thought that I would begin the journal for my ADA Cube garden 30c: 30x30x30cm tank.

After aquascaping for many years and owning several nice tanks I have progressed from standard all in one systems such as Juwel aquariums, to more decoratively considered aquaria, and onto several rimless braceless optiwhites, most recently with my current ea aquascaper 1500 which I love. The Aquascaper tank is pretty flawless, however when a newly established aquascaping store opened up on my doorstep offering ADA products it got me thinking....I’ve never really felt the need to splash out on ADA equipment as there are many more affordable, and still beautifully made aquarium products out there. ADA has however always been the pinnacle, Takashi Amano being the pioneer of the nature aquarium and the biggest name in the aquascaping hobby. The quality of products is market leading and I began feeling a draw to own a set up. I feel after aquascaping for over a decade that I wanted to have a slice of the ADA brand, but it comes at a cost. I therefore began looking at the smaller systems for a more cost effective option that would also offer more rescaping opportunities. Small tanks cost less to buy, less to run and less to fill with hardscape flora and fauna. So the 30c it was, off I popped and ordered one up. The plan was always to buy in stages but due to Covid, this has been a slower process than expected. Anyhow, the first instalment was the tank, garden mat and light unit......purchased early March with a plan to buy cabinet and filter shortly afterwards......

B4B2BD7F-2AF3-4618-953C-11D5C46C21B3.jpeg
 
Really looking forward to this mate great start to journal, drew everyone in , and why not treat yourself to ADA only here once the 30cm cubes look great in person totally flawless. Cant wait for more updates.

Dean

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
 
Possibly the BEST title ever :cigar:
Ha, thanks alto ;)

Great start to the journal but such a tease cant wait for chapter 2

I couldn’t either, that’s why I made some schoolboy errors which you will here about below :lol:

Really looking forward to this mate great start to journal, drew everyone in , and why not treat yourself to ADA only here once the 30cm cubes look great in person totally flawless. Cant wait for more updates.

Dean

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
Yeah they are lovely tanks, but it is just soooo tiny, I’m just not used to working in such a confined space, it was really tricky for me.
 
couldn’t either, that’s why I made some schoolboy errors which you will here about below :lol:
Oh now that is intriguing so even after 10 years of scaping we still make school boy errors I'm glad to hear it's not just me lol
 
I have to say, it was all a bit exciting, but a little short lived as soon afterwards it became apparent that getting more equipment would be a waiting game. The cube cabinet Clear 30 was the only glass cabinet not stocked, it needed to be made to order, and that combined with the current global situation meant that I have only just taken delivery of the cabinet. The superjet filters are still unavailable but hopefully not too long. Slow and steady is favourable to be honest and this won’t be a quick build.

Once it was obvious that the cabinet and filter were going to take months rather than days I began tinkering with bits of hardscape here and there just to get a feel of the tank size and the direction I wanted to go in. Originally I wanted a minimal iwagumi, but then became lured by my favoured wood hardscape material. I tried a few musings here:
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/2-stones-shrimple.60251/ They were testers really, but then I found some stunning millennium wood at my local and had a vision of what I wanted to create. I tend to follow that process. I always start from a vision and try to create that vision. I’m less off the cuff and more see what I want with hardscape.
Anyway, once decided on the wood and stone combo and a sand foreground I set about creating a hardscape, pushed along by the UKAPS hardscape challenge :) it was great to see so many members getting involved and there were a lot of stunning creations.
This tank was to be all ADA, so substrate is made up of powersand, Amazonia light, la plata sand and graded gravels. I also have the powder supplements which currently are not in the tank as I forgot to add them :banghead::lol: I may remove the substrate and add them or I may not.....

Step by step:

Hardscape choice;
AE239EAD-074E-4978-B4E1-E3FDE24C022F.jpeg


an empty tank;
897157CB-A842-44AA-9A02-CC4055F9F40B.jpeg


wood positioning;
66B5845C-6814-4264-9DF4-5B7973F6E248.jpeg


and choosing rocks to create the main wall face to seperate soil and sand;
B40A4F01-2A89-4D1D-9AAC-73D2200C25C4.jpeg

364C318E-D744-4089-9213-08D4BADAA836.jpeg

35780DB9-063A-4BED-ABE7-324EA3DB79A1.jpeg


I added filter wool to fill the gaps to try and reduce substrate mixing;
B52384E2-1FD2-4DE6-950E-CD3FE963DD01.jpeg

E4371A58-ADDA-4DE7-A2A3-A53568C3A7D9.jpeg


and then began adding, and forgetting to add substrate elements ;);
130FF372-FB84-4368-A6CD-0DB8D864EB72.jpeg

E691AA4E-DB2F-47D8-87E4-91A8C7CFF205.jpeg

5EA34605-627E-4D32-9A9B-8A63C239E285.jpeg

A06D941B-F5E0-49D1-B69A-3423A6A18C06.jpeg

5E6A9291-1072-4FE7-A168-4AB7A8DA5FEA.jpeg


this is where I added extra stones to give the direction of the scape and also added more floss to fill any gaps;
07A4CE57-01BE-4C45-98F3-92B85DE1B83C.jpeg

EE4BC8D0-0728-474F-BE2D-925820F59370.jpeg


An ADA pot noodle soil dispenser was also utilised in this tiny tank to pour the fine soil accurately into the appropriate areas :lol:;
E7FC0DAF-A228-47EC-ABEA-7781ED6C9417.jpeg


I then added some more detailing and filling stones and added the La Plata sand to the foreground. Detailing twigs were then used to refine the scape to give an appearance of wood and rock naturally interacting......that’s what I was telling myself by now a few vodka and cokes in;
27E1AE30-C4C1-4955-B13D-3A445385BA79.jpeg

17830D15-1EF8-4327-B2AF-DF0B6E4CB1C4.jpeg


Anyway, it was finished and I was quite pleased with the result, a few detailing gravels added and that was the hardscape finalised;
6720B0DD-7E91-4C47-BA46-3D2F0FBB10CE.jpeg


Just had to 'patiently' wait for more equipment now.........
Cheerio,
Ady.
 
Last edited:
I think you should have used a Kingsize Curry flavour one, instead of chicken and mushroom.
I used to be a simple man, now all ADA, on reflection that is another ‘schoolboy error’ :lol:
 
Ady, I had used this dragon wood in an previous scape and it has released some toxic stuff in my tank resulting in a loss of all the plants...I highly recommend to let it sink in a bucket for some weeks if this is the same wood :(
 
Hi Folks,

Is it not possible for the supplier to pre-soak this wood for 8 weeks before selling it? At £79.99 per piece, surely it's not unreasonable to expect the supplier to do this? BTW, what exactly is Millennium/Dragon Wood?

JPC
 
I think it looks amazing mate really beautiful scape that wood is stunning
Thanks Jay, it’s much appreciated and I agree the wood is lovely.
Ady, I had used this dragon wood in an previous scape and it has released some toxic stuff in my tank resulting in a loss of all the plants...I highly recommend to let it sink in a bucket for some weeks if this is the same wood :(
https://riverwoodaquatics.co.uk/millenium-wood-xl2-1865-p.asp

‘Soak wood for 8 weeks prior to adding fish.’
definitely 👍
Thanks guys, yes the store I bought it from cautioned me on this with mixed reports of nasties being released. I plan on running this scape empty for at least one month anyway to allow a maturation and ammonia release from the soil. I may choose to extend that period but it has such mixed reviews. I would not introduce fauna until completely satisfied that all was well.

Hi Folks,

Is it not possible for the supplier to pre-soak this wood for 8 weeks before selling it? At £79.99 per piece, surely it's not unreasonable to expect the supplier to do this? BTW, what exactly is Millennium/Dragon Wood?

JPC
Millennium wood is just a type of wood much like redmoor root or manzanita wood. Just a name used to identify its unique formation. As for the toxin part, I don’t really know, but have heard about it being an issue in some cases.
Cheerio,
 
Never heard of it killing plants before.

But yes the tank needs to be fully cycled before adding livestock. The larger pieces are packed with a clay type substance which I believe (no scientific fact though) alters ph massively to begin with.

No problem with good water changes just need to be more careful with this type of wood 👍
 
Oh, did I say I got a stand......
....nothing to see here......
🤤
19EDDA6F-C2C9-4276-902E-6C79555F747D.jpeg
 
Hi @Ady34
Millennium wood is just a type of wood much like redmoor root or manzanita wood. Just a name used to identify its unique formation. As for the toxin part, I don’t really know, but have heard about it being an issue in some cases.

Thanks for answering my question.

JPC
 
Oh my that is something else isnt it dont know why but I didnt expect it to be so pretty cant wait to see the tank on the stand now gunna need lots of polish lol any water Mark's would do my head in
 
Back
Top