# 90 Gallon Igwami - My 2nd planted tank



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

I am a new user to Plantedtank forums. My name is Mike and I have been in the aquarium hobby for a little over 10 years now. About a year ago I started my first planted tank with a 55 gallon. Now I have moved onto a 90 gallon acrylic tank with Co2 and high light and a smaller 10 gallon planted tank that I will also be documenting in the near future.

I made the hardscape for this 90 gallon last Sunday and added the montecarlo in the same day. Here is a list of my components:

Tank: 90 Gallon Clear for Life Acrylic - 48*18*24

Filters: Rena XP3 and Sunsun 404B 
Both filters have matching intakes because I'm super picky like that  

CO2: 5 lb. CO2 with ADA beetle diffuser and aquatek regulator (I like the look of the glass diffuser so I chose this over an inline diffuser) Currently at about 5 bbs.

Lighting: 2 Finnex Ray 2's at 24" (may need to add one more light due to the height of the tank)

Substrate: Aquariumfertilzer.com Black Diamond Substrate - my buddy who has some beautiful tanks swears by this stuff and it saved me a ton of money

Rocks: 65 lbs. of Seiryu stone! 

Running the lights on a 10 hour cycle daily with Co2 - also adding in 5-6ML of macro micro nutrients and 2 caps of excel daily.

The monte carlo has already started growing in just a week. It took about 9 caps of it. May need to add a few more. My future plan is to add blyxia, repens, and some dwarf hair grass to the top tier of the tank where the mountain like structures of the seiryu stone are. If anyone has any tips or suggestions on dosing, lighting, livestock, etc. I am always open since I'm still learning the ropes!  

View attachment 450569


View attachment 450577


View attachment 450593


View attachment 450585


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Man doesn't anyone care about my baby!!?


----------



## natebuchholz (Sep 28, 2013)

I care! Its wonderful to see this type of scape in that scale! wonderful setup. I will definitely be watching your progress. One question, however, why are you dosing excel if you are injecting co2?


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Nice my first reply! Thanks Nate 

To be honest, I don't know man.. I am still super new to the planted tank hobby and I saw some scapers recommending it even with co2. Since it's essentially doing the same thing as the co2, should I just skip the excel?

Bump: Btw Nate, I just checked out your setup and it looks awesome. I'm thinking I should organize the bottom of my tank to be super clean like that too.


----------



## natebuchholz (Sep 28, 2013)

yes, the pressurized co2 is in a form that is way more useful to your plants. The only thing I use it for is to spot treat some algae and to place in my dosing containers to stop mold from forming.


----------



## rick dale (Feb 26, 2014)

*scape*

Different. Cool ! I like it. Good job.


----------



## IWANNAGOFAST (Jan 14, 2008)

It looks great, really nice. I think it could use a little more height on the left side, but overall pretty great!

As for excel, you can skip it if you like, but I dose excel even with co2.


----------



## natebuchholz (Sep 28, 2013)

IWANNAGOFAST said:


> It looks great, really nice. I think it could use a little more height on the left side, but overall pretty great!
> 
> As for excel, you can skip it if you like, but I dose excel even with co2.


Im just curious, what benefits do you see with doing both?


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Ahhh I see! Ok I will cut down on the excel then. My monte carlo is starting to take off great. Tons of new leaves are peaking through the soil now. This Sunday I'm going to go pick out some new plants to add up on the top level. I'm thinking low growing plants will look best to keep a nice "mountain range" feel of the scape. Maybe some blyxia, repens, and small hydrocotyle carpets? LMK if you have any other good recommendations?

Bump:


IWANNAGOFAST said:


> It looks great, really nice. I think it could use a little more height on the left side, but overall pretty great!
> 
> As for excel, you can skip it if you like, but I dose excel even with co2.


I know what you mean... Darn I used 2 - 5 gallon buckets of substrate too and used every last bit of it to build it up that high.. I wish I would have added some rocks or base under the left side to help with the height.. Is it too late to try and build it up more?


----------



## leemacnyc (Dec 28, 2005)

Love your 'baby'! Welcome aboard!


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Thanks Leemac! Lets see a pic of one of your tanks!


----------



## ScubaSteve (Jun 30, 2012)

Looking great man...I love the scape!


----------



## leemacnyc (Dec 28, 2005)

Mikeygmzmg said:


> Thanks Leemac! Lets see a pic of one of your tanks!


Posting an update soon Mikey! be on the lookout for 10g-Resurrection 3.0


----------



## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

very cool scape! nice to see this style on this scale!


----------



## Chizpa305 (Feb 13, 2011)

The hardscape looks good. I want to see how it does with plants grown in and everything so keep posting.


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Thanks Chizpa! I'm excited to post updates! The montecarlo is already doing great and peaking through the substrate. Going to get some blyxia and hairgrass this weekend.


----------



## trujillp090868 (May 12, 2013)

Nice tank!! Where did You buy all that stone??? Is very nice looking.


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Hi Trujill, I got these stones from a place called Pet Supreme in Sylmar, CA. They are "seiryu stone" 

The stuff costs a pretty penny though and I got 65 lbs! lol around $200 for all of them.


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Hey guys! Wanted to post a quick update on the tank. I liked how a lot of scapers kept a clean display under the hood so I organized my filters and cables and added some LED's >.<. Also, I wanted to show off the nice wood work my friend did on the stand and canopy. He is a finished carpenter and custom made this for the tank. It's stained espresso and has recessed paneling and some nice moldings. The Monte carlo is doing well, lots of little baby leaves peaking through the soil. Finally made up my mind on the plants to add this week and went with hydrocotyle sp, repens, and blyxia. Lmk if you think I should any other ideas of what I should plant!!


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

*Day 21 Update*

Here are some pics


----------



## BoxxerBoyDrew (Oct 16, 2005)

AWESOME TANK!!! 

VERY BEAUTIFUL Stand and Canopy! Your friend has some woodworking skills!!!!

I can't wait to see how the plants you chose grown into this tank!

I think a school of Pseudomugil gertrudae ( Spotted Blue-eye) would be AWESOME in there!!! A good read on them is here: rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au/Getrud.htm . I think they would look like little Angels hovering over the mountains! They are planted tank friendly, stay pretty small, and are BEAUTIFUL!!!

Anyway just a thought!

Keep up the GREAT work 
Drew


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Thanks a lot Drew! I just checked out those fish and they are awesome. I think I'm sold on them and will get a school. I'm also thinking of getting a large school of rummy's, some electric
Blue Rams, ottos, black neon tetras, and some Cory's. Maybe some rosaline or bosemian rainbows but I'm not sure I want any big fish like that in there.


----------



## Immortal1 (Feb 18, 2015)

Great looking scape! Your friends wood working skills are also impressive. Will be following this thread for your progress. I am also pretty new to the planted tank scene.


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Good morning guys! I'm considering adding one more Finnex Ray 2 to the tank. Let me know what you think? I currently have 2 - 24" ray 2's. Thinking about adding one more as I'm going to be getting hydroctoyle sp, repens, and some blyxia this week from my buddy for the top tier in the tank. Let me know if that's overkill or if it's a good idea? 


Thanks GUYS!


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

*Quick update on the 90 - plants added*

What's up guys, I know no one checks these things anyway, but I figured I'd shoot out a quick update.

Added Blyxa, hydro japan, Syngonathus Madeira, some Ludwigia Red Hybrid, and watched the MC grow! 

Next thing to do is to build some supports to have each of the 3 towers sit up anywhere from 3-5 inches higher. I'm not liking how low they sit, especially after adding some taller stem plants. I am going to assemble the supports out of something like kinnex or black plastic hanger rods so the design is not invasive or heavy. The beams will dig down into the substrate and have a flat surface for the stones to sit.

Trying to also figure out a foreground plant to sit in front of the sygonathus madeira. Maybe some stauro or the tricky blood vomit!!! : )

Livestock is about 15 otto's, 45 neons, 4 roseline sharks, 1 ram, 2 Juli Corys, and 1 bristlenose pleco. Weirest thing.... when I try to add a 2nd ram, they die every time. It's the only casualties I've had thus far. I introduced 2 rams the first time and one died, tried replacing that lost ram 3 times now and all 3 died. so weird... there must be some sort of ecological/ecosystem weird thing going on where it doesn't support a 2nd ram. I am baffled and never had this happen before. Real twister is... 3/4 added rams were all from different fish stores so a bad batch at the LFS is ruled out of the equation.


----------



## Hetzer (Sep 23, 2012)

Wow beautiful aquarium; really first class. Excellent in all respects.

Love the hardscape. Just super...


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Hetzer said:


> Wow beautiful aquarium; really first class. Excellent in all respects.
> 
> Love the hardscape. Just super...


Thank you Hetzer, I really appreciate it. Can't wait til she grows in some more.


----------



## leemacnyc (Dec 28, 2005)

Rams are notoriously difficult in their acclimation. Took me over a year to get a pair, must have had 6+ die w/in the first 72 hours. Tried every acclimation method known to man. I believe it's widely attributed to their genetic inbreeding.

Tanks looking great!


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Ahhhhh I see... I did not realize they were so difficult. In my 55 I used to have 2 that always did great. How weird that they are so sensitive like that. I'm thinking about trying out an electric blue on this next run. Just so that way if he dies I'm only $48 down instead of 32. LOL


----------



## kimchilee (Mar 2, 2015)

your monte carlo grows so fast, looks great!


----------



## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

Cool looking tank. How have the stones affected your kh and gh?


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Thank you very much Kimchilee. I have been doing a heavy fert schedule with lots and lots of co2. The only thing I'm unpleased with is the "7up" look that my tank gets with the high co2. My good friend reccomended an inline diffuser early on (EXT 5000) and I should have taken his advice so I could still have high co2 and no bubbles.

Bump:


exv152 said:


> Cool looking tank. How have the stones affected your kh and gh?


Thanks EXV, I appreciate it man. So far the KH/GH have been pretty stable despite all the stone. My old man is a high up at Culligan and hooked it up with a 10 gallon RO system so I try to do as much RO as I can with just a bit of tap here and there after water changes.

PH is about 6.5 and KH about 2-3. Not the best with the water tests and chemistry, but I think that should be ok? I know the madeira needs soft water.


----------



## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

The hardscape blows me away so much I'm almost sad to see non-carpet plants in there. Almost. 

Excellent job. Kudos.


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Thanks Mitashade, I'm with you man... That was the original plan but I just couldn't resist a few tall ones. My goal is to raise all 3 of the towers up on the left and keep the blyxa, ludwigia, and madeira super clean and trimmed. Hope it all works out in the end!


----------



## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Mikeygmzmg said:


> Thanks Mitashade, I'm with you man... That was the original plan but I just couldn't resist a few tall ones. My goal is to raise all 3 of the towers up on the left and keep the blyxa, ludwigia, and madeira super clean and trimmed. Hope it all works out in the end!


I know the feeling. You may think there is no room in my tank for more plants (and you'd probably be right), but dammit I'm going to try anyway.

It'll still look great, just different. That hardscape is too good to look bad.


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Mitashade said:


> I know the feeling. You may think there is no room in my tank for more plants (and you'd probably be right), but dammit I'm going to try anyway.
> 
> It'll still look great, just different. That hardscape is too good to look bad.


Thanks for the kind words man, really appreciate it. Best hobby ever. : )


----------



## davocean (Oct 11, 2009)

Cool tank, nice rock work!


----------



## walluby (Dec 3, 2007)

Not really an Iwagumi.
More like a mountain scape.


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

You know somethin Walluby, I think you're right. Although several sources state that iwagumi just means "stone only hardscape" I'm with you on the mountain scape. In fact, I was going towards a Lord of the Rings feel!

http://aquascapinglove.com/basics/introduction-iwagumi-layout/

http://www.thegreenmachineonline.com/articles/tips-techniques/iwagumi-aquascapes-introduction


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

*Darn...*

Noticed a bit of algae on the rocks last night  It's the first signs of algae in the tank since it started. Didn't even have the dreaded diatom phase with this tank and I'm 6 weeks in...

Oh well.. I guess it's part of nature. Next rock hardscape I'm going to purchase a clear coat from ATM in vegas to paint ALL of the seiryu stone so that it will be much easier to clean them while their in the tank. I have some coarse brushes to scrape this off but it's never easy and releases a ton of sediment into the water which raises KH and GH...


----------



## kcboiz_1568 (Apr 10, 2015)

Nice iwagumi tank!!! Here's my 125g any suggestions? ???


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Hey Kcboiz, I like your tank man, the clear back is cool. Is it going to be a cichlid setup?

The only thing I would reccomend is to try and use the rule of thirds a bit. There are some cool articles on the site about it. It may help you find a look you like even more than this. At the end of the day though, it's all personal preference. As cool as it is to get a few fellow fish nerds to compliment your tank on here, what really matters is that you like it. After all, you'll be seeing it every day and we won't ; )


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

What's up guys, it's been a while since I did an update. Took out the tall plants to make the rocks look bigger in scale, added some alt mini, mini pelia, and did a nice trim. Monte Carlo is coming in great, almost done! Still want to raise those 3 peaks up higher. Added some amano shrimp, rummy nose, finally found a pair of Rams that survived together, and put a sail fin bristle nose in there. They only had 1 but I'm gonna try to get a 2nd soon. Hope you guys like it.


----------



## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

It looks like the fish are swimming in the sky, kinda weird haha. I like the peaks. Definitely interested to see a larger, higher, peak to it. You have a lot of vertical space to use, so go for it!


----------



## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

Yeah, the tank is really wonderful but I have to say I think you need some BIG rocks in there... I am thinking like a little bit more than double the current scale - granted that is expensive and more work at the moment.


----------



## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

I don't know about that big! But you could have a higher peak on the left and it would keep looking good. I like the fish swimming in the stars kind of look though. I'd bet it would be super neat with some moonlighting at night.


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Yikes! Double the current rocks?! I'm just not sure how I'd pull it off without ripping out all the substrate, laying down lava rock, and building up from there.. Maybe for the next scape  

For this one, I'd like to raise those 3 on the left 3-5 inches and let the plants grow out.


----------



## ScubaSteve (Jun 30, 2012)

Love the way it's looking!


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Thank you Scuba Steve, appreciate it man! It's so exciting when your scapes start to finally grow in and fill out.


----------



## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

Freemananana said:


> I don't know about that big! But you could have a higher peak on the left and it would keep looking good. I like the fish swimming in the stars kind of look though. I'd bet it would be super neat with some moonlighting at night.



Yeah I suppose I was exaggerating a bit, anyway yeah so are right, yeah and the look with the moonlighting at night probably is pretty damn cool with this setup :icon_smil


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Thank you for the kind words guys, I went to home depot on lunch break and got plastic sheets and beams to raise the peaks finally. Also, I thought the same thing about the moonlight a few weeks ago  check it out:


----------



## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

Oooooh yeah! I definitely like the moon light. Excited to see what you've got cooking.


----------



## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

cool! looks great  sometimes I think I like my tank better with the moonlight on than in day though seeing all the details with the normal lights is nice


----------



## kylehca (Oct 15, 2011)

Love the look of your tank!!


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Thanks Kyle!! Trying to find this cool plant to put behind the mini pelia called Alternanthera reineckii 'Rosanervig' but I can't seem to find it anywhere...


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Hey guys, I made a video of the tank. Hope you enjoy ^.^ link what you think 
http://youtu.be/kvHIfoIVcks


----------



## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

Looking good! Pretty good camera shooting. 45 neons is a lot! What temperature do you keep your tank at?


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Freemananana said:


> Looking good! Pretty good camera shooting. 45 neons is a lot! What temperature do you keep your tank at?


Haha thank you, the good ol iphone works wonders. Tank is at 76 degrees. I can't go higher because of the pelia. I wish I would have got cardinals!


----------



## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

Mikeygmzmg said:


> Haha thank you, the good ol iphone works wonders. Tank is at 76 degrees. I can't go higher because of the pelia. I wish I would have got cardinals!


Yeah, I heard that in the video haha. Neons are alright, but they aren't much to look at aside from their colors which are the same as cardinals anyway. 

76 is cold! Don't you have rams? I thought they were higher than that? That may be why you have issues with them. I've heard 80-82 degrees for them. May just be too cold and your one is hardier than the rest.


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

You are right, they do require warmer but I like the mini pelia too much... Believe it or not, the other Rams didn't work before I turned the temp down. I just got the pelia recently and that's when I dropped to 76..


----------



## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

Dang. I was just attempting to pinpoint the issue with a second ram. I really don't know. Maybe some ram experts will stroll through and give you some better advice aside from temperature.


----------



## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

cool video! the tank looks really cool  

reminds me I really should do a video of my tank sometime soon


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Got the 3 peaks raised right to where I want them!! Now time to pick some taller stem plants that will cover the plastic stands that I made. I want to make sure I pick some dense ones, they will emerge out of the hydrocotyle. Let me know if you have any suggestions!


----------



## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Mikeygmzmg said:


> Got the 3 peaks raised right to where I want them!! Now time to pick some taller stem plants that will cover the plastic stands that I made. I want to make sure I pick some dense ones, they will emerge out of the hydrocotyle. Let me know if you have any suggestions!


I'm thinking something tall and grassy, but that might mess with the scale.


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

I think tall and grassy will be fine, I am going to shape the plants so that they have a mountain side look. something like this:


----------



## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

That center one looks like it is floating! Haha. What did you use exactly? It looks good to me. I'm sure whatever you decide on will look good.


----------



## kimchilee (Mar 2, 2015)

Mikeygmzmg said:


> Got the 3 peaks raised right to where I want them!! Now time to pick some taller stem plants that will cover the plastic stands that I made. I want to make sure I pick some dense ones, they will emerge out of the hydrocotyle. Let me know if you have any suggestions!


the plastic stands are so cool! any close up picture? want to see how you did it.


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

I should have taken some pictures when I was puting them together. all I did was get some black plastic storm drains from Home Depot for the platform and then cut down some black plastic hangers for the beams. I drilled into the drains a bit and then added some silicone to the ends of the hanger beams before I put them in. May chop them down just a tiny bit but I'm loving the heighth they added to the tank. Once the long stem plants grow in beneath them and grow enough for me to shape them then it will really come together.


----------



## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

Okay, I'm seeing it more on a computer. I was on my phone and it looked like something out of a fantasy movie. I think you are right, it will look awesome when it grows in. Maybe a bushy plant would look good. The height would be harder, but you could trim it to shape like the mountain much easier. You'll get it, I'm sure!


----------



## bpb (Mar 8, 2011)

Following along. Love the build. So are you still just running the two Finnex Ray2 units? It looks like they're growing out that carpet no problem at all. I would think they'd be drastically under powered to provide the kind of par you need at that depth. You been pretty happy with them? How high of CO2/bubble count are you running? I seem to try to goose mine to limit algae growth but the fish end up gasping and I still get algae. Drop checker gets totally covered and can't even see inside it.


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

bpb said:


> Following along. Love the build. So are you still just running the two Finnex Ray2 units? It looks like they're growing out that carpet no problem at all. I would think they'd be drastically under powered to provide the kind of par you need at that depth. You been pretty happy with them? How high of CO2/bubble count are you running? I seem to try to goose mine to limit algae growth but the fish end up gasping and I still get algae. Drop checker gets totally covered and can't even see inside it.


Thank you for the kind words bpb. I added a 3rd Finnex Ray2 about a month ago. Right now there are 2 24" and 1 30". Shortly after I added the 3rd, green algae showed up. I upped my fertz and co2 and it brought down the amount substantially. I have been happy with the Ray 2's overall just because they are so darn strong. I'm convinced you can grow anything under these. That being said, I am going to drop the 30" ray 2 soon and replace it with a 36" planted +. I have the new one pre-ordered and it should be here sometime this month. I think that the planted + is a better fit because I have some red plants I want to show off a little more in the tank and the 30" ray is hovering over the back tier of the tank where the slopes are elevated. It's just too much light...

For the Co2, i have been around 7-10 bubbles per second. It only takes a month for my 5lb. co2 to run out at that rate but whatevs.. My next mission is to upgrade to the EXT5000 and lose this 7up bottle look.

Your tanks looking great too man!


----------



## bpb (Mar 8, 2011)

Thanks! I'm in a constant CO2 tank size upgrade myself. You thinking about going up to, say, a 20# tank? I missed what kind of regulator you're running


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

bpb said:


> Thanks! I'm in a constant CO2 tank size upgrade myself. You thinking about going up to, say, a 20# tank? I missed what kind of regulator you're running


I run an aquatek regulator. Nothing too special.. The needle has been good so far though and I can adjust it pretty easily and it stays true.


----------



## Lowe (Nov 11, 2011)

Looks amazing! Keep it up Mikey.


----------



## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

good work with the stands! get it finished up soon and give us an update


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

*Update on the 90*

Hey guys, finally added some rotala beneath the 3 stones to fill up the gap. It will take some time to get it full and bushy the way I want, but it's coming along. Mini Pelia isn't looking the best, but it's finally making a comeback after losing its color for a week. Ordered some moss to put at the base of the 3 peaks that should look pretty nice! Alt Reinekii took off like mad. About to propegate that back row behind the pelia and fill up that area even more. Also I found a couple dead spots and had to move that powerhead to the bottom left. Not as aesthetically pleasing, but I think it was much needed. I wonder if there would be any negative effects if I moved it to the right side by the co2 diffuser? Let me know what you guys think on that.

Thanks!

Mike


----------



## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

It is already looking good! By the time it fills in around your mountains, it will look gorgeous. I think the added height was much needed. Have you experimented with it being even higher? I'm sure there is a sweet spot 2/3's of the way up the tank (basically where it is at now) that is the most visually pleasing.


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Freemananana said:


> It is already looking good! By the time it fills in around your mountains, it will look gorgeous. I think the added height was much needed. Have you experimented with it being even higher? I'm sure there is a sweet spot 2/3's of the way up the tank (basically where it is at now) that is the most visually pleasing.


Hey mang, thank you for checkin it out! Very excited with the added height. I knew I needed it and couldn't be happier now. I did start off with each of the 3 stands I made around 12" long and adjusted them to the heights you see now. This rotala is awesome too, it's super rare. The tips are a pinkish color and I got them from nature aquarium in santa monica.


----------



## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

The tank is solid! I'm not a big 'rare species' guy, but the coloration does sound awesome. My tank is fairly bland, mostly green. But that is usually the difference between low and high tech. The more demanding plants are really pretty!

I was looking at cardinals, since you said you would have rather had them instead of neons, and they were twice the price at my LFS. Crazy!


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Dude I know, the cards are sick though because they are such good schoolers and a little nicer coloration IMO. I just haven't mustered up the energy to net all 45 neons.. I'm not sure I will ever get that enery lol. I hate netting fish out of the tank.


----------



## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

lookin even better!


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Thank you andrewws!


----------



## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

My neons actually school in my 75g now. But I have a few larger fish and it isn't species only. Cards are definitely prettier. The lack of a white spot is nice. I have a single cardinal in my school and he is just better looking in my opinion. 

Netting the neons may be annoying. But draining the tank down to a few inches makes it a lot better. I caught my ~30 fish when I swapped tanks and then netted almost all of them out of the sump the next day. It isn't fun. Definitely took awhile too. May be worth it though!


----------



## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

I think it is hard to say which school better, arent there too many variables involved with how well either school? It seems to me that they are very similar in this respect, just depends on environmental things like tank mates, cover, stress, etc etc... personally I generally like neons better, something about the dominance of the red stripe on the cardinals makes them appear taller or something, the neons coloring makes them appear a bit more streamlined or something haha..... but it is all taste of course


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Yeah you might be right Andrews. I wonder if my LFS would be chill about letting me do a swap and paying the difference..


----------



## Xirxes (Aug 18, 2008)

cardinals get much larger, but once established are much MUCH hardier and as mentioned, more colorful with time.

I started with a school of 100 very small cardinals in 240 gallons, its been a year with them and i still have over 85, and they are 2" long each.


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Xirxes said:


> cardinals get much larger, but once established are much MUCH hardier and as mentioned, more colorful with time.
> 
> I started with a school of 100 very small cardinals in 240 gallons, its been a year with them and i still have over 85, and they are 2" long each.


Dang that's awesome dude, I gotta check out your tank to see them. Do you have a youtube video?


----------



## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

My LFS only offers 30% store credit on fish exchanges. Just a heads up for what to expect. I thought they would go nearly 100% for store credit, but that isn't the case at all.


----------



## Hetzer (Sep 23, 2012)

Cool hardscape, looks great! love your tank


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Free - dang man! I'm a hustler though, I'll find another way to exchange lol. 

Hetz - thank you very much. Really appreciate it. I am going to take a few more pics tonight as the rotala grew in nicely to cover the stands. Very pleased with the direction this tank is heading now.


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Hey guys hope you are having a good weekend. Made this video last night, check it out and let me know what you think:

http://youtu.be/kzA8LaaQjvA


----------



## Kramflowz (Aug 6, 2014)

Looks dope man, good job


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Thanks Kramflowz. I wish there were more video posts on here so we could see videos of peoples tanks instead of just the pics.


----------



## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

looks good! ya video updates are cool  really shows the tank better than photos. I did one a few weeks ago.

Anyway, how are the pearls doing? They seem pretty friendly in the video, you have 1 male 1 female?


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Thanks Andrews, the pearls are doing great! A little territorial but only with each other. How can I tell if they are m or f?


----------



## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

I'd be more inclined to post videos of my tank if it were more than links that popped up. I often scroll over links without reading into them too much.

The tank is looking good by the way! I kinda like the height of the 90 gallon. You're definitely making good use out of it now.


----------



## jsarrow (Jun 10, 2008)

Great looking tank. Curious what your thoughts are on the Sunsun 404B as far as flow out put? Does it seem high, low, medium? I'm thinking of using one on a 48 gallon tank and was wondering if the out put would be enough or might need a power head to maintain adequate flow?


----------



## ChalupaBatman (Feb 12, 2015)

That hardscape looks awesome! Great work.

Can't say I disagree with andrews & free though, some higher peaks would really look nice and help take up some of that vertical space.


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

jsarrow said:


> Great looking tank. Curious what your thoughts are on the Sunsun 404B as far as flow out put? Does it seem high, low, medium? I'm thinking of using one on a 48 gallon tank and was wondering if the out put would be enough or might need a power head to maintain adequate flow?


The 404B is pretty good! It actually matches the flow of the RenaXp3 if you have ever had one of those. Definitely not the 500+ GPH it states, but it gets the job done. I would say you'll be fine if you have one on a 48 gallon tank.

@Chalupa - thanks man. I couldn't agree more with the height suggestion so I took out those 3 towers and replaced it with a couple pieces of large Manzanitan Branches. I really made the scape take on a different look. Still needs some moss attached and some re-positioning, but it's good for now in my eyes -___-


----------



## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

i like it with the DW


----------



## jsarrow (Jun 10, 2008)

Cool, thanks for the info on the Sun Sun!


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Not such an igwami setup anymore, but here are some pics

Bump: Added lots of plants


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

couple more


----------



## Black Hills Hillbilly (Jul 22, 2015)

Wow, that driftwood sets it off Mikey!


----------



## Tyrone (Nov 22, 2013)

I agree, lookin' good! Amano-like even! 

Did you ever check out those LFS's I suggested?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Thanks a lot guys! I am going to post a couple more pics tonight. I got some new plants and tied some moss onto the manzanitan branches.

Tyrone, I checked out aquarium city but that's all so far. I went down to nature aquarium Friday and got some new plants.


----------



## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

*Update!*

Added some moss, few new plants, and did a little rescaping.


----------

