# 90p iwagumi



## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

Hey guys, its been a while since i've been on here. Had to shut down my 29gal tank because i just bought my first house and didn't need the stress of moving tanks. In the process i decided to do a major upgrade and learn from my mistakes made in my first iwagumi attempt.

One of the key things in this scape so far is that it has been a test of my patience and planning skills. Researching the best possible products and only getting the best that i can afford. 

Another challenge was working with my living room space. I wanted to create a tranquil environment for enjoying music and the tank. No TV in this room. So i spent about of month on interior design boards, playing around with floor planing software. As any new homeowner would know, getting settled in was a hurdle as well and got in the way of getting any progress on the tank financially and mentally.











I opted out of ADA tank and stand because I couldn't justify the price. I ended up going with a company called CADlights for the tank and cabinet which only came to $650 brand new, so that was a huge score. I bought this months before the deal on my house closed because it was one big purchase i needed to get out of the way haha

I decided to go with the ADA complete substrate system with powersand, additives, normal type and powder type.










CO2 was from the 29 gallon and is from green leaf aquariums.

Last week i finally received my ATI 6x39 dimmable sunpower after it being on backorder for 2 months and i could not be any more excited about it. This thing is awesome. In it are Giesemann powerchromes, 3 mid day and 3 aquaflora and im sure ill be playing around with different combinations later on.










The hardest purchase to make so far has been the hardscape. I played around with the idea of ADA manten stone, but for the size of tank and scape i was going for, i wasn't ready to spend upwards of $1000 on rock. I know i needed the rock to be inert because we get relatively hard water in my area so i managed to pick up some rather large lava boulders from a rock yard around the corner from my house. At 50 cents a pound, i went all out and got as much as i could, took it home and broke it down into some more attractive pieces.

This picture only shows about half the rocks i actually have, but its more or less along the lines of how i want the hardscape to look.










Unfortunately, because of the extreme cold weather in ontario right now i am faced with another road block. I have no way to clean these rocks in my garage (well i mean, i could, but i live in a townhouse with a connected driveway, my neighbour is pregnant and i don't want to turn her driveway into an ice skating rink :/ )

In the mean time i decided to do some experimenting with the dry start method and some HC in a small tank with aquasoil.










To go back to my comment about patience and planning, i put my photoshop skills to the test before i could actually get down to scaping the tank HAHA 










I really want to keep it simple with plants. Mostly HC, but i have been playing around with the idea of using some *alternanthera reineckii sp. 'mini', staraguon rapens, eleocharis acicularis *or *parvula* and *hydrocotle*










LAST on my list is a filter and some lily pipes. Im deciding on the Eheim E-Series 2076 because i want as much flow as possible and i want to be able to turn it down if its too much. I also like the computer controls. Im a sucker for technology. 

Now im just deciding if im brave enough to drill out 2 inch holes on the left side of the cabinet for filter pipes, or if i should just keep the filter outside the tank. (im not very handy at all and im terrified that ill butcher it)

Anyways, that's all I got so far. I will be posting progress here as it happens and hope i can get some feedback from you guys!


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## DGarone (Apr 26, 2013)

I like it. Hope I'm at this point within five years. Haha.


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## Raith (Jun 27, 2014)

I need to find a rock yard for myself.


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## mot (Sep 17, 2011)

Try swapping places of the two left rocks with each other so that the large one is more toward the center.

Love the setup. The room looks great and the tank will really pop once you get it going. Great job!


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

mot said:


> Try swapping places of the two left rocks with each other so that the large one is more toward the center.
> 
> Love the setup. The room looks great and the tank will really pop once you get it going. Great job!


Thanks! thats a great idea, im gonna give it a go when i get home from work.



Raith said:


> I need to find a rock yard for myself.


check out a landscape supply shop. Lava rock is easy to come by and i was floored at how cheap it was compared to whats being sold at aquarium shops.


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

Quick update on the DSM test tank.

It's rooting well and the plants are more resilient than I originally though. 

All I'm using is a 13W CFL daylight cfl in a cheap ikea desk lamp misting with water once in the morning and once at night. The light is running 10hrs per day. No algae, no mould. 

In the close up photo you will notice a tiny stem of HC that fell off when i was breaking up the Tropica cup. I just sprinkled it on top of the soil and it has magically taken root. This excites me.

I know a lot of people recommend just placing the HC as opposed to planting it, but i wasn't expecting this little guy to survive. COOL! cant wait to plant the 90p now


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

Finally got around to the hardscape today. Gonna sit on it for a week before I plant it


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)




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## mistuhmarc (Oct 1, 2013)

I like the overall outlook of the room with the tank! Did you make that stand yourself or did you buy it?


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

mistuhmarc said:


> I like the overall outlook of the room with the tank! Did you make that stand yourself or did you buy it?


Thanks! It's a cadlight stand, not too expensive either


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

So this morning i replaced the second stone from the left, because for some reason i was hung up on the texture of it and overlooked the 2d shape it had viewing from the angle. it was very flat and you could see where i broke the stone to get the shape.

here is this mornings result. kind of rushed it before work because it was giving me nightmares last night... i just need to clean up the substrate with a brush some more and figure out why some of my powersand is coming to the surface around the 3rd stone from the left haha











Now to decide how many pots of HC i should get. im thinking around 10 so i dont have to wait too long to flood it.


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## Powerclown (Aug 17, 2014)

Perfect Hardscape!!!


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

Powerclown said:


> Perfect Hardscape!!!


Huge compliment after seeing your scape! Thank you!


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## Powerclown (Aug 17, 2014)

Your welcome,are you starting planting this week? and what will be the choice of plants?


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

Powerclown said:


> Your welcome,are you starting planting this week? and what will be the choice of plants?


If nothing comes up otherwise then yes. It's taken me so long to get to where its at now being a new homeowner and all so.... haha the only place that has quality plants at a good price is about an hour drive for me and they are only open 2 hours a day in the afternoon so that makes it difficult for me. 

i want to keep it super simple. mostly HC for ground cover and possibly staurogyne repens, montecarlo or alternanthera reineckii sp. 'mini' for feathering the hardscape. some hydrocotle sp. japan in the back.

im trying to decide if im just going to dry start the HC or if i want to throw the feathering plants in the mix.

do you have any ideas?


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## Powerclown (Aug 17, 2014)

I would plant no more than three different sorts of plants,and go from the left( where the biggest stone is) to the right.try to mix to get a natural look in your tank.


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

Powerclown said:


> I would plant no more than three different sorts of plants,and go from the left( where the biggest stone is) to the right.try to mix to get a natural look in your tank.


That's the plan  i mean, i have no problem just doing HC but i don't want it to be too boring


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## Powerclown (Aug 17, 2014)

Cool, cannot wait to see it planted. If you have any questions feel free to contact me.


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

And we have progress. Some of the HC wasn't in the best shape and there was a bit that had to be tossed, but I think I have enough. Hopefully it makes it through the dry start. 

And now I wait. 

Just ordered the eheim 2078 as a Christmas present to myself too  hopefully I will be flooded in the new year. 

FINGERS CROSSED!


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

Figured it would be wise to invest in a hygrometer. From what I understand, it should be around 70% to avoid mould. Can anyone confirm this?


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## Powerclown (Aug 17, 2014)

How is your dry start coming along ? Any upgrades?


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

Powerclown said:


> How is your dry start coming along ? Any upgrades?


Some of the HC I bought was I rough shape. A few plugs did make it and got hit by some mould. I had to remove them. 

A few are doing okay but it's too soon to see any side shoots rooting. The HC in the 2.5 gallon test tank is really thriving so I'm going to let that bulk up a bit and transfer to the 90p.

I'm also waiting on some more HC from big al's (I know I know) because they seem to be the only place that can get it now. 

Upgrades? Yea. I bought a nano reef to keep me busy, distract my attention from the iwagumi and keep me patient lol


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## Powerclown (Aug 17, 2014)

All right,btw I buy all my plants incl.HC from fishareus/eBay .top quality and free shipping check it out sometime.


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

So i filled the tank this weekend. The dry start was going a lot slower than i expected and i heard from several people that HC will grow a bit faster submerged. Not to mention, with the holidays, i wont be able to keep an eye on the humidity and keep up with misting.

In a last ditch effort to get this thing filled, i ordered my lily pipes and inline co2 diffuser from GLA and to my surprise, it shipped with UPS, so it came in way sooner than i expected!

I also ordered some matrix for the eheim 2078, and that arrived the same day!










After filling, I CRANKED the co2 to minimize any transitional die off. I cant count the bubble rate, and im running it 24/7 right now. My drop checker is a bright yellow.

My first water test showed 0 ammonia and 10 nitrate so i'm going to assume its safe to add some shrimps this week. Still not 100% sure, but from what I understand, the soil cycles during the dry start and should have enough bacteria to sustain a small amano shrimp army (once i get the co2 to a habitable level)











Had to post this picture too. Loving the reflection of the lights. And the vortex from the lily pipe is pretty sweet. So far i am very happy with the power im getting out of this filter, but i still gotta figure out how to program it and get the most use out of all the functions it is capable of.










Also going to try something out with this. A few little bits of HC have been floating to the surface and collecting on the rock that breaks the waterline. I think ill just leave it there for now and see if it roots.


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

7 day submersed update


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## synaethetic (Oct 4, 2011)

Thats going to grow in very fast. Sleek set up.


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

synaethetic said:


> Thats going to grow in very fast. Sleek set up.


Thank you! The dry start was very slow compared to the week of growth i've seen after flooding and i won't recommend it to anyone. too many problems. The growth after filling is enough proof that DSM isn't worth the effort!


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

How about some more growth? Think I'm due for a trim this week


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## hooliganz (Dec 29, 2014)

Impressive! Love the way it's coming together.


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## dru (Mar 9, 2013)

Nice! 

Following your setup, everything looks top notch


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

Thanks hooliganz and dru! 

I think the cycle is almost done. Cloud be ready for fish on the weekend, maybe even when I get home if I'm lucky. Yesterday's tests read Ammonia .25 nitrite .25 nitrate between 20/40

Any stock ideas? I'm thinking the typical cardinals with otos, and RCS and amanos. 

Would really like to try a more unique small schooling fish, but limited to what the fish store can get :/


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## hooliganz (Dec 29, 2014)

I've got my eye on some Galaxy Rasbora when my tank gets done cycling.

I don't know if it's taboo 'round these parts, but there are a couple of (seemingly reputable) online shops I'm interested in going through to get 'em. LFS has 'em for $12+ for one fish, and while they have some nice supplies and plants, there's no way I'm paying their absurd markup for those fish when a couple of online shops sell them for $40 or so for a school of 6.

Just my $.02.


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

hooliganz said:


> I've got my eye on some Galaxy Rasbora when my tank gets done cycling.
> 
> I don't know if it's taboo 'round these parts, but there are a couple of (seemingly reputable) online shops I'm interested in going through to get 'em. LFS has 'em for $12+ for one fish, and while they have some nice supplies and plants, there's no way I'm paying their absurd markup for those fish when a couple of online shops sell them for $40 or so for a school of 6.
> 
> Just my $.02.


I wish that was an option for me, but I've had a hard time finding fish online because I'm in Canada. Plus the cold weather makes it difficult. 

I am however considering galaxies as well and they are in stock at my lfs. I'm finding mixed info on recommended school sizes though


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

Filled in and stocked up. 

30 neons
25 amano shrimp


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

How about ember tetras? orange against the green is striking.


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

Dantrasy said:


> How about ember tetras? orange against the green is striking.


I was actually thinking of getting those. Right now I think I'm at max for schooling fish. Was actually disappointed that the neons don't school as tightly as I thought they did, I'm thinking of adding a small school of some larger tetras like skirts or Congos or 1 or 2 medium size fish. 

Was also thinking a pair of apistogramma, but I've heard that they like to dig, and I'm not sure I want to risk having my lawn torn up.


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## theurbantomato (Apr 25, 2011)

Did you end up keeping the filter outside or drilling stand? I just ordered a tank from cad lights


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

theurbantomato said:


> Did you end up keeping the filter outside or drilling stand? I just ordered a tank from cad lights


I kept it outside. I'm horrible with tools so butchering the cabinet isn't something I wanted to risk lol


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## Kntry (Dec 26, 2013)

WOW, I can't believe your carpet. My tank has been up with the carpet planted about 6 months and it doesn't look much different than when I first put it in. I can't crank the CO2 up that much because I have fish and shrimp in the tank.

Great looking tank!


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## TheAnswerIs42 (Jul 10, 2014)

Get some rummy nose tetras. They are great schoolers and will encourage your other tetras to stick together. Ember tetras are really pretty fish though and they don't take up much bioload since they are so small.


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

Kntry said:


> WOW, I can't believe your carpet. My tank has been up with the carpet planted about 6 months and it doesn't look much different than when I first put it in. I can't crank the CO2 up that much because I have fish and shrimp in the tank.
> 
> Great looking tank!


Thanks! I grew most of it out without fish so it was safe to crank it. That, and the amazonia is the perfect substrate for HC imo. It's fool proof once you get it going. Do you have a link to your tank or journal?


TheAnswerIs42 said:


> Get some rummy nose tetras. They are great schoolers and will encourage your other tetras to stick together. Ember tetras are really pretty fish though and they don't take up much bioload since they are so small.


I've had rummies before. I like them but I have a hard time finding quality specimens. 

I just picked up a dozen CPD this morning and even with a 90 minute drip acclimation, I lost 2 in an hour. Same with the neons, I lost 9 within the first week. Gotta love big box fish stores sometimes.


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## Kntry (Dec 26, 2013)

Here's a link. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=791738

I didn't put HC and wish I would have. I planted Ranalisma Rostrata.


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## Hyzer (Mar 9, 2010)

I want to take a nap in that HC. Sweet looking growth.


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

Did a bit of a trim over the weekend, added some CPD's and got my hands on a DSLR. Dunno what i did but somehow the pictures are making the HC look yellow in some pics though, oh well...


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

unreal! very well done


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## ConfidentBlue (Aug 27, 2013)

Beautifully done!

I'm about to upgrade to a 90P as well and been debating whether to get the 6bulb ATI Sunpower dimmable fixture or go with BML Leds (I use two currently). 

I think yours is helping me lean towards the ATI!


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## FlyingHellFish (Nov 5, 2011)

How your water parameter? I'm getting tap water that is higher in GH than usual in Toronto, are you getting that too?


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

FlyingHellFish said:


> How your water parameter? I'm getting tap water that is higher in GH than usual in Toronto, are you getting that too?


I haven't measured gh/kh in a while. I do normally have hard water out of the tap though. I could check again after work.

Bump:


ConfidentBlue said:


> Beautifully done!
> 
> I'm about to upgrade to a 90P as well and been debating whether to get the 6bulb ATI Sunpower dimmable fixture or go with BML Leds (I use two currently).
> 
> I think yours is helping me lean towards the ATI!


Thanks! Yea, the fixture is well worth it. Lot's of people scuffle about the energy savings of LED, and blah blah blah, but I only run this fixture, at 80% for 4 hours, plus 1 hour ramp up and down. I got my first electricity bill this month since setting up the tank, and it wasn't nearly as high as i thought it would be :hihi:


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## Powerclown (Aug 17, 2014)

Congrats my friend,everything looks G R E A T...........cheers


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## Beelzebubbles (Feb 14, 2014)

Haven't updated in a while. Anyways, there have been good times and bad times in the tank, and I've been having a constant battle with BGA. still hopeful. 

Anyways, here is a quick video with some jazz. 

https://instagram.com/p/4xFtnFyV-s/


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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

great looking tank btw !


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