# ADA Mini-L: Elements



## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

I can't believe it's finally here! I know we've all been waiting for you to work your aquatic magic in a larger tank. I've been reading the beginnings of this tank on your cube thread and am so happy it's turned out the way it did. You really were able to capture the 'darkness' that was mentioned earlier. I think the plant selection is perfectly fitting.

I am curious as to whether you plan to add actual fish to this tank.....that's right, I said ACTUAL fish. 

All-in-all, LOVE IT and can't wait to watch it grow.


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Woahhh the light makes it so mysterious


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## Jack Gilvey (Jun 16, 2008)

I lover everything about that. Tannins, lighting...alluvit. I wish you'd post bigger pics, UG.


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## Haagenize (Sep 30, 2008)

Is there a reason why you typed out each number to hurt my eyes


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## Francis Xavier (Oct 8, 2008)

UG, is that light the 20" fixture?

I think the monster will look pretty good once the plants grow in some and alleviate the 'crowding' effect!


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## Outlawboss (Dec 30, 2008)

That last picture of the wood you have, "the head" totally reminds me of that monster from Cloverfield. Some of the angles with the wood even make it look like it has arms reaching out. Really, really cool.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Thanks, *cintamas*! That means a lot to me. It really does.
For me a planted tank is no different that the writing I used to do in another life a long time ago. There's a crushing vulnerability that follows the euphoric rush of the creative process for me. That the thing into which I put so much time and effort will be deemed, in the word that hurts most, lame. 
Ultimately, I create my tanks as my artistic sensibilities dictate, but the reason I post photos is because all of your feedback means a tremendous plenty to me. 
When people remark that they like my tanks and can't wait to see the next one, a certain dread comes over me. This dread is that I won't be able to make another nice tank -- that any nice tanks I've made to this point were flukes or luck or a combination thereof.
So what I'm saying, *cint*, is thanks. I was worried what the first person would write and that is the best thing I could have read.
And this fish stuff you're talking about--? Those the things without legs that swim in some people's tanks? I've read about those. 
Just kidding. 
You have no idea how many of my friends make fun of me for having fish tanks with no fish. To give you and idea: all of them.

Hey, *Zoo*. As much as I don't like sixty-seven hundred k bulbs, the yellow + tannins are helping make the initial (which would otherwise be boring) shots atmospheric.

Thanks, *Jack*! Okay, after I nail down the lighting, I'll post a few bigger photos.

Annoying as heck, isn't it, *Haagenize*. I can understand why I might write out ten instead of 10, but it is ridiculous to write out sixty-seven hundred k when 6,700k is so much easier to write and read.
Yet still, I can't help myself. Even though it's, like, a billion trillion quadrillion times more annoying than writing in all caps. And that's, like, zillions of times annoying and almost anything else.

Hey, *X*. Yes, it's the twenty" fixture. (Sorry, *Haag*. I made it even worse by not writing out inches and used the " instead.) It's a good lamp for the Mini-L in that the spread with a twenty-eight to thirty-six watt bulb is pretty ideal.
I have a feeling that this hardscape will shrink considerably when the plants grow in. I've found that what looks just right at initial planting, becomes too small once the tank matures and what appears slightly too big at initial planting turns out to be just right.

Thanks, *Outlaw*! Once you said that it clicked. I knew it looked like a monster, I just couldn't place the face. _Cloverfield_!









_Tank's now pressurized._​
Pressurized CO2 is not nearly as difficult as my ignorance-based fear led me to believe. I had the whole thing set up in less than ten minutes.
A five pound cylinder looks positively huge compared to the ADA paintball canisters! (I like it in that the steal cylinder makes my living room look steampunk.)

Here's a cool shot.








Eventually, I will hate that the setting sun shines on this tank, but right here and now, it's beautiful.


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

I'm glad that my feedback was taken in such a positive way, it was meant to make you step away and pat yourself on your back. I find myself asking why I bother to post my tanks for public scrutiny. The only thing that really matters is if I am enjoying what I have spent my time, creativity and money on to create. That's it. If i'm not happy with it, down it goes and the process begins all over again. You and I both know that there's a certain obsession with wanting others to validate what you already know to be true. Did I just answer myself?

FOCUS.....I hope the setting sun doesn't start an algae attack on the tank walls. Lord knows that the sun shines through every crevice of my apt. It's Hawaii for crying out loud, it should be expected. And yes, I have a part-time job scraping _AND SCRUBBING_ my tanks' walls.


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## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Well the sun will cause an "element" in itself  .
But yeah have fun with algae.
I get a 30 minute period of direct sunshine on my tank early mornings and that's enough hassle as is.


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Love the look, more opinions as it fills in and settles in. Direct Sunilght is really bad though...

Wish I had great plants like that locally to me. Wonder how that JHG will grow and what height it stays. It would be cool to find one that stayed around 1.5" max or so.

Craig


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## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

Man UG, that tank looks truly evil. Like Cloverfield meets Jurassic Park. It's gonna look awesome in a couple months


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## lookin_around (Dec 18, 2005)

Man, that piece of driftwood you have just has so much character! I can't wait to see this tank develop.

And a little off topic, but how's the bike situation coming along?


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Awesome wood! But the scape seems a bit "heavy", and the straight line on the left seems a bit distracting. Just trying to be constructive


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

congrats on the whole line up my friend roud: 

BTW, you should rename this tank Elements of Life <- Tiesto owns!


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Now if only they they had a Mini Solar for this tank also.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

chris127 said:


> btw, you should rename this tank elements of life <- tiesto owns!


win


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

*Kayen*, the sun's going to be a problem, but I've got a rather ingenious solution to the problem. Curtains. As I keep my shades open most of the time, I forgot they existed. Now I guess I have a reason to close the shades.

*Craig*, we'll find out how this Hairgrass grows. Pretty much everything AFA's sold me as "mini" has grown big.

Thanks, *lego*!

*lookin'*, the bike hunt's still on. My attention was preoccupied with this tank for a bit, but the CBR'll be mine soon enough.

Hey, *cl*. I can totally see where you're coming from regarding the overwhelming impact of the hardscape, but I do believe that once the plants grow in, it'll look okay. There are going to be a ton of plants in the back left corner and while you can't see it in any of the photos as it's too dark, there are a ton of details I planted here and there.
I believe that once things grow in and I get the lighting to thirty-six watts, the hardscape will be less conspicuous.
As for the line. I've got a bunch of ferns -- Special and Bolbitis -- growing in cracks in the rock. Eventually they will block the chalk line in that rock. (As a side note: to the left of that line is close to the border where the plants will be growing in thick. At about three inches to the right of that line, it will be comparatively bare.)

Thanks, *chris*. I had to google "Tiesto".

*Craig*, I'm sure you could fabricate something to block a part of the Solar II's seventy-two watts and use it on a Mini-L.
Come on. You know you want to.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

even though it is in its infancy, i think this might be my favorite of your tanks, I LOVE the dark, evil look of it....hm......what does that say about me? Reminds me of like evil Ents in a dark magical jurassic park-esque ooooollld growth forest. Wow that's a lot of imagery i got from a few pictures of your tank. Very cool!  Anyway, I can't wait to see this grow out. Your plant selection looks seems to be the perfect blend of colors.


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## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

I don't know if i've said this before or not, but wood monsters ftw.
They add that extra sense of naturalness, like an Ent can.

It's like it'll pop out and do something any minute.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Thanks, *Karackle* and *Kayen*. I love the driftwood, too. (It's actually two pieces. Initially I was only going to buy the leg portion, but something about the head -- which I did not notice looked like a head at the time -- compelled me to get it.)
It's got so much character, I feel like I should name him. Something sinister and menacing. Like Timmy.

This tank is now -- to use the words of the Emperor in _The Return of the Jedi_ -- "fully armed and operational." (Except the Emperor was talking about the Deathstar. And this tank is not armed in a blow-up-a-moon-of-Endor kind-of-way. And [spoiler alert!] the Deathstar got blown up at the end of the movie. So I suppose the cutesy allusion is {A} not fitting, {B} tempting fate, and {C} really delaying me from making my point that all tech is in place as I just upped the wattage of the Coralife lamp with an ADA thirty-six watt eight-thousand k bulb and I am now finished tinkering with the equipment side of this tank.)

The ADA bulb is nice. I'd go into detail, but a light bulb is a light bulb. You plug it in, turn it on, and it glows. I do like the color spectrum more than the yellowish 6,700k one, though. (Used numerals! Holla!)
I'd show you an FTS, but because my place has so many windows, all you'd see is my silhouette holding a camera reflected in glass. I'll take an FTS after sunset.

I do have some close-up shots that I need for progress reports for later.









_You can kinda see that the light is whiter.
The tannins have also subsided somewhat due to daily water changes._









_The Flame Moss is still getting settled.
I'm excited to grow this moss as it's my first time._









_With the additional eight watts, you can more easily see the MM and Special Fern
that I planted in the rock's nook._​


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Okay, here's an FTS with the eight-thousand k bulbs.

















I added a bit of Mini Java Fern and Needle Leaf Java Fern.


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## Francis Xavier (Oct 8, 2008)

I love the 8000k bulbs - in my experience they work a lot better than 6700k's and look better too.


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## fish_fasinated (Mar 30, 2006)

UG this tank is going to phenominal. and if you keep going up in sizes like this, im sure ill go through the roof if you ever got somelhting like a 90 gallon

the placement of everything is so perfect. this is unbalevable, so hard to believe the size of this tank. 

and those shots with the sun hitting it just right are beautiful.


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

LOL at "eight thousand k"

I agree that the light and lack of tannins is creating a more visually pleasing tank. I'm so jealous of your special ferns. I hope the "nook" fills in the way you want it to. Those have always proven tricky for me. If the nook is deep enough, it's a piece of cake, if not....Nothing ever stays in place without extra attention.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Thanks, *X*, *fish*, and *cint*!
*cint*, the nook's pretty deep -- about half an inch -- and so far, after almost a week of daily water changes, it's stayed put. If anything the difficulty was in getting light to hit the MC and Special Fern growing there.

Speaking of nooks, I pinched a bunch of Mini Pellia in what I've come to call the "Cylon Rock".

Look:








And look:









_Compare the two for a moment and you'll see they look a lot alike.
Frak!_​
Anyway, the Mini Pellia's just shoved in there right now; it should neaten up once it gets established. It'll take extra trimming on my part to keep it from "flaring" outwards, but I think it'll look cool once it's grown in.
I also added some Anubias Nana "Petite" in some crack on the left side of the rock. It felt a bit like climbing a pitch and setting an anchor in rock climbing. Shove it in there and hope it holds.


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## Jack Gilvey (Jun 16, 2008)

Looks like a Sleestak to me.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

*Jack*, ha!









_It does!_​


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

The water's much cleared. Pretty quick, too. Usually it takes a few weeks to a month for me. I added Seachem's Stability, dunno if that had anything to do with it.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

No fern is better looking than Bolbitis in it's prime.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

I agree, UG!


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

The Bolbitis in your tank, *cl*, is _the_ perfect way to use it, I think. Funny how in your tank it did better when you stopped CO2ing. I've heard that from other people as well: the more you ignore it, the better it does.


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## Francis Xavier (Oct 8, 2008)

Wonder what would happen if you threw it in a bucket under a window. Would it then become like a plant out of the garden of eden?!


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## corporate p (Jan 14, 2009)

beautiful setup UG. the texture of the wood and stone is amazing together.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

It might, *X*.

Thanks, *corporate*. Initially, way back when, I didn't care for this type of wood. Now it's the only type I use. No idea what it's called, though.

The initial bunches of Bolbitis I got from AFA were terrible. I cut them to the rhyzome and replanted them. I got new stuff today that's in much better shape.

















I've decided that I want the metal ADA filter intake. It looks cool. So it'll be the metal intake and a glass outflow.


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Looking good UG. Going Stainless Huh.


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## lookin_around (Dec 18, 2005)

Stainless huh? My dad has a machine shop, I wonder how hard it would be to make your own. I'll have to go check them out on the AFA site.

On a side note, got my knee down for the first time yesterday. Talk about an amazing feeling!


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Thanks, *Craig*.

Good job, *lookin'*. I've yet to do that.

This shot is similar to one posted yesterday, but I managed to get a better color saturation with this shot. These are the colors that I hope to have fill the tank. Medium and dark green.









_At the top of the rock, you can make out where I tucked in a Special Fern.
There is one below it as well, but it's not showing in this photo._​


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

You should marry mp :tongue:


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

clwatkins10 said:


> You should marry mp :tongue:


 
MP is the BEST! A good alternative to MJ. :icon_eek::icon_roll


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

You know, this reminds me of an Aztec pyramid covered in jungle life.

Well done 

-O


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

*cl*, UG ♥ MP 4ever! 
*Craig* knows how awesome MP is.

*Orlando*, thanks! It does, doesn't it? And thanks for the Choice Regulator. GLA is a great company.

There's a part of me that suffers from the overly-optimistic illusion that I can somehow balance a tank's light, CO2, and ferts from the get-go and skip the algae phase completely. You know, just _nail_ it right out of the gate and go from a pristine newly-planted 'scape, to a verdant, algae free grown-in 'scape with no in-between.
On a Mini-S, a tank size I know quite well, I can't do this, so I don't understand why I thought a Mini-L, a new sized tank to me, would be any different.
I'm an eternal optimist, I suppose.
Optimism is often tempered by experience to the contrary, however, and this experience is proving to be true to form.
I've got three types of algae starting. Brown, which I've never had. Fuzz, which I always get. And that pretty, flowing algae that I got in Source way back when. None of them is catastrophic or indicative of an imbalance so much as the tank finding it's center.









_Four Nerites and a bunch of RCS are already in here 
getting ready to help me do what we do when we do what we do._









_This is the first time I've ever had brown algae.
Soonish, I'll introduce a crew of Ottos, but that'll be in a week or so._









_For fuzz algae, besides balancing the nutrients,
Amanos are teh shiznit towards it's elimination._​
Despite the algae stuff, the tank's growing faster than I had expected. The Japanese Hairgrass is throwing out runners and the Special Ferns are doing pretty well.

Of course, I've just jinxed myself.

I'll just shut up now.


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## mithrius (Apr 28, 2009)

it looks sooo good!! its pirate-y!!! i <3


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Arrrr, *mithrius*! _Pirate speak for thanks._

It's been ten days.
Here's a side-by-side comparison of day one and day ten.









_Day one_









_Day ten_​
Don't be impressed with any perceived growth of the Bolbitis; that was added later. The Japanese Hairgrass wasn't touched, however, and that's growing quicker than I expected. The Mini Pellia's doing well, too.

And you gotta admit that the algae on the top of the driftwood branch is pretty friggin' rad for algae. Imagine how cool that'll look when it grows across the entire branch! It's like my little monster's starting to come alive!

I've moved the diffuser to the rear of the tank beneath the spray bar. With absolutely zero scientific evidence, research, or even casual observation to back this up, I'm absolutely, unequivocally, and one hundred percent certain that more carbonO2 is absorbed into the ach2oh column this way. (Yes, even to me the writing of CO2 and H2O in that way is annoying. Not gonna change it though. Feeling feisty tonight.)

Anyway, I added a bunch of Amanos. Now there are Amanos, RCS, and Nerites in there. Next Otos. 

Then, yes, a fish of some sort. A non-algae eating fish.

So:
Any ideas on a type of fish that will look good in this tank?


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## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Wow that 8000K bulb really shows the differences of the rocks and textures you got in there.
I'm just gonna re-iterate how much i love mini pellia and at the verge of commit seppuku (crap i forgot the spelling) for not being able to find it ;( .
Though i may have to wait a few months for that.

Oh, and your algae is yum-tastic!


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## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

hair grass will grow like a weed when it's happy, so don't be surprised if you have a full carpet in a month or two.


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

Did I hear someone say fish???


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## ClPat (Apr 30, 2009)

Hey Ugly, I'm new on this forum (been lurking for a while though) and I gotta say I love your tanks and your posts (really funny). Look forward to seeing this tank evolve.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Thanks, *kayen*. As anyone who's read my journals knows, my preference leans sharply towards the ten-k k spectrum. I think it has to do with how it makes the water look. Eight-k to ten-k k makes the water appear clearer, sharper; it gives the water and glass a crystalline clarity. Five-k k bulbs tend to color the water column with a yellow tinge.
What are the shipping rules regarding shipping plants to Canada from the US? Let me know and hit me up in a month, and I'll send you some Mini Pellia if it's kosher with the governments in question. Not having MP is not worth shoving a small sword in your gut over.

Hey, *Dollface*. Thanks. Yeah, I'm seeing that. The boys at AFA said that this type of Japanese Hairgrass grows really slowly, but I'm not seeing that -- it's growing pretty quick for me. 
I did notice that it loves CO2. When I had my diffuser on the right-hand side of the tank, the JHG threw out runners much more quickly on that side. (What plant doesn't love CO2, though?)
Fleshing out this tank with the final touches of flora is subsequent to the carpet filling in. I can't get a good gauge of what plants will work until I see how the carpet fills in around a hardscape.
In particular, the shadowed-cave area beneath the driftwood will have something popping out of it, I just don't know what. I may rim the circumference of the mouth of the cave with MP or a moss, have a stem creeping out of it, or something else entirely. The point is, I need the JHG to grow in before I can tell what will look best.

Hey, *ClPat*. Welcome and thanks. I can't wait for this tank to grow up, either. So often in the AM, I'm tempted to throttle wide open the CO2 and set two more lamps on this tank in order to jump start the growth process.
One of the best parts of having a journal is the feeling of being able to show, day-by-day, what you saw in your mind's eye on day one and have it slowly come into focus.
On the first day when you reveal the bones -- the hardscape -- we all -- every single one of us -- question the choices of rock, wood, and plant placement. 
Some of us give opinions on what's good and what's bad. Some advice is taken and some isn't based on a still-blurry image of the final result in your mind. 
When the tank is fully grown in and you look at it, a sense of satisfaction comes over you. The end result is a balance of cooperative input and self-assurance. _I was not too stubborn and proud to take advice nor too insecure to not stand by my own artistic convictions._
And that's a good feeling. 
Good way to live, too, now that I think of it.

Tank's chugging along. 
I had an Amano jump yesterday. Found him to the side of the tank when I got home from work. Thought he was dead as he looked as dried up as those shrimp you get in the more expensive instant ramen varieties. He wasn't, though. When I picked him up he moved. When I put him in the water and tapped him once, he snapped back and went along as if nothing ever happened. I swear, Amanos are tough mofos.

The Fontinalis is starting to show new growth.








Until I personally owned this plant, I never really liked it. I had seen it in a lot of tanks, but never did I care for it.
Now, however, I really like it. Not as much as MP -- MP is and always will be my OTL. (OTL = One True Love)
It's still a cool plant, though. Where MP = OTL; Fontinalis = PL. (PL = Puppy Love)









_OTL + a tough mofo_​


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Elements is still chugging along.









_You know you've got a problem if you think,
I can't post this photo. Those pipes are filthy!
But I did post it so that means I don't have a problem.
Right? I mean, right?!_








I added a bit of Crypt Parva beneath the driftwood, but everything else is the same. JHG is growing in nicely, but I've got a bit of hair algae on the driftwood and Bolbitis.
I hate hair algae.
I can beat every other kind of algae except for hair algae.
It's why I love Amanos so much. I plan on having about forty Amanos in here.


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## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

Haha, 'Slow growing hair grass' is an oxymoron in my experience.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Damn straight, *Dollface*. Four people at AFA told me that it was either very slow growing or difficult.
I can't understand either.
It's growing quicker than Glosso even.
I will say this, this Japanese stuff is fresh as hell. It's going to look phenomenal filled in. The relative shortness of it with the way it bends downward is friggin' rad.


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## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

Hair grass is kind of like UG light, it either likes some people, or it doesn't. I bet you're happy that you're not gonna have to trim it all the time since it bends over like that.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

That second picture is a keeper!
Great tank as always, UG


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Holy cow! This is genius. It definitely does not look like a MINI. Good job of the scape.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

This is not an exaggeration, a cry for help, or a plea for reassurance.

This is Ugly at his absolute ugliest -- venting in the hopes that he can clear something out of his system and rise from ashes.

At work, this was one of the worst weeks in recent memory. I won't go into detail, but just imagine those weeks when the way you are and the way the world is are in direct and seemingly malicious opposition.
It's the type of week where nothing goes your way and what starts out as coincidentally sequential (yet still widely-spaced) unfortunate happenings begin to gain in frequency. Building one after another, they hit a critical mass where the unfortunate happenings change shape as they whip past past your eyes to that of everything you fear and loathe and all you can do is stand there taking hit after painful hit, weathered down to nothing but helpless frustration.

And at the end of it all, you want to take it out on glass.

When I got home, I wanted to smash this tank. Just lift it from the shelf and destroy it. Feel and hear the wondrous break and shatter of glass, water, driftwood, and Amazonia. Thinking about it, I could almost feel the euphoric release that destroying this tank would give me. The very idea of the feeling proved almost irresistible.

Of course, I didn't. It was momentary anger triggering an adrenaline-fueled fantasy that would never happen because (1) I spent too much money and time on the tank and (2) I knew damn well that I didn't feel like cleaning up the water. And, truth be told, I'm more of a lover than a tank thrower.

As stupid as all this sounds, what set this all off was BBA.

BBA has infected the Bolbitis in this tank. It's pretty bad and shows signs of getting worse.

I talked with my girl on the phone and listened to her take on all that has frustrated me this week. I began to settle. I was still pissed, but no longer destroy-the-tank pissed. She's a good woman. Everyone should be so lucky.

Now, sitting on my couch writing this, I see that for me my tanks are a sort of Rorschach inkblot test; where what I see in my tanks is what I see in myself. 
On most any other day or week, the BBA would have been seen as an unfortunate inevitability of me learning a new sized tank. Something new to learn and master. In other words, nothing to smash the tank over.
Today, however, the BBA was seen as a personal affront and algeafied confirmation that, yes, the world does suck.

I've since calmed considerably and see things much more clearly.

I think the most important thing I learned is:
_I should not look at my tanks when I'm pissed off._​


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

More CO2 a bit of excel and a glass of wine afterwords. Just remember it will all go away. Also as my old boss used to say "Oprahs on twice a day, ohmmmm, ohmmm" note he is a drunk so take it for what it is worth. 

Craig


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Craigthor said:


> More CO2 a bit of excel and a glass of wine afterwords. Just remember it will all go away. Also as my old boss used to say "Oprahs on twice a day, ohmmmm, ohmmm" note he is a drunk so take it for what it is worth.
> 
> Craig


LMAO  lol


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

PS *Ugly* how long is that Japanesse Hair Grass now? I'm thinking a slight change in the future with a really short grass plant in the front. Longer one behind the wood and maybe a bit of Java Fern Needle leaf variety.

Craig


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## lookin_around (Dec 18, 2005)

Ahh, I had one of those days back when I had a 29 gallon. Came back after a 3 week vacation to a tank in which the background was unable to be seen because of the algae that had taken over. To add this on top of my problems fighting algae the whole time the tank was set up, I just ripped everything out and went with all fake plants.

In my anger, I wanted to make things as easy as possible, and well...I regret the turnout.

Just think about how much better your tank looks than this, even with whatever algae is in there, haha.

P.S. - Please don't be jealous of the awesome bubbles I had going in the tank.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

*Craig*, I read your comment shortly after you posted it and whilst still in a funk of sorts. It made me chuckle. Right when I needed it. So thanks.
As for the Japanese Hair grass. Bent, it grows about an inch, I'd say. I'll measure tomorrow when the lights are on and on a day that I'm not in tank-throwing mood.

*lookin'*, I read your post to my girl on the phone and then described your tank. She was rolling. My girl has _the_ most beautiful laugh on the planet. There is no sound -- even Beethoven's Ninth -- that is more beautiful to my ears. So for making her laugh and letting me hear what I needed to hear, thank you.
When I described the bubbles, she almost bust a gut.

Anyway, I'm feeling much better now that it's dark and the day's over. I downloaded the demo for _Afro Samurai_. Maybe cutting people up is a cure for what ails me.


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## Francis Xavier (Oct 8, 2008)

I feel you man, this week has been a total drag for me as well. Sometimes you just want to go all Office Space on the nearest inanimate object.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Algae doing it's thing, but that's expected, I suppose. This early in a tank's life, the bacteria's still deciding how many kids to have in an economy like the tank's got, the plants are just now starting to put down roots and start their own families, and the shrimp are just pissed I put them in there so early.

I added a Special Fern in the middle there and a Starg...whatever it's called on the bottom left.

The tank looks like crap to me right now, but I can _feel_ it's beauty beneath the surface of algae and gunk.









_In a way, the algae makes the tank look wicked._​


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Ugly Genius said:


> _wicked._​


Have you seen that play? It's in San Francisco


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

Ugly Genius said:


> Algae doing it's thing, but that's expected, I suppose.
> 
> The tank looks like crap to me right now, but I can _feel_ it's beauty beneath the surface of algae and gunk.
> 
> ...


I agree about the algae! We should start cultivating it and embracing its presence. After all don't we strive for *NATURE* aquariums anyhow? I'm in absolute love with your ferns and JHG. Have you picked up your metal pipes yet? Are you still doing daily water changes? I'm learning the hard way just how long it can take for the SEA wood to complete it's yucky tannin stage.

Happy 'scaping!


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## lookin_around (Dec 18, 2005)

Ugly Genius said:


> *Craig*, I read your comment shortly after you posted it and whilst still in a funk of sorts. It made me chuckle. Right when I needed it. So thanks.
> As for the Japanese Hair grass. Bent, it grows about an inch, I'd say. I'll measure tomorrow when the lights are on and on a day that I'm not in tank-throwing mood.
> 
> *lookin'*, I read your post to my girl on the phone and then described your tank. She was rolling. My girl has _the_ most beautiful laugh on the planet. There is no sound -- even Beethoven's Ninth -- that is more beautiful to my ears. So for making her laugh and letting me hear what I needed to hear, thank you.
> ...


Haha, I'm glad I can entertain

I like how this tank looks. If there were a way to control the algae I think it would be cool in here.

Do you feed your shrimp anything, or do you just let them chow down on what they can find on their own?


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Hey, *Zoo*. Didn't see the play, but I seem to recall reading the book more than a few years ago. Don't recall if I liked it, though.

Thanks, *cint*. You know, the only algae that I don't like is hair algae. I can beat any other kind. For the life of me, however, I cannot beat hair algae. I know it's got something to do with iron, but I don't dose iron. I barely even dose Green Brighty Step 1; just Brighty K.

Hey, *lookin*. Nah, I don't feed them in this tank. In my shrimp tank, I occasionally give them Hikari Crab Cuisine, but very rarely. I was briefly considering getting them some of that food that gabezone sells from Japan, but the quality of my shrimp does not really justify anything above algae. They seem happy enough with just that.

Nothing new going on in Elements. Growth is steady. (Never quick enough for me, but it'll do.) And as much as you hear me bitch and moan in the Source thread about dry-start method being boring, I really wish I had gone that route in this tank. The idea of circumventing the current algae phase by so doing has me kicking myself. We learn from our mistakes, though, right?


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

That little special fern is awesome. It reminds me of a small palm growing on the edge of a cliff on some exotic island


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Thanks, *cl*. That Special Fern is a refuge from Source. It wasn't growing all that well in Source, but it had two stems that seemed to make it okay.

Yesterday, I got it in my head that Elements would look really cool with blackwater. The dark color would really suit this tank, I'm thinking. I'm also thinking of adding five or so Cardinal Tetras.
The blackwater would probably induced by an extract of some sort and it's really just an aesthetic thing. I could care less about the effects on pH, GH or whatever physical effects blackwater extract has on a tank's water.
Anyone have any experience with blackwater tanks?


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## Jack Gilvey (Jun 16, 2008)

I really like the look. I did one _years_ ago for a pair of Chocolate Gouramis in a 5 gallon. I think I used a Aquaclear HOB filled with peat moss. I remember absolutely nothing else about it.


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## ClPat (Apr 30, 2009)

This tank would look awesome with blackwater! But cardinals might upset the sense of scale I think...Maybe some nano shiny fish, blackwater enhances the reflections of fish. Maybe sundadanio axelrodi or microdevario kubotai. Oh, and also SPARKLING gouramies aka dwarf croacking gouramis, they would fit like no other in here.
Great tank once again.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Ugly Genius Gets Fish
Elements is now officially a "fish tank"









updated 1 hour, 27 minutes ago

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - In an unprecedented move, Aquascaper Ugly Genius bought six Cardinal Tetras for his "Elements" blackwater monster tank. 

At a press conference outside of San Francisco's Aqua Forest Aquarium from which he purchased the six Cardinal Tetras, Ugly Genius stated, "Yeah, I got six Cardinals." When asked why now after almost a year of keeping planted tanks without fish, UG replied, "Dunno. Just thought it would be cool to have actual fish in a fish tank, you know?" 

Promptly after making this comment, Ugly Genius began doing one-armed handstands in order to impress his girlfriend.

After the displays of acrobatics, Ugly Genius began questioning the press corp on fishkeeping. "Does anyone know if I need to feed these or will they eat algae?" The question and answer session lasted for forty-five minutes. Apparently, Ugly Genius did not like learning that Cardinal Tetras do not eat algae as he proceeded to bang his head against a street pole repeatedly and with increasing intensity while moaning after hearing for the fifth time that they don't eat algae. The headbanging/moaning lasted until after the press corp had dispersed.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

lol. this is too funny 
fish eh?


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## Outlawboss (Dec 30, 2008)

Ones that don't eat algae?! OMG!


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

....and the prophecy is fulfilled. Strange how us aquascapers give-in to such random additions as fish. Why do they tempt us so? 

G'luck with the cardinals! They're one of my all-time favorties.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Wanna do the roll call?

Hair algae: present;
Blue Green algae: present (although abating);
Brown algae: was present (now gone);
Clado: present (hopefully eliminated) (cross fingers);
Dust algae: here;
Beard algae: yep; and
Staghorn algae: here!

I think the only algae I haven't had yet is green water and green spot algae.









_At least my shrimp won't starve_​
You'll notice that there are fish in the tank! Cardinals are so pretty! I can see why they're popular. I think I want to get a few more to take the total number up to nine.

I got some Dark Green Shrimp in the mail today from HOLLYWOOD here on this forum. The guy does know how to pack shrimp. One was DOA, but that's to be expected; shrimp are fragile creatures. Dark Green Shrimp are cool. Until today, I had never seen any in person. They are more yellow than green to me, but they are quite pretty.

On an unrelated note, I should have dry-started this tank. The break-in period is simply too heartbreaking. Algae drives me nuts.


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## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Buddy, that algae is getting out of control.
That pic before was awesome, cardinals do look nice but i still don't get the fan-gasm over them, they're over used, everyone and their dog has one. I dunno they're just overused, every single tank has them. =/

With the dry start method, i'm finding japanese hairgrass ( stays curled like yours, so i'm going to go with the assumption ) to be relatively slow.


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## niptek (Nov 9, 2008)

hey, your tank only have been up for a month and has all that nasty algae? 

excel works great on staghorn. =)


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## Francis Xavier (Oct 8, 2008)

excel melts mini pellia too!


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Most of your plants can do well in low light. You should first check the nutrient levels in the tank (nitrate and phosphate mainly). Bet they are high but not much fast growing plants to use them up. Then clean the algae manually as much as possible, do a major water change, cut down on ferts and photo period. You also might want to move your fish to another tank if you have, cause they might suffer from all these changes.

Good luck!


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

ug, there is some algae in your tank. I just thought I'd let you know .


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## quicktap (Apr 6, 2008)

I feel your pain, UG. You are not alone.

I will say, though, your algae skills are far superior to mine; I have only one species of algae in good health. 

-qt


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Hey, *Kayen*. Cardinals are probably played out, but they _are_ pretty. Remember, I have zero fish experience save Otos and a couple of Bettas. So it's best that I keep things simple initially.
Good to know about the Japanese Hairgrass. I'm growing some emersed as well in Source and it's a lot slower than submersed. So far, at least.

Pretty great, huh, *niptek*! Only a month and already I've got about six kinds of algae. Yay me!

You've noticed that, too, huh, *X*?...that Excel is pretty bad on Mini Pellia. I've heard a lot of people say that they've had no problem, but I've noticed that a spot treatment on algae over MP is lethal to both.

Thanks, *malaybiswas*. I am considering downing the light intensity. This is a new size tank for me, so the learning curve will be steep. Obviously, I can't up the CO2 as I made the mistake of adding moving things in the tank. (This is why I'd rather just have a plant-only tank.)

*cl*, are you serious?! Algae...in here--?

*tap*, you think my algae-growing skills are impressive now. Just you wait. This tank's only a month old!

Here's my thoughts on this tank:
I believe that I stocked it way too early. I poured on too much light and too little CO2. I let the filter run too far between cleanings. (I cleaned it for the first time yesterday. Filthy.) I didn't add enough fast growing plants. I made a ton of mistakes, really.

Quite frankly:
I allowed my ego -- rather than experience -- to dictate how to start this tank. I thought, to put it even more frankly, that I was better than I actually am.

So where do I go from here?
I continue on. I will probably take the advice of *malay* and down the wattage. I will also let go of preconceived notions of how I _want_ to grow this tank and rather give the tank what it _needs_.
I need to make my mistakes, and learn from them. I think I forgot about this. I forgot that the mind of a beginner is more open and, consequently, learns more faster. 
I let go of this "beginners mind" and became cocky.
And you see what happens when you do that.

I think I've determined the cause of all algae.
Mathematically, it can be expressed thusly:
Cocky + Ugly = Algae
_then_
Ugly = Humbled
_then_
A Lot of Work to Do​


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## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

FWIW,
if there was a category on TPT for algae tank journals, this would be the sweetest tank there. I think it looks cool. It definitely has that dark, mysterious, haunted graveyard look. You'll get it figured out!


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## FrostyNYC (Nov 5, 2007)

First off, I'm a huge fan of yours, I hope you know. Reading your posts and seeing the stunning tanks you've created, I'm really very surprised by the state of this one... When I saw it, I assumed it was intentional. If you want to try to rationalize this, you've done an AMAZING job of replicating a real stagnant pond. Its very natural. With the slime and algae and everything.


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## fishydaze (May 1, 2009)

*Dark Scene with Algae*

I like it...sorry its getting you so personally down, but it has been a very evocative tank from day one, and although I guess it isn't the "in" thing, it couldn't be more hauntedly abandoned and spooky (which you may recall was your goal)...the cardinals show up nice against it but something like mini-moth catfish or a school of tiny ember tetras might be cool gothic additions...(or a small gator )

No matter what pictures I take of my tank, it is extremely perky and lit up like an industrial strength christmas tree...have you already mentioned the camera equipment you are using? 

You fight the algae with frequent H20 changes, ferts and CO2, cursing, coaxing, shrimp and Otos, and deals with the devil, and eventually it will fade nonchalantly in a way that suggests that it just casually decided to go on its own.....One of the saddest things I found in the aquariums of my previous life is: when I finally start to kill the algae off (hooray!)... everything is coated with dead algae. Yum. Something to look forward to?

Anyway: thanks much for sharing your tanks in such detail. I enjoy them and find them motivating (in a lowest of tech ways )


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Thanks, *fast*. Were it not for the hair algae, I'd be cool with all the other kinds. For some reason, I _hate_ hair algae. I actually, _like_ staghorn algae.

Ha! Thanks, *Frosty*. Cool of you to say that.

Thanks, *fishy*.
It's true that I'm going for a creepy vibe with Elements. While the algae does add to this effect, I think what gets me is that it wasn't intentional.
The Mini Moth Catfish you mentioned and which I just googled and learned about right now is friggin' rad! It would _totally_ match this tank. From the pictures I saw of them, they look a lot like the driftwood in this tank, even. I may pick one up one of these days. Thanks for the tip.
My camera was bought back in 1999 or so. It's a Sony Cyber-shot. I've tweaked the settings the best I can, but I'm really not all that camera-savvy. I don't use a tripod or special lighting. On Riven and Source, I use a stool to keep me steady, but on Elements -- perched higher -- I have to hold my breath and snipe a shot between heartbeats as I hold it in my outstretched arms.
I added five more Amanos to the tank today. I have no idea how many shrimp I have in there now, but they seem to be earning their pay as the algae is slowly abating.
Oh, I forgot to mention. Your signature...I can totally relate. I have thousands of books all around my house. The spare bedroom is half-filled with them and an entire wall in my dining room is shelved with them. Actually, there is not a room in my house that doesn't have at least one stack of books. Usually dozens of stacks.

Anyway, here's a photo taken just now.









_I think this tank'll bounce back._​
As you may be able to see, things are slowly clearing and Ugly is starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
Truth be told, I don't mind the Staghorn algae at all. I like it, actually. It's the hair algae that pisses me off. I can beat Staghorn, BGA, GDA, Brown, and most of the rest. I cannot ever beat hair algae, though. They say it's about excess iron, but I'm not convinced of this. It feels personal to me. I think Hair Algae's got it in for me. (Besides being bored of Source, Hair Algae was reason number two I tore it down.)
What I've done to fight the algae is cut back on lighting to about six hours a day from eleven and did some trimming of leaves that I thought too algaefied. More than my efforts, however, I think a lot has to do with the tank's cycle getting kicked into gear and eating up the ammonia and crap. (And when I say "crap" I mean that literally as the bacteria eat crap. Also known as "shrimp poopie".)
Hey, I just thought of a new word: "shrap". Shrimp's crap = Shrap. 
Or "shrit" for shrimp s#!t.


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## fish_fasinated (Mar 30, 2006)

looking good UG glad to see things are clearing slowly for you.


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## garuf (May 30, 2007)

it's a shame ferns are so sensitive to excel othewise I'd nuke the whole tank with the stuff. The trick with this is going to be doing every day water changes and getting your dosing and co2 rebalanced. Give it a month and you should be back on track, you can get through this!


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## ClPat (Apr 30, 2009)

It's starting to look really good. A few water changes, some excel and light feeding of the fish and it'll look great.
To be honest, I would have prefered to see nano-fish in there, aside from that and the algae, I love this tank and it's dark, heart-of-the-forest, don't-go-in-there look.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

dude im in love with this tank. i love jungles and this looks like something straight out of south america. if only i knew how to scape like you


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Francis Xavier said:


> excel melts mini pellia too!


Nah I dose super heavy on excel in my tank and have seen nothign bad with Excel and my Mini Pellia



Ugly Genius said:


> _I think this tank'll bounce back._​


Smoking tank!

Craig


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Thanks, *chris* and *Craig*. (Craig, welcome back, hommie. Glad you're going to stay!)

I'm off to work in a bit, so I can't snap photos right now, but I can say that much of my algae problem was probably the result of a dirty filter as previously speculated. Yesterday, my order of replacement pads for the 2213 finally came in -- you can't get them anywhere in the City -- and I replaced the old ones last night. This morning, already, the tank has cleared considerably of hair algae and BGA. Staghorn is still there, but it appears to be on the way out.
It's a good feeling and given the spooky nature of this layout, when I saw it this morning, slowly recovering and finding it's legs, I felt like the Emperor in _Revenge of the Sith_ when he rescues Anakin, puts him in the Vader suit for the first time, and says, "Rise!"


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## Tex Gal (Mar 28, 2008)

UG only you could make algae look good! LOL It looks like a movie stage for a horror flick. It's very cool.


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## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

Ugly Genius said:


> I felt like the Emperor in _Revenge of the Sith_ when he rescues Anakin, puts him in the Vader suit for the first time, and says, "Rise!"


Yes! This tank is about to kick some a%#!


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## JadeIceGreen (May 20, 2009)

One encouragement I can give you is that since you have created a masterpiece in smaller tanks than the Mini L, this will be easy. Just stick with it and on days that it gets you down, think of when it will all be well (in time) and you can show it off!

For my Mini M with glosso, I struggled with hair algae and GSA for the first FOUR months of the tank's life. Every day, without fail, I would change 30% water and suck away all the hair algae and scrub the tank walls and it took 30 mins.

It was only until I realized how much of a big eater glosso was that I solved algae once and for all. Now I pump 5ml of Step 2, 2ml of Brightly K and 2ml of Excel daily with 1bps CO2. Spotless clean tank all week round, like those in the ADA Gallery.

To cut the long story short, (I should have done that earlier... hmmm) don't give up! Once you find the tank's balance, it will be sweet from there on. 

*Cheering for you!*


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Thanks, *Tex*, *fast*, and *Jade*.

Slowly, very slowly, Elements is coming around.








I'll be removing the Crypt in the middle. I'm not digging it at all.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Went to AFA today to pick up some potassium. Also got eighteen Amanos. The total number of Amanos in Elements is completely unknown to me.
I'd estimate it somewhere around: a lot.


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## vtkid (Jan 5, 2009)

it looks mystical... a lush, rainforest..ugh mountain or something.


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

Nice UG 

-O


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Pretty sweet layout!! you have amazing skills.


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## JadeIceGreen (May 20, 2009)

The entire layout is so sweet. I love the powerful hardscape and the lawn is very nice.
Your photo taking skills are fantastic too! Keep it coming with this tank..

How I wish ADA made a Mini Solar for their Mini L.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Thanks, *vtkid*, *Orlando*, *hyph*, and *Jade*.

Japanese Hairgrass...
I'm not sure I'm liking this carpet plant.
On paper, it's got everything I love in a carpet: short, thin, delicate, and verdant. (Apart from the verdant part, a lot like Natalie Portman.)
In reality, however, these attributes don't add up to a plant I like all that much.
I can't tell you why, exactly. I can say that I don't like the way it bends downward and gives the carpet a sloppy look. It looks like bedhead to me.
I'm not giving up on the plant, but if it does not impress me in the next three weeks, once Source is filled, this tank will be drained and started with a new carpet plant. (I'll keep the hardscape as is, I just want a different carpet. I'm considering a carpet of Mini Pellia! Imagine how fresh _that_ would be!)

We'll see.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

In another post, I suggested a Beethoven for the creative side of this hobby.

Here's a song for those moments when a tank is kicking you in the ass and you want to quit. And you shouldn't.

'Cause it gets better.


















_Very slowly, I'm bringing this one back._​




_"So this is like a full blown attack I’m launching at them"​_("Them" being algae.)​


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## Outlawboss (Dec 30, 2008)

Ugly Genius said:


> ​


In that picture right there, the only thing I see is 100% awesomeness. Absolutely fantastic picture, UG. :thumbsup: Slowly coming around is a good thing. It presents more of an ongoing challenge which, while it may be more frustrating in the moment, is far more rewarding in the long run.


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

I see you have the Red Sea Drop Checker...where'd you get it? And where'd you get the 4dkh solution?


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

which hairgrass is that?
if you are growing e. acicularis (dwarf hairgrass), you may want to try e. belem. it tends to grow slower, and the leaves are thinner, so it looks nice in nanos.

4kh solution is easy to make. take a bottle of distilled water bought at a store, get out you test kit and slowly add baking soda bit by bit. you end up with a gallon of 4kh water (that little bit of baking soda does nothing to taste and such, so you can still drink it).


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Thanks, *Outlaw*! I'm starting to see that while this tank is proving to be a monumental pain in the ass, it is also giving me a sense of accomplishment in that I am getting the upper hand on quite a few types of algae. This tank has/had them all. The only one it doesn't have is green water. (The only one I don't want to eradicate is BBA. I love how it looks on the driftwood.)
I'm very happy with this hardscape and that is helping me to not tear it down and start over. (Although I really wish I had used Mini Microsword instead of Japanese Hairgrass. I _knew_ at the time that Mini Microsword was the way to go, but I was jacked to use JHG.)

Hey, *Zoo*. I got the drop checker at Aquatic Central here in the City. The solution came with it. The pain in the butt thing about drop checkers is that if you're not watching your tank twenty-four/seven, all they reveal to you is you need a pH monitor attached to your setup to regulate CO2.

Hey, *@[email protected]*. Japanese Hairgrass which, I think, is belem. It grows about an inch and a half high and curls downward.
I'm not too fond of it though. My carpet of choice is Mini Microsword. It's the perfect carpet plant for me right now. Slow growing, pretty, and easily trimmable.


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

UG your algae looks like Spirogyira. A 3-4 day black otu will kill most of it off.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

This tank is unbelievably cool to look at. It's so dark and haunting but lush and green at the same time. Even some of the algae looks like moss on trees in a dark forest that is supposed to be there. I dig it.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Thanks, *Craig*. I may try that some day.

Thanks, *Karackle*!

Despite the carpet that I hate, this tank is coming along.









_I don't think I'll ever use another Hairgrass carpet._​
I've still got BBA, but I kind of like it, so I'm not actively trying to fight it.
One thing I noticed is that plants grow faster in larger tanks. In here, virtually every plant grows twice as fast as it would in a Mini-S and Mini-M. I attribute this to larger light source and better CO2 saturation.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

Woah!! This tank looks so mysterious and creepy. I like it:thumbsup:


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Thanks, *ddtran*!

A cool shot I took today.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Just set this little guy up.

Simple. A lawn of Christmas Moss and a Special Fern. Lighted by thirteen watts and fed by AS and Excel.

















I probably have close to ten jars/containers/bowls/cups filled with plants all throughout the house.

Thank God I'm not a cat person.


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Nice Jar UG. I've been thinging of doing that with a jar some AS and a bit of christmas moss I have laying around and just set it in the window sill.

craig


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Thanks, *Craig*.
I've got another jar with AS and Flame Moss that I keep on a window sill. 









_Thinking of adding an Oscar once the cycle's completed._​


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Ugly Genius said:


> Thanks, *Craig*.
> I've got another jar with AS and Flame Moss that I keep on a window sill.
> 
> 
> ...


 
I think a Pacu would fit better.


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## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

Ugly Genius said:


> Thanks, *Craig*.
> I've got another jar with AS and Flame Moss that I keep on a window sill.
> 
> 
> ...


Do it. I dare you :hihi:


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Don't you think that tank is a bit BIG for an oscar? Overkill IMHO, you could definitely go smaller.


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## Reginald2 (Mar 10, 2009)

Maybe a petite oscar? _Oscarious madeupious_


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## Axelrodi202 (Jul 29, 2008)

Or an arowana!


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

Axelrodi202 said:


> Or an arowana!


Haha. I was thinking the same thing yesterday


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

random thought....

I think a pair of some wild chocolate gouramis would look lovely in this tank. They would look quite fitting in the shadows.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Remind me never to put a tank in a room with lots of ambient light. 
Because glare sucks.
So often I want to show you guys something in Elements but I can't because all you'd see is a silhouetted reflection of yours truly holding a camera. I've got a ton of windows and great views, but in the planted tank way of looking at things, windows suck.

Were this tank not in the living room, I'd be able to show you how much Elements has filled in. I've come to the conclusion that the fast growth I'm seeing in Elements is not due to a larger tank size as I hypothesized earlier, but Aqua Soil. I believe that Aqua Soil is better than Aqua Soil Powder. The powder-type, while very good, is not as nutrient-rich as the normal type; that's what I'm thinking, anyway.

On an unrelated note, I don't know why, but every time I dose K, a few shrimp die. I'm careful to dose slowly and all that, but still, without fail, a few hours after I dose, one to three shrimp will die. It could be coincidental, but it's made me more than a little scared to dose anything in here. Yesterday I lost three a six hours after dosing.
Weird.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

One more thing. Just now I was letting Franny and Zooey out to play. As they're in the backyard doing their business, I peer into a planter that sits in front of my house. I toss old Aqua Soil and scraps after a rescape into this thing. It's filled with water and some sort of bamboo-looking plant.
Anyway:
I notice that there are Cherry Shrimp in there. I don't recall putting any shrimp in there, but they could have hitched a ride during a Aqua Soil toss. I also see Riccia, pearling. And Glosso growing emersed and submersed. Various mosses doing various things. And plants that resemble plants I poured into there, but more wild-looking and vital. Some of the stuff is growing better than in my balanced light-to-CO2 tanks.
I just don't know how the shrimp are surviving in there. The water I pour into it is straight from the hose and the temps drop pretty low from time to time.
It's pretty cool to see something like that. Nature doing what it does: finding a way to keep on keeping on.


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## Outlawboss (Dec 30, 2008)

Picture?! I'd love to see a visual of this planter because it sounds rad. I think sometimes we forget that all these things we grow and feed came from nature at some point, so it's cool to hear that they keep on kickin when you put them back into nature - in a manner of speaking.


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

awesome tank,, i think some sort of pike lurking in the shadows would be sick. Or maybe a leaf fish.


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## Francis Xavier (Oct 8, 2008)

That sounds like a really cool planter.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Ugly's wicked tank.








Here's it's with a 400 ISO so as to see more of the details. (I usually use an ISO of 100 for the truest color representation, but here a higher one was necessary as the sun's still up and this tank is a beotch to shoot with all the reflections and whatnot.)








I've pretty much ignored this tank. I don't even look at it all that much. It wasn't until I looked at the photos that you're now seeing that I realized that it really needs a trim. Maybe tomorrow.


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## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

That DW looks like it's guarding something, and if anyone came through the forest and tried to pass, it would wrap his legs in vines and eat him. 

Wicked is the only word for Elements. I feel like sweet or awesome would just be an insult.


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## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

Man, that is sick! It's grown up so well, even better than I thought it would


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## Francis Xavier (Oct 8, 2008)

Looks like there's some clado there in the jdhg that needs eradicating! For some reason I get the feeling that a teeny bit of red somewhere in there would be badass.


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## jargonchipmunk (Dec 8, 2008)

Ugly Genius said:


> Thanks, *Craig*.
> I've got another jar with AS and Flame Moss that I keep on a window sill.
> 
> 
> ...


oscar the grouch? I think he'd be right at home in there!


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Tank looks wicked cool  The BBA just fits the theme as long as you can check further over growth.

How are the mosses doing, the rare ones.


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Very cool looking tank UG. For some reason it reminds me of that old movie, "Swamp Thing".


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## niptek (Nov 9, 2008)

hey where did u get ur coralife aqualight? how many inch is it? and does the bulb uses a square pin? Have u switched it out with an ADA 36watt bulb?


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Hey, *nip*. I got the light about six years ago at a LFS that has since closed down. (R.I.P., Nippon Goldfish.) It's a square-pin and I have switched it to the ADA thirty-six watt bulb with no problems. I read that the ballast is rated for bulbs up to forty watts. It's a good fixture if you're looking for a light between twenty-eight and forty watts.


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Ugly Genius said:


> Hey, *nip*. I got the light about six years ago at a LFS that has since closed down. (R.I.P., Nippon Goldfish.) It's a square-pin and I have switched it to the ADA thirty-six watt bulb with no problems. I read that the ballast is rated for bulbs up to forty watts. It's a good fixture if you're looking for a light between twenty-eight and forty watts.



And Ugly still exists.... :flick: Where you been, the Nano forums is quiet without you.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Hey. *Craig*. I've been around but life's been a bit busy, and I'm still trying to catch up on everyone's journals/posts.

Also, it was getting a bit quiet in some of my journals so I figured I'd give you guys a rest from "The World According to Ugly Genius" and start writing when I actually had something to say.
(I still don't.)

Suffice it to say, I've been working on most of my tanks even when quiet. Elements is basically torn down and waiting to be reworked. Glosso with river stones this time around.

My favorite current tank is Source as it's the most difficult tank I've ever built. 

Riven's proving to be very difficult as Mini-Ss suck. You have only two choices: too little light or too much.

riverrun is a tad boring as it's finished and there's very little tinkering I can do without completely changing it's look.

Morrowind is a pain in the ass for a myriad of reasons that I won't go into here.

Quasi-Wabi is dead. There are a ton of shrimp in it though. Dunno how that happened.

Other than that, it's been the motorcycle, video games, the girlfriend, and work. (Just not in that order.) I'm once again behind in watching _Lost_ on iTunes, but I'm going to try to watch a few episodes tonight. (All you married guys with kids are probably pulling out your violins for me. _Aww, poor Ugly. He's so busy being with his beautiful girlfriend, brand new sports bike, and his 360 that he doesn't have time to watch_ Lost_. Poor little guy. How does he manage?_ I know. And I'm sorry.)


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Just reading your posts...
wanna write a paper for me? :tongue:
I look forward to an update


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## Reginald2 (Mar 10, 2009)

I'm a little sad, you listed tanks that I don't know that I've seen. I enjoy your kitchen of many fish tanks, though I'm sure not as much as you do.

A couple of months ago I contracted the childhood disease of Mono and really enjoyed watching _Lost_. This season started out slow, but my interest is pretty peaked now. I always catch it on Hulu or Netflix.


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## benon (Feb 18, 2010)

*asdf*

This is the coolest tank I've seen on TPT.


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