# Ada Iwagumi Tank And Steps --Photo Heavy--



## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

*Hey Guys,*

I am working on an new *Iwagumie Style* tank with HC and Micro swords. Previously I have had great success planting HC using the Dry start method, i will also be doing the same for this tank. 

This Log will be separated into 3 stages.
*Stage 1-* Pre planting 
*Stage 2-* Dry start
*Stage 3-* Flooding

In the first few weeks i will be updating this log regular so you guys can see the growth process of the plants. Enjoy!

*Stage 1 - Pre Planting*
** Interesting fact** Did you know that HC is a "Steam plant", therefor you can just trim the HC and replant the trimmings.
That is exactly what i did here. Since i already have a well established HC tank i trimmed and replanted the HC for my new ADA tank.
The reason why i am planting the HC prior to my new tank is so i can get a good root system established while i am collection my supplies for the future tank.

This is a super simple method to expanding your collection of HC. and here is my secret.....
DON"T over think it. All i did was fill a small basket with regular garden soil and threw the trimmings on top. (no planting required)
The Key is to keep the soil moist, to a point where the water level is about 0.5cm over the soil level. Also covering the top of the basket with saran wrap. 
Covering the top will stabilize the necessary humidity for the HC to survive. One more impotent thing DO NOT PUT IN DIRECT SUN LIGHT. I can guarantee if you do your HC will die. I would suggest indirect sunlight for at least 8 hours a day.

~i will also be selling HC in the Calgary Location in about 2 months. PM me if you are interested 

_Aug-22-2012_


































Time to gather my Supplies 
-ADA Cube Garden -$110
-ADA Amazonia Aquarium Soil -$50
-Sun Blaster T5ho Light -$30
-Fluval 205 Canister Filer - $80

For you guys out there looking for a cheap light fixture i would highly recommend the Sun Blaster T5 lights. This light fixture is designed for greenhouse use, but you can still use if for your aquarium.
Specs- T5ho 24w, Lumen 2232, Length 24", 6400k
I can't complain for $30















There are the Sunblaster Lights
















ADA Cube Garden- Dimensions: 45cm X 27cm X 30cm (just a little over 10 gallons)


















Fluval 205 (for later use)









ADA Amazonia Aqua Soil










_Sept-22-2012_
One month later i decided that it is time to start up my new tank. As you can see in the picture below the HC has grown quite a bit. The leaves are extremely green and they look very ready for planting.
Prior to planting these i uprooted the HC and rinsed them in a bucket of water. (to get the soil off). I then clumped them in to small clumps for planting.









Expanding my population of HC


Here comes the fun stuff. The Landscaping!
I later did change up the landscape by a bit afterwards, but i was too lazy to take more pictures. haha!
In the front i have about 2.5" of soil and at the back it's up to 5" tall.
































_Sept-25-2012_
After a few days of rocks play i have finally perfected my scaping. (well how i like it)
This is the where stage 2 begins. Weekly posts will be made for you guys to see the HC and micro swords growth progression. 

*Stage 2 - Dry Start *
As you can see in the pictures below i planted the HC in about 90% of the tank and 10% of Microswords in the back.
...and yes i did use the whole basket of HC.

First i poured enough water in the tank to flood the lowest point.
then i started planting.

































At this point i will keep the tank waterless for about 1 month. Since my tank is in a dry state i will not have any Co2 issues as well as Algae problems.
I have my light on a timer for 13 hours per day to promote growth. Once again if you are doing the dry start method you need saran wrap on top of your tank.
I will be misting my tank once every 4 days and lifting the saran wrap each day for air exchange.

_Sept-26-2012 _
















_Sept-28-2012_
















_Sept-29-2012_
















_Oct-02-2012_
















_Oct-03-2012_ 
































As you can see in the photos above the HC is starting to connect to each other. I am super excited since it's growing way faster then i anticipated. I am Planning on giving it a few more weeks before starting stage 3. (adding water)

Today i also also went to a Planted Aquarium seminar hosted at Pisces. It was awesome and very informative. The best part of the seminar was that it was very ADA focused.
The host of the show went in to great details using ADA products. We also got some cool ADA gift bags and Pisces coupons. "We are not doing a fish tank here. We are doing a planted aquarium. The fishes are additions to the PLANTED tank ~Norm"

After the seminar i went on Ebay and bought a few new items for stage 3 of the tank.
1) A set of 13 mm lily pipes
2) A Hydor ETH 200 inline heater
3) Moonlight Led
4) Glass Drop Checker
5) Rhinox 1000 Diffuser
~ i will post some pictures of these products when they arrive in the mail ~

YAY!:fish: I get a chance to play with my camera. (Sony Nex 5n)


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

_Oct-10-2012_

Hey guys, i have another photo update for you guys on my tank. 
OMG the HC has grown alot! 

I have also attached a few pictures of the 10 gallon Red Cherry Shrimp tank i am newly working on. 
In regards of "SomeCanuck"'s question i have also included 2 pictures of my Fluval 205. Hope that helps. 
















I decided that it would be a good idea to buy a garden mat for my ADA tank. At first i was going to use a YOGA mat and cut it up, then i realized that the ADA garden mat was cheaper then a YOGA mat. 
So why not! I bought the ADA mat for 16$ 










































*The two pictures below is in regards to a question from a member. In my set up i am using 1/2"ID and 5/8"OD tubing on a Fluval 205 *
















*As promised here are a few pictures of my new shrimp tank.*

















































Stay tune, more updates to come. I will be flooding the tank very soon.


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

_*Oct-15-2012
*_


Hi! I have another update for you !!!
Today my Lily Pipes came. I ordered them from Ebay, from a vendor named "aquamagic" 
For 35$ i got both the intake and the out take. And i have to say i am super happy with the product. 
It is made of good quality glass, and it's thick.


























*Here are some more pictures of the Growth rate. It's been 21 days since i planted these. I am thinking of giving it another 2 weeks before flooding. *










































*Root growth! WOW the micro sword roots are long !!*



















_*Oct-20-2012
*_

Hey all.

Today i decided to do a DIY moonlight for my tank. It's a super budget one, costed $5 and a can of pop. It doesn't look like the MarineLand brand ones. But can't complain for $5









Blue Led from Ebay. $3

Yes i am using a can of pop as reflectors!!!

















































































Found some random metallic grate in the house. Meh why not? looks kinda cool 
















































Completed~~~

* Here is a quick photo update of my Carpet. As you can see some of my leaves are changing color. I have no idea why, maybe my room is too cold. If you have an idea why please leave a post*



























_*Oct-22-2012
*_

My plan is to flood the tank this Sunday. So stay tune to stage 3 of the journal.

After learning from a friend that micoswords might spread and invade the HC, i decided to be proactive and put in some DIY dividers.
Not really even DIY, more like Cut it yourself. In the photos below i am using the plastic cups from store bought aquatic plants. 










































*And here is probably the last update during the DSM. We will see. After doing some research i have came to the conclusion that my DSM is too moist!! and that is why my leaves are turning brown. YEA i know right!!! too moist for an aquatic plant. I decided to unseal one corner of the seran wrap. *


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

*STAGE 3 Flood*

*Oct-23-2012*

So i couldn't wait anymore and i decided to flood my tank today. I opened the window this morning and saw super long roots and said to myself "it's time" LOL.
Furthermore my aqua-magic Diffuser arrived in the mail too. 

















Well before I started the flooding process i decided to get my DIY Co2 setup first. With prior experience i found that it takes about 2 hours before enough pressure is created for diffusion. Because this tank is going to be fishless for a bit i decided to double to ingredient to in my DIY mixture. I want to give my HC as much Co2 as possible to adapt from emerged to submerge. 

My DIY solution contains. 
-4 cups of sugar
-2 teaspoon of active yeast

















*Here is a comparison photo of day 1 to day 30 of my HC growth. WOW*

















You might wonder why i have paper towels and a plastic bag in the tank. This is a good method to reduce uprooting and movement of substright when filling a tank. The paper towel/bag reduces the impact of water flow. 

















































ALL filled up !! time to set up my filtration system. 78 degrees and max water flow!

































Well guys, Thanks for following my Journal on my ADA tank. It was my pleasure to build this Journal. My updates will be less often now. Maybe once every two weeks to show the growth and transition of the HC. Also don't forget i will be adding in some neon tetras in about a month. *If you have any questions, comments, maybe pictures of your tank, suggestions feel free to leave a post. I love posts!!! *

I will leave you guys off with a few pictures of my tank. 
















My DYI moon light system 


















































*Oct-23-2012*
Hey Guys! it's been a while since i posted an update. Today i decided that it's time to trim the HC. It's been growing very very well and had no melting issues.


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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

That looks great! I really like the light, where did you get it from? I searched online and could not find the same light you have with reflector for $30.


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

Thanks  

Here is a link for you to find a retailer for the sun blasters. 
http://sunblasterlighting.com/storelocator/store_locator.php


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

A word of advice...dont' have any standing water during the dry start. Drain the water out and just keep the soil moist with spraying once a day. The standing water is a breeding ground for cynobacteria (aka Blue-green algae).


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## SomeCanuck (Mar 25, 2012)

One quick question about the inline heater and lily pipes with your filter (because I've got a Fluval 105 and have been wanting to do the same thing): how are you planning on getting the inline heater to work with the terrible stock hosing? Or are you going to be replacing it with something else and if so what size hosing?


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

@Somecanuck. The whole Fluval hosing is just a pain in the @$$. I have done my fair share of research on this and i can guarantee you that this method i am about to show will work. No hosing incompatibility issues. But of course there are other methods of doing so, i just find this method work well for me. 

Just FYI the 105 and 205 uses the same sizes of hosing.

*Fact*
1) the Fluval 205 filter ribbon hosing is a 1/2 (13mm) in size (Inner circle)
2) the Rubber piece on the end of 205 ribbon is 5/8". The thing that fits over the in/out take of the filter

Therefor the flow rate is designed for a 1/2" hose, but the 5/8 is just for connection sake.

After some testing, i can say that you can fit a 1/2" hose in to the canister in and out put. It is a tight fit but yes you can put a 1/2" hose in to the canister after dipping the hose into warm water.
Yes, I will be replacing the hosing with some clear hosing from home depot.

Since the stock hosing has a inner diameter of 1/2" i feel safe using a 1/2" hose to replace it.

My set up. Fluval 205 -> 1/2" hose ->Hydor ETH 200 inline heater (1/2" fitting) -> 1/2" hose -> Lily Pipe Outflow (13mm) -> ADA 10 gallon tank (45x30x27) -> Lily pipe inflow (13mm) -> 1/2" hose ->back to Fluval 205


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

Capsaicin_MFK said:


> A word of advice...dont' have any standing water during the dry start. Drain the water out and just keep the soil moist with spraying once a day. The standing water is a breeding ground for cynobacteria (aka Blue-green algae).


Thanks. I will make sure there are no puddles. 
I found the (liquid) water changes to a gas state very quickly. Normally the puddle will disappear over night. :fish:


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## SomeCanuck (Mar 25, 2012)

Awesome info! Thanks! I had managed to squeeze the stock hosing over a DIY spraybar I made with 1/2" pipe, but wasn't sure if it would work down at the other end where it connects to the canister itself because it seems so much bigger. You planning on using clamps or something to hold the hose tight at that end? Or do you expect it to be tight enough on its own to not require it?


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## ramen lover (Jun 22, 2012)

subscribed! i can't see the photos (host is blocked at work), but im interested to see your setup.


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## Fat Guy (Nov 19, 2003)

great start. looking forward to seeing it with h2o


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

From the fluval in/out the standard locking thing will actually lock the 1/2" tube in place. I feel that it's super secure on there but it never hurts to add some hose clamps on. 


_Posted from Plantedtank.net App for Android_


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## SomeCanuck (Mar 25, 2012)

Suh-weet! One last question, and then I promise to be a quiet observer... haha. What's the outside diameter on the hose you're using?


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

I think 5/8"


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

I did the measurements today. I went to home depot and purchased 10ft of 1/2 ID and 5/8OD clear tubing. It was 50cents per ft.


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

*Oct 10 2012 *Update Posted!

Thanks


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

*Oct 15 2012 *Update Posted!

Thanks


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## Green_Flash (Apr 15, 2012)

Coming along nicely it looks like.


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## arsNatura (Sep 13, 2012)

Your tank is coming together nicely, such patience! I have a question as I am new to planted tanks, but what is the purpose of having the lily pipe on the filter output? Thanks


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## beedee (Jul 1, 2010)

Wow, great start and journal! Looking forward to seeing this beautiful tank progress!


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

Thanks guys.

The Lily Pipes have several functions IMO

*1*. Cosmetics (especially in an ADA style tank)
*2.* Vortex - Because of the unique shape of the lily head it creates a whirlpool effect. The whirlpool acts as a skimmer; the whirlpool creates a suction causing surface oil to be pushed down and sucked into the filter. 
*3.* Slow down flow- Because the lily head is so wide it allows water to flow out at a more gentle rate. (preventing uprooting)


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## arsNatura (Sep 13, 2012)

thank you! I think I will be trying one out for my future 15g shrimp tank then  Does the placement matter? Like should it be near the surface of the water to help bring oxygen into the water, or does it matter? Thanks!


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

I prefer to have the lily pipes to be fully submerged because this allows the current to create the whirlpool effect. I would give it 2-5 cm below the water line. (from the top of the outflow) 

Here is a diagram i drew for you. 
*Green* -Outflow 
*Red*- Inflow 
*Orange*- Current 
*Blue* - Co2 diffuser

As you can see with this set up, the movement of the water pushes the Co2 around the tank for a more effective diffusion.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

nice tank, should be great once its flooded


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## Hayden (Feb 21, 2012)

I'v been watching your tank, it's really beautiful. I think it's very original in composition, and I look forward to seeing it flooded! 
Btw, really appreciate the High res photos!


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

Thanks guys! It's nice to know that someone out there likes my project. 

I am super excited to flood the tank. Everyday I am thinking of taking off the saran wrap and pour in some water. It's hard to resist the temptation! 

What kind of fish do you guys think i should put in ? I want a bunch of small school fishes. Nothing that is a jumper thou. Maybe Neon Tetras?

@Hayden - High res only !! Once you go HD you can't go back. just like my TV


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## Hayden (Feb 21, 2012)

Have you considered some type of Rasabora? Maybe Boraras Brigittae, or Boraras Merah. If your not familiar with these species they're extremely small, also they're tight schoolers. They're my personal favorite. 
I tried Neon's in my last tank, then went to Boraras Briggitae. The diference was astonishing- not only did the Boraras' colors naturally compliment plants much better (in my eyes), but they're small size gave an unbelievably better perspective to the tank. Neons were just too big for me! (especially with your relatively small hardscape.)
My two cents, what do others think?


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## Brian_Cali77 (Mar 19, 2010)

Great journal and VERY useful information to me. I just started my own journal and i chose to get a Fluval 106. So the discussion here on clear tubing size and an inexpensive source of glass lily pipes, both of which i need since in using the stock (ugly) ribbed Fluval tubing.

Anyway, can't wait to see your tank flooded with the filter equipment. I'll probably run out and follow suit (clear tubing and aquatic magic pipes) once i know everything works out for you.


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

@ Brian Awesome! I am glad that this Journal is helping you. 

Just FYI I have tested my Filter loop with just bucket of water and everything works great.
If you decide to follow the 1/2ID tubing you want to get 13mm lilys pipes; it fits like a charm. It is indeed tough to fit the 1/2 over the fluval system, but it fits.

@Hayden went to my LFS after i read you post on Boraras Brigittae. And you are right i love them. Since they only grow up to a max length of 2cm that would work great in my 10 gallon.
At the same time i still really like the blue neon tetras. I guess i still have a ton of time to decide before adding fish in.


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## Hayden (Feb 21, 2012)

Excuse me! I had thought this was a mini-m! (Seems to be what everybody has..)
Neons would indeed fit in that tank (45-p?), just a question of preference I guess.


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

*Oct 20 2012 Update Posted!*

Thanks


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

*Oct 22 2012 Update Posted!
*
Thanks


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

you have a really well detailed journal going on here, and you have really well developed patience  haha good luck to finishing up the "dry" start and getting the tank flooded !


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## sunyang730 (Jan 30, 2012)

Nice journal! I really want to know if the divider works. I really like hair grass but the grow like crazy and shooting everywhere.


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## beedee (Jul 1, 2010)

nice update man. i just started my DSM and like the idea of that separator! i think i'll do something similar to try to prevent my DHG from spreading into my HC. (link to my set up is in my signature)


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

*Oct 25 2012 Update Posted!*

Thanks


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

*Nov 4th 2012 Update Posted!*

Thanks


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## daitran89 (Jan 13, 2012)

updateeee ^^


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## binbin9 (Jan 31, 2012)

good stuff love the photos of your progress


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

Thanks


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## Mahawka (Oct 4, 2012)

Hey guys,

Sorry I have been super busy for the past little while and haven't had time with aquatic stuff. But I am back !!! I will be rescaping my tank in a few weeks in a brand new 30 gallon long rimless tank. As well as rescaping my current ada tank. stay tune for updates 

p.s. i just ordered a 5lb co2 tank and a regulator 

-Mahwka


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## DefStatic (Feb 19, 2013)

Wow, just wow...


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## Sakuras (Dec 10, 2012)

Nice journal really nice.


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## rice n curry man (Jun 18, 2008)

This log is intense.


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## tylergvolk (Jun 17, 2012)

I'd love learn about how this tank has developed recently.


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

Whens the next update? would love to see this 3 yrs later


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