# bitFUUL's GLA 61-C ** (2ft. x 2ft. x 1ft.) ** Emersed Hemianthus Callitrichoides



## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Setup List
Tank: GLA High Clarity 61-C (30 Gallon Rimless) with Cabinet 
Lighting: DIY 8 LEDs with Moonlighting and Controller
CO2: GLA Atomic Paintball v2
Filter: Eheim 2217
Lily Pipes: Glass outflow, custom acrylic inflow
Substrate: Aquasoil


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## tetra10 (Aug 5, 2012)

DO AN IWAGUMI FOR SURE! it would be cool to see a bonsai tree sticking out too. good luck


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## Overgrowth (Feb 19, 2012)

Shrimp, shrimp, and and MORE SHRIMP!


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## dantra (May 25, 2007)

That's a nice size tank you got there. Can't wait to see what you do with it.


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## tetra10 (Aug 5, 2012)

I agree with overgrowth, it has a great foot print for shrimp!


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

HAHA, this is a great Iwagumi tank but I'm not sold on the idea. 
It will be plantcentric, with shrimp (of course), but I've been inspired recently by the spawning pool and the bucket o' mud.
Not sure how "high tech" this tank should be, but I'm really excited about it.


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## blink (Feb 22, 2012)

That is a very cool little tank, do they no longer sell the 61-C? I can't seem to find it on their site, what are the dimensions?

I'm not sure what I'd do, lots of fissidens and some branchy manzanita sticking out the top maybe?


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

blink said:


> That is a very cool little tank, do they no longer sell the 61-C? I can't seem to find it on their site, what are the dimensions?
> 
> I'm not sure what I'd do, lots of fissidens and some branchy manzanita sticking out the top maybe?


Thanks. Yeah, when I purchased it was the only one left. 
Dimensions are: 24" x 24" x 12" at about 30 gallons.

My other tank in the same rooms has "manzanita sticking out the top" also, so I'm still debating rocks instead. Who knows.


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## xenxes (Dec 22, 2011)

Wow, perfect space for it, and yes, definitely shrimp. Subbed!


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

xenxes said:


> Wow, perfect space for it, and yes, definitely shrimp. Subbed!


Thanks Xen. Shrimp will surely be in here, but I'm not sure to do something very busy/natural, or something more trendy like iwagumi. 
I'm leaning more towards crazy explosion of plants submersed/emersed, we'll see.


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## xenxes (Dec 22, 2011)

Like Tom's bucket of mud










or vincenz's spawning pool?











Yea I'd go in that direction too, as much as I like Iwagumis I think they're more maintenance and less stability. Carpet plants alone won't do the trick imo. Looks like it's very bright and you get a lot of indirect light too. Emergent plants in the back corner for sure!

Hmm theirs are all against a back window, maybe you'll have to do something a little different?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

What a great tank. It's screaming for tons of C. parva along with whatever other plants you choose.

Though I consider myself more of a shrimp guy than a fish guy, I love tanks with dimensions like this for Cories. Specifically smaller pygmies or habrosus. Seeing them in large schools in shallow tanks is tons of fun.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Xen, those are the exact two tanks I mentioned above as my inspiration.

Somewhat; Crypts would look great, and I find myself leaning towards shrimp over fish usually. I'll look into those breeds, fish and shrimp could all exist great here.

The more thinking I do, the more I plan on leaning towards a low tech setup with a powerful filter, lots of plants underwater and above, and a light hanging either from the ceiling or via a frame or something. Maybe only Excel and Ferts, to bypass having to get a nice CO2 setup. Still pondering for now.....


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

If you pick the right plants, CO2/Excel won't really be necessary.

You could do Amano Shrimp with small Cories and even Neos (they won't eat too many of the babies if you have enough plant cover). 

Can't wait to see it all.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

After much thought, I'm going Low Tech! 
No CO2, No Ferts, Nothing fancy. Just a burst of plants under and above the waterline.
So besides the scaping, I'm in need of a powerful canister filter (preferably Eheim), and a nice suspendable light. 
Can't wait to start this setup, however I don't have the time now.


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## mythin (Jun 26, 2009)

Can't wait to see what you do, I love shallow tanks. I think the next tank I get will be either really long and shallow or a cube shape like yours.


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## ANBU (Oct 7, 2011)

Nice!!!


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Thanks guys. I'm thinking of going with an Eheim Canister filter, any suggestions between the 2215 or 2217? 
Again, I'm going low tech. No CO2, no ferts (roots tabs though), and medium lighting.
Hoping for emerged plants too. 

2215 or 2217?


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

2217


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## radioman (Oct 29, 2007)

A nice chunk of manzanita crawling along the substrate from the back left corner towards the front right corner would look nice.


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## Fishies_in_Philly (Dec 8, 2011)

an island would be cool. with the water flowing in a circular motion around the island, but that would require some very ugly clear pieces siliconed into the corners to allow the water to flow around them. although, you could use the triangle left from gluing in those pieces as mini planters


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## KFryman (Sep 4, 2012)

I think those two tanks are gorgeous and are calling your name to do something like it lol. I think a school of pygmy cories would look good in there as well, plus they are much smaller so there would be more activity levels.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Some great ideas here, but radioman nailed my original thoughts. I've already got some Manzanita to create a scape from the back corner to the front. 
I need 2 more things that cost $450, so sadly this tank will sit slightly longer.

Those things are:

Eheim 2217
Kessil A150W 6,700K Amazon Sun LED Light w/ Gooseneck Clamp


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

I think that sounds awesome. But. Any particular reason you're absolutely set on the Kessil fixture?


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## mitch p (May 7, 2012)

my goodness :icon_eek:


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## Ihs (Jun 8, 2012)

Haven't tried any of the Eheim classics (although I have read very good comments and I am waiting for a 2217 to arrive), but I would go based on the final setup...If your planing on hiding and somewhat obstructing the water flow and/or high fish load..I would suggest the 2217..If your going for a heavily planted tank and a nice unobstructed flow then the 2215 should do the trick...give it some thought yourself...based on your setup which will deliver nutrients more efficiently.

As for the kessil lights... I think 150w will be an overkill...then again I haven't seen it in action or read much about it but judging from what LEDs I have seen or tested 150w from a single LED cannon might be too much for freshwater. Why not look into something of lower wattage which will be cheaper as well?

My 2 cents


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## fusiongt (Nov 7, 2011)

I have the kessil fixture. I'm going to warn you, low tech is hard with this tank. I say that because I tried the same thing. I tried doing low tech with my 25g cube - here's how it started out: http://fusiongt.com/image/aquarium/DSC_2940-small.jpg

Unfortunately it ended up getting lots of bba and before I knew it, it was out of control. I even had the light 14-15 inches above the tank (which is already pretty tall at 18 inches) when Kessil says to put it just a foot above. I had the lights on 8 hours a day (so not super long like 10-12). I put even more plants than in the picture with more ferns and anubias along with floating frogbite. The plants grew really well but after 2 months it just was more light than my plants needed and ultimately led to bba algae; now I'm injecting c02, adding lots of stem plants, and spot dosing excel to get rid of it.

So even though low tech sounds tempting, when you add that monster of a light to it, it suddenly becomes difficult. You saved money on the tank with it being on sale, so I say just invest in a c02 setup. Inline diffuser with your canister filter will make it look really clean and you can grow whatever plants you want in there at a good rate. Low tech only works if your light setup isn't phenomenal which the Kessil light is. Just splurge a little because this thing will look gorgeous but not if its over run by algae due to the light being way stronger than you think it'll be.

And really, the only reason I didn't go with c02 to begin with was because I didn't want to trim the plants that often... but now after getting bba for the first time, I realize that having to trim your plants to often because they're growing like crazy is a GREAT problem to have. I love the dimensions of your tank and know it'll turn out fantastic - if you decide to go low tech, just take my warning and limit the amount of time you keep the light on.

I'm sure low tech can be done with the Kessil light, but now that I've experienced it, I've come to the conclusion as to simply: why? Why get an amazing light and then try to stop it from doing its job. Why get a Ferrari and drive it super slow? Let this rockstar light fixture shine and grow the heck out of your plants... which will require c02.  I also just looked at your sig and other tanks - you know what you're doing... you know how well c02 helps tanks so don't fight it! Just splurge man. Make this tank as good as you know how because it's obvious you know what you're doing. You'll get bored of low tech when the plants just don't grow as well as you're used to.

edit - Finally, if you get the gooseneck fixture for Kessil, I don't know how that'll do with your very wide tank as with any light, especially LEDs, it gets weaker as you get further from the light source. The Kessil beams down its light super strong so you would need to keep it fairly high above the tank (perhaps higher than the gooseneck allows though I'm not sure) and with your dimensions may need it to be further out to be closer to the middle. I'd also watch out for glare from your TV assuming that your couches are pointed to a flatscreen. Not a huge deal but if you have a plasma it could reflect pretty bright - but then again, you may watch it more at night when the tank's light has gone off.


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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

Great buy! Looks good in your home already. This is the tank I want for my next display tank. 

I'd offer that this footprint is the best choice for a PAR38LED pendant. (see my 40g sig line) If DIY electrical isn't an option, you can use a gooseneck fixture either made for a Tank or a drafting table fixture. I've also see people use the floor lamps design for reading. The nice thing about the PAR38s is the bulb base is standard size.


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## fusiongt (Nov 7, 2011)

One more thing I want to add about the Kessil light. If you don't know already, it's not a silent light. It's quite loud in fact with a somewhat high pitched fan noise. In my local store, I couldn't hear it since it's louder in there, but at home when it's completely quiet, it's pretty noisy. Even a room or 2 away I could still hear the fan on the light. This won't be a big deal if you know it before hand and can live with it, but don't expect it to be silent. Me, personally, I think the benefits of the kick-butt light outweigh that it has some noise.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Thanks for all the input guys.

In regards to the Eheim, I'll still probably go with the 2217 over the 2215. Since I can always reduce the flow if it's too much. Plus I'd rather get away with less filter cleanings, and I'm thinking a bigger filter will help me with this.
In regards to the Kessil light, I wasn't 100% set on it. It's a great looking light, but it sounds like it will be way too much for this 30 gallon tank. 
I'd still like this tank to be a low tech, but with a clean light (since it's in my living room). What kind of light setups do you guys suggest that won't be too much light, looks good, and won't break the pocket book?
:smile:


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## Green_Flash (Apr 15, 2012)

It needs more mango's. :flick:


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

Adjust it so that its not too intense, just a lot of light spilled over. Good lighting for reading though :hihi:


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## blink (Feb 22, 2012)

I recently picked up a big brooder lamp (for hatching chickens) that will soon become my new tank light. It's about 14" in diameter and 10-12" deep with a nice smooth outer surface and very heavy aluminum.

Looks very similar to this, just without the cage and I think in the right space it'll look pretty good.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

great fit for where you have it in the room, good luck to getting it sorted !


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

jkan0228 said:


> Adjust it so that its not too intense, just a lot of light spilled over. Good lighting for reading though :hihi:


Is this light enough for a 30 gallon? 






blink said:


> I recently picked up a big brooder lamp (for hatching chickens) that will soon become my new tank light. It's about 14" in diameter and 10-12" deep with a nice smooth outer surface and very heavy aluminum.
> 
> Looks very similar to this, just without the cage and I think in the right space it'll look pretty good.


Interesting light.

I'm still torn, but want to start building this tank. 
Should I get a light that attaches to the glass (1 or 2 sides) or should I go for something that can be hung/suspended?
I'm looking to hopefully have some riparium style plants growing out of the water, so the lighting should be high enough off the waterline to allow for growth. 
Any other lighting suggestions?


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Green_Flash said:


> It needs more mango's. :flick:


:flick: lol, that tank is next :smile:


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Any other lighting suggestions? I'm having trouble finding the perfect light for this setup.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

You could probably do a couple PAR38 bulbs.

Any aversion to DIYing your own with LEDs? Could look pretty great with a nice machined piece of aluminum.


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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

Alright, lighting looks good!

sneak peak


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Awesome!!
Yup, monkeyruler is managing the light build. Going LED with hopefully some nice options too.  can't wait!


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Parts were ordered and are starting to trickle in. Woot Wo0t!


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Finally an update!

Got some time to head down to the industrial area of town, got my heatsink cut/welded/painted. 
All of the equipment is purchased and here, though I still need to get something to finish or seal the wood cabinet.

I'm pumped! roud:


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

So we spend last Saturday building the LED setup and wiring everything. 
Hopefully I'll be able to post some more info about the build and parts, but here's some shots for now:














































I'm thinking about doing a rockscape, but the rocks in Florida are no good for this stuff. Not wanting to order rocks online, but I'll probably end up doing it, we'll see. Loving this build so far, and thanks to monkeyruler for all the help!


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## fplata (May 20, 2012)

time to start following this awesome build


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

fplata said:


> time to start following this awesome build


It's taking more time than I originally hoped, but this build is the "do it right" build. So although I've blown my schedule and budget, I don't mind doing what it takes to get this tank to be perfect. Designing this as if it's my last tank.


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## scbrooks87 (Nov 28, 2012)

Man that's the way to do it! I regret skimping every which way on my reef tank back when I built that, so the tank I'm building is a slow, steady process of doing everything right this time!

Keep it up, take your time, and enjoy the process! I think Iwagumi would look fantastic in it, but man this is your canvas, you gotta just make it what you wanna see every day!

I'm subscribing!

-Scott


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## Chiefston (Dec 25, 2011)

Looks awesome so far! Loving the DIY heat sink/LEDs/Controller.
Subscribed, can't wait to see how it turns out :bounce:


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Thanks guys. Yeah, this DIY LED lighting is new to me, it's gonna be kick ass!
I'm already over budget on this tank, but at this point...... Who cares! This is my dream build. lol


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## manzpants92 (Dec 6, 2012)

Where did you buy the tank? Everytime i go on GLA's website they only have the 6 gal tank, or am i missing something haha


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

manzpants92 said:


> Where did you buy the tank? Everytime i go on GLA's website they only have the 6 gal tank, or am i missing something haha


It was the only large tank available at the time. And even now, the 6 gallons aren't available. I'm sure they've got something up their sleeves, GLA is usually pretty hush about things though.

I want rocks 
I want rocks for this tank
I want rocks for this tank but Florida doesn't have much
I don't want to import rocks but I probably have to

that's my haiku. :eek5:


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## manzpants92 (Dec 6, 2012)

interesting, yeah i feel like they never have tanks in stock on their website but all these people have these GLA tanks


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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

The rock dilemma! ughhh why can't FL just have nice rocks!!!


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Cabinet stained
Light Hung
Scape Finished
Tank Flooded


Wow, it's looking great. Pics when my selfishness wears off.


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## Green_Flash (Apr 15, 2012)

Cool, pics or it didn't happen, as they say.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Green_Flash said:


> Cool, pics or it didn't happen, as they say.


haha. 
Soon. Need to plant it, and figure out my lighting schedules.
Pics will come.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

So I've gotten a little further with this project. After winning this kick ass Cal-Aqua Double Drop Checker from GLA, everything for this build is present. 
I still need to mount acrylic to the heat sink, suspend the chords better, and mount my controller. 
But since it's been many months in the making, here is a photo:










Planting it has taken me days, I haven't had the time to do it all in one sitting (it's a large footprint). But I'm still hoping to pack more plants in there and shuffle some around a bit, plus adding my fish/shrimp from my other tanks. It's a jungle!


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## Green_Flash (Apr 15, 2012)

Looks good! GLA has raffles?


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Green_Flash said:


> Looks good! GLA has raffles?


Thanks! 
They had a give away for a single drop checker in the APE forums.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

I'm starting to get some algae, which is crazy considering I'm running the lights at 14% right now. Still tweaking things with my fertilizer regiment too, but things are starting to grow. More pics soon.


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## madness (Jul 31, 2011)

I seriously considered picking up this tank last year.

The tank and stand actually look better than I expected.

Great set-up man.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

madness said:


> I seriously considered picking up this tank last year.
> 
> The tank and stand actually look better than I expected.
> 
> Great set-up man.


Thanks man! Yeah, once I stained it, the cabinet started to look much cleaner than expected. 

Plants are off to a slow/steady start, hoping to start upping the light intensity a bit once I get my CO2/ferts right. :icon_mrgr


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Pushed the light intensity up to 50% now. Some light algae, but lots of new growth. Still trying to get the ferts balanced.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

So I snapped a few more photos. I'm about 98% done with this build, just need to finish plexiglassing the light and running the cables in a white conduit. Onefang has made me a clear intake, it should arrive any minute. Battling a bit of algae at the moment, still trying to figure out the best light timing/intensity. But I'm loving the footprint, it's VERY easy to maintain. Currently there are 4 neon tetras, 1 Oto, and 1 crazy lil dwarf puffer. 

Here are some quick shots.


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## Green_Flash (Apr 15, 2012)

I like it, looks like a lagoon you would dive in.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Green_Flash said:


> I like it, looks like a lagoon you would dive in.


Thanks. This project has taken me much longer than anticipated, so I only get a few minutes here and there. I'm hoping to finish planting the HC in the front and the light still needs some work. 
Seeing how this was my first LED attempt, I don't know what will grow. So I put about 10+ different plants into the tank and hope that something will grow. Once things begin to show me signs of growth, I will worry about shuffling things around to make a more visually pleasing plant scaping. For now, just getting the ecosystem going. Function first, then worry about the looks, right?

But for what it's worth, this footprint is kickass, very easy to work with!


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Due to a period in which I won't be able to maintain this tank, I've decided to do the dry start method with HC. Having someone watch your planted tank is much easier handing off a DSM tank, vs. trying to school someone on a high tech setup's care list.
So hopefully when I return from my short trip, I'll have a nice carpet going. Then I can just scape over/around it with rocks or something. Here it is for now:


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

It's been a solid 6 weeks of growth in DSM, the HC is looking great! I'm thinking of keeping this 3/4 Iwagumi, then build some rock structure in the back and put some stems, grass, or small crypts in the back and creeping onto the sides. Still tossing around the ideas. Also, the LED light still needs the acrylic sides completed, hoping to finish this up soon too. 


Also debating shrimp or fish with this tank...


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## Green_Flash (Apr 15, 2012)

Slowly but surely.


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## sayurasem (Jun 17, 2011)

Nice!


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## pinkman (May 16, 2013)

your setups look amazing


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

Getting there and looking good.

via Droid DNA Tapatalk 2


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Thanks guys. 
This footprint isn't very easy to scape, at least with the limited decor that I own. 
The HC keeps growing while I keep thinking......


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## All your base (Dec 6, 2006)

Still have that piece of driftwood? I think it looked pretty good in there. Maybe turn it upside down this time so it looks like roots instead of branches?

Nice LED controller you got there by the way.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

So I FINALLY ran the wiring along the wall through a proper conduit, so things are looking much cleaner over here. 
The only thing I'm missing from my build is a proper covering (or lamp) for my LEDs.










HC is growing nicely, I'll be removing it very soon to start something new in this tank. Something great will be happening here, high hopes on this next scape.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

So I broke the carpet up a little bit, adjusted the substrate levels, added some rocks, and replanted the HC. Going for a minimalistic approach here, will hopefully add Blyxa Japonica to the back corner once flooded.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

The carpet is really coming together nicely, hoping to flood probably by next week.
This is my highest tech tank, really hoping I can transition from DSM to flooded without lots of problems. Fingers crossed.


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## limz_777 (Jun 29, 2005)

what leds and lens you use ? looks like xm-l


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Yup, CREE XM-L Cool White U2 LEDs. 40 Degree Optics.
Currently the light is a bit higher than it was originally planned to be hung, but having the controller also allows me yet another means to control intensity and things. I'm very excited to flood this tank again, hoping for a lush lawn of baby tears!


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

This tank should long be flooded by now, but I keep putting it off. Should be very soon though....


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Tank is Still Thriving... Lots of Flora... Moderate Algae... Zebra Danios w/ Mosquito Fish... Ramshorn Snails.... and No Water Changes.... Only Top Offs...


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## toybox22 (Sep 29, 2014)

Love the crazy jungle look. Whatever came of the iwagumi setup?


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

toybox22 said:


> Love the crazy jungle look. Whatever came of the iwagumi setup?


It was emersed and fully carpeted, ready to flood. 
We had my son shortly after..... Never got flooded, HC died back 90%.

I'm sad that I wasn't able to flood, maybe I'll try it again when I get sick of this jungle.


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## Jamo33 (Feb 18, 2014)

Such a cool tank and build mate even as the jungle it is now.
Also cool to see some builds from around the area I'll be moving to!


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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

man is that all downoi?


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