# Do!Aqua: Mini-L *Iwagumi* Started 4/18/11 UPDATED! FLOODED on 05-26-2011! (page 3)



## anchlo (Aug 4, 2009)

Here is my first attempt at a Nano! I've had a planted 75gal with great success! 

DETAILS: 

Tank: DO!AQUA Mini-L Approx 8 gal. (wanted to go with ADA but AFA was sold out!)

Lighting: Archaea 18" 36W/6700k clip on! Very nice looking light and great price! Purchased from AFA. Running about 13hr/Day

Soil: Aquasoil Amazonia 2... I have harder water and this is designed to lower the GH. (9l bag but only used about half)
Below the Aquasoil I have ADA Power Sand S (1bag)

Rocks: Rocks are locally collected, a cool mix of blue rock and lava... 

Filter: will be using an Eheim 2217 once the Dry Start is done. (I know its a bit over kill but I'm too cheap to buy another one...

CO2: Press. Co2 system, on timer. DO! Aqua magic bubble counter, ADA drop checker... WIll be using the SERA 500 reactor

Ferts: ADA K, Lights, Step one...











PLANTS: UG (Dry start) and Hair Grass after filling

FISH: DOnt know yet... Would depend on what my LFS has at the time, but im FAR away from that...


MY plans are to Dry Start the UG for about a month or sooner (depending on the growth) 

This is the UG purchased by speedie408 (Nick) on the SNS... great seller BTW!









Here is my Hard Scape... I tried to go with an Iwagumi type layout.. Dont know if i succeeded though.

















I filled up water untill it reached just above the soil. I had to tilt the tank back due to the slope, in order to cover the soil evenly. Covered the top with saran wrap and poked several holes...

Planting DAY ONE: 04-18-2011








The UG is slightly Yellow, Im assuming due to the transport... 

Here we are at week 2: The UG is Doing GREAT! the yellow leaves are all but gone... Noticed slight growth, nothing major but just glad to see the color coming back...

Im misting twice a day with water and two squirts of ADA LIGHTS...


















The UG even sent up a flower stalk!!!









STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES!!!!:icon_smil


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

nice, keep us updated.


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## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

I really think this is gonna turn out well. The only thing I have to say is that I think it would have looked a tiny bit better if you had set up a more centralized scape; like one rock closer to the center. But the scape overall is great; you said the rocks are locally collected! I wish I had good rocks around here! The only ones I can seem to find are really smooth or just plain don't look good. Good luck! I'll follow this one!


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## anchlo (Aug 4, 2009)

Geniusdudekiran said:


> I really think this is gonna turn out well. The only thing I have to say is that I think it would have looked a tiny bit better if you had set up a more centralized scape; like one rock closer to the center. But the scape overall is great; you said the rocks are locally collected! I wish I had good rocks around here! The only ones I can seem to find are really smooth or just plain don't look good. Good luck! I'll follow this one!



I first had the large rock on the left placed in the center, and it didn't look right... Looked like it was missing something... I looked through ADA catalog book and found a cool looking tank with this "valley"... I tried to follow that. 

Yeah rocks are EVERY WHERE here and are really nice pieces.... Those were literally in my back yard!


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## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

Yeah those are great rocks. You are sooooo lucky! I may go to Hawaii this Summer; if so, I'll definitely go rock huntin' LOL


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## glndrifts (Jun 8, 2010)

awesome tank. I like the mini L size and your scape will lend very well to the UG i think. and +1 on Speedie408's awesome UG. Have some myself.


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## TLE041 (Jan 16, 2010)

You should try flipping the second rock (the middle one) so that it points to the right. This should be easy to do without disturbing the planted UG. 

Right now both larger rocks are pointing to the left and throwing off the balance. Flipping that rock will give the tank a V shape, which I find is very pleasing to the eye in iwagumi scapes.


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## anchlo (Aug 4, 2009)

TLE041 said:


> You should try flipping the second rock (the middle one) so that it points to the right. This should be easy to do without disturbing the planted UG.
> 
> Right now both larger rocks are pointing to the left and throwing off the balance. Flipping that rock will give the tank a V shape, which I find is very pleasing to the eye in iwagumi scapes.



I'll try it out! Thanks!


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## anchlo (Aug 4, 2009)

Geniusdudekiran said:


> Yeah those are great rocks. You are sooooo lucky! I may go to Hawaii this Summer; if so, I'll definitely go rock huntin' LOL


Just cover shipping and I'll send u some cool rocks.... Tell me approx what size your looking for....!


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## anchlo (Aug 4, 2009)

Week 2 or so....

I have noiced a lot of new growth, and roots grwoing deep on the front glass... slowly filling in on the right side.


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## genomer (Mar 29, 2011)

Love the tank! You've got a good start for sure  Keep us updated...

I'm joining the rest in voicing my jealousy that those rocks came from your backyard. That is AWESOME! They look as good as the expensive seriyu/ohko (sp?) stone a lot use for iwagumi. I've been looking for a few weeks for rocks for my 20L iwagumi, but nothing really stands out.


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## anchlo (Aug 4, 2009)

genomer said:


> Love the tank! You've got a good start for sure  Keep us updated...
> 
> I'm joining the rest in voicing my jealousy that those rocks came from your backyard. That is AWESOME! They look as good as the expensive seriyu/ohko (sp?) stone a lot use for iwagumi. I've been looking for a few weeks for rocks for my 20L iwagumi, but nothing really stands out.


Like I said earlier I'd send anyone some rocks! Just cover the shipping which shouldn't be to bad.... I've sent some in the past for under 10.00 . PM if you don't find any...


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## Palmed (May 7, 2010)

Careful with too much standing water... I have done that and I got an explosion of algae with was no fun. Just keep it right about substrate level.

Overall looks really nice I love the layout


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## anchlo (Aug 4, 2009)

Palmed said:


> Careful with too much standing water... I have done that and I got an explosion of algae with was no fun. Just keep it right about substrate level.
> 
> Overall looks really nice I love the layout


I saw that! I had some algae growth! I actually taped together three straws and sucked out about a cup of ADA soil water! haha


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## fishboy87 (Feb 19, 2008)

you could probably just tilt the tank itself with a magazine so the water level is parallel with the slope of the scape so you don't have any standing water.


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## lysmelee (May 8, 2011)

Looks simple and yet pretty. Hummm.... Should I make my tank simple like yours and have it planted with more plants???? Still not sure...


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

What kind of algae did you get? Was it blue green algae? I have a tiny bit of that on mine. I wonder if metricide will kill it.


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## anchlo (Aug 4, 2009)

Couesfanatic said:


> What kind of algae did you get? Was it blue green algae? I have a tiny bit of that on mine. I wonder if metricide will kill it.


The algae I got was brown in color and was against the glass where the puddle was... Nothing on the plants... I'll just scrape it off before I fill the tank...


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

Hows the growth doing?


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## anchlo (Aug 4, 2009)

Growth is going well... Almost entirely covered... Pushed some root medic tabs under the substrate for some additional help... Getting ready to fill as soon as I can find some background plants. pics will be up soon


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

awesome. its gunna look nice.


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## anchlo (Aug 4, 2009)

Here we are at just over 1 month of DSM.....

Noticed algae on the glass and on a very few leaves, mostly from where the water level is a little high...

getting ready to fill just need to figure out what background plants to use... Enjoy!roud:


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## rickztahone (Jul 20, 2009)

the carpet is looking great. keep it up.


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## Kitty_Kitsch (Apr 27, 2011)

Looks great!


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## anchlo (Aug 4, 2009)

Kitty_Kitsch said:


> Looks great!


Thanks! Just realized how dirty the glass was! Too lazy to scrape it


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## Kitty_Kitsch (Apr 27, 2011)

Just add shrimp  lol


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## tnt808 (May 6, 2011)

Nice tank, good growth. Btw is it cheaper to order the tank and supplies online and pay shipping or just buy local?


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## anchlo (Aug 4, 2009)

tnt808 said:


> Nice tank, good growth. Btw is it cheaper to order the tank and supplies online and pay shipping or just buy local?


I NEVER!!!! Buy anything local! Wayyyy cheaper to order online! just shop around... 

I fly to the mainland for free so I pick up alot of my things direct and check them in in baggae...


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## manikmunky (Mar 24, 2011)

anchlo said:


> I NEVER!!!! Buy anything local! Wayyyy cheaper to order online! just shop around...
> 
> I fly to the mainland for free so I pick up alot of my things direct and check them in in baggae...


Until the day you need something urgently without waiting for postage and all the local shops have closed down. If it's a matter of 10-15% or so I buy locally personally.


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## flwrbed (Apr 20, 2005)

i agree with manic monkey. i support locals when i can. unless its just crazy expensive.
i like to support the clubs but they offer things you cant get at the LFS. you will be sad when your local closes, when you need something quick and easy.


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## anchlo (Aug 4, 2009)

flwrbed said:


> i agree with manic monkey. i support locals when i can. unless its just crazy expensive.
> i like to support the clubs but they offer things you cant get at the LFS. you will be sad when your local closes, when you need something quick and easy.


Yep it's crazy expensive... Ask anyone who lives here... On average we pay 1 1/2 to 2 times more for something... For example at my LFS, an eheim 2213 goes for 160.00, an eheim 2217 is 235.00, a bag of 9L aqua soil is 70.00, etc... Really, how do you expect me to support that?


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## tnt808 (May 6, 2011)

Yeah, the prices in Hawaii for ADA stuff is very expensive. I try to keep my business local, but I think I am gonna have to start ordering my ADA equipment. Even though shipping to Hawaii is expensive I should still be saving some money if I order from ADG shop. Just can't order anything real big.


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## genomer (Mar 29, 2011)

Yeah, Hawaii is a different story. It would be just plain stupid to pay 75.00 for AS when he can get it online for half the cost. I doubt either of you would do that 

Tank looks awesome, man


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## home grown (Jun 7, 2010)

wow you have more growth in a month than I've had in 3 months. I definitely do not have enough light... fluval 8gal ebi with two 13 watt fixtures..12 hr day lighting DSM with misting twice a day.


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## anchlo (Aug 4, 2009)

UPDATE!

Got in Giant Hair Grass and Dwarf Hair Grass in from the SNS today...

**Planting Dwarf Hair Grass is a MAJOR PITA!!! BTW**

Anyway after planting everything, I slowly filled the tank. I was surprised that none of the DHG floated away.

I set up/primed my Eheim 2217 (after drinking several cups of aquarium water) and cut the hoses to fit. Installed the bubble counter, Sera 500 reactor and drop checker. IMPORTANT if your using the Sera 500 reactor, put several wraps of that white tape thing on the threads... I found a slow leak coming from the threads. Also found a small tear in the tiny O-ring in one of the quick disconnects of the out flow tube. again used the white tape for a quick fix.

I was amazed how CLEAR the water was after the first fill!!! I was expecting it to be cloudy but after about 1 min. it cleared up perfectly! I also heard Aqua soil II was prone to cloudyness... NOT TRUE.

Im blasting the Co2, faster than I can count the bubbles. seems to be working as everything is bubbling like crazy!


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## demonr6 (Mar 14, 2011)

If you think planting it was bad, just think of what your reaction will be if you have snails in there and they dig it up.


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## RWalleyTX (Apr 17, 2011)

very nice tank!


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

Its gunna look real good when it fills in. You should get some lily pipes.


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## jmowbray (Dec 20, 2009)

I agree

+2 for lily pipes 

Are you planing on leaving the inflow like that or do you have a screen for it?


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

+3 lily pipes. 
What are you planning on adding for fauna wise? 
Shrimp or fish?


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

An eheim 2217 on a Mini L:eek5:


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## anchlo (Aug 4, 2009)

ddtran46 said:


> An eheim 2217 on a Mini L:eek5:


Haha yup! No wonder I had NO issues with cloudy water and aqua soil II... I have a reactor on the out flow and cut the flow a little using the quick disconnects...


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## RWalleyTX (Apr 17, 2011)

does your filter and tank hold the same amount of water?


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## anchlo (Aug 4, 2009)

jmowbray said:


> I agree
> 
> +2 for lily pipes
> 
> Are you planing on leaving the inflow like that or do you have a screen for it?


I lost the screen it came with... I'm planning on using an old aquaclear sponge I have laying around but won't use it till my amanos come ...


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## anchlo (Aug 4, 2009)

RWalleyTX said:


> does your filter and tank hold the same amount of water?


I have the 2217 filled to the top with media so no...


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## anchlo (Aug 4, 2009)

jkan0228 said:


> +3 lily pipes.
> What are you planning on adding for fauna wise?
> Shrimp or fish?


I plan on using amanos, ottos and an sae for starters.... I've had success using this combination on initial startup and have had minimal algae issues... After that I'm kinda fond of rummy nose tetras!!!

Lily Pipes are a must!!!! But will have to wait till pay day... This is set up in my room so no one really sees it anyway...


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## spyke (Oct 14, 2010)

what ever happened to this? it was a sweet tank!


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