# Ikebana Inspired Tank -20 long-



## dp12man (Mar 18, 2009)

You may be new but doing a great job. Just keep on trucking.

Nice tank. 

I just got a 40 gallon breeder going wish I went with a 75. Same depth but wider and Jack will like it more.


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

Changed the lighting. Now running 2-6500k & 1-3100k. Also added 2 black skirt tetras. Hopefully they'll bring out my shy blue jack more often.


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## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

Maybe it's just me, but that is a HUGE snail!


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

He is indeed. But somehow, he manages to squeeze his way into my aquaclear filter box. I'll be watching my tank when oddly enough,a snail comes floating by, ejected from the overflow. GERONIMO!!!


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## MikeP_123 (Aug 31, 2008)

Haha nice tank and beautiful fish! Sick taste in music =D Sublime allz dayz


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

MikeP_123 said:


> Haha nice tank and beautiful fish! Sick taste in music =D Sublime allz dayz


^ Like button


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

One thing I love about this hobby is there's always room to fiddle around with stuff. I changed my lighting AGAIN, then decided to mess around with microsoft paint and draw up some graphs.

Now I'm using the Zoomed UltraSun(6500K)+Zoomed FloraSun(5000k)+GE Aquarays (9325k). Here's a couple spectrum graphs I overlapped

UltraSun(6500K)+Zoomed FloraSun(5000k)









Flora Sun + GE Aquarays









Ultra Sun + GE Aquarays









UltraSun(6500K)+Zoomed FloraSun(5000k)+GE Aquarays (9325k)









Here's the spectrum for photosynthesis









This is the disaster .jpeg with everything overlapping each other. lol


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

Here are some new pics


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

I wanted to add some color to the tank so I got some Alternanthera reineckii. I hope I can keep it red! Also got some hairgrass. Let's see how it grows in. 



















Jack Daniel's is goooooood roud:


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## TwoStrokeKing (Mar 24, 2011)

Nice Tank fish seem happy!!


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

Things are coming together



















Cleared out some space and planted some needle leaf ludwigia...they're sooo tiny


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## Plant keeper (Jan 27, 2011)

wow nice tank. i miss my EBJD.


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## dubvstudent (Jan 10, 2009)

Nice tank.

That dempsey is getting big, has he started digging yet?
They can be bad for that once they start to mature. Of course, that is more of a breeding behavior and sense he doesn't have any potential mates in there it might not be a problem for some time now.


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

dubvstudent said:


> Nice tank.
> 
> That dempsey is getting big, has he started digging yet?
> They can be bad for that once they start to mature. Of course, that is more of a breeding behavior and sense he doesn't have any potential mates in there it might not be a problem for some time now.


Not yet, but I'm waiting for that to happen. He's very calm and peaceful, unlike any cichlid I've ever had. It's probably because he's still a juvenile.


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

I need some help identifying plants...does anyone know these plants

It has reddish veins/stalk and greenish leaves. Anybody know what it is?










In the back. It looks like bacopa but it's not. Anyone know?










Some updates..


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)




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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Tank looks great! Has your EBJD taken aquascaping into his own hands yet?


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

Capsaicin_MFK said:


> Tank looks great! Has your EBJD taken aquascaping into his own hands yet?


Thanks! Not yet, I'm trying to get rid of him in the SNS section before he goes demolition derby on my tank.


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

Been having some problems with algae growth on my dwarf hairgrass. Anyone know how to solve this?


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

During my usual sunday water change, my dog decided to jump on my glass top cover. Needless to say I had to get another. I decided to turn this into a DIY project and I think it's safe to say that I can guarantee a trip to the hospital in the near future. My craftsmanship was quite suspect.

I bought  this 12" X 36" glass slab  and cut it down to 10.5" X 29.25". Breaking off the small piece was difficult and I left a few SHARP edges. 



















Other than that, the corners of my tank were getting very little light because of the 24" bulbs in a 30" tank. I think I've found a way to cover those low light areas...good ol crypt wendtii and amazon sword have been growing fine in the dark corners.


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## 2in10 (Feb 8, 2011)

Gorgeous tank

I think your plant that looks similar to Bacopa is Micranthemum umbrosum.

The other looks like an Alternathera species.


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

bummer that you were getting rid of him, if he still needs a home i would love to take him off your hands


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

2in10 said:


> Gorgeous tank
> 
> I think your plant that looks similar to Bacopa is Micranthemum umbrosum.
> 
> The other looks like an Alternathera species.


Thanks


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

shrimpNewbie said:


> bummer that you were getting rid of him, if he still needs a home i would love to take him off your hands


Ya, still looking for a local home for him. I can't bring myself to ship him, worried something might go wrong....


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

I finally got rid of the algae growing all over my dwarf hairgrass!!:bounce: I only changed 2 things from what I've been normally doing. 

1st - increased my PO4 from 1ppm to 3ppm per dosing (3 X week)
2nd - started to add MGSO4 3.33ppm per dosing (3 X week)

All Gone :icon_lol:


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## 2in10 (Feb 8, 2011)

Congrats on the algae defeat and tank looks great.


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

Since this was my first planted tank, my main goal was to just keep plants alive. I really didn't have any aquascaping experience, let alone know what that word was. 

This is my attempt at trying to make this tank look like it was somewhat planned.:icon_bigg. I got my inspiration from Japanes Ikebana arrangements. The big thing with that style is minimalism. I hid the CO2 diffuser and the inlet to my canister filter. The "island" is completely surrounded by DHG.


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

Kind of a sad update....had to get rid of my blue jack dempsey :frown:. Just getting way to big for this little tank. Added 15 rasbora's and a dwarf gourami.


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## smiller8 (Feb 14, 2010)

I love the idea of incorporating Ikebana into this tank. I've always thought it would be a good idea for an aqua-scape!

I also love the wood in the arrangement. I think it captures your idea of Ikebana quite well.

Looks great!


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## doncityz (May 17, 2011)

Seeing that the tank now looks like that from this look:









I'd say you're making such an excellent progress and the tank is defeinitely DONE!
Awsome plants, scape, and cool fish.. congrats man!! I m getting that reineckii soon as well.


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

I like your tank! Love the colors! The last FTS with the gourami is SICK! 

I also really like how you built your DIY CO2 setup haha. When I first started planted tanks, that was exactly the setup I had in my head. Just never had the chance to build it before I went pressurized.


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

smiller8 said:


> I love the idea of incorporating Ikebana into this tank. I've always thought it would be a good idea for an aqua-scape!
> 
> I also love the wood in the arrangement. I think it captures your idea of Ikebana quite well.
> 
> Looks great!


Thanks!:icon_bigg


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

doncityz said:


> Seeing that the tank now looks like that from this look:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's a cool plant that grows easily. I have some in my non co2 tank and it's growing just as nicely.

It's funny looking back at those old picks...I remember thinking to myself, "Man, I did a good job on this scape". lol


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

speedie408 said:


> I like your tank! Love the colors! The last FTS with the gourami is SICK!
> 
> I also really like how you built your DIY CO2 setup haha. When I first started planted tanks, that was exactly the setup I had in my head. Just never had the chance to build it before I went pressurized.


Thanks! Diy CO2 was a fun little project, but mixing sugar and yeast every couple weeks gets old quick! Wishing I could shell out some cash and go pressurized!


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## ghotifish (Feb 16, 2009)

Really nice tank! Nice job on the algae on your hair grass.


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## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

Any Chance of an update on this Amazing Tank?


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

[email protected] said:


> Any Chance of an update on this Amazing Tank?


yep, I'll have one soon. Been kind of neglecting my tanks since MW3 came out roud:. Finally getting tired of that game, so now I can switch back into fish tank mode.


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

Now I know why people get big tanks...my little 20L just isn't tall enough. Unless I prune regularly, I have a huge mess of plants all over this tank. Need to save up some money and get me that 90 gallon!

I took out the Hygro Kompact and replaced it with some riccia that had taken over one of my other tanks. Strapped it to some rock with red fishing line...like this










Topped all the A. Reineckii and replanted them and here's what the tank looks like now. Hopefully everything grows in nicely










Oh ya, like I had predicted earlier, I sliced my finger today cleaning the glass top :confused1:


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

A couple more pics


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## Msouza91 (Dec 29, 2011)

Your in my Top 3 tanks on this forum! Can't believe it's a 20g long can't imagine what you could of done to a 40g or even a 75. One question thought what kind of sword is that in the center of your tank 70% of the time?


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

Msouza91 said:


> Your in my Top 3 tanks on this forum! Can't believe it's a 20g long can't imagine what you could of done to a 40g or even a 75. One question thought what kind of sword is that in the center of your tank 70% of the time?


Thanks! 

The green one is just a regular amazon sword. If I remember correctly I picked it up at petsmart in one of those plastic tubes. Whenever it's get's to big, I take it out and break it up into smaller pieces. The last time I was able to get 5-6 separate plants.

If you're talking about the reddish one it's a Bronze crypt wendtii. I really love this plant, the coloring is remarkable to me.


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## Msouza91 (Dec 29, 2011)

Petsmart??? Whatt haha I bought mines at a LFS and they aren't as healthy and green and full as yours i'm bummed out now haha. Also if you don't mind me asking where did you get your diy ferts? I would like to try it out but have no idea how much of each product to use.



>


That red one around the swords are the _Bronze Crypt Wendtii?_


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

Msouza91 said:


> Petsmart??? Whatt haha I bought mines at a LFS and they aren't as healthy and green and full as yours i'm bummed out now haha. Also if you don't mind me asking where did you get your diy ferts? I would like to try it out but have no idea how much of each product to use.


haha, ya, I have to cave into the big brand names every once in a while. I got the Spectracide (KNO3) from lowes, the Fleet enema (PO4) from CVS and Morton salt substitue (KCL) from publix. If you want to add Magnesium I use epsom salts. Use the fertilator over at APC to find ppm you want to add to your tank. Or check out the sticky in the fert forum for more info.

If you buy these in bulk from someone you'll save money in the long run. Thing is, I'm always broke for some reason, so I went as cheap as possible and since my tanks are all small I never use much. 



Msouza91 said:


> That red one around the swords are the _Bronze Crypt Wendtii?_


oh...woops. No, that's Alternathera Reineckii, also a petsmart purchase :eek5: That green plant in the middle is Hygro Corymbosa Kompact


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## Msouza91 (Dec 29, 2011)

yea i've been trying to make an estimate and i'm not understanding it lol guess ill do some more research before i stop mixing.


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

Msouza91 said:


> yea i've been trying to make an estimate and i'm not understanding it lol guess ill do some more research before i stop mixing.


Check out the fertilator calculator

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/fertilator.php

At the bottom there is a ppm for each fertilizer. Generally speaking try to stay within those boundaries. (Everyone's tank is different but that's a good starting point.) PM me if you have questions. I'll be glad to answer them.


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## Msouza91 (Dec 29, 2011)

Thanks! I'll see what I can do on my own first


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## IWANNAGOFAST (Jan 14, 2008)

i love this tank! especially the shot with the dwarf gourami


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## Msouza91 (Dec 29, 2011)

updates??


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

I took out the riccia mat. It just looked weird. I think i'm going to plant more dwarf hairgrass in the middle there. Any thoughts? I also had to take out all my anubia's to put in another tank.










This is where all the anubia's went.


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## Msouza91 (Dec 29, 2011)

I like it you plan on planting some more plants in the middle there?


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

Since I didn't want to spend any cash I just took some clippings of L.Cardinalis from my 10g tank and put them in the empty spot. I'm not sure how much I like it but at least it will stay somewhat small.


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## aweeby (Oct 1, 2011)

I really love the progression of this tank. Looking at this, it's crazy don't more people use A. reineckii. You just convinced me to go out and buy some. I sort of liked the riccia but hey I bet this'll look just as great once it grows out. Are you going to put something a little taller in the very center?


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

aweeby said:


> I really love the progression of this tank. Looking at this, it's crazy don't more people use A. reineckii. You just convinced me to go out and buy some. I sort of liked the riccia but hey I bet this'll look just as great once it grows out. Are you going to put something a little taller in the very center?


Thank you! :icon_mrgr

Maybe some more A. Reineckii. What do you think? Will that be too much red??


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## aweeby (Oct 1, 2011)

On second thought, that little window in the middle is pretty nice. I don;t know... maybe put something fine leafed on the the sides next to the reineckii? So the progression is more like this:
|||\_/||| instead of like this |||_|||
Maybe blyxa? The color might contrast the bright reds and greens a little with something more intermediate. But i don't know if the texture would match... hm..

Well, what ever you do, I'm curious to see what it ends up like. Subscribed!


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

aweeby said:


> On second thought, that little window in the middle is pretty nice. I don;t know... maybe put something fine leafed on the the sides next to the reineckii? So the progression is more like this:
> |||\_/||| instead of like this |||_|||
> Maybe blyxa? The color might contrast the bright reds and greens a little with something more intermediate. But i don't know if the texture would match... hm..
> 
> Well, what ever you do, I'm curious to see what it ends up like. Subscribed!


I like the idea. I've always loved blyxa but could never find any down here.


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## xenxes (Dec 22, 2011)

I want your tank! 

Rosaefolia is gorgeous.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Nice tank, I like your progression. Did you find a home for the jack dempsey?


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

Thanks!

yep, gave him away for free.


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

xenxes said:


> I want your tank!
> 
> Rosaefolia is gorgeous.


:biggrin:


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## Gotcha38 (Apr 13, 2010)

I'm going to copy your light setup for my new 20L. I'm trying to decide on an Eheim Classic size, but I was thinking about the 2211. Does the 2213 give you any kind of issues? Too much flow or something?


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## ItsDubC (Feb 5, 2008)

Very nice tank and sick MS Paint skills lol


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

Gotcha38 said:


> I'm going to copy your light setup for my new 20L. I'm trying to decide on an Eheim Classic size, but I was thinking about the 2211. Does the 2213 give you any kind of issues? Too much flow or something?


I think you'll be happy with the 2213. If you want a very strong flow then buy the 2215.


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

ItsDubC said:


> Very nice tank and sick MS Paint skills lol


:icon_mrgr

Still messing with my point n shoot. But if I select the "foliage setting" and drop the exposure to -1 the shot comes out OK.....then a little auto correct.


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

Some update pics with my new 2 baby angelfish


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## Gotcha38 (Apr 13, 2010)

This thread needs another update.


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## fishboy199413 (Jan 20, 2010)

Update please.


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## aweeby (Oct 1, 2011)

i concur.


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