# Drake's 12g long!!!!!!



## aluka (Feb 2, 2013)

Day 1 of Aluka living vicariously through DrakeScree.

Btw, i wouldn't use flame moss as a wall. They have vertical growth. They grow towards the light. Most moss walls has a drapy look, yours will look pointy? with a upward angle. I think its more commonly use as a carpet or with driftwood. =) But it totally your choice.

I am still super JEALOUS!!! =< Can i come see it after you are done in a few months =D!


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## sayurasem (Jun 17, 2011)

DrakeScree said:


> Seriously, its such a good looking tank I almost don’t want to put anything in at. Just display it. Empty. But that’s crazy talk.


I was thinking the same too lol.


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

Haha, sure Aluka! And I am probably going to need to buy some moss soon.. so if you can, can you please grow it faster?


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

what a great stand. i cant wait to see this build. good luck


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## aluka (Feb 2, 2013)

So i had a prep talk with my xmass moss, they said they will grow faster if i dose excel regularly.


But my crypts has indicated that they will object to the excel by melting.

lol, they are growing, haha =<


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## alipper (Nov 6, 2012)

Subscribed. I wanna see my plants do their magic ha.


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## Dany08fa (Jul 3, 2012)

good choice on lights and filter! (same as me) the only thing is with that in-line heater the 2213 might not have enough flow. i'm running the 2213 as well with just an inline diffuser and the flow is just barely circulating the whole tank. if i were to do it again i'd go 2215 and cut back the flow if i needed too.


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## StraightAddicted (May 20, 2012)

Very nice info that you have broken down, which will help people with similar tanks just starting out. I love the stand as well, and cant wait to see it setup. I do have to agree with the flame wall might look awkward or it will become the best thing since sliced bread :icon_smil


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## aluka (Feb 2, 2013)

you should tell us what plants you got =<


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## aluka (Feb 2, 2013)

I demand picture updates!


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

Here's the temporary set up. 









Waiting for a 2x2 of Dwarf Chain Swords to come in the mail to start a foreground.

You can probaly see two black rectangles in the back of the tank. They are two small moss walls. It's going to take forever to grow enough to cover the whole back of the tank.

My shrimps aren't doing so good since the tank change. I think the high KH (8), low GH (1), and high PH (8) of my tap water is starting to affect my shrimps molts due to the stress of the tank change. Ordered some GH Booster from a forum member and started dosing Seachem Acid and Alkaline buffer. Hopefully I can normalize this thing.


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## horsedude (Nov 10, 2012)

Cool that's a nice start good luck


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## aluka (Feb 2, 2013)

are u still using flame moss for the wall? lol


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

Yup! I think that the moss wall pointing up will look interesting. We'll see. I can trade it off later


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

Just got my plant package in from h4n. Added in a 2x2 of micro sword, some dwarf water lettuce, and another piece of driftwood.

Also got my OEBT RAOK from Dukendabears! I won 5, but he sent seven juvies and one so small it is barely visible. 

I really hope I don't kill these plants and OEBT...!


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## aluka (Feb 2, 2013)

lol, if you wanted water lettuce, could have asked me! wouldn't had to get them shipped, lol

I totally had a 5x5 mat of microswords a few days ago too =<


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

What! 
Do you post what you have for sale? I don't think I've ever seen a sale thread from you for something other than moss.


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## aluka (Feb 2, 2013)

well, i am only allowed one sale thread every 30 days, haha. but yea should ask me if you need some plants, i dont have alot but i do have some! lol

=)


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

Started using GH booster from Niclog. My GH was 0 and KH was 9ish. Added the GH booster directly to the tank and it raised it to 3. 
However, I can't get the PH to drop from 7.8 in the tank no matter how much Seachem buffer I use. So I stopped adding the buffer and GH booster directly to the tank water and now keep a 10g bucket full of water with a heater. I treat the bucket water to bring the PH to 7.0, and GH and KH to 3, and also add liquid ferts. The bucket has water in it at all times and I refill it when it drops below 5g. I think I need to add a bubbler to it...

No! I can't get ro/di water. Not a possibility.

I can't get my KH to drop to 0 no matter what I do. If someone knows a natural method to lower PH and bring KH to near 0, please tell me!

Since adding the GH booster there is a very noticeable difference in my plants and shrimp. The plants seem to be growing much faster and are more colorful.

However, the new piece of driftwood (on the right) started to grow white fungus (it was boiled for 6 hours and soaked for 7 days prior). I scrubbed it with a hard brush and put it back in the tank.


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

Also, prior to getting OEBTs, I had my temp at 76, which I now realize was way too high for the cherries. Dropped it down to 69.


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## aluka (Feb 2, 2013)

Do you age your water? cause boston water comes out at 9 ph, but once it you let it aerate it'll drop to ph 7ish. I use a 20 gallon tub that people use to store clothes, fill it with 20 gallon of water add conditioner, gh booster. It'll last me a week for all my water changes to all my tanks (some small tanks needs more water change). My tub sits at ph 7 after ~24 hrs.

Also you know that those indian almond leaves lower ph right? My PFR tank sits at ph 6.5-6.7 because i have 3/4 of leaf of Indian almond leaf in there with some alder cones. But the down side is that IAL leeches tannin, so your water will turn a bit brown. But my shrimps loves them so i use it anyways.


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

I'm ageing my water now, and it is making a huge difference. Do you have a bubbler in your water? I'm afraid that the stagnate water will grow some murderous shrimp hating thing...

I use 3 IAL and 2 large pieces of driftwood, and it's not lowering PH. Going to pick up some peat moss tomorrow and add it to the canister. I just wish I knew a moss to PH ratio.


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## aluka (Feb 2, 2013)

i think its your substrate. Eco complete is known to raise ph and kh in the beginning, it'll stop after a while tho.


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

Added 5 java ferns and removed some driftwood. 
The ferns are maybe 2-3'' taller than the tank, and their bending makes a great effect and good shade.
I hope to remove all driftwood in the future and have two densely planted sides and a open carpeted middle.

Anyone have any advice on moss walls?
This flame moss wall (in the background) hasn't grown in 6 weeks! There are tiny tendrils of moss coming out, but its not noticeable unless you look closely from the side of the tank. Could it be because flame moss grows up, and a wall requires the moss to grow out?


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

I took a closer look at the moss wall today, and by that I mean that I looked at the back side of it. There is a lot of growth back there! Weird that it's growing a lot on the wrong side.

I only have it attached with one suction cup, so it is loose. This is because my first attempt killed 3 shrimp! The first attempt had 4 suction cups and was pushed through the substrate to the bottom of the tank. Nice and tight against the tank. The 3 shrimp got behind the wall and couldn't get back out. Stress quickly killed them. Thus, the current one cup design.


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

Just changed out the drift wood for some grape vine. If you're interested in the grape vine, read this. 

I also added a Marina HOB Breeder Box. Currently there are 3 berried RCS in it. One RCS that I did not notice had babies in the tank.










My moss wall is starting to come in a lot, but on the back side instead of the front..

BACK








FRONT








The moss wall thing is going to be an interesting thing to figure out...


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

Better tank shots...


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## aluka (Feb 2, 2013)

wait drake, do you only have one mesh?

It looks like your moss wall is made:
Glass-moss-mesh-inside of tank.

mesh wall usually is made like:
Glass-mesh-moss-mesh-inside of tank.

and gratz on the babies! My pfr just dropped her eggs =< they are sitting on the prefilter sponge =<


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

It's glass, mesh, moss, mesh, tank.. Lol. It's just sown together really tightly

Gl hatching those eggs. I've been keeping up with that thread. Sounds difficult


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## Soup12 (Nov 10, 2012)

having driftwood and/or plants stick out of water can add a drastic impression to the tank. That is one of the advantages of open top/rimless tanks.

Amano recommended


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

Here's an update. Though the pics are about a month old, so the growth is thicker. 

I would update more, buy my phone won't allow me to upload to the site.


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

Soup, you're right about the driftwood and plants coming out of the top. I need to redecorate and get some manzia branches soon.
I did add about 6 baby black mangroves. They will prob take way too long to grow in and look decent though.


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## binbin9 (Jan 31, 2012)

Tank looks great, I would probably give up the moss wall its a bit of an eye sore and go with some kind of grass back ground plant, like a Val.


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

I agree Binbin. I didn't use enough moss to make it and it's growing poorly. Used maybe 1/5th the amount of moss than I should of. 

Do you know any specific plants that would make a good wall?


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## binbin9 (Jan 31, 2012)

maybe a tall grass like jungle Val


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## aluka (Feb 2, 2013)

his tank is really short, jungle val grows to like a foot + lol.


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## binbin9 (Jan 31, 2012)

yeah that'll be alot of potential trimming but I've seen some great tanks where they bend at the surface.

Not sure of any other grass plants that do low light


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## aluka (Feb 2, 2013)

yea, but it'll just jungle up his tank, his tank is REALLLY short. normal hair grass will be the same height as his tank, lol.

honestly with this footprint iwagumi style is the best i think.


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## Saxtonhill (Dec 28, 2012)

Cork screw vals aren't as tall as jungle val...but there might be something more suitable out there...


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

the tank is a footprint iwagumi style? I have a style?? This is pretty exciting. 

I really like the jungle val wall, but the tank is only 10'' deep of water. I think any plant will do for a wall. If anyone knows of something fast growing (so I only have to buy a small amount) I could use that. Trimming isn't a concern as long as I can sell or RAOK the trimmings. I'd say that it's preferable.


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

I decided to pick all of the 2-3'' plantlets off of my java ferns. Ended up with about 20. Attached all of them to the driftwood on the left, along with 3 small sections of anubis (originally one piece) that I forgot I had in there.










It's a shame I have to take the tank down when I move next month.


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

The roots at the top of the tank are baby black mangroves, as per someone's suggestion to get something that will come out of the top of the tank.

All of the rocks in front of the driftwood are newly created moss rocks, using up all of the moss from the old moss wall that I ditched as another's suggestion. As well as some moss from Aluka.


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## Lil' Swimz$ (Jul 24, 2010)

Tank looks really cool but what the heck happened with the picture!?!?


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## aluka (Feb 2, 2013)

it looks like it got printed onto a newpaper and then scanned back into the computer, lol =D


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

Haha. My cellphone is a Droid so camera is really low quality. I have to edit the photos to show even a little detail.


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