# Ranbaral: 12g long, Iwagumi on a budget



## Ranbaral (May 3, 2010)

So I've jumped head first into this new hobby of mine with a 12 gallon long Mr. Aqua tank. Without going into my life story, I stumbled onto some fascinating Iwagumi tanks a few weeks ago. So fascinating, in fact, that it was almost like a spiritual awakening. What is this, contemporary looking fish tanks with real plants instead of plastic pirate ships? My mind was blown.

After doing a ton of research, I realized that maintaining an ideal Iwagumi is not only expensive, but insane. I mean seriously, pressurized CO2 and 200 watt lamps? Is this nuclear science? I decided to go as far as my budget and laziness would allow, and the internets tells me that a moss tank would do.

So I ended purchasing the following equipment:

1. Mr. Aqua 12 gallon long - $67 
2. Some nice Seiryu/Ryou rocks - $65
3. Coralight 36'', 21 watt NO light - $53
4. 12 pounds Flora max midnight black substrate - $20 + Miracle-Gro Organic Potting Mix
5. Water conditioner - $7
6. Eheim 2232 - $75
7. Cabinet - Aquatic Fundamentals 30g stand - $106, aiming to paint this in "ADA grey".

Pending:

1. Java or christmas moss (maybe HC/fissidens/riccia)
2. When the tank is cycled, some cherry shrimp
3. If I decide to get adventurous, some fish (White cloud minnows)
4. Clear tubing + lily pipes

Here are my tank designs so far, with rocks conveniently numbered. Not sure what I should go for at this point. If you have any good criticism, lay it on me.

A.










B.










C.










There's no way I can screw this up, right?

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*5/18 UPDATE*

New scapes:

D.










E.










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*5/23 UPDATE*

*Final scape: *










Waiting for HC to arrive. Bought a huge batch. If it all dies, falling onto backup moss/fissiden plan. Also now looking for some clear tubing/lily pipes. Really wished Eheim made some clear replacements, the green color truly looks horrible when everything else is grey/black. This is starting to get expensive, too bad I can't remove the budget from the thread title. I do plan on eventually doing a real low budget Iwagumi in the future, with rocks I collect locally (for free this time!).

----

*EDIT: 5/25 Update:*

The substrate/methodology:

So I've been doing some reading on how to make HC survive in a low tech setting. The consensus seems to be that it can be done, it just won't grow that fast. I'm fine with that, because I plan on having the full carpet before I flood the tank. So here is what I plan to do:

1. Per Diane Walstad's method, add a one inch layer of Miracle-Gro Organic Potting Mix below the Floramax. I believe the Floramax is inert, but is a good source of iron. The Miracle-Gro will provide macro/micro nutrients. This appears to be a poor man's aquasoil, and because of this the need to add additional fertilizers isn't required in a low light setting. I'll throw in some fish after the tank is cycled so that the fish poo can act as a continued source of ferts.
2. Per Tom Barr's method, plant HC heavily (I have ten pots coming in) emersed for a few weeks. After the roots have developed, I'll flood the tank and throw in some fast growing floating plants like Wisteria to hold off the algae.
3. Add Flourish excel initially to smooth the transition from emersed to submersed, then try to gradually wean the plant off it. 

This sounds like the best chance I have. Excited to get this started.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

I like B


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

Dude, NICE rocks! This will make a fine moss tank  You might want to replace the pink bulb on the T5NO with a white one, its up to your visual tastes. Canisters are king, but you can make do with HOB's. And skip the tetras, go for some boraras


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## April Lynn (Feb 9, 2010)

I like B also.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Very nice! Those rocks are excellent.
I like scape A. It just looks better, IMO. Like something from an ADA catalog


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

Ditto on the A... not everything is pointing towards the center so your eye is less drawn to it.


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## nemosreef (Oct 19, 2007)

Love the rocks.


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## demosthenes (Aug 23, 2008)

the rocks are cool. i like B though, in A something seems a little bit unnatural. rocks 1 and 3 look.... off a little.


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## Dara (Jul 3, 2003)

For some reason, B reminds me of those marine iguanas sun bathing.

I like A most.


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## Ranbaral (May 3, 2010)

Some great feedback. I made changes tonight, and I think this design looks the most natural and has the most depth out of all of them. It's more difficult than I thought to scape with huge rocks and a tank with an 8'' width. I will make a few more tweaks, but this is probably what I'm sticking with. Might extra substrate be a good idea? Maybe to build up the back more.

EDIT: (See Picture D first post)

Anyhow, I went on a buying binge last night and got an Eheim canister and a stand. My wallet was wet with tears of shame as I pulled Mr. Credit Card out. The "Iwagumi on a budget" is starting to become a joke. I'm pretty sure that this kind of excessive budget negligence is what caused the Great Recession. 

As for the comments, I am certainly replacing the pink bulb on the Coralife with a 6700K....after I've used up the pink bulb. I've never heard of boraras, but after some research, they are now #2 on my list. Might be difficult to get a hold of though, as they don't seem to be as available as tetras. We'll see.

At this point, just waiting for the stand to get here, as well as the living stuff. Will update when everything is a bit more setup.


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## bikeny (Apr 29, 2010)

*Looks great!*

I just found this thread and just want to say you are off to a great start! I am pursuing and similar 'Iwagumi on a medium sized budget', and this has given me some inspiration. I have the same tank and light and am working on getting my substrate. I will be starting a journal in the next few weeks. I will be using Aquasoil and some HC and Crypts. It's good to see more people working with this tank, as I think it can make a stunning setup.

Keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing updates! Oh, and one comment: I think sloping the gravel more from front to back would look better.

Mark


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## shane3fan (Nov 2, 2009)

No comment about the tank ( it looks good in all arrangements--just not what Im gonna comment on-lol ) I love the texture on your table. I cant tell if it is a faux texture or if the table is actually made from a giant hunk of a tree--either way it is cool looking.


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## Ranbaral (May 3, 2010)

shane3fan said:


> No comment about the tank ( it looks good in all arrangements--just not what Im gonna comment on-lol ) I love the texture on your table. I cant tell if it is a faux texture or if the table is actually made from a giant hunk of a tree--either way it is cool looking.


It's definately faux, wish it was a real hunk of tree. My goal in the future is to own/make one of those really cool drift wood tables, with the trunks going everywhere.

Anyhow, I did a final rescape after some advice to switch the largest two rocks. This looks the least awkward out of all the designs I've made so far. 

EDIT: See picture E first post.

Playing with these rocks is addictive, I got back from work at 6 and just played with rocks until 9. Forgot to eat dinner .

Light was just canceled (by the store), and I'm scrambling to find another one. Ridiculous how many sketchy aquarium sites there are on the web. Seems like 10 of them are owned by the same guy. Also this light must be discontinued, since all the legitimate sites don't seem to carry them. Gotta search more. Found out cabinet is coming on Friday. Too excited for my own good.


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## bikeny (Apr 29, 2010)

If you are looking for the Coralife 36" T5NO dual bulb fixture, here are a couple of options:

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...6/cl0/coralifefwt5aqualightdoublestriplight36

I bought mine on Ebay from the seller 'big-edge'. He does not have any listed right now, but you could try to contact him.

Good luck!
Mark


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## Amazonfish (Oct 20, 2009)

I like the hardscape a lot. I can't wait to see how all these 12 longs come together! Subscribed 

Edit: I started an official thread for the 12 long. You should join in on the fun


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## Dara (Jul 3, 2003)

OK, I just notice what you paid for the Eheim. Please tell me you got that Eheim at a LFS and not somewhere online...or else I'm going to bang my head on the keyboard. XD

You should go for moss you find most pleasing, but if you still can't decide then ditch the Java moss, nothing common allowed in there.


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## jball1125 (Mar 9, 2010)

Looks like your off to a great start. Subscribing for sure.
I agree with the above post about the java moss. Tank deserves something a bit more elegant.


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## Ranbaral (May 3, 2010)

> If you are looking for the Coralife 36" T5NO dual bulb fixture, here are a couple of options:
> 
> http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS...lestriplight36
> 
> ...


Thanks, I actually wanted the single light strip. Double I did find a few of, no idea why single is so difficult. I did eventually find one, but it was more $ than I expected. 



Dara said:


> OK, I just notice what you paid for the Eheim. Please tell me you got that Eheim at a LFS and not somewhere online...or else I'm going to bang my head on the keyboard. XD
> 
> You should go for moss you find most pleasing, but if you still can't decide then ditch the Java moss, nothing common allowed in there.


I'm pretty sure I have the opposite of a green thumb (brown thumb?), so keeping the java moss alive will be a task onto itself. That said, I am strongly considering throwing some HC or Riccia in there. Just for kicks, as I know the odds are stacked against me given my setup. Also, the Eheim was bought off ebay for a reasonable price, otherwise I would've gone with an aquaclear. 

Speaking of thumbs, I got the tube stuck on the shut off valve on the Eheim, and in frustration attacked it with a pair of scissors. Bad idea, as I'm clumsy and I stabbed myself in the thumb. I ran around in a panic trying to find a band-aid, all the while my thumb was gushing (really, this was the worst injury I've gotten in years). Hope I have my tetanus shots.

Anyhow, after lying down for a couple minutes (I have self injury phobia or something), I finally fixed and installed the flow tubes. Not sure if I'm creating any dead spots. Also, that huge rock formation on the left takes up 1/2 of the width of the tank at least. Don't know if there will be flow problems. Maybe if I keep the outflow above the tip of the rock? Is that a good idea? No experience with any of this stuff.


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## Amazonfish (Oct 20, 2009)

Oh no! I hope it doesn't hurt too bad. Tetanus vaccines are good for 10 years. 

So when are the plants going in? Why did you change the hardscape again? I actually like either one though. Those stones are definitely nicely shaped :icon_mrgr


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## Ranbaral (May 3, 2010)

Amazonfish said:


> Oh no! I hope it doesn't hurt too bad. Tetanus vaccines are good for 10 years.
> 
> So when are the plants going in? Why did you change the hardscape again? I actually like either one though. Those stones are definitely nicely shaped :icon_mrgr


I'm trying hard to remember my last Tetanus shot. I might get another, just to be safe. I am insanely paranoid when it comes to things like this.

I did change the hardscape, this time so that the tank is neater. I figure if I'm going to plant moss or whatever, it would be a pain to have rocks sticking out every which way. At least there is a large open space now. roud:


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

The very front and back right corner may have some dead spots, but I'm not sure.

Sorry if you mentioned this before, but what are you planning to plant in the tank?


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## Ranbaral (May 3, 2010)

ZooTycoonMaster said:


> The very front and back right corner may have some dead spots, but I'm not sure.
> 
> Sorry if you mentioned this before, but what are you planning to plant in the tank?


Probably some moss/fissidens and/or HC.


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## Ranbaral (May 3, 2010)

So...HC in a low tech tank? The consensus seems mixed (HC is a high light plant, blah blah blah), however I've been doing some heavy nerd research. The following appears to work with the least amount of effort/cost on my part.

The revised substrate/methodology:

1. Per Diane Walstad's method, add a one inch layer of Miracle-Gro Organic Potting Mix below the Floramax. I believe the Floramax is inert, but is a good source of iron. The Miracle-Gro will provide macro/micro nutrients. This appears to be a poor man's aquasoil, and because of this the need to add additional fertilizers isn't required in a low light setting. I'll throw in some fish after the tank is cycled so that the fish poo can act as a continued source of ferts.
2. Per Tom Barr's method, plant HC heavily (I have ten pots coming in) emersed for a few weeks. After the roots have developed and the HC is where I want it to be, I'll flood the tank and throw in some fast growing floating plants like Wisteria to hold off the algae. I fully expect the HC to grow either slowly or not at all in a low tech setting. HOWEVER, as long as it stays alive, I will consider it a success.
3. Add Flourish excel initially to smooth the transition from emersed to submersed, then try to gradually wean the plant off it. 

This sounds like the best chance I have. Excited to get this started.


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## bikeny (Apr 29, 2010)

Ranbaral said:


> So...HC in a low tech tank? The consensus seems mixed (HC is a high light plant, blah blah blah), however I've been doing some heavy nerd research. The following appears to work with the least amount of effort/cost on my part.
> 
> The revised substrate/methodology:
> 
> ...


That sounds like a great plan, and is almost the same as my plan! I have the same tank (still in the planning and aquiring stages). The only thing I will do differently is use Aquasoil. Lots of HC initially, grown emersed for a bit, flood and dose Flourish at first. I will be watching your progress very intently!

Good luck,
Mark


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## jargonchipmunk (Dec 8, 2008)

make sure you have a way to keep the floating plants in the back and not shading your HC. Obviously, if there's a danger of it not getting enough light in your setup, you don't want to let LESS light hit them.


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## Ranbaral (May 3, 2010)

So here's the update. HC is here, light (sent me the wrong one! Solarmax T5 or something? 36'' 21w, but no mounting kit :icon_neut) is here. I added about 1 inch of Miracle Gro Organic Potting Soil and about 1-2.5 inches of Floramax. Maybe it should be more soil? The HC roots aren't tall enough to go into the soil, but water should have some of the nutrients from the soil. If the HC starts dying I'll tweak the substrate. Anyway here are pics:



















It looks really nice right now...almost tempted to just leave it as a terrarium if the HC grows well. I don't think I'll be able to handle the possibility all this HC dying when I flood the tank.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

The only downside to terrariums like that is that the glass is always fogged up. Otherwise I'm sure that we'd be seeing a lot of empty aquariums around here :hihi:


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

i really like the way this tank came out. Ive been seeing quite a few of these mr. aqua tanks coming up. I just got mine and started getting all my equipment. Like everyone else im trying to stay low budget on mine. Good luck with the HC I'll be planting mine on Friday.:thumbsup:


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## El Funko (Aug 31, 2010)

Looking for an update on this thread. I'm thinking of buying this tank, and finding a light that will work is a challenge... Got pictures of the current status?


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## Ziabis (Aug 18, 2012)

I am trying to do an Iwagumi setup with some driftwood. See pics. Would love to hear your tips and suggestions.
Thanks
If I use the centre method it will be placed up on a mound.


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