# CmLaracy's ADA 75P v.6 (2019 update)



## Green_Flash (Apr 15, 2012)

Excellent! I can't wait to see this planted.


----------



## Jonnywhoop (May 30, 2012)

awesome hardscape. This is going to be a good one to follow!


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

Green_Flash said:


> Excellent! I can't wait to see this planted.





Jonnywhoop said:


> awesome hardscape. This is going to be a good one to follow!


Thanks guys! I'll do my best 


Woke up to find that the hardscape still needed a bit of work and finishing touches. Starting the full setup now. Here's the final hardscape from a slight angle.


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

As promised, photos of the planting and filling process. I ran out of premade RO/DI water so no FTS until tomorrow, besides it's very cloudy from the aeration of the lilies and my atomic CO2 diffuser on full blast. Also, aquasoil tends to could up a tank start pretty good... Tomorrow I'll also try and acquire a nice white background and install a strip of LED's to light it up. As promised, tech specs are at the bottom, below all the progress pics. Here we go!



Gotta start somewhere when farming HC




Getting somewhere, tedious stuff




I had my RO/DI running across the hall and into the tank after the first 15 minutes of HC planting, hence the tube and the sudden water line




Eleocharis 'japan'/'belem'/'mini'




Another angle




The 'valley' between the two structures




Underwater now...




Almost fully planted




Left structure




Somewhat FTS




The valley again




Now with the CO2 and filter aeration, see what I mean? Extremely foggy.




I'll have a crystal clear and full (water) FTS shot for you guys tomorrow. Thanks for looking, here's the specs for anyone interested...

-ADA 75P - 75cmx45cmx45cm
-150w Aquamedic Metal Halide Pendant
-150w ADA 8000K 'green' HQI
-Filstar xP3, Bio Rio and fine filtration pads *(which is currently leaking into a baking tray at a rate that is forcing me to stay up all night until stores open tomorrow so I can replace it. It leaked into my stand a good bit before I noticed, thank god I did before going to bed. 14+ hours of work, then some celebration beers, and then I find out I have to pull an all nighter... coffeeee)*
-Pressurized CO2, 5lbs, GLA atomic inline
-9L AS recycled from version 5
-18L new AS Amazonia normal
-9L new AS Amazonia powder
-500mL Brighty K, 500mL Brighty Step 1, 500mL Brighty Lights, ECA, Green Bacter, Green Gain, Bacter 100
-ADA short 'curve' scissors
-Cal Aqua Lily Pipes, 17mm
-Hand built ADA look-a-like stand
-90cmx45cm Garden Mat
-60lbs Seiryu Stone, not all used in scape
-Bunch of other random nonsense, you know the hobby 
-Hemianthus callitrichoides
-Eleocharis 'mini'/'japan'/'belem'
-Combination of Nikon D5100 and iPhone 5s for photos, the phone blows me away with its pictures to be quite honest


----------



## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Nice. I got sick of the HC/DHG combo in pictures, then I tried it myself and loved it. This tank has some great potential, can't wait to see it start to thrive.


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

It's always something with this hobby... my xp3 started leaking at 4am last night at about 1 gallon per hour, what a day I've been having, no LFS's have one in stock. Amazon prime $6 next day shipping saved me, it will be back up and running tomorrow. Those lily pipes aren't hooked up to anything, light only on for the shot. Using a koralia for flow. Will be picking up a proper white background soon; LED strip sunset type setup. True FTS:







talontsiawd said:


> Nice. I got sick of the HC/DHG combo in pictures, then I tried it myself and loved it. This tank has some great potential, can't wait to see it start to thrive.


I love the combo's simplicity. Thanks, me too!


----------



## brad908 (Jan 21, 2014)

Tank looks awesome


----------



## Phil Edwards (Jul 18, 2003)

After seeing the tank full of what I think the master stone looks just fine how it is, even if it's too late to change it, hahah. The shadow it creates is a nice contrast to the lighter mass of stone and creates a sense of depth all by itself.


----------



## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

Looks great!


----------



## starfire12 (Aug 13, 2009)

Very nice. Sorry to hear you had a problem with the filter that sucks. Can't wait to see the results when it fills in.


----------



## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

That looks great. You have the best equipment in there. I like that dark shadow under the tallest stone on the left side.


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

brad908 said:


> Tank looks awesome


Thanks!



Phil Edwards said:


> After seeing the tank full of water I think the master stone looks just fine how it is, even if it's too late to change it, hahah. The shadow it creates is a nice contrast to the lighter mass of stone and creates a sense of depth all by itself.


Thanks! I was unsure about it and then rotated it the little bit I could while it was under water to create that shadow effect roud:



Overfloater said:


> Looks great!


Thanks man 



starfire12 said:


> Very nice. Sorry to hear you had a problem with the filter that sucks. Can't wait to see the results when it fills in.


New filter up and running, thanks amazon! $6 next day shipping.



hydrophyte said:


> That looks great. You have the best equipment in there. I like that dark shadow under the tallest stone on the left side.


Thanks man! Love your scapes!


----------



## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

I'm surprised you had problems with your XP3. I've been running an XP3 and XP1 for 5-6 years continuously now. The XP1 has no issues and the XP3 has a minor seal problem that causes the water level in it to drop a bit during operation but it works perfectly.


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

Catastrophic rock failure, the main stone and supporting main stone fell and ruined the entire left side along with the valley. I had a dinner reservation, so I did all I could and left. Who knows if I'll be able to salvage it, I'm very disappointed. Only two photoperiods but the plants were doing fabulously, now they're in a bucket...


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

Spent the entire night completely redoing the scape from the ground up, just finished, waiting for it to fill, don't have enough made RO/DI water yet. Second all nighter on this scape. If the rocks fall again I'm out of the hobby.


----------



## fjord (Feb 1, 2011)

*Update???*

Anxiously awaiting an update fella!


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

*Horror show update*

First of all, let me list you the problems and mistakes I’ve ran into/made with this scape, I’m not sure why I haven’t torn it down at this point. I believe journals shouldn’t be a highlight reel, I’m showing you the bad. Here it is in order of occurrence. 


•	My filter started leaking at 1 gallon per hour, 2 hours after the first filling, no local places had a replacement, so I had to order online and stay awake 48 hours scooping water out of the baking pan it was sitting in until amazon brought me a new one. (after staying awake 24 hours for the scape (started at night), I admit I was losing it a bit)

•	2 days after scaping, planting, and filling… about 12 hours after putting in the new filter, the main stone collapsed and caused all the others to do so as well, completely destroying the scape and burying all the plants I spent 12 hours planting.

•	Now, after staying awake for nearly 72 hours, I had to sift through the aquasoil to find all my HC and Eleocharis ‘belem’ (which I had to have shipped from Portugal, not an easy plant to find in a hurry).

•	Approaching 80 hours now, nearly a dozen cups of coffee, I start the complete rescape. Most of the plants were destroyed by the stone catastrophe, I knew my planting might be in vein. This all took 6-8 hours.

•	I get everything done, I’m nearly delusional from lack of sleep for almost 4 days, and I find I don’t have any RO water left (my tap water cannot be used, pure silicates). Now I have to stay up spraying the plants every 10 minutes while my RO filter painfully slowly fills it up to keep them from drying out; they were already in bad shape.

•	Approaching the 96-hour mark, the water is finally passed the highest plant, I can sleep.


Now things seem to go smoothly for a few days until I find that the replanting of the HC was too stressful on it, I had to plant them in bunches of 5 stems, one stem at a time, no roots left (had to sift them out of aquasoil).


Now, my mistakes.

•	I use 100% RO/DI water to avoid diatom plagues. The huge mass of seiryu stones usually provides plenty of GH. I was assuming, and I was wrong. Too many massive water changes, the rocks couldn’t keep up, huge growth stunt due to 0GH. At this point I go to the LFS and start planting more HC.

•	I determined that the rocks were only seeding enough calcium due to their calcite veins, and not enough magnesium. Dose Epsom salts, problem solved instantly.

•	Finally, everything is going smoothly, even at a 10 hour photoperiod and more dosing than I should have (I’m dumb). Eleocharis ‘belem’ starts going crazy.

•	Like an idiot, I’m out one day and call my buddy and ask him to do a water change for me, it needed it and I wasn’t around. I fail to tell him to use the RO water. Next day, Diatom soup, my well water passes through a layer of sand, silicates galore.

•	Day later, phosphates at 0ppm. Accidentally dose 10ppm’s without knowing it, diatoms have a field day. 


At this point I’m fighting the diatoms with RO water changes, but the only place I can set up my RO filter in my house (upstairs) started leaking; water damage in the ceiling of the first floor. So, I’ve been buying 14 gallons of distilled water every day since then. Keeping in mind this tank is still not cycled, riddled with nitrItes. 

Prior to every distilled change, I clean all the diatoms out, plants, stones, everything. They’re (diatoms) dying, but not fast enough, something is wrong, some are still even growing. Yesterday I came to the conclusion that I’ve been brushing silicates off the stones, feeding the diatoms… It's the only answer, the tank water is essentially RO water with a GH of 4, some K, and some nitrItes, absolutely no food for the diatoms.

As of today, the plants are starting to fight back, and things are back on track… somehow. I also placed some Rotala ‘green’ behind the stones to help suck up some nutrients. I also think it might end up looking good there. So, here’s the shameful photos… I can't believe how many things I've let slip, I guess 2 years out of the hobby can do that to you (and a bit of a cockiness). Quickly taken, no care at all, horrible shots of an at the moment horrible tank.




The Rotala 'green'




I'm either going to have to replant more HC once these diatoms are gone, or do a lot of trimming, as I do see healthy growth coming up from under the diatom infested growth. I really wish I could start this scape over, it's going to be a huge challenge to get this to look half as nice as I want it to.


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

Fully cycled tank, all diatoms gone. Picked up 30 amanos, no casualties, drip acclimation is amazing. They're chomping up the corpses. Growth took off yesterday. Everything is back on track, perfectly balanced, photoperiod back up to 9 hours from 7, and doing wonderfully. Expect a significant photo update in 5-7 days.


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

Currently dealing with an erosion issue, new xP3 flow is too high, some aquasoil is moving. Ended up completely replanting more HC.

So, big trim of the few stems I have, more or less doubled them. As you can see I got a bit of GSA the other day lol, it only hit stone and glass luckily... not sure how I'm going to get it off but it has certainly stopped growing. PO4 is always 2ppm+, CO2 blasting... 

Pre-trim, CO2 on, no prep blah blah...



Trimmed


----------



## mistuhmarc (Oct 1, 2013)

After 2 days of being up, I'd probably knock the frick out and just sleep forever. I applaud you on your persistence man.


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

mistuhmarc said:


> After 2 days of being up, I'd probably knock the frick out and just sleep forever. I applaud you on your persistence man.


----------



## Plantedcube (Oct 28, 2013)

Sorry to hear about your problems. Looking at your older journals, your aquascaping is enjoyable. Similar story with an rodi unit, my cousin left it on over night with the rejected water going to his laundry. Woke up to 20 gallons on all over the ceiling on the first floor. Everyone has one of these stories if you use an RODI. I guess we will never learn. Keep your head up and looking forward to more updates. I have a similar size rimless as well (Elos 80).


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

Well a ton of other terrible things happened to this omen of a tank, but im not going to get into that. This is right now, CO2 blasting. Went for a little mid photoperiod photoshoot. Keep in mind this was freshly planted HC that had to immediately battle green beard algae and waaaay too much H2O2 and excel.




16 minutes later...




8 minutes later... 




3 minutes later, the recovering HC (H2O2 spot dosing)





4 minutes...




3 min... done for the "CO2 and equipment" shoot


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

Trim time. Since this tank is still so unstable, I'm trimming one side at a time. I'd like to keep the nutrient uptake high.




haaacked




Silly looking! The other side will get hacked in a week or so, a little less maybe.


----------



## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

Few comments on the scape.

Too centered. I am always one for breaking rules, but the golden ratio is killing you here. Stones look a bit artificial and "purposely placed". You know I am going to be brutal with you. I don't like it. You have done better. Go back to your first scape (the one from back in the day) and revisit the balance you had then. You didn't try to make it up or conform. You just did it. Go back to the roots (no pun intended).

Plants and growth. Trim them all at the same time. Even if they don't need it. The stunting of the trim should be proportional for the growth so they all "attempt" to mature at the same time. Your chasing your tail if you don't.


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

Gatekeeper said:


> Few comments on the scape.
> 
> Too centered. I am always one for breaking rules, but the golden ratio is killing you here. Stones look a bit artificial and "purposely placed". You know I am going to be brutal with you. I don't like it. You have done better. Go back to your first scape (the one from back in the day) and revisit the balance you had then. You didn't try to make it up or conform. You just did it. Go back to the roots (no pun intended).
> 
> Plants and growth. Trim them all at the same time. Even if they don't need it. The stunting of the trim should be proportional for the growth so they all "attempt" to mature at the same time. Your chasing your tail if you don't.


:flick: I see what you're saying for sure, I did follow the golden ratio a little too closely, it looks staged. BUT, I'm going to be very busy for a while and won't be able to really tend to this tank too well... so I'm hoping the jungle effect starts to give it some natural balance like version 4 did http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=158875&highlight=

Bare, version 4 was unanimously hated for being too uniform. After a lot of filling the entire shape of the scape changed. The grass here is fast enough and tall enough to make a big difference, I'm going to let it go wild.

And regarding the stems, the right side isn't ready yet anyway, a few stems haven't passed the point where I'm going to cut. The left side was creating too much shade with all the surface draping.

Most of of my scapes have had somewhat defined starts and finishes... this one feels more like a work in progress that could go in a multitude of directions. We shall see how it develops, and if I can even keep it stable. This MH is a lot at 10" off the surface, keeps me busy :angryfire


----------



## MedRed (May 20, 2008)

I see you're still going strong and still making amazing scapes!


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

MedRed said:


> I see you're still going strong and still making amazing scapes!


Thanks, good to see you're here too.


Decided to go with Gatekeepers advice, hacked everything. Traded the stems for 5 baby SAE's at a LFS. I may have "beaten" the green beard algae but it continues to slowly come back no matter what I do and I'm sick of it, damn spores. Makes me want a UV. I nearly killed all five of them with my CO2 levels, even after drip acclimating them with water coming right off of the diffuser for 1 hour. Had to go lights out/CO2 off and lily pipe above the surface aerating for 3 hours to save them. Will update with photos of the trim tomorrow.


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

As can happen in the summer I neglected the tank for about 3 weeks. Turned the photo period down to 6 hours and just threw in ferts here and there when I remembered to, no WC's at all. Rotala was overhanging and putting everything in shadow, so I just tore it out. 

weeks before when the rotala wasn't ridiculous




After a bit of cleaning, this was underneath all the stems (from a bit of an angle, camera phone)



Again, camera phone. CO2 full blast.



I'll post a full update with a lot of pictures from the DSLR (no CO2 etc.) in a week or so when the HC carpet is finished.


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

It's been a long time. Figured I'd come by to say I have a 90P arriving tomorrow and over 100lbs of Seiryu stone. I'm back.

I was a wee-lad during versions 1-6 of my 75P, now I'm all grown up and engaged to a wonderful girl. I want to see what I can do.


----------



## ScrubbyDick (Mar 31, 2016)

90P? Pfffffft why not get a 120-P now that you're not a wee-lad anymore.


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

ScrubbyDick said:


> 90P? Pfffffft why not get a 120-P now that you're not a wee-lad anymore.


I've always dreamed of having a tank with a 2:1:1 ratio at a decent size but not an overwhelming size (1 filter limit). I think 2:1:1 is the perfect canvas. It is nice how they upped the depth and height of the 120P from 45cm to 50cm while I was gone, definitely makes it a better tank, but I don't want to deal with that much water (I have psoriatic arthritis).

So my pallet was missing everything but the tank, we have no idea where 100lbs+ of stones and products are. ~$800 worth of stuff in limbo right now, I'm hoping it's just sitting in their warehouse. Packaging slip had everything on it. Huge disappointment, wanted to start the hardscape in my head and I need to see the main stones to do that.

Only positive thing I can say is the tank is gorgeous, the craftsmanship outclasses my 75P, the silicone job is absurdly perfect.


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

Waiting on the ADA wood cabinet, Aquaforest says end of April. The 90P arrived eventually as did everything else, waiting on just the stand and my lazy but to go fill my CO2 tank.


----------

