# Kayen's 33g 2011 Update! .Mko Collaboration!



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Copy/pasted off another forum.
Quick Question ... would 40 pounds of gravel be adequate for a 33g? Some parts will be really really low, and also i need suggestions on how to make a riccia carpet, and i want to use riccia & moss matted on my driftwood instead. Also i'll have some pics coming up tonight of my aquisitions tonight!
EDIT:








The 3 bags of substrate that i will be using in this tank.








E Tenellus








Some VERY healthy looking java ferns, way better looking than the ones i'm growing in my nano.








Not sure what this plant is - Hygrophila Compacta i believe ( i think that's what he said )








Pennywort - Dwarf.








Also, this is ALOT of Riccia, if i can find proper meshing i probably have half my tank carpeted with this stuff ! Also perhaps one of my branches will be a riccia branch.Also how do i go towards making a riccia carpet? Or should i just do with slate and have multiple mounds of riccia? 

All these plants courtesy of devocole - Thanks again! If you ever need more moss just should, it's growing like mad in my nano(albeit with hair algae tangled within, but i guess that's the cost of beaming 64watts over 2.5g ...)

Will get this tank setup sometime this week!

Another edit:
What the tank current looks like with stock lighting etc - no mods done yet, will start gutting the hood tmr - any precautions?


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Done planting.
Will fill it up all teh way soon.
Just water logging hte wood first.


----------



## Chrisinator (Jun 5, 2008)

Nice! Can't wit to se it filled up!


----------



## SeaSerpant (Feb 20, 2008)

Well it looks like it's going to end up good. Any more pics? 
ps.
Why do everybody's first scape always look better than my fourth... fifth? (I've got to stop rescaping.)


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Haha wait a few days.
Waiting for hte wood to be fully waterlogged, because i pretty much threw it in upon it arriving in the mail.
Anyways i'm gonna save up for a T5 lighting system and get a glass top cut for me  .
Today i was busy most of hte time when i was home just replanting stuff that floated. x_x man is planting stuff in a tiny tank much easier haha.

http://www.bigalsonline.ca/BigAlsCA...2/cl0/coralifefwt5aqualightdoublestriplight36

- Think one of these is enough to grow everything in my tank?

EDIT:
Ask for pictures, than picture you shall recieve:


----------



## SeaSerpant (Feb 20, 2008)

It already looks good. With it filling in and growing out i think it will look awesome! Oh and you can go to aquarium illusions and you can get a glass top cut there. (well they order it in)


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

pics : 
Full Tank shot








Gourami:








Sick Angel (body fungus that's starting to dissapear)









Oh, and unrelated to this tank, but here's a pic from the remains of my 2.5g -


----------



## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Love that driftwood in the front. What a transformation.


----------



## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

WOW I love the tank!:icon_eek:

How are you diffusing CO2?


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

None atm. My sixteenth birthday is coming up soon, so 'm going to save up for pressurized, and i'm going to get 2x39w T5HO over this thing sometime over the holidays.
Thanks for the comments guys!


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Alright update:
I got DIY CO2 .. 2 litre bottle, injected into the intake of the powerhead and it's simply misted, i might add a small sponge at the end so that it will diffuse into the water better.
Also, i got a 2x39 w T5HO unit on top of there ... came with 2 10000k bulbs, so that's what i'm at right now. I'm curious if AG fixtures can handle geisseman bulbs ( i want a midday bulb).
Also got a glass top on there too.
Got both on just about an hour ago.. CO2 was prepared a day ago.
Pics:
























This last pic is what it looks more of in real life.
I like the even light coverage.

I need a bit of help though... my timer doesn't have a grounded plug, but hte fixture does, howabouts do i get my light hooked up into the timer ?

(PS. bday money is awesome... haven't even gotten all of it... PS. you guys in Cali wanna hook me up with cheap Rock&Republic Jeans ... or True Religion Jeans? ;D)


----------



## Tex Gal (Mar 28, 2008)

You need a ground plug with your lights. You need to find a timer with all three prongs. If you can't find it locally then you need to find one online. They are usually called "heavy duty". I just got one at home depot this week. Are you near one of those. The ground is necessary since you are dealing with water and electricity.

You tank is looking great. A far cry from your old set up!


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Two week update.
Added a C. Wendtii, more e. tenellus, and some HM.
Man Riccia takes over the surface fast. 
Luckily i can sell teh stuff easily .


----------



## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

Viettxboii said:


> Two week update.
> Added a C. Wendtii, more e. tenellus, and some HM.
> Man Riccia takes over the surface fast.
> Luckily i can sell teh stuff easily .


Looking good. If you want to get a handle on Riccia, here is an excellent step by step on how to create riccia stones to contain it and add an Amano Aquascape element to your tank. 
http://www.projectaquarium.com/plantedAquariumArticles_SecureDwarfRiccia.aspx


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Alright so i want to rescape the leftside a bit.
I have quite a bit of hairgrass in my arsenal.

Also adding pressurized CO2 soon to deal with BBA problem.
Current stock:
- 2 angels
- 1 gold gourami
- 1 bloodfin tetra
- 2 Unknown fish
- 7 White Cloud Mountain Minnows
- 1 SAE.

Anyways any suggestions to liven up the leftside?
Perhaps move up the riccia rocks towards the front end, and have a field of hairgrass behind it ?
And should i remove the moss stump ? 

And moss the wood branches to a degree or no ?


----------



## itstony (Jan 11, 2009)

those are some nice driftwood piecess


----------



## skratikans (May 23, 2008)

where did you get your driftwood from? I really like it! Is that from a website or forum member? you can pm me the answer


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Canadian Place.
http://www.gillsnfins.ca/manzanita_wood.php
Updated live.


----------



## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Thanks for replying to my 90g thread!

Your tank looks like it's shaping up well! For the left side, I don't really know to suggest. I think sometimes the best way to go is to just let the plants grow out. Usually a mature tank will look much different from where it started. So once it fills in, there will be a natural progression of growth on the left side.

Also, do you have anything holding the substrate slopes? Eventually it will level itself out if left alone with nothing blocking it.


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Yeah uh i go in the tank pretty often. I usually keep the slope intact myself. 

Leftside is a field of hairgrass now pretty much, just perhaps if i can get my hands on some Blyxa would be nice though.


----------



## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

I can probably mail you some blyxa once all my half-dead blyxas come back to life lol.

I have blyxa japonica and blyxa aubertii.

I also had some blyxa hedges, but they are so fragile and hard to maintain they broke apart within one week after I got them.


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Sweet deal.
Once it hits spring ( permanent spring ) then i'll be in business. Edmonton getting some wacky weather from a month of around -30, to two weeks of +5c to +10c, then a week of -20c then now we're in a week of around 0c to 5c . Gotta love Edmonton.

Anywho is blyxa that hard? Never had it, i'm just learning alot through my 33g, i still need to get pressurized CO2 on it.
Oh yeah stock update - I received 3 healthy and big WCCM, and a nice little otto that's eating away, and boy is it fat, from a member on AA.


----------



## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

Man its too bad u don't live closer. I would have given u my flourite.


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

....asdf


----------



## mpodolan (Mar 27, 2007)

kayen said:


> this is the ugliest tank ever.
> Who teh hell do you think you are *viettxboii*.
> You should be ashamed of yourself for this piece of crap tank.
> I honestly believe this is a crapass tank, that even a 4 year old put together. Seriously who the hell do you think you are trying to be all badass and trying get a planted tank.
> ...


^x2


----------



## imeridian (Jan 19, 2007)

Kayen, you're being too hard on yourself.


----------



## mpodolan (Mar 27, 2007)

FTR, I assumed he was being facetious. If not, I'm sorry, K

How do you like the Schultz? I have it in my 50, and it works fine, but the color really bothers me in my setup


----------



## mpodolan (Mar 27, 2007)

Also, how is the mixed substrate holding up so far? It looks more natural with the mix. I just know that sometimes substrates separate over time. I know this is relatively new, but I figured I'd ask, as I am moving soon, and I might try a mix with a similar sized substrate to make it look a but more natural


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Ugh it looks terrible.
I'm a lazy bum and too lazy to redo the entire tank.
Like It looks better than just PURE Shultz's but not in hindsight i should have put in the shultz first, than the other crap on top, would have looked much better, but live and learn, and i was anxious to get the tank set up that day so i just dumped whatever i had in there with no regard to how ugly it would look later.

Anyways if you want to do a mix, make sure you have more darker substrates of a higher ratio than the shultzes, cause dangg, it is bright, it doesn't contrast itself well to the green of the plants nor the black of the background, so the whole colour thing kind of blows.

If you want ,next time i do a photo update (post spring break most likely) i'll take a picture of the substrate bed ( which i'm spamming carpet plants all over so hopefully it'll cover up ).

IMO most natural looking substrate is the stuff you find at HD, and it's pretty darn cheap too.


----------



## bgzbgz (Jul 30, 2007)

I think it looks pretty good... in the worst case you just need to add some more plants.


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Quick question:
Can i just stick my CO2 (DIY for now till i get a cylinder) output into the intake of my rena XP3?
Because i cannot find small enough DIY inline reactor parts at the moment.


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Update:
Pics:

















































Oh yes and new wood to replace the err ... clump of clado on the left:


----------



## Francis Xavier (Oct 8, 2008)

Your angels look like they're escaping from a monster!

I don't usually work with wood, but I think it might help the effect of the tank if the wood wasn't so close to the front pane of the glass.

Otherwise! plants look healthy! So does that nice clump of clado!


----------



## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Looking amazing!! 

What kind of light is that you have over it?


----------



## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Kayen said:


> This is the ugliest tank ever.
> Who teh hell do you think you are *Viettxboii*.
> You should be ashamed of yourself for this piece of crap tank.
> I honestly believe this is a crapass tank, that even a 4 year old put together. Seriously who the hell do you think you are trying to be all badass and trying get a planted tank.


Were you drunk when you wrote this? For the name of your thread is *Viettxboii* etc, etc.


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Taken today:



















Low exposure used in these pics


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Dude it looks great. The plants could really use a trim to expose that awesome dw you have. Move the j fern towards the back more and it will look a ton better, IMO.


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Getting rid of stems, and adding in alot of anubias, crypts.


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Well, what are you waiting for? 

nice pogostemon stellatus double helix goin' on there!


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Getting the plants in question (; .
I have the wood just need to soak it:








Any idea what i can do with them ? or what i should? Planning to keep current wood in there as is.

Just waiting for more anubias as well.


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

You've got some good selection there. Just play around with it until you find something that you like.


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Has gone lots of neglect since last picture. 
Did maintenance, cleaned up a bit, did a wc, i have an assload of melted crypts in there, that i'm confident will return in all due time.

EDIT: Swapped an MJ400 for another AC20+ HME today.
And cell phone pic, sorry don't got a camera no more.


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Finally an update. Tank is getting by with not alot of water changes, 0 ferts, 0 CO2.


----------



## .Mko. (Sep 23, 2010)

We are going to spend our next break scaping this thing up =)

RE SCAPE RE SCAPE!

btw thank you to kayen. he was the one who got me started with this whole aquascaping stuff. He's the man. and now i shall do my best to help him rescape this tank over spring break =) love the e. tenellus. gonna try to expose the DW more and gotta love those ferns. Can't believe he got all this with no ferts/ co2 =)


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Me and .Mko are now in process of getting this tank ... back to respectability. 

Eheim 2234 and CO2 being added (2.5 will remain emersed).

Update Done: I had some manzanita in my closet... being floated in my tank right now. Moved a few pieces in there around, and cleaned up the ferns a bit.

2234 needs a spray bar  .

Paintball CO2 being injected via powerhead @ 1bp2s


----------



## .Mko. (Sep 23, 2010)

pictures please ?


----------



## .Mko. (Sep 23, 2010)

=) haha


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Currently no CO2 as of last 3 weeks because the stupid o-ring on the cylinder was damaged and i wasn't home to notice that the cylinder leaked and so i've been empty on CO2 last little while. No ferts either. 
Algae creeping in.


----------



## .Mko. (Sep 23, 2010)

such nice ferns


----------



## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

I really like this one, Kayen. Subscribed.


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

More bad news, not only is the CO2 gone, the light is also done for.

The tank will be on the backburner until finals are over, which means likely till the end of April. 
Being fed fed light from some T12 shoplights, at around 40watts total.
Luckily most of my plants won't complain about the low light too much!


----------

