# MR. Aqua's 12g Long Iwagumi Madness II the end!(Final update 7-23)



## OiZO (Feb 2, 2010)

looks good. I think you need something counter to the two large rocks on the left. Maybe one of the left ones pushing back a little. Just me though i am not an expert.

As for light im running t5 42watt coralife. Its probably over kill specially since i dont have co2 yet nor know when i will. Dosing excel tho.

I think the hc will look good its what i went with. I was thinking maybe glosso to but i thought hc leaves would look better in the tank since its smaller.



I started one of these tanks too you can check it out on scape let me know what you think. Link


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## nemosreef (Oct 19, 2007)

Off to a good start. Nice.


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## Ranbaral (May 3, 2010)

Nice tank, I think one of the rocks on the right would look good if lifted at an angle. What substrate are you using?


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

Ranbaral said:


> Nice tank, I think one of the rocks on the right would look good if lifted at an angle. What substrate are you using?


 im using ada soil amizonia II


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## AoxomoxoA (Apr 22, 2010)

I think it's greatroud:

"Defiant" on many fronts, lopsided in it's evenness. Can't wait to see it planted.
Those are very nice rocks too btw


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## g33tar (Jan 8, 2010)

Looks a lot like my tank! Im diggin it.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

ok I just got in my light its a cheapy knock off but it should do for this size tank. Compared to my other ADA ventures this one will be more budget friendly plus i have to keep the peace in the household. (wife getting pissed off ) hahaha. 

Ok now here are more pictures of the layout let me know if you like this one better than the first layout i did. Im leaning towards this layout but to mee it seems as if i just made the tank seem smaller. Keep in mind that i will be using HC for the foreground which i will Dry start on friday. 




























this will brobably end up being my CRS and CBS sanctuary.


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## nemosreef (Oct 19, 2007)

starting to look realy good. Can't wait for updates.


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## rountreesj (Jun 12, 2007)

For some reason i really like these flatter tanks. Please lift a rock on the right side....seems too flat.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

ok so here is an update to the tank this will be my final layout cause tomorrow i will start the HC dry start. 
I moved some rocks around and added more substrate to the lef cluster of rocks to give it more height. i also added the small round rock to that cluster to give it a more fuller look. I re arraged the rocks on the left and lifted the middle on up a little so it doesn't look flat ( thanks to suggestions) 

So how does this look?


I just ordered me a 2211 eheim canister and i wanted to try the azoo mini regulator off ebay. trying to stay as low cost as possible plus i wanted to see how the azoo regulator is. 






































I will post pictures tomorrow of the planting of HC. also this weekend i will be making my DIY ada stye stand like my other tank setups feel free to take a look a my sig for links to the other tanks. 

I appreciate all the help THANKS TO ALL 

Now the Planting begins.............

BTW how do i become a EHEIM PIMP # lol ive been using all eheim filters lmk.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

So i just got my HC in and was excited to start planting. 
I decided to dry start my tank first because i don't have all my filter and co2 in place. So i figured i get a head start. Don't really know what im doing as far as dry starting. Do i need to cover the tank with plastic wrap? do i spray with excel flrouish? what's the correct way of doing this thing successfully?

Well while i ponder these questions and wait for experienced people like you folk to answer them enjoy the few shots i took of the tank.














































I wanted to plant dwarf hair grass behind the cluster of rocks to the right and far left but didn't want them running into the HC.. Pain in the buttox in the future so i decided to save me the headache. 
Im going to place some Eriocaulon cinereum between the tall rock and small round rock and also one head between the rocks on the right. I may decide to add some japoinica also but haven't decided yet. 
We will see as time progresses. I just need to get the foreground filled in before the middle of july because we have a show at our LFS that i wanted to enter.


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## benon (Feb 18, 2010)

*Looking good*

Looks good.

You can't go wrong with that setup


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

Yes, cover the tank with saran wrap to hold in the moisture. You spray with water about twice a day to keep things moist. Do not spray with Excel or even use it when conducting a dry start.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

dj2005 said:


> Yes, cover the tank with saran wrap to hold in the moisture. You spray with water about twice a day to keep things moist. Do not spray with Excel or even use it when conducting a dry start.


ok sounds good ill do that and how long do i keep the lights on is it still the 8 hours a day?


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

defiant said:


> ok sounds good ill do that and how long do i keep the lights on is it still the 8 hours a day?


Yes.

By growing the HC emersed for a bit, the plant will root much better. Plus, you don't have to worry about dosing or CO2 or algae (in most cases) while it is emersed.


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

But the HC may have a small % of die-off when the water is introduced.


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## globali (May 29, 2010)

Grate visual,
Best of luck.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

now my light is a t5 h/o 39watt x2. is this too much for the tank while im growing it immersed? will it dry out the hc? i was planning on removing one of the bulbs and just running one 39watt. lmk what you think about that.


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## AoxomoxoA (Apr 22, 2010)

ZooTycoonMaster said:


> But the HC may have a small % of die-off when the water is introduced.


Correct, but what a trade-off! I had a HECK of a time getting some to root in an established tank, I'd definitely go emersed. 

I like the new layout better, heading to the river today to find some goodrocksroud:


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

defiant said:


> now my light is a t5 h/o 39watt x2. is this too much for the tank while im growing it immersed? will it dry out the hc? i was planning on removing one of the bulbs and just running one 39watt. lmk what you think about that.


Isn't 78w of t5 already *a lot* for such a tank? This tank has a low height and is only 12g after all. I would do what you suggested and run only one bulb, even when you fill the tank.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

dj2005 said:


> Isn't 78w of t5 already *a lot* for such a tank? This tank has a low height and is only 12g after all. I would do what you suggested and run only one bulb, even when you fill the tank.


Yeah i tried looking for a normal output t5 but couldn't find one anywhere locally. This is the only cheapest fixture i found and it was a t5 h/o. ill just remove one bulb  save me some money on electricity anyways. lol


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

I removed all the plastic wrap from my tank because when i came home, inside the tank was really warm. I guess my lights heated up the tank. Is this normal? should I still keep the plastic wrap on the tank to prevent evaporation?


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

That looks great. It should look killer once things grow in. :thumbsup:


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

ok well its been over a week since i planted this tank. It seems that the HC is really slow at growing. Now is this normal for a dry start? I always thought that growing HC emersed is faster than submersed. 

I removed the other 39 wat bulb and have been running only one bulb. should i leave it as is or will adding the other bulb and having more light intensity allow for faster growth?

I have had the plastic wrap on the tank off the whole time and was just misting the hc about 3 times a day. 

Hopefully the roots are growing.. all that i see growing are the riccia embeded in the bunches. I have been painstakingly remving these a little at a time.


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## Mr. Fisher (Mar 24, 2009)

defiant said:


> now my light is a t5 h/o 39watt x2. is this too much for the tank while im growing it immersed? will it dry out the hc? i was planning on removing one of the bulbs and just running one 39watt. lmk what you think about that.


immersed = under water grown
emersed = dry start method

I find that if you have CO2, immersed after the first three weeks is faster. The HC really takes off.

ALso make sure all the riccia is out of the HC...it will take over and strangle the HC.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

I still havent recieved my co2 regulator. 

in your opinion would i see better growth if i filled the tank with water now even without the co2 injection or just leave it growing emersed?


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

You would have better growth emersed. There is virtually an unlimited CO2 supply in the air.


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## nemosreef (Oct 19, 2007)

Tank is really starting to shape up and looks realy good.


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

Any updated pics? this setup looks great


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

well here are the updated pictures. 
as you can see there is some growth in the HC. when i first planted it there were distinct rows but now you can see that the HC has blended together in some areas. This is deffinitely faster growth than my previous attempts with starting the HC immersed. I would suggest this to anyone who wants to start a HC carpet and has the strength to fight the urge to flood the tank.LOL


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

I always thought that growing HC emersed was fun. You can see results almost every day. 

Looks great.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

CL said:


> I always thought that growing HC emersed was fun. You can see results almost every day.
> 
> Looks great.


it is fun watching the HC fill in.. cant wait to flood this tank and finish planting.

thanks


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## S&KGray (Nov 12, 2008)

Looking good! roud:

What kind of CO2 regulator are you getting?


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

S&KGray said:


> Looking good! roud:
> 
> What kind of CO2 regulator are you getting?


thanks gray
i just orderd me the azoo mini reg off of ebay. i figure since im going low budget on this i'd try the azoo. i heard it was pretty decent.


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## TeamTeal (Mar 31, 2010)

how much was that 12g long mr aqua?

the scape looks good btw :red_mouth


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

TeamTeal said:


> how much was that 12g long mr aqua?
> 
> the scape looks good btw :red_mouth


http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem.aspx?idproduct=AZ1119&idCartRow=20249018&isKit=0&child=AZ1123

GLA has a 12 gallon long tank made for them as well
http://www.greenleafaquariums.com/glass-rimless-aquariums/rimless-aquarium-91-b.html


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## TeamTeal (Mar 31, 2010)

CL said:


> http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem.aspx?idproduct=AZ1119&idCartRow=20249018&isKit=0&child=AZ1123
> 
> GLA has a 12 gallon long tank made for them as well
> http://www.greenleafaquariums.com/glass-rimless-aquariums/rimless-aquarium-91-b.html


thanks for the links!


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

paid about $80 at my lfs


cant wait for it to fill in :icon_bigg


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## Mudman (Jun 10, 2010)

Thats a sweet tank!


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## nemosreef (Oct 19, 2007)

Looking good.


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## chris.rivera3 (Apr 15, 2008)

Hey CL! What is the difference between the two?




CL said:


> http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem.aspx?idproduct=AZ1119&idCartRow=20249018&isKit=0&child=AZ1123
> 
> GLA has a 12 gallon long tank made for them as well
> http://www.greenleafaquariums.com/glass-rimless-aquariums/rimless-aquarium-91-b.html


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

chris.rivera3 said:


> Hey CL! What is the difference between the two?


Supposedly Marine depot successfully ripped off GLA's product... Sucks for Orlando . According to the Green Leaf Aquariums thread, they will be receiving a new line of tanks some time.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

ok so i now have all the components to start the flood. just wanted to get your input.. should i continue to grow the HC emersed until it covers everything or should i flood it and start my CO2 injection. i just wanted to know which one will grow the HC faster?


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## Dr. Acula (Oct 14, 2009)

According to what I've always heard and read, HC grows in more quickly dry. Of course, aquaria are more fun with water in them.

Also, this tank should look great once the carpet grows in. The dimensions are definitely pretty cool, and I like the job you did with the rocks. I'm looking forward to watching everything grow.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

ok well i just got in my eheim 2213 and decided to start the great flood. here is what the setup is going to be.

azoo min reg
bayou inline diffuser
custom made acrylic intake and spray bar
ada style DIY stand (still in progress)

Ok now here is what it looked like right before i flooded the tank.This is about 3 weeks worth of dry start.

















































here is the equipment that im using










































































and now for the flood


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

Really nice looking setup, defiant.


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## S&KGray (Nov 12, 2008)

Yep, awesome setup.roud:


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

thanks guys.

Gray don't worry bro i haven't forgotten about you. Ill let you know once the colony gets bigger and ill send you some.


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Excellent set up! I can't wait to see it all filled in.

Who made the lilly pipes for you?


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## S&KGray (Nov 12, 2008)

cool, how's the boyu diffuser? I have a few of them but didn't hook them up yet.


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## S&KGray (Nov 12, 2008)

ZooTycoonMaster said:


> Who made the lilly pipes for you?


I believe that he made those himself, and may be having him make some for me in the near future. :icon_smil


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## lasutaku (Jun 15, 2007)

nice!


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

S&KGray said:


> cool, how's the boyu diffuser? I have a few of them but didn't hook them up yet.


so far so good its not leaking and it seems that its turning the co2 into a fine mist cause you can see it shooting out the spray bar. the only thing is that i actually have it going at 3 bbls/sec in order for it to turn fine like that. anything lower then you can see lare bubbles come out.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

S&KGray said:


> I believe that he made those himself, and may be having him make some for me in the near future. :icon_smil


yep i made those today this one was 1/2 in od and the one i made for the 90p was 5/8.just lmk when you need them gray and i can make them and send them to you. ill hook you up with a set

i actuall made them extend all the way down past the table its sitting on. because this tank is only 8in wide i cant make the stand the same width due to stability. so im going to make the stand a little wider and build a frame around it so the tank will sit in the middle and i will fill the the outside with white sand. I made the pipes extend down so it will actually go through the stand so that you dont see that ugly green eheim tubing. also it will look nicer cause it will be rigid and not like a clear tube where you may see some bowing and bending. Im going to start on the stand this weekend and make that a fathers day present to myself. lol


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## S&KGray (Nov 12, 2008)

defiant said:


> Im going to start on the stand this weekend and make that a fathers day present to myself. lol


rofl :hihi:


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## S&KGray (Nov 12, 2008)

defiant said:


> so far so good its not leaking and it seems that its turning the co2 into a fine mist cause you can see it shooting out the spray bar. the only thing is that i actually have it going at 3 bbls/sec in order for it to turn fine like that. anything lower then you can see lare bubbles come out.


ahh i see, i'll need to test mine out soon.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

oh well i guess this hasn't turned out to be so low budget :icon_frow i think all in all i spent about $500 on this complete setup becuse everything is new. oh well i think its always worth it :hihi:


I just added a few blyxa japoinica (green variety). Im not sure what else to add.. im toying around with adding some mini pellia. thats why there is a cluster sitting on one of the rocks but im not sure where to put it. I need to use it to blend in the foreground with the rocks and blyxa and use it as a mid ground plant but don't know where to put it exactly. plus it take a long time to grow it and i don't think it will fill in my mid next month for the show. 

oh well, let me know what you guys think of it so far.....also i just got me some ferts..whats your take on starting up the dosing? Should i start dosing now or let the HC get acclimated to being totally under water?:help:


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## SearunSimpson (Jun 5, 2007)

Sick tank! The only thin I find a little bit distracting is the blyxa on the right. 
Maybe add that stem to the bunch in the back left corner, and maybe add something else that stays low and bushy, like maybe staurogen or hygrophila corymbosa v. kompakt.

I'd add a whole whack of cardinals, or Beckfordi's Pencils!


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

I was thinking of removing that and putting in an erocaulin jap sp. but i hear that they need RO water and not the semi hard water that HC loves.


for fish I was thinking about amber tetras, rocket killie or to make it appealing to everyone a whole gang of pea puffers.


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## SearunSimpson (Jun 5, 2007)

A whole bunch of Ember's would be really cool too- they are one of my faves also.


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

defiant said:


> I was thinking of removing that and putting in an erocaulin jap sp. but i hear that they need RO water and not the semi hard water that HC loves.
> 
> 
> for fish I was thinking about amber tetras, rocket killie or to make it appealing to everyone a whole gang of pea puffers.


If you're going to get Rocket Killies, you need to put a cover on the tank because they are really good jumpers.

And I think a pack of Dwarf Puffers would look cool! Although you may end up with only 1 after a month or so:hihi:


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

Ok so here is an update to the tank. Everytime i get home and look at the tank there is always something inside that says somethings not right. 

So i removed the two heads of blyxa in the front left and middle and replaced it with a plant that i totally forgot the name to. ( so if someone can I/D the stem plant i just put in that woudl be great)

I also added some floating frogbit to help with the nutrient consumption and added an eriocaulin to the mix.

The HC seems to have stopped growing and started to melt in many places. I hope that it will bounce back and not destroy my entire carpet.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

defiant said:


> Everytime i get home and look at the tank there is always something inside that says somethings not right.


I think this happens to all of us.


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## rountreesj (Jun 12, 2007)

mystery plant is HM. I still think the rock on the right is too low, seems to go from AWESOME on the right, to ...too flat on the right. This is my PERSONAL opinion, if you look at my tank, it's 90% hardscape haha. but hc will rebound quicker with HIGH HIGH light and lots of co2 and potassium. 

Looks good. LOVE the footprint! and the filter pipes. wanna make me some? hahahahaha


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

rountreesj said:


> mystery plant is HM. I still think the rock on the right is too low, seems to go from AWESOME on the right, to ...too flat on the right. This is my PERSONAL opinion, if you look at my tank, it's 90% hardscape haha. but hc will rebound quicker with HIGH HIGH light and lots of co2 and potassium.
> 
> Looks good. LOVE the footprint! and the filter pipes. wanna make me some? hahahahaha


the light i have on there now is a 2 bulb 39w h/o t5 fixture but i removed one bulb. should i put the second bulb back in? i thought that this will be too much light for such a short tank. 

Also is it normal for the HC to not pearl during this melting phase? I noticed that the HC is not pearling like they did when i first flooded the tank. Im pretty sure that there is a large amount of Co2 because a few of my shrimps and one SAE committed suicide. I went ahead and turned down the co2 injection just a little.


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## MPevine11 (May 26, 2010)

wow i love these 12 gallon long tanks!
i saw one on my saltwater fourm also!


they look so great im having a hard time chooseing between the 12 gallon lon or the fluval edge.....


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## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

really nice tank dude, great work, love the scape


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## VadimShevchuk (Sep 19, 2009)

sweet tank, hopefully your HC will bonce back.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

thank you. i hope that it bounces back also. i had to move the eriocaulin to the center of the tank because it kept floating away. My guess is that its because my soil was not deep enough where i put it and i read that this thing needs deep substrate. So im not sure if it looks ok where i put it. I will post pictures once i get home.

the HC seems to be doing ok i guess. they are starting to pearl now a little more than a few days ago. there are still a lot of leaves that are melted but overall i think the root system is strong enough to revive itself. (i hope)
:icon_frow


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

ok so here are the pictures they are pretty much the same other than the movement of the eriocaulin. I also placed more of the stem plant trimmings where the eriocaulin was.






































how do you get rid of the green algae on the rocks? or does it just go away by itself when the tank matures?


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

Ok so i finally moved houses and when i re filled my tank i noticed that there were long white almost transparet worms of some sort. sticking out of the substrate towards the front of the glass. I don't think that this is planaria but i don't know what it is either. does anyone have a guess? and is this ok for my tank? ill try and get some pictures of if but they are so skinny that i don't think they will show up in the pics.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

ok so i finally finished my stand only because i needed it for my LFS anniversary tank layout contest. 

I made the stand the same way as i did for my other tanks. the only difference is i made a frame around where the tank will be sitting and will fill it with white decorative sand. I only made it this way because the footprint of this tank is so thin that if i made it to the exact dimensions this thing will probably tip over. 

also i didn't want to have wasted space.

i eneded up again using 3/4" birch wood and the bombay mahagony stain. 


















here is where i made that box. so the tank will sit inside here and i will fill all around it with decorative white sand or silica sand.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

now here are some photos of my tank on stand and set up at my LFS show.


























































































i ended up putting in 16 cardinals. they are so cool cause the whole day at the show they were just schooling back and forth together. I guess they like the long run of the tank.

the HC filled in pretty nicely but there are still a few blank spots that it didn't spread to.


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## Francis Xavier (Oct 8, 2008)

How did the tank do in the show?


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## Reginald2 (Mar 10, 2009)

wow, this tank is really inspiring. When I first read about the sand around the base I wasn't sure, but it looks great. A really cool idea that you pulled off well. 

I'm glad I stumbled across this thread. You've put a lot of effort into this and it shows. 

How do you like that regulator? does it just fit on a regular co2 tank?


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## Daniel Haselden (Jun 5, 2010)

Wow loving this tank. Maybe one day....


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

Francis Xavier said:


> How did the tank do in the show?


im not sure yet i havent gone in today to see the results. I'll update once i get home tonight. 

there were about 24 tanks on display for the show so im just crossing my fingers.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

Reginald2 said:


> wow, this tank is really inspiring. When I first read about the sand around the base I wasn't sure, but it looks great. A really cool idea that you pulled off well.
> 
> I'm glad I stumbled across this thread. You've put a lot of effort into this and it shows.
> 
> How do you like that regulator? does it just fit on a regular co2 tank?


 
thanks, 

the regulator fits on a regular co2 tank and so far its doing great. its nice and compact without the large guages. also there is no adjusting. the only thing to adjust is the output or bb/s with the needle valve.


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## xmas_one (Feb 5, 2010)

Nice job man!


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## S&KGray (Nov 12, 2008)

Yes, very nice job. You need to fly over here and build me a stand! lol


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

Awesome day. I ended up winning 2nd place and winning an authentic ADA shirt and an ADA M tank. here are the other winners.

1st place
ADA L tank and ADA shirt









2nd place
ADA M tank and ADA shirt










3rd place
ADA S tank and ADA shirt










4th place
Large bag of ADA Amazonia II and Ada shirt









this was an awesome show to participate in. It was my first show and i was very pleased with how it was conducted. i'll try and post more pictures of other tanks.


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## thatgmc (Jul 4, 2010)

Congrats! Great tank! is the first tank a terrarium?


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

thatgmc said:


> Congrats! Great tank! is the first tank a terrarium?


i believe it was consisted of all carnivorous plants.


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## MONARK (Jun 4, 2009)

I have the GLA version of your tank and I would like to know if you still running the 2 x 39watt bulbs or just one bulb in your tank. The lightning has making me doubt for since I got the tank and I haven't being able to set it up yet.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

Congrats defiant. I hope to see you pop up a journal with the Mini M soon.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

MONARK said:


> I have the GLA version of your tank and I would like to know if you still running the 2 x 39watt bulbs or just one bulb in your tank. The lightning has making me doubt for since I got the tank and I haven't being able to set it up yet.


yes i am still running the 2 39w bulbs.. have been running them for about i think 3 weeks now. i don't see any bad effects from it yet. i noticed that the HC grows closer to the ground now. but then again im running a generic t5 fixture. I know that differnt fixtures can produce a different intensity depending on the type of reflector and what not. so you may see a different effect from your fixture.



dj2005 said:


> Congrats defiant. I hope to see you pop up a journal with the Mini M soon.


i know i cant wait. im thinking of trying driftwood this time since all my other tanks ive used only stones. but we will see.:icon_smil wife and kids gone for another 2 weeks so i might just start this tank soon before wife comes back to give me hell about it lol.


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## Reginald2 (Mar 10, 2009)

defiant said:


> but we will see.:icon_smil wife and kids gone for another 2 weeks so i might just start this tank soon before wife comes back to give me hell about it lol.



lol, you got to fit that stuff in when you can. It'll give you something to do while the house is so quiet. I look forward to reading about it. Oh, and I'm a little jealous of your lfs. I can't even get plants at mine.


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## MARIMOBALL (Mar 18, 2007)

congrat's great tank you got there. Do you know the dimesions or what ADA tank is the 3rd place winner?


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## S&KGray (Nov 12, 2008)

grats on the 2nd place win! was this at aquascapes?


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## Midnkight (Jun 21, 2008)

what is that tank carpet with on the 3rd places tank. that stuff looks thick!


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Midnkight said:


> what is that tank carpet with on the 3rd places tank. that stuff looks thick!


Thats HC.

Congrats on your win. Nice tank and well deserved.


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## VadimShevchuk (Sep 19, 2009)

what contest was it for? Sorry i have missed it. Congrats on the mini m.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

S&KGray said:


> grats on the 2nd place win! was this at aquascapes?


yeah it was aquascapes anniversary so he threw a tank layout contest to commemorate the occasion. it was a great experience.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

Midnkight said:


> what is that tank carpet with on the 3rd places tank. that stuff looks thick!


yes that is an HC carpet. and it is real thick and lush in person. beautiful tank.



VadimShevchuk said:


> what contest was it for? Sorry i have missed it. Congrats on the mini m.


yeah it was for a LFS called Aquascapes. the owner threw a tank layout contest for the stores anniversary. I was very surprised and happy that he gave away ADA tanks and products. Not many stores will do that.


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## lasutaku (Jun 15, 2007)

Congratulations on the win! I missed the show, really wanted to go, too bad... Maybe next year =)


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## S&KGray (Nov 12, 2008)

defiant said:


> yeah it was aquascapes anniversary so he threw a tank layout contest to commemorate the occasion. it was a great experience.





defiant said:


> I was very surprised and happy that he gave away ADA tanks and products. Not many stores will do that.


Yep kudos to Aquascapes and grats again. Everyone transported their tanks to the contest location already planted/layed out?


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## pasterino (Jun 30, 2010)

What is the floating plant in your tank?


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

S&KGray said:


> Yep kudos to Aquascapes and grats again. Everyone transported their tanks to the contest location already planted/layed out?


 yeah everything was already layed out we just brought it in and filled it back up.


pasterino said:


> What is the floating plant in your tank?


 the gloating plant is called FROGBIT i can sell some to you if you want it for a few bucks.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

well i need your opinions on this decision. I think that this layout has reached it maximum potential and im thinking about breaking it down and starting a new layout. what do you think about this idea. I will probably use the same HC reposition the rocks and add some drift wood. lmk what your thoughts are on this.

im itchin for a rescape cause i don't want to start on my mini M just yet.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

MARIMOBALL said:


> congrat's great tank you got there. Do you know the dimesions or what ADA tank is the 3rd place winner?


 i think it was a 45F ada tank i is the same footprint as an L tank but half as tall


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## auski (Aug 13, 2010)

What is your dosing regime?


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

im just doing ada brighty k and step 1 one pump each a day.


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

What's the foreground plant in the 4th place tank? Microsword?


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

Couesfanatic said:


> What's the foreground plant in the 4th place tank? Microsword?


 
its liliopsis i believe


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

Well it has been a while since i updated this thread.

the tank has undergone some changes to its layout and planting. I added more soil to the left of the tank to add more height and depth instead of the flat feild look that i initially intended. I removed some the Hc carpet that i started with and replaned with some "belem" dwarf hair grass. I added some miramo moss balls that i broke in half to give it that mound look and not just a big round ball in the middle of nowhere.

Since I intend to make this a crs/cbs breeding tank, i figured that i would make it more appealing for the shirmps. more moss = happier shrimp i think.





































Now its just a waiting game for the DHG to grow in. In the mean time, my crs are berried and breeding. ill keep you updated


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## Hyzer (Mar 9, 2010)

This should be a nice all shrimp tank.

The HC is finally greening up in some areas after the rough flight. :thumbsup:


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## S&KGray (Nov 12, 2008)

I like the changes, it will be a great CRS/CBS tank. Any luck with increasing your RCS?


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

S&KGray said:


> I like the changes, it will be a great CRS/CBS tank. Any luck with increasing your RCS?


yes i have about 30 pin heads right now just waiting for them to grow a little more in size then they will be flying over to you hahaha. hopefully they make it this time. I think this will be perfect because of the cooler temps unlike the last time i shipped to you. Plus your wife will like this for christmas 

don't worry gray i didn't forget about you.


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## S&KGray (Nov 12, 2008)

Cool!

Btw, would you be able to post more details about the way you built the doors of your stand? Like type of hinges, how you attached them, mechanism to keep the doors closed, etc. I plan on building a similar stand for my Marina Style 20 tank.


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## crf529 (Jul 24, 2010)

How has your light been going in terms of algae? Still running the 2x39 T5HO?


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

light has still been a constant 2 bulb application the only thing that i did different was change the two 10k bulbs that came with the fixture to two 67k bulbs. i think the color comes out much better in the plants and the greens don't look as washed out. i will post up more pictures today for a turkey day update 

the algae hasn't been an issue the only thing that really gave me some trouble was green algae on the glass and on the surface of the water. this was easily solved. i made another custom acrylic spray bar but made it so that it sprayed out at different levels. made it so that it came out making ripples at the surface just barely braking the surface of the water. the only thing i noticed about this was that i had to increas the co2 injection becuase of the loss at the surface due to water agitation. 

other than that my horned nerrite snails are doing an awesome job at the algae. i would suggest this to anyone with algae on the rocks and plants.


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## gregpxc (Jul 19, 2010)

I think you steal all your tanks =P who can afford that many ADA tanks? It is madness... all of them. Anyway, they all look great (I just went through the most recent pics on all of them), keep it up, I'll keep checking back on them for sure.


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

heres a few pictures of the tank now. the belem is starting to fill in nicely cant wait for it to fill in thick.


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## lasutaku (Jun 15, 2007)

Nice! I just bought some belem from a forum member too.

Looking forward to the plants, but not looking forward to ripping everything out and re-planting lol.


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## S&KGray (Nov 12, 2008)

Looking good!


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## e.wan (Jan 20, 2011)

do you feel the 2211 is providing enough flow or would a 2213 be better?


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

e.wan said:


> do you feel the 2211 is providing enough flow or would a 2213 be better?


the 2213 provided enough flow but i switched over to the 2215 becuase it holds more media. it all depends on where you direct the flow i guess. the best way i found was to direct it from one end to the other because the tank is not wide enough if you face if to the front of the tank it stirs up the substrate.


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

eh....keep this thread going! I wanna see what you do with it next.


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## BoxxerBoyDrew (Oct 16, 2005)

I just got threw reading the whole thing, and all I can say is FREAKIN WOW!!!

Congrats on the 2nd place win too! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

I have been away for a while, and I come back to see A LOT of changes in everybodys settups (equip type, ect..), but still a lot of beautifull tanks! I am GREEN with envy with your skill at setting up your scapes! I will be going threw the rest of your posts to get some ideas for redoing my settups! 

Keep up the awesome work and I would love to see some pics on how the shrimp tank is filling in!!!

Take Care,
Drew


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

ok so here is the new scape for this thank. i was getting a little bored with the rocks so i decided to throw in some driftwood and added a few more marseila crenata, petite nanas, needle leaf java fern, val nanas, hygro and i kept the hc, belem, and mini pelia from the previous scape. i hope you like it. enjoy!!

let me know any suggestions on plants or anything i should do with the tank.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

I have a new found love with iwagumi style tanks. Love this. I won't change a thing in there (at least on the right). Some more anubias/fern around the stump will work but it looks perfect the way it is right now. Keep up the good work


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## jahmic (Jan 30, 2011)

Beautiful...that's all I can really say. Great job on this tank. I'm really starting to itch for a long tank now.


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

I agree with malaybiswis, the right side is spectacular! Don't touch it!  I'd add some plants on the left side, maybe cambomba or ludwigia?


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## S&KGray (Nov 12, 2008)

Looking good man, u got aquascaping skillz. roud:


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

BoxxerBoyDrew said:


> I just got threw reading the whole thing, and all I can say is FREAKIN WOW!!!
> 
> Congrats on the 2nd place win too! :thumbsup::thumbsup:
> 
> ...


thanks drew i appreciate the kind words...ill post up some pics of the shrimp tanks...the tiger tank is doing great and they are getting bigger 2 of my dark blues are berried so im excited. 



cintamas said:


> eh....keep this thread going! I wanna see what you do with it next.


hows your thanks doing? got any updates on the cube?



S&KGray said:


> Looking good man, u got aquascaping skillz. roud:


thanks Gray i got my inspiration from the man at aquascapes lol


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## JACimages (Jan 4, 2011)

i love these tanks! one of these will be my next tank


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## Jaggedfury (Sep 11, 2010)

That tank reminds me of scenery that I've seen up in the Sierras. Looks very natural like. Pretty awesome scape you have there.


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## g33tar (Jan 8, 2010)

What kind of filter do you have in there, and how do you like it? Ive got an Aquaclea 50 on my Mr.Aqua 12g right now and have been throwing the idea of a canister filter around in my head....except all the ones I find are rated at like 150 gph, which Im assuming is way too damn fast for my tank. 

-Alex


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

g33tar said:


> What kind of filter do you have in there, and how do you like it? Ive got an Aquaclea 50 on my Mr.Aqua 12g right now and have been throwing the idea of a canister filter around in my head....except all the ones I find are rated at like 150 gph, which Im assuming is way too damn fast for my tank.
> 
> -Alex


I have been using the 2215 eheim canister filter and if you point the spray bay long ways then there is enough flow and the canister holds a good amount of media.

I wouldn't go 2217 or go smaller than a 2213


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## ADA (Dec 31, 2010)

That's a really beautiful scape. I love the driftwood.


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

Man, no can compete! Great scape, Guess whos my idol now? haha!


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## ADA (Dec 31, 2010)

How's it looking? Would love to see updates!


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

Well here is my last update to this tank setup. sadly it has moved to another home and owner. I really had fun working with this tank and i hope that those of you that followed this thread enjoyed it as much as i did. recently it took 3rd place in our LFS planted tank show. hope you enjoy the pics.


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## ADA (Dec 31, 2010)

Wowwww.. I LOVE the pellia, and the belem grass.. How do you get it to grow so thick and nice?


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

ADA said:


> Wowwww.. I LOVE the pellia, and the belem grass.. How do you get it to grow so thick and nice?


i just let it grow without any trimming, i used PFertz on a daily basis. thats the beauty of the true belem hair grass


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## ADA (Dec 31, 2010)

defiant said:


> i just let it grow without any trimming, i used PFertz on a daily basis. thats the beauty of the true belem hair grass


Yeah, it grows really uniformly huh.. really short. I have some, in my new tank but I only had a few tiny pieces, which I spread out. Hopefully it grows in.


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## S&KGray (Nov 12, 2008)

Grats on the 3rd place win!


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

S&KGray said:


> Grats on the 3rd place win!


thanks gray i havent forgotten about you and yes i do have your custom acrylic spray bars. You did pay the $40 for them a while back. im just trying to find the right box to fit it in and have it shipped out to you. 

I have to stop my planted tanks for now but its not permanent. Ill be back into it in a few months untill i can get my housing situation finalized. then i plan to build me an ada gallery hahah


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## Kosey929 (Mar 27, 2011)

Your tank is beautiful! I am in love with, and just purchased, the same tank. I just don't know what I'm going to do with it yet.

I love how you have chosen plants and rocks that are scaled well to the low height of the tank...and ultimately make it look larger. Thanks for the inspiration!


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

Kosey929 said:


> Your tank is beautiful! I am in love with, and just purchased, the same tank. I just don't know what I'm going to do with it yet.
> 
> I love how you have chosen plants and rocks that are scaled well to the low height of the tank...and ultimately make it look larger. Thanks for the inspiration!


thanks kosey...make sure you create a journal on here when you do start your journey.... 

just letting you know that i have been running 2 t5HO bulbs over this tank since i started it without any algae problems. some have said that T5HO bulbs are too much for this tank but ive had no problems with them.


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## ADA (Dec 31, 2010)

defiant said:


> thanks kosey...make sure you create a journal on here when you do start your journey....
> 
> just letting you know that i have been running 2 t5HO bulbs over this tank since i started it without any algae problems. some have said that T5HO bulbs are too much for this tank but ive had no problems with them.


I had 2 Marineland LED strips (doublebright) running above mine, and I had lots of algae issues, even with pressurized Co2.. My plants were really crawling low on the substrate too, (an indicator that my light is high).. I have the tank under my window though, with the blinds always closed.. I'm wondering if there's still enough light leaking in through the blinds to cause this problem, because it's hard to imagine those LED lights being too much. Going to move the tank and see how things go after that.


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## Kosey929 (Mar 27, 2011)

ADA said:


> I had 2 Marineland LED strips (doublebright) running above mine, and I had lots of algae issues, even with pressurized Co2.. My plants were really crawling low on the substrate too, (an indicator that my light is high).. I have the tank under my window though, with the blinds always closed.. I'm wondering if there's still enough light leaking in through the blinds to cause this problem, because it's hard to imagine those LED lights being too much. Going to move the tank and see how things go after that.


I have two Marineland LED lights on my 56G planted tank - one is a double bright and the other is a reef compatible - and I've only had minor algae issues. I've been leaning towards one double bright for the 12 long, but have to admit I'm intrigued by the lights Defiant is using... What to do???? :confused1:

Sorry if I just hijacked...I'm still learning this forum stuff. :redface:


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## chris.rivera3 (Apr 15, 2008)

awesome tank!! although the tank is with a new owner now, do you mind sharing what your final plant list was??? also what light is that?


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

chris sorry for the late post but ive been so busy lately that i havent had time to logg on. my final plant selection in this tank was. Belem hairgras, marseila crenata, mini pelia, philipines trident fern, HC, needle leaf fern, petite nanas. the light that is on there was an off brand from my LFS it has 2 t5 HO bulbs 39w each. it sat about 4" from the top of the tank.


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## ADA (Dec 31, 2010)

defiant said:


> chris sorry for the late post but ive been so busy lately that i havent had time to logg on. my final plant selection in this tank was. Belem hairgras, marseila crenata, mini pelia, philipines trident fern, HC, needle leaf fern, petite nanas. the light that is on there was an off brand from my LFS it has 2 t5 HO bulbs 39w each. it sat about 4" from the top of the tank.


Heya brother.. how are you? Are you still keeping planted tanks? Is this tank still running? Its still the best 12g long imho. Seeing yours inspired me to get mine.

Hope all is well with you!


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## PJM (Nov 6, 2013)

*Measurements?*



defiant said:


> ok so i finally finished my stand only because i needed it for my LFS anniversary tank layout contest.
> 
> I made the stand the same way as i did for my other tanks. the only difference is i made a frame around where the tank will be sitting and will fill it with white decorative sand. I only made it this way because the footprint of this tank is so thin that if i made it to the exact dimensions this thing will probably tip over.
> 
> ...


Awesome Stand and aquascape! Could you give measurement or do a youtube or forum on how you built it? Great idea with the sand and little stones!


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## defiant (Dec 1, 2009)

Honestly I don't remember the exact dimensions. I actually made the dimensions fit the area the tank was going to be displayed in.


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