# 1ft cube ohko rock



## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Got a start on a new scape today heavy on ohko rock.


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## volatile (Feb 13, 2007)

Looking good. Those back 3-4 rocks look a little too unnaturally straight though IMO. What plants are you putting in? I also like the Cade light. I saw that a few years ago and wish they would sell it in USA or Taiwan.


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## pikachux3 (Feb 1, 2013)

I like it.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

I haven't decided on plants yet, depends what's available. mini pellia, hc, fiss perhaps.


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## urbach (Apr 16, 2009)

It's a beauty. Hairgrass would go along nicely too. 

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk


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## steven p (Jun 22, 2012)

Willow moss, marsilea for a carpet?


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

steven p said:


> Willow moss, marsilea for a carpet?


Thanks for the suggestions. 

Do you mean willow moss at ground level? foreground/sides carpet? I've never scaped with willow moss, where can you imagine placing it? Thanks.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

I really like this. I would think belem would look great in this tank personally. That light looks great, what is it?


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

talontsiawd said:


> I really like this. I would think belem would look great in this tank personally. That light looks great, what is it?


Thanks. Dwarf hg would be nice and I have a lot in another tank I could use. Migt plant it up the felt hand side, front to back. 

The setup consists of a stand, tank and light. It's a CADE Mini. The light is 2x24w PL.


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## Down_Shift (Sep 20, 2008)

wow that tank setup is perfect.. the tank/light stand looks perfect together. i would think 2x24w is plenty for that tank also!


the rocks look insane. the back few look too straight for me though.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Down_Shift said:


> wow that tank setup is perfect.. the tank/light stand looks perfect together. i would think 2x24w is plenty for that tank also!
> 
> 
> the rocks look insane. the back few look too straight for me though.


Thanks, I'll tilt some of the back rocks a bit next time I drain to plant. They're all locked in like a jigsaw puzzle, so I might only be able to move one or two.


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## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

I disagree with the comments about the rocks in the back looking too vertical. 
I think this scape is going to look AMAZING once it's all planted, and those rocks in the back will add a great sense of depth! However, i would go light on the planting--maybe a small carpeting plant like HC or E. hydropiper-- and moss to fill in some of the spots between the rocks to really let the hardscape stand out.
Great start, really look forward to seeing this tank progress!


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Dantrasy said:


> Thanks. Dwarf hg would be nice and I have a lot in another tank I could use. Migt plant it up the felt hand side, front to back.
> 
> The setup consists of a stand, tank and light. It's a CADE Mini. The light is 2x24w PL.


Thanks for the info on the light. One reason I like the idea of belem is that it will be tall for that size tank but the rocks will make that look "dynamic". I think it will exaggerate the vertical aspect of this tank but I could be wrong, it could do the opposite. HC is always a go to but I would not envy you having to trim that with tall rocks in a small place.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Thanks again for the feedback. 

Actually I put some hc on the terrace today. I'll post a pic later. In the meantime this is what the tank used to look like (at it's best a few months ago). One extreme to the other.


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## The Dude (Feb 8, 2011)

That hardscape looks amazing! I wouldn't touch a thing. I agree with keeping the planting light, but I would use a hair grass. JMO


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## pyrosnowman (Oct 11, 2013)

Dantrasy said:


> Thanks again for the feedback.
> 
> Actually I put some hc on the terrace today. I'll post a pic later. In the meantime this is what the tank used to look like (at it's best a few months ago). One extreme to the other.


I love the simplicity of what you had setup before with just a few rocks in the field look. I'm excited to see where you end up with your current build now that you're rebuilding the tank. I like the Ohko rock how you have it. It seems to give off a mountain like effect with the holes and edges. Keep up the good work and definitely keep up the updates!


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Dantrasy said:


> Thanks again for the feedback.
> 
> Actually I put some hc on the terrace today. I'll post a pic later. In the meantime this is what the tank used to look like (at it's best a few months ago). One extreme to the other.


Wow that's just beautiful! Did you save/sell all the ground cover plants?


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## CPD (Feb 7, 2012)

You get my vote for HC and leaving the rocks. Looks awesome!


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

The one-rock-cube looks nice in pictures, but I soon grew bored with it. 

I traded most the hc for shrimp (you can't buy them in shops here) and put them in another tank. The remainder was added to the new scape yesterday. 

Plant wise I think I've settled on hc (no more than what you see below), dwarf hg and mini pellia. Just those three. The foreground and path will be kept mostly bare.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Can anyone recommend an outflow pipe that doesn't pretrude very far into the tank. There's probably brands I've never heard of. 

So far the GUSH oPollen Mini 13 has been suggested to me. It comes out 80mm. 

(the bubble pipe in the pic above extents 140mm, which is way too much). 

Thanks.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Dantrasy said:


> Can anyone recommend an outflow pipe that doesn't pretrude very far into the tank. There's probably brands I've never heard of.
> 
> So far the GUSH oPollen Mini 13 has been suggested to me. It comes out 80mm.
> 
> ...


I don't know but I believe your outflow is for a 60CM aquarium. I feel it's fairly big for my 60P. I think any nano pipe would be better.


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## CPDzeke (Jan 4, 2013)

Are those NAG pipes?


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

CPDzeke said:


> Are those NAG pipes?


I think they might be, not 100% sure what they are. They weren't pricey.


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## HSA1255 (Apr 2, 2013)

Love the tank full of rock. Small clear suction cups could hold willow moss against the back wall. Could be placed 3/4 of the way up... may end up looking like clouds. Would not want plants to fill in that amazing hard scape too much, but with the eye you have for rock placement, I'm certain the finished product will look amazing. An incredible tank that I will want to see progress.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

HSA1255 said:


> Love the tank full of rock. Small clear suction cups could hold willow moss against the back wall. Could be placed 3/4 of the way up... may end up looking like clouds. Would not want plants to fill in that amazing hard scape too much, but with the eye you have for rock placement, I'm certain the finished product will look amazing. An incredible tank that I will want to see progress.


Thanks! 

I had over 15kg of rock, and I had pics of a couple scapes as inspiration up on the screen as I arranged and rearranged.


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## volatile (Feb 13, 2007)

Dantrasy said:


> Can anyone recommend an outflow pipe that doesn't pretrude very far into the tank. There's probably brands I've never heard of.
> 
> So far the GUSH oPollen Mini 13 has been suggested to me. It comes out 80mm.
> 
> ...


I had this Cal Aqua Efflux Nano before and it didn't protrude out very far at all. You can get an idea of how big it is in my old Mini M here.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

volatile said:


> I had this Cal Aqua Efflux Nano before and it didn't protrude out very far at all. You can get an idea of how big it is in my old Mini M here.


Thanks for the info. Cal dimensions are hard to track down. 

It'll be a week or so until I get the mini pellia, but here's where I think it might go.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

*Update*

I recently got a little more done on this tank. Tied some mini pellia to rocks and mesh. Also tied some fissidens. I still plan to add some dhg on the sides, just haven't done that yet. The hc has been in for about 3 weeks and has had 1 light trim. It growing well.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

oh yeah, ignore the outflow. I've got a nano GUSH opipe coming soon.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

dhg is in....


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

I did some work on this tank today. The back-right terrace of hc was a bit too low, you can barely see it in the pics. So i built it up with a bit more soil and replanted the hc. The mini pelia on the mesh towards the back-right is only temporary. Hopefully the newly replanted hc will grow in that direction and I can put the pellia in another tank or sell/trade it. I want the hc to wrap around as if it's going through the 2 central rocks. A non-existent tunnel.


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## VJM (Feb 9, 2013)

What a beautiful layout! I am excited to see how this fills in.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

VJM said:


> What a beautiful layout! I am excited to see how this fills in.


ThanKs VJM! It all hinges on how the mini pellia grows, a moss I've no experience with. fingers crossed.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

I did a trade last week and scored some jungermannia pseudocyclop (aka rose moss). I'm really happy with it. It's ridiculously delicate looking. I put a little in this tank and the rest in my 2ft'er. Diatoms have made the rocks look nasty and brown atm, but the water conditions are good, the cycle only took a few weeks. I added an otto to help clean up. I'm also adding a few drops of weak glut every other day. So things should be sparkly clean in no time. There's good signs of mini pellia growth, but so far the dhg hasn't done anything.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Still waiting on mini lily pipes. The GUSH order got lost in the post and I got my money back. I've now ordered the equivalent in Cal Aqua Labs. Should arrive early next week. 

Time for a pic? A mini pellia (and a little rose moss) tease till I get the pipes in place and remove the floaters.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

A filter clean, new pipes and some more bits of mini pellia added today. Got my old back light going too.


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## FlyingHellFish (Nov 5, 2011)

Such a good looking HC Cuba carpet, drools. Your new scape looks great, I especially like the stone placement, it has a very large scale feeling to it. Very hard to do in a small tank, well for me anyways. 

Can you tell us more about your stand? How much was it and where you get it?


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Thanks flyinghellfish! The hc was planted 3 weeks ago, the growth has been good. 48w and 2bps. Give it another 3 weeks and I'll be able to trim and shape the mini pellia, looking forward to that. 

The tank/stand/light combo is a CADE mini. It cost $350. From what I've heard, they are made in China, sent to Singapore then brought over to Australia. Only one store sells them here in Western Australia. The brand CADE (yes, it's spelt in capitals) has been in Australia for about 4 years now. They're essentially an ADA knockoff, but a good one; low iron, minimal silicone and unlike the ADA solar, the light swings back and forth. ADA is still pricey here (e.g. a 90-P costs $2234, and doesn't come with a stand). CADE is a little better than half the price, and their tanks come with a metal stand with glass panels. I have a 2ft CADE like this. Pretty cool imo.


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## The_Shrimpress (Oct 31, 2013)

Dig your HC! How in the heck did you manage to plant such delicate, tiny pieces of the stuff when you first got started? I'm looking to do this in my seiryu tank, but regardless of how artistic I may be in the dry world, I can for the life of me plant small patches greenery without messing up my layout, or having the plants float off due to not planting them deep enough. Hopeless, right?


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

looking at the pics above, they seems over exposed. i'll have to compensate for the back light in future. 

The hc came from the previous scape in this tank. So it didn't really have to adapt to new water conditions. Planting hc is tricky, I have to admit. There's a spot at the back of the ledge where the soil wants to fall down between the cracks in the rocks. Push in hc and all the soil goes down with it. 

My tip is to get a finger nail size plug with roots. Hold it by the roots and trim the green tops. Dip it a bucket it get rid of the trimmings. Then hold the hc by the roots with your pinsettes and shove it down in the soil so you can't see it. Then grab the green tops and slowly pull it up so you can only just see it. Then do it again and again and again.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)




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## FlyingHellFish (Nov 5, 2011)

Dantrasy said:


> Thanks flyinghellfish! The hc was planted 3 weeks ago, the growth has been good. 48w and 2bps. Give it another 3 weeks and I'll be able to trim and shape the mini pellia, looking forward to that.
> 
> The tank/stand/light combo is a CADE mini. It cost $350. .


That is a good price indeed, did the lights bulbs come in the package deal too?


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

FlyingHellFish said:


> That is a good price indeed, did the lights bulbs come in the package deal too?


Yes, it came with 2x 24w PL tubes. I believe they can be swapped out with the Aquaone brand PLs. Not sure about the colour temp, I'd guess around 7000k. They are a little more white than giessmann midday, but much more more yellow than an aquasky.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

The mini pellia that I put in first has grown well. Nice and bushy. Some bit have been trimmed already. All the other little bits need a few weeks to catch up. I should have done it all in one go. oh well. 

The last few days have seen the first signs of dhg spreading.  

And the mini pellia ss sheet is gone, hc on the right balances it out better imo.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)




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## dhsanti (Nov 15, 2013)

amazing tank


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## dhsanti (Nov 15, 2013)

what type of filter are you using


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## volatile (Feb 13, 2007)

The otos you guys get over there are so small! Are they full grown? Wish they were like that here.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Using a 2213 + small ista reactor + inline heater. 

I believe the ottos are fully grown. Maybe the scape makes them look smaller?


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## dhsanti (Nov 15, 2013)

Dantrasy said:


> Using a 2213 + small ista reactor + inline heater.


was wondering because i have a 4.2 gallon was wondering if that would create too much current


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## volatile (Feb 13, 2007)

Dantrasy said:


> I believe the ottos are fully grown. Maybe the scape makes them look smaller?


I have a 1ft cube as well and the otos here are definitely 2-3 times bigger :icon_sad:


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

@ dhsanti, 4.2g is less than half the volume of my cube. I think a 2213 would be too much. do you have Eden filters in the US? The Eden 511 would suit you imo or something similar. 

@volatile, i didn't know ottos got that big! i guess they are a smaller breed here. either that, or you've been sold SAEs by mistake


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## I.T (Dec 20, 2013)

the layout material looks good, so envy i see that ! wanna have of one on my office work...


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## swoof (Jun 30, 2010)

Dantrasy said:


> @ dhsanti, 4.2g is less than half the volume of my cube. I think a 2213 would be too much. do you have Eden filters in the US? The Eden 511 would suit you imo or something similar.
> 
> @volatile, i didn't know ottos got that big! i guess they are a smaller breed here. either that, or you've been sold SAEs by mistake


The Eden filters are the same (or were till small changes) the same as "ZooMed" filters (a predominantly reptile based company).


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Added some rcs. Times like this I wish I had a macro lens. Anyway...


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## Betta132 (Nov 29, 2012)

That is BEYOND incredible. Hmm... Maybe I'm just obsessed with these little things, but a sparkling gourami or three might look incredible in there. They'd just be drifting around the rocks like little shiny dragons...


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Thanks a lot Betta! 

Here are a couple new pics taken tonight.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

Wow, just love it. Great rocks and a great layout <envious>.

v3


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## cbachmann (Aug 6, 2013)

What kind of moss is that in there? I love the really light green hue.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Thanks ovt

@cbachmann, there's mini pellia (dark green) and rose moss (lighter green).


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## cbachmann (Aug 6, 2013)

Any chance you have a scosh for sale or raok

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

cbachmann said:


> Any chance you have a scosh for sale or raok


I would if I could, but i'm Australia. Locals and shops sometimes get my plants though.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

A couple shots with an extension tube.


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## Down_Shift (Sep 20, 2008)

Which extensions are you using ?


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## Fat Guy (Nov 19, 2003)

nice rocks!!


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Down_Shift said:


> Which extensions are you using ?


The cheapest ones out the on da bay. I paid less than AUD$7. They're being used with the standard 18-55 kit less. They don't allow for aperture change or auto focus. But shutter speed and ISO can still be changed. More expensive tubes have the electronics run through, like Kenko tubes. 

I took a heap more shots last night, here are a couple good ones:


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)




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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

With more than a bit of editing...


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

hc pic...


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

First go at a video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9AGeEDWHYs


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## gnod (Mar 24, 2011)

do you find that your h.c. leaves grow evenly in size or unevenly? when i was growing h.c. it seemed pretty uneven to me.. i wondered what caused this. 

l.o.v.e.ly tank of course.


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## synaethetic (Oct 4, 2011)

Great video! Love the close ups and the music you chose.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

gnod said:


> do you find that your h.c. leaves grow evenly in size or unevenly?


They seem pretty even to me, always have. Cut them low, really low, give them even light spread. i've always had better luck growing old hc that's been in a tank for a long time (e.g. a year) rather than new store brought stuff.


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## Brian_Cali77 (Mar 19, 2010)

Dantrasy said:


> First go at a video...
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9AGeEDWHYs


Great job on the video.. tank is looking excellent.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Thanks Brian

Here's how it's looking these days...


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## Brian_Cali77 (Mar 19, 2010)

Very nice.


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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

That looks awesome. Very well done, one of my favorites!


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## Brian_Cali77 (Mar 19, 2010)

BTW, how much CO2 are you injecting? I've always had bad luck with CO2 and shrimp.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Stunning photos of the set up, how do you get the ug in the rock to sty put? I'd think it'd float out, do you have its roots grown into something like a tiny bit of coconut fiber??


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## Bserve (Nov 4, 2012)

Dang, that dark path still throws me tho


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## samee (Oct 14, 2011)

Those are some serious peaks. The HC looks nice hanging.


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## Schreckeng (Jun 23, 2013)

Guess I just found a new phone background.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Thanks guys,

Co2 is set at 1bps, it's going through a small Ista reactor. But i've been meaning to increase it a little due to an increase in algae (gsa and bba). The light is 2x 24w, so the co2 demand is pretty high for approx 25L. 

Ferts are 0.5ml ada step 2 and K each daily. 

There's no UG in the tank. I think UG would look huge in this little tank (not that i've ever grown it). The stuff that looks like UG in the photo is rose moss tied to tiny rocks with nylon thread. The rest is all mini pellia tied to tiny rocks. In time the rose moss and mini pellia grown and attach themselves to the surrounding ohko/honeycomb rock and you can't even see the rock they're attached to.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

New pic


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Lovely as always ^^ whats the tiny palm tree looking plant in a cup next to the tank?


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

the little plant in the tin pot is a parlor palm. they grow bigger, but this one has stayed small for some reason.


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## nomad1721 (Jan 3, 2011)

Dantrasy said:


>


I really really like this pic! Your scape is just amazing! Is there any chance you have a higher resolution of this or a new shot at the same angle? I'd love to use it as a desktop wallpaper / daily inspiration if you approve.

Thanks


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

a bigger pic pre algae... 










and one more...


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## nomad1721 (Jan 3, 2011)

Dantrasy said:


> a bigger pic pre algae...


AWESOME! Thank you!


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## Brian_Cali77 (Mar 19, 2010)

Awesome pics. Was that FTS shot with a 10mm fisheye?


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Brian_Cali77 said:


> Awesome pics. Was that FTS shot with a 10mm fisheye?


It was taken with a conversion lens 58mm 0.5x Wide Angle. Screws straight onto the 18-55 standard lens.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

This is how it's looking these days....


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## tharsis (Oct 9, 2009)

This is really fantastic! I love it! So much to look at and explore with the eyes. 

The little spots of red and white from the shrimp are exciting to find...its like where's waldo. I really like the one on top of mount everest, he has an adventurous soul.


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## pwolfe (Mar 2, 2011)

is that cade logo etched into the glass? that would drive me bat$hit!!


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

pwolfe said:


> is that cade logo etched into the glass? that would drive me bat$hit!!


Then all you do if rotate the tank when setting up and hide it with decor, equipment, or flora.

Love the lushness, not to busy but definitely not boring to look at scape.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Yes, the logo it lazer etched. future tank will be spun 'round.


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## jcgilmore2 (Jul 10, 2013)

Looks great man, love that last FTS. I just got some Mini Pel... Hope it grows like yours did haha...


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## husonfirst (Sep 12, 2009)

The plants have grown in nicely.


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## westerlies (Mar 16, 2014)

Looks really gorgeous. Love the contrasts in texture and color.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Thanks, I'm really pleased with the scape. I might enter it in the nano section of a comp. 

See how I go. Might be time to remove the glassware and get hair dryer out.


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## twone21 (Jan 3, 2014)

How many pounds of ohko stone is that?!
I have a 1ft cube and want a mountain scape but have no idea how much stone to buy.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

I started with a lot of rock, about 15kg (or 33 pounds). This gave me lots of choice, and the luxury of being able to smash up a few and hope the fragments look cool. The amount I actually used was about half. 

good luck with your scape twone21.


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## twone21 (Jan 3, 2014)

damn. how much did that run you? right now im looking at $5 a pound!


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

twone21 said:


> damn. how much did that run you? right now im looking at $5 a pound!


Well I'm in Australia so the price of ohko is going to be different.

I paid $4 per kg, a sale price from $6 

So that's $2 for 1.1lbs


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## Aplomado (Feb 20, 2013)

Very pretty!


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## twone21 (Jan 3, 2014)

wow...... im am so jealous right now. haha that's a ridiculous difference. Thanks for your help man. I will have to think about spending that much money -_- or going to a rockery and trying to find something nice for cheap.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)




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## jcgilmore2 (Jul 10, 2013)

Dude your tanks are epic. Keep up the good work. I randomly found your other tank on AL or some forum but didn't notice it was you till I found that tank on here today. This, and it, are both awesome. The other tank is one of my all time favorites!

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Thanks for the complement! Your fresh and sw tanks look awesome.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)




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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

A recent pic:


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Excellent photos.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

talontsiawd said:


> Excellent photos.


Thanks man! 

I have a 'glamor' photo of the tank that looks ADA-like. It was taken by a friend with some serious camera equipment. My friend edited it too (no more logo). I just stood back in amazement. I sent it (and an unedited version) off to a comp. So after the results come out I'll post it here.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

FTS time, the hc continues to change the scape.


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## mot (Sep 17, 2011)

Really well done. Scaling is superb and the HC/moss/ohko color contrasts are excellently used. The HC shaping in particular is very pleasing to my eye.


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## ChemGuyEthan (Apr 13, 2014)

Awesome scape, man!


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## mythin (Jun 26, 2009)

That FTS looks awesome, have you had to trim your HC yet? That's usually where the pain of HC in aquascapes comes from, its more maintenance than I like, you look like you're pretty close to having a floating HC carpet soon.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Wow, one of the best scapes on the board I have seen in a long time.


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## Brian_Cali77 (Mar 19, 2010)

talontsiawd said:


> Wow, one of the best scapes on the board I have seen in a long time.


Yup... ^^^ that!


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## klibs (May 1, 2014)

WOW beautiful work there


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Thanks for all the positive comments everyone. I'm honored. 

@mythin - the pic above shows the hc just after a trim (just hours after). I've never had hc float, but I've seen it in LFS tanks where the light intensity is too low. I think it's a possibly in this tank. Not because of poor light, but because so much on the hc is not above soil. The roots aren't as anchored as much as they could/should be. But so far so good. Trimming every 2-3 weeks seems to be doing the trick.


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## quark (Jan 10, 2014)

That is a one bad ass layout. Good job!

I noticed you have RCS and CRS in your tank. I want some too but I'm dosing ferts EI method, and doing 50% water changes, folks on the Invert forum don't recommend it for CRS. What's your regimen and how are your CRS doing?


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Thanks quark.

My CRS are doing ok. I started with 1 pair (the the female was already berried). The pair produced 3 batches of shrimplets (approx 12 in total) and then the female died. She's the only death I've had. The babies have grown up now and just this week I've seen 2 berried females. Just hoping they don't drop them too early. 

I don't pay a lot of attention to the RCS, not even sure how they got in the tank. But their numbers seem pretty consistent. I'd guess there's about 10 in there. 

I feed the shrimp 1/2 a pellet, i think it's the Chilli brand, about once per week. 

The tank get 0.5mls of Easy Life fe and K every second day, and 1 drop of micros (Dino Pee, a concentrated Flourish) in between. Then at least 20% rodi wc on the weekend. A little kno3 about a wc too. I keep tds around 120. 

Just this week I started dosing ADA Green Gain. I'll just dose 1 drop x2 per week for now, see what that does.


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## quark (Jan 10, 2014)

"Dino Pee" ?? :icon_lol:

I had to look that one up to see if you were making it up. That's so funny.

Glad to hear your CRS are doing good. Gives me some hope. I heard RCS are like roaches, they are just everywhere.

Guess we'll see once my TDS meter gets in. Good job again, and good luck. Keep up the journal so we can all enjoy the progress.


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## yellabelly (Mar 24, 2014)

*Thank you*

After seeing this scape im completely starting over. You definitely have "this" mastered. Thank you for showing me the light. Im sooo tired of staring at stems. I will not copy but this will definitely be a go to when it comes to design, layout and maintenance.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

quark said:


> "Dino Pee" ?? :icon_lol:
> 
> I had to look that one up to see if you were making it up. That's so funny.
> 
> ...



Dino Pee is made by Aquagreen. Most good lfs will stock their stuff here in Australia. Or you can buy direct from the guy who makes it, Dave (a total legend). The website is easy enough to find. Other products in the range include Dino Spit (Flourish Excel) and Dino Dung (root tabs). Funny names. :hihi:


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

yellabelly said:


> After seeing this scape im completely starting over. You definitely have "this" mastered. Thank you for showing me the light. Im sooo tired of staring at stems. I will not copy but this will definitely be a go to when it comes to design, layout and maintenance.


Wow, thanks yellabelly. copy away if you like. it will never be exactly the same, but at least it's a starting point. I copied someone else to get this scape. found a 3 or 4ft tank I liked, chopped out the middle etc.. this is what I originally was aiming for:










and edited for a cube:


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Edited glamour pic taken by a friend a while back. Went for the rough look rather than clipped hc look.


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## soyosubie (Aug 12, 2014)

Really like how you have your hardscaping set up.


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## anfield (Dec 1, 2013)

Sorry if I missed it but no CO2 correct?


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## Powerclown (Aug 17, 2014)

The rocks are awesome ,love the hardscape,leave it like that ;-)


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## Emplanted (May 3, 2014)

Just wanted to ask your technique of laying down the for growth in your rocks. 
I'd like to have some draped across my large rocks. Did you super glue. Or just dry start did it root by itself? 
Thank you! 
Love your scape it's just beautiful


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

anfield said:


> Sorry if I missed it but no CO2 correct?


No, the tank gets pressurised co2 @ around 1.5bps. HC is pretty hard to grow without co2.



Emplanted said:


> Just wanted to ask your technique of laying down the for growth in your rocks.
> I'd like to have some draped across my large rocks. Did you super glue. Or just dry start did it root by itself?


Every bit of mini pellia and rose moss was originally tied to rocks with thin fishing line. i could have used super glue, i suppose, but chose not to.


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## anfield (Dec 1, 2013)

ah thanks. Was hoping to do something similar in low tech. Just did not see the CO2 apparatus anywhere. Looked at your other tanks. You certainly have a knack for this. Beautiful


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## Emplanted (May 3, 2014)

Thank you! 
I wanted to try superglue lol not sure if it'll work though hate to kill expensive hc after!!


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

I was looking through the local online classifieds the other night and found a guy selling snow white CRS. WOW. So I grabbed a pair. They've been in the tank now for a few hours. One disappeared into the moss and rock, but the other one stayed up front for a pic.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

I thought this was the other one, but compared to the pic above I think it's the same one. Anyway, you get the idea.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

This tank came in at rank 299 in the 2014 IAPLC. Very pleased with the result. 

I didn't get a rank or comment in 2014 AGA. That's ok. The top 10 nano tanks were amazingly good.


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## chinaboy1021 (May 30, 2003)

Dantrasy said:


> Thanks again for the feedback.
> 
> Actually I put some hc on the terrace today. I'll post a pic later. In the meantime this is what the tank used to look like (at it's best a few months ago). One extreme to the other.


Ehhhh! what plant is this??


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## lamiskool (Jul 1, 2011)

chinaboy1021 said:


> Ehhhh! what plant is this??


looks like hc and fissidens


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## ChemGuyEthan (Apr 13, 2014)

chinaboy1021 said:


> Ehhhh! what plant is this??


The most perfectly trimmed carpet of HC you will ever come across... haha


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## quark (Jan 10, 2014)

congrats on your placement! Amazing how such a small tank can look sooooo deep! Keep up the good work!


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## corrupt (Jan 25, 2014)

another thumbs up well done.roud:


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Rescaped this tank today .... wanted to get back to stems.


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## ChemGuyEthan (Apr 13, 2014)

Excellent! Looking forward to the progress on this one!


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)




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## kimchilee (Mar 2, 2015)

man, i wish i have half of your aquascaping skill. very inspiring!


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Thanks Kim!

I'm going to add more rock to the left, a bit like a wall. Than build up the soil behind it so it slopes high on the left and low on the right. 

bad impression:


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

A bit more progress.... if in doubt, add more rock. 

Also rearranged the stems so they looker tidier.


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## battmanh (Feb 15, 2014)

I like what you've done! Beautiful tank


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## ChemGuyEthan (Apr 13, 2014)

Excellent! Things are filling in rather nicely!


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## How3y (Jun 11, 2015)

So I came across this build looking for some info in the ohko rock, and my god I'm seriously jealous of the tank, looks and looked epic, I really loved the mountain style one, any updates on the newest one?


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

this tank is amazing


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Things are going ok. Here's an update:


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## How3y (Jun 11, 2015)

Looks great man! I really can't wait to get started, iv seen so many cool ideas on this forum since I joined that my mind is in overdrive! Iv been dreamscaping


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## Sub1117 (Sep 21, 2014)

Trimming is beautiful, very even growth as well. How do you plan on trimming the Wallichii?


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

High time I updated this thread. 

When the pl tubes died in the the mini cade i replaced them with x12 3W leds, each running at 1.6W. 

Here's the new scape, about 1 month after planting...


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## stingrayness (Feb 14, 2016)

Is this tank real?? It looks so amazing!


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## heel4you (Mar 8, 2015)

@Dantrasy
Where did you get your ohko stones?
They are beautiful!


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## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

Stunning scape!


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Thanks stingrayness, heel4you and Centromochlus. 

I got the red ohko locally (I'm in Australia). It's imported from China or Japan, one of the two.


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## bereninga (Mar 18, 2006)

Are you using anything for a background on this? Also, it looks like the tank is on some sort of pedestal or platform, not directly on the stand.

Awesome scape!


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