# Mini Dutch - 12 Gallon Long



## binbin9

I started my 12 Gallon Long as an Iwagumi setup, because I loved the simplicity and elegance of the aquascape. I had my CRS and fire red culls thrown in the tank and not my quality SSS because I was going to dose the tank with fertilizer.

Here are several shots of the tank as it grew in.

January 2013



February 2013



March 2013



April 2013



However through the course of scaping my 12 Gallon I couldn't resist buying a new plant on a weekly basis. 

I started IE Dosing along with my Seachem Products and my plants were growing uncontrollably. It kinda looked like a messy jungle and no longer had the clean look of an Iwagumi tank.

So I had the itch a month ago to go full dutch on the tank. Which suits my plant purchasing style. =)

Here's a quick run down of my setup.

Hardware:
12 Gallon Long - Mr. Aqua
Oddysea T5HO - 39W light - 1x6700 bulb and 10K bulb
EHeim 2213 Canister with DIY spray bar that extends the length of the tank, to avoid dead spots.
2 xDIY CO2 (Don't judge me, it works great for me ) with a the line feeding into a drill holed in the output pipe. Works like a reactor since the spray bar is so long it gives the CO2 time to mix with the water.
Hydro in line Heater

The dimensions of the 12 gallon long are 35.4L x 8.3W x 9.4H, which small and not ideal for a dutch aquarium. Which is probably why after going through over 70 pages of the 12 Gallon long club I didnt see one single attempt at a 12G dutch.

However there are so many mini versions of plants around I figure it would just take a bit of research to find the right plants to create the same illusion of a 125G dutch aquarium (I enjoyed this part)

I had my work cut out for me since Dutch Aquariums require so many plants to give it that full and lush look. So in the pass 2 months I've been buying plants from every where and everyone.

Local auctions, Aquabid, TPT, ebay, craigslist, even Viet Wah (which is a local asian grocery store). 

Two months later here's my species list:
Alternanthera reineckii mini
Ammania Gracilis
Anubias nana
Bacopa
Blyxa
Cabomba
Cardamine
Chain swords
Crypt wendtii
Dwarf Sag
Downoi
Elatine Trianda
Eriocaulon Cinereum
Fissidens
Glosso
guppy grass
HC - Dwarf Baby Tears
hornwort
Hydrocotyle SP Japan
Hydrocotyle Verticillata
Java fern
Lace Java Fern
ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'pantanal'
Limnophila Aromatica wavy
Loebalia Cardinalis Dwarf
Ludwigia Acruata x repens
Ludwigia sp Red
ludwigia senegalensis
Marsilea Minutia
Micranthium Umbrosum
Micro Swords
Mosses[censored]
Needle Leaf Ludwigia
Pellia
Pennywort
ranunculus inundatus
Riccia
Rotala Indica
Rotala Indica True - Ammania Bonsai
Rotala Wallichii
Star Grass
Staurogyne repens
Subwasertang
SYNGONANTHUS SP. 'BELEM'
Tiger Lilly
Trident Java fern
Utricularia graminifolia
Water Wysteria




Here's what made it into the tank.
1. Rotala Indica - rotundifolia
2. Ammania Gracilis
3. Crypt wendtii
4. Loebalia Cardinalis Dwarf
5. Bacopa
6. Downoi
7. Blyxa
8. ludwigia senegalensis
9. Alternanthera reineckii mini
10. Staurogyne repens
11. Hydrocotyle SP Japan
12. Hydrocotyle Verticillata under 11
13. SYNGONANTHUS SP. 'BELEM'
14. HC - Dwarf Baby Tears
15. Marsilea Minutia
16. ranunculus inundatus
17. Ludwigia sp Red
18. Rotala Wallichii
19. Tiger Lilly
20. Limnophila Aromatica wavy
21. ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'pantanal'
22. Eriocaulon Cinereum
23. Rotala Indica True - Ammania Bonsai
24. Ludwigia Acruata x repens


**Erio parkeri, rotala Macrandra red, Diandra, UG

Tank Shots


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## binbin9

quick video


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## Lindy

The tank looks much bigger than it really is. Beautiful.


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## Achintya

wow,fantastic.i second groomer's word.


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## tim

Stunning example of a Dutch layout mate.


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## aliclarke86

Absolutely love this !!!

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4 Beta


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## oldbloke

fantastic


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## Ian Holdich

Really well done, nice usage of the red plants in there!


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## binbin9

Thank you everyone, I appreciate the kind comments. It's become a part time job to maintain the tanks. =)


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## plantnoob

thats a real beauty


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## BigTom

Those plants look great. I definitely want to get want to get a couple of tanks of this sort of form factor made up when I have some more space. Would be great for _Pseudoepiplatys annulatus_ and my _Brachygobious_.


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## binbin9

I had 10 pseudomugil gertrudae aru II but with an open top, it's an invitation for jumpers. So i'm down to 4. The crazy thing is I've only found one dried up fish. I'm not sure where the others could have flopped to.


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## sanj

Lovely and lush.


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## Daz2162

Holy cow this is fantastic! I wish i could scape like this!


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## Francis

bit deceptive that. had to double check the size   looks nice


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## Mr P

really great ,and lots of maintainence I bet,well worth it.


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## liamb2324

Looks stunning congrats


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## flygja

That is properly brilliant! It does look as thought your tank is sat on the counter without any foam or mat in-between?


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## Ryan Thang To

Wow! Good job man


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## MrAlmostWrong

I laughed when I saw the plant list thinking how utterly ridiculous it must look to stuff that many plants into a tank. Then I saw the pictures and you have left me dumbfounded. Very nicely done. I wished ADA or someone else would make a tank with similar dimensions. I just can't look at the green tint or shoddy silicone work of Mr. Aqua tanks.


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## Samuran

Very impressive!

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## wijnands

It is indeed a lovely tank shape. Shame there's no off the peg tanks with this form factor.

As to the assortment of lush plants, I do wonder if that lily is viable long term


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## kingdamm

@   binbin9  wow Nice growth on R. Mini .. mine just grows small curly leaf  !! could u share the water parameters.. such as GH ,KH & PH

Gh- 4-5
KH -2
PH 6.5

thanks


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