# George's One-Pot Iwagumi Challenge



## George Farmer

Hi all,

New journal time.  

Spec -

*Tank and Cabinet* - TMC Signature Range
*Lighting* - TMC GroBeam 1500 Ultima x 2
*CO2* - 2Kg FE, Dennerle reg with solenoid, 1BPS with Fluval bubble counter, Up Aqua inline diffuser
*Filter* - Fluval G3
*Substrate* - 15 litres TMC nutraSoil (black)
*Ferts* - Tropica Specialised
*Hardscape* - Seiryu Stone
*Plants* - Elatine hydropiper aka Micranthemum sp. "Monte Carlo"

Nothing too special. I just fancied a minimalist iwagumi with one species of plant.

With one lonely Tropica 1-2-Grow pot of Elatine hydropiper, I wondered to myself if I could plant a whole tank with it...







Stay tuned...


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## siddaa1

Liking this


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## Aron_Dip

You don't mess around... Tuned in  

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## Ryan Thang To

looking forward to it.


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## Ady34

Great idea, and if successful a very inexpensive way of rescaping and planting.....1 press up for every plantlet challenge should keep you calm when prepping 
I am however surprised you had the time to do the rescape being as you have clearly been to my house, stolen my toothbrush for part of your tool kit and replaced it ready for me to re-use tonight.....friendship over! Lol



....Feel free to remove this nonesense


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## Curvball

Looking forward to seeing this one develop George.


Posted from the comfort of my iPhone...


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## Orlando

Tools of a pro right there. Wake up,brush teeth,brush stones,scape.


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## Ian Holdich

Looking forward to this one mate, just remember, this needs a 23hour photoperiod, with half bubble per second of c02. I would go with 8 150w halides as well, probs about 1 cm from the surface.


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## George Farmer

Thanks guys! 

The 1-2-Grow never fails to impress me.

I spent 2 hours splitting that one pot and planting about 250 plantlets last night.  Coverage seems ok. Photos to follow.


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## George Farmer

Basic 7 stone Iwagumi




Half a pot prepped to plant. Note the other half in the container




First half planted




Whole pot planted


 

 



Next I'll be doing a 5 day dry-start just to establish enough root growth to anchor the plants before I add load of shrimp. Otherwise I'll be forever re-planting floaters! I've not done this before but it makes sense - to me, at least!


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## ale36

Ian Holdich said:


> Looking forward to this one mate, just remember, this needs a 23hour photoperiod, with half bubble per second of c02. I would go with 8 150w halides as well, probs about 1 cm from the surface.


 

is this a joke?


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## zanguli-ya-zamba

Hi George,
Already on an other scape ???!!! haha you don't waist time mate. 
This is the second or the third scape of the year ?? 
The Elatine Hydropiper is plant that I really really like, when I saw it in the 120 G of Tom I wanted the same in my tank. 
I think in January I will order 3 pots from tropica and bring it to Congo. Two will be putted in the pond and one in the tank.
I will watch that thread with a lot of interest !!! 
Mate I am struggling with HC, never had success with it. maybe Hydropiper could be an alternative. 


Cheers


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## Deano3

no rest for the wicked eh that is seriously fast re-scape and hope all goes well as that would be brilliant, separating that pot into 100s or plantlets  is amazing George I am going to separate my next pot a lot more 

keep the pics coming
Dean


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## Tim Harrison

Ian Holdich said:


> Looking forward to this one mate, just remember, this needs a 23hour photoperiod, with half bubble per second of c02. I would go with 8 150w halides as well, probs about 1 cm from the surface.


 



ale36 said:


> is this a joke?


 

Lol...it'll be a dense thicket in next to no time.


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## GreenNeedle

My goodness George.  That's even less plantmass than cheapskate me tries to start with   Good luck with it.  I always get green rocks when planting so little.  I don't learn though and keep doing it 

Have to agree on the Tropica pots.  Amazing amount in them.


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## Mark Evans

LOL  Go Boy!


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## Martin in Holland

as always totally awesome


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## George Farmer

Thanks guys. 



ale36 said:


> is this a joke?


Yes, Ian is our resident joker on UKAPS.  Sorry for any confusion.



zanguli-ya-zamba said:


> Hi George,
> Already on an other scape ???!!! haha you don't waist time mate.
> This is the second or the third scape of the year ??
> I am struggling with HC, never had success with it. maybe Hydropiper could be an alternative.


3rd scape I've set up at home this year in the same tank.

I think you'll find this species a lot easier than HC - faster too.


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## zanguli-ya-zamba

George Farmer said:


> Thanks guys.
> 
> 
> Yes, Ian is our resident joker on UKAPS.  Sorry for any confusion.
> 
> 
> 3rd scape I've set up at home this year in the same tank.
> 
> I think you'll find this species a lot easier than HC - faster too.


So i have to give it a try, but really want to success with HC (I hate to lose a battle hahaha). I try to order it in feb or jan.

cheers


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## Ian Holdich

Well planted mate, must have taken ages! 

Sorry for any confusion, please, never use the above information ; )


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## aliclarke86

Sounds like you spent nearly as much time on this as on a heavily planted setup.

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## Alastair

That's some serious patience youve got there George.  Id have ended up just giving in and buying 5 more pots.  Be good to see how quickly it carpets.  
Love the rock layout


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## tim

As Alastair stated George, i really like the rock rock layout flows together exceptionally well, how long do you estimate for the established carpet ? 
Ps Ian holdich is a bad man I read his post and ordered 3 grand solar 1's for my nano


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## viktorlantos

zanguli-ya-zamba said:


> Mate I am struggling with HC, never had success with it. maybe Hydropiper could be an alternative.


 
Just to make it clear. Tropica Elatine is not Elatine. I wonder how many people get confused by this  I know George pointed this out in the journal, but people still keeps talking about Elatine 
I would just drop the plant package to avoid this....

For plant hardness my order is the following: (nr1 is the hardest nr3 is the easiest)

1. REAL Elatine Hydropiper
2. HC
3. Micranthemum Monte Carlo (Large pearl grass)

So you're in the middle, but Monte Carlo need light! Which you might need a little more with HC too, otherwise the result will be the same as with the HC


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## viktorlantos

Hey George!
A new scape again. Wow! Are you fired after your looooooong mission? 
Just kidding mate. Always nice to see when you're into a new project.

1 pot.... hmm what's next? A single plantlet? 

Micranthemum is really a good amount in the 1-2-Grow box. I love this plant.


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## zanguli-ya-zamba

viktorlantos said:


> Just to make it clear. Tropica Elatine is not Elatine. I wonder how many people get confused by this  I know George pointed this out in the journal, but people still keeps talking about Elatine
> I would just drop the plant package to avoid this....
> 
> For plant hardness my order is the following: (nr1 is the hardest nr3 is the easiest)
> 
> 1. REAL Elatine Hydropiper
> 2. HC
> 3. Micranthemum Monte Carlo (Large pearl grass)
> 
> So you're in the middle, but Monte Carlo need light! Which you might need a little more with HC too, otherwise the result will be the same as with the HC


 
Hi Viktor thanks for your precisions mate . Good to know.As you said for sure there is a lot of confusion if it is branded on this name.
Do you have a pic of the real Elatine ?

George can't wait to see this scape fills with Monte Carlo !! 

cheers


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## viktorlantos

Real elatine hydropiper with super dense small root and hard leaves






Lets continue this discussion in another topic to not hijack the journal


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## George Farmer

Hi all,

So this is what I'm currently looking at... The cover glass I had made for me by my local glazier.  It's optiwhite and toughened.





As mentioned earlier, I'm running the DSM for a few days to establish root growth and prevent floaters after filling.

Photoperiod is 12hrs at 100% with the tiles 10cm from the surface.  PAR will probably be over 250 at the plants, which is insane lighting in a regular planted tank filled with water!  But because this is DSM, the plants have so much CO2 available to them, and the substrate is very rich, so they should give fast and healthy growth - hopefully!

There has already been noticeable growth in just 48hrs, so I've trimmed off the new growth and re-planted the cuttings to increase overall coverage...



I

I'm away from home all next week so I figured I'd keep the DSM going during this period.  There's no way I could ask or trust anyone enough to do the big daily water changes I always do with a new 'scape, so by running the DSM it's maintenance free, but the plants will hopefully continue to thrive.

This will also provide me with a lot more plant biomass to help out in the early stages where algae is most likely.

So, not a very exciting update, but an important one to give you guys an idea of how my One-Pot Iwagumi Challenge is progressing. 

Cheers,
George


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## Deano3

looking good cannot believe you have trimmer and re-planted cuttings already, that's great I have never done this but will in future as makes sense looking forward to next update after you week away, we will be itching to see progress George 

Dean


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## Alastair

Youll come back to a nice dense carpet by the end of next week George.  
If this works out well just think how much you'd save on plants on future scapes 

I know in newly set up scapes its the norm to do daily water changes due to the ammonia build up etc but with the substrate being kind of damp would it not kind of be mineralizing  which in turn reducing the amount of water changes needed when flooded?? (Just a random pop up in the head thought)


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## George Farmer

Hi all,

So I've recently returned home from a week away, and am pleased to see that there's been more noticeable growth with no perceivable dramas. The Micranthemum "Monte Carlo" has been sending out horizontal runners from most plantlets.





I'm hopeful that the roots will have secured themselves sufficiently into the nutraSoil to allow for the immediate stocking of Amano shrimp. We shall see...

I don't usually add livestock right away into a new set-up, due to the ammonia from the soil. However, around half of this soil was from my previous scape, so will help minimise any nasty spikes.

This will also be backed-up by large daily water changes and the mature filter that's been running a holding tank housing some red-eye tetras and shrimp - to be added soon.

Because a lot of the soil is old, it's effectively like a sludge, and so adding water can cause a major mud bath. So for this reason I add the water extremely slowly using an airline...









More pics coming soon...


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## aliclarke86

Wahey looking great!! 

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## Plunket

Looking the business mate, of course  Just hope I can put everything I've learnt into practice....
Liking that stack of drums - eaaasy does it


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## David Shanahan

I'm loving the challenge. Will be amazing to see this grown out.


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## George Farmer

Hi all,

It's been 24hrs after filling and all seems well with only a couple of floaters.  The water is a little cloudy due to the CO2 mist.





The red-eye tetras don't suit the aquascape IMO, with their silver-grey bodies blending in with the rock work.  Potential replacement would be the classical cardinals or harlequins.









I'm changing 50% water daily for the first week, then 50% every other day for the second week, then 50% every third day for the third week. Dosing 2 squirts of Tropica Specialised per day to start with, then upping as the biomass increases.

CO2 is one bubble per second, coming on 2hrs before lighting.

Lighting is 7hr photoperiod but only 50% intensity at 40cm above the tank, with 100% for 3hrs burst in the middle of the photoperiod.

Hopefully the shrimp will help to keep any potential algae in check.  





I've also added 250ml of Seachem Purigen into the chemical cartridge of the Fluval G which anecdotally helps to prevent diatoms - a very common problem in new set-ups, especially with soil.  I'm thinking the Purigen helps to remove any ammonia spikes that usually trigger algae.  Thanks to Ian Holdich for the tip! 

So now it's just a case of maintaining the tank and watching the plants grow - hopefully trouble-free! 

Longer-term I'd like to be able to grow the carpet quite deep towards the rear and keep it trimmed in a topiary-like fashion between the rocks at various heights to add interest to the layout.  In a similar vain to Viktor's classic HC-only Iwagumi from last year.


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## andyh

George!

Great work and a refreshing approach that clearly demonstrates that you don't need to spend masses of cash on plants to get an effective aquascape.

I have a pot of Eleocharis mini, would you mind popping over and helping me split it into individual blades of grass  

Andyh


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## Antoni

Great challenge George! Interested to see, how long it will take to form a carpet from one pot! In inert substrate it grows, but not that fast, as when used with active soil, at least for me.

The hard scape is very nice! Definitely another winner!


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## Alastair

Looks great george. Its a shame you have to switch the fish though. Im with andy cant wait to see how quick it covers mate


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## George Farmer

Thanks guys.


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## Gary Nelson

Very nice George and an interesting journal all via one pot! I could see some nice purple harlequins in there looking great


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## George Farmer

Thanks mate. Yes, purple harlequins is a good choice and I've never had them before. I'll keep an eye out.


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## Ian Holdich

Nooooo, they're the devils fish and Crawford will never let you live it down, ask Stu! 


Looking good btw George!


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## George Farmer

Lol. Why is that then?


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## aliclarke86

Yes please share

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## Ian Holdich

George Farmer said:


> Lol. Why is that then?




They're a good old colour morph...Crawford hates them, every time we meet up he takes the mick out of Stu for using them.


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## Brian Murphy

Looking well as always  (the scape that is)


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## George Farmer

Ian Holdich said:


> They're a good old colour morph...Crawford hates them, every time we meet up he takes the mick out of Stu for using them.


One word for Dan. Discus.


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## George Farmer

Hi all,

A couple of weeks since initial planting, and one week since flooding, and all is well. 






The fish have been re-homed and I've added 20 or so CRS from my breeding tank.














There's no sign of algae (yet...) and the plants are carpeting nicely.


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## sa80mark

Its not even grown yet but I cant tell you how much I wish it was in my living room


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## TOO

This looks great. Nice with some asymmetry, finally .

I see you have gone away from the spraybars. Any particular reason?

Thomas


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## Lee Sweeting

Looks great George! I love the hardscape, really looking forward to seeing this fill in.


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## aliclarke86

Did you get any melt on the emesed growth?

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## Pedro Rosa

Stone arrangement is perfect. That focal point stone with a slightly white was maybe a small risk but turned out great 
Photos are beautiful, but that's just usual 
Watching with great interest that Elatine growing.


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## George Farmer

Thanks guys! 



TOO said:


> This looks great. Nice with some asymmetry, finally .
> 
> I see you have gone away from the spraybars. Any particular reason?
> 
> Thomas


Yeah, when I created this layout my priority was to avoid any triangles and symmetry in fear of your retribution, Thomas. 

No particular reason for lily over spray bar, other than lily is easier to install and clean.  I'm not sure what difference they'd make in this layout in terms of circulation. Anyway, the lily seems to be working out fine so far...



aliclarke86 said:


> Did you get any melt on the emesed growth?
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


No die-off whatsoever. 



pmgsr said:


> Stone arrangement is perfect. That focal point stone with a slightly white was maybe a small risk but turned out great
> Photos are beautiful, but that's just usual
> Watching with great interest that Elatine growing.


Thanks! 

I think, as discussed earlier, it's not actually an Elatine, but a Micranthemum. But yes, I'm very excited about this plant. I think I will be able to create a good sense of depth with it by letting it grow thicker between the rocks and in the background.


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## TOO

George Farmer said:


> Yeah, when I created this layout my priority was to avoid any triangles and symmetry in fear of your retribution, Thomas.


 
I knew the pressure would eventually pay off . No, seriously, this is really good, you have a good hand with stone and iwagumi.

There seems to be a bit of confusion around this plant. Is this the one known also as Montecarlo 3? I have just ordered this myself and was pleased to see how tiny the leaves are - almost comparable with HC as far as I can tell.

Thomas


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## Emyr

The dimensions and depth of the tank add such a new quality and element to an iwagumi scape like this, each angle looks completely different and makes a simple layout more complex and intricate. Really nice, informative and useful as always.


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## Curvball

Impressive as usual George - well done.


Posted from the comfort of my iPhone...


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## George Farmer

Thanks guys! 

Hopefully between weekend chores I'll be able to squeeze in some video to share. The shrimp are so active, even with CO2.


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## Martin in Holland

every time I watch one of your tanks I get more and more green with envy ....


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## Deano3

looks great so far and growing in nicely, love the large rock with the white face really sets the scape off, glad you now have some live stock in there looking forward to vid

Dean


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## Pedro Sousa

Hello George,

Congratulations! 
The layout is impressive. I love the photos... 
I will continue to follow this beautiful Iwagumi.

Pedro S.


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## Alastair

Bets on how long it takes to cover??? 
5 weeks from now


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## George Farmer

I think sooner for full coverage, but maybe longer to get the depth in certain areas that I'm after.


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## H..

Hi George

Well, who can tell anything but "impressive" scapes from you. If one wants inspiration, just search for George at UKAPS.
Great inspiration mate.

But two things i wonder about is, why your lighting always is so high up. dont you Think that you waste much of that pressious light?

And second, are you not affraid that the hoses ever will loosen from the pipes? since you dont use hose clamps or anything at all.

H.


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## Iain Sutherland

Alastair said:


> Bets on how long it takes to cover???
> 5 weeks from now


 
ill put money on 3... elantine/MC whatever... its savage high tech.


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## Alastair

Iain Sutherland said:


> ill put money on 3... elantine/MC whatever... its savage high tech.



Ok. Im 5 for full ha ha


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## Deano3

Il go down the middle for 4 weeks then not be long either way

Thanks Dean


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## tim

I'll go two weeks for complete coverage, you guys never seen George grow plants before


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## Aron_Dip

31 days, 6 hours and 39mins! ... looking great tho mate


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## alanyusupov

viktorlantos said:


> Just to make it clear. Tropica Elatine is not Elatine. I wonder how many people get confused by this  I know George pointed this out in the journal, but people still keeps talking about Elatine
> I would just drop the plant package to avoid this....
> 
> For plant hardness my order is the following: (nr1 is the hardest nr3 is the easiest)
> 
> 1. REAL Elatine Hydropiper
> 2. HC
> 3. Micranthemum Monte Carlo (Large pearl grass)
> 
> So you're in the middle, but Monte Carlo need light! Which you might need a little more with HC too, otherwise the result will be the same as with the HC


Because of that Tropicas mistake Ed got negative feedback on the Ebay.
Regards
Alan


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## aliclarke86

Harsh 

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## George Farmer

H.. said:


> Hi George
> 
> Well, who can tell anything but "impressive" scapes from you. If one wants inspiration, just search for George at UKAPS.
> Great inspiration mate.
> 
> But two things i wonder about is, why your lighting always is so high up. dont you Think that you waste much of that pressious light?
> 
> And second, are you not affraid that the hoses ever will loosen from the pipes? since you dont use hose clamps or anything at all.
> 
> H.


Hi "H"

Sorry I missed your post and question, and thanks for the feedback! 

I suspend the lighting quite high because I like the way it floods that part of my kitchen with light, and it makes maintenance really easy.  I could have it much closer and on less intensity, or use one tile, and I've tried it.  But I always go back to this configuration.

I've never used hose clamps.  So far, so good...


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## foxfish

Great answer George, light spill is my main lounge lighting in the evening & what is the worst that could happen if a pipe did develop a drip!


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## Aron_Dip

foxfish said:


> what is the worst that could happen if a pipe did develop a drip!


 
On the up side he can wash his feet wile eating his breakfast ... on the down there is nothing worse than wet shriveled up feet!


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## George Farmer

One minute HD video.


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## Alastair

George Farmer said:


> One minute HD video.




Growing in super fast mate and the the tank looks stunning even with so little plant mass. Beautiful

1 week gone if its fully grown to how you want it in another 4 I win 

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## George Farmer

Thought I'd share this iPhone snap of a bunch of CRS closing in on an Amano shrimp with food.


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## aliclarke86

Nice. Greedy amanos are always running off with food. Mine even grab food out of the water column when I feed the fish.

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## Ian Holdich

Good pic mate, it reminds me of something off of Star Wars!


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## Alastair

Ian Holdich said:


> Good pic mate, it reminds me of something off of Star Wars!



That amano looks like he/she won't take no messing though. "Just you try it cystals....come on....I dare you"!


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## illumnae

Does this Elatine hydropiper/Micranthemum sp Monte Carlo pearl as nicely/easily as HC?


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## Ady34

Alastair said:


> Bets on how long it takes to cover???
> 5 weeks from now


It won't fully cover........
George will have rescaped before it has chance 

Looking really nice George. 
Like the thought process of using areas of denser single species plant growth to create accents and depth. Will be good to see in....I'd say 4weeks 3 days 
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## Joao Marujo

Minimalist but beautiful scape George! Congratz!


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## George Farmer

Thanks guys. 



illumnae said:


> Does this Elatine hydropiper/Micranthemum sp Monte Carlo pearl as nicely/easily as HC?


I'm not sure but expect so. I don't see pearling at the moment because I've deliberately kept the light lower to prevent algae with such small biomass, and CO2 low-moderate for the shrimp.


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## H..

foxfish said:


> what is the worst that could happen if a pipe did develop a drip!


 
Depends on the size of the aquarium of course, if it loosens from an 1000 liter tank you could have a nice foofbath in an hour or so.

But is that som Silicon hose or something that gets really tight around the glas?

I guess none of the Crystals did get a bite of that food

H.


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## Gary Nelson

How's this pot covering then George, any updated pics to see if some of the bets change  I think it will be spreading like mad now it's adjusted to its home!


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## George Farmer

Gary Nelson said:


> How's this pot covering then George, any updated pics to see if some of the bets change  I think it will be spreading like mad now it's adjusted to its home!


I posted a video two days ago mate. . Check the previous page.


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## Gary Nelson

George Farmer said:


> I posted a video two days ago mate. . Check the previous page.


Sorry George, I was browsing on my iPad and it had not loaded the video box up! Time for a new iPad I think  mind you I'm sure it's grown a bit more since the video 
Its looking great mate, filling in very nicely.


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## George Farmer

Hi all,

4 weeks in and not much to report. 

You can where the CO2 is hitting the front left of the tank more than other areas...

I added 12 cardinal tetras yesterday.  They seem to have settled well.

I'm getting a light dusting of green algae on the rocks.  So I've ordered 15 Twinstars to beat the hell out of it. [JOKE].


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## tim

Looking superb George, testament to your skills to only have that little bit of green algae with such low plant mass at start up, I'd wager you don't need the twinstar mate.


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## George Farmer

30 second HD movie.


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## steveno

Looking fab.George, i'm currently considering what school of fish to add into my iwagmai scape and had considered cardinal tretras as they added quite a bit of colour. I after livestock that school, Have you found that they school well?


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## George Farmer

Thanks Steve. 

Cardinals tend to split up and do their own thing once they're settled - like most 'shoalers'.

I've found Rummynose, black neon and red eye tetras stay tighter, but there's no guarantee as every setup and fish is different.


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## Gary Nelson

A great little video, it's looking great too - what is the tune on the video?


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## George Farmer

Gary Nelson said:


> A great little video, it's looking great too - what is the tune on the video?


Thanks mate.

The tune is 'Intro' from Calibre's Fabriclive 65 album.


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## George Farmer

Aquascaper in training. 





A better shot of the cardinal tetras.


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## wolfewill

TMC nutraSoil does not appear to be available in Canada, but how does it compare with ADA Amazonia as far as nutrient content and ammonia/nitrite leaching is concerned?


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## George Farmer

Hi Mark

I'd say very similar in terms of nutrient content and ammonia leeching etc. Perhaps slightly less as there's not the yellow staining of the aquarium water you can sometimes get with Amazonia. I've never properly tested either product though; my assumptions are based on a few scapes set up with each product so I may stand corrected.

It's the same grain colour as ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia but has a grain size in-between the Normal and Powder versions.


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## Emyr

Where are your lily pipes from George? I'm looking for a new reasonably priced set.


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## George Farmer

Emyr said:


> Where are your lily pipes from George? I'm looking for a new reasonably priced set.


gUSH nano set from UKAPS sponsor, Aquarium Plant Food UK.


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## Alastair

George Farmer said:


> Aquascaper in training.
> 
> View attachment 498
> 
> A better shot of the cardinal tetras.
> 
> View attachment 499



Beautiful george. I love this scape it gives the sense of illusion that the tank is much much bigger.  
Good to see the little one getting stuck in too.  
Does she do the water change side of things or is she like mine and doesn't like that bit of things ha ha


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## George Farmer

Hi all,

Some livestock photos.


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## Nathaniel Whiteside

George Farmer said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Some livestock photos.
> 
> View attachment 501
> 
> View attachment 502
> 
> View attachment 503
> 
> View attachment 504



Lovely mate.
I'm not a camera man. But I do know that when you shoot livestock, it always turns out amazing!

How you feeling about the growth George? Are you chomping at the bit? Or are you enjoying a less intensive aquascape for once? As oppose to one that's 'mullerlicious'..!


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## Lauris

good one George!

could you tell me please how many weeks did you kept it dry till flooded?

Thanks!


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## George Farmer

Thanks guys. 



Nathaniel Whiteside said:


> How you feeling about the growth George? Are you chomping at the bit? Or are you enjoying a less intensive aquascape for once? As oppose to one that's 'mullerlicious'..!


I'm happy with the growth. It's not as fast as it could be to drive it harder with more light etc. would risk algae.



Lauris said:


> could you tell me please how many weeks did you kept it dry till flooded?


About 10 days.


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## Lauris

I'm asking because I'm loosing my patience and because I have light unit under lid
I'm noticing few cuba and glosso leaves turning yellow.. a very few ones but
I'm still not happy abut it.. so my concern is about flooding the tank.. I have it
dry for a 3 weeks now from tomorrow.. would you thing it should be OK to flood
my one? plants, looks like, rooting in very well and spreading out quite well
(sorry for interrupting your post with doubts about on project)


----------



## George Farmer

Should be fine.


----------



## Martin in Holland

sharp photo's....what did you do to get that fish to sit still in front of the camera?


----------



## George Farmer

Martin in China said:


> sharp photo's....what did you do to get that fish to sit still in front of the camera?


Patience, and a 1/250th sec shutter speed.


----------



## Ian Holdich

I know what you did, you stuck a Cardinal on the outside of the glass! 


Nice pics mate!


----------



## Alastair

Ian Holdich said:


> I know what you did, you stuck a Cardinal on the outside of the glass!
> 
> 
> Nice pics mate!


 

Top photos george.  Envious. Wish I could get even half decent shots


----------



## George Farmer

Hi all,

5 week update.  Still plodding along nicely. 









I'll post a short video update soon too.


----------



## Gary Nelson

Stunning mate... that shrimp pic is awesome!


----------



## George Farmer

Thanks mate. I don't even require a Twinstar to keep the rocks clean! 

(No offence to any Twinstar owners - as soon as I get fed up with using a toothbrush I'll be a part of the Twinstar-gang too!)


----------



## steveno

George Farmer said:


> No offence to any Twinstar owners


 
No offence taken , just abit lazy with my maintenance that's all . Your tank is looking great... I think i made my mind up and getting a shoal of cardinal tetras loving the splash of colour they added to your scape.


----------



## Ian Holdich

That's coming along nicely. I did think it'd be quicker though. Time to get those 4x 150 watt halides out 1 inch from the water.


----------



## David Shanahan

Amazing results from 1 pot already.... Tropica must be getting nervous....


----------



## George Farmer

Planty said:


> Amazing results from 1 pot already.... Tropica must be getting nervous....


Thanks.

You raise an interesting point actually.

Whilst I am showing that it is possible to get a full-carpet (well... nearly there) with one pot, I still would not recommend it for most hobbyists.  The line between growing plants and algae is very thin where such a small biomass is involved.

I think the keys to my "success" so far include - 

Controllable LED lighting - without which it would be too easy to have too much light
Super (and already mature) filtration with lots of Purigen - mature bio-media and chemical media result in zero ammonia spikes and low organic waste
Time to do water changes every other day - lots of water changes help prevent algae by diluting organic waste
Large shrimp population - constantly cleaning all surface inside tank to prevent algae
Low fish population - less organic waste = less algae
RO water - I find I need less CO2 compared with hard tap water, and there's other anecdotal benefits
Active soil - high nutrient content, ideal grain structure, and stable low pH to encourage root growth 

If I tried this same idea i.e. growing an entire aquascape from one pot five years ago I don't think I would have succeeded.

So I don't think plant suppliers should get nervous. I'll still always recommend starting out with lots of plants.  But it is fun to experiment and challenge myself, and share the experience with you all too.


----------



## George Farmer

30 second HD video. Best viewed in 1080p with a pair of good quality headphones.


----------



## Alastair

George Farmer said:


> 30 second HD video. Best viewed in 1080p with a pair of good quality headphones.




Tune!!! 
Tanks looking great mate. True testament to your maintenance routine. 

Its covering really well now. Just needs to hurry up a bit more


----------



## Richard Dowling

Impressive, not sure I'm ready to one pot it just yet, but interesting to know it can be done.

Do you replant your cuttings or is this all sideward growth?


----------



## Michael W

It can always be done ! Just a matter of time


----------



## Dave Pierce

Well done George!  I'd say your one pot challenge is a success. 

Some lovely shots also, I wish I had your camera skills!


----------



## George Farmer

dowheim said:


> Do you replant your cuttings or is this all sideward growth?


I've only replanted the odd floater, which happened in the first couple weeks.  

It's literally a case of watching it grow (with water changes etc, of course).

It's not carpeting as fast as I thought it would to be honest, but I'm in no rush. I'd say this will carry on for a good couple of months before I get the desired effect.

Once the carpet is thick enough for trimming, this will be when the growth really takes off as new growth will be exponential from the new shoots.  

I anticipate the first full trim in about 4 weeks. Then a couple of weeks for the desired re-grow.  So about 6-8 weeks at least before it's looking how I want it to. 

We shall see.


----------



## Lauris

George, what levels of co2 you delivered to your plants after flooding? Did you kept them high and unsuitable for live stock for some time? When did you let first live stock in after flooding it? Thanks

erutangiS klatapaT


----------



## George Farmer

Lauris said:


> George, what levels of co2 you delivered to your plants after flooding? Did you kept them high and unsuitable for live stock for some time? When did you let first live stock in after flooding it? Thanks
> 
> erutangiS klatapaT


Normal levels from the start because I added fish and Amano shrimp right away.

Detail in this post - George's One-Pot Iwagumi Challenge | Page 2 | UK Aquatic Plant Society


----------



## Martin in Holland

is a Twinstar as good as they say it is?


----------



## Ian Holdich

I think there's another debate for that question.


----------



## Martin in Holland

Ian Holdich said:


> I think there's another debate for that question.


 thx...I will look for it


----------



## George Farmer

Martin in China said:


> thx...I will look for it


Twinstar..what is it? | UK Aquatic Plant Society


----------



## Ian Holdich

Sorry Martin forgot to link it.


----------



## Iain Sutherland

time to put on the big boy pants on and get some proper light over it george   think i said 2 weeks erm 2 weeks ago! 
Do you think doing the same with tap water would really be an issue...??

its really looking great though george, i love the composition of the stone and while it goes against the one pot challenge id be itching to add something a little taller to contrast and accentuate the individual pieces of rock.

Great images as always too.


----------



## George Farmer

Iain Sutherland said:


> time to put on the big boy pants on and get some proper light over it george  think i said 2 weeks erm 2 weeks ago!
> Do you think doing the same with tap water would really be an issue...??
> 
> its really looking great though george, i love the composition of the stone and while it goes against the one pot challenge id be itching to add something a little taller to contrast and accentuate the individual pieces of rock.
> 
> Great images as always too.


Thanks mate. 

I'm scared of big boy pants.  No room for error. lol

I think tap water would be tougher because I think I'd need to inject more CO2, and keeping the CRS would also not be so simple.  I also like the way I don't need to constantly remove hardwater deposit build-up from the tank rim.  I also believe the tetras colour up more with softer water.

I'm with you on the taller planting and have nearly added some hairgrass and other species, but it would 'spoil' the challenge.  I can always add stuff later on, a bit like I did with "Scree" and "Scree Evolution".


----------



## George Farmer

Hi all,

7 week update. There's almost full-coverage of the Monte Carlo now; just a few areas between the rocks that are clearly getting less CO2.


----------



## Lauris

Adorable

erutangiS klatapaT


----------



## Deano3

wow looking great George sooooooooo close now 

brilliant stuff
Dean


----------



## George Farmer

Thanks guys.

Still plenty left to do really.  I need the carpet to really thicken in certain areas - namely towards the background and in-between the rocks.  This will take a good few weeks.

I'll be installing a new light unit over it this weekend - Giesemann Futura.  I was playing with it at work today and it's an incredible piece of engineering.

I've also got a Twinstar to play with.  I'll probably need the anti-algae effect with the new lighting!


----------



## Iain Sutherland

Monte Carlo has really got going now, get the futura and twin star combo going and it'll be an inch thick in no time. 
Any sneaky pics of the light... 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Gary Nelson

That looks great mate... A fantastic achievement from just one pot and the time taken to cover.  I'm looking forward to seeing the new light too, they sound the business from what I've read.

I too am very tempted to go for a Twinstar.... I keep telling myself no... But Santa's voice in my head keeps telling me yes  have you gone for the nano version?


----------



## Martin in Holland

I wonder how that Twinstar will look in your tank. Hope it won't be to much distracting from the rest


----------



## George Farmer

Martin in China said:


> I wonder how that Twinstar will look in your tank. Hope it won't be to much distracting from the rest


Oh, it won't look pretty. I'm under no illusion. But it'll be easy to remove for photos, and it is a white unit on a white background, so it could be a lot worse.

Anyway, if it means I don't need to scrub my rocks, then it's probably something I can learn to live with...


----------



## Martin in Holland

George Farmer said:


> Oh, it won't look pretty. I'm under no illusion. But it'll be easy to remove for photos, and it is a white unit on a white background, so it could be a lot worse.
> 
> Anyway, if it means I don't need to scrub my rocks, then it's probably something I can learn to live with...


 
 I hope they come in black soon...great Christmas gift


----------



## TOO

Looks superb. I am impressed with your discipline. It must be tempting to add just a little bit of hair grass behind the rocks - or some other plant .

On another note as I try to improve my photo technique. On your pics the back glass almost disappears into the white background. When I use my white background it ends up looking muddy greenish/greyish. Is this achieved in post-processing or just a matter of technique in the actual shoot?

Thomas


----------



## greenink

TOO said:


> Is this achieved in post-processing or just a matter of technique in the actual shoot?



Looking at Amano's amazing collected works book, he has very similar contrast levels as George - big areas of black and shade. Hadn't realised before how important this is.

Would love to see a RAW file of the above shot as well as the jpg...


----------



## xtevo

I admit, love the simplicity of the scape, true beauty.  This made me to do a one-pot iwagumi too.


----------



## Alastair

Looks perfect now its almost completely covered. Youve saved a fortune ha ha. I think my 5 week coverage guess was right too . 

Really nice mate


----------



## George Farmer

Thanks all. 



TOO said:


> On your pics the back glass almost disappears into the white background. When I use my white background it ends up looking muddy greenish/greyish. Is this achieved in post-processing or just a matter of technique in the actual shoot?
> 
> Thomas


 
There's no tricks.  Because the tank is about 10cm from the white wall, and the light is suspended quite a way above the tank, the lighting produces the "white-out" effect that you describe.

I shoot jpeg, so the images you see in this journal are all straight from camera.  Just some minor cropping and sharpening.


----------



## George Farmer

Hi all,

I have the Giesemann Futura up and running and I have to say that after a couple of minor installation issues (my own fault) it's an extremely impressive piece of kit.  I've seen and tried a lot of LED units and this is the best so far.  But it is also the most expensive by far, so one would hope so...  

Some pics -


----------



## sanj

It is very smart looking George, although the looks for me doesnt make the TMC rig a no go, its more the flexibility you have with this unit, the control over colour manipulation... 5 channels on this isnt it?


I am considering this or Pacific Sun, but these are so much more expensive, they have the branding and reputation I guess. I hope you and/ or Iain will do a seperate lighting review on these. I think it will be very helpful for people contemplating a big investment. If I go PS I maybe I could do one on those aswell... I just dont have the photography skills


----------



## George Farmer

Hi Sanj,

Yes, I'll do a full review in a few weeks, with lots of photos and video too.


----------



## Gary Nelson

Very nice Mr Farmer! Great photos too... What power are the lights on for the photos? And does this have a separate control box?


----------



## foxfish

So how many holes in the ceiling now?


----------



## aliclarke86

It doesn't look level to me 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


----------



## Iain Sutherland

ooh, looks ace george.  The colour rendition on the greens and reds looks very sharp and more punchy than the last set of photos.  Have you played around with the colour mix yet?  
I thought i got an email yesterday saying mine was arriving on Tuesday, looked at my email again this morning and i must have dreamt it


----------



## Iain Sutherland

sanj said:


> 5 channels on this isnt it?


6 channels with 4320 set points, just about covers it 
Topical Version per module:
 10 x coolwhite B1  
 2 x green (490-560 nm) 
 2 x red (630- 790 nm) 
 2 x warm white 
 2 x royal blue (410- 430 nm) 
 2 x blue (430- 480 nm)


----------



## viktorlantos

Looks ace George just your one pot carpet! 

One thing which i do not like about the device. The super sharp corner edges of the unit. Looks nice but it's like a knife 
Look forward to the review anyway. 

Hard to tell from the single photo, but isn't this much more powerful than the 2 TMC unit was? Seems very strong from here


----------



## Alastair

Looks a nice sexy bit of kit george. Glad to see its finally up and running too..... looking forward to seeing what it does


----------



## George Farmer

Thanks guys. 



Gary Nelson said:


> What power are the lights on for the photos? And does this have a separate control box?


 
For these photos I'm using full power on all channels except Royal Blue, which is at 20%.

The unit is controlled via Bluetooth from your computer, tablet or phone.



foxfish said:


> So how many holes in the ceiling now?


 
Just two.  I'm using the same cables from the previous suspended lighting. 



Iain Sutherland said:


> Have you played around with the colour mix yet?


 
Oh yes.  Hours of fun. 

Hopefully your unit will turn up soon.  You'll love it.



viktorlantos said:


> One thing which i do not like about the device. The super sharp corner edges of the unit. Looks nice but it's like a knife
> Look forward to the review anyway.
> 
> Hard to tell from the single photo, but isn't this much more powerful than the 2 TMC unit was? Seems very strong from here


 
Yes mate, the corners are very sharp.  I think they look ok though, as they reflect the sharp corners of the tank.

And yes, much more powerful than 2 x 1500 TMC tiles (2 x 30w).  This unit is 130w at full power.  Probably enough for a 120x60x60cm... 

The photos are a little over-exposed to be honest.  I'm still adjusting!


----------



## viktorlantos

wow that's a blast 

130W LED? I had to try it


----------



## Samjpikey

Wow awesome light . The colour in the photos are amazing . 
I really would like to see how the control panel looks on the phone etc this is a really nice piece of kit and your extremely lucky to own one  . 

What's the degrees of the lenses ? All the same or do they differ ?? 
It does look extremely powerful , is there any recorded measures of the intensity ?

I'm really into LEDs at the moment and I'm also in the process of changing my house over 

Cheers 




Sent from my mobile telecommunications device


----------



## aliclarke86

Have a Google mate they made a good vid. I just changed all my gu10 lights to led now £150 later I have to move

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


----------



## darren636

Oh my good lord. Its a thousand pound of led!


----------



## Ian Holdich

Looks the biz mate, nice pics as well. It does need to be a bit lower though...one cm from the water please.


----------



## Bufo Bill

George, both the kit and the scape are spectacular. You always find a good angle to push at the boundaries of our hobby. I am greatful and indebted to you. You deservedly get given a lot of compliments, and if they are all as heartfelt as mine, well you're doing great. 
All the best from Bill.


----------



## Monk d'Wally de Honk

Fantastic looking bit of kit, and as a bonus you can install it upside down at christmas.


----------



## Nathaniel Whiteside

Looks unreal. 
Nothing concern you about dangling a grand light over a very nice looking tank of water?


----------



## Ady34

George Farmer said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I have the Giesemann Futura up and running and I have to say that after a couple of minor installation issues (my own fault) it's an extremely impressive piece of kit. I've seen and tried a lot of LED units and this is the best so far. But it is also the most expensive by far, so one would hope so...
> 
> Some pics -
> 
> View attachment 511
> 
> View attachment 512
> 
> View attachment 513
> 
> View attachment 514
> 
> View attachment 515
> 
> View attachment 516
> 
> View attachment 517


 
Looking pristine George, that light is a very nice looking piece of equipment and compliments the minimalism of the set up beautifully….you can hardly see the white cable either


----------



## brancaman

So, George, with the savings of buying just one pot of elatine you get enough money to spend in a Giesemann Futura and plus the twinstar? Would you consider work as Ministro das Finanças here in our bankrupt country?


----------



## George Farmer

I think we're on week 8 now.

Growth is steady and the usual green algae build-up seems to have been slowed by the Twinstar...

And the light is amazing.


----------



## Pedro Rosa

George, so you have a good opinion about Twinstar, like Viktor Lantos? ... or it's still early to say something?
Those two last pictures are superb! 

Pedro.


----------



## sanj

It looks so squeaky clean, the colour is great. The light seems to be a very good investment.


----------



## Alastair

George Farmer said:


> I think we're on week 8 now.
> 
> Growth is steady and the usual green algae build-up seems to have been slowed by the Twinstar...
> 
> And the light is amazing.
> 
> View attachment 519View attachment 520 View attachment 521 View attachment 522 View attachment 523


Stunning piece of technology that is george. ..... well worth the wait hey. 

Tank aint too bad either he he


----------



## NeilW

Just looked at this thread and love the general cleanliness of the execution. Some questions for you; how do you go about picking your hardscape? Do you ever purchase online or always see in person? Do you have an idea in mind before your selection?

Keep up the excellent work.


----------



## George Farmer

NeilW said:


> Just looked at this thread and love the general cleanliness of the execution. Some questions for you; how do you go about picking your hardscape? Do you ever purchase online or always see in person? Do you have an idea in mind before your selection?
> 
> Keep up the excellent work.


 
Apologies for missing this question, Neil.

All the (Mini Landscape/Seiryu Stone) rocks you see here have been collected over the last few years by mail-order. I've just been lucky to get some nice pieces.


----------



## George Farmer

Hi all,

I think it's been about 10 weeks now.  Nearly there.... 

Merry Christmas!


----------



## Nathaniel Whiteside

Excellent George.
Everything looks so crisp and clinical.  

Well done.
Merry Xmas


----------



## terry82517

What brand Lilly pipes are you using there George?


----------



## tim

Looking superb, testament to your plant growing skills


----------



## darren636

I find it incomprehensible how you achieve and maintain your set- up to such high standards. Attention to detail is outrageous.


----------



## Pedro Rosa

That green grass is superb. One more excellent aquarium from you.

Pedro.


----------



## zico_aqua

This looks brilliant! 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


----------



## Tim Harrison

Very nice. I now know from experience that maintaining a tank like that is very hard work...


----------



## Pedro Sousa

I love this scape! It looks fantastic. 
I hope you like my also

Cheers,
Pedro S.


----------



## George Farmer

terry82517 said:


> What brand Lilly pipes are you using there George?


 
They are gUSH nano inlet and outlet from Aquarium Plant Food UK.


----------



## George Farmer

Hi all,

It's been a little over 10 weeks now - I think. To be brutally honest my life has been upside down lately so I've kinda lost track!

Anyway, the scape is doing fine.  I've had a Twinstar Nano in there for a few weeks now and I think it's been a real blessing I have to say.  

I note the comments about this being high maintenance and attention to detail etc. but I can't take much credit.

Since I've installed the Twinstar I've really cut down on the water changes and haven't cleaned the rocks at all.  The only algae I've had is on the glass and glassware.  Sure, it may be coincedental but I'm 99% sure if I had performed a similar lack of maintenance without this new device you'd be looking at a different 'scape.  Previously I was seeing a green algae build-up after just 2 to 3 days on the rocks.

Sorry, I don't know how it works - but I'm sure it does work.  Livestock also seems happier than ever - noticeably more active just after the Twinstar has activated.

Oh, and by the way, I am in no way affiliated or being paid by Twinstar or its distributors! I have nothing to gain by making false claims about this product.

Anyway - some pics.


----------



## Richard Dowling

Dont worry George, it by no means looks like a neglected scape just yet!

I still remain impressed by how this looks given that you started with a few strands of plants! I love your close up photography of the fish too. Im undecided as to what fish to put in my setup but Cardinals are definitely up there. They look great in yours!


----------



## Pedro Rosa

Great colors. Great scape.
With your opinion on Twinstar we now have at least two strong and credible people talking about such a product (Viktor Lantos also). It should really be a blessing to be able to able to get down on maintenance sometimes.

Pedro.


----------



## sa80mark

If only I could create a neglected scape that looks this good  I've said it before but the simplicity of this scape is just amazing, I love it


----------



## Tim Harrison

The miracle of technology...Oh, and at least a little work and knowledge...


----------



## George Farmer

Quick video.


----------



## Ian Holdich

That's a damn fine tight carpet there mate! Looks the business. Time to move on to the next one?


----------



## George Farmer

Ian Holdich said:


> That's a damn fine tight carpet there mate! Looks the business. Time to move on to the next one?


 
Yes mate - and thanks. 

I think it's safe to say the challenge has been completed. In the new year I'll be setting up something less minimal - new wood, crypts, Anubias and ferns I reckon - planted heavily from the outset!

Looking forward to it already, and sharing it on here, of course.


----------



## Pedro Rosa

That "misty" look of the twinstar working makes is look like a paludarium 
How often does Twinstar works?

Pedro.


----------



## Iain Sutherland

another Farmer classic, executed brilliantly.
How often are you trimming the MC, i find the leaves get quite big after maybe 4 weeks post trim, do you think this is determined by the quantity of light or were the pictures taken in that sweet spot post trim?
Also would you be so kind as to give some detail on lens and settings for the close up shots.... something i love but suck at! 
cheers george


----------



## George Farmer

pmgsr said:


> That "misty" look of the twinstar working makes is look like a paludarium
> How often does Twinstar works?
> 
> Pedro.


Hi Pedro. It comes on for 20 seconds or so every 20 mins or so. I haven't timed it though so can't be sure.



Iain Sutherland said:


> another Farmer classic, executed brilliantly.
> How often are you trimming the MC, i find the leaves get quite big after maybe 4 weeks post trim, do you think this is determined by the quantity of light or were the pictures taken in that sweet spot post trim?
> Also would you be so kind as to give some detail on lens and settings for the close up shots.... something i love but suck at!
> cheers george


Hiya mate.  Can you believe I've not trimmed the MC yet! Only the odd bit starting to creep up over the smaller stones.  I've pushed the foreground planting down with my fingers in places to keep it looking neat.  I think Tropica call this technique "mechanical retardation". It seems to work great - promotes compact growth and less maintenance. 

The leaves are a lot smaller than I assumed. Do you have 1-2-Grow or is it cuttings from someone else? 

I think Dan had two varieties of Micranthemum in his 80cm shallow. One had bigger leaves. Mine are only marginally bigger than HC and the leaves are more robust than I remember.

I guess there's so many variables, it could be down to any component or combination of light, CO2, water chemistry and nutrients. Or it could be yet another species adding to the confusion!

Regarding macro photos; I use a Canon 100mm macro lens. Aperture is usually f/4 to f/5.6. This throws the background out of focus (bokeh) but there's enough depth of field to keep most of the subject in focus. Shutter speed is around 1/200, which means I can shoot handheld without camera shake. ISO is 1600 to 3200.


----------



## flygja

Excellent as always! Just curious, have you measured the PAR on your new lights? What about the old one? Do you raise the output for photos or is it always at that intensity? Thanks.


----------



## George Farmer

flygja said:


> Excellent as always! Just curious, have you measured the PAR on your new lights? What about the old one? Do you raise the output for photos or is it always at that intensity? Thanks.


Thanks. 

I haven't measured PAR yet. I usually borrow a meter but it's not been available.

I've set the light to ramp up for 1 hour, then at 30% for most colour channels for 6 hours, then ramp down for 1 hour.

It's similar intensity (to my eye and camera) to the TMC tiles I was using, but I have this unit closer to the tank to maximise efficiency and reduce light spill (the colours look a bit "disco").

I haven't increased from 30% yet for photo but may do for the final shoot.


----------



## Pedro Rosa

George Farmer said:


> Hi Pedro. It comes on for 20 seconds or so every 20 mins or so. I haven't timed it though so can't be sure.
> 
> Hiya mate. Can you believe I've not trimmed the MC yet! Only the odd bit starting to creep up over the smaller stones. I've pushed the foreground planting down with my fingers in places to keep it looking neat. I think Tropica call this technique "mechanical retardation". It seems to work great - promotes compact growth and less maintenance.
> 
> .


 
I've read about that technique (i think for Hydrocotyle Tripartita can also be used) but it makes me think about if the plant doesn't go to the same shape as before in time (hours) and with the water flow. When say "planting down with my fingers" you actually bury some of them or just makes more compact?

Pedro.


----------



## Iain Sutherland

George Farmer said:


> Can you believe I've not trimmed the MC yet!


no i cant, seems totally different from mine which was also tropica 12grow?? mine only maintains small leaves for around 4-6 weeks then they reach... maybe glosso size?  
The size of your leaves look more in keeping with the real Elantine that Viktor posted images of a while back.. every chance of a different species i guess as this plants seems to be all over the place.



George Farmer said:


> Regarding macro photos; I use a Canon 100mm macro lens. Aperture is usually f/4 to f/5.6. This throws the background out of focus (bokeh) but there's enough depth of field to keep most of the subject in focus. Shutter speed is around 1/200, which means I can shoot handheld without camera shake. ISO is 1600 to 3200.


thanks for the info george, been looking at getting a macro lens for a while and the canon 100mm 2.8 does seem come out best by price, its always nice to see images prior to purchase of course.   
Turn the light up to 100% and youll be shooting at iso 100... most of the video i made was as such.  Just dont look directly at the lights as it will burn your retinas and youll see little disco lights for 3 or 4 hours after  certainly no need for additional lighting for final shots anymore.



George Farmer said:


> I've set the light to ramp up for 1 hour, then at 30% for most colour channels for 6 hours, then ramp down for 1 hour.


oooh, maybe i should be more careful as im peaking at 60% now to stop co2 build up and was thinking of increasing to 70..	been tossing up buying a PAR metre for 12 months now, should just get on with it.  
Would love to know what it comes out at if you manage to borrow one. 

Happy new year fella


----------



## Alastair

Iain Sutherland said:


> no i cant, seems totally different from mine which was also tropica 12grow?? mine only maintains small leaves for around 4-6 weeks then they reach... maybe glosso size?
> The size of your leaves look more in keeping with the real Elantine that Viktor posted images of a while back.. every chance of a different species i guess as this plants seems to be all over the place.
> 
> 
> thanks for the info george, been looking at getting a macro lens for a while and the canon 100mm 2.8 does seem come out best by price, its always nice to see images prior to purchase of course.
> Turn the light up to 100% and youll be shooting at iso 100... most of the video i made was as such.  Just dont look directly at the lights as it will burn your retinas and youll see little disco lights for 3 or 4 hours after  certainly no need for additional lighting for final shots anymore.
> 
> 
> oooh, maybe i should be more careful as im peaking at 60% now to stop co2 build up and was thinking of increasing to 70..	been tossing up buying a PAR metre for 12 months now, should just get on with it.
> Would love to know what it comes out at if you manage to borrow one.
> 
> Happy new year fella



Ian im on the verge of buying an apogee par meter you could borrow once I pay and get it unless you can point me to any in the uk for sale which ive not been able to find


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## Iain Sutherland

Thats very kind of you Al, if memory serves i have the apogee bookmarked on my laptop at home from a UK supplier, ill have a look when i get home tonight and PM you.


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## Alastair

Iain Sutherland said:


> Thats very kind of you Al, if memory serves i have the apogee bookmarked on my laptop at home from a UK supplier, ill have a look when i get home tonight and PM you.



Cheers buddy


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## Samjpikey

Hello George 

Shame to see this one go , been interesting to follow the updates.  
But really looking forward to what you come up with next , you give me a lot of great ideas.
If and when you do decide to take this one down , i would be more then happy to take some of the MC off you , that's if your not keeping it for other scapes of coarse . 
Cheers 


Sent from my mobile telecommunications device


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## Deano3

Been a great read this one george I must say as many people have said love the simplistic look of this scape and been very informative with amazing detailed images and I keep reading more and more about the twinstar and all looking good but been great read so thanks and will be looking forward to reading   your next one 

Thanks dean


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## foxfish

Personally, I think this tank project makes for one of the more impressive threads on the whole forum!
George has shown us so many things that can be done with a planted tank in a way we never thought possible!
The initial challenge of using just one pot was fascinating enough but, add to that the amazing cleanliness of the tank & the superb  photography, this tank is an outstanding portrayal of an understanding aquarist.


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## flygja

Alastair said:


> Ian im on the verge of buying an apogee par meter you could borrow once I pay and get it unless you can point me to any in the uk for sale which ive not been able to find


 


Iain Sutherland said:


> been tossing up buying a PAR metre for 12 months now, should just get on with it.


 
I got myself a seneye reef instead. I think its cheaper than the Apogee PAR meter and it measures other things as well, like lux and colour temp. I don't know how accurate the PAR meter is compared to apogee. It's a shame though that the pH reading only goes as low as 6.4. I use it almost exclusively for PAR measurements.


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## Simon jones

Stunning iwagumi!


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## aliclarke86

Shame your taking this one down I would have liked to see the MC develop a bit more, it is the only tank I have seen with only MC and it does seem to have taken a different smaller form. Perhaps this can be put down to the lightning, fert and co2 distribution. 

In any case, another stunner for the old portfolio 

Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk


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## George Farmer

Thanks guys. 

I'll be doing a proper photo and video shoot on this tomorrow with help from my pro-videographer friend. Should be fun!


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## Pedro Rosa

George Farmer said:


> Thanks guys.
> 
> I'll be doing a proper photo and video shoot on this tomorrow with help from my pro-videographer friend. Should be fun!


 

I hope you don't mind saying, but some great macros of that Montecarlo would be beautiful on video 

Pedro.


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## George Farmer

Hi all,

So I had a productive couple of hours yesterday and got this final shot...


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## Alastair

George Farmer said:


> Hi all,
> 
> So I had a productive couple of hours yesterday and got this final shot...



Beautiful George. 
Looks so clinically clean and fresh and a true test to your skills and your patience. 
Not many could hold off the urge to buy more pots like you have either


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## Ian Holdich

Perfect George...


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## Pedro Rosa

Well, if not for the hair dryer i would say your were joking with us: no water! Just some plastic fish hanged by some wires 
Perfect.


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## aliclarke86

Immaculate. Did you need to add extra lights or was 100% on the futura enough? 0_0

Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk


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## tim

Amazing final image, perfect is very apt description.


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## Pedro Sousa

This final photo is simply fantastic. I'm speechless. I can only say is perfect 

Pedro S.


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## Phlash

Superb. A wonderful finished result.


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## Ionut Godea

Beautiful!!


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## O'Neil

George does this plant require mechanical retardation like HC?


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## Curvball

Stunning. Well done George.


Posted from the comfort of my iPhone...


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## Ady34

George Farmer said:


> Hi all,
> 
> So I had a productive couple of hours yesterday and got this final shot...



A truly stunning iwagumi!

I wanted to say I'd like to see another plant species at the rear where the cardinals are schooling, classic eleocharis e. or Staurogyne r., but looking at it, its huge success is from its clinical simplicity only achievable through dedicated maintenance and aquascaping knowledge......less is more.
Looking forward to the next.
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## George Farmer

Thanks guys. 

Here's the final video -


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## Aquadream

George Farmer said:


> Thanks guys.
> 
> Here's the final video -


Simple and clean. I like it.


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## Samjpikey

Absolutely Stunning and what a brilliant video 
Simplicity at its best . 
What will you do with the livestock when taking This down ? 
Do you run more tanks ? 
Cheers 


Sent from my mobile telecommunications device


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## Pedro Rosa

Very good


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## pepedopolous

Wow George! A quick question if you don't mind... 

The pearling in the video, is that the normal situation during the lights-on period or just because you turned the lights up for the purpose of filming?

I whack my LEDs up to 100% just for photographing my tank and the pearling gets similarly intense. Otherwise, with the lights ramping up to no higher than 30%, there's no pearling till much later in the photoperiod.

Cheers,

P


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## plantbrain

15 Years ago it would have won many contest, today, IAPLC # 4092 

Nice tucking of the edges along the glass, not a Japanese styling method.


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## Ian Holdich

Great vid mate! Still could do with more transitions though ; ) only joking. Stunning mate really well done.


What's the tune called?


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## Nathaniel Whiteside

Excellent George. Video was stunning. Everything is so neat.

Well done.

Takashi Amanos :Complete Works page 92 Features a similar looking layout, using Willow moss to form a carpet. 
I imagine we wouldn't have progressed very far, in terms of growth, from one pot of Willow moss 

In anticipation for the next!
N


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## PmRg

Excellent setup, probably one of the best I've seen. congrats.

Pedro


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## George Farmer

Thanks all! 

Apologies for the radio silence on this.

This 'scape is still running, but in a new location due to me moving.  When I get decent Internet sorted I'll be able to share more pics. 

I'll probably add some grasses around the rocks and keep it running for a while longer.  My new accommodation doesn't allow for hanging lighting from the ceiling so I'm temporarily using an Arcadia T5 luminaire, but will swap to the new TMC AquaBars soon.  Like these...



Thanks again for all the lovely feedback - it's really appreciated.  Hopefully I'll be able to provide more updates soon.


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## Sacha

I have just caught up with this whole tank log. 

Stunning. Amazing work, well done. This is what I aspire to, one day...


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## justissaayman

Can I grow Elatine hydropiper with easycarbo and a 10w led floodlight in a 2ft by 8 inches tank? 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## plantbrain

George, next time to use Ricciacardia and the Seriryu stone, try just wedging the mini pellia into the cracks etc. It grows better for me that way than the cotton string on branches. I ended up drilling grooves or holes all along some branches in a couple of my tanks to get a much better look and feel.
The stone would work well with that and I know you use that stone often in your scapes.


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## Martin in Holland

Some people, so it seems, start a tank without any major problems, plants just grow fast and green, scapes look great every time. Can't help but admire this as I always seem to have problems....I hope I will learn more and become one of you guys. Chapeau to you George.


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## NanoJames

George Farmer said:


> Hi all, So I had a productive couple of hours yesterday and got this final shot...


 By far my favourite of all of your aquascapes I've seen. The plant health is tremendous!


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## Pedro Rosa

George, regarding Montecarlo on this One-pot scape, are all the leafs the same size or have you seen leafs greater then other on different parts of the aquarium?

Pedro.


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## George Farmer

Pedro Rosa said:


> George, regarding Montecarlo on this One-pot scape, are all the leafs the same size or have you seen leafs greater then other on different parts of the aquarium?
> 
> Pedro.


All same size so far. Not much bigger than HC. 

Here's a full analysis of this scape from Scape Fu. 

Aquascape Analysis of George Farmer’s One-Pot Iwagumi | ScapeFu


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## Pedro Rosa

George Farmer said:


> Here's a full analysis of this scape from Scape Fu.
> Aquascape Analysis of George Farmer’s One-Pot Iwagumi | ScapeFu


 

Great review. In-depth... VERY...


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## aliclarke86

Wow! What a right up!! And again this was a beautiful scape 

Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk


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## darren636

Pedro Rosa said:


> Great review. In-depth... VERY...


  Goodness gracious me- that's intense.

So now we have a skillfully executed scape with an equally eye opening In depth write up.


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## Scapefu

It was a pleasure to write the analysis and I thank George for allowing me to do it. Before I knew it, I had 3,000 words down and had to stop myself.

Warm regards


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## Pedro Rosa

Scapefu said:


> It was a pleasure to write the analysis and I thank George for allowing me to do it. Before I knew it, I had 3,000 words down and had to stop myself.
> 
> Warm regards


 

Art, and very well written and technically remarkable.

Pedro.


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## terry82517

Any more info on those aquabars George? Can't seem to find anything.


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## George Farmer

Quick update. 

Added a touch E. parvula and L. brasiliensis around the rocks.


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## Andy D

Just superb!! (And what a write up by Scapefu!)


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## Crumbs

This is incredible!


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## cosmin_ruz

Amazing!


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## George Farmer




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## Phil Edwards

Those extra plants add a lot to the tank.  They're going to soften the rocks up nicely.  Lovely work, sir!


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## Omegatron

Really beautiful scape you created again george, superb!


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## Robbie X

Wonderful scape and journal, very inspirational, Arigatō!


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## FishBeast

Lovely as usual George. I have always wondered, how do you keep the other plants that spread by runners from growing out from underneath your HC?


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## sanj

Phil Edwards said:


> Those extra plants add a lot to the tank.  They're going to soften the rocks up nicely.  Lovely work, sir!



I agree totally, it adds a lot more interest. Now it is getting close to perfect.


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## jarcher1390

First off, thank you George for a wonderful aqua scape, pictures and video!!!! I've learned and been inspired a lot!!!

Secondly it's been a complete pleasure reading all the comments and questions. It has been informative and enjoyable. 

I have never read a thread like this before. It is a perfect example of what a forum thread should be like!!! 

Just felt I needed to get that off my chest 

Regards, Jonathan


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## George Farmer

Thanks, all. 

Apologies for the lack of updates recently. I'm currently in the middle of moving jobs and location so my hobby is taking a temporary back seat.

I'm not going to run this set-up any longer but have decided to give it to a friend who will make great use of it.

However, I will be continuing to run my NA 65cm, so keep an eye out. 

Cheers
George


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## Ady34

Lucky friend


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## faizal

I know i am too late on catching up with this but George the scape is amazing. I could only imagine the amount of time you would have spent daily on this tank to make it look this good. Hope to follow  your new work soon.


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## Hari Sankar

Awesome Scape and photography A++


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## Calico

What kind of LED are you using it now ? any photo of the LED ? why you change to this LED ? looks better than before.
Do you have plan of "one pot Iwagumi using the real Elatine Hydropiper" ? ... challange


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## James D

Those LEDs are TMC aquabars Calico


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## damrabbit

George Farmer said:


> I'm not going to run this set-up any longer but have decided to give it to a friend



I'll be your friend 

Utterly stunning scape though


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## psantos

Lovely scape!!


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## Robert H. Tavera

Hi George, which brand is your lily pipe? In your youtube videos I can se a very effective skimming cone !


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## aliclarke86

Gush o pipe lily if memory serves me


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## jimi

Nice looking tank there


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## skarmajunga

Beautiful


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## Stueylake

Incredible, just incredible


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