# The Dragon Passage



## Keybo (23 Oct 2015)

So being a newly qualified Marine Biologist and having had a fairly busy final year at uni, I was ready to fall into a more relaxed lifestyle but still continuing to work with my passion. So I got myself a job at the Fishkeeper Inverness store - a brilliant start to my Journal!

Keeping my lifestyle impacts minimized is very important to me so in order to justify the extra power consumption, I switched our energy provider over to a company which supplies 100% renewable energy! . I also like to restore/repair things and am not so keen on the old MDF cabinets which come with aquariums so I picked up a pine cabinet from a local charity shop that needed a bit of TLC. Moral obligations met .






I began the l....o....n....g.... process of hand sanding the unit down......









I really enjoyed working with the wood and during a period where I was waking up at stupid o'clock in the morning, I would  put on some tunes and start my day with some sanding . I was in no rush to get my aquarium set up, I had research to do and was waiting for my OptiWhite tank to be built. However, if I was to do it again, I might just rent a belt sander for a day and blitz through it .

Finally I was finished sanding and varnishing my cabinet.

Before... (out of focus )



 

After..... with new tank.



 



Last night i finished my first play around with the hard scape. I really liked Stu Worrell's tunnel idea and I spotted some nice pieces of azalea root at work so I decided to make a passage of my own.



 



 

 



 

The idea is to green out most of the back and leave the black at the end of the tunnel leading to a dark mystery. My desktop is to the left of my aquarium so it I wanted to make a bit of sand for corys (potentially) to rummage around (I might extend this). I am going to pick up the plants I got ordered and play around with positioning soon but I'm in no rush. What do you guys think so far? I keep playing around with different configurations on the left hand side so any suggestions will be appreciated.


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## Keybo (23 Oct 2015)

Tech specs:

Tank - 900mm x 415 x 450, 4 sides opti white
Lights - twin TMC Aquago grobeams with  controller and mountaray system
Filter - JBL Greenline Profi 901
CO2 - JBL ProFlora U401
Substrate - JBL Sansibar orange and Manado with Aquabasis plus
Hardscape - Dragon stone + Azalea root


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## Paul Kettless (23 Oct 2015)

looks very nice, I love that Dragon stone, I will follow this one with interest


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## Hyoscine (23 Oct 2015)

Looks very cool, can't wait to see this a few months down the line...

Great job with the cabinet, btw!


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## cooling (23 Oct 2015)

Really like this setup with the Dragon Stone .
Can i ask where did you get it from ? , cant find any fish shop in Portsmouth that stock it or can get it


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## Keybo (23 Oct 2015)

I bought mine off ebay mate. An amazing shop called TM AQUATIX. I have never been looked after by an online merchant like that before. After my initial purchase I contacted them and told them I was after some small pieces for my foreground. Over the course of a few days we exchanged lots of emails where they sent multiple pics and I would reply approving or disapproving of certain pieces. In the end they did me a brilliant bargain with loads of free bits. If you get in touch with the store the retailer is called Magda, tell her that Kieran sent you and she may give you some extra bits .

Then even after my two decent purchases from them I had to buy 2 big chunks from one of the sumps at work (fishkeeper Inverness)...... and I still feel like the left hand side of my scape could do with more height .


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## banthaman.jm (24 Oct 2015)

the lefthand side of the tank is fine keybo, In my opinion I would add a larger stone to the back right hand side. Looking forward to seeing more posts, great start.
Jim


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## Keybo (24 Oct 2015)

banthaman.jm said:


> the lefthand side of the tank is fine keybo, In my opinion I would add a larger stone to the back right hand side. Looking forward to seeing more posts, great start.
> Jim



Thanks for the feedback Jim. The right hand side is in the corner of a room so I will be putting my external filter here along with my heater then I will be greening it out but yes I think you are right it could use some more bulk infront of it .


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## banthaman.jm (24 Oct 2015)

As you said you could use plants to give height to the back right corner. IMO the tank is well balanced  keep the updates coming along with pics of developments or changes.
Jim


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## Bacms (25 Oct 2015)

Photos don't work for me on tap talk

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


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## Keybo (25 Oct 2015)

Bacms said:


> Photos don't work for me on tap talk
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk




Hmmmm its the same for me on my phone. I cant find a specific tapatalk picture thread. Can anyone help me out with this issue?


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## Keybo (26 Oct 2015)

Bacms said:


> Photos don't work for me on tap talk
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk



Thanks mate, sorted.


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## Bacms (26 Oct 2015)

Keybo said:


> Thanks mate, sorted.


Looks good will follow this one with interest. Are you running the Leds on a dimmer?

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## Keybo (26 Oct 2015)

Yeah I have the aquaray controller. My mate had a similar set up and told me that his grobeams caused his plants to "melt" from the brightness. I will have a play around with the brightness and see what my plants appreciate.

At the moment I am thinking I would like:

_Heteranthera zosterfolia
Rotala Rontundifolia
Pogostemon helferi
Pogostemon stellatus
Anubias nana_

I would like a few different mosses on the tunnels. At the moment I have a large box of _Vesicularia dubyana _growing on my windowsill and I would also like some some Taxiphylum mosses - Taiwan or flame moss but I cannot get them at the moment. The idea is to get different layers of light shinning on the pathway with shadows that will hopefully dance in the current.

These are ideas that are changing as I see the available stock each week but I think I will start planting next Saturday after our plant delivery.


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## Keybo (4 Nov 2015)

I have planted the tank up lastnight. I am just waiting for my new tripod to arrive before I show the initial results .


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## alto (4 Nov 2015)

Fantastic beginning 

& I can finally see the photos!!!

You may need to play with filter intake/outtake to optimize flow around rock/through "tunnel" especially as tall plants grow in.

My cories are equally happy sifting through (aqua) soil as sand


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## Joe Turner (16 Nov 2015)

Any updates Keybo, looking forward to seeing your plants!!


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## Keybo (16 Nov 2015)

I keep changing things over, and over.... and over. I will get some pics up soon .


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## banthaman.jm (17 Nov 2015)

Looking forward to the pics 
Jim


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## jarcher1390 (17 Nov 2015)

Keybo said:


> I keep changing things over, and over.... and over. I will get some pics up soon .


Take your time mate with hard scape once its filled its no easy job changing the layout after. Im currently finding this out.

Looking forward to the pics 

Jonny


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## Keybo (17 Nov 2015)

I just got it rescaped today and now I'm feeling happy with it. I have to be up at Fishkeeper at midnight for a fish delivery so during my sleepy day tomorrow I will get some pictures taken. 

Tonight I stumbled upon aquaponics.  I have my next DIY project for the new tank.

Check this out Johnny...

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/grove-ecosystem/grove-ecosystem-grow-fresh-food-in-your-home

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk


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## jarcher1390 (17 Nov 2015)

Keybo said:


> I just got it rescaped today and now I'm feeling happy with it. I have to be up at Fishkeeper at midnight for a fish delivery so during my sleepy day tomorrow I will get some pictures taken.
> 
> Tonight I stumbled upon aquaponics.  I have my next DIY project for the new tank.
> 
> ...



That looks like a cool setup!!  I came across aquaponics doing my aquaculture degree some pretty interesting stuff. Be nice to see more fish keepers take this up.

I might have to steal your idea to make aquaponics my next project (getting close to finishing my current scape). I actually drew up some plans for a cave dwelling aquascape which would grow some strawberries floating on the surface. Might have to go back to the drawing board and see if i can (land)scape with edible emerged plants species. And hardscape a cave for underwater. Thanks you've sparked some new ideas for me!!!

Okay enough of me and my idea rambling. Looking forward to your pictures tomorrow

Regards

Jonny


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## Keybo (19 Nov 2015)

So here are a few quick snaps I took. Once the in-laws leave and my other plants arrive I will do another session of planting and picture taking then it will be ready to sit back and watch (I changed the angle slightly so I can see directly up the passage from my sofa ). My lunch break is over so I will get a plant list up after I get home from work.


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## Keybo (19 Nov 2015)

The plants I have put in so far are:

_Crytocoryne parva
Echinodorus tenellus 
hydrophila pinnatifida
Cryptocoryne beckettii_
some really nice looking _Pogostemon erectus_ im excited about
_Taxiphylum _spiky moss
_Cyperus helferii
Rotala rotundifoli_

*EDIT*_ Pogostemon erectus_ also


When our next plant delivery arrives im going to fill up the center of the back with_ Pogostemon stellatus_ and the front with _Hemianthus callitrichoides_ and have some more moss fun with _Fissidens fontanus_ .


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## jarcher1390 (20 Nov 2015)

Looking good mate, definitely need to gets some more plants in there. Be lovely to see it grown in.

Regards 

Jonny


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## Keybo (20 Nov 2015)

jarcher1390 said:


> Looking good mate, definitely need to gets some more plants in there. Be lovely to see it grown in.
> 
> Regards
> 
> Jonny



So here is the result with the remaining plants quickly placed in the scape. I got some really nice samples of _Pogostemon stellatus _which I am going to replace the _Rotala rotundifoli_ on the right with (it one of my favorite plants so far).

I also added a few crypts, amicorum was the main addition as a mid-ground plant in front of the dragon stone ledge. Then obviously the _Hemianthus callitrichoides _which I will lay down once the in laws have left and given me my spare time back to obsess over the tank. It will be a few days until I can plant the last batch so if anyone has any positioning suggestions, they will be listen to gratefully . Im looking forward to the _Pogostemon erectus_ filling that black patch to the left of the passage.

I will give an update once I get the final planting done and have had a tidy .


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## Joe Turner (9 Dec 2015)

Planted the _Hemianthus _yet?


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## Keybo (20 Jan 2016)

I have been super busy with many things and have not had time to tend to my tank. Eventually I have got it planted with some of the originally placed plants and some cuttings from the display tank at work - _Ludwigia arcuata _along the back to the left of the passage and some _Rotala walichi. _Another cutting I got which I really like is Riccia fluitans, I have temporarily placed it on the branch at the back but I am  going to do a bit of work with some mosses fissidens pheonix moss and flame taxiphylum on the wood so they may change a bit_. _I got a third TMC grobeam when I found the light was lacking a bit.

I have added some _Corydoras habrosus, _they are one of my favorite fish. I wanted something to see against the passage that is small enough to not mess up the substrate too much. I also got 8 amano shrimp, 12 cherry barbs, and 4 of my old Otocinclus_._ I am going to add some dwarf rainbow fish soon (_Melanotaenia praecox)._


Here it is at the moment. Im quite happy so far but I can't wait for it to grow in properly!






During the ramp down:


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## Keybo (20 Jan 2016)

...


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## alto (21 Jan 2016)

images not working at present


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## chtzone (22 Jan 2016)

At what percentage are u keepin your growbeams at. And for how long? Tank looks awsome mate

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## mlgt (22 Jan 2016)

Following with interest.


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## Keybo (23 Jan 2016)

chtzone said:


> At what percentage are u keepin your growbeams at. And for how long? Tank looks awsome mate
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk



I run three grow beams at 100% for 6 hours with an hour ramp at either side. I initially had 2 of them and my friend advised me not to run them at full power, however my first batch of plants didn't appreciate that at all, mostly _P. stellatus. _After discussing it with my experienced fishkeeper colleague and doing some reading I decided to get a third and to amp them up to 100%. The Pogostemon is thriving now and most other things too. The _H. callitrichoides _is also doing well and sending out runners. One plant that is not doing great though is the _Hydrophila pinnatifida. _I have my circulation pump pushing the CO2 to the front of the tank over the _H. callitrichoides _ so maybe it is due to a lack of CO2 as the back doesnt get much flowing over it? That is not effecting the _P. stellatus _though. 

Hmmm.....


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