# River/stream Iwagumi - 90P



## Shinobi (24 May 2020)

Hey guys,

Been busy the last couple of days trying to put together my latest scape.

Heavily inspired by a concept I saw from Steven Chong I've tried to recreate a very classic Iwagumi representing a river/stream layout.

I've also tried experimenting with some lawn protector modules in order to help create some height while getting the hardscape in place

Update 1 (equipment and plants)

Equipment:

Tank: ADA 90P
Filter: ADA Super Jet Es-600
Light: ADA Solar RGB, ADA Light Screen 90 (background)
Cabinet: ADA Wood Cabinet
Co2: Pro-Elite dual stage from CO2ART with bazooka diffuser
Skimmer: ADA Vuppa II

Ferts: Tropica Specialized (1-2ml daily )

Substrate and hardscape:

ADA Amazonia 
ADA power sand advance M
ADA la plata sand 
DOOA tropical river sand 
Stone: ADA 'blue' manten stone

Plants (powered by Tropica):

Cryptocoryne parva
Eleocharis acicularis 'Mini'
Eleocharis parvula
Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba'
Riccardia chamedryfolia
Helanthium tenellum 'Green'
Bucephalandre Kedagang


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## Ray (24 May 2020)

Oh wow - it looks stunning and the use of lawn protectors is brilliant.  Are those rocks glued to the lawn protectors, of it's just balanced there?  They look like they are about to come crashing down!


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## CooKieS (25 May 2020)

Hi mate, 

not sure about the small Rock pointing left on the top left?

maybe try to point the 2 main rocks more downwards too?

Good start anyway


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## Shinobi (25 May 2020)

Ray said:


> Oh wow - it looks stunning and the use of lawn protectors is brilliant.  Are those rocks glued to the lawn protectors, of it's just balanced there?  They look like they are about to come crashing down!



Haven't used any glue, but balanced a lot and made sure they don't fall down even if accidentally pushed - guess time will tell


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## Shinobi (25 May 2020)

CooKieS said:


> Hi mate,
> 
> not sure about the small Rock pointing left on the top left?
> 
> ...



Layout is pretty final at this point, I think it strikes, for me at least, a good balance betwen Light/Shadow and a good amount of dramatic verticality, while still being viewable from all angles 

The thing is, its placed right in the middle of my livingroom so having a competition tank whose entire layout is planned to only be seen from a front view angle is not an option unfortunately


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## Deano3 (25 May 2020)

I think i agree with cookies the rock on top left looks a little odd but love the larger rocks looking forward to this i am after a 90cm very soon.

What rock is that ? And what hardware you be using ?

Thanks dean 

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## Shinobi (25 May 2020)

Deano3 said:


> I think i agree with cookies the rock on top left looks a little odd but love the larger rocks looking forward to this i am after a 90cm very soon.
> 
> What rock is that ? And what hardware you be using ?
> 
> ...



Thanks

It's pretty much all ADA setup vise. Light, filter, cabinet, tank etc.

Stone is Manten also from ADA


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## Deano3 (25 May 2020)

Shinobi said:


> Thanks
> 
> It's pretty much all ADA setup vise. Light, filter, cabinet, tank etc.
> 
> Stone is Manten also from ADA


Great setup looking forward to this, how do you go about water changes out of curiosity with a 90p do you drain into garden then use pump to refill ? From sink 

Sorry for random questions  

Dean

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## Shinobi (25 May 2020)

Deano3 said:


> Great setup looking forward to this, how do you go about water changes out of curiosity with a 90p do you drain into garden then use pump to refill ? From sink
> 
> Sorry for random questions
> 
> ...



Usually I pump into buckets, then use it to water houseplants and the garden. Then I just run a long line straight from my RO unit into the tank and remineralize about one third with tap water


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## Deano3 (25 May 2020)

Thanks for that mate appreciate it, just curious as wanting a 90p and relise will be more work but also be worth it. 

Dean

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## CooKieS (25 May 2020)

Deano3 said:


> Thanks for that mate appreciate it, just curious as wanting a 90p and relise will be more work but also be worth it.
> 
> Dean
> 
> Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk



same here. 🆒


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## Ruskie (25 May 2020)

I see the inspiration for the layout pinned to the wall behind. Is that hand drawn or just printed from somewhere?


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## Keetchy (25 May 2020)

Great layout. And at good timing too. I'm setting my Iwagumi up tomorrow and wanted to go for a sand valley inbetween mountains either side. Very inspirational this layout. I thank you 👌👍


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## Shinobi (25 May 2020)

Ruskie said:


> I see the inspiration for the layout pinned to the wall behind. Is that hand drawn or just printed from somewhere?



It's a concept kindly lend to me by Steven Chong, while not trying to recreate it 1:1 I've used it as a guideline for this layout


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## Ruskie (26 May 2020)

Shinobi said:


> It's a concept kindly lend to me by Steven Chong, while not trying to recreate it 1:1 I've used it as a guideline for this layout
> View attachment 149199
> View attachment 149200



Pretty accurate representation tbh and although not 1:1 like you say it’s great to see something done in reality against an idea 👍🏻

Must be nice having a friend like Steven chucking you ideas


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## Jayefc1 (26 May 2020)

Hay Shinobi think the hard scape looks brilliant mate I know the way you plant it will soften the edges of those rocks I agree the shadow and light  is a great balance


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## Shinobi (28 May 2020)

Just subtle details.

This stone type has the most character I've seen, and every piece seems to tell a story.

Probably will have to wait a couple of weeks before planting. Stuff like this is what I get to enjoy in the meantime


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## glasscanvasart (28 May 2020)

Hi,

Ive seen Steven‘s design before and I really like it. I think your hardscape looks great, but I’d change this:





1. I find the circled rock to unpleasing. It’s rounder than all the other rocks and it’s dead centre of the viewpoint which I think is jarring.  I think a small rock shaped like the marked rock moved to the left and pointing towards the viewpoint would look better.

2. I think, as in the sketch, that a small rock behind the secondary stone to create a reflection would look really good.

3. There‘s a hill in the back left that I would flatten out.


Well done on another great layout. I really liked your EAPLC aquascape.


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## Shinobi (28 May 2020)

glasscanvasart said:


> Hi,
> 
> Ive seen Steven‘s design before and I really like it. I think your hardscape looks great, but I’d change this:
> 
> ...



Really constructive inputs, appreciate it


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## Shinobi (4 Jul 2020)

Plants are finally in. A mix of carpet and taller eleocharis parvula in the back.


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## steveno (4 Jul 2020)

Wow, such an amazing iwagumi scape, lovely rocks.


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## Shinobi (4 Jul 2020)

steveno said:


> Wow, such an amazing iwagumi scape, lovely rocks.



Thanks!


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## Deano3 (4 Jul 2020)

Have to agree great scape will be so relaxing to watch, looking forward to this one growing in.

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## Andrew Butler (5 Jul 2020)

Looks great to me @Shinobi - I wish I could arrange stones like that.

What sand/gravel did you go for? If you're an ADA man I'll guess its La Plata, possibly with DoAqua tropical river sand?


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## Shinobi (5 Jul 2020)

Andrew Butler said:


> Looks great to me @Shinobi - I wish I could arrange stones like that.
> 
> What sand/gravel did you go for? If you're an ADA man I'll guess its La Plata, possibly with DoAqua tropical river sand?




Thanks guys!

You're absolutely right Andrew! La Plata and Dooa river sand


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## Shinobi (5 Jul 2020)

I have updated the original post with a list of contents for this setup btw


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## Vijay_06 (5 Jul 2020)

Great hard scape and fantastic rock work! Subscribed to this journal. I am so looking forward to seeing this grow in. 

How high is the Solar RGB from the top of the tank? 30 cm? 

Your previous scape ‘Low Roar’ was epic. Compared to that one, this scape has very less plant volume; at least as you are starting out. Are you not concerned about any algae issues in these initial few weeks? Do you have any proactive plans to tackle/manage it?


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## Shinobi (5 Jul 2020)

Vijay_06 said:


> Great hard scape and fantastic rock work! Subscribed to this journal. I am so looking forward to seeing this grow in.
> 
> How high is the Solar RGB from the top of the tank? 30 cm?
> 
> ...



Thanks a lot! 

Light is placed aprox 30 cm from surface as recommended.

Lower plant mass means lower nutrient uptake, so I just plan on compensate with as many initial water changes as need be and a very lean dosing schedule. I'm thinking 1ml a day of Trolica Specialized should suffice


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## Conort2 (5 Jul 2020)

Fantastic scape! Any ideas on what you will stock it with?


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## Shinobi (5 Jul 2020)

Conort2 said:


> Fantastic scape! Any ideas on what you will stock it with?




I'm very open to suggestions, but I would like something to emphasize the river/stream feel I'm going for. Rummy nose tetras would be a classic


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## Conort2 (5 Jul 2020)

Shinobi said:


> I'm very open to suggestions, but I would like something to emphasize the river/stream feel I'm going for. Rummy nose tetras would be a classic


I’d recommend something more along the lines of a danio or barb for this one, due to the open nature of the tank I think a lot of tetras will hate it. Maybe something like danio kyathit and/or black ruby barbs. Or maybe Odessa barbs?

The black ruby barbs are very underrated fish and the males are amazing when in spawning condition.

cheers

conor


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## Conort2 (5 Jul 2020)

Here’s a set up ada done using the black ruby barbs, bear in mind they do get a lot darker with brighter red than this once in spawning condition.

https://www.adana.co.jp/en/aquajournal/nature-in-the-glass-287-2-01/


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## CooKieS (5 Jul 2020)

Conort2 said:


> Here’s a set up ada done using the black ruby barbs, bear in mind they do get a lot darker with brighter red than this once in spawning condition.
> 
> https://www.adana.co.jp/en/aquajournal/nature-in-the-glass-287-2-01/



Love them, nice suggestion!

Danios would be cool too. 

nice start @Shinobi


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## hypnogogia (5 Jul 2020)

Conort2 said:


> Here’s a set up ada done using the black ruby barbs, bear in mind they do get a lot darker with brighter red than this once in spawning condition.
> 
> https://www.adana.co.jp/en/aquajournal/nature-in-the-glass-287-2-01/


In the water parameter section what is TH a measure of?


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## Conort2 (5 Jul 2020)

hypnogogia said:


> In the water parameter section what is TH a measure of?


I’m not a 100 percent but I would guess it’s total hardness.

cheers

conor


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## CooKieS (7 Jul 2020)

Shinobi said:


> I'm very open to suggestions, but I would like something to emphasize the river/stream feel I'm going for. Rummy nose tetras would be a classic



Sawbwa resplendens would look awesome in there


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## Shinobi (9 Jul 2020)

Asked Steven what his initial fish choice for the layout would be and he replied  something as classic as green neon tetra would suit beautifully, can't really argue with that


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## Steve Buce (9 Jul 2020)

Lovely scape


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## Shinobi (1 Aug 2020)

Week 4 update:

So initially there was a smaller diatom bloom around week 2, which is to be expected. That disappeared after a week or so. Currently the taller eleocharis in the background is trimmed down so scape lacks a proper background at the moment. I'd say its about 90% algea free, still a bit of green dust on hardscape, but overall everything is going towards pristine. Dosing 1ml of Tropica Specialized from week 3.


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## Tom Ryan (@aquascaperay) (5 Aug 2020)

Very nice!


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## Shinobi (16 Aug 2020)

Like most of Europe we're dealing with heatwaves here in Denmark, so tanks a bit hotter than I would like. Despite that, tank is doing great. I think the heat triggered some green dust algea to take off on the hardscape, but other than that the tank is very clean.
Stil dosing 1 ml Tropica Specialized daily and have added 100 Simulans to the tank. They seem to be very active and are all over the tank, fortunately they are pretty easily startled and then school tightly and directional, but that I'll save for a proper photo session. 
All in all the bright blue stripes against the green is very pretty to watch even with GDA on hardscape


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## Melll (16 Aug 2020)

Very nice 👍


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## GHNelson (16 Aug 2020)

Very nice indeed, love the fish!


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## LondonDragon (16 Aug 2020)

Looking great, I always liked a bit of green on the rocks on these type of scapes, makes the whole thing look more natural, looks great with the little fish too  well done 
Noticed my tank was running at 29C the other day too!


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## Shinobi (3 Sep 2020)

Go with the flow 
Changed some rock positioning on the right side for better balance


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## Deano3 (3 Sep 2020)

Wow that schooling on bottom picture is great and i agree i like the green algae on rocks for the more natural look, like the adjustments tank is looking great.

Dean

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## Vijay_06 (4 Sep 2020)

Looking really good! The adjustment you made seems to make the largest rock stand out more in a good way. 

Any plans to post a video of this in YouTube? I remember seeing a video of your previous 90P scape there.


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## Shinobi (20 Sep 2020)

Have removed a full bucket of helanthium tenellum in the background as it was getting too aggressive. Replaced with some regular tall eleocharis acicularis for better background height. Also HC is carpeting surprisingly well in cosmetic sand, fortunately its easy to cut off large pieces by simply slicing off with a knife


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## NorthernDan (21 Sep 2020)

Very relaxing scape this one, good job!


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## Alexv95 (8 Oct 2020)

First post here but I've already seen many of your tanks, really good job congratulation !
I would like to know how do you manage your CO2 with your lean dosing method, I imagine consumption should be lower than EI tanks? Which method do you use to set your CO2 (bubbles rate, drop checker, pH drop...)?
Thx


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## Tim Harrison (8 Oct 2020)

Looking great, I like the changes. 
I've grown HC in sand and it does just fine.


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## Shinobi (8 Oct 2020)

Alexv95 said:


> First post here but I've already seen many of your tanks, really good job congratulation !
> I would like to know how do you manage your CO2 with your lean dosing method, I imagine consumption should be lower than EI tanks? Which method do you use to set your CO2 (bubbles rate, drop checker, pH drop...)?
> Thx




Thank you, and welcome 😃

I usually run a drop checker for the first couple of weeks. Once sufficient diffusion is established, I remove the checker and makes sure to use a quality steady CO2 regulater to avoid fluctuations. Also, after some time you develop and eye for deficiencies in the plants, be it fertilizer or Co2. 
HC is a good indicator for CO2, too little and new growth very quickly becomes stunted or tends to develop smaller leaves with more space in between. That way a lot of plants can be used as much more accurate indicators for tank balance rather than drop checkers, test kits or even fertilization regiments. It's one of those realizations that led me to start a super lean liquid dosing - I trust my plant growth more than any test kit or desired values the forums try to tell you to chase.
Admittedly it takes some trial and error to get this experience over time


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## dw1305 (9 Oct 2020)

Hi all,





Shinobi said:


> That way a lot of plants can be used as much more accurate indicators for tank balance rather than drop checkers, test kits or even fertilization regiments. It's one of those realizations that led me to start a super lean liquid dosing - I trust my plant growth more than any test kit or desired values the forums try to tell you to chase.


I couldn't agree more, the <"plants can't lie">, we just have to persuade people that it is a viable (actually the best) approach.





Shinobi said:


> Admittedly it takes some trial and error to get this experience over time.


And I suppose that is probably the issue for many people, and they are still more willing to believe in the results <"from their water testing"> rather than in what their plants tell them.

I think that some of it is based on the constant advice to <"test, test, test"> and I can see that water testing might  seem somehow <"more scientific"> and then you have the whole theatre element of the actual testing and the illusion that it gives that you are in control, but really is that,  an illusion.

<"Watching the plants works">.

cheers Darrel


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## nat.willis (9 Oct 2020)

Stunning pictures, this has given me some ideas, thank you for sharing


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## Alexv95 (9 Oct 2020)

Thanks you Shinobi and dw1305.
Currently, even if I'm new here, I already have planted tank. Not to say that I know every things (it would be boring ) but I read a lot here (and elsewhere), I tested different methods, I like to compare, to understand... I already use the duckweed index (thanks to you Darrel) and I learnt a lot here.
In the previous version of my tank, I had good results with rich dosing regimen but CO2 was therefore very high. CO2 is expensive here in France and I'm also lazy to fill my bottle so often.
Rebuilding my tank with new tropica aquasoil, I would like to take the chance to test lean dosing method. 

I completely agree with you that plants tell us everything.  I have also had bad experiences with aquarium testing.  As you said, learning is not always easy and you take some error before behing skilled. 

But from my experience, I also noticed that a good method could be essential, having a starting point helped a lot.  For example for CO2, using the pH drop method with a pH monitoring curve helped me to quickly find the optimal rate for my plants, whereas without this knowledge I tried for a long time without success  . 

For the lean dosing method, I noticed that ADA has a relatively constant bubble rate for these tanks according to their volume, with probably adjustments considering plant health.  That's why I wanted to know if you had a starting point or a reference bubble rate you should identified with your skill for this type of tank ? (Maybe after adjustment regarding plants health you tend to finaly reach a similar bubble rate or CO2 level for all your tanks?)
Thx for the drop checker, what color are you aiming for? Lime green?  Or darker green is ok?


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## Shinobi (10 Oct 2020)

I usually advise against using someone else's 'bubbles per minute' as a precise reference. It may vary largely depending on bubble counters and diffusers. For example: I'm currently at 2 BPM with a Co2art atomizer, but with a Neo diffuser it takes about 5 BPM to reach same levels. I guess the take away here would be to use a atomizer if you want to be economical with your Co2.
ADA can pretty easily recommend a certain amount of Co2 or fertilizer, since all their tanks run with the same equipment and substrate, that's why its usually referred to as the "ADA system".
As for my initial adjustments; I try and aim for Light/limegreen by the end of photoperiod, usually starting Co2 2 hours before lights and ending 1 hour before. 
I also like to 'de-gas' the water over night, slightly raising lilly pipes for aeration


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## Luketendo (11 Oct 2020)

ADA ferts dosing is pretty non-specific actually, they recommend that you start with 1 ml per 20 L per day but then say dose 2-3x as much as needed. It would be more helpful if they gave specific dose amounts of their website features like they do for CO2.


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## pastamaster_29 (11 Oct 2020)

Hey Shinobi,

first of all great tank and I love the classic Nature Aquarium style. I was wondering about your water parameters - are you using tap water or reverse osmosis?

Thanks for the info!


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## Alexv95 (12 Oct 2020)

Thx Shinobi it helps a lot.
About ADA  fert, I have a book with many ADA's tanks and they give specific doses amount for each tank. They are almost the same, according to the plants inside. Only the tanks with a lot of stem plants received macro. 
However they do not say anything about the possible sticks used to fertilize the soil.


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## dw1305 (12 Oct 2020)

Hi all, 





Alexv95 said:


> About ADA fert, I have a book with many ADA's tanks and they give specific doses amount for each tank. They are almost the same, according to the plants inside. Only the tanks with a lot of stem plants received macro.


The ADA fertilisers are <"incredibly dilute">, which is why they can have slightly nebulous dosing instructions even though the macro contains urea etc.

@Hanuman's post in <"DIY ADA Ferts"> may be of interest.

In one way I'm like @Shinobi (but not in other ways, I'm <"a lazy aquarist, with no sense of aesthetics">), because I  like to run my tanks with <"low nutrient levels"> but I'm not bothered <"where the ions come from">, an <"ion is an ion is an ion">.





dw1305 said:


> ....... even though I don't measure NO3 levels I'm confident that my tanks have low nitrate levels, because I have low conductivity (about 120 microS & NO3- is an ion) water


cheers Darrel


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## Shinobi (12 Oct 2020)

Luketendo said:


> ADA ferts dosing is pretty non-specific actually, they recommend that you start with 1 ml per 20 L per day but then say dose 2-3x as much as needed. It would be more helpful if they gave specific dose amounts of their website features like they do for CO2.



They actually follow those guidelines quite strictly at the gallery. So 3ml for a 60P, 9ml for a 90P etc. 
"Mineral" and "Brighty K" is the basic combination used for most tanks. Additionally Nitrogen or Iron is supplied depending on substrate age or if certain plants requires higher amount of Nitrogen to thrive. This goes for your basic heavily planted NA style, some modifications will be used depending on substrate or more lightly planted layouts



pastamaster_29 said:


> Hey Shinobi,
> 
> first of all great tank and I love the classic Nature Aquarium style. I was wondering about your water parameters - are you using tap water or reverse osmosis?
> 
> Thanks for the info!



I mix tap and RO. Aiming for soft KH/GH 3. Other then that, I don't really test. 
Tap values are pretty consistent where I live and chlorine free, but hardness is 20+!. So my final mix always ends up around 100TDS



Alexv95 said:


> Thx Shinobi it helps a lot.
> About ADA  fert, I have a book with many ADA's tanks and they give specific doses amount for each tank. They are almost the same, according to the plants inside. Only the tanks with a lot of stem plants received macro.
> However they do not say anything about the possible sticks used to fertilize the soil.



Sticks should be applied after 6-8 months of substrate life, and then again every third month or so. That is if you run the ADA system - I don't


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## Shinobi (12 Oct 2020)

Thinking of adding some rams, for a bit of c


ontrast


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## LordMomo (15 Oct 2020)

Shinobi said:


> Thinking of adding some rams, for a bit of cView attachment 155180ontrast


OMG! That looks amazing!!! One day i can hopefully have such an awesome setup!


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## Nigel95 (18 Oct 2020)

Nice!


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## Shinobi (25 Oct 2020)

Beautiful plants from Tropica


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## Vijay_06 (25 Oct 2020)

Plants are in great health! Very nice.

How would you describe the light coverage of a single solar RGB at the two sides of a 90P tank? Plants are growing perfectly looking at the pictures, but does the tank look quite unevenly lit in person? I might go for the exact same setup in future and your feedback with help me chose the light.


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## Shinobi (25 Oct 2020)

Vijay_06 said:


> Plants are in great health! Very nice.
> 
> How would you describe the light coverage of a single solar RGB at the two sides of a 90P tank? Plants are growing perfectly looking at the pictures, but does the tank look quite unevenly lit in person? I might go for the exact same setup in future and your feedback with help me chose the light.
> 
> ...


1 Solar has plenty coverage for a 90cm tank. In person you can't tell the sides apart from the middle in terms of illumination


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## Vijay_06 (25 Oct 2020)

Thank you! Waiting for the next full tank pic.


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## FishKeeper55 (26 Oct 2020)

Great looking tank 👌


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## Shinobi (1 Nov 2020)

01.11.2020

Green dust is almost gone. Carpet has spread more than I would prefer. Need to clear some paths of sand soon


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## FishKeeper55 (1 Nov 2020)

What do you use to take them pictures, phone or DSLR?


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## Nuno Gomes (1 Nov 2020)

FishKeeper55 said:


> What do you use to take them pictures, phone or DSLR?


Looking at the EXIF data, it's an Olympus PL5


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## Shinobi (1 Nov 2020)

Nuno Gomes said:


> Looking at the EXIF data, it's an Olympus PL5


Correct!
Sometimes I use a Samsung S10 though


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## Ady34 (6 Nov 2020)

Looking stunning 👌


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## Shinobi (15 Nov 2020)

Cleared the sand. Right now it's a bit too clean of a transition between plants and sand, but I believe it'll get there in a couple of weeks


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## Steve Buce (15 Nov 2020)

Stunning tank


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## Tim Harrison (16 Nov 2020)

It is stunning, just keeps getting better as it continues to grow. I must admit to liking it more when it's allowed to grow a little wilder though, like in the image in #70.


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## Shinobi (16 Nov 2020)

Tim Harrison said:


> It is stunning, just keeps getting better as it continues to grow. I must admit to liking it more when it's allowed to grow a little wilder though, like in the image in #70.


Agree! Should return to its more "wild" form in a couple of weeks. I just wanted to keep a bit more sand visible than before, keeping the growth around the edges of the stones I think brings a more natural look


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## DaveP (17 Nov 2020)

I love this tank! I'm about to setup a new Aquascaper 900 and looking for inspiration.  This is very similar to the layout I've been thinking about, but was thinking about planting a bit more heavily over on the back right to give some colour and maybe some stems for more fish cover. Do you think that would ruin the look by trying to mix two styles?


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## Tom Ryan (@aquascaperay) (15 Dec 2020)

Looking great! When you say you aim for kh/gh 3 do you mean 3 for both values or together?


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## Wookii (16 Dec 2020)

Shinobi said:


> I mix tap and RO. Aiming for soft KH/GH 3. Other then that, I don't really test.
> Tap values are pretty consistent where I live and chlorine free, but hardness is 20+!. So my final mix always ends up around 100TDS



Do you get any issues with your shrimp moulting etc at those levels GH levels @Shinobi ?


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## Shinobi (16 Dec 2020)

Tom Ryan said:


> Looking great! When you say you aim for kh/gh 3 do you mean 3 for both values or together?


Thanks!

The values are 3 for both KH and GH separately.


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## Shinobi (16 Dec 2020)

Wookii said:


> Do you get any issues with your shrimp moulting etc at those levels GH levels @Shinobi ?



Not really.
Shrimp population has exploded beyond control


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## Vijay_06 (16 Dec 2020)

Saw the video of this scape in your YouTube channel. Looks even more good!!!


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## Shinobi (16 Dec 2020)

Oh almost forgot!

I made a short video, nothing fancy 😀


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## Shinobi (17 Dec 2020)

Really curious to see if this is the same as the "legendary" Brownie Ghost '2011' 🤔


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## Wookii (17 Dec 2020)

Shinobi said:


> Really curious to see if this is the same as the "legendary" Brownie Ghost '2011' 🤔
> View attachment 159119



How much was that pot? Cuttings I've seen seem to sell for silly money - I saw a small cutting go for £75 on Band recently.


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## Shinobi (17 Dec 2020)

Wookii said:


> How much was that pot? Cuttings I've seen seem to sell for silly money - I saw a small cutting go for £75 on Band recently.



I've seen those as well. 

This one is part of a super limited batch from Aquaflora. They retails for around 35€ if you can find some. 
Really interested to see how it turns out, as the cup has around 30+ of small leaves


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## Wookii (17 Dec 2020)

Shinobi said:


> I've seen those as well.
> 
> This one is part of a super limited batch from Aquaflora. They retails for around 35€ if you can find some.
> Really interested to see how it turns out, as the cup has around 30+ of small leaves



You should be able to tell when you open the pot  -the Brownie Ghost has quite distinctive colouration:


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## Shinobi (17 Dec 2020)

Wookii said:


> You should be able to tell when you open the pot  -the Brownie Ghost has quite distinctive colouration:



At this point it's impossible to tell since all the growth is very small and in its emersed state. Buces doesn't really show its coloration until it has adopted to submerged state, in my experience


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## Wookii (17 Dec 2020)

Shinobi said:


> At this point it's impossible to tell since all the growth is very small and in its emersed state. Buces doesn't really show its coloration until it has adopted to submerged state, in my experience


Good point - fingers crossed then! if it colours up the same, you should be able to get your money back with a single cutting!


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## Shinobi (21 Dec 2020)

Did my semi-annual maintenance on this workhorse.


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## CooKieS (21 Dec 2020)

Shinobi said:


> Really curious to see if this is the same as the "legendary" Brownie Ghost '2011' 🤔
> View attachment 159119


It is, found some for 25€ per pot, just hoping it won’t melt like the poor anubia Snow White. ^^


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## Wookii (21 Dec 2020)

CooKieS said:


> It is, found some for 25€ per pot, just hoping it won’t melt like the poor anubia Snow White. ^^



Likewise! I managed to grab a pot from Horizon Aquatics via fleabay for twenty quid! Thanks for the heads up @Shinobi - it'd quite a generous pot of plantlets too compared to the potted variants you normally get.


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## CooKieS (21 Dec 2020)

Wookii said:


> Likewise! I managed to grab a pot from Horizon Aquatics via fleabay for twenty quid! Thanks for the heads up @Shinobi - it'd quite a generous pot of plantlets too compared to the potted variants you normally get.



let’s compare the coloration of our specimens in a few weeks @Shinobi @Wookii


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## Wookii (21 Dec 2020)

CooKieS said:


> let’s compare the coloration of our specimens in a few weeks @Shinobi @Wookii


Will do - assuming I don't kill it with my black (non-green) fingers!


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## CooKieS (21 Dec 2020)

Wookii said:


> Will do - assuming I don't kill it with my black (non-green) fingers!



same here, hope it won’t Melt, like many in vitro ones


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## Shinobi (21 Dec 2020)

I found that especially in vitro Buces don't like new setups, probably very sensitive to ammonia burn in that state. Regarding the exact species, Aquaflora is not able to confirm that its in fact the '2011' variant. They will try and analyze it though. Any shops claiming it is 2011 are doing so on they own assumptions


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## CooKieS (23 Dec 2020)

Shinobi said:


> I found that especially in vitro Buces don't like new setups, probably very sensitive to ammonia burn in that state. Regarding the exact species, Aquaflora is not able to confirm that its in fact the '2011' variant. They will try and analyze it though. Any shops claiming it is 2011 are doing so on they own assumptions


Yes, buces are same as otocinclus, it seems to like mature tank. 

would haven been nice if they had analyzed it before selling them...like the dying anubia Snow White in underwater condition. At 30€/pot, the least we could ask for is some research before selling.


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## vervatic (17 Feb 2021)

Hi new member here... made an account just to ask how the Brownie ghost tissue culture is looking after a few months. Are the leaves as expected??


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## Shinobi (21 Feb 2021)

Hi,

So sorry for the late reply.

Regarding the Buce Ghost, they are growing but super slow. Fortunately there hasn't been any melt, but as Dennis Wong said in one of the Facebook groups - In Vitro buces can take up to half a year before showing decent growth and coloration. I am seeing new leaves every now and then, but they are still small and more reddish than purple. On the other hand; Buce Kedagang from Tropica I can really recommend, it's a fast grower buce wise, and has beautiful coloration especially when viewed from the top down. Blueish purple with burgundy red new leaves


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## LondonDragon (21 Feb 2021)

This tank is stunning, one of my fav gumis here


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## Shinobi (21 Feb 2021)

LondonDragon said:


> This tank is stunning, one of my fav gumis here


That's some really fine company. Thanks a lot! 😄


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## Shinobi (22 Feb 2021)

Kedagang from the top using only daylight


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## GHNelson (22 Feb 2021)

Add it to this thread below!





						Show your Bucephalandra's
					

Here's my Bucephalandra sp. Deep purple during a water change.



					www.ukaps.org


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## CooKieS (22 Feb 2021)

Nice shots and infos, my ghost has survived too but the new leaves aren’t red yet, definitely more purple, will see how it goes in a few weeks or months.


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## Shinobi (1 Mar 2021)

Although I really enjoy this layout, I'm starting to feel that re-scape itch


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## Courtneybst (1 Mar 2021)

Looks so classy


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## Jayefc1 (1 Mar 2021)

It is a simply beautiful scape but I can understand why your getting the itch


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## Shinobi (1 Mar 2021)

Jayefc1 said:


> It is a simply beautiful scape but I can understand why your getting the itch


I think it's natural for people in this hobby to want to pursue new challenges once you felt your previous work has reached its peak condition for some time. It keep things interesting


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## Jayefc1 (1 Mar 2021)

Yeah agreed and to be honest normally your tanks take a lot longer to reach there full potential its a beautiful scape just seems that yours are normally have a lot more going on in them


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## Shinobi (1 Mar 2021)

Jayefc1 said:


> Yeah agreed and to be honest normally your tanks take a lot longer to reach there full potential its a beautiful scape just seems that yours are normally have a lot more going on in them


I think 6 months is where most scapes peak. After that I like to experimenting a bit. See how much I can trim a plant and stil recover, how lean I can dose or try new plants or hardscape combos. Valuable lessons for the next scape.

Currently only dosing 1ml of Tropica Specialized 2x week. Plants still grow super healthy and no algea. Its quite surprising how little is needed really


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## Vijay_06 (1 Mar 2021)

Looks fantastic! Could we see some closeup shots? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Tim Harrison (1 Mar 2021)

Really nice image, shared on Instagram


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## Shinobi (1 Mar 2021)

Tim Harrison said:


> Really nice image, shared on Instagram


Always a pleasure! 😀


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## LondonDragon (1 Mar 2021)

Stunning, all your tanks are class, well done


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## PARAGUAY (1 Mar 2021)

Agree lovely tank😀


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## RMartins (17 May 2021)

I love this tank. Fantastic!

Your lean fertilization is very interesting.
I saw that in Low Roar you also used only 2ml every day.
I admire the low potassium levels compared to ADA or EI fertilization.
Didn't you notice potassium deficiency at any time?


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## Shinobi (20 May 2021)

RMartins said:


> I love this tank. Fantastic!
> 
> Your lean fertilization is very interesting.
> I saw that in Low Roar you also used only 2ml every day.
> ...


Thank you!

I Haven't experienced any deficiencies in this tank or previous layouts. I do add root tabs every third month or so, I belive this helps a lot as well. What I have seen however, is how certain plants adapts differently to the lean dosage. For example HC now outgrows eleocharis tremendously and a fast grower like Helanthium tenellum stays very compact and doesn't spread as aggressively. For this layout it works very well, but I can imagine that certain plants would have a harder time tolerating the lean ferts. 
Just goes to show how every scape is different and that you should experiment to find a fertilization regiment that suits your needs best


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## Vijay_06 (21 May 2021)

Your carpet looks quite dense. Is there any technique to push root tabs through such a carpet? Especially in the areas where you have Cuba (substrate is not even visible).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Shinobi (21 May 2021)

Vijay_06 said:


> Your carpet looks quite dense. Is there any technique to push root tabs through such a carpet? Especially in the areas where you have Cuba (substrate is not even visible).
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


What I like to do is to push the pointy ends of a tweezer into the substrate before inserting a Tropica root tab and then gently "massage" the area around the insertion to compact the soil around the tap beneath the carpet. Don´t know if I would call it a technique, but it makes it easier to push it deep and makes sure it stays in


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## Shinobi (28 Aug 2021)

Happy to finally be able to share. Ranked in at 79th place at IAPLC, which was much more than I could've hoped for, with such a 'simple' layout.
Congratulations to all participants!


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## Wookii (28 Aug 2021)

Congrats! Great looking tank!


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## Toby C (28 Aug 2021)

Beautiful looking tank, congratulations. How have the brownie ghost come along?


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## John q (28 Aug 2021)

Shinobi said:


> Ranked in at 79th


Congratulations, judging was obviously biased lol, tank looks stunning for what its worth.


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## Ady34 (28 Aug 2021)

Congratulations.


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## CooKieS (29 Aug 2021)

Shinobi said:


> Happy to finally be able to share. Ranked in at 79th place at IAPLC, which was much more than I could've hoped for, with such a 'simple' layout.
> Congratulations to all participants!
> View attachment 173614


An beautifully executed iwagumi, congrats man! 👍🎉🥂


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## Shinobi (29 Aug 2021)

Toby C said:


> Beautiful looking tank, congratulations. How have the brownie ghost come along?


Thank you!

The Buces turned out decent enough. Nothing like the purple brownies you see on the forums though. I say it looks like a slightly smaller version of the "red" from Tropica. Kedagang has much more interesting shape/color in my opinion.
To be fair, a lot of those purple buces you see online are highly manipulated by either very very purple intensive lightning, to the point everything gets a purple hue, or some serious post editing.
Solar RGB is not the best light for showing of purples tho 🙂


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## Shinobi (29 Aug 2021)

CooKieS said:


> An beautifully executed iwagumi, congrats man! 👍🎉🥂


Thank you very much! Really impressed by yours as well 😄


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## Shinobi (29 Aug 2021)

John q said:


> Congratulations, judging was obviously biased lol, tank looks stunning for what its worth.


Thank you!

To be completely honest - I've seen plenty of scapes sub 100 that was much more deserving of "Winning works" than mine this year. Nevertheless its given me some motivation for next year 🙂


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## PARAGUAY (29 Aug 2021)

Well done . If anything I thought the standard was really high in the top 100 . I could not separate some at all


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## CooKieS (29 Aug 2021)

Getting an classic iwagumi in the top 127 requires an perfect execution, and this one definitely got this!


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## Deano3 (29 Aug 2021)

Well done and well deserved  

Sent from my SM-T595 using Tapatalk


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## Shinobi (17 Sep 2021)

Letter from Japan 😅


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