# James' ADA 60p setup (week 11 shots)



## James Marshall (15 Jan 2012)

For some time I have been planning to scape something larger than my usual 2 to 20 litre tanks and really fancied doing an ADA 60p. On phoning the green machine to investigate they suggested that I scape a full ADA 60p setup and photograph it for their website.

I visited their store in early December to pick up the following car load of goodies:

ADA Cube Garden 60p (60x30x36cm)
Do!Aqua wood cabinet
ADA Solar II lamp
ADA Arm Stand
Do!Aqua Violet glass 17mm outflow
Do!Aqua Violet glass 17mm inflow
ADA clear 17mm hose 2m
ADA Bio Rio 3 litres
ADA NA Carbon 1 litre
ADA Tourmaline F
Do!Aqua CO2 Diffuse
ADA 22m glass joint x 2
ADA clear CO2 hose 2m
ADA Panac P
ADA Panac W
ADA Tourmaline BC
ADA Power sand Specail S 2 x 2 litres
ADA Aquasoil Africana 2x 9 litres
ADA Nile sand 5.2 litres
ADA Congo Sand 2kg
ADA Ryuoh Stone 10kg
ADA brighty K 500ml
ADA Green Brighty step 1 500ml
ADA Green Brighty special lights 500ml
ADA Green Gain
ADA Phyton Git
ADA Green bacter

The set up was started in my christmas break





First the Arm stand and lamp is fitted




The glassware and hoses are sorted for easy refit after planting




Panac p, Panec w and Tourmaline BC are spread evenly on base




Power Sand is poured carefully in




The Power Sand is scraped back from the front and sides of the tank.




Aquasoil is poured in and shaped with a soft brush




The first stone is placed to from part of a mountain.




The second stone in the formation is placed so that the stratas match. 




A suitable stone to complete the mountain cannot be found at this stage, other stones will be palced first




The lower stones are placed to create a plateau at the foot of the mountain




A third stone for the mountain formation has been found, the gaps will not be visible once planted




The plateau and mountain are now complete




The last stone will provide a transition between plants and sand 




A card divider is used so that soil can be removed without the rest collapsing




Nile sand is poured into the cavity then the divider is carefully removed




The last stone is repositioned and some Congo sand is used to give a natural effect.




Glossostigma elatinoides is planted in the foreground




Hemianthus callitrichoides is planted in the mid and background




half of the plateau is also planted with HC




the rest of the plateau is planted with Echinodorus tenellus




The tank is slowly filled and the equipment refitted




The full ADA setup in situ two days after planting.


Will add more photos as the scape grows in

Cheers,
James


----------



## Ady34 (15 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

BISH BASH BOSH,
now thats the way to do it!
So neat and precise, this already looks superb and so well thought out.
I love it.
Ady.


----------



## ghostsword (15 Jan 2012)

*James' ADA 60p setup*

Wow, great shopping list!

The setup so far looks great, so its to be a iwagumi or a mountain range? I am really looking forward to the journal.


___________________________


----------



## mlgt (15 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Cant wait for it to grow in


----------



## Emyr (15 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Very very smart. That little lot will have set you back a fair amount though.


----------



## Nelson (15 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*



			
				Emyr said:
			
		

> That little lot will have set you back a fair amount though.


An arm and a leg I reckon   .

Very nice indeed James.A bit different to your usual style ?.


----------



## wearsbunnyslippers (15 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

that little bit of white sand in the corner is the perfect finishing touch, well done!


----------



## Antipofish (15 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Really amazing !  How long did you take to decide layout etc, before you actually did the work ?


----------



## Sentral (15 Jan 2012)

*James' ADA 60p setup*

Wow... Serious money spending there.

Very nice post, could easily be in PFK. Look forward to keeping up to date with the journal.


----------



## greenink (15 Jan 2012)

*James' ADA 60p setup*

Love the setup done in this way with all the staged pics. Very nice. Sandy bit is very slightly too small for my taste though!


----------



## Emyr (15 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

the sand patch is mini, I think its nice though. Adds another element and touch to the scape.

What filter are you using on this? Guessing its a hydor inline heater.


----------



## skeletonw00t (15 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Quality set up & scape mate. Can't wait to see it grow in!!!


----------



## Stu Worrall (15 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Superbly done James, great photography and great scape to finish with too!


----------



## Dan Walter (15 Jan 2012)

*James' ADA 60p setup*

Mouth open, drool everywhere... Really nice set up and 'scape. 

Can I ask how the ADA stands attach to the cabinet?


----------



## James Marshall (19 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Thank for your comments folks, much appreciated  




			
				ghostsword said:
			
		

> Wow, great shopping list!
> 
> The setup so far looks great, so its to be a iwagumi or a mountain range? I am really looking forward to the journal.


Cheers Luis
I didn't really have a prescribed style in mind when I designed the scape. Its just my interpretation of a landscape that caught my eye whilst on holiday in Derbyshire.



			
				Emyr said:
			
		

> Very very smart. That little lot will have set you back a fair amount though.


Thanks Emyr, worth every penny though  




			
				nelson said:
			
		

> Emyr said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Cheers Neil 
I think once the scape is grown in it won't be too much of a departure from my usual atyle




			
				Antipofish said:
			
		

> Really amazing !  How long did you take to decide layout etc, before you actually did the work ?


Thank you
I had been thinking about it on and off, since visiting Harboro rocks in the peak district in the summer



			
				stuworrall said:
			
		

> Superbly done James, great photography and great scape to finish with too!


Cheers Stu, I'm chuffed you like the photography (not as good as yours though  )



			
				Dan Walter said:
			
		

> Mouth open, drool everywhere... Really nice set up and 'scape.
> 
> Can I ask how the ADA stands attach to the cabinet?


Thanks Dan
The arm comes with 2 rather swish stainless steel brackets which you can screw to the back of the cabinet


Cheers,
James


----------



## fandango (19 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Neat, precise and beautiful tank. Really looking forward to the growing-in and the fish.
regards,
fandango


----------



## James Marshall (21 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*



			
				fandango said:
			
		

> Neat, precise and beautiful tank. Really looking forward to the growing-in and the fish.
> regards,
> fandango


Thanks Fandango






Here's the tank at one week, I pruned the tenellus right back shortly after this shot was taken.






At 2 weeks old the tenellus has recovered from the pruning and seems to be producing shorter leaves.
The Glosso is still growing verticaly so I've lowered the lamp 2 inches and started dosing 6ml of ADA Brighty special lights per day. Hopefully this will encourage it to horizontaly. Also added 8 Amano shrimps.

Will post week 3 shot soon.

Cheers,
James


----------



## George Farmer (21 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Beautiful step-by-step mate. One of the best I've seen, ever.

The 'scape is very nice, but I can't help thinking you're holding back... 

Have you noticed the difference in green between the two latest photos?  Is that post-processing, or are the plants getting more yellow as they adjust from emergent to submerged form?


----------



## ghostsword (21 Jan 2012)

*James' ADA 60p setup*

I really like the scape, but it is too "safe". It actually looks like a scape that James Findley has done, one that was on the latest interview.

Merit on the execution, the steps by steps are fantastic, and a great show.


___________________________


----------



## James Marshall (22 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*



			
				George Farmer said:
			
		

> Beautiful step-by-step mate. One of the best I've seen, ever.
> 
> The 'scape is very nice, but I can't help thinking you're holding back...
> 
> Have you noticed the difference in green between the two latest photos? Is that post-processing, or are the plants getting more yellow as they adjust from emergent to submerged form?



Thank you George, much appreciated.

I do have a slightly more complex planting scheme in mind for a replant of this hardscape. However I really wanted to remind myself how to grow Glosso horizontaly in a tank that contained only fast growing varieties of plant. That way I could up the lighting and the ferts at will, without worrying about algae in my mosses.

That's a very good point you make about the different renditions of the week 1 and week 2 photos.
Very little post processing was done, looking at the rocks you can see that they are pretty much the same colour in both shots. In fact I used exactly the same colour compensation for both. To an extent this colour differential is down to the plants adjusting to their submerged state.
However, I think I under estimated the imapct of using a 5 to 1 ratio of RO to tap water for the first time. I failed to compesate for the vastly reduced nutrient levels and the plants suufered some yellowing. I have now increased the ferts and things are starting to look a little greener.




			
				ghostsword said:
			
		

> I really like the scape, but it is too "safe". It actually looks like a scape that James Findley has done, one that was on the latest interview.
> 
> Merit on the execution, the steps by steps are fantastic, and a great show.
> 
> ...



  Firstly Luis you are very definate about your vague critism, saying "It is too safe" rather than "I think it is".
You will have to elaborate on what you mean by 'Safe' because as mentioned, I feel, it is too vague.

Secondly you seem to go on to accuse me of Plagiarism, I urge you to reinforce your claim with some photographic evidence.

Cheers,
James


----------



## ghostsword (22 Jan 2012)

*James' ADA 60p setup*

Hi James, it was not my intention to offend you, and apologize if that was how it came out.

I see the scape as a safe scape, not your usual bold and unusual hardscape and plant layout. I remember the amazing cliff that you had on a nano, with various platforms, and the three small nanos with moss that looked like a single scape.

My taste, and obviously looking at the other comments I am not looking at it properly and completely misunderstood the concept.

Now about the scape being similar to a scape I have seen, from James Findley. I am not accusing you of plagiarism, I am just saying that it is similar of what I have seen.

This is your scape:






This is the scape from James:


[/quote]

Again not my intention to insult or cause offense, aren't journals meant to show people what you are doing and get some feedback? I just gave my feedback. 



___________________________


----------



## Tom (22 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

They look quite different to me :S Different stone, different foreground, different composition, use of wood, background plants...


----------



## darren636 (22 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

they are very different.


----------



## ghostsword (22 Jan 2012)

*James' ADA 60p setup*

Ok, fine.


----------



## George Farmer (22 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Hey Luis

I don't think the content of your post was necessarily wrong, per se, just the way you wrote it in a rather blunt manner without elaboration.  When critiquing folks' hard work it's usually wise to give balanced feedback. If your comments contain any areas for improvement, it's a good idea to give some suggestions of how to improve otherwise it seems you're just criticising for the sake of it.

Actually your 'too safe' comment is similar to mine about 'holding back'.  The key word in your post is "too". Too much anything is usually a bad thing... A better comment would be something like, "for a man of your skill and experience, I consider that this layout is rather safe and think you're capable of a lot more". It's a nicer way of saying, "too safe" but essentially means the same thing.

For the record I think I can also see where you're coming from with the similarity between these two tanks, but don't agree entirely.

The immediate observation for me is the similar use of open and in the corner of the tank. Your eye is immediately drawn to it. Also the arrangement of plants is relatively formal in both layouts, but remember that this is very early days for James SM's tank, and Jim's is mature.  I suppose it's a bit like folk that say I look like Gok Wan or Alan Carr.  We may wear similar glasses and have dark hair, but our facial feature are really quite different.

Cheers,
George

James - sorry for the hijack mate. You know how I love my diplomacy...  Thanks for the info on the green issues.

How's the glosso getting on now? I'm trying some in my 60cm shallow with TMC LED lighting. I've yet to see a really tight carpet using LEDs but I'm sure it's possible...


----------



## ghostsword (22 Jan 2012)

*James' ADA 60p setup*

Hi George, I completely agree with all that you wrote. 

On the similarity of the tanks, yes, it is that open space.

Regarding the "safe", poor choice of words on my side. 

I am a big fan of James tanks, I like the style of his nanos, and his imagination is unsurpassed.

Thanks George. I appreciate your input.


___________________________


----------



## a1Matt (22 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

James - It has put a smile on my face to know your working your magic on a larger glass box.

I think that, over time, larger tanks will give you the opportunity to explore your themes further and create fuller renditions of them.  

More importantly than that, I hope your enjoying the extra space  

View any criticism in the context of you being viewed as the number 1 UK scaper and it won't seem so bad.  Might increase the pressure a bit though


----------



## George Farmer (23 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IfaBdaj ... e=youtu.be


----------



## James Marshall (23 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*



			
				ghostsword said:
			
		

> Hi James, it was not my intention to offend you, and apologize if that was how it came out.
> 
> I see the scape as a safe scape, not your usual bold and unusual hardscape and plant layout. I remember the amazing cliff that you had on a nano, with various platforms, and the three small nanos with moss that looked like a single scape.
> 
> ...



Again not my intention to insult or cause offense, aren't journals meant to show people what you are doing and get some feedback? I just gave my feedback. 



___________________________[/quote]

Hi Luis, 
You have not offended me, although reading over my response I can see how it seemed that way, I was a bit abrasive.
I was actualy laughing when I posted it, thus why I included the emoticons "   " at the start of the post.
It was intended as a bit of friendly banter, and if we were in the same room talking in person I reckon we would both have had a good laugh about it. Forums are notorious for these misunderstandings, still, I am sorry if i have upset you.

Anyhow, I now understand what you mean by safe, and yes you are right the layout, in particular the planting, is not that innovative. But I was doing the set up for TGM, who have been very good to me, and I wanted to provide them with a step by step guide that a complete beginner could follow. This is why I have included only plants that are very popular with newcomers and that all require similar conditions. That said I'm starting to think that the Glosso was not that safe a choice as I'm having trouble growing it flat   .

I would agree that there are a couple of similarities between the 2 scapes in question, although I feel the overall impression is different.

Please do continue to give your honest opinion, you are entitled to do so and it is always appreciated, even if my responses seem a little harsh  



			
				George Farmer said:
			
		

> Hey Luis
> 
> I don't think the content of your post was necessarily wrong, per se, just the way you wrote it in a rather blunt manner without elaboration. When critiquing folks' hard work it's usually wise to give balanced feedback. If your comments contain any areas for improvement, it's a good idea to give some suggestions of how to improve otherwise it seems you're just criticising for the sake of it.
> 
> ...



George, you are the voice of reason   .
On the subject of the Glosso, it is doing better. i now have a few horizontal runners and the plant is looking greener.
I'll be very interested in how you get on with yours under the LEDs.
BTW that's a top notch article you did on lighting in the latest PFK.




			
				a1Matt said:
			
		

> James - It has put a smile on my face to know your working your magic on a larger glass box.
> 
> I think that, over time, larger tanks will give you the opportunity to explore your themes further and create fuller renditions of them.
> 
> ...



Hey Matt,
Thank you mate, I am really enjoying the extra space, but it seems a bit overwhelming at times .
I reckon it will take a few attempts to use it to best advantage.

I'm afraid I couldn't possibly view things in the context of being UK number 1 as I am still very much in the shadow of greater men. I do have some skill with a nano though   .


Cheers,
James


----------



## George Farmer (23 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Nice one fella.

For the record I consider you the UK's no.1 nano-scaper - world class in fact.  And now with a 60P on your hands, who knows what gems we can expect from you...?! 

Good luck with the glosso.  I'm excited about having a go with mine soon.


----------



## ghostsword (23 Jan 2012)

*James' ADA 60p setup*

Hi James, no issue mate. I am happy that I did not offend you. I was more worried that I had offended you than being upset.  

I didn't know that you were doing this scape for TGM, now it makes sense. It is a great step by step, and the plant choice is superb. 

Not sure if TGM would allow it, but this tank would do a great article at PFK, with even a monthly update either on the website or on the magazine.




___________________________


----------



## LondonDragon (23 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Great write up James, tank coming along nicely, looking at it careful it has your signature all over it, look forward to what you can do with a larger tank, opened the first post and saw so many ADA's!! haha you really went all out 

Congrats


----------



## James Marshall (24 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Thank you chaps  

Luis - TGM don't mind, but PFK like exculisives, so I will have to rescape or perhaps just replant.

Paulo - Yes, it's quite a list, I was like at kid at christmas when I picked it all up.






Here's the tank at 3 weeks, there are still a few patches of yellowish plants but things are generally looking much greener. Probably due to the addition of ADA Brighty special lights, which contains a bit of N and P. 

The Glosso is now producing a few horizontal runners, i shall prune back the vertical growth at next water change along with pruning the HC.


Cheers,
James


----------



## LondonDragon (24 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Looking great, keep hacking the glosso and it will crapet nicely in the end


----------



## James Marshall (25 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Thanks Paulo,

I've haked the Glosso right back and can now see quite a few horizontal runners  

Cheers,
James


----------



## Stu Worrall (25 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

i hate glosso   I can never get it to grow horizontal (fine with HC). it just doesnt like me!


----------



## James Marshall (25 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

I think it's alot harder to grow than many people think. I've only ever got it grow completely sideways under ridiculously high lighting i.e. 48watts of T5 2 inches from the water surface of a Mini-M.
Although I know George has managed it with far less light, just by increasing the ferts.

Cheers,
James


----------



## LondonDragon (25 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Glosso is by no means easy, also the trick is how you plant it, if you plant it with the new leaves at the top of the runner, it will just grow upwards, you need to chop it and plant it with 2 leaves max and also at a 90 degree angle, then it will shoot runners and start carpeting. High light is a must also, I had a nice carpet in my Rio 125 with 2x24w T8 and 2x24w T5, but it took around 3 months to settle.


----------



## Stu Worrall (25 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

i keep trimming mine the the mini-m but it never wants to settle.  possibly too much shade from my ferns but james wont have this problem in his tank.  Look forward to seeing how it goes James, especially with using the special lights.


----------



## schruz (26 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

James...   I think everyone's mouths are open, with saliva dripping once they've seen your pics and read your list of premium ADA equipment. So, so admirable and amazing! I'd do your dishes for a month or something in return for just being able to look at your tank once every day  Pity I dont live in Britain  

I'm quite shy to intrude in the conversation of such pros as yourself, George, Stu, and LondonDragon but I think I have somehing to add to the glosso topic:


fairytale-2 by András Tündik, on Flickr

fairytale-1 by András Tündik, on Flickr

This is my glosso carpet in my 100l tank. Its quite lush. I light with 1W/l and fertilize with GA ferts (its estimative index), add recommended doses of EasyCabo and of course I use pressurized CO2. I never ever have a problem keeping it grow horizontally. My problem with it actually is that it grows way too thick way too quickly and it tends to let go of the Amazonia after a while... Its quite annoying. I've been replanting it several times and it grows to the same thickness in 3 weeks if I let it. When I replant it I generally don't cut it to 2 leaved portions, just do it as comfortable, yet it still goes horizontally! I prune it almost to ruins every 2 weeks and it still grows back. I can never enjoy it for an extended period of time... 

I'm not sure whether you mentioned your water parameters, James. I'm using 4/5 ROand 1/5 tap water for water changes, so my water is quite soft (about 4-5 GH) Couldn't that be the secret of Glossostigma elatinoides? What do you think dear professionals?


----------



## James Marshall (28 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Hi Schruz

Thanks for the compliments  

That's a super healthy Glosso carpet you've grown there, and you make some interesting points about the growth of this plant.
Untill now I've not used the plant for a couple of years but last time was in this 20 litre tank.






I planted individual stems verticaly and quite sparsely, within days all stems were laying flat and growing very fast.
The lighting on this tank was super intense at over 2.5 Watts per litre and the lamps were less than 2 inches from the water surface. CO2 was at a constant 30ppm and I dosed 1ml of liquid carbon and 2ml of trpoica plant nutrition plus each day. Intersestingly I was using tap water of GH20.
In the current tank the lighting is at 1.2 Watts per litre at 7 inches from the water, CO2 is 30ppm but I am not dosing liquid carbon, fert levels are probably about the same in both cases. Also I am now using RO/tapwater mix similar to yours with a GH of about 5.
The Glosso is now beggining to lay flat in the 60p, and is therefore doing so in less than half the previous light intensity required, perhaps, in part, this is down to the softer water. Also, I do think that the smaller a tank is, the more Watts per litre it requires to get the same effect.

Its true what you say about the growth being too fast, the 20 litre tank pictured above only looked good for 2 days every 2 weeks.

Cheers,
James


----------



## schruz (28 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Well I'm glad I was on the right track then  According to this pic, your old nano was stunning too.

There must be a reason for Amano himself rarely useing this plant as a single foreground cover. Only 2 or 3 of his tanks come into my mind where there is an exclusive glosso carpet. He uses glosso frequently though in combination with others like Riccia and HC, where it can also root itself in these other plants.

I think the only way then to keep this plant down is to buy into the compromise that you can enjoy it only for short time intervals. I will probably avoid glosso as a sole carpet plant in my future scapes for a while.

Anyway, I'll be a permanent audience for this journal so please keep posting mate!  

Cheers,
Andras


----------



## Antipofish (28 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Hi James I have read this thread with awe in my eyes.  It has taught me that having the right stuff from the beginning helps, but your scape is inspiring.  Some have commented in its 'simplicity' (although they chose different words, ay Luis, LOL.... just kidding ya) but that is what I like about it.  It looks clean, crisp and just how you might expect to see a scene in nature    The only thing that has detracted from this slightly for me, as the plants have grown in more, was the fantastic transition that you created between the aquasoil and the sand.  You used a larger particle sand of a colour that matched the stone, and that seems to have all but disappeared, which to my mind is a shame as it was a nice touch.  Will you be revealing that again when you trim ?  Also, I do not know that much of your previous work as I am relatively new on here, but do you intend any fish in there or are you more just a plants fan ?  I guess I still love my fish too much to not have any in, but I know lots of aquascapers consider them superfluous, hehe.


----------



## James Marshall (29 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*



			
				schruz said:
			
		

> Well I'm glad I was on the right track then  According to this pic, your old nano was stunning too.
> 
> There must be a reason for Amano himself rarely useing this plant as a single foreground cover. Only 2 or 3 of his tanks come into my mind where there is an exclusive glosso carpet. He uses glosso frequently though in combination with others like Riccia and HC, where it can also root itself in these other plants.
> 
> ...



Thanks Andras.

Its interesting that you mention Amanos tanks as I was looking through his complete works last night. Something I noticed was that in the scapes with large areas of Glosso carpeting, he uses a long photoperiod (minimum 10 hours), I remember now that I was running a 10 hour photoperiod on the 20 litre. I think that as soon as the lights are off the plants start producing more Auxin, a hormone that plants produce to grow tall and reach more light. By extending the photoperiod you reduce the time in which the plants can produce large amounts ofAuxin. I not sure if this is compltetly true as I'm not a botanist, but the Glosso is pointing skyward when the lights come on in the morning.



			
				Antipofish said:
			
		

> Hi James I have read this thread with awe in my eyes. It has taught me that having the right stuff from the beginning helps, but your scape is inspiring. Some have commented in its 'simplicity' (although they chose different words, ay Luis, LOL.... just kidding ya) but that is what I like about it. It looks clean, crisp and just how you might expect to see a scene in nature  The only thing that has detracted from this slightly for me, as the plants have grown in more, was the fantastic transition that you created between the aquasoil and the sand. You used a larger particle sand of a colour that matched the stone, and that seems to have all but disappeared, which to my mind is a shame as it was a nice touch. Will you be revealing that again when you trim ? Also, I do not know that much of your previous work as I am relatively new on here, but do you intend any fish in there or are you more just a plants fan ? I guess I still love my fish too much to not have any in, but I know lots of aquascapers consider them superfluous, hehe.



I'm Glad you like the scape and are finding the journal useful  .
My scapes do tend to have very strong and definate lines, and if i was to critique my own work, they can appear a little too grapical. Nature is a unique mix of organisation and chaos and it is almost impossible for us as artists to recreate this delicate balance. Ultimately the artists personal perceptions will shine through, and this is what makes aquascaping so diverse.

I removed the sand for a couple of weeks beacuase the amano shrimp were starving hungry when they went in and they moved it all over the place. I replaced it during  yesterday evenings water change (at your request  ) and will post a shot of the tank early in the week.

I always like to add some fauna to my tanks, in fact i can only think of 1 that had none at all. For this scape I will use 8 black neons.

Cheers,
James


----------



## ghostsword (29 Jan 2012)

*James' ADA 60p setup*

Great theory about the glosso staying horizontal, by reducing the darker period. It actually makes sense, as during the summer months, when the lighting period is longer and stronger the plants will spread out to take as much advantage of light as possible. Why grow taller if they get all they need already? What they will do is then spread out, ensuring that they get as much area as possible. 

Even without understanding the full reason, we can at least mimic nature to get the desired results.

Great work.


___________________________


----------



## schruz (29 Jan 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*



			
				James Marshall said:
			
		

> Thanks Andras.
> 
> Its interesting that you mention Amanos tanks as I was looking through his complete works last night. Something I noticed was that in the scapes with large areas of Glosso carpeting, he uses a long photoperiod (minimum 10 hours), I remember now that I was running a 10 hour photoperiod on the 20 litre. I think that as soon as the lights are off the plants start producing more Auxin, a hormone that plants produce to grow tall and reach more light. By extending the photoperiod you reduce the time in which the plants can produce large amounts ofAuxin. I not sure if this is compltetly true as I'm not a botanist, but the Glosso is pointing skyward when the lights come on in the morning.



That's very interesting. Yes I always wondered why glosso is the last to open its leaves after the night. All stems and others are opend, but glosso only starts to do so an hour or so the after lights come on. I have a 10 hour photoperiod actually (Amano's inspiration ) Maybe that is the reason for my "success" with this plant, alongside soft water. He, I think uses 10 hours in most of his scapes though, even the ones with Marsilea. And tying into ghostsword's words, it makes sense after all. Most of the time in nature, there is at least 10 hours of sunlight, that plants can benefit from (not equally intense throughout this period of course. Anyway, I do not want to intrude into your journal mate, I'm going off topic of your tank here. Sorry for that!


----------



## James Marshall (3 Feb 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Sorry about the slow response chaps, I’ve been crazy busy this week



			
				ghostsword said:
			
		

> Great theory about the glosso staying horizontal, by reducing the darker period. It actually makes sense, as during the summer months, when the lighting period is longer and stronger the plants will spread out to take as much advantage of light as possible. Why grow taller if they get all they need already? What they will do is then spread out, ensuring that they get as much area as possible.
> 
> Even without understanding the full reason, we can at least mimic nature to get the desired results.
> 
> ...



An excellent example there Luis. 
Often we can determine more from observing the real world  than we can by using loads of scientific principles, as it’s very easy to overlook an important variable and get a false out come.




			
				schruz said:
			
		

> That's very interesting. Yes I always wondered why glosso is the last to open its leaves after the night. All stems and others are opend, but glosso only starts to do so an hour or so the after lights come on. I have a 10 hour photoperiod actually (Amano's inspiration ) Maybe that is the reason for my "success" with this plant, alongside soft water. He, I think uses 10 hours in most of his scapes though, even the ones with Marsilea. And tying into ghostsword's words, it makes sense after all. Most of the time in nature, there is at least 10 hours of sunlight, that plants can benefit from (not equally intense throughout this period of course. Anyway, I do not want to intrude into your journal mate, I'm going off topic of your tank here. Sorry for that!



It’s no intrusion at all Andras, this is exactly what forums should be for  . 
So we can deduce that Glosso probably produces more auxin than most other species of plant.


Here’s a shot I took on Monday, the scape is about 4 weeks old here.





Most of the Glosso is now growing horizontly and the other plants are looking tighter and greener. The only area which is lacking a bit is the HC at the front of the middle stone, I suspect this is because the HC is tied to stones here, rather than having it’s roots in the substrate.

Cheers,
James


----------



## Stu Worrall (3 Feb 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

looking great james and sooo clean!  Has the tennelus started going red yet under the power compacts?

Re the 10 hour advice above Ive taken note of the tip and am trying it on my mini-m.  Since Ive changed over ive moved some 7 hrs to 10hrs and the glosso is growing much stronger but still vertically at the moment. Im still convinced my ferns higher up may shade it too much which might be th cause of the upward growth but time will tell.


----------



## viktorlantos (3 Feb 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup*

Very nice and clean shot James! A perfect nano promo for ADA 

I love this scape, the different levels looks great and that small sandy area is a nice add-on!


----------



## James Marshall (13 Feb 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup (week 6 shots)*



			
				stuworrall said:
			
		

> looking great james and sooo clean! Has the tennelus started going red yet under the power compacts?
> 
> Re the 10 hour advice above Ive taken note of the tip and am trying it on my mini-m. Since Ive changed over ive moved some 7 hrs to 10hrs and the glosso is growing much stronger but still vertically at the moment. Im still convinced my ferns higher up may shade it too much which might be th cause of the upward growth but time will tell.



Thank you Stu   , 
No signs of even a red tint yet on the tennelus. I may start adding some ECA soon, that sometimes helps with the reds.

It will be interesting to see if the 10 hours flattens your Glosso, I reckon that Mini-M would look spot on with a really tight carpet.



			
				viktorlantos said:
			
		

> Very nice and clean shot James! A perfect nano promo for ADA
> 
> I love this scape, the different levels looks great and that small sandy area is a nice add-on!



Thanks Viktor, I really wanted to do the products justice   .

Here is the scape at 6 weeks old.
The Glosso can now just about be referred to as a carpet, although it’s now too thick   . 
Have added 10 black neons and a further 8 amanos, I find i'm enjoying the fish more so than in my smaller tanks.









Cheers,
James


----------



## Ady34 (14 Feb 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup (week 6 shots)*



			
				James Marshall said:
			
		

> The Glosso can now just about be referred to as a carpet, although it’s now too thick  .


Shagpile!

Looking absolutely pristine, a stunning example of how to   



			
				James Marshall said:
			
		

> I find i'm enjoying the fish more so than in my smaller tanks.



Why do you think this is James?  More natural behaviour, easier to see from any viewpoint in the room?

Cheerio,
Ady.


----------



## Antipofish (14 Feb 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup (week 6 shots)*

That glosso is lush mate !!! If its too thick, feel free to pull some out and shove it my way   How much co2 are you putting in ?


----------



## schruz (14 Feb 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup (week 6 shots)*

Absolutely stunning! The reason I love your scape is due to its simplicity yet stunning power. Thumbs up for the glosso!


----------



## Ian Holdich (14 Feb 2012)

*Re: James' ADA 60p setup (week 6 shots)*

The black neons finish this off perfectly, good fish choice. Looks excellent!


----------



## James Marshall (3 Apr 2012)

Hi Folks
Sorry about the lack of updates, i've been really busy and have only had time to maintain the tank.



			
				Ady34 said:
			
		

> James Marshall said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks Ady,
I think its mainly that the fish are easier to see, some of the Boraras i've kept in smeller tanks are not visible at more that a couple of feet away.




			
				Antipofish said:
			
		

> That glosso is lush mate !!! If its too thick, feel free to pull some out and shove it my way  How much co2 are you putting in ?



Thanks mate, my pruning technique doesn't leave much in the way of usable cuttings  , but you are welcome to have all the glosso when i break the scape down.




			
				schruz said:
			
		

> Absolutely stunning! The reason I love your scape is due to its simplicity yet stunning power. Thumbs up for the glosso!



Thank you Andras.


Here are some shots I took a couple of weeks ago, when the scape was 11 weeks old. The scape is now looking almost as i envisaged.















The plants have since continued to grow denser and flatter, and are currently recovering from their last prune after which I will get the final shots and rescape the tank.

Cheers,
James


----------



## Antipofish (3 Apr 2012)

This is STILL one of the most beautiful scapes I have seen.  Its' simplicity only adds to it.  The "little touches" like the larger gravel scattered at the boundary of the "beach" as I call it, just make ALL the difference James.  Bravo! It really is "art in an aquarium".


----------



## JohnC (3 Apr 2012)

Looking lovely.

As a man whom is trying glosso for the first time in my Cthulhu inspired tank this journal is a great read in regard to the nuances of this difficult plant.

In regard to trimming, are you doing weekly or fortnightly glosso trims to keep it down to one tier of plantletts?

I'm just wondering how hard I should mow it down.

Thanks,
John


----------



## LondonDragon (3 Apr 2012)

Stunning James as expected from the nano master  love it


----------



## GHNelson (3 Apr 2012)

Magnificently beautiful.


----------



## George Farmer (3 Apr 2012)

Another beauty to add to the collection mate.

I love the attention to detail and almost clinical appearance.  The pruning of the glosso to keep it away from the front glass is an excellent touch, for example.  The manicured HC looks good enough to use as a pillow.

But what I think I respect most about this and you as an aquascaper is your ability to effectively visualise and execute a layout design. 

I don't think there's many other aquascapers in the UK with such a distinctive style either. The blend between classic Nature Aquarium and formal groups with such clear boundaries works brilliantly in all your work. 

First class photography too. The whole set-up and its presentation just oozes professionalism.

Kudos.


----------



## viktorlantos (3 Apr 2012)

Hey James, Congratulations to this beauty scape. Love what you did with the leveled HC, the mix of the grass and the sandy part. Fishes were great choice to the image.

Perfect clean tank with prof capture.

Deserve a fav for sure from me


----------



## wearsbunnyslippers (4 Apr 2012)

Damn you James, damn you and your mad scaping skills!

How are we mortals supposed to feel, looking at your beautiful tank?? I guess sick with jealousy almost describes it..


----------



## Piece-of-fish (6 Apr 2012)

Beautifully green!
Hope we see even bigger tank from you James in near future   
I'd give an arm and half leg to see what you could do in 120x60x60


----------



## RossMartin (7 Apr 2012)

Hi James,

Hope your well! I love this tank, the layout, plant selection and just how healthy it looks! About to start my 75p Journal so hopefully can get it looking as good as this, but would be happy if it looked half as good as this!

How high did you have your halide and did you lower it as the tank matured?

Also with your water quality i have really hard water (as i assume you do also), do you think there is any merit in mixing in a bit of RO water or do you find you can keep most fish and plants that you want? 

Cheers

Ross

P.S i may need some help in the future!!


----------



## tim (8 Apr 2012)

love your work james good to see the hobby being driven forward this tank is one of your best yet


----------



## pariahrob (8 Apr 2012)

Beautiful scape. All I can say really. Looks superb.


----------



## James Marshall (10 Apr 2012)

Antipofish said:
			
		

> This is STILL one of the most beautiful scapes I have seen.  Its' simplicity only adds to it.  The "little touches" like the larger gravel scattered at the boundary of the "beach" as I call it, just make ALL the difference James.  Bravo! It really is "art in an aquarium".


Thank you Chris   



			
				JohnC said:
			
		

> Looking lovely.
> 
> As a man whom is trying glosso for the first time in my Cthulhu inspired tank this journal is a great read in regard to the nuances of this difficult plant.
> 
> ...


Hi John, I prune the Glosso fortnightly and cut the whole lot down to less than half a centimeter tall. The carpet regrows in about 10 days, by day 14 the carpet is about 5cm thick and requires pruning again.
Unfortunately this means that the scape only looks its best for a few days every 2 weeks.



			
				LondonDragon said:
			
		

> Stunning James as expected from the nano master  love it


Cheers Paulo  



			
				hogan53 said:
			
		

> Magnificently beautiful.


Thanks mate   



			
				George Farmer said:
			
		

> Another beauty to add to the collection mate.
> 
> I love the attention to detail and almost clinical appearance. The pruning of the glosso to keep it away from the front glass is an excellent touch, for example. The manicured HC looks good enough to use as a pillow.
> 
> ...


Thank you George   , I'm really enjoying the pruning, I find that i can be more confident with it as the larger volume of water is more stable and forgiving than my usual 20 litre tanks.



			
				viktorlantos said:
			
		

> Hey James, Congratulations to this beauty scape. Love what you did with the leveled HC, the mix of the grass and the sandy part. Fishes were great choice to the image.
> 
> Perfect clean tank with prof capture.
> 
> Deserve a fav for sure from me



Thanks Viktor   , much appreciated.



			
				wearsbunnyslippers said:
			
		

> Damn you James, damn you and your mad scaping skills!
> 
> How are we mortals supposed to feel, looking at your beautiful tank?? I guess sick with jealousy almost describes it..


Cheers mate  



			
				Piece-of-fish said:
			
		

> Beautifully green!
> Hope we see even bigger tank from you James in near future
> I'd give an arm and half leg to see what you could do in 120x60x60


Thanks Ed   , I wish I had space for a 120, then I could keep some discus again, perhaps one day  



			
				RossMartin said:
			
		

> Hi James,
> 
> Hope your well! I love this tank, the layout, plant selection and just how healthy it looks! About to start my 75p Journal so hopefully can get it looking as good as this, but would be happy if it looked half as good as this!
> 
> ...



Thanks Ross   , its good to hear from you.
The lamp is the ADA solar 2, which contains 2 36watt fluorescents rather than a halide, and yes i lowered it from 9 inches down to 7 inches from the water around week 4. This was mainly done to get the Glosso to lay flat.

For the last few years i have used unadjusted London tap water (GH 18 -22) with no ill effects. In this tank however, i'm using a 4 to 1 RO to tap ratio, water clarity seems to be the main benefit, but i do have to add more ferts as london tap water is almost on par with EI dosing with 25-30 ppm NO3 and 1-1.2ppm PO4.

I look forward to seeing your 75p.



			
				tim said:
			
		

> love your work james good to see the hobby being driven forward this tank is one of your best yet



Thanks Tim   



			
				pariahrob said:
			
		

> Beautiful scape. All I can say really. Looks superb.



Thanks Rob   

Cheers,
James


----------



## leonroy (12 Apr 2012)

Stunning, truly phenomenal and a real showcase of the beautiful 'frame' ADA's products provide around your gorgeous aquascape. Would love to see this in the flesh before you tear it down! Surely there must be a nearby venue (the Arts Depot, or trendy coffee shop even!) to showcase this stunning tank. Stick a 'TGM' label somewhere on it and I'm sure we can twist James Findley's arm and get him to pay you some commission from all the extra sales!


----------



## justjason88 (12 Apr 2012)

absolutely amazing, well done


----------



## David Shanahan (29 Oct 2016)

Hi James. Loving the scape. Recently got a 60p and in the process of getting up and running.

You say you mix RO water with tap water. I wanted to know why you do this? Is it to add hardness to the water, or something else? I never see ADA selling a remineralising mix for RO water, so I assume they don't do it, but they do sell de chlorination mixes so assume ADA use tap water. I figure that you don't remineralise your RO through researching your scape.

Anyway, lots of questions Sorry...


----------

