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  1. igirisujin

    Does Taiwan Moss attach?

    Hi all, As per the title - does Taiwan Moss actually attach to branches/rock? Mine just seems to be growing vertically. Thanks 😊
  2. igirisujin

    Eheim Classic voltage

    Thanks for your answers. I was hoping it was the same unit labelled differently but usable on both. I’ll leave them here with my mother-in-law for the time being then!!
  3. igirisujin

    Eheim Classic voltage

    Hello! I have two Eheim classic filters bought in Japan, and I’m wondering whether they will also run in the UK. I noticed it says 100v on the label, in line with Japan’s electricity supply. Is anyone able to check theirs in the UK for me? Does it say 240v? Is it worth the £20 to post mine back...
  4. igirisujin

    Mini M - Classic Nature

    No idea! Straight from the tap.
  5. igirisujin

    Mini M - Classic Nature

    Quick update. The pinnatifida started getting quite big, so I hacked it right back - it's growing back in more densely and with smaller leaves, so I'm happy with it. I also cut the tenellus back too, and am waiting for it to come back. The lower stems and the Rotala 'green' on the right side of...
  6. igirisujin

    RO water / Soft tap water in japan.

    I'm in Japan and I use tap.
  7. igirisujin

    Pinnatifida trimming

    Hello, I have H. pinnatifida in my Mini M, and of course, it needs regular trimming to stop it going wild. My question is, can it be hacked right back to the base each time, or do I need to be more careful with it? I'm removing individual leaves, but I feel like it might need a more aggressive...
  8. igirisujin

    Mini M - Classic Nature

    Hello! Long time no see! I'm sorry I haven't updated this. Been pretty busy recently, and also had a couple of initial minor issues with the scape. I started with ADA Brighty Mineral, K and Nitrogen, but have since dropped the Nitrogen. Also had some CO2 leaks, and dumped a couple of months...
  9. igirisujin

    Mini M - Classic Nature

    I'm sorry, I don't. The shop had some ADA wood, but this wasn't labelled. Just had prices written on in white pen.
  10. igirisujin

    Mini M - Classic Nature

    In my last few tanks I've experimented with KNO3, PH2SO4 and trace mixes and never had success. In fact, despite following the guides as far as I understand, they've all been disasters. I completely admit that I haven't gotten my head around the maths and dosing amounts and so those failures...
  11. igirisujin

    Mini M - Classic Nature

    I'm using a 2211. I have another one on my 45P with a heavy fish load. Seems perfectly capable. Yeah, I can see that it'll get quite expensive for larger tanks. Good for the Mini M, though. I watched an ADA video the other day on YouTube where they were dosing a 120P with Brighty K - I could...
  12. igirisujin

    Mini M - Classic Nature

    Thank you for your comment. I hope so - I'm hoping the left side in particular will grow in dense and bushy, and should mask any awkwardness in the driftwood. I also wondered if they were too linear, but the classic scapes weren't quite as concerned with an extreme sense of depth as today. I...
  13. igirisujin

    Mini M - Classic Nature

    Hello! Yesterday I had a call from the shop saying my ADA plants had arrived, so I popped over to the city (slowly - apparently it snowed in the mountains!) to collect them. This morning I took down my >Iwagumi< and started on the next scape. Finally got it balanced, took pictures and...
  14. igirisujin

    Mini M Iwagumi - New final (again) photo

    Took some final final photos again yesterday, one week later. Surprising how much growth can happen in just a week once it gets going! I'm not sure whether I prefer the wide or narrow angle shot for this tank, but I think I'm leaning towards the narrow.
  15. igirisujin

    Mini M Iwagumi - New final (again) photo

    Had a go at a final (?) photo this morning. I don't have any additional lighting for the background etc, so I had to take it with a fairly slow shutter speed and the fish are blurred. Would be nice to have a flash, but I left most of my gear in England when I came. Might have another go at a...
  16. igirisujin

    Mini M Iwagumi - New final (again) photo

    Thank you for the comments. It's a real relief, although I'm nervous that the current good growth is a lucky accident and will at some point be reversed!! I took a couple of pictures of the fish this afternoon, after going over the rocks with a toothbrush. I also picked up some bits of...
  17. igirisujin

    My first planted tank (11 month old)

    Love a good Crypt. Nicely done!
  18. igirisujin

    Mini M Iwagumi - New final (again) photo

    UPDATE TIME Having been at a total loss as to what to do and almost giving in, I visited the local/closest (30km away) fish shop to get some more CO2 bottles. While I was there, I saw that they had a nice ADA 30cm cube set up, with the new DOOA light. Plant health was pretty good (although...
  19. igirisujin

    Cheap vs. Expensive (regular?) Dechlorinators

    Hello, I've just been wondering today about the reliability of cheaper dechlorinators. I've been using one from the pet section of the local supermarket here in Japan. It sits next to ones by Tetra etc., but costs 5-6x less (about ¥100/70p per bottle). Would you be wary of a cheap...
  20. igirisujin

    Mini M Iwagumi - New final (again) photo

    Thank you - It's really not good, I'm afraid. I've been having problems again. The plants went wild after filling with water, and I trimmed them the next week. After that, they turned brown and began disintegrating. I assumed that the CO2 was too low, so doubled it. I'm injecting about 1.5b/s...
  21. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    You can make it fit. If you use the original plastic pipes, you can cut the intake to whatever size you need. I'm using the discontinued Do!Aqua set with disposable bottles. I couldn't find a proper CO2 reg and large bottles locally.
  22. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    Thanks - I actually took shots at several different focal lengths, but I tend to like longer lengths for small tanks - maybe it's just me! Here's a wider shot. After I took it, I wished I'd waited until the stems had grown in more. Maybe I'll shoot it again soon, but it's looking a little...
  23. igirisujin

    LED Light Pulsing

    Hello, After taking my final tank photos this morning, I put everything back to normal. However, I just noticed that the LED spot light is pulsing. It's on a dimmer switch at about 50%, but it pulses between 50-100% once or twice per second. It's even more noticeable when I dim the light right...
  24. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    I had a go at what might be my final shot of this tank this morning - although I may let the stems grow out and try again in a week or so. Will see how it goes! For now, I'm fairly happy with this. Far from perfect and had a lot of issues in the process, but I'm pleased how it's recovered...
  25. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    I spot dosed with a pipette. It's not great for the surrounding plants, so you need to be very careful. I lost some moss when I tried.
  26. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    Little progress update. Stems are starting to wake up after the last trim. It takes about two weeks for the new buds to open. Is that normal? It seems a little slow. Still struggling with BBA, but all other algae is pretty much gone. Just manually removing the BBA each week, which is quite a...
  27. igirisujin

    Cheeky Squirters

    (Firstly, sorry for the picture quality - it was early morning and I was in no mood to take pretty pictures...!) Whoever it was that recommended keeping goldfish in an open top tank, I'd like to force-feed them my filter water... :eek: Every morning, we wake up to our goldfish squirting water...
  28. igirisujin

    Mini M Iwagumi - New final (again) photo

    Quick update, although it's only day 6. The Monte Carlo is settling in well. Looks like it has the potential to be a right weed! Loving the ONF Nano + :cool:
  29. igirisujin

    Onf flat nano+

    I mean Xs :rolleyes:
  30. igirisujin

    Onf flat nano+

    I’m using an iPhone 10X :)
  31. igirisujin

    Mini M Iwagumi - New final (again) photo

    Just damp substrate. Just enough water to see the sand sparkle, and then the occasional misting. Slightly jealous :P
  32. igirisujin

    Onf flat nano+

    Mine came this week, and I had no problem. I noticed that when I scanned the QR code, it took me to the app for the wrong light unit - therefore I couldn't connect. When I downloaded the other app, it worked perfectly.
  33. igirisujin

    Critique my hardscape DOOA hardscape (mountain range)

    Looks nice! 😃 I had a play on PS to see what I might try - feel free to totally ignore it, I just like playing with designs and I'd love one of these cubes! I would be tempted to add a couple more smaller stones to support the larger ones, if you have any to hand. Also, like Greeny said above...
  34. igirisujin

    Mini M Iwagumi - New final (again) photo

    Great, I hope yours goes well too. I'll keep an eye out for a journal!
  35. igirisujin

    Mini M Iwagumi - New final (again) photo

    Thanks :D Yeah, that's a little Do!Aqua bowl I bought about 3 years ago and had sitting around. When I set up the 25cm my wife also wanted to make something, so I gave her the bowl and leftover plants to use. Although, just like her goldfish tank, I'm the one looking after it!! :rolleyes...
  36. igirisujin

    Mini M Iwagumi - New final (again) photo

    As for plants, I wanted to try Monte Carlo for the first time. The local shop here didn't know it, but managed to order it for me through ADA. Here, the ADA plants are about half the price of Tropica. The 4 pots I used here were about £6 each. I'm gonna do this as a dry-start as the 25cm is...
  37. igirisujin

    Mini M Iwagumi - New final (again) photo

    After starting a thread on here and doing lots of research online, I decided to go with the ONF Flat Nano +. Good decision. Although I love the look of the ADA Aquasky G, the LED colour just isn't good enough to compete these days (I saw some in person in local shops) and the tanks look...
  38. igirisujin

    Mini M Iwagumi - New final (again) photo

    Here's the hardscape with ADA Aquasoil and powder top layer (cheaper brand leftovers, not ADA) in place. The shadow directly under the main stone concerns me a little, but I'll see if anything grows there. I didn't really want to include any Anubias, mosses or anything like that, but I might if...
  39. igirisujin

    Mini M Iwagumi - New final (again) photo

    Siliconed hardscape pieces arranged in tank. I put a mat underneath this time to try to avoid scratching up the base of the tank. The rock positioning would be further adjusted and a couple more smaller ones added later. Another issue I have with the current tank is that the substrate slips...
  40. igirisujin

    Mini M Iwagumi - New final (again) photo

    This time, I didn't want to make the same mistake as before with hardscape. My current tank's hardscape is very unstable and therefore a nightmare to clean! This time it will be solid. Rock solid :rolleyes: I found some aquarium-safe silicone at the supermarket/DIY place, began sticking some...
  41. igirisujin

    Mini M Iwagumi - New final (again) photo

    I wanted to do an Iwagumi layout this time, but honestly the hardscape available in the local shops is not great. There are not many good hardscape shops in the south of Japan - particularly ones that stock rocks - so I went to the beach to see what was available. It was pointed out to me last...
  42. igirisujin

    Mini M Iwagumi - New final (again) photo

    Hello :) My 25cm is still running and will continue for another month or so, but I've been hardscaping for a few weeks now and couldn't bear it sitting empty any longer. Sooo, I decided on a dry start. I've been taking photos during the hardscaping and setup, so I'll upload in several sections...
  43. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    Quick stem trim. Really need to work on my technique - I'm not quite getting it right, I don't think!! Also just switched over to the ONF Flat Nano+ while my I'm waiting for my Mini M plant order. Much better colour than the spot light.
  44. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    Just a couple of shots to show the continued progress. Since switching from ADA to EI powder ferts, the HC and moss seem to be improving. The older parts of the moss are still a little brown though, and I think without re-tying it there's not much can be done. Still, the new growth looks good :)...
  45. igirisujin

    UKAPS Hardscape Challenge 2020

    Country: UK/Japan UKAPS nickname: igirisujin Tank Size: 36cm (Mini M) Title: Outcrop
  46. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    Very quick update. Seems to be going OK, overall. The HC and hairgrass are growing much better now, but I'm struggling with the moss. The underneath parts of the moss seem to be rotting, and I wonder if it might be a cause for some of the BBA issues in the moss? Anyway, the new growth that's...
  47. igirisujin

    Back after ten years .

    Welcome back :)
  48. igirisujin

    Critique my hardscape Iwagumi with path

    Looks nice! I love this phase of a setup. So many possibilities! You have a good variety of sizes of rock. I would be tempted to increase the height of the substrate at the back even more to give quite a steep slope and sense of depth, but that's my personal preference. That would allow the...
  49. igirisujin

    Just unlucky or is Eheim just what they used to be?

    I recently bought a 2211, too, and it's incredibly noisy. I currently have 10kg of dumbell weights sitting on top, which dampens the noise so we can watch TV. My other 2211 is absolutely perfect (hence the second purchase). Strange.
  50. igirisujin

    Which fish species is the most underrated in your opinion?

    Keyhole Cichlid. Beige in colour and unassuming, but I love watching them. Gentle and calm fish I’d love to keep again one day.
  51. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    I found out yesterday that some of the under parts of the moss have been dying off. I wonder whether that might have been contributing to some of the issues. I had a good go at cutting out the dead parts today.
  52. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    The algae is much more under control now, and the plant growth is much better. The BBA is still growing, though - it's not totally dealt with yet unfortunately. Anyway, I managed to persuade my wife to let me put an external filter (Eheim 2211) on this, as we were going to need to get one when...
  53. igirisujin

    Shading and Shadows in an Iwagumi

    I recently asked here about lighting options for my new Mini M. I currently have a single spot over my 25cm, but as I have plans for an Iwagumi in the Mini M I was concerned about a spot creating too many shadows. I have arranged certain rocks in such as way as to create light and shade, and an...
  54. igirisujin

    Lighting options over a Mini M (36cm)

    Thank you for your comments - some good information and observations there. I'm leaning towards the Flat Nano + now, if I'm honest - although seeing the ADA light here as a 'cheaper option' and not immediately going for it is an unnerving experience for me!! It's the programmability and the...
  55. igirisujin

    Lighting options over a Mini M (36cm)

    Hello, I wonder if I could get some advice regarding lighting a 36cm Mini M. I currently have a spot light over my 25cm tank that I had been planning to use, but I fear that, as the light comes from only a single place, my hardscape will cause significant shadowing at the edge of the tank. I...
  56. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    While the BBA and diatoms seem to be receding, they are being replaced by long, green hair algae - also CO2 related?
  57. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    Thanks :D Are they dimmable? I just squirted it in straight at the affected area (carefully)! I'm not sure how different regular kitchen vinegars would be - this type is typically for garden use here.
  58. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    Quick progress update. Sorry for the picture overload! Also, the sharpness of images seems to drop when I add them to the forum. I've tried Flickr and Imgur so far. Any ideas why? Narrow angle full tank shot. [/url] Wider angle full tank shot. Finally, a little shot of the next tank...
  59. igirisujin

    Algea or nutrient deficiency

    Looks like algae to me. You have it on the rock, too, perhaps? The newer leaves look clean, so it seems to be affecting the older leaves only right now. Can you tell us more about your setup? Particularly tank size, light, CO2, dosing.
  60. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    New guys at work :) You might be able to see the HC recovering a little, too.
  61. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    Well this stuff certainly turns BBA red...! Shrimp showing no interest yet. Will see how it looks tomorrow. Also, I read several people saying ADA Phyton Git smells like smoky bacon - so does this vinegar! It smells very strongly of the Walkers crisps, and it's all over my hands! I wonder if...
  62. igirisujin

    Brown edges on anubius nana petite!

    If that's bubbling/pearling on the top of the leaves, could it be diatoms? Looks like a little on the rocks, too. Agreed, nice Betta!
  63. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    Yes, the shop owner recommended Phyton Git first. It's still expensive here - around £20 - so then he suggested trying that vinegar from the home centre next door. It seems it's usually used to treat wood and stop fungus (and apparently also clean cat litter trays!!), and I wonder whether it's...
  64. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    Thank you, yes I won't be giving up unless it really goes wrong. I can tentatively say that things are going a little better. Some of the HC seems to be growing better so I'll be trying to cut out the damaged bits to make way for the new growth, hoping it will continue well. Diatoms are still...
  65. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    [Sorry for the photo quality!] I decided to spend another couple of hours this afternoon sorting out the decaying plants (mostly HC) around the wood. I had been resisting pulling the small piece of wood out, but now I'm glad I did. There was quite a lot of work to do tidying up that area. I...
  66. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    Thanks Andrew. I was working off the basis that the more water I change, the less ammonia is sitting there (from the aquasoil or deteriorating plants) for the algae to get hold of. I stopped changing the water for a couple of days, but due to the increase in diatoms I decided I had to suck them...
  67. igirisujin

    Fungus or BBA

    Looks like you have both to me. The fungus will clear up on its own, and can be sucked out with a hose. The BBA is the tougher, black stuff.
  68. igirisujin

    British summer time

    Lighter mornings, every time. I don’t function past lunchtime, so an earlier start makes all the difference.
  69. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    The speed of deterioration is now so quick that I don't think it will last more than a few days. The trimmed stems are just dying, the HC is melting and the moss/Anubias is just being overtaken by BBA. I don't understand why - the same thing happened last time. I can't see what I'm doing wrong...
  70. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    Thanks - the reason was that mostly you read the more water changes the better, especially in the initial stages. It gets a bit of an oily layer on the surface too, so I suck that out. I’ll hold off for a bit, then, and see how that goes. I wonder, too, if I’m actually over-dosing. I tried a...
  71. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    Thanks for the idea :) I still have some bits of wood, so I'll dig them out and have a look. Right now, though, I'm really struggling with this BBA. It's growing fast and taking over the hardscape, Anubias and Moss. Also, The HC seems to be turning white and melting. There are diatoms forming...
  72. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    I decided to give it a good trim today as the moss was about due, and the rear stems were approaching the top. I hacked back the Hydrocotyle, too, in hopes that it won't take over. I took off the Anubias leaves with the worst BBA, too. The HC is looking a little bit sad underneath, so I've...
  73. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    Thank you :) I hope it can stay that way. I'm trying to focus on keeping balance, and getting rid of that BBA! Don't want it to take over the hardscape.
  74. igirisujin

    BBA delayed reaction to CO2 issues

    Hello, I said in my journal that I have had some issues keeping the CO2 injection rate stable in my 25cm. I think I've fixed the problem now by adding another needle valve. Whereas previously the bubble rate seemed to gradually creep up until I reset it (hence unstable), now it keeps a steady...
  75. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    So we're nearly four weeks in now, and I've started to see a little BBA and possible green beard algae. I'm attributing this to CO2 issues at the moment, as I know I've been struggling to keep the injection stable with the Do!Aqua reg. Whatever I did, it always crept back up to 1bps. I would...
  76. igirisujin

    A morning out collecting

    So my wife has requested an iwagumi once the 25cm has run its course. Not complaining. Given the crazy price (and lack of availability) of rocks in local shops, I decided to have a look around to see what's at the beach. Turns out there are a few varieties that look usable. Of course nothing...
  77. igirisujin

    4 months since planting

    Great home for some great fish :D Love it :D
  78. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    Quick 'Day 19' update of the tank. The moss and HC seem to be settling down OK now. I've trimmed the Hydrocotyle twice already. It may need some drastic cutting back before long. Also, I made a cardboard frame for taking full-tank photos, and tried it out today for some update pics. This is when...
  79. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    It's not worth the petrol money to take it back! Never mind, lesson learned!
  80. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    I left the DOOA diffuser to soak for 24 hours, and tried it again this morning, leaving it to run for a couple of hours. It's far inferior to my previous Do!Aqua diffuser, non-branded glass diffuser and even the airstone. It's noisy and unusable, so I have switched back to the airstone...
  81. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    On a positive note, the plants are really starting to grow well now, and the stems towards the front are recovering from their first trim. The HC too has new growth where some parts melted away. The Hydrocotyle is going to be a handfull, I can tell!
  82. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    I've never heard of pre-soaking a diffuser - I've always just put them straight in. I've tried two Do!Aqua ones in the past, and some cheaper options. All of them have been OK. I'll leave the new diffuser sitting in the tank today, and connect it up tonight to check it again. Thanks for the...
  83. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    Yeah, it does make a noise. I guess that's why they called one of them the 'music glass'. I haven't see those brands here, but I'll keep an eye out. I'm using the airstone again now, but I'll see how it goes. It's quite ugly!
  84. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    I decided to get a new diffuser today, when I saw the new DOOA ones from ADA in the shop. It looks really nice - but I've decided I won't be using it. It's far, far inferior to my simple airstone I was using before, so I switched back immediately. The bubbles were so large from the DOOA diffuser...
  85. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    I'm starting to see some slight HC melt. Is this a normal adjustment process for a new tank, or is there something not quite right? I'll add some pictures. Otherwise, everything is pearling away nicely :) Thanks :)
  86. igirisujin

    "Cheap" 60F

    Nice :) This is a shape I'd love to try one day. This is a video I found the other day.
  87. igirisujin

    Ada 60p, the trunk

    Nice bit of wood :) Do you have any plans for the flora and overall design of the scape? Will you be sticking to mosses/ferns and keeping the substrate sandy? Do you have any different sized rocks that will add some more variety and perspective to the scape?
  88. igirisujin

    Maintaining Hydrocotyle tripartita

    Hello, I would like to ask for some advice as to trimming H. tripartita. Obviously it is very fast growing and can dominate easily, so I want to keep it in check around my HC and hairgrass carpet. When trimming, is it possible to just trim the leaves and keep the runners in place? Will leaves...
  89. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    As for the CO2 bubble balancing and issues with the solenoid, I had a reply from Green Aqua. Their advice was that the Do!Aqua system I'm using isn't compatible with solenoid valves, and can't handle the pressure buildup when it switches off. They advised to run the system 24/7, which I will do...
  90. igirisujin

    When the solenoid switches on...

    It's only a tiny aquarium, so I don't want to inject too much - but yes, I suppose due to the slow injection rate, the whole airstone isn't being used. I had a reply from Green Aqua about the mass of bubbles at the start. Their advice was that the Do!Aqua system I'm using isn't compatible with...
  91. igirisujin

    A trip to my local supermarket [Japan]

    I got to the closest two LFSs yesterday evening and took a couple of pics. These shops are very average in quality and availability - not aquascaping specialists by any means. Some simple CO2 diffusers, accessories, mini pressurised kits. Some ADA driftwood. Not so cheap - averaging £10-25...
  92. igirisujin

    A New Start - continued progress

    Quick update. I put 5 Cherry Shrimp in yesterday. I know it's early, but I want to keep on top of waste and algae management. Previous algae battles have me really scared about messing up again this time. I'm wondering whether the shrimp will have a go at the white fluff appearing on the small...
  93. igirisujin

    Flow

    If you position those Koralia Nano 900s well, you might be fine as you are!
  94. igirisujin

    Rain water

    I've run planted tanks using 100% rainwater very successfully in the past (actually my cleanest and healthiest tank to date), but there are some things to be careful of. Rainwater can be contaminated depending on your collection method. For example, if you collect it from your roof through the...
  95. igirisujin

    When the solenoid switches on...

    Here's a quick video. It's denser than your regular airstone - presumably intended for CO2.
  96. igirisujin

    When the solenoid switches on...

    Size, mainly! Is it an issue with using an airstone?
  97. igirisujin

    When the solenoid switches on...

    Hello, When my solenoid valve turns on in the mornings, I've noticed it blasts a whole load of CO2 through my airstone at once. Maybe a few of hundred bubbles in 10 seconds. I set it to run at 1 bubble every two seconds every day, but after the solenoid comes on, it always settles at about...
  98. igirisujin

    2nd Norwich aquascaping meetup - 1st March 2020

    I lived in Norwich for 4 years before moving to Japan. I can't believe that now I'm here in Japan, there's actually a scaping shop in Norwich..!!
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