David Shanahan
Member
Well, to say it's been a while is an understatement. I last had a scape about three years ago which I had to close down in its early stages to prepare to move house due to unforeseen circumstances. Well, to say I was gutted would be an understatement after investing some cold hard cash.
I would have loved to get right back into it, but after purchasing a house and spending money on getting that right I just didn't have spare cash until recently.
Roll on 3 years and I'm glad to say I'm back in business to some degree or other. So about 4 weeks ago I made the shlep from Manchester to sunny Wrexham to see the guys at TGM to pick up my blank canvas. Having saved bits here and there and a good end of year bonus, thanks work, I picked up what I have always wanted, an ADA setup.
Not having loads of spare room in the living room I went for an ADA 60p aquarium and stand. I decided to take advantage of the generous TGM 20% discount and went the whole hog and purchased a ADA ES series filter, which comes with appropriately sized lily pipes and gubbins. After conversing with the very helpful team at TGM I matched the purchase with an ADA Aquasky Moon light system which is apparently just as bright as the 602 system, but cheaper, go figure. I think ADA have missed out there. Now the budget was running dry and I still needed Co2 bits and bobs after selling all my old gear off and of course a bit of hardscape, so I purchased a TGM Co2 kit which comes with yet more ADA gubbins, tubing, a 5lbs Co2 bottle and aquamedic valve, around 6kg of Koke stone, some woody bits and ADA substrate including Power Sand and Aquasoil, oh and some Congo sand.
After getting all the gear home I quickly set about cracking on with making some dinner and sitting on the sofa. Well, Rome wasn't built in a day and tomorrow was Saturday. What's another day right.
No comments about the fireplace or radiator. It's since been moved Or the crappy pictures
So, Saturday morning came, I cracked out the Bacon and a cuppa and sat in front of my tank eating and drinking staring into the abyss. What was I going to do? Attempt a U shape, a triangle. I thought, we can figure this out, so I cracked out the cardboard and in true kiddie fashion, started to play with my building blocks, stacking up and knocking down what I had just built. 2 hours passed with a Saturday kitchen on the telly and I was there, triangular it is. Hardscape ready I jumped in the car and made my way to Maplins. Wel, I needed a step down converter for the ADA Aquasky and it gave me a chance to think about what I had just created.
Back from Maplin, happy with the hardscape I set about laying the substrate foundations, hoping my blockwork would translate.
I started to fill the aquarium, so that I could set about cycling the new filter and substrate, but I had an issue with the wobbly floorsso the aquarium was filling to one side. The ADA stands don't come with adjustable feet unfortunately. Off to B&Q I popped to pick up some stainless steel washers. I used these on each corner of the stand stacked up until the aquarium was level. Genius and doesn't detract from the aesthetics.
Next job was to sort out some heat, so I popped to my LFS and purchased a Hydor in line heater as not to ruin the clean lines of the ADA 60p and glassware.
And so, is been about four weeks since I got setup and the filter and substrate have been cycling nicely. I've been changing the water every few days to remove ammonia and now the spike is done I've ordered plants ready for the planting stage. Here is what I have ordered.
Staurogyne repens × 7
Hydrocotyle tripartita × 2
Ludwigia repens 'Rubin' × 2
Rotala rotundifolia × 2
Taxiphyllum sp. 'Spiky' moss × 1
Bacopa caroliniana × 3
Hygrophila pinnatifida × 3
Lindernia rotundifolia × 3
Bacopa australis × 2
Eleocharis sp. 'mini' Tropica 1-2-Grow × 4
Hopefully with the large number of plants that are going in the scape will have a nice healthy start. Staurogyne Repens have always been my nemesis, but I truly believe that this has been ammonia issues in the past due to planting quickly after setup, so fingers crossed that slow and steady will win the race.
I'll get on with the planting and post up some pictures once that is completed.
I would have loved to get right back into it, but after purchasing a house and spending money on getting that right I just didn't have spare cash until recently.
Roll on 3 years and I'm glad to say I'm back in business to some degree or other. So about 4 weeks ago I made the shlep from Manchester to sunny Wrexham to see the guys at TGM to pick up my blank canvas. Having saved bits here and there and a good end of year bonus, thanks work, I picked up what I have always wanted, an ADA setup.
Not having loads of spare room in the living room I went for an ADA 60p aquarium and stand. I decided to take advantage of the generous TGM 20% discount and went the whole hog and purchased a ADA ES series filter, which comes with appropriately sized lily pipes and gubbins. After conversing with the very helpful team at TGM I matched the purchase with an ADA Aquasky Moon light system which is apparently just as bright as the 602 system, but cheaper, go figure. I think ADA have missed out there. Now the budget was running dry and I still needed Co2 bits and bobs after selling all my old gear off and of course a bit of hardscape, so I purchased a TGM Co2 kit which comes with yet more ADA gubbins, tubing, a 5lbs Co2 bottle and aquamedic valve, around 6kg of Koke stone, some woody bits and ADA substrate including Power Sand and Aquasoil, oh and some Congo sand.
After getting all the gear home I quickly set about cracking on with making some dinner and sitting on the sofa. Well, Rome wasn't built in a day and tomorrow was Saturday. What's another day right.
No comments about the fireplace or radiator. It's since been moved Or the crappy pictures
So, Saturday morning came, I cracked out the Bacon and a cuppa and sat in front of my tank eating and drinking staring into the abyss. What was I going to do? Attempt a U shape, a triangle. I thought, we can figure this out, so I cracked out the cardboard and in true kiddie fashion, started to play with my building blocks, stacking up and knocking down what I had just built. 2 hours passed with a Saturday kitchen on the telly and I was there, triangular it is. Hardscape ready I jumped in the car and made my way to Maplins. Wel, I needed a step down converter for the ADA Aquasky and it gave me a chance to think about what I had just created.
Back from Maplin, happy with the hardscape I set about laying the substrate foundations, hoping my blockwork would translate.
I started to fill the aquarium, so that I could set about cycling the new filter and substrate, but I had an issue with the wobbly floorsso the aquarium was filling to one side. The ADA stands don't come with adjustable feet unfortunately. Off to B&Q I popped to pick up some stainless steel washers. I used these on each corner of the stand stacked up until the aquarium was level. Genius and doesn't detract from the aesthetics.
Next job was to sort out some heat, so I popped to my LFS and purchased a Hydor in line heater as not to ruin the clean lines of the ADA 60p and glassware.
And so, is been about four weeks since I got setup and the filter and substrate have been cycling nicely. I've been changing the water every few days to remove ammonia and now the spike is done I've ordered plants ready for the planting stage. Here is what I have ordered.
Staurogyne repens × 7
Hydrocotyle tripartita × 2
Ludwigia repens 'Rubin' × 2
Rotala rotundifolia × 2
Taxiphyllum sp. 'Spiky' moss × 1
Bacopa caroliniana × 3
Hygrophila pinnatifida × 3
Lindernia rotundifolia × 3
Bacopa australis × 2
Eleocharis sp. 'mini' Tropica 1-2-Grow × 4
Hopefully with the large number of plants that are going in the scape will have a nice healthy start. Staurogyne Repens have always been my nemesis, but I truly believe that this has been ammonia issues in the past due to planting quickly after setup, so fingers crossed that slow and steady will win the race.
I'll get on with the planting and post up some pictures once that is completed.
