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ADA 60F, Matura Trail

SeanOB

Member
Joined
22 Aug 2016
Messages
90
Location
North Wales, UK
Hello, figured I would show my little shallow scape. For a bit of context, I helped my Dad set up a big planted tank, which has been a learning process and still takes a lot of time to maintain. Excuse the external link:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/12-tank-journals/1063530-200-gallons-planted-confusion.html

I really wanted to set up something for myself that was lower maintenance, slower growing and most importantly open top. I am living in Wales now and miss Trinidad loads. On my last visit over summer we went on an amazing hike in the forest near Matura, a village on the east side of the island. This gave me the motivation to set up an aquarium and some inspiration for my own little river bank layout.

Layout practice:
KVAMuke.jpg


So I snatched up an ADA 60F and compiled the list below
ADA Amazonia powder
Eheim 2211(with purigen, biomedia, foam)
twin TMC AquaRay Grobeam 600's & TMC multi control 8.
Visi-Therm Aquarium Heater - 100w

SeaChem Excel daily and EI dosing twice a week; KNO3, KH2PO4, alongside Seachem Flourish and Equilibrium after weekly 50% water change.

The dark wood was purchased on amazon, but it was smaller than I expected. I refused to pay more money for dead plants, so did some beach combing while in Trinidad and brought back the twisty roots. Soaked these then boiled them.

Plant list from Aquarium Gardens.co.uk (who were excellent!)
Foreground
Marsilea Hirsuta
Hortilab Hydrocotyle tripartita 'Japan'
Mid:
Anubias Nana 'Mini'
Spiky moss
Vesicularia Ferriei 'Weeping' Moss
Back
Bacopa Caroliniana (B. Amplexicaulis )
Ludwigia glandulosa
Ludwigia palustris

Began planting (2 weeks ago):
3XuAZW0.jpg


At this stage I had an Arcadia Stretch Classica light, which was useful while setting up. I then made the jump to the GroBeams which are amazing and I love the controllability.

For these I wanted a single post frame to suspend them. My grease monkey friend and I got creative, cracked out the bent pipe bender "Rot Berger" and got to work making a double bend:
UQLgncJ.jpg


Worked up a little thingy to hold the two lamps, I was quite proud of my garden hose washers....
SApCSUv.jpg


Used the Arcadia lamp for some backlight effect. Gave the bent pipe some different height options too. Its not perfect but came out how I imagined.
 
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Exciting project, love the shallow tank! How does it look now it's planted? Good luck! :D
 
thank you :) I don't have a real camera but hopefully the iPhoneography will do the trick for now:

1 week later, lights at 80%, two hour ramp up from 10 - 12, then 2 hour ramp down from 4 - 6.
ZPZuSkY.jpg


2 weeks, EI started, getting some red on my two types of ludwigia:
Bo5THH7.jpg


also found this moss growing on my balcony, figured I would see what it did on this stick, above my attempted at some emergent Anubias Nana 'Mini':
bUo17EU.jpg


and have added some tillandsia, because I saw them growing on fallen branches along the rivers back home. Never grown any before so will see how they hold up. Temporarily tied on til I make up my mind:
Huc5pNF.jpg
 

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Nice! Can't wait to plant my Ada 60F.

Is the eheim 2211 enough for good flow? Thanks ;)
 
thank you both :) I hope to let the back right have a lot of emergent growth. These little shallow tanks are great!

I think the 2211 is doing well, I have the spray bar cut to the full width of the tank and angled it down slightly which seems to be giving any particles a nice lap around the aquascape. Also have an air stone in the back right corner which helps a bit.
 
Three weeks in now and all plants look healthy. The marsilea is showing new submerged growth on all of my planted patches, which is encouraging after the initial melt.

I am keeping on top of the pesky brown algae while I wait for parameters to settle so I can add the maintenance crew.
oVvugA5.jpg


Full shot, only one light on this morning for picture time, needs a top up and some trimming:
7pDGKze.jpg


My balcony moss is still here, with little shoots of whoknowswhat?
x8W02HI.jpg


And the hydrocotyle has taken off as promised!
4HwQ1yW.jpg


Very happy so far, suspect its time for a filter rinse as that brown algae is moving in.
 
Two Amano shrimp moved in today after a good slow drip feed acclimatisation, I hope they appreciated it as I missed out on a good evenings surf to get them settled in :D. They have loads more character than I expected.

Hi Sean, Fantastic shallow scape:rolleyes: Wonderful plant health and growth. Love the lighting stand yours is one to copy ;)

Loved your Dads tank too very cool :thumbup:

Thanks Roy, thats very kind of you! My Dad's tank is a lot of work, but we are balancing it out gradually, thanks to the tips I picked up from UKAPS! He has a shipment of dry fertilizers coming in that I am sure the Trini Customs are gonna have a field day with!!!

And this scape was directly inspired by your 60cm shallow tank. I may even copy your use of the Hygrophila araguaia if you don't mind? I hope to add some more terrestrial moss to my aerial driftwood, maybe the stuff used for bonsai gardens?... and perhaps some small bromeliads. Will then build a little terrarium next to the tank to compliment it :)
 
Hi Sean, Go for it Hygrophila araguaia is a fab plant and as I said it flowers freely. I am looking forward to seeing it in a couple of months. Not sure about shrimp in a shallow amanos are good at climbing:( Others will know more
I will be starting a terrarium soon I love the look of them bit like a giant Wabi-Kusa :)
Keep us updated on your Dads tank too :thumbup:
 
Hi Sean, Go for it Hygrophila araguaia is a fab plant and as I said it flowers freely. I am looking forward to seeing it in a couple of months. Not sure about shrimp in a shallow amanos are good at climbing:( Others will know more
I will be starting a terrarium soon I love the look of them bit like a giant Wabi-Kusa :)
Keep us updated on your Dads tank too :thumbup:

Ordering a pot of Hygrophila araguaia next week :woot:
check out this site for bigger terrarium/vivarium bromeliad stuff, amazing selection:
http://www.dartfrog.co.uk/plants.html#fern

The shrimp do seem a bit too curious, have lowered the water level a bit and will try keep any emergent growth away from the edges, fingers crossed! Both stayed inside the tank for the night at least and were munching away. Will pester my dad for more Monster Tank pictures haha. Will update this thread with it too sometimes.
 
My lil tank is still going, not quite two months in but healthy and I am enjoying the new inhabitants. These red cherry shrimp are doing very well, good colour and some babies already appearing after two weeks of good living. Sadly the Amano shrimp did not understand life in a glass box and went wandering :(
XnQmNqm.jpg


as you can see they still have their work cut out for them, but thankfully its just brown algae I have found so far. My TMC lights are down to 70 % intensity and 6 hour photo period which might be helping. There is still a 2 hour ramp up/down included so it isn't getting excessive light as far as I can tell.

I also have got one Honey Gourami. I spotted some planaria one evening, despite the tank not receiving any fish food and being cleaned regularly. I figured the new RCS could be harmed by these so got the gourami I have wanted for ages. He should keep the population at bay and hunts constantly. My dainty corys are due in at the LFS any day now, though I do feel guilty leaving Mr.Gourami on his own for now:
gPHz4lE.jpg



He pays no attention to the shrimp. There are little white worms swirling around too that seem to come up from the aqua soil, even during the day, so the gourami doesn't get fed much by me.

nHL32mG.jpg


Also added some cuttings of a Hypoestes phyllostachya (I think) and some variegated Ficus pumila. Attempting to grow some of the taxiphyllum 'spiky' and Christmas moss emersed on the driftwood:
1RKpW8l.jpg


Also added some tissue culture Hygrophila araguaia as recommended by Roy ;).
 

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(meanwhile, in Trinidad)
My Dad's big tank is still a work in progress, but I have recently converted him to an EI dosing approach. Dark Magic he said! But it has worked fantastically alongside his CO2 as predicted.
Still a lot of work to do, but the right hand corner has had a full re-vamp:
Looking baron after a strim and replant
niEj4WY.jpg


After two weeks:
N1kQph3.jpg

I think the Rosy Barb is about to explode :wideyed:

Madagascar fern is much happier too:
MdQYOxt.jpg


Maybe the algae will back off as all these plants finally get to flourish

We also got the folks to maintain the deep pond. My little bro added some of my left over drift wood that I didnt smuggle back to the UK, to make a divide that will keep the lettuce leaf at bay and provide some more hiding places below the surface for fry:

Before:
5Db9gV7.jpg


After
aOGBYKf.jpg


Driftwood at work:
XSAo6h0.jpg
 
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