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Aqua-Qube journal (updated 28/02/2011)

Ben M

Ben M

Member
Joined
1 Sep 2009
Messages
662
hi, i have just got a new tank, it's a superfish aqua qube 40l, dimensions are L: 33cm, W: 33cm and H: 40cm.
it came with a 18w superfish clip on light which i know are decent lights so i'm hoping i'll be able to plant it well. i will be dosing EI ferts and either yeast based co2 or liquid carbon.

i would like to know which plants i'll be able to grow. i'm going to use a nutrient rich substrate, not sure which type yet (possibly akadama?) and i'd like to have a go at a really nice scape. i intend to use some carpet plants, but i'm not sure if i'll be able to grow dwarf hairgrass and glosso? also, would riccia fare well in those conditions? i'll be using some mosses and stem plants, but i'm not sure which would be good stems with small leaves, that won't overcrowd the tank?

i'm thinking about what i want the hardscape to be made up of, i would like to add something with a bit of height so that i can make use of the tallness of the tank and give the shrimp more room, but i also like the idea of iwagumi type rock positioning, (could possibly use aspects of iwagumi?) how would you suggest using hardscape to add height to the tank without overcrowding the swimming space, and leaving room for carpet plants and rocks?

i won't be able to set this tank up for a few weeks as the room it will be in is being decorated, but that should give me time to plan it well.

all ideas greatly appreciated :D

i'm off now to sharpen some pencils to start drawing plans. ;)
 
Re: Aqua-Qube 40 journal

this is a plan of how i intend to scape it.

28-08-2010093031.jpg


what do you think of the plants and how the rocks and wood are going to be?
 
Re: Aqua-Qube 40 journal

What type of wood is it? I'm just thinking you might want more stems behind it in that back corner rather than have the wood on it's own. If it's nice and branchy, the base could be covered by the stems in back left, and the branches could reach out into the center of the tank. You could then make a nice triangular layout, high at the left and low on the right. The Glosso foreground would then look great in front right. Then maybe shift all 3 rocks to the left slightly - it's difficult to tell just from a drawing, but that's how I'd imagine it to look a bit more balanced.

Tom
 
Re: Aqua-Qube 40 journal

hi, i haven't actually bought the wood yet as i have only just decided what i'm looking for. it will hopefully be quite a tall piece to make use of the height of the tank, and i agree that it would look good with bits branching into the middle. the only problem i'm having is finding a suitable piece.

also, what type of rock would you suggest? i have quite a lot of quartz that i've collected, but there seem to be mixed opinions as to whether it's safe in the tank. and i think that the colour might be a bit overpowering. i really like dragon stone, but again i don't know where to get it from.

cheers :D
 
Re: Aqua-Qube 40 journal

hi, i've had a look, and i think i'll get the wood from the green machine, but i've noticed with the dragon stone that it is a lot more expensive at the green machine than planted box and aqua essentials, is there a reason for that? do the stones look nicer?
 
Re: Aqua-Qube 40 journal

hi, i am thinking which moss will be best to make a carpet on the left. i have a tiny bit of taiwan moss that i'm growing in my brothers tank as my SAE's nearly destroyed it in mine. would that look good, or would fissidens be better? or possibly flame moss? which do you think creates the most effective carpet?

cheers :D
 
Re: Aqua-Qube 40 journal

thanks, the only problem is trying to find some. has anyone ever used taiwan moss as a carpet? or has anyone got any pics of different types of mosses in carpets?

cheers :D
 
Re: Aqua-Qube 40 journal

pest control said:
...would fissidens be better? or possibly flame moss? which do you think creates the most effective carpet?
Click to expand...

You can use all mosses as a carpet but it depends what finish you want and your personal taste as they all look very different once grown in and under different lighting.

pest control said:
has anyone got any pics of different types of mosses in carpets?
Click to expand...

You can make even run of the mill moss look good in a carpet

Heres one from Herr Knott using just standard Java;
http://www.pbase.com/plantella/naturesoil_stepbystep_layout2

Heres a video of some guy using Chladophora aka 'moss balls'
http://www.anubias.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72&Itemid=133&lang=en

Personally I prefer any of the 'mini' varieties you can get hold of which look nice and compact. Xmas moss and Fissidens also look great.

Just have a look at pictures to see what other people have done to see what sort of thing your after and its all easy to achieve.
 
Re: Aqua-Qube 40 journal

hi, i've looked at pics of your mini spiky moss, and i really like it. will you be getting any more spare any time soon?

cheers :D
 
Re: Aqua-Qube 40 journal

pest control said:
hi, i've looked at pics of your mini spiky moss, and i really like it. will you be getting any more spare any time soon?

cheers :D
Click to expand...

Sadly not. I think I'd only have enough for maybe one more 4 x 4cm portion if I trimmed back really hard which I don't think would be enough for what you wanted. Give it a couple of weeks to grow out more and I may be able to sort a bit more for you if you wanted to wait that long?
 
Re: Aqua-Qube 40 journal

hi, a couple of weeks is fine, possibly a bit longer if you'd be able to hold onto some for me, as i haven't got the tank set up yet as the parents are decorating the room where it's going. :(
 
Re: Aqua-Qube 40 journal

pest control said:
hi, a couple of weeks is fine, possibly a bit longer if you'd be able to hold onto some for me, as i haven't got the tank set up yet as the parents are decorating the room where it's going. :(
Click to expand...
No worries, the longer the better basically, as it needs some time to grow back. Just drop me a PM when your ready and I'll see what I can rustle up. :thumbup:
 
Re: Aqua-Qube 40 journal

hi, i'm looking for a substrate now for the tank. i've found akadama and read the sticky on it, and it seems like a great choice. what do you guys think? and would 1 x 14l bag be plenty enough? i think i could probably fill the whole tank with one bag, not just the base. and is there anywhere near hull/beverley that sells it, or anywhere on the internet? would it be worth going for a look around the garden centres or ringing a few up to see if they stock it? i'm looking for the Double Red Line Hard Quality with a 0-6mm grain size.

cheers :D
 
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