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First ever tank, aqua scape and iwagumi

Dominik K

Member
Joined
14 Jun 2021
Messages
80
Location
Southampton
So i just set up my tank using dry start method.

I am going for a iwagumi style but i underestimated how big the rocks need to be. Really not sure about it... the rocks arent even the same colour. I bee going around all the local shops and is it me or is it nigh on impossible getting decent rocks?

Anyway i decided on a dry start method because i think without co2 and just using carpeting plants it might result in crazy algea.

Comments welcome
 

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Week 1 update.
I can certainly see growth. I wasnt expecting these grasses to act like vines trying to climb the rocks though. Very interesting.

Hopefully it will rain soon so i can get some quality rain water.
Think in lieu of rain im going to give them some aquasafed and fertilised water next week as a little boost.

Sort of making it up as I go along. I think also next week i will fire up the light to get the plants used to the light cycle and hopefuly make them grow upwards. Lol
 

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Week 2 update.

Growth is happening.
Some bold patches remain but hopefully these will fill.

Considering replanting some clumps that have exploded with growth into the bold spots.
 

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Week 3 update - installed the light to get the plants used to it and also improve output.
Sadly no rainwater...still.

Glass needs a good clean. Will get on thar scrub tomorrow asao. Noticed a bit of mould growing on the glass 😭😭
 

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So this is a week 5 update.
I flooded the tank and installed filter.
Not sure if i done it right but seems to be working.

Not sure how the surface skimmer is supposed to work lol
 

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Time for an update:

I have stocked the tank with 6 neon tetras 3 nerites

Decided that a true iwagumi is not tenable with fish - And I really want to keep fish. Especially neons, as they like to have low light, and lots of plants. So ultimately I made the decision to add more plants.
Added some Rapens to start with (also to help with water quality).

After which Added some Peruviana.

Waiting on some frogbit and Salvinia as well as some Cryptocoryne willisii & Echinodorus vesuvius.
Going to build a corral for the skimmer filter to keep the floaters from cloging it up.

The tank was doing well so I added 4 more Neons - They seem a lot happier in a bigger school.
Also I started to lift the outflow to aerate the water.

Now I have 10 neon tetras, 3 pygmy corydoras 3 cherry shrimp 2 large nerite and 1 baby nerite.

next upgrade is installing a corral when the floaters arrive as well as waiitng for a new light with proper control. Currently I dont really have the ability to control time and intensity in any meaningful way.
 

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I made some additions.
U fortunately my crypto didint arrive and the supplier cancelled from my order :(

The vesuvius arrived and has been planted. . Im really curious about this plant. it seems like a vine but also a grass sort of plant. I think ive seen these inverted like floaters at my lfs betta/shrimp tanks.

Added salvinia and made a quick dyi corral prototype. Waiting on frogbit. The flow is pretty strong so i dont expect these to grow much but still do their job. The neons seen a lot more settled since the new addition.

So far the stocking is as follows:

10 neon tetras
3 cherry shrimps ( 2 died.. sadly)
3 nerrite
3 pygmy corries

Im not sure if im doing

Not much algea apart from some brown algea ( which i actualy want) and a few bits of filmy transluscent algea which doesnt last long and normaly detatches from whatever plant it was on and floats off Into the current/filtration.

Had a slight uptake of amonia/nitrite doing several small water changes over the next couple days in order to protect the shrimp.
 

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Small update.
Added Cryptocoryne willisii, and frogbit. Also nded up ordering some Blyxa Japonica,.. 😅

Installed a new light with timer/ intensity dimmer to help control the photo period.

Installed einhem 100 airpump and lowered the outflow. The noise is almost non existant now.
Installed a new corral

Added 3 cherry shrimp
And 3 more pigmy corrrys.

Getting some algea deposit towards the back of the tank.

Going to do an update picture and after i do a small water change tomorrow 🙂

Tank seems to be doing really well
 
Some pictures. Im not sure if you can call this an iwagumi anymore 😅
Plants seem to be doing ok.

Added a hillstream loach... I have plenty of flow and with the added airpump he should be more than happy.

Going to run some water parameters tomorrow after work and do a big water change.

Im worried i have bit too much flow for the floaters and sone of them might be decomposing
 

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I believe this is week 6 update.

Added final fish - the honey gourami. Named Toadi by my missus. 🤣

Sadly one of the peruviana didint make it and had to be removed. Grass needs a good trim.

Gor rid of salvinia. Leaves were staying tiny due to flow and was rapidly growing/rotting so only frogbit now. The gourami loves them.

Also have about 5 baby shrimp 😁

I think they are finaly at a size where the fish will not try to eat them so they emerged. Had 2 adult shrimps die sadly. Noticed vorincella too late but its being treated now.
 

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