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Brian Murphy

Member
Joined
20 Oct 2012
Messages
592
Location
Omagh, N.Ireland
I started this scape 6 days ago and I had planned to do my first Iwagami scape with just eleocharis accicularis but when I received my plants I got a few free samples so it seemed a shame not use them aswell :)

Tank - 90cm x 30 x 30
Lighting - APS 2 x39w (only using 1 x 39w bulb though)
Substrate - ADA Amazonia
Co2 - sodastream cylinder (changed to 2kg FE) via UP Inline atomizer
Ferts - EI Dosing
Plants - Eleocharis accicularis, Ludwigia glandulosa, Hydrocotyle japan, Micranthemum umbrosum, Pogostemon stellatus
Fauna - undecided but will use shrimp and ottos

Day 1
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Day 3
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Day 7
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Bigger rocks- eleocharis will swamp them.
 
Coming together, like the rock scape will be very nice once plants fill out... I'm no expert but I think wood seem a little out on a limb perhaps interstate with stones.

On my iwagumi, I initially had wood locate and stones locate at oppersite ends of tank, and the general consensus was to lose wood or integrate. I choice the to remove wood and scape was better for it... I actually ended using the wood in my other tank which will be a shrimp only tank.

Nevertheless what ever you chose to do, I'm interest to see how this turns out.
 
Coming together, like the rock scape will be very nice once plants fill out... I'm no expert but I think wood seem a little out on a limb perhaps interstate with stones.

On my iwagumi, I initially had wood locate and stones locate at oppersite ends of tank, and the general consensus was to lose wood or integrate. I choice the to remove wood and scape was better for it... I actually ended using the wood in my other tank which will be a shrimp only tank.

Nevertheless what ever you chose to do, I'm interest to see how this turns out.

I was always unsure about the wood but I am hoping that it will be left protruding through the plants when they are fully established, so it will look out of place now.
 
I have just sold my Juwel Rio 400 and sold all my plants and fish but kept my Panda Garras and 4 amano shrimp but had a few jumpers on the first night and managed to save 3 garras from the floor but 1 died :(. I also am having problems with the shrimp breaking my plants as there is stuff floating all over the place and they are destroying the whole scape. Another problem is one of my plants Ludwigia glandulosa is dying off. I know it is a hard plant to grow but I really thought I was winning the battle as it was growing well but then just turned grey over a couple of days. They say it needs high light but I really thought I had that but I think I will add they second bulb back in to see how it goes but will be ready to take it out if I see any other negative effects. Anyone see anything they recognise with the plant as to what is happening it?

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It's around Day 25/26 now and my main issues have been with my amano shrimp being too enthusiastic with pruning and nipping my very delicate plants and uprooting some newly bought HC for the 2nd time, so they had to go back to my lfs! I picked up some ottos to cope with the slight algae bloom and added a couple of endlers I got in exchange for the shrimp. I also added the 2nd 39w to see if I can up the growth rate but also keeping an eye in case of any melt. I did up the Co2 rate and nutrients to hopefully balance things a little. Still got a few empty spots due to the shrimp massacre so looking for some ideas of plants I could get. Also wanted to know if I trimmed the eleocharis now would it help the spread as that is quite slow I'm thinking compared to the height growth. Here is the latest pic compared to the Day 1 pic.

Day 1
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Day 25
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Day 40

Most things growing well now, but did run out of Co2 and due to work couldn't get a refill for just over a day and some plants seemed to have died off but no major loss. Also got some Cherry shrimp off Kirk ;) but unsure where they all are lol ... probably lost in the filter!
Also added some alternanthera mini 1-2 Grow!, Ludwigia palustris red and Rotala rotundifolia to fill in some gaps where I lost some plants. I've trimmed the eleocharis a week ago but the whole tank needs a trim on sunday during the water change, so here are some update pics.

Day 25
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Day 40
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Day 87

Just done my weekly water change and gave it a bit of a trim. I am having a little trouble with BBA but I am just cutting it away when I can. The cheery shrimp, ottos or panda Garras dont seem to deal with it but I am not overly concerned. I just got myself a JBL Cristalprofi e1501 and I'm attempting to make my own spraybar for it, so hopefully that will help with flow problems and I can then take out the powerheads.
I have had to add some new plants and was looking for some red within the scape, so I tried some rotala macandra 1-2 Grow! but it didn't look the healthiest to begin with but within a few days it had died off. Also tried Alternanthera reineckii 'mini' 1-2 Grow! and most of it died off aswell but still got some survivng but not showing any great growth signs. I never seem to have luck with it and I really love the look of the plant :( So I decided to replace that with Alternanthera rosaefolia mini and it seems to be doing ok, well at least it hasn't melted away.
Also got some endlers for the this tank, only males at present until the lfs gets me some females for it.

Day 40
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Day 87
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So decided to fill it out a little more and ordered some plants last night, so for the left hand side I ordered some Limnophila aromatica. Then around where the heater is I will plant some Hygrophila polysperma, I've had great success with this before so aslong as I keep up with keeping it from going mad it should look great. For the empty patch in the middle, I will plant some Pogostemon helferi, never had any success with this as yet so here's hoping conditions are different this time around. To the right of the pogostemon, behind the eleocharis and in front of the Micranthemum umbrosum I will attempt some Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini' 1-2-GROW! again. Hopefully, with it being in the centre of the tank, it will have the best chance to succeed as it will have direct access to the Co2 enriched flow.
I've upped the lighting and added the 2nd 39w t5 to see what happens really, but will remove it again if I start to see melt. I'd love to raise the luminare and suspend it from the ceiling or even raise it 15cm above the water.
Lost 2 panda garras again last night plus an endler due to jumping. Need some Ottos now but my lfs is useless when it comes to stock, waiting from before xmas to get them in. Might have to make a journey up to Belfast for some.
 
Just get some clear acrylic pieces for the corners of the tank mate. Seems to stop the jumping

I haven't seen them jumping as yet, so you think that is where they do the leap of faith from? There is a rim along the front and back but not down as far as the corners as its an old glass tank just. Hopefully not long until I get my optiwhite and I'll consider getting an acrylic top to stop jumping and loss of water through evaporation which is a pain come near end of week as the spray bar becomes exposed and unless topped up or bar pushed down, causes a mess and annoying noises.
 
I've moved a few things around such as removing the eleocharis and replacing it with micranthemum 'monte carlo' and filled out the alternanthera reineckii 'mini'. I added some hydrophilia polysperma over to the left aswell. I also added some more ottos and 6 Black phantom tetras as I've never had them before and always liked them.
Here are some pics from my camera phone .........

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