Badger's Sumatran Rice Paddy

[DAnCSF]

Check 3:41

OMG what a great place, now to add add it to my "Visiting Japan must see list". The gallery is so very Japanese in it's esthetics and tank setups. Dang now I've got the aquascaping itch...I suspect that these projects take a lot of zen patience and learning, from what I saw there more of an emphasis on the aquascape verses the fish which is very different from the states view where it's more about the fish. Still it does give me lots of ideas for a 40 gal breeder/terrarium project I've got in mind. thanks for sharing EP.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

OMG what a great place, now to add add it to my "Visiting Japan must see list". The gallery is so very Japanese in it's esthetics and tank setups. Dang now I've got the aquascaping itch...I suspect that these projects take a lot of zen patience and learning, from what I saw there more of an emphasis on the aquascape verses the fish which is very different from the states view where it's more about the fish. Still it does give me lots of ideas for a 40 gal breeder/terrarium project I've got in mind. thanks for sharing EP.

I could spend all day walking around a room like that.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Well, I got the glass from the shop, along with a big tube of fish-safe silicon. Now that I have the glass, I must admit this seems a bit more daunting than it did in my head. The glue only has a five-minute working time before it skins over, so I'm going to have to REALLY plan this out, and maybe even practice, before I start laying down glue.

 

[mcordelia]

You got this! But I totally support doing multiple dry runs first. That way you have a little bit of muscle memory / choreography figured out. Also did you happen to pick up any reject bits from the shop? You could use those to practice to get a feel for how the glue works.

Also: masking tape a reasonable distance from the edge gives you a nice clean line for your seam and prevents mistake splatters from sticking in the wrong places.

Can't wait to hear how this phase went, enlist a family member to take pics as you go!

 

[eatyourpeas]

Well, I got the glass from the shop, along with a big tube of fish-safe silicon. Now that I have the glass, I must admit this seems a bit more daunting than it did in my head. The glue only has a five-minute working time before it skins over, so I'm going to have to REALLY plan this out, and maybe even practice, before I start laying down glue.

Can you slow the time by working in colder room temperature? Take your time, you could do one panel at a time. Also, I have seen people use a glue gun to help stabilize the joint before committing to the silicone.

 

[eatyourpeas]

OMG what a great place, now to add add it to my "Visiting Japan must see list". The gallery is so very Japanese in it's esthetics and tank setups. Dang now I've got the aquascaping itch...I suspect that these projects take a lot of zen patience and learning, from what I saw there more of an emphasis on the aquascape verses the fish which is very different from the states view where it's more about the fish. Still it does give me lots of ideas for a 40 gal breeder/terrarium project I've got in mind. thanks for sharing EP.

I am in awe every time I visit my LFS. Steve follows the aquascaping ritual and his shop is a true retreat from the harsh world out there. Here is his website, so if you ever visit it is closer than Japan

Aquarium Zen

Aquarium Zen, Seattle. Tropical Fish Store, Aquatic Plants and Nature Aquarium Supplies.

www.aquariumzen.net

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Also, I have seen people use a glue gun to help stabilize the joint before committing to the silicone.

That's a new one on me. Tell me more.

The trouble with silicone glue is that new glue tends not to stick to already-cured glue very well. So it really has to be all done at once. No pressure.

 

[mcordelia]

on the flip side, silicone is really easy to put down, and really easy to get rid of extra stuff, so in this case erring on the side of more is more may be the key. And look up the masking tape thing, I think there are youtube videos on that.

the only thing I would caution against is the idea of doing one pane at a time with too long of breaks in between. Because as you rightly state, the stuff only sticks to itself while wet, if you let it cure between panes then you run the risk of your corners not being watertight.

However, there are other silicone adhesives that have longer cure times (that should still be aquarium safe). If you are wary about the one you have selected, maybe do some research for a longer-curing one? Or, you can always put a "glob" at the corner, and then wipe part of the glob off to expose uncured surface when you come at it with the next pane.

lots of planning/dry runs to do for sure! I'm sure youtube has good stuff on this, since it has good stuff on most topics hahaha

 

[eatyourpeas]

Foo used it as a stabilizer, then removed it. At 0:47 it shows both silicone application and glue gun use:

 

[WhistlingBadger]

OK, folks, I need your opinions. I've been doing some reading, and it seems that Sumatran soil is either reddish or dark gray/black. @Circus pointed me to zoo med reptisand, which is made of inert quartz that won't leek iron into the water, and it's available in both colors. The red is more rusty colored; the black is more of a variegated dark gray. They both look very natural, and I like them both.

This will be a shallow tank, quite densely planted, with blue rasboras, kuhli loaches, dwarf rasboras, and imbellis bettas, so lots of greens and maroons in the plants, reds and blues with the fish. I am slightly inclined toward red just because I've never done a red substrate before, but I really like dark substrates generally.

What would look better? Red or black? Thoughts?

 

[Kyle E.]

Mix them? I think black would look better IMO.

 

[Circus]

I am very partial to black substrates myself, but I think that the red could look amazing if done right.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I decided to go with the black. If I do a rock wall, I'll make it red-rock colored. Although I could have gone the opposite way--red dirt and black rock. I'm already second-guessing my decision. ha ha But no, it'll be good this way.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Got the tank glued up, more or less...

 

[eatyourpeas]

Nicely done. Hats off to you for taking on such an endeavor. Thought about your tank when I saw this: