Lljdma06's Nano; Scape #2 8/09 - 3/10

[lljdma06]

While I really enjoy my low-maintenance scapes, there are times when I like experimenting with multiple plant species and having a scape that is more involving. I have always been a huge fan of the Dutch style of aquascaping. It is so colorful and the idea of keeping many species appeals to me. I also like applying the basic principles of this style on a much, much smaller scale.

Over three years ago, I purchased a Finnex brand 8g aquarium (no longer made in this size <img src=http/www.fishforums.net/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad1.gif style=vertical-align:middle emoid= border=0 alt=sad1.gif /> ). After about 2 years of scaping, including experimenting with some Dutch ideas, I dismantled it in December, 2008. It's been patiently waiting for me to set it up again. Over the past few weeks, I've been gathering the equipment needed to setup this tank.

Before I get started, I'd like to thank SuperColey1 for being a sounding board for some of my ideas. He has introduced me to some literature recently that has been helping me understand the "why it works" aspect of how I've been doing things. Some of these concepts are going to be implemented with this tank. <img src="http/www.fishforums.net/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

<b>Tank</b>: Finnex Seamless front 8g - 16.5"x11.5"x10"

<b>Lighting</b>: Finnex 24W CF fixture, 6500k bulb, 3WPG, <i>but</i>...The CF isn't very efficient, so I've always considered this tank at best, moderately lit. It hasn't failed me, though.

<b>Filtration</b>: Either 2 Aquaclear 20 or 1 Aquaclear 50. Haven't decided yet and I have both types either new or in use. I am leaning towards the 1 Aquaclear 50, because I want less tubage in the back. Either way, I'll have more than the 10x turnover needed, and I can control the flow in these filters quite well.

<b>Substrate</b>: Kind of a mix of what I have lying around. It will be a layered substrate.
--Bottom layer: a mix of coarse sand, fine-grained gravel, and laterite. Yep, good old laterite. I had an extra box from a good sale way back. Plus, I'll add some squeezes from my filter media from my other tanks. This will help establish a nice mulm layer.

<img src="http/i41.photobucket.com/albums/e283/lljdma06/8g%20Dutch%20nano/IMG_2817.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

--Top layer: A cap of very fine sand to help more delicate species root better.

<img src="http/i41.photobucket.com/albums/e283/lljdma06/8g%20Dutch%20nano/IMG_2813.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Not too thick in the front, though, I've got to observe...

<b><!--coloro0000FF--><span style="color0000FF"><!--/coloro-->"Happy Dutch Principle" #1<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--></b> - You shouldn't see much, if any, of the substrate above the tank seam in the front. It is unsightly. Of course, you've still got to be able to plant. <img src="http/www.fishforums.net/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

<b>Hardscape</b>: Only a few piece of mopani wood to help create a small path in the tank (leading to the focal point, or acting as the focal point) and act as an anchor to some species. Others will be covered possibility in plants. Because...

<b><!--coloro0000FF--><span style="color0000FF"><!--/coloro-->"Happy Dutch Principle" #2<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--></b> - The hardscape should only be of one type. Some of the possible wood choices below.

<img src="http/i41.photobucket.com/albums/e283/lljdma06/8g%20Dutch%20nano/IMG_2812.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

<b>CO2/b> Yes

<i>Wait</i>, what do you mean <i>yes</i>? Llj's adding CO2? She <i>never</i> adds CO2. <img src="http/www.fishforums.net/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/huh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="huh.gif" />

Yes, I am adding CO2 to this tank. It is a small tank and only moderately lit, so I'm not going pressurized. I'll be able to get good enough levels using Yeast fermentation. No ugly ladder this time, however, I purchased myself a nice little Rhinox 1000.

<img src="http/i41.photobucket.com/albums/e283/lljdma06/8g%20Dutch%20nano/Rhinox1000.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Well, actually, I purchased two of them. They were on sale and the shipping was free. Got them off eBay and they are making their way to Miami, as I type. I don't know if I'll use both of them to get more even distribution or just stick with one. They are small, but I wanted to make sure they would work with Fermentation CO2. My goal is pretty stable CO2, not vast amounts. I will be alternating mixes and experimenting with how many canisters I'll need. I think two will be alright, but I have more than that. I'll also be working with mixes to see which gets the best levels.

So, how am I going to measure the CO2?

I have ordered a dropchecker too. <img src="http/www.fishforums.net/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" /> I will be making my own 4dkh. Wait! Llj's DIYing? Yep. <img src="http/www.fishforums.net/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="yes.gif" /> Got myself a little digital scale too.

<b>Fertilisation</b>: Right now, to get things started, I've ordered some TPN+ and I have extra Seachem Flourish and Seachem rootabs lying around. Eventually, I will make my own ferts too. I completely forgot that I made excellent marks in chemistry classes in college and the labs were my forte. If I can distill pure Ethanol from popsicle sticks, I can certainly mix my own ferts down the road. <img src="http/www.fishforums.net/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/drunk.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="drunk.gif" /> The TPN+ is for convenience until I acquire all the equipment.

<b>Goals</b>: As far as livestock and plant lists are concerned, things are still in the planning stages. I really want to create the illusion of larger size, yet maintain the Dutch style. I'd like to follow...

<b><!--coloro0000FF--><span style="color0000FF"><!--/coloro-->Happy Dutch Principle #3<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--></b> - <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Fish play a very important part in this style as well. The bottom, middle, and top zones of a tank should be filled with fish to make each area interesting to the viewer. All fish species should be different in shape, color, and size, but the least number of species possible should be used to fill all niches in the tank (so no blue rams in a tank with kribensis, or silver hatchetfish with marbled hatchetfish, etc). Schools must be as large as possible.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> No easy task in an 8g, but possible with the new nano species.

<b><!--coloro0000FF--><span style="color0000FF"><!--/coloro-->Happy Dutch Principle #4<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--></b> - Create the two tank focal points using the rule of thirds. Another hard concept on such a small tank. I will settle with one as long as it is 2/3 the length of the tank. I already have an idea of how this will be accomplished.

<b><!--coloro0000FF--><span style="color0000FF"><!--/coloro-->Happy Dutch Principle #5<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--></b> - Use contrasting colors and leaf shapes. I'll be a bit limited, since I cannot use species with especially large leaves, but I think I'll be able to come up with quite a few. I plan on dividing the tank into 3 main sections and use between 3-5 plant species per section. The usual rule is 3 species per foot, but I don't really have that luxury.

<b><!--coloro0000FF--><span style="color0000FF"><!--/coloro-->Happy Dutch Principle #6<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--></b> - The back should never catch the eye. Okay, so no A. reineckii backgrounds for me. <img src="http/www.fishforums.net/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> I plan on constructing a moss wall using a method that I think will probably fail, but it's worth trying anyways. I like Christmas moss as it is quite bushy.

<b>Rules I'm going to break</b> - The tank is seamless, therefore it is impossible to obscure the sides effectively, so I will leave them alone. My tank is way smaller than the average Dutch. It will <i>not</i> be the main focal point of a room. It's an 8g tank in a family room with a 52" HDTV. Impossible to be the focal point when you're competing with that. <img src="http/www.fishforums.net/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> I won't be using some of the traditional "Dutch" species because their leaves are too large or broad for this tank. I'm thinking I'll be able to grow most of what's commonly offered online.

Two plants that are heavily considered are HC and Christmas moss. Christmas moss for the wall and HC to make the little path. The HC will establish the scale very well and a path of it will make the tank look very large. I've also thought about the following species.

Fissidens frontalis - covering a few small pieces of wood with this
Anubia petite nana - for wood work and round leaf shape
Pogostemon helferi - for foreground contrast
Hydrocotyle verticillata or Marsilea minuta - for a little toadstool look.
Small reddish crypts - for the very shaded areas of the tank, probably a small Wendtii red or bronze. The growth will be slow in the shade.
Rotala macrandra - a red plant
Myriophylum pinnatum - "green" fine-leaved
Didiplis diandra - contrast
Hemianthus micranthemoides - green plant
Lysamachia - gold plant
Ludwigia arcuata - another red possibility
Rotala wallichii - accent
Rotala sp. green - green plant, towards the back.
Vallis nana or Crytocoryne balansae or Eleocharis - As a very slender stalk plant. Not going to be planted in a large group. An accent plant.
Christmas moss - moss wall background. Small bolbitis or java fern may be attached to the wall too.

Star moss - still not quite convinced it's an aquatic, though it is absolutely adorable. Possibly also Subwassertang or Pellia

I have to make sure that the bunches of stemplants are small to keep the scale correct, and I also cannot overcrowd. I will not include all of the above species, that is too many, IMO. I'm hoping they'll grow. I'm going full force on the principle that CO2 is ultimately more important to determine whether a plant will do well rather than lighting. I've grown some of these without CO2 in the same lighting. Oooo, I also picked up this to help me trim and take care of my new tank.

<img src="http/i41.photobucket.com/albums/e283/lljdma06/8g%20Dutch%20nano/IMG_2822.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

I am up for the challenge and look forward to setup like this. It is very different from what I normally do. Thank you for reading this very long thread. I'll update it as things come in. The tank isn't setup yet, and this is going to be slow going. You can already see that I've done a lot of advanced planning (now you know why I thanked SuperColey1, these ramblings would drive anyone crazy <img src="http/www.fishforums.net/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/crazy.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="crazy.gif" />). I will make detailed posts when I get to some of the technical aspects of the setup.

Again, thanks for looking. Comments and suggestions, if you are not too tired from reading, are always welcome.

llj <img src="http/www.fishforums.net/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

PS: I'm excited.

 

[SuperColey1]

I think you already knew what I told you/led you to anyway

I have to say though: CO2, ferts, DIY, glassware, tools. You're under pressure to perform now

On the HC front. I wouldn't worry about the light too much but CO2 will be very important. I would just use the 1 diffuser at a time to keep the pressure up. CO2 distribution should be fine for a small tank

For ferts this sems the place for the US peeps although you may know somewhere better or cheaper:
http/www.aquariumfertilizer.com/index.as...U=1&Regit=2


Star moss - this is a 'display' moss. Used for shows short term. non aquatic.

Don't know why you thank me for listening to your ramblings. lol Anyone who pms me runs the risk of insatiable ranting about subjects nothing to do with the question. lol. As you now know

Good luck.

AC

 

[Gill]

Await with Anticipation

 

[lljdma06]

I think you already knew what I told you/led you to anyway

I have to say though: CO2, ferts, DIY, glassware, tools. You're under pressure to perform now

I know, right. I've already shown I can grow plants without all that stuff, but that doesn't really count, so let's see if I can grow them with the actual proper equipment.

On the HC front. I wouldn't worry about the light too much but CO2 will be very important. I would just use the 1 diffuser at a time to keep the pressure up. CO2 distribution should be fine for a small tank

The HC is the last plant I'm worried about. I'm more interested if the other plants will do well on the notion that it is CO2, not light that makes the difference.

Star moss - this is a 'display' moss. Used for shows short term. non aquatic.

I knew it.

Don't know why you thank me for listening to your ramblings. lol Anyone who pms me runs the risk of insatiable ranting about subjects nothing to do with the question. lol. As you now know

Because it is the polite thing to do.

Good luck.

I'll need it.

So two canisters, one diffuser, then. That was my gut. Well, I've got an extra one then. Never bad to have extras.

 

[lljdma06]

Okay, not mowing the lawn today, it's too hot outside. I'll do it Monday, which means I can play with my tank more!

Setting up the Moss wall: The Beginnings​

The moss wall is typical in Dutch layouts. It creates the natural-looking, darkish, and unobtrusive background that is highly desired. Many use corkbark to achieve this effect and attach plants to that, or make a moss wall. I am chosing a moss wall, as I think the cork will be too bulky for this little nano. I read the posts in this Moss Wall Thread and three things stuck out as being potential problems.

1. Fish get stuck and die behind the two pieces of mesh, or get stuck between the mesh and the glass because of the gap left by suction cups

2. The moss takes forever to grow between the mesh. For me, this is because the moss is overly shaded, especially if one uses dark mesh. Or...

3. Lack of circulation between the mesh, causing poor growth because the moss cannot access the same amount of nutrients because of the restricted flow between the mesh.

I'm not saying I'm going to solve this problem and my attempt could very well fail, but this is what I plan on trying. I purchased this at my lfs.

I've used this to divide tanks before (when I was breeding kribensis and keeping bettas) and in some cases, mosses actually naturally grew on the divide. I'll explain why. There are two sides to the divider, a smooth side and a rough side. The moss always grew on the rough side by attaching their roots on the minute grooves in the plastic. A pain to pull actually, when I was dismantling some of my old breeding tanks.

Another feature that makes this idea interesting. The stainless steel clips, which are harmless.

Unlike suction cups, which leave gaps between the glass and the mesh, these inert clips which came with the divider hold the divider flush against the glass, with no gap. Fish cannot get through. Couple this with the substrate holding the divider in the bottom, you have a gap-free wall that is transparent. Below is a picture of the tank with bare "moss wall" secured in place.

As you can see, there are numerous, finely distributed holes. The plan is to gently "sew" the moss onto the wall by using a needle and safe thread (probably a dull brown to mimic the appearence roots, or a plant safe option) until the moss can naturally attach themselves to the rough side. Possible advantages to this method include.

1. Most of the moss is actually exposed to the water column rather than wedged between two mesh pieces and can take advantage of full lighting, circulation, and nutrient distribution that the tank has to offer. This allows it to become established faster.

2. Because I'm using metal clips to attach the wall, there is no gap between it and the glass, and I significantly reduce the possibility of fish deaths or accidents.

3. The wall is less bulky and much more mobile. I can build the wall outside of the tank and then just slide the wall into place. I also don't have to worry about 2 pieces of mesh and the wall does not interfere with tank hardware.

4. The entire aquarium back wall can be covered, barring the space below where the wall inserts into the substrate. That is some thick coverage.

5. The equipment used is very small, and not invasive. No giant suction cups, no bulky mesh, no stand-out plastic. You can see below a tank shot in its eventual location. You can barely see the clips. Great for photography and eventually, the moss should hide the clips inside the water.

Possible disadvantages.

1. DO NOT USE THIS WITH A HEATER!!! The divider is plastic and can melt if put in contact with a heater. My tank is unheated.

2. The moss might not attach effectively to the wall. Entirely possible the rough side might not be rough enough, though since I've seen moss grow on it before, I'm not anticipating that this wil be a problem, especially since this is going to be a nutrient-rich tank with CO2 injection and decent light for moss. At any rate, if it is still secured by the thread, it will simply be anchored. Maybe not a bad thing.

I'm open to using various suggestions for thread. Obviously something that can tolerate being underwater and something that is not harmful.

I'm also aware that this will be an extremely tedious task, but that it could have some very fine rewards and produce a fine wall in less time. Something to do with a 6-pack.

Two possible considerations for moss. Photos are from Aquaticmagic with much appreciation.

Christmas moss - It is a bushy, dark-colored moss and is featured in this moss wall below.

Willow moss - Less bushy, more drapey. Might take up less space in a nano wall.

Again, thanks for bearing with me and these long posts. I'm not usually one to do this, but I'm exploring a lot of new ideas with this little tank and I want to explain the techniques in detail, incase they work. Or if they don't, I can quickly analyze what I did wrong and fix it.

Comments, criticisms, and suggestions are always welcome. Please hold my hand and tell me it will be okay.

llj

 

[Gill]

Thats a Very Cool Idea, I would go with Willow Moss. More pleasing to the Eye than Xmas once grown in

 

[tropic_john]

*cough* fill that tank up...I'm dying to see it filled up.. also get some cardinals and cories and maybe.... a betta *dun dun dun* if the cardinals dont nip it

 

[lljdma06]

Thats a Very Cool Idea, I would go with Willow Moss. More pleasing to the Eye than Xmas once grown in

Thanks. Hopefully it will work. I'm inclined to agree about the willow moss.

*cough* fill that tank up...I'm dying to see it filled up.. also get some cardinals and cories and maybe.... a betta *dun dun dun* if the cardinals dont nip it

I will eventually. I just took a break from sawing up some wood. No cardinals, tanks is too small, think smaller, maybe corydoras, but only dwarf species. I am considering the following species as there are rules for fish in the Dutch style too.

Top layer: a small gourami or a very small small livebearer (Heterandria formosa )

Middle layer: a school of a boraras species. Leaning towards B. brigittae or urophthalmoides.

Bottom layer: A school of C. habrosus from my 10g tank. A better choice than C. pygmaeus and C. hastatus are more middle dwelling. Or a group of E. jerdoni for something new and different.

 

[lljdma06]

More Moss Musings​

I was wavering whether or not to use thread for my moss wall venture. I decided against it. Incase the moss doesn't anchor to the wall, I want it to remain attached regardless. Thread degrades over time. So, I opted for a very fine test fishing line.

This is what I ended up with after about 20 minutes in the sports section of Kmart.

It is particularly well-suited for making knots and twisting, which is precisely what I want it to do. It is also strong and won't degrade. It is transparent, so it will be hard to see, yet it has a green tinge, so it will blend with the moss once it grows in.

Another advantage is that it give me a lot to work with for very little and I was able to splurge and purchase nice quality line. There were much cheaper lines available, but they came with warnings of lead content. Not that that is horrible, we use lead weights to anchor plants all the time, but it is never permanent and the moss wall will be up for much longer. I didn't want that risk.

Now, I just have to wait for the moss.

Hiding Everything​

The CO2 tubes, the light cord, and the HOB cords can create an unsightly mess. I wanted to hide as much of the hardware as possible this time. I found this neat little box at Marshall's (I know not your typical fish place).

It is flimsy enough that I can make holes for the tubing and chords and ventilated so that I can hide the power strip. It also fits well underneath the end table, effectively hiding all my hardware. I also purchased these suction cups.

These will secure the CO2 tubing close to the wall of the aquarium. I'm thinking about everything with this tank.

Now, I just have to wait for them to arrive.

Hardscape​

After much sawing and hacking, I've narrowed down my hardscape choices. The irony is that I ended up not using the wood I spent the better part of an afternoon hacking away at. It was just too big. I have several smaller pieces, which I may still hack up.

Different angle for one piece

With the knots and holes, I think they'll be great for attaching things to. The large piece will probably be the focal point wood and will play off the HC/HM street. It will probably end up being an anubia petite nana street which will end on the high point of the wood 2/3 into the tank, forming a focal point cluster with petite nana, a red plant, and possibly a taller grass specimen plant. Hard to picture. I can see it, but it is hard to explain.

The two smaller pieces, which may be further cut up into smaller pieces will possibly have pelia attached to them and be placed towards the front of the tank to form little mounds. Which will contrast very well, I think, with P. helferi. I don't know, though, Pelia is so darned messy. Christmas moss might work too. The wood will have something on it and that something will contrast well with P. helferi. The little "woodland" corner of the Dutch will be rounded out, I think, with some toadstool-like Hydrocotyle verticillata. It will be an attractive little corner that will play off the focal point and lead the eye to it. H. verticillata has some street potential as well, and it may be explored for this purpose. I just have to make sure I can purchase it here. Another possibility, though not as cute, Marsilea hirsuta or minima. Those, I can easily find in the US, but they will not make as pretty a picture.

Waiting, waiting, I've been Waiting... ​

I'm playing the waiting game on this tank. I'm waiting on the following, which is currently being shipped.

TPN+
Two Rhinox 1000 diffusers
Clear CO2 tubing
Suction cups
Check valves
Dropchecker
Jewelry scale
Willow Moss
Christmas Moss

Once these items arrive, I can get started and order the rest of the plants, as that process will take very little time. The fish, though extremely important to this setup, will not be added until the tank has been planted and the tank has settled somewhat into a routine. I will be playing with some fragile species and I will not compromise their health.

As always, thanks for looking, and comments are always welcome.

llj

 

[shrimply]

Hi llj, just posting a quick message of praise really.

Don't know enough about planted tanks to comment on your plant choice or layout, but I'm really enjoying reading through all your journals.

All your tanks look amazing but the main thing I wanted to say was your posts are so well written. They are easy to read and very informative. I'm learning so much from you alone on this forum

Can't wait to see this tank developing.

 

[Amunet]

Very cool idea w/ the moss wall! I'll have to try it one day
If you're afraid that the rough side is too smooth, maybe you could take a piece of sandpaper to it and gently scratch it up a bit?

Very nice thread so far though! I can't wait to see what it looks like once everything starts going in

 

[lljdma06]

Hi llj, just posting a quick message of praise really.

Don't know enough about planted tanks to comment on your plant choice or layout, but I'm really enjoying reading through all your journals.

All your tanks look amazing but the main thing I wanted to say was your posts are so well written. They are easy to read and very informative. I'm learning so much from you alone on this forum

Can't wait to see this tank developing.

Thank you Shrimply. That means a lot to me.

Very cool idea w/ the moss wall! I'll have to try it one day
If you're afraid that the rough side is too smooth, maybe you could take a piece of sandpaper to it and gently scratch it up a bit?

Very nice thread so far though! I can't wait to see what it looks like once everything starts going in

Yes, I had thought about the sand paper, but it's pretty coarse on that side. Yeah, I can't wait to see it either, but half my stuff is coming from overseas, so I can take a nap on this one.

 

[lljdma06]

The New Equipment

As I said before, the new equipment arrived, yesterday, and today I had the opportunity to take it all out of their boxes and inspect them. Here are a few photos.

From Aquaticmagic

The Rhinox 1000 Pollen diffuser

The Chameleon drop checker

The TPN+ from AquaEssentials and the Digital jewelry scale from eBay

Everything looks to be in nice shape (no cracks, etc.)

A little change

I remembered this piece of old black wood from my 10g. It had nothing attached to it over there, so I easily removed it and am using it for this scape. I like the look of the black wood, so this replaces the largest of the previous piece.

I'm still keeping the little pieces.

Surprise, surprise: Initial Plantings

I decided with most of the equipment already here and some plants available to me, I decided to begin setup. This also allows me to determine how the CO2 will work and I can fiddle with things and use the drop checker to measure CO2 levels throughout the tank before I begin the main planting. A very important thing to do, in my humble opinion.

Here is the tank with just squeezed mulm from my filter media. It wasn't much.

After that, I added a mixture of laterite, coarse sand, and small-grain gravel. This layer is not especially thick, about 1/2-2/3 inch deep. You can see my new substrate spreader. I really like the new aquascaping tools, they were very useful.

I managed to grab quite a bit of petite nana from my outdoor tub. I found one with larger leaves and oriented it towards the back, while the smaller anubias are more towards the front. I trimmed the leaves, the roots, and separated individual rhizomes. I then attached them to the old black wood with the new fishing line. It took me a little bit to get the hang of it, but it ended up being very good to work with and the anubias are very secure. I finished the substrate with a fine white sand cap.

And a closeup of the anubias. You can just see the fishing line, but this is a macro shot. If you just glance at the tank, you can't see the line. Very nice.

Here are some photos of the tank after this initial planting. Only the anubia wood is in the "final" position, the other pieces are there for an idea and to make sure it is submerged. They still need to be clean a little more and covered with what they need to be covered with (moss or subwassertag). The hydrocotyle will probably be replanted once the wood has been repositioned and the other plants are placed. If I have extra weeping moss, I'll make sure I use it. I like the basic idea and can kind of picture the final result. Might need some mild tweaking, but I can't do anything until everything comes in.

Hydrocotyle shots. This plant is adorable. I selected the smallest, straightest stems and separated them so they could be individually planted with the rest going into my outdoor tub. It's like little umbrellas. Moss will probably be the best constrast plant but I'll see how the subwassertang looks too.

Another tank shot. Again, the scaping isn't done yet. Things may still be moved around quite a bit. The great thing is that the wood is at the surface, so it's just a matter of repositioning. It also looks like I'll be getting some Fissidens fontalis from a member at APC. I have no idea what I'll do with that, but depending on how much I get, it can be fantastic for draping on the black wood.

I am so pleased that this will potentially be done by the end of next week. This took so much planning and I think I've coordinated it well.

Finally, I hooked up the Rhinox to test the CO2 diffuser. It's working, big sigh of relief. Lots of little teeny, tiny bubbles and the way I've positioned the current, I can see bubbles flowing to where I plan on putting the HC and the Nesea. I don't have pictures yet of that. I'll install the drop checker and start measureing CO2 tomorrow. The photo period right now is at 4 hours. I don't have it densly planted yet, and it's only two plants. Once it's planted, I'll up it to six for the first few weeks.

As always, thank you so much for looking at this thread and your comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

llj

 

[three-fingers]

, his is going to be stunning, it looks good already and the thread so far is an exiting read .

Will be watching for updates .

Another advantage is that it give me a lot to work with for very little and I was able to splurge and purchase nice quality line. There were much cheaper lines available, but they came with warnings of lead content. Not that that is horrible, we use lead weights to anchor plants all the time, but it is never permanent and the moss wall will be up for much longer. I didn't want that risk.

Just in case you or anyone else is tempted to use fishing line with lead warning on it in the future, I thought it would be important to not that the "lead" plant weights we use are actually usually made of a magnesium/zinc alloy these days.

Actual lead weights arent used anymore at all from what I understand, and they would only be safe to use if the pH in the aquarium was above 7 since then an oxide layer forms and prevents lead leaching into the surrounding water, killing sensitive inverts first and causing chronic poisoning to fish, depending on how much lead has leached.

 

[lljdma06]

, his is going to be stunning, it looks good already and the thread so far is an exiting read .

Will be watching for updates .

Another advantage is that it give me a lot to work with for very little and I was able to splurge and purchase nice quality line. There were much cheaper lines available, but they came with warnings of lead content. Not that that is horrible, we use lead weights to anchor plants all the time, but it is never permanent and the moss wall will be up for much longer. I didn't want that risk.

Just in case you or anyone else is tempted to use fishing line with lead warning on it in the future, I thought it would be important to not that the "lead" plant weights we use are actually usually made of a magnesium/zinc alloy these days.

Actual lead weights arent used anymore at all from what I understand, and they would only be safe to use if the pH in the aquarium was above 7 since then an oxide layer forms and prevents lead leaching into the surrounding water, killing sensitive inverts first and causing chronic poisoning to fish, depending on how much lead has leached.

This is very important Shrimply and precisely why I opted not to buy the cheaper line with the lead warning. With CO2 injection, planted tanks are easily below a pH of 7 and many of us enjoy keeping invertebrates.

On a happier note...

Just added the drop checker. I'll admit, it was a bit tricky getting the water into the ball, but I managed. I also made my own 4dkh. I cannot vouch for its incredible accuracy though, sorry SuperColey1. I did have to do some conversions. I'm not going to run around measuring 5000ml of water and measure 6 grams of Sodium bicarbonate. Too much to carry around and I actually did not have that much distilled water lying around (I only had a gallon), so I just used proportions so I could get away with a 40dkh that was about 1000ml. Much easier, IMO to work with. Then I just combined a set amount of that it until I had the appropriate ratio for a 4dkh solution. Told you I did well in chemistry. I'll still tweak with it though and get better equipment, as what I did was very ghetto. I'm still learning. I did appreciate the digital scale, that helped a lot. I only had a 500ml measurer, so I'll have to buy one for 50 and probably one for 100ml, with more lines of graduation, so I can measure better. I'm not going to buy the graduated cyllinders. That's a little much.

Coincidently, it's about 1/4 tsp of sodium bicarbonate for 1000ml of water. Again, don't know how accurate that is, I was just observing the number of level 1/8 tsp I needed to get 1.2grams according to the scale. It ended up being two, 1/8 tsp.

Now, I just have to wait for the color to change to green. Better to fiddle and play with this now, IMO, than to wait for the plants to arrive. I positioned the drop checker close to where I plan on planting the HC. Once I see a color change, I'll move it around the tank and get readings for about where I plan to plant the other plants. This is a little tank and I have two canisters right now. I might have to shut off the CO2 if I see it going to high, or use less, but it doesn't really matter as there are no fish. It would be nice to observe the different colors now, so I know them. There are also adjustments to be made once I get the full plant load. Right now, anubias and hydrocotyle have a monopoly on CO2 with only a 4 hour photo period. The CO2 levels are going to be higher now.

Perfect time to tweak things, I think.

llj