# Planted Tanks > Aquascaping >  Je®vis' ADA 60 Stone Formation Project

## Jervis

Hi guys

Revealing another project in the making... don't dare to use the big word "Iwagumi" for the time being as I have not really decided on my flora list yet... so let's call it *ROCK FORMATION PROJECT* for now  :Grin: 

Here are some basic specifications:
*Tank:* 60x30x36cm ADA Cube Garden with Juwel cabinet
*Filter:* Eheim Professional II 2026 canister with ADA Lily Pipes*
*Filtration Media:* Eheim Substrate Pro, ADA Bio Rio & ADA Bamboo Charcoal
*Lighting:* ATI Powermodul 4 x 24W HO T5
*Chiller:* Arctica Mini 1/15hp*
*Substrate:* ADA complete substrate
* Coming soon



Let's take a closer look at the lighting fixture... an old 2ft ATI Powermodule (can see all the battle scars)... I will decide on the final tube mixture tomorrow... it's nice to see a hanging fixture over a braceless glass tank  :Smile: 



Nothing out of the extraordinary... my usual way of preparing the substrate... I am really getting the hang of it  :Smug: 



My first mistake... I think I am too used to buying rocks for nano tanks  :Opps: 



Putting all those small pieces of Black Granite to use will be my biggest challenge!

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## sfk7

Wow bro

really envy you always having such nice stuff

will surely await for more updates on this tank!!

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## oblivion

from what i can judge in the pic, you indeed need some bigger rocks
or at least a bigger main and side rock for the iwagumi formation
the rest can remain as the sub rocks

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## DanNiErSi

another project nice one bro =) :Well done: 
hope to see more picture and update=)

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## Jervis

> will surely await for more updates on this tank!!


Yes will update more these 2 days  :Smile: 




> from what i can judge in the pic, you indeed need some bigger rocks or at least a bigger main and side rock for the iwagumi formation the rest can remain as the sub rocks


Well bro... after spending hours on the rocks... sorta settled for this layout  :Smile: 



What you guys think?

I leave plenty of space for planting...



looks not bad  :Smile: 
you stacked rocks above another on the left side to achieve the height?

some of my comments based on your pics:

the left rock grouping seems to point up a little too straight
a little slant may give it more of a natural look

and the center front rock looks a little out of place
maybe a bit further back and bury it a bit deeper so that it looks shorter and flatter may be better?

and an additional rock to the right to make a small grouping there as the lone rock looks kinda lonely and makes the right side a little empty

and lastly, if you can get some real small granite rock bits to scatter around the base of the groupings it would be perfect  :Grin: 

hope you find these comments useful
am quite impressed by the detail you put into your scaping projects and online scape journals and am looking forward to see how your tanks develop

you make me envious!
i can only wait till i settle my house-hunting before i can even begin to dream of trying similar projects  :Roll Eyes:

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## EvolutionZ

so this is your secret project! :Evil: 

haha.. anyway.. like what lee1224 said, maybe you want to change your rock in the middle front piece to a smaller one... but overall look, the formation is very nice.. anyway, can you pm me where you got the rocks from?

oh ya... for your chiller. maybe you want to change to a 1/10hp one for this 2ft. 1/15hp might eat up alot of electricity.

my 2 cents :Smile:

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## o2bubble

Wow, another ada tank! You are really a big customer of biotope. Thio really must be all smiles for this month income! Anyway, i think the left slope can be higher.

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## Jervis

> looks not bad 
> you stacked rocks above another on the left side to achieve the height?
> 
> some of my comments based on your pics:
> 
> the left rock grouping seems to point up a little too straight
> a little slant may give it more of a natural look
> 
> and the center front rock looks a little out of place
> ...


Will consider all your suggestions... but I do have my reasons for some of the elements... I believe my vision will only be complete with plants in it. I will continue to look for a taller slanting peak  :Smile: 




> haha.. anyway.. like what lee1224 said, maybe you want to change your rock in the middle front piece to a smaller one... but overall look, the formation is very nice.. anyway, can you pm me where you got the rocks from?
> 
> oh ya... for your chiller. maybe you want to change to a 1/10hp one for this 2ft. 1/15hp might eat up alot of electricity.
> 
> my 2 cents


Once my plants grow taller the middle front rock will not appear as it is now... I am trying to avoid having a nice rockscape to only be buried by plants 2 months later. About the chiller, I've had previous experience with this little guy... in one of my marine setups with a lot more heat generated by internal pumps, wavemaker and skimmer... IME this 1/15hp will be perfect for the job... not to mention it being extremely quiet  :Smile: 

I bought the rocks from NA

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## PlAnTaNoOb

wow... you sure are rich, bro.
Also, your clever use of rocks as hardscape has greatly tempted me to get a new tank started with rocks. :Opps: 
Just a little comment. There's this thick wire that comes down at the side of your tank. Are there any ways of hiding it? It spoilts the first impression a little.

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## Jervis

> Just a little comment. There's this thick wire that comes down at the side of your tank. Are there any ways of hiding it? It spoilts the first impression a little.


Great point there  :Laughing:  Alright will find ways to get rid of it (or at least make it invisible)  :Smug:

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## Shadow

it shouldn't be fissible from the front once you fill in the water.

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## zenscape

Another great project journal by Jevis  :Well done: 

The rock layout looks good to me. Very stable looking and good choice of placement of rocks. Flatten the right smaller slope a tad bit will perfect the overall, IMHO. You may consider scraping the right slope all together and bring the left main cluster to off centre 1/3 from the left with one hump only. 

Whatever is your choice, I see great potential in this layout. Please keep us updated on the planting.

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## fireblade

what can I say...
jaw dropped again!!  :Surprised:

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## Jervis

> Flatten the right smaller slope a tad bit will perfect the overall, IMHO. You may consider scraping the right slope all together and bring the left main cluster to off centre 1/3 from the left with one hump only.


Oh bro... I should've log on during lunch time today... I have already planted the tank  :Confused:  If not, I will definitely take some of your suggestions  :Sad: 

Let's continue with a closer look at my filtration system. Chose Eheim ProII 2026 as the ProII series come with stronger pumps (compared to Ecco). As I will connecting the return to a chiller later, planning ahead for considerable head loss.



The Pro II comes with 2 trays:
*Bottom tray:* Eheim ceramic rings and Eheim Substrate Pro
*Upper tray:* Coarse blue sponge (base), a bag of ADA Bamboo Charcoal surrounded by ADA Bio Rio and lastly, a top layer of fine white sponge.

Daily ADA Green Bacter dose to help enhance the cultivation of beneficial bacteria  :Smile: 

Went look for light tubes today... bought 2 Arcadia Plant Pro (was told 8000K) and 2 Osram 6500K tubes.

The effect is quite nice and crisp... but somehow lacks yellow... might replace 1 Arcadia Plant Pro with a yellow tube (somewhere in the range of 4500K)



What do you guys think?

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## eddy planer

hi jevis,

Hmm the Arcadia Plant Pro 8000k T5 tube looks good!

Can you pm me the supplier and its price for 4ft or whatever.To ask you why do you need to replace ATI tube to Arcadia Plant Pro? I thought that ATI tube is best?

Hope that you will help me... thanks

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## torque6

Jervis,

You bought so many stuff from Thio, was wondering if he still gives out the same Customer Platinium Priviledge card with our name embossed on it ? :Grin: 

Rocks look nice, though i prefered if you got 1 huge main rock instead of stacking it, but getting a Main rock for iwagumi depends on luck, i got mine from Thio after 3 months of searching LFS, seems only midori and biotope were carrying granite rocks with white treaks. Believe i recalled NA got a huge box of stones about 4-6 weeks back, might want to check them out.

Was going to add getting a set of 60CM Arcadia Luminaire from Qianhu, but you've already got a customed PL. No worries. As usual, 2 thumps up for both your 30/60 projects, looking forward to seeing them as they matures. 

Keep us updated. Thanks.

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## Jervis

> hi jevis,
> 
> Hmm the Arcadia Plant Pro 8000k T5 tube looks good!
> 
> Can you pm me the supplier and its price for 4ft or whatever.To ask you why do you need to replace ATI tube to Arcadia Plant Pro? I thought that ATI tube is best?
> 
> Hope that you will help me... thanks


Hi Eddy

Yeah the Arcadia Plant Pro is good (as shown in their website) with spectral output that peaks at 400nm (blue) and 600nm (red). But the tube looks slightly pinkish to our eyes... that's why we need to rely on other tubes to balance its pinkishness.

Price wise... it is the most expensive T5 I've ever purchased (almost 4 red notes $40 for a 2ft... you can do the math for 4ft)  :Opps:  I got them from Balestier.

ATI is the best IMO, but those are Aquablue Spezial and Actinic... from my marine setup.

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## eddy planer

Jevis,

thanks for the infro, hmmmm i will be watching you till you complete your tank set up. If that Arcadia Plant Pro T5 good, this will be going on my list for my new project.

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## Jervis

> Jevis,
> 
> thanks for the infro, hmmmm i will be watching you till you complete your tank set up. If that Arcadia Plant Pro T5 good, this will be going on my list for my new project.


Ok I will feature more of this T5 tube... you can actually just opt for 1 Plant Pro tube to get a good mix with other tubes. If you are interested in crystal bluish spectrum, you can consider ATI Aquablue Spezial too... that tube will give more of the 400nm (blue) spectrum which will encourage growth too... but from my research, 400nm also promotes algae growth  :Sad:

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## eddy planer

I will take noted... I'm not too worry about algae even i get 400nm , i have 8 large yamatos, 1 SAE, 25 malaya shrimps and 1kg peat media for canister are doing a awesome job for my 4ft planted tank.

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## Jervis

> I will take noted... I'm not too worry about algae even i get 400nm , i have 8 large yamatos, 1 SAE, 25 malaya shrimps and 1kg peat media for canister are doing a awesome job for my 4ft planted tank.


PM me if you need help (I do have some used 4ft ATI tubes)... I've experimented with a lot of tubes before  :Smile: 

Now let's see some greens...

First plant to go in... _Anubias nana_  :Smile:  Must thank bro Illumnae for suggesting me a nice location for it  :Well done: 



Tied the plant to some tiny lava rock using ADA Moss Cotton... the string is actually quite stiff... easier to handle than I thought  :Smile:

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## EvolutionZ

full tank shot?  :Grin:

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## eddy planer

hey jervis

pm me the price of ADA moss string? oops sorry :Embarassed: 

look so cool

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## Jervis

> full tank shot?


How about an angled shot?  :Grin: 



Took me almost 3 hours of planting  :Confused: 

First time revealing my Eheim green pipings... will get them replaced soon.




> hey jervis
> 
> pm me the price of ADA moss string? oops sorry
> 
> look so cool


HERE for more info... I think it's around 1 red note  :Smile: 

I am very pleased with the crystal clear water actually... and the glass clarity is unrivaled IMO (for that price range)  :Smile: 



You can see the pinkish spectrum of the Arcadia Plant Pro T5 tubes.



Love the hidden _Anubias nana_

What do you guys think?

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## oblivion

> Will consider all your suggestions... but I do have my reasons for some of the elements... I believe my vision will only be complete with plants in it. I will continue to look for a taller slanting peak





> Once my plants grow taller the middle front rock will not appear as it is now... I am trying to avoid having a nice rockscape to only be buried by plants 2 months later.


no problems. do what you want with it! its your project! 
we are all just throwing in suggestions for additional ideas-sharing 'cause we are so excited about it!  :Smile: 
very true things tend to look very different once the plants grow in, which we all tend to forget when looking at the bare hardscape
i look forward to seeing the completed look of your project  :Well done: 




> Now let's see some greens...
> 
> First plant to go in... _Anubias nana_  Must thank bro Illumnae for suggesting me a nice location for it 
> 
> 
> 
> Tied the plant to some tiny lava rock using ADA Moss Cotton... the string is actually quite stiff... easier to handle than I thought


a comment on my experience with the ADA moss cotton... i'm not sure if the weather and water conditions here in Singapore are a contributing factor, but in my case, i find that it tends to melt off (its designed to anyway) before the plants fully grab hold of the rocks or wood
had my spiky moss floating off my driftwood when the moss cotton melted off and they had yet to grab hold of the wood

and one more thing, don't add in shrimps too early! or at least keep them very well fed  :Grin: 
my shrimps in another tank i used moss cotton in ate off all the moss cotton on my painstakingly tied fissidens bogwood within 2 days  :Evil: 
needless to say, waste of my effort  :Exasperated:

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## Jervis

> a comment on my experience with the ADA moss cotton... i'm not sure if the weather and water conditions here in Singapore are a contributing factor, but in my case, i find that it tends to melt off (its designed to anyway) before the plants fully grab hold of the rocks or wood
> had my spiky moss floating off my driftwood when the moss cotton melted off and they had yet to grab hold of the wood
> 
> and one more thing, don't add in shrimps too early! or at least keep them very well fed 
> my shrimps in another tank i used moss cotton in ate off all the moss cotton on my painstakingly tied fissidens bogwood within 2 days 
> needless to say, waste of my effort


I got a feeling water condition of individual tank could possibly be the factor... I'll take note of it before adding shrimps, maybe change it to Wood Tight instead. You should use Riccia Line (or common fishing line) for that matter  :Smile:

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## oblivion

haha i used to use normal clothes threads with no problems
when i got hold of the moss cotton sometime last year i tried it out on a number of things, but for me they never really lasted long enough till the plants could properly grab hold

but one point i omitted to add earlier was that the common denominator for all the attempts were in low tech non-co2 tanks
plant growth and development in co2 enriched tanks could make this problem i brought-up as non-existent
but i cant be sure since i suspect water conditions may play a part in the early deterioration

but the shrimps chomping away the moss cotton is definitely true. my own eyes witnessed  :Grin:

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## torque6

3 hours of planting is definitely worth it. Love your angle shot. :Smile:

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## eddy planer

> I am very pleased with the crystal clear water actually... and the glass clarity is unrivaled IMO (for that price range) 
> 
> 
> 
> You can see the pinkish spectrum of the Arcadia Plant Pro T5 tubes.
> 
> 
> 
> Love the hidden _Anubias nana_
> ...



Wow! jevis!

like the valley of shangri la! :Well done:  :Well done: 

perharps i would like you to help me to rescape my 4 ft tank after i invest new fluval X5  :Roll Eyes: 

good job! :Well done:

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## Jervis

When I reach office this morning, I find that the plants doesn't look as stunning as yesterday... then i realized only 2 Osram 6500K lit up (on timer)... now I am convinced the Arcadia Plant Pro does make a difference... my tank looks so flat without it (it's bright enough... but just flat).

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## jacian

It is a very nice setup. I have something very similar to your setup in mind. Hopefully I can get my 'project' started by this month.  :Smile:

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## Quincy

You never failed to impress me with your equipments and your scape. Another lovely tank  :Well done:

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## fireblade

Hi Bro Jervis

what plant did you use for your foregraound? 
is that glosso or HC?

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## Jervis

> Hi Bro Jervis
> 
> what plant did you use for your foregraound? 
> is that glosso or HC?


Glad someone ask  :Grin:  Actually I did a major noob mistake yesterday... I have a bit of _Glossostigma elatinoides_ (1 pot worth) as mid ground plant surrounding some rocks... but then I mistakenly bought 3 pots of HM (wanted to get HC actually)  :Crying:  :Crying:  :Crying:  They look so similar! Now I am figuring out what to do next  :Opps:

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## fireblade

haha I can read your mind.. :P
HM can be nice backdround plants for your 30cm cube tank...
where did you get your HM?

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## Jervis

> haha I can read your mind.. :P
> HM can be nice backdround plants for your 30cm cube tank...
> where did you get your HM?


Got it from Colourful... swear they look like HC when I bought them  :Crying:

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## Fei Miao

> 


I'm impressed with the rock placements, any frontal shots?

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## fireblade

> Got it from Colourful... swear they look like HC when I bought them


thought HM normally are taller?
can PM me the price..
I thinking of getting HM for my 2 feet tank.. but I need to do alot of house cleaning first..

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## ADA SG

> a comment on my experience with the ADA moss cotton... i'm not sure if the weather and water conditions here in Singapore are a contributing factor, but in my case, i find that it tends to melt off (its designed to anyway) before the plants fully grab hold of the rocks or wood
> had my spiky moss floating off my driftwood when the moss cotton melted off and they had yet to grab hold of the wood


Hi Lee,
as with all cotton threads, they will disintegrate after a period of time in the water. Based on our own experiences, normal white cotton threads will also disintegrate after a week or so.

In addition, the moss cotton assumes that the moss used clings to wood or stone, which generally are the Christmas moss, Taiwan moss or "Willow" moss which are used in ADA scapes. I am not very sure if Spiky moss falls into the same genus as those mentioned.

Our experiences with Christmas and Taiwan mosses showed that by the time the thread disintegrates, the moss have attached themselves to the wood.

To Jervis,
great looking scape. Looking forward to the see the foreground being covered.

Due to the low plant mass currently, we will suggest an initial lighting period of only 3-4 hours, and incrementally adjusted by 1 hour till the required 8-10 hours.

In additional, a water change on the 3rd day is suggested as well to remove excess nutrients in the water.

Hope to see your tanks ready for the coming ADA competition!

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## zoombee

another nice tank...always enjoy reading your tank journal bro  :Smile:

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## oblivion

> Hi Lee,
> as with all cotton threads, they will disintegrate after a period of time in the water. Based on our own experiences, normal white cotton threads will also disintegrate after a week or so.
> 
> In addition, the moss cotton assumes that the moss used clings to wood or stone, which generally are the Christmas moss, Taiwan moss or "Willow" moss which are used in ADA scapes. I am not very sure if Spiky moss falls into the same genus as those mentioned.
> 
> Our experiences with Christmas and Taiwan mosses showed that by the time the thread disintegrates, the moss have attached themselves to the wood.


yeah i bought it purely for the disintegration ability of the ada moss cotton
just didnt expect the thread to disintegrate before my plants fully caught hold of the wood/rock
previously i used a china-brand black cotton thread and it lasted pretty long...around a couple of months before it disintegrated

i used to have spiky moss on wood in one of my old setups and it definitely sticks... 'cause i had difficulty peeling the moss off the wood when i tore the setup down
and i have xmas moss on ada moss balls as well, and the moss came loose when the moss cotton disintegrated and the xmas moss had yet to grab onto the moss balls

well, im not saying the ada moss cotton is not a good product hehe  :Grin: 
just sharing my mileage with it

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## Jervis

> I'm impressed with the rock placements, any frontal shots?


Thanks! Here's a FTS for your enjoyment  :Laughing: 



An angle shot.





Flora listing (bottom up):
_Hemianthus micranthemoides
Glossostigma elatinoides
Eleocharis acicularis
Anubias nana
Blyxa japonica (hidden behind rocks)
Eleocharis vivipara_

Anyone find the _Eleocharis vivipara_ background messy?

The temperature shot up to 27.5ºC this morning  :Sad: 



Quickly installed a fan to tackle the situation... by end day the water temperature is at a comfortable 24ºC  :Grin: 



But that's only achievable under air-con environment... it will be a problem during the weekends as the office is usually very warm and stuffy.

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## torque6

> Hi Lee,
> as with all cotton threads, they will disintegrate after a period of time in the water. Based on our own experiences, normal white cotton threads will also disintegrate after a week or so.
> 
> In addition, the moss cotton assumes that the moss used clings to wood or stone, which generally are the Christmas moss, Taiwan moss or "Willow" moss which are used in ADA scapes. I am not very sure if Spiky moss falls into the same genus as those mentioned.
> 
> Our experiences with Christmas and Taiwan mosses showed that by the time the thread disintegrates, the moss have attached themselves to the wood.
> 
> To Jervis,
> great looking scape. Looking forward to the see the foreground being covered.
> ...


 
===OMG, thio became ADA merchant complete with ADA logo  :Shocked:

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## torque6

Jervis, 

Wa, your small fan can bring down temperature so quickly meh ??!! Must be a very hardworking fan :Grin: 

At a closer look at your rock scape, I do notice a resemblance of a pot bellied guy louching comfortably, legs stretched out, arms apart and enjoying the horizons... cool man.

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## Jervis

> Wa, your small fan can bring down temperature so quickly meh ??!! Must be a very hardworking fan
> 
> At a closer look at your rock scape, I do notice a resemblance of a pot bellied guy louching comfortably, legs stretched out, arms apart and enjoying the horizons... cool man.


It's partly due to the air-conditioning... and you do have a set of very creative eyes... I am beginning to see it  :Smile: 

Time to feature some equipments...

Eheim Pro2 2026 (the heart of the system) and CO2 system, shared with my 1ft cube.



Added a chiller today... set at 25ºC for a start  :Smile: 



I am glad that the Eheim Pro2 2026 produce enough flow to run through the chiller  :Smile: 

My tank going high-tech today... with Aquatronica pH probe and Water Level Sensor (able to automatically top up fresh water).



But they are such eyesore in a braceless tank  :Sad:

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## aquascaping1982

Hi Jervis, where do you get the seachem alert series from? Is that a sticker or something?

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## Jervis

> Hi Jervis, where do you get the seachem alert series from? Is that a sticker or something?


Bought it from NA, it comes with a suction cap.

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## spgan

> My tank going high-tech today... with Aquatronica pH probe and Water Level Sensor (able to automatically top up fresh water).
> 
> 
> 
> But they are such eyesore in a braceless tank


 
Goosh... this is really high tech with water level sensor, do you connect this to a water tank? Been reading up your post daily on your 30cm and this 60cm cube. I must say it has been impressive. And you left your tanks in your office - are you the boss?  :Roll Eyes: 

Keep it up!  :Wink:

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## Jervis

> do you connect this to a water tank?


Yeah will connect to a tub filled with water... will fix it up tomorrow  :Smile: 

The _Hemianthus micranthemoides_ are looking quite healthy  :Smile: 





Thanks to a bro here... I am "misting" the tank with CO2  :Smug:

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## EvolutionZ

wow... first time see a water level sensor.. eye opener!

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## eddy planer

Hi jevis,

It is good to have high tech like water sensor but there is the pro and con regarding to this. 

The con is after topping up tap water automatically, can this guarantee the life of your fishes without any anti chlorine solution been add while you away?

I experienced all my 100 prized cardinals dead using the same method 2 years ago so i decided to tear it down to prevent this nasty catastrophe.

Unless you install "Diamond" filter system to eliminate chlorine for your prized ADA cube tank :Roll Eyes:

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## Jervis

> Hi jevis,
> 
> It is good to have high tech like water sensor but there is the pro and con regarding to this. 
> 
> The con is after topping up tap water automatically, can this guarantee the life of your fishes without any anti chlorine solution been add while you away?
> 
> I experienced all my 100 prized cardinals dead using the same method 2 years ago so i decided to tear it down to prevent this nasty catastrophe.
> 
> Unless you install "Diamond" filter system to eliminate chlorine for your prized ADA cube tank


My 3-stage DI filter will be able to remove chlorine... you use tap water without anti-chlorine solution?  :Knockout:  You don't need "Diamond" filter (a popular brand in Malaysia) to remove chlorine... mostly all water filters suitable for fishkeeping can do the task quite easily.




> wow... first time see a water level sensor.. eye opener!


Actually this Aquatronica "float switch" type of sensor is considered old fashion... Tunze uses infrared for their Osmolator set.

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## eddy planer

jevis,

Hmmm that good idea!

So you have everything planned, well done! :Well done: 

Tell me in pm how much do you purchase and the supplier for this amazing 3 stages DI filter? I'm seriously considering to lay my hands on it!.

thanks a million!

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## Sunflower

bro you really are the envy of the hobbyist in this forum...i can kill easily my lunch time just following your thread. Bravo  :Jump for joy:

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## Jervis

> Tell me in pm how much do you purchase and the supplier for this amazing 3 stages DI filter? I'm seriously considering to lay my hands on it!.!


I am using Crystal Pro. You can get the 1-Stage too.

For more information, click below:
Protecting Your Aquarium from Toxins

But the DI filter will remove almost all elements... you may need to readjust your dosing/fertilizer regimen... and the KH and pH might be affected too. Proceed with caution  :Smile:

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## eddy planer

jevis,

The 1 or 3 stages DI filter , you connected from water supply(tap) direct to DI filter to tank?

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## Jervis

> jevis,
> 
> The 1 or 3 stages DI filter , you connected from water supply(tap) direct to DI filter to tank?


Yupe... you might need adaptor though  :Smile:  Go to any marine LFS... see the actual unit to figure out how to do the connection part.

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## Jervis

After 3 days of planting... say hello to Mr. Algae  :Sad: 





So went out to do some shopping during lunch  :Grin: 




> Time to feature some equipments...
> 
> Eheim Pro2 2026 (the heart of the system) and CO2 system, shared with my 1ft cube.
> 
> 
> 
> Added a chiller today... set at 25ºC for a start 
> 
> 
> ...


more expensive toys....which model is the artica bro can share? whats the on and standby timing of the chiller with your current setup?




> more expensive toys....which model is the artica bro can share? whats the on and standby timing of the chiller with your current setup?


It's a Arctica Nano 1/15hp. The only setback of this nano range is the 0.5ºC range. Other chillers are usually 1ºC. I set the chiller at 25ºC, meaning once the water reaches 25.5ºC it will kick-in and bring down to 25ºC. The rate of kicking in is quite high but it takes about 10 min to chill 0.5ºC (room temperature at around 24ºC to 26ºC).

One amazing thing about this baby is... I can't hear a thing! Gotto look at the LED light to check if it is running  :Laughing:

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## zoombee

> It's a Arctica Nano 1/15hp. The only setback of this nano range is the 0.5ºC range. Other chillers are usually 1ºC. I set the chiller at 25ºC, meaning once the water reaches 25.5ºC it will kick-in and bring down to 25ºC. The rate of kicking in is quite high but it takes about 10 min to chill 0.5ºC (room temperature at around 24ºC to 26ºC).
> 
> One amazing thing about this baby is... I can't hear a thing! Gotto look at the LED light to check if it is running


thanks..how long does it go into standby?

i am like contemplating to change to a better chiller after the thermostat in my resun broke down...

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## Jervis

> thanks..how long does it go into standby?
> 
> i am like contemplating to change to a better chiller after the thermostat in my resun broke down...


I do not really keep count of the timing... probably 1 hr or so (again depending on room temperature and equipment load)  :Huh?: 

Introducing my tank's first resident... got 2 Oto to help control the situation  :Smile:

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## illumnae

your oto looks starved

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## Sunflower

> Hi guys
> 
> Revealing another project in the making... don't dare to use the big word "Iwagumi" for the time being as I have not really decided on my flora list yet... so let's call it *ROCK FORMATION PROJECT* for now 
> 
> Here are some basic specifications:
> *Tank:* 60x30x36cm ADA Cube Garden with Juwel cabinet
> *Filter:* Eheim Professional II 2026 canister with ADA Lily Pipes*
> *Filtration Media:* Eheim Substrate Pro, ADA Bio Rio & ADA Bamboo Charcoal
> *Lighting:* ATI Powermodul 4 x 24W HO T5
> ...


do you know if they have Powermodul 24W HO T5 for 1 feet tank?  :Wink:

----------


## Jervis

> your oto looks starved


Yeah... very skinny... I'm sure it will be able to find plenty of food in the coming weeks  :Laughing: 




> do you know if they have Powermodul 24W HO T5 for 1 feet tank?


Nope, 2ft minimum.

----------


## Jervis

Tank pH is within acceptable range... here's a graph chart.

Lowest point - 5pm yesterday (CO2 cuts off at 5pm)


Highest point - 10am today (CO2 starts at 10am)


So the pH fluctuates between 6.21 to 6.81 daily.

----------


## Magnum-

Amazing equipment you there. Thats a serious investment and i'm sure with this kind of high tech equipments, its easier for you to keep the tank stable. What is that actually? A PH controller/Meter?

----------


## torque6

Otto abit skinny, but should turn out alright in you nice tank.

----------


## ah^siao

That's the Aquatronica aquarium controller system. It is a electronic system used to manage all the electric utilities as well as monitor the various water parameters(e.g PH, temp) and chemical values of a equipment.

----------


## eddy planer

Guys,

Don't forget this Jevis was a hardcore marine aquarist, he knows where to buy stuffs to keep his marine alive. Now with his expertise and all his marine high tech toys like ATI module light system, DI filters, aquarium environment controller and so on.... will have his new hobby the planted tank a great success.

I can see he a little new in algae control as i believe that he had contained marine algae but not this planted tank.

Jevis, you can do it...with AQ's optinum support!

----------


## Jervis

> Don't forget this Jevis was a hardcore marine aquarist, he knows where to buy stuffs to keep his marine alive. Now with his expertise and all his marine high tech toys like ATI module light system, DI filters, aquarium environment controller and so on.... will have his new hobby the planted tank a great success.
> 
> I can see he a little new in algae control as i believe that he had contained marine algae but not this planted tank.
> 
> Jevis, you can do it...with AQ's optinum support!


Yeah I am just using back some of my old equipments... I rather make good use of them than to sell them at a 50% depreciation or let them rot in my storeroom  :Sad: 

Yes Eddy you are right... I am still learning how to fight algae... in marine, we have so many oversized equipments to rely on and we usually cycle our tank (in darkness) for weeks before adding livestock. So yes, it's easier to tackle algae problem in marine setup.

Will continue to learn from you guys  :Smile: 




> Amazing equipment you there. Thats a serious investment and i'm sure with this kind of high tech equipments, its easier for you to keep the tank stable. What is that actually? A PH controller/Meter?


You can learn more about Aquatronica HERE

Here's the local distributor LINK

----------


## torque6

I was waiting for jervis to link his references, hehehe finally got it. Thanks.

----------


## Jervis

An update... 8th day and I performed my 3rd 40% water change...the 2 Otos are becoming fatter... perhaps it's time to add some shrimps  :Smile: 



pH, kH and temperature are kept very consistent... running siesta lighting period to keep algae under control.

Will update again tomorrow  :Smile:

----------


## Jervis

> your oto looks starved


Bro see how quickly my Oto grew fat  :Laughing:  :Laughing:  :Laughing: 



Latest scaping with some temporary plants just to help with excess nutrients... the algae situation is under control now... I believe the increase of CO2 actually helps  :Smile: 



I am leaving tonight for 11 days... hopefully my tank will not end up a mess 11 days later  :Confused: 

Pix of recovering HM... actually I think they are HC... look at the way the creep  :Grin: 



Is this Red Whiptail Catfish? Introduced 2 of them yesterday... about 2" long very cute  :Wink: 



That's all folks... see you guys in 2 weeks  :Cool:

----------


## fireblade

wah 2 weeks!
long holiday!!
enjoy.. :>

nice nice update..
put up a web cam let us access lar... will miss your update man! :>

----------


## PlAnTaNoOb

congrats to your success in HC bro. I gave up on HC when hair algae ravaged the wool they were on. Glosso's much easier.  :Laughing:

----------


## torque6

Catch you in 2 weeks.

----------


## Jervis

> Catch you in 2 weeks.


The hotel provides free internet access  :Grin:  Bought some ADA stuff just now  :Smile:

----------


## krabbie

> The hotel provides free internet access  Bought some ADA stuff just now


You on holiday or work? Still bring laptop on holidays?  :Grin:

----------


## illumnae

Jervis! you need to get on msn to tell me when nice cheap items there are so you can buy for me!

----------


## benshthong

Hi Bro,

You are here in AQ too. Can share on your photo hours? how many hours do you on your lights? Your set has 2 different switches rite? how do you config your lightings - as in.on from what time to what to? 

Thanks

----------


## Jervis

> You on holiday or work? Still bring laptop on holidays?


On holidays... need the laptop for transferring photos  :Smile: 




> Jervis! you need to get on msn to tell me when nice cheap items there are so you can buy for me!


Lot's of nice things here... err not really that cheap... but still quite worth the effort IMO... especially those glasswares  :Grin:  :Grin:  :Grin:

----------


## ranmasatome

So enjoying your time over there eh?? got see my write-up a not?? where have you been to so far?

----------


## torque6

Enjoy your stay.

----------


## fireblade

you in japan now??

----------


## Jervis

> you in japan now??


Yupe  :Smile:  Went ADA shopping again  :Grin:

----------


## fireblade

wah!! so nice..
buy in Singapore not enough, now go to Japan and buy!!
take more photos!!

----------


## Jungle-mania

yeap, they are also called red lizards. Your tank might be too small overtime for them.

----------


## Jervis

> yeap, they are also called red lizards. Your tank might be too small overtime for them.


Yes bro, I was told exactly that... will transfer them to my up-and-coming 4 footer... soon  :Grin:

----------


## torque6

Jervis,

So the showroom in ADA JP same as the one on the website, its a good place to get more ideals on your next project  :Smile:

----------


## Jervis

> Jervis,
> 
> So the showroom in ADA JP same as the one on the website, its a good place to get more ideals on your next project


Oh no... I didn't travel to Niigata (ADA's HQ/Gallery). I just roamed around Tokyo looking for LFS selling ADA products. So far, all the roamings were well worth the leg-work!

Just wonder what have become of my 2 tanks  :Huh?:  :Huh?:  :Huh?:

----------


## fireblade

u never set up your webcam.. :P

----------


## torque6

Japan was one of the few places i envy due to the availabilty of ADA products there. Now ADA biotope has given the aquatic community here in SG the same priviledges  :Smile:

----------


## wingwa77

:Shocked:  All your equipment is truely an eye opener for a beginner like me. Anyway read about your other tanks set up also  :Well done:  :Well done:  (two thumbs up)

----------


## Jervis

I'm back!!!

Just wanna share with you guys something I discovered in Japan. A range of products for beginners by ADA called *Do!aqua*. Apparently all the products are a lot "friendlier" to the wallet take these glassware for example. The 12mm diameter Lily Pipe Outflow is selling at 3,570 Yen (S$48.50) and the 12mm Inflow is S$54.00. The design is slightly different but quality feels the same. Maybe these are Made In China (not stated in packaging).



It will be great if they are to export this sub-brand  :Smile:

----------


## zoombee

nice..hope someone bring it in to singapore..will be great if just in time for my 1ft setup

----------


## torque6

Great find, but the packaging looks like for infancy, cause color and theme similar to baby blue.

----------


## Jervis

> nice..hope someone bring it in to singapore..will be great if just in time for my 1ft setup


Yeah I do hope so... this brand also offers a wide range of products such as layout tools and fertilizers. It's still new in Japan... probably have to wait for a while  :Sad: 




> Great find, but the packaging looks like for infancy, cause color and theme similar to baby blue.


Good colour observation... yes it is suppose to look "beginner"... since silver is for "professional"  :Laughing:

----------


## Jervis

Good news! My tank is still in 1 piece after 12 days of "auto-run"  :Smile:  But hair algae has gotten a foothold on the plants and water is slightly yellowish... other than that I'm glad, generally.

Here's how my tank looks like first thing in the morning (before intervention).



This is how it looks like on the 27 March (12 days ago).



Comparing the 2 pix... the HC are steadily spreading  :Smile: 

Bought these from Japan... are they considered "special"? Not expensive but I spent more on shipping them back  :Confused: 





These Zebra rocks gave me the impulse to start another nano  :Opps:

----------


## TheDane

Nice setup.

Can you shed some light on where to get all the ADA stuff in Singapore? I want to try a similar setup - maybe a bit smaller. I have nothing to start it up. What would a budget look like?

TheDane

----------


## torque6

I wonder when would be the day when LFS start packaging the rocks like they do in Japan. And the best part is, they are matching rocks, allowing the aquascaping different choices on which to use or to use them all in his tank setup. 

Seriously, when was the first time any of us are able to visit a LFS and with little effort picked a couple that looks identical.... sigh, doesnt work like this in Singapore  :Sad: , so sad ...

Nisso branded rocks labeled as US made? Hmm, will look for it right away hehehe.

Not sure if this is the same site as i couldnt find a category for rocks.
http://www.nisso-int.co.jp/index.html

----------


## williamng

> Nice setup.
> 
> Can you shed some light on where to get all the ADA stuff in Singapore? I want to try a similar setup - maybe a bit smaller. I have nothing to start it up. What would a budget look like?
> 
> TheDane


Hi

The Singapore distributor for ADA is Biotope located at amk. From my understanding, Midori at Suntec is also one of the retailers.

----------


## Jervis

> Nice setup.
> 
> Can you shed some light on where to get all the ADA stuff in Singapore? I want to try a similar setup - maybe a bit smaller. I have nothing to start it up. What would a budget look like?
> 
> TheDane


Hi Dane

I bought most of my ADA products (locally) from Biotope AMK1. You can try NA Balestier too, but their range is not as wide. All the best!

----------


## Jervis

Added more shrimps today... hopefully they will help consume some of the hair algae plaguing my tank ever since I return from my trip  :Crying: 



Front view  :Smile: 



The HC, Hairgrass and Glosso are spreading quickly.

----------


## tcy81

maybe you need to trim your glosso to keep it in place.
If not it may over run your hc.  :Opps:

----------


## torque6

Keeping 2 or more types of foregrass need to trim or removal when you start seeing runnersl. But its spreading quickly so this indicats a super healthy eco system  :Smile:

----------


## fireblade

wah the rocks are purple in colour!!
nice nice

----------


## Jervis

> maybe you need to trim your glosso to keep it in place.
> If not it may over run your hc.


It is already running all over the place. Actually I am curious how my 4 species foreground will turn out... the Hairgrass is spreading fast too  :Grin: 




> Keeping 2 or more types of foregrass need to trim or removal when you start seeing runnersl. But its spreading quickly so this indicats a super healthy eco system


Let's give it another 2 weeks... the mix is looking pretty natural at the moment  :Grin:  Luckily they will not use chemical warfare to kill each other (unlike marine corals)  :Shocked: 




> wah the rocks are purple in colour!!
> nice nice


Actually the purple is from the slightly pinkish Arcadia tubes  :Roll Eyes:

----------


## zoombee

> Bought these from Japan... are they considered "special"? Not expensive but I spent more on shipping them back 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> These Zebra rocks gave me the impulse to start another nano


interesting rocks ...are they natural?

----------


## torque6

Dont think so by the looks of it, also it indicates "safe for aquarium" on the package, so possibly man made.

----------


## tcy81

> It is already running all over the place. Actually I am curious how my 4 species foreground will turn out... the Hairgrass is spreading fast too


Its difficult to keep hairgrass in place. mine also keep spreading, now i have given up trimming them.  :Knockout:

----------


## Jervis

> interesting rocks ...are they natural?


Yes from the look and feel of it... they are natural stone.




> Dont think so by the looks of it, also it indicates "safe for aquarium" on the package, so possibly man made.


Nah... it's not man-made... a hobbyist told me these kinda rocks are common in Portugal  :Smug: 




> Its difficult to keep hairgrass in place. mine also keep spreading, now i have given up trimming them.


Maybe just let them grow naturally and see what will come out of it... now I know it's extremely difficult to maintain a zen-looking Iwagumi... must be able to resist the temptation of adding more species  :Huh?: 

Went back to office to discovered with horror... my eheim green hose folded  :Crying:  The canister was giving out this water splashing sound... so I opened the cabinet to find it folded. The cabinet door caused it actually. So my tank has been running on very very low flow for more than 2 days. Algae is loving it!  :Crying:  :Crying:  :Crying:  Will spend the next few days rectify the problem.

----------


## pleco4me

:Boo:  Hang in there Jervis  :Smile:

----------


## Fei Miao

> Added more shrimps today... hopefully they will help consume some of the hair algae plaguing my tank ever since I return from my trip 
> 
> 
> 
> Front view 
> 
> 
> 
> The HC, Hairgrass and Glosso are spreading quickly.


If these shrimps fail to do the job, get yamatos!  :Smile:

----------


## ranmasatome

The door caused the green tubing to fold??? its hard to picture that.... any pictures? Best of luck in the rectification.. :Smile: 

And i agree with fei miao on the algae crew.. Yamatos are magical hair algae zappers!!

----------


## Jervis

> The door caused the green tubing to fold??? its hard to picture that.... any pictures? Best of luck in the rectification..
> 
> And i agree with fei miao on the algae crew.. Yamatos are magical hair algae zappers!!


No pix but it can easily re-fabricated by simply folding the thin rubber hose using your fingers  :Smile: 

Anyway, the tank recovered after 2 rounds of water change (40%). Things are looking more optimistic now.

Special thanks goes to these 2 guys  :Grin:

----------


## ranmasatome

right now it looks like some lush grassland.. :Grin: ..

----------


## Jervis

> right now it looks like some lush grassland....


Green? Did anyone mention Green?  :Laughing:  :Laughing:  :Laughing: 



I really like the messy/natural look of it now  :Grin: 

Something interesting to report.

I bought a small pot of Tropica _Marsilea hirsuta_ from Far East a month ago. Planted them sparsely on the right front corner of my tank.

Here's how the small colony looks like on the 22 March 08, all inside the pix (1 pot worth).



I was told that _Marsilea hirsuta_ grows very slowly.

Now, after almost 1 month. Here's the mini colony  :Roll Eyes: 



However, the emerse leave of "four-leave clover" shape (which I like) turned into "big fat tear drop" shape (possibly its submerse form leave). From a far, it looks like _Glossostigma_ without stems. The darker green is nice  :Smile: 

I purposely left an empty patch in the foreground to witness this.



Unexpectedly, the _Marsilea hirsuta_ spread very quickly to the west. It even spread north... crossed over the _Hemianthus callitrichoides_ to attack the _Glossostigma elatinoides_.

The _Hemianthus callitrichoides_ on the east has no choice but to spread towards southwest heading to the battleground. Can see from the creeping that it is trying to keep up.

The _Glossostigma elatinoides_ seems to be winning the battle here spreading particularly well towards the southwest direction. The creeping were sparse but with great speed. Unfortunately, some of its members were infested by algae but that doesn't seem to slow its advances.

The _Eleocharis acicularis_ (common hairgrass) originating from the northwest is also spreading south to fight with the _Glossostigma elatinoides_.

Disclaimer:
The above events were dramatized for your enjoyment  :Laughing:  :Laughing:  :Laughing: 

Will update again in a few weeks time... let's see who shall prevail?

Those light brownish particles on the soil bed are actually ADA Bacter 100, part of algae control.

----------


## ranmasatome

The Hirsuta is a wonderful specimen... if you can spare some let me know.. i'll be the first one there to collect..haha..

----------


## Jervis

> The Hirsuta is a wonderful specimen... if you can spare some let me know.. i'll be the first one there to collect..haha..


No prob! You will be on top of my list. Let me jot it down somewhere  :Grin:

----------


## torque6

> The Hirsuta is a wonderful specimen... if you can spare some let me know.. i'll be the first one there to collect..haha..


hirsuta were featured in tropica some time back, but abit expensive. Jervis you got from LFS or from the tropica distributor? Last time i went she quoted me 15 for 1 small pot  :Sad:

----------


## Jervis

> hirsuta were featured in tropica some time back, but abit expensive. Jervis you got from LFS or from the tropica distributor? Last time i went she quoted me 15 for 1 small pot


Got it from Far East, I believe they are the Tropica distributor. But I think _Marsilea hirsuta_ will look much nicer in emerse form (for leaves clover).

This is interesting...

This plant is suppose to be temporary (nutrient exporter) when I first introduced it 1 month ago. I didn't even removed it from the small grey ceramic ring, I just place it behind the "mountain".

It carried large round leaves at that time. You can see remnants of its old form in this pix. I believe that was its emerse form.



Now 1 month later, the new stems started creeping (spreading low which is very nice) and the leaves are completely different  :Shocked:  It sorta wrapped round my "mountain".



The addition of Vivipara is an accidental one. But the effect is quite natural (if trimmed nicely) as it softens the backdrop  :Smile: 

Can someone help ID this plant? Thanks!

----------


## Jervis

Full Tank View  :Smile:  I added the Eheim Hang-on Filter (from previous setup) to help combat algae... seems that the extra filtration power and surface agitation helps a lot.



Of course, the Eheim can be easily removed for future photo session. What do you guys think?



How can I improve this further? Personally, I don't think the tank is anywhere near ADA 2008 standard  :Sad:

----------


## rwalker

A nice setup you have there.
Simple and no elaborate.

----------


## PeterGwee

The increase in water movement from the additional filter should help mixed the CO2 and nutrients to the plants better but do account for some loss of CO2 due to the increase in surface movement from the eheim HOB filter that you added.

Regards,
Peter Gwee

----------


## ranmasatome

Rotala rotundifolia "green".

----------


## Jervis

> Rotala rotundifolia "green".


Thanks for the ID... interestingly I notice some tip turning red... hope that's not a bad sign  :Confused: 



Full tank shot  :Smile:  I seriously think I need to add some highlight to the tank  :Confused:

----------


## Jervis

Thanks to all your comments (via msn)... agreed that the right side of the tank screwed  :Knockout: 

Went LFS shopping during lunch and bought a piece of rock for the right side.



Also, removed all the tall grass (by cutting off their stems, without messing the soil bed) and introduced a elegant looking Green Rotala... I hope it will not turn red as I really like the green translucent leaves  :Huh?: 



Will be adding some _Blyxa japonica_ surrounding the Rotala soon  :Smile: 

A closer look at the Rotala... the leaf form looks like _Rotala Marcandra_... perhaps it will turn red if the condition is right  :Wink:

----------


## williamng

Seems like there are some green algae on the wall?

----------


## Jervis

> Seems like there are some green algae on the wall?


Yes there are some... I have yet to clean/scrap the back and side glass yet... will do so during my next water change  :Smile: 

Introduced 3 tiny Dwarf Puffers today. Hopefully they can help control the the active breeding of common snails  :Wink:  They are so cute always hanging out together  :Grin:

----------


## illumnae

cute puffers!  :Grin:  they are super effective in snail control (1 single puffer eradicated snails in my 4ft in 1 week). better set up a spare tank to breed snails to feed them soon haha

----------


## Jervis

> cute puffers!  they are super effective in snail control (1 single puffer eradicated snails in my 4ft in 1 week). better set up a spare tank to breed snails to feed them soon haha


How about set up a few more tanks to separate them?  :Laughing:  :Laughing:  :Laughing:

----------


## illumnae

more tanks is always good  :Wink:

----------


## lorba

> A closer look at the Rotala... the leaf form looks like _Rotala Marcandra_... perhaps it will turn red if the condition is right


Looks more like ludwigia inclinata green to me.

----------


## TBoss

Bro Jervis... your posts are an inspiration to me.. haha.. how I hope I can talk to you in person to give me pointers  :Laughing:

----------


## Jervis

Happy to find the Dwarf Puffers feeding on frozen blood worm  :Smile:  They are way too cute!






> Bro Jervis... your posts are an inspiration to me.. haha.. how I hope I can talk to you in person to give me pointers


You are being too generous with words bro... anyway if you wanna chat, why not msn me? Add me [email protected] (do not email me as this is not an official email address)  :Grin: 

It's a good thing I added this Eheim hang on filter... 1 week worth  :Shocked:  Decided to use generic filter floss instead for obvious reasons  :Grin:

----------


## torque6

eheim filters dont have too much space to add a variety of media which is why i didnt get the liberty series initially and settled for just the gex.

Your puffers looks very cute, my friend recommended them when i wanted to stock my tank but heard that they are very particular about water parameters. Since they keep snail polution down, do they hurt your nerites ?

----------


## Jervis

> eheim filters dont have too much space to add a variety of media which is why i didnt get the liberty series initially and settled for just the gex.
> 
> Your puffers looks very cute, my friend recommended them when i wanted to stock my tank but heard that they are very particular about water parameters. Since they keep snail polution down, do they hurt your nerites ?


I find my Eheim quite roomy actually (after I remove the 3-stages filter cartridges) but allowing me to add 2 large filter pads to the overall filtration really helps as my canister filter does not suck in much floating leaves/debris (thanks to the ADA Lily Pipe inlet).

As for the Dwarf Puffer... they are doing fine  :Smile:  I remember reading somewhere they can only attack very tiny snails... they usually leave the larger snails alone as they can't 'break' their thicker shells. But again, only time will tell... let me observe them for a few more days.

----------


## Spid

Bro, 

Superb setup you have there and i took 10whole minutes browsing through from page1 to 10. Pick up some good pointers along the way. 

Good work there1 :Well done:

----------


## Jervis

> Bro, 
> 
> Superb setup you have there and i took 10whole minutes browsing through from page1 to 10. Pick up some good pointers along the way. 
> 
> Good work there1


I am glad you manage to pick up at least something useful  :Smile: 

Here's an update... did a major trimming yesterday and 30% water change.



A final round of planting will take place this weekend.

----------


## Jervis

Another angle shot  :Smile: 



I am planning to add some Blyxa japonica on the right side towards the back... maybe a tall green stem plant on the left back corner. Maybe replace the Mini Bolbitis... what else?

----------


## Jervis

My one and only Eriocaulon cinerium is flowering  :Shocked:  :Shocked:  :Shocked: 

The stalks grow about 5mm per day  :Smile: 



But can see that the hairgrass are getting a little annoying  :Crying:

----------


## Jervis

Here's my revised layout with some new plants (4 days old).



Added some _Blyxa japonica_ towards the back and _Cryptocoryne wendtii "Green Gecko"_ behind the right rock. I want the Crypt to grow and peek out from behind (odd concept).

Blyxa is turning copper (as usual) and the Crypt seems to be growing quite fast... I can actually notice growth in 4 days... must be my eyes playing tricks on me  :Embarassed: 

What do you guys think? 30 days to go...

----------


## Fei Miao

Good growth, IMO do some minor trimming back in the foreground and mid-ground before ADA 2008, perhaps just a bit in the background, that would make the scape neater. I didn't see any fauna yet, any species in mind?

----------


## Jervis

> Good growth, IMO do some minor trimming back in the foreground and mid-ground before ADA 2008, perhaps just a bit in the background, that would make the scape neater. I didn't see any fauna yet, any species in mind?


Thanks Fei Miao for the great feedback. Yes will definitely do major tidy up before the final photo shoot. In fact I am planning do to weekly trimming (coincide with water change) leading to end of May.

Planning to introduce some nice Rummy Nose as the tank needs some red dots to balance the green  :Smile:

----------


## torque6

Good choice, hope you will achieve a good rating for the ada awards soon  :Smile:

----------


## C_Aquatics

Been following the entire thread. You have an artistic touch and a deep wallet...j/k about wallet.. :Opps: ...i really enjoyed the thread. I am in the US, its great to see setups like yours from bare tank to aquatic garden... :Well done: ..double up :Well done:  :Well done:

----------


## jasonc

Really enjoy reading your thread!!Thumbs up :Well done:  :Well done:  :Well done:

----------


## PlAnTaNoOb

> Thanks Fei Miao for the great feedback. Yes will definitely do major tidy up before the final photo shoot. In fact I am planning do to weekly trimming (coincide with water change) leading to end of May.
> 
> Planning to introduce some nice Rummy Nose as the tank needs some red dots to balance the green


But from several other threads in this forum, rummy nose seems to tend to snack on some plants, leaving rounded tips or holes in leaves. Their observation is compatible with mine. They're also very active as compared to neons or cardinals. But to be fair, they do make very good schooling fishes. Think wisely man.

By the way, thanks for your directions! :Well done:  I was able to find the tank. PLanning to make it a species tank for cories.  :Smile:

----------


## Jervis

Thanks bro PlantaNoob... I didn't get the Rummy Nose in the end  :Smile: 

Got myself a school of Rasbora espei instead... love the copper/pink colouration.

----------


## Jervis

Time for a full tank shot... did some major changes to the tank for the past few days.

1) Added a black background just for testing... looks quite alright actually  :Surprised: 

2) Added more stem plants to achieve a more lush layout... further away from Iwagumi (previously quite confusing... neither here nor there)

3) Introduced a school of Rasbora espei



What do you guys think?

I know things are pretty messy now... will let them settle down a little before trimming (scheduled for next weekend).

----------


## illumnae

the tall grass at the back is distracting...other than that it's a lovely tank! with some more tender loving care, your espei will colour up even more!

----------


## jasonc

> 1) Added a black background just for testing... looks quite alright actually


A black background always add the depth of field to your tank, like infinity viewing point.

----------


## Jervis

> the tall grass at the back is distracting...other than that it's a lovely tank! with some more tender loving care, your espei will colour up even more!


Yeah will remove some of the Vivipara in the coming weeks... i might remove them completely if the Rotala is to grow upwards  :Smile:

----------


## PlAnTaNoOb

Nice! Like the black background very much.

----------


## Jervis

> Nice! Like the black background very much.


Thanks! I like it too... somehow manages to capture the visual concentration better  :Smile: 

Took some shots of my illusive shrimps yesterday... seen enjoying the Tetra flake food  :Wink:

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## Jervis

A closer look at my 1+ week old copper Blyxa japonica... I wonder will it turn redder  :Surprised:

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## Jervis

My Eriocaulon cinerium showing off its "1001 flowers"  :Grin:

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## Panut

Is it a good sign when the leaves of Blyxa japonica turn redder?  :Huh?:

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## Jervis

> Is it a good sign when the leaves of Blyxa japonica turn redder?


I was told that Blyxa will turn copperish under bright light... I was also told that a hobbyist manage to keep REDBLOOD Blyxa under his 250W MH (50cm tank)  :Surprised:

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## tcy81

yes, blyxa japonica will turn reddish/copperish under high light.
By the way, it will be better without the bogwood branch. In my humble opinion.  :Smile: 

Have you shoot your tank for ADA 2008 already ?

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## Fei Miao

> Thanks bro PlantaNoob... I didn't get the Rummy Nose in the end 
> 
> Got myself a school of Rasbora espei instead... love the copper/pink colouration.


Jervis, 

Glad you chose T. espei instead of rummies, IMO the T. espei compliments the plants hues in this tank better than rummies, the reds could be too distracting.

I'm sure the actual tank looks better. :Well done:

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## Mizu World

This will be a good solid entry for the ADA 08 competition from Singapore. 

Let's all do our part to make the locals stand out in the competition! Cheers!

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## the_r0ck

Simply great development.

One thing though, your right side may seem a little "unshaped". It is neither thin enough nor is it thick. Perhaps you can decide on how you want to spruce up the right side and then send the tank for ADA.

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## Jervis

> Simply great development.
> 
> One thing though, your right side may seem a little "unshaped". It is neither thin enough nor is it thick. Perhaps you can decide on how you want to spruce up the right side and then send the tank for ADA.


Thanks for the suggestions... that's exactly what I am trying to achieve. To get the plants to grow thicker on the right and extreme left.

Time is a little running out with 3 weeks left  :Confused:  That includes 2 trimming sessions... will try my best  :Smile: 



FTS taken 3 May 08 (5 days ago)... so much has changed in 5 days  :Surprised:

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## Jervis

> By the way, it will be better without the bogwood branch. In my humble opinion. 
> 
> Have you shoot your tank for ADA 2008 already ?


I will leave it there for the time being until the final week... only then will decide. Will do a final photoshoot 3 days before closing date  :Laughing:

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## Jervis

Plants are getting redder everyday  :Wink:

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## torque6

> I will leave it there for the time being until the final week... only then will decide. Will do a final photoshoot 3 days before closing date


Good luck on your ada competition!

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## Panut

I second that. Good luck too!  :Smile: 




> Good luck on your ada competition!

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## André Grassi

> 


 :Shocked:  
Congratulations Jervis ... Certainly one of the tanks is more beautiful and wonderful that I have seen. Thank you for inspiration

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## Jervis

You guys are being kind and supportive... thanks  :Smug: 

But I've decided not to pressurize myself (and the tank) too much... if the tank is not ready by the end of the month... I will submit it next year  :Smile: 

Nothing much to update nowadays... hope you enjoy this ALIEN looking plant  :Grin:

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## ranmasatome

jervis.. if you could get the long hairgrass at the back to be more left back corner orientated..i think the tank would look better.. not that it doesnt now.. :Grin:

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## Jervis

> jervis.. if you could get the long hairgrass at the back to be more left back corner orientated..i think the tank would look better.. not that it doesnt now..


As in the Vivipara facing to the left? Actually I intend to trim them thinly for the final photoshoot (or remove totally).

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## Panut

How's this tank going?  :Smile:

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## Jervis

> How's this tank going?


Still letting things grow... try not to mess up for the time being... clock is ticking  :Opps:

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## patricc

Jervis, some update pics la  :Smile:

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## PlAnTaNoOb

> Plants are getting redder everyday


Dude, how did you get the indica to go so red?? Mine's almost green under 4X24W!

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## Jervis

> Dude, how did you get the indica to go so red?? Mine's almost green under 4X24W!


I'm using 4 x 24W T5 also  :Wink:  It could be the light fixture (ATI Powermodule), the tubes (2 x Arcadia Pro Plant) or other factors such as soil and fertilizer. They are more red now  :Opps: 

Thanks for the ID btw  :Well done:

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## Jervis

Finally removed the Vivipara (not entirely though)  :Sad: 



The layout is much neater now... I might move the T5 higher so that the Rotala rotundifolia on the left can grow higher instead of creeping downwards  :Smile: 

The Rotala indica on the right is much redder now... love the intense colouration  :Smug: 

Here's a new feature added today... I filled up the sunken cavity of the rock with soil for foreground plants to creep up  :Laughing:  Hope I can get the effect I want in 2 weeks  :Surprised:

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## Panut

that is innovative..  :Kiss:

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## mobile2007

Reading your thread really makes one wanted to start some planted tank. 

Impressive work  :Well done:

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## tcy81

looking good, last minute rush....  :Opps:

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## the_r0ck

Aiyah... I actually liked the effect of the long hairgrass at the back.

I love the intense redness though, hope it can clump even thicker quickly.  :Well done:

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## Panut

Long hairgrass? you mean Eleocharis vivipara?

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## Fei Miao

> The layout is much neater now... I might move the T5 higher so that the Rotala rotundifolia on the left can grow higher instead of creeping downwards


Great journal, I enjoy following the development of this tank, the removal of vivipara is an improvement, but I now l find the tank losing focal point in the mid-ground, between the Ericaulon sp. and the R. indica / B. japonica /the new rock placement, perhaps it's one area you can look into.

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## ranmasatome

Jervis.. surely that isn't a full tank shot....??

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## Jervis

> Jervis.. surely that isn't a full tank shot....??


Too lazy to remove all the inlets, outlets and pollen glass  :Laughing:

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## Jervis

> Great journal, I enjoy following the development of this tank, the removal of vivipara is an improvement, but I now l find the tank losing focal point in the mid-ground, between the Ericaulon sp. and the R. indica / B. japonica /the new rock placement, perhaps it's one area you can look into.


I have an idea... will try it out soon  :Smile:

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## Jervis

Oh dear... only days left!!! I will have to quickly wrap up the tank... are we allowed to post the final pix online before ADA announces the result?

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## Jervis

Raised the T5 fixture by a couple of inches 2 days ago... I guess the move was a little too late  :Sad:  Previously I suspect the large amount of light limit the height of my Rotala rotundifolia... forcing them to grow downwards  :Sad:

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## Jervis

During water change... how I wish my Rotala rotundifolia can reach the top of the water surface just like in the pix  :Grin:

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## Fei Miao

Jervis, IMO the Rotala rotundifolia reached quite a okay height, why not just reduce the water level for the photo shoot?

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## Jervis

> Jervis, IMO the Rotala rotundifolia reached quite a okay height, why not just reduce the water level for the photo shoot?


We think alike  :Grin:  :Grin:  :Grin:

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## Jervis

Submitted this tank for ADA 08 a few days ago...

Here are some shots taken before the final session.



Added a cardboard frame to better 'frame' the light... eliminating glare to the camera lens.



Blue glow background effect using a PL light with a blue plastic sheet.

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## carlfsk

Hey, may I know what camera you used? 

I took pictures of my tank and it's really sucks, blur, and really nothing compare to yours. I got a lot to learn man. Yours is like so crystal clear.

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## Jervis

I'm using the Sony Alpha 100 DSLR... considered ancient as the new models are so bloody sexy  :Grin:  I did upgrade the lenses though... I have 2 lenses that cost more than the body actually.

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## tcy81

really like the effect of the overflowing rotala green.

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## Jervis

> really like the effect of the overflowing rotala green.


Thanks bro... but it looks a bit messy in the competition pix  :Sad:

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## Jervis

Ok guys... I am ready to decommission this tank to focus on my next project. I have a 4ft tank (previously used for marine) waiting to be filled with water  :Grin: 

I am planning to sell this setup as a *complete package*, which consists of the following:

1) ADA Cube Garden 60P 
2) Arctica DBI-050 Mini Chiller - 1/15 HP
3) Eheim Ecco 2236
4) Do!aqua Lily Pipe Outlet 13mm*
5) Do!aqua Lily Pipe Inlet 13mm*
6) ADA Pollen Glass Beetle 30
7) ADA CO2 Bubble Counter

* Only available in Japan

*LETTING GO OF THE ENTIRE PACKAGE AT $999 only!*

FOC (with package):
1) You can choose to carry away the entire tank with all the hardscape, flora (except for a few plants) and fauna.
2) Matsuda Aquascaping Set

Please arrange your own transportation on weekends at Mohamed Sultan Road.

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## fireblade

sorry but shouldn't selling be done in market place? :P

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## Jervis

> sorry but shouldn't selling be done in market place? :P


Yeah I suppose... but I want to give priority to those who are interested in aquascaping, not to those just logging in for great bargain (as many did I believe).

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## Jervis

Hi guys... I think it's time to complete this tank journal with an official ADA Competition 2008 picture. *Sweeping Inspiration* is the title of this tank... thanks to an AQ member for the name  :Smile: 



Thanks so much for all your comments... I really learned a lot along the way... don't worry the journey will never ends  :Laughing:

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## Jervis

How about a quick look at how this tank evolved...

18 March 08


20 April 08


25 April 08


3 May 08


30 May 08

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## sfk7

very nice bro

you're always my inspiration. wish you'll get a good rating from the ADA guys

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## Jervis

> very nice bro
> 
> you're always my inspiration. wish you'll get a good rating from the ADA guys


Seriously my tank ain't there yet... don't think it will score beyond 500 but it doesn't matter.

Here's the finishing touch to my tank journal  :Grin:

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## Zenislev

:Shocked:  You ended your project!??

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## Panut

he is starting on one again.

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## Jervis

> You ended your project!??


Yes Zenislev I have restarted the tank with an entirely different concept  :Grin: 

I really enjoy setting up new layouts  :Smile:

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## BlackShrimp

haha bro jervis forever rescaping~ :Laughing: 

so, when can we get a sneak preview of the new tank??? :Grin:

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## blue33

Maybe i should seriously consider getting 2ft tank instead 3ft tank, can always change and play with new layout. Good ideal!  :Laughing:

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