Llj's 2010 8G Journal

lljdma06 · Nov 6, 2010

Been ages since I've done a journal...

With the AGA Convention coming in 5 days, I'm going to go ahead and setup the 8g. Back in August, I started a pre-journal below to bounce some ideas around...

Pre-journal Journal

Will be planting with the plants I acquire from the auction at AGA and some extras from my 36g, so as much as I want to recreate a scape like the pictures in my pre-journal, I won't know what I'll get until I actually get it, so this will be a "fly by the seat of my pants" journal. :lol:

Make a nice scape without a definite plan. Interesting challenge. Will do some brush up reading on plants.

Basics...

8g finnex seamless aquarium (16"x10"x11.5", honestly don't remember)

Lighting - crappy old CF 24W fixture. I will change the bulb, though
Filtration - Aquaclear 50, set to maximum, what I used last time
Co2 - Yeast, yeast, yeast (2 canisters alternate with rhinox 1000 diffusor, have dropchecker)
Ferts - TPN+
Substrate - Inert, inert, inert. Good ol' sand... May try black... Oooooo

Will have moss wall. I've tons of extra moss on my 36g. Will be created using my "insta-wall" approach!

Will possibly use hydrocotyle. If I find it in my back yard again.

Hardscape - Don't know... Lemme see what I find at Petsmart today...

Livestock - Ember tetras or Corydoras habrosus. They ship well.

Will post pix of my start either today or tomorrow. I have to attend a concert tonight at work. Will be updating 36g thread as well, you'll be seeing some changes...

llj :good:

ian · Nov 6, 2010

Looking foward to this one llj, be good to see your artistic flair again!

Carlovel1 · Nov 6, 2010

Exciting!
And nice to see someone using a different type of Dwarf Cory in their aquarium rather than the boring Pygmys.
Good luck with everything

Biulu · Nov 6, 2010

Nice! If you are sticking to your original ideas of garden/forest stream scape, I would go for the ember tetras, as the cories will have little bare sand to roam around.

lljdma06 · Nov 6, 2010

Biulu said:
Nice! If you are sticking to your original ideas of garden/forest stream scape, I would go for the ember tetras, as the cories will have little bare sand to roam around.

Depends on what the AGA auction yields for me...

The moss wall ended up creating SO much plant mass and taking up so much nutrients that I could have stretches of substrate for anchor cats last time.

:lol:

Setup the tank, opted for Tahitian Moon sand. Welcome to the dark side. :shifty:

Green moss will pop as will hydrocotyle. Still have pelia from the old system but would love fissidens. Always enjoyed that moss... If I can get fissidens... It's a wall of fissidens...

We'll find out Nov. 14. I love surprises. CO2 and hydrocotyle go in tomorrow. Will post pix when the sand clears. I'll remember to put the hydrocotyle in the BACK this time... :lol:

Got these smooth larger black stones too. May play with this. Could look very interesting.

llj

lljdma06 · Nov 6, 2010

I think the scape is absolutely brilliant, don't you think? :lol:

Takashi Amano, eat your heart out...

Carlovel1 · Nov 7, 2010

Bravo!

I think it looks awesome!

stevereade · Nov 7, 2010

Minimalist look, awesome lol.

ian · Nov 7, 2010

That's jaw dropping!

You inspire me llj!

lljdma06 · Nov 7, 2010

I know, sometimes I shock myself...

ADA competition, here I come! :lol:

lljdma06 · Nov 11, 2010

Hey, the AGA auction is Sunday, anybody have any plants you'd like to see me try?

Tank stats...

8g
24W CF fixture 6500k (not that this matters)
Aquaclear 50 (this matters more, lots of flow)
yeast-based CO2 injection (dropchecker to yellow, diffused with Rhinox 1000)
TPN+ dosing
Inert substrate (Tahihian moon sand)

What would you do

I'm curious, I have my ideas, but I like to hear what you would do. Weeping moss and Hydrocotyle verticillata are the plants so far.

Biulu · Nov 11, 2010

You can basically grow anything with that. Only need small plants because of your tank size. I would add a tiger lotus as centrepiece, some C. wendtti red for colour and pogostemon helferi.