jsenske

This is a new 90cm system I recently installed for one of my clients. She was actually the very first client I ever did a planted tank for back in 1997. It was really cool to do an ADA system for her after having been through 2 different Oceanic standard "canopy, matching stand, etc." 58 gallons. Her last one was cherry-wood set-up. Nice, but suffice it to say doing a full ADA system for her was a lot more fun. She has always given me free reign to do whatever I want with the layout, which is a real bonus as well.
Here I wanted to do something with a lot of long-term potential, but with a twist. Working with the Old Black Wood was a dream, and I was for once really happy with the hardscape.

Substrate: ADA Aqua Soil, Power Sand Special "M", Tourmaline BC, Bright Sand
Hardscape: Old Black Wood driftwood from ADA
Plants: Cryptocoryne lucens, Cryptocoryne ponterdefolia, Crypt balansae, Crypt retrospiralis, Crypt wendtii "Mi-Oya", Microsorium pteropus, Java Moss, Anubias nana, Lobelia cardinalis "red", true dwarf Sagitaria subulata, Rotala rotundifolia "green", Polygonum sp. "pink", Comcesalea sp. (not yet identified per Luis Navarro).
Filter: Eheim 2217, Lily Pipe inflow V-7 17mm, Lily Pipe outflow P-4 13mm
media: Eheim Ehfi-mech, ADA BIO-RIO 2-liters, ADA NA-CARBON
CO2: Aqua Medic reactor 1000
Lighting: ADA Grand Solar I fixture with 2- 36 watt PCs and 1- 150 watt HQI halogen (all 8,000K)


1. Potential...



2. Tourmaline BC.


3. Power Sand Special M, about 4 liters from a 6 liter bag used here.



4. Aqua Soil AMAZONIA added. I used all of 2- 9liter bags, since I will be adding decorative sand to the semi-circular area. Instead of doing a divider, i am just being careful and keeping everything separated as I go.



5. ADA BRIGHT SAND is added: here is used all of an 8kg bag.



6. Driftwood selection: I brought more than I planned to use so there's plenty to work with if something is not setting the way I want it. Always nice to have an extra piece or two on hand.



7. Setting the base pieces. This came together very fast. Old Black Wood really goes together easily as there'a a certain consistency to it. Very easy to work with, I found.



8. This client was thrilled with the idea of having wood breaking the surface. Ask and ye shall receive. I just love the drama and added dimension of it.



9. I add just enough water to wet the substrate. Really, this makes planting much easier and does not cloud the water at all. So when you fill, things start out nice and clear.



10. Adding plants: I have a new source for some very nice plants that offers some excellent crypts that can be a little hard to find sometimes. Crypt lucens, C. ponterdefolia and C. balanse all came in in absolutely PRIMO condition. C. lucens is one of my all time favorites.



11. Finished adding plants, very slowly fill. Note the clarity already.



12. A view from the opposite side.



13. Full tank-- clean and clear in the first 5 minutes. I do not understand the approach of filling the tank with water and then adding plants anymore. It just makes a mess, regardless of substrate choice it seems. Try this if you don't alreay do it-- I think you'll be impressed with the results.



14. Another view: Note too the consistency of the java fern on the wood-- it is really easy to work with evenly grown plants for this type of layout.



15. Top view: Golly I love open top tanks.



16. Inside view.



17. This is the little whirlpool created by the hydrodynamic action if the Lily Pipe return. Kinda cool.



18. Full system view. Stoked.





19. FYI. Very simple clean attachment bracket for the arm stand (fixture stand).



20. This gives a feel for the depth of the Aqua Soil. Very thin layer Power Sand is all that was used-- and all that should be used in order to avoid some of the issues some have complained about with it.



21. A little system shot-- keeping it simple on this one. The client already had a reactor, so we went that route rather than investing in a diffuser. That's my install, not my guys. Their work is MUCH cleaner than mine!



I will do my best to keep posting the progress on this tank.