skillful abbot

I've lurked here for a while now. After looking at all the awesome scapes I've been embarrassed to show mine. I feel like my tanks need a little more something. I like them, but I'm not 100% satisfied with the layouts. They are still young, maybe after they've had a chance to mature a bit I may change my mind.

I got into this hobby/lifestyle back in December when friend and co-worker, Mr. Kamijo set up various tropical tanks in our work place. He then told me about ADA. After that I was hooked. I drove out to Niigata Prefecture with my wife to see the ADA Nature Aquarium gallery

[ http://skillful-abbot.textamerica.com/?_ctgry=26689 ]

I then went on to spend loads of money to setup a few tanks with no background knowledge. After a lot of trial and error and a lot of online research and talking with shop keepers. I have come to where I am now. I recently moved from Komoro city to Okaya city. About an hour and half drive from my old home. With the move I decided to try my hand at aquascaping. Though Takashi Amano is my hero, I didn't really want to emulate his style, however, his theory and practices were in mind during my setups, but I wanted something totally mine.


My 60cm Nisso Clear Stingray setup:

I believe in the 3, 5, 7 idea in keeping rocks. I love rocks, and living in mountainous Nagano prefecture these are readily available. So those are all hand picked. Some of them right off the foot of Mt. Asama.

I was able to get a 4.5 kg CO2 tank from the wife's friend who works for a gas company out in Saku city. The regulator is a Sudo regulator bought off Yahoo Japan auction -The best way to buy Aquarium goods at affordable prices.

The Diffuser is a hard to find Multi Functional Diffuser. It seems to be hong kong company but there is tape over the box with a Japanese Distrubuter on the label. The English Says "Water Plant Multi Functional CO2 Diffuser. The Japanese says, "Life Holdings" in Katakana. I can't find any info on the web about it, but I like it. It connects inline to the intake of an external filter.

I use an Eheim 2213 canister filter and a Nisso Power Canister Mini.

The light is a Nisso Real Inverter Light 600 which has three fluorescent bulbs at 20w each. I don't know if that is high light or not. Flips up for easy maintenance.

Substrate:
ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia and a little left over Africana

DIY bubble counter.

Plants:
Alternanthera reineckii
Bacopa monnieri
Water Bacopa
Pigymy Chain Sword (echinodorus Tenellus)
Red Ludwigia
Red Rotala
Willow Moss
Jawa Mix
Minami Gata Mizu Goke
Anubias Nana (dwarf)
Windalov Fern
Water Wysteria
hydrocotyle leucocephala [Brazilian pennywort - Amazon Chi do me]
Rotala rotundifolia
Dwarf Rotala
Micranthemum umbrosum
Baby Tears
Eleocharis acicularis
Blyxa japonica
Water Hedge
(Didiplis diandra)
HC

Fish:
6 White Clouds
Yamato Numa Shrimps (1-12?)
1 Mini Bushy
2 Otocin

My next setup 10L Gex E-Aqua

I use those little tiny CO2 Bombe setups. I didnt buy a set like ADA and some other companies offer, but bought all the pieces I needed seperately. Bombe Regulator, Bombe holder, ADA tubing, Ada Valve, generic glass diffuser. The little CO2 bombe catridges last about month (I turn it off at night) and sell for 850 yen at most petshops that carry aquarium goods.

The light is a 9w Gex Clip on Clear Light and I also have to HOB filters one Kotobuki Mini fit and the other is a Vivarium Easy Filter (the later is not so good, but was cheap - I may get another Nisso Power Canister Mini for this tank later on)

Substrate:
ADA Aqua Soil Africana

Plants:
Cyperus Helferi (long leafed grass)
Pigymy Chain Sword (echinodorus Tenellus)
Red Rotala
Willow Moss
Jawa Mix
hydrocotyle leucocephala [Brazilian pennywort - Amazon Chi do me]
Dwarf Rotala
Micranthemum umbrosum
HC

Fish:
1 Mini Bushi
Yamato Numa Shrimp (2 or 3?)
7 African Lampeyes

My Kingyo Bachi (Goldfish Bowl) ?L
I had this bowl for a long time for no apparent reason. But when I got into this hobby I quickly put it to good use!

Water changes everday.

Driftwood scraps, with Java fern tied to the tips. Hoping they will grow emersed eventually. They don't seem to be growing taller so I wonder if I should gradually reduce the water level?
Cheap White Sandy Gravel

Plants:
Javafern
Pigymy Chain Sword (echinodorus Tenellus)
Limnobium laevigatum [frogbit]
Willow Moss
hydrocotyle leucocephala [Brazilian pennywort - Amazon Chi do me]
HC

Fish:
1 dwarf Puffer

Attached Thumbnails