26 Gallon Aquascape ... - Journals

**John P.** · 09-02-2005, 08:46 PM

Aquascape Goals

-Incorporate Japanese rock garden influences and the "nature aquarium" style in my own expression of tranquility
-Utilize low-maintenance flora
-Design started with a sketch on a 3M Post-it note during lunch:

Equipment List

Aquarium
-ClearForLife acrylic 26-Gallon "show" (36"L x10"W x16"H)
Furniture
-I designed and constructed my own stand and canopy
CO2
-Milwaukee MA957 CO2 regulator
-2.5 lb CO2 tank
-Eheim canister, below, doubles as CO2 reactor
Lighting
-ODNOd Advance REL-4P32-SC Ballast (~3 watts/gallon)
-One 36" Coralife Trichromatic Bulb (6500°K)
-One 36" GE AquaRays Bulb (9325°K)
Filtration
-Eheim 2213 Classic
Heating
-Hydor 200-watt Inline Heater (in stand)
-Ebo Jager/Eheim (temporarily in tank)
Hardscape
-Rough Granite collected near Lake Tahoe, NV
Substrate
-Three bags of Eco-Complete
Fertilization/Chemicals
-Seachem Flourish
-Seachem Flourish Excel
-Dry/Bulk Mono Potassium Phosphate (KH2PO4)
-Dry/Bulk Potassium Sulfate (K2SO4)
-Dry/Bulk Potassium Nitrate (KNO3)

Fauna

Invertebrates
-Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina denticulata sinensis)
-Common Snail (sp?)
Fish
-Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)
-Harlequin Rasbora (Rasbora heteromorpha)
-Oto (Otocinclus affinis)

Flora

-Dwarf Hairgrass (Eleocharis acicularis)
-Giant Hairgrass (Eleocharis montevidensis)
-"HC" (Hemianthus callitrichoides)
-Pennywort (Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides)

Time to begin!

**John P.** · 09-02-2005, 08:55 PM

A couple shots of the hardware:

**John P.** · 09-02-2005, 09:03 PM

I ordered 10 pots of Dwarf Hairgrass from a Florida nursery (I'm in Southern California), and unfortunately they arrived while I was traveling. Though not perfectly healthy, considering they baked in the sun for 3 days they were not too bad (thanks to the coldpack, I presume). I had the HC, Giant Hairgrass, and Pennywort from past 'scapes.

Here is Day 2 after planting:*

Please Note: This picture was taken for the purpose of documenting the tank, not photography's sake! Floating plants are temporary, as is the in-tank heater, etc.

brianclaw · 09-02-2005, 09:50 PM

I would think you're going to have a hard time with the HC and hair grass getting entangled with each other... What not just go with HC? It'll make the tank look a lot bigger than it is and go with Boraras Merah instead of Cardinals... Smaller fish + smaller plants = Bigger looking tank... Just my thoughts...

**John P.** · 09-02-2005, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianclaw

I would think you're going to have a hard time with the HC and hair grass getting entangled with each other... What not just go with HC?

I've used both together in the past, and like the look.

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianclaw

Boraras Merah instead of Cardinals... Smaller fish + smaller plants = Bigger looking tank... Just my thoughts...

Good idea, but I already have the Cards. I've had them since they were .5" and would hate to get rid of them now. I would, however, be willing to give my 3 HRs to someone locally who would like to add them to an existing, thriving population. I would rather have one fish species in there, not including the Otos.

**turtlehead** · 09-03-2005, 12:25 AM

I think the tank looks a little bare without a small grouping of rocks on the left.

nagesh · 09-03-2005, 01:52 AM

hi jhon the layout is superab and simple i really liked it.keep it up.yesteday i started planting in my aqu-ium i will wait few more days to announce.

Quote:

Originally Posted by John P.

I ordered 10 pots of Dwarf Hairgrass from a Florida nursery (I'm in Southern California), and unfortunately they arrived while I was traveling. Though not perfectly healthy, considering they baked in the sun for 3 days they were not too bad (thanks to the coldpack, I presume). I had the HC, Giant Hairgrass, and Pennywort from past 'scapes.

Here is Day 2 after planting:*

Please Note: This picture was taken for the purpose of documenting the tank, not photography's sake! Floating plants are temporary, as is the in-tank heater, etc.

fish7days · 09-03-2005, 03:05 AM

I think you achieved tranquility and simplicity very well, and beautifully at that.

PS. Who did you get the hairgrass from in FL?

André

**John P.** · 09-03-2005, 07:00 AM

everybody.

The Dwarf Hairgrass is from: http://stores.ebay.com/Aquarium-and-...toreviewQQtZkm, which is the same company known as "Everglades" and http://aquaticplantdepot.com/.

Buckeye_Robert · 11-16-2005, 06:15 PM

I can't wait to see the h c grow in around the rocks!