[Bunbuku]

My early attempt at iwagumi never bounced back after Hurricane Ike knocked everything out of balance. I got tired of battling the hair algae outbreak and tore everything down :frusty:.

On the bright side its a chance to rescape! I decided to try my hand at mound type layout. Here is the link to the web album. I call it Rebirth. I welcome your comments and critiques http://picasaweb.google.com/bunbukuphs398/Rebirth?authkey=JgCdTEPJMF0#

The notable thing about this layout is that the virtually all plants and wood were acquired from APC members (see captions). Its not fully planted out yet there is a little bit of space set aside on the right near the mound for some hygro "roirama" from another APC member.

 

[TNguyen]

Great job. You don't have to use Hurricane Ike as an excuse to redo a tank. Just buy more tank. :wink:

 

[BryceM]

I like it. Bunbuku, you'll get more input on your tank if you link the photo here. If you don't know how, just ask. It's pretty easy to do.

 

[Tex Gal]

That's really gonna be nice. I agree with Bryce. Stick your px directly into the thread. Great job!

 

[HoustonFishFanatic]

Great start ! I like the wood placement.

 

[Paul Higashikawa]

That's gonna be one sweet layout when it's done! More pictures in the future

Brotha Thanh, time to put those empty ADA tanks you been accumulating to work!

Brother Bush, maybe we should all follow suit and post our tanks post Ike as well

Brother Luis, when are you gonna post another layout like you did before?​

 

[Bunbuku]

Bryce and TexGal - thanks for the comments. I tried to upload using the attachement but max at 5. I can't seem to successfully post thumbnails directly from Picassa either. LMK how you do it.

Thanks for the comments NASH bros! I am still learning and its a lot of fun. So far I have only seen davemonkey and The old mans pics in the post-Ike era. How about it guys - as Paul said post yours!:ranger: Luis, I know you have that waiting room tank and the crypt tank that I am sure are absolutely stunning by now!

:mrgreen:Thanh, I already have an aquatic plant fertilizer collection - that at least I can hide in the garage. A collection of planted tanks is not easy to hide!

This is the 2nd time I have used stem plants in my short time in the aquascaping hobby. I have had no trouble with algae at the outset compared to the iwagumi setup, it really amazing. This time I took Mike Senske's advice (plant relatively heavily from the start), together with limiting the photoperiod to 4 hrs (150 watts of MH lighting for a mere 60-P) and making sure my drop checker with 4 dKH solution is yellowish green throughout the photoperiod.

 

[houseofcards]

Looks good. Must have missed something, but which is the new setup the 1st or 2nd pic.

 

[Bunbuku]

Looks good. Must have missed something, but which is the new setup the 1st or 2nd pic.

They're the same set of pictures. The mods suggested I insert the pictures in the post rather than using a URL to my Picassa album. Attaching small versions of the pictures from the web album was the only way I knew how accomplish this.

Does the riccia in the back left look familiar? It's from you! This time I managed not to kill it this time (not using Excel bec of the moss). I have a little space to the mid-ground to the right of the central mound reserved just for the Hygro roirama you are sending .

 

[houseofcards]

O.K. I was referring to the 1st pic in the set that shows just the hardscape and the second pic that shows different hardscape and plants. I see the Riccia glad it's still green from shipping LOL. Your roirama should come today as well as Blyxa.

 

[BryceM]

The best way to place photos into the actual text is to use the icon at the top of the text box that shows a mountain against a yellow background. Once you click on this, you'll see a box where you can enter the URL (web address) of the photo.

You can host your photos here at APC's photo gallery, on photobucket (the one I use), picasaweb, or any number of other photo hosting sites. Once you have the URL, just enter it into the box.

 

[Bunbuku]

The best way to place photos into the actual text is to use the icon at the top of the text box that shows a mountain against a yellow background. Once you click on this, you'll see a box where you can enter the URL (web address) of the photo.

You can host your photos here at APC's photo gallery, on photobucket (the one I use), picasaweb, or any number of other photo hosting sites. Once you have the URL, just enter it into the box.

I tried entering the URL to the pics in my Picasa web album did not work . I will have to give the alternative ones a try.

Edit:
Test

Photobucket worked ! HoC - your riccia!

 

[Bunbuku]

A little aquaporn, or ummm pearling....I thought the HC on my previous iwagumi pearled (same lights) a lot but these stems are crazy:madgrin:.

Rotala sp. "green" from lowcoaster

Rotala colorat from AaronT

Rotala nanjenshan from HoustonFishFanatic

UG, about 4 days after planting - at least they have not melted!

Final shot till next weekend....

That's all folks. Thanks for looking!

 

[BryceM]

While not all happy plants are pearling plants, all pearling plants are happy plants.

Don't think about that for too long.

Looks great Bunbuku.

 

[houseofcards]

Photobucket worked ! HoC - your riccia!

Well of course your riccia is pearling. It was pearling when I pulled it from my tank. [smilie=b:

Tank looks great!

 

[Bunbuku]

Bryce and HoC thanks for the compliments!

HoC your roirama are there too but I did not do a closeup. BTW I know you use shower sponge net to tie down the riccia. What to you secure them to so that the look like they are "growing" out of the substrate? - like you had in your pics.

Though its been 2 weeks with all those stems and water 1/3-1/2 changes every other day, I still have ~2 mg/L NH3. I will have to postpone adding fish/shrimp for another week - at least it will give the UG some time to get established.

 

[houseofcards]

Actually I use regular hairnets. They usually come in a pack of three of $1. I did try the shower sponge a couple of times but I like the hairnets for a few reasons. 1. You can wrap a stone with the hairnet and tie it. You don't need any zipties or anything else. 2. When you stretch the hairnet over the stone it pretty much disappears and it's not as noticeable when you first put the riccia covered stone in the tank, while the sponge is very noticeable. The tank in the F/S thread that the substrate is covered is done with flat rocks and hairnets.

 

[apistaeasy]

I love the look of your MH over the 60, so open!

 

[Bunbuku]

Thanks Erik! Nothing beats being able to work on the tank with the lights on, especially with my 40 yo eyes!

BTW some of you Bylxas are in there to the left the mound. They really got tall - kinda like auberti. I planted a few of the Ranalasma in the back - had to give the most away to NASH members because your portions are massive!

 

[TNguyen]

Plants are looking happy!

If you want your riccia to look flat, use the method that Houseofcards suggest with ADA riccia stone. You can use other rock too. I got tired of looking around and for a bag with 10 pieces. hey. I think I'm getting lazy.