# Mystical Mountains Journal



## mysticalnet

Hi everyone!

So recently I had ordered my custom tank through Concept Aquariums and picked it up through King Ed Pets, very happy with it, in hindsight should have made it 40" long instead of 36" long for a even more panaromic aquascape.









36" x 13" x 14.5"









Originally I wanted to put my bonzai wood but now I'm not too sure. Also got finnex planted+ 24/7 light.









Sleek!









The controls









The structure on the right is going to be my waterfall. For the left side I was originally going to either get manten/sansui/koke rock but it's sooo crazy expensive that I gave up those type of rocks.

Then I went to a landscaping supply warehouse on marine way and got these two big rocks instead, they were labelled San Juan pond rock, total weight of these two rocks was 25lbs @ 16 cents per lb, plus tax = $4.48 only! ! Cheapest stones I have ever bought, not counting the ones I got from mother nature  Compared to manten rock though, of the same weight will be like $200+ !

A little concerned about the weight of the rocks but I think should be okay, what do you guys think? Is the weight too much for the tank to be unsafe?

























This is my hardscape so far, I'm trying to make a mountain scenery that I saw when travelling in taiwan, possibly a pathway, a waterfall. Don't know if I should still put the bonzai tree.

Suggestions and comments welcomed!


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## Spit1A

Looking good! I like the rocks you got. I imagine the weight should probably be alright. 

Placing the rocks on the plastic grid will probably help prevent any sharp point contact between the rock and glass.

What is that waterfall feature? Is it like foam or plastic? Where did you get it?


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic

Looking forward to seeing progress reports and pics.


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## TomC

Very nice lighting system. I would include the bonsai.


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## mysticalnet

Spit1A said:


> Looking good! I like the rocks you got. I imagine the weight should probably be alright.
> 
> Placing the rocks on the plastic grid will probably help prevent any sharp point contact between the rock and glass.
> 
> What is that waterfall feature? Is it like foam or plastic? Where did you get it?


Thanks! Rocks were cheap too! Yes I hope so, the egg crate definitely helps with the sharp edges, and probably some weight distribution. The waterfall feature is cool, I got it from Hong Kong, made of styrofoam. 



SeaHorse_Fanatic said:


> Looking forward to seeing progress reports and pics.


Will do!



TomC said:


> Very nice lighting system. I would include the bonsai.


Thank you. Where do you suggest I place the bonzai?


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## TomC

I would put it 1/3 from the left or right, not too close to the front. If you are looking for some unusual rocks, try the lapidary shop across the street from Cloverdale library. They usually have large pieces of petrified wood, and lots of nice pink or white quartz crystals.


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## mysticalnet

TomC said:


> I would put it 1/3 from the left or right, not too close to the front. If you are looking for some unusual rocks, try the lapidary shop across the street from Cloverdale library. They usually have large pieces of petrified wood, and lots of nice pink or white quartz crystals.


Hmmm I could but it would be pretty close to the front, the mountains and the waterfall is taking up quite a lot of space. Cool, will check out the shop when in Cloverdale.

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## mysticalnet

Update 2015.11.21

I've done quite a lot this weekend, decided to cut off part of the structure to make it look more natural instead of a square edged mountain. Had to get some acrylic paint to patch up the whites. 









Then I siliconed the painted structure to the glass so that it won't float up and started to fill some substrate to make a slope on the left side behind the rocks.









Added some yamana stones that I got for pretty cheap, just needed a few anyway, to join the mountain to make it look more natural.









Then I proceeded to make my path, I went to Michael's crafts hunting for supplies I could make a path with, I needed it to be maleable yet hard enough to keep the two kinds of substrate from mixing.

Found some soft clear plastic but it was way too soft for my liking, plus it couldn't make a nice curve. Hard plastic won't work either so I didn't get that either. My wife then suggested why not polymer clay? It is non toxic, maleable when kneeded, and after baking will be come hard. Thanks wifey, that was a great suggestion! Even had 50% off coupon!









After lots of kneeding and folding, I rolled it out and cut to size I wanted. 









Then flattening and shaping the path I wanted, as the path goes to the back it gets progressively higher as well. 









As I was shaping the black polymer clay, and taking it out of the tank, this was tricky, because it was soft and long, it just de-shaped and no longer the shape I wanted it to be, so I had to trace the path on parchment paper and then take the clay out and follow the tracing on the patchment paper, this took me quite some time. 









And ready to bake! 275 degrees Farenheit for 20 minutes and let cool. As it cools it hardens. It holds very well and I'm very satisfied with how sturdy it is. 
Beige sand added, complimentary from Fuguman, thanks! 









ADA ammonia substrate added









View from sofa, will sit here most of the time









Should I add the bonzai tree? It seems rather large for the mountains, or maybe I should push it down the substrate to make it look smaller? 









One main concern I have now is when water is filled the ADA soil tends to leach out black water, before putting the substrate in I've already washed the substrate a few times partly to take away the black water and partly to remove some ammonia to speed it up a little. But I think there will be still quite some black water and that might make the beige sand darker.

Thanks for looking and reading! Comments and suggestions always welcomed!

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## mysticalnet

Update 2015.11.22 - checking out my finnex 24/7 planted+

At sunny setting









At moonlight setting, too bright for a moonlight in my opinion, luckily I can play with the settings and make it less bright.









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## TomC

The tall rocks look good.


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## shift

Scape looks great


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## mysticalnet

Update 2015.11.23:

I sprayed all the rocks with water, the left side rocks turn quite a lot darker when wet, making it more similar to the right side. 









The bonzai driftwood that I took out is currently in a bucket full of water floating, as soon as it sinks I'll be able to use it. The main concern is the tree being too big and is not proportionate to the mountains, I'll try to stick it into the substrate to make it shorter or possibly cutting it slightly to make the tree shorter.

The river or pathway was scenery I saw in Taiwan that ran between two sets of mountains.

There were some concerns and private messages about the tank weight and the tank not being on both the sides of the IKEA cabinet where it is strongest. So to ensure that it is strong enough and can withstand the weight so it does not cave in I went to home depot to get some wood.

They are pine, 1" x 4" and asked the home depot guy to cut 22 1/8" lengths for me since they have free cuts when you buy wood there. 









Drilled holes into the wood, screwed the wood into the underside of the cabinet top and installed 90 degree metal brackets to further help support the weight. I think the cabinet is pretty safe now, what do you guys think? Wood and brackets altogether not even $7. Pretty cheap for safety in my opinion.











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## Hammer

Interested to see the next step


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic

Is the stand particle board [email protected]? Cause if it is, don't get it wet. If particle board gets wet and there's a hole in the thin veneer, Murphy's law dictates your tank water will find that hole, exploit this weakness to enter the particle board, and turn the particle board into soggy, collapsible mush. Did I mention I hate IKEA crap made with particle board? Unfortunately, my wife can't seem to get enough of it. Yeesh. 

BTW, love you aquascaping and I agree that if the wood is too big, it will be disproportionate and ruin the effect you're going for.


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## April

I would put boards going down from the top boards to the floor instead of the angle braces. It's the straight down boards that takes the pressure. 


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## tony1928

Agree with April. Forget the braces and get some 2x4 to carry the weight straight down to the floor. 

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## mysticalnet

SeaHorse_Fanatic said:


> Is the stand particle board [email protected]? Cause if it is, don't get it wet. If particle board gets wet and there's a hole in the thin veneer, Murphy's law dictates your tank water will find that hole, exploit this weakness to enter the particle board, and turn the particle board into soggy, collapsible mush. Did I mention I hate IKEA crap made with particle board? Unfortunately, my wife can't seem to get enough of it. Yeesh.
> 
> BTW, love you aquascaping and I agree that if the wood is too big, it will be disproportionate and ruin the effect you're going for.


LOL... you're funny! Yes, it's IKEA furniture and wife loves IKEA too, I am not too sure why, it has always been a debate that I like real wood stuff, but she likes IKEA stuff, guess who won.

I'm going to try to waterproof the cabinet somehow, will figure out a way and see what you guys think. 
Thanks, I'm glad you like it! Yup, I'm trying to see how I can make the wood smaller.



April said:


> I would put boards going down from the top boards to the floor instead of the angle braces. It's the straight down boards that takes the pressure.


Okay, will go to home depot later.



tony1928 said:


> Agree with April. Forget the braces and get some 2x4 to carry the weight straight down to the floor.


Seems like I really need to go get those today!


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic

Basically, rebuild & reinforce this IKEA crap so the IKEA cabinet is just an outer shell hiding a real wood stand/support system that will actually bear the weight of the stand. I love building out of wood, my wife loves buying IKEA particle board (i.e. sawdust and glue) crap. So I know what you mean.


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## April

Are there two doors and a Center divider? If so put a 2x4 on each side down from the cross boards and one on the outsides down from the cross boards. A Center one and end ones and your set. Make sure the floor board isn't just paper cardboard. Needs to stand on something solid. 


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## mysticalnet

April said:


> Are there two doors and a Center divider? If so put a 2x4 on each side down from the cross boards and one on the outsides down from the cross boards. A Center one and end ones and your set. Make sure the floor board isn't just paper cardboard. Needs to stand on something solid.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yes two doors and a center divider. The center divider is pretty study in my opinion, it is 2" thick, rather unusual for IKEA, also in the center bottom of the stand, there is a very strong metal support that is to the ground. I'll add the vertical wood for sure and listen to you guys, but I don't know if I'll use 2x4, I kind of need the space so I'll probably go with 1x4 instead.

The bottom floor board is not paper cardboard, it's 2" Ikea particle wood crap  hahah.

Here's the link to it:
http://m.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/art/80299888/

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## April

Yeah1x4 will do. 


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## mysticalnet

April said:


> Yeah1x4 will do.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Cool

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## mysticalnet

Update 2015.11.26

Today I listened to you guys and added vertical supports!


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## April

Looks good. 


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## mysticalnet

Okay my wood in my bucket full of water finally sunk after three weeks.

Dilemma, tree or no tree? Is the tree too big?

If tree, which positioning?

Pos.1 left








Mid








Right









Pos.2 left








Mid








Right


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## mysticalnet

Update 2015.11.27:

Decided to try out the tree and see how it goes, since when sitting down it doesn't look super big and perspective wise, a tree in front usually looks bigger and rhe background is distant. The tree also connects the two sides that is separated by the "river".



















Also started some plants and let them grow emersed, Utricularia graminifolia, mini pellia/coral moss and alterneathera reineckii mini for now.










Let me know what you guys think.

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## SeaHorse_Fanatic

I like it. The "tree" is smaller than I thought it would be.


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## mysticalnet

SeaHorse_Fanatic said:


> I like it. The "tree" is smaller than I thought it would be.


Yay! 

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## Chronick

I think 1 or 2 more pieces of bonsai driftwood would really make the tank look incredible, but it already looks great. Keep it up!


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## Marko1

Looks amazing cant wait to see it running


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## charlie1

Amazing aquascape, personally i would swap the Dragon Stone for something more like the other stones.
Great job


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## TomC

Terrific setup. What kind of fish are you planning on? A school of Cardinals would be nice.


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## mysticalnet

charlie1 said:


> Amazing aquascape, personally i would swap the Dragon Stone for something more like the other stones.
> Great job


Thanks! Yes I'm thinking of that too but need to find, I'll see if I'll come across anything that is pointy yet same colour, type as the other two bigger rocks. The dragon stone has a lot of nooks and crannies though, very good for moss.


TomC said:


> Terrific setup. What kind of fish are you planning on? A school of Cardinals would be nice.


Thanks very much  probably cardinals, rummy nose tetras..maybe dario dario. If I have saved enough, zebra plecos?!

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## mysticalnet

I can't figure out what plant(s) to put behind the mountains in the left. Currently the lower portion of the slope has done alterneathera reineckii mini but nothing on the upper slope. Any ideas you guys? 

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## Atom

Looks great! FYI I have that same wood and it's been almost 2 months and it's still got fungus coming out of it. 


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## mysticalnet

Atom said:


> Looks great! FYI I have that same wood and it's been almost 2 months and it's still got fungus coming out of it.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Boil or pour hot water on it?

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## Atom

Mine is so big I can't find a pot big enough haha


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## charlie1

mysticalnet said:


> I can't figure out what plant(s) to put behind the mountains in the left. Currently the lower portion of the slope has done alterneathera reineckii mini but nothing on the upper slope. Any ideas you guys?
> 
> Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk


Depends on if want red or green, with the alterneathera reineckii mini already giving a splash of red, you can go with Rotala sp. 'Green' ,Lindernia rotundifolia,Eleocharis sp among others.
If i may, i have experienced that UG can be a bit tricky in staying anchored, it tends to lift if not maintained.
Regards


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## mysticalnet

Thanks! I'll look up those plants, as the substrate is high there, something that grows low would be nice too. 

Yes re: UG. I've heard of that too, let's see if I can even keep them alive first haha, I failed UG once previously. 

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## tony1928

mysticalnet said:


> Boil or pour hot water on it?
> 
> Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk


Seems like that white fuzz fungus is pretty common on most pieces of wood I've used in my tanks over the years. I think I usually put in a BNP and before you know it, its all cleared up. Not sure why it doesn't seem to come back after the first month or so.


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## Reckon

It's tempting to add bigger flashier plants but I think it'll be closer to scale and also easier to manage by just sticking to carpeting plants like HC, mini-grass, riccia, and moss.


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## mysticalnet

Reckon said:


> It's tempting to add bigger flashier plants but I think it'll be closer to scale and also easier to manage by just sticking to carpeting plants like HC, mini-grass, riccia, and moss.


Even behind the mountains on the left? If so, maybe I might put Staurogyne reopens or eriocaulon parkeri.


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## Reckon

Tough call. I think it depends how tall you want your mountains to look. No plants behind it = too tall for "trees". 
Otherwise, I'd try rotala rotundifolia or colorata for a splash of color. They stay nice and bushy too.
AR Mini is nice and bushy but leaves are still relatively long and wide. Just my humble opinion.


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## mysticalnet

Reckon said:


> Tough call. I think it depends how tall you want your mountains to look. No plants behind it = too tall for "trees".
> Otherwise, I'd try rotala rotundifolia or colorata for a splash of color. They stay nice and bushy too.
> AR Mini is nice and bushy but leaves are still relatively long and wide. Just my humble opinion.


Yeah, I have colorata in my work tank, I guess I could trim some, but they grow a bit too fast and tall too.

As for the AR mini, hmmm yeah, I'll have to keep it trimmed low for now. Yes, "trees" behind and higher than the mountain would be kind of strange. Maybe I should just put staurogyne or erio. parkeri then, there's lots of deep substrate there so its is perfect especially for erio. parkeri's long roots.

Then the fishes can also hide behind the mountains, and if I get small loaches, they can play on the upper mountains too.


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## charlie1

I took harder look at your hardscape from the different angles, i now realize i overlooked the height of the substrate behind the rocks/mountains.
If i were doing a tank like that i would be tempted to use the UG behind the mountains & between them. Staurogyne repens at the base of the mountains & transitioning to a carpet of Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo' , HC would work too , but my preference is the Monte Carlo after using both.But that`s only a personal thought , the choices are endless.


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## mysticalnet

charlie1 said:


> I took harder look at your hardscape from the different angles, i now realize i overlooked the height of the substrate behind the rocks/mountains.
> If i were doing a tank like that i would be tempted to use the UG behind the mountains & between them. Staurogyne repens at the base of the mountains & transitioning to a carpet of Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo' , HC would work too , but my preference is the Monte Carlo after using both.But that`s only a personal thought , the choices are endless.


That's a very good idea! Hmmm....

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## mysticalnet

What do you guys think of pogostemon helferi aka downoi?

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## mysticalnet

Update 2015.12.02:

The alterneathera reineckii mini and utricularia graminifolia are growing pretty well emersed, the mini pellia or some people call it coral moss, is growing rather slow except for the one just next to the rocks close to the tree.


















I also stuck one more sheet of the mosaic transparent self adhesive foil (from walmart) on the already existing sheet I stuck when I first started, on the back glass. Much better now, can barely see any wires from the front. 









Full view of the wall, this is on the right side of our living room. Just installed those floating shelves from IKEA (wife's favourite store) on the weekend, air plants up top, and our treasured teapots on the lower shelf. 








I actually also installed curtain rails and curtains replacing the blinds, but will show updated photo next time.


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## charlie1

mysticalnet said:


> What do you guys think of pogostemon helferi aka downoi?
> 
> Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk


One of favorites.


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## mysticalnet

2015.12.05:

My bonzai tree wood is growing some fungus, it's quite usual and will go away, especially if there's a pleco but right now the whole tank is emersed so I decided to let mr.bonzai go into the hot tub for a bit:


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## mysticalnet

Update 2015.12.13

So my glass lid finally arrived after like 1.5 months since there was a miscommunication but now it's all good!

Went to Canadian tires to get some miracle grow plant fertilizer since I'm dry starting the aquarium, then the plants especially the UG will hopefully root and not float when I fill up the water.










Misted the plants with the miracle grow diluted mix and saran wrapped the top where there's no glass. Green house effect. Grow plants, grow! 









As our air composition has only 0.039% CO2, I decided to help the plants a little, by injecting CO2, at 1-2 bubbles per second. Hopefully this will slowly saturate the saran wrapped tank with CO2 to accerelate plant growth.


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## mysticalnet

Update 2015.12.16:

Ebay bought LED for back lighting.

Today my waterproof LED strip arrived in the mail from ebay Hong Kong; should have got it when I was there few months back visiting relatives. $9.50 includes 1 meter of LEDs (60 of 1amp), 44 key remote, the RGB control box, power adapter, packaging, and shipping was free!  very affordable. 









Note to all ebay sellers out there if you're reading, please please print the instructions sheet on a bigger piece of paper like an A4 or letter sized, not a 2" × 3" paper with a font size of 4.... I actually needed to take this picture so that I can zoom in on my phone to read it! 









1 meter has 60 LEDs, every two inches there are 3 LEDs, and you can cut every three if need to. 









The remote:









Initial try:









Then I tried to change colour with the remote but it didn't work, battery not included... so I had to go out in the cold and get a CR2025 - 3 volt battery - $5.39.

I don't understand how can a battery be $5.39 in Canada while the whole LED set I got from hong kong ebay is only $9.50.......including free shipping. Things in North America is way too expensive!









Did I mention to print the instruction sheet bigger? It's like watch battery size!! My eyes!!

Colour change success, hurray!









More updates to come, need to rest my eyes now


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## mysticalnet

Another update, LED back lighting is now in place. I stuck it to the back of the aquarium with clips that was left over from some IKEA furniture. 

















A short video with some colour changes:





Also tried blue sky colour, sorry about the awkward tube, I'm pumping CO2 1bps to aid in dry start plant growth. 









Comments always welcomed!


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## Reckon

Wow! Nice work on the LEDs. Looks great! Any chance they can be set up on timer - whiter for morning, bluer for afternoon, redder for evening?


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## tony1928

Great feature wit the lights. Gonna be an awesome and fun feature for your space. I got some strips from AliExpress and used it to backlight some furniture in my kids rooms. Looks great and it's fun for them to play with too. 

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## mysticalnet

Reckon said:


> Wow! Nice work on the LEDs. Looks great! Any chance they can be set up on timer - whiter for morning, bluer for afternoon, redder for evening?


Thanks Lawson! Hmm... no I don't think so, can be set on a timer but not colour change at the same time, that would have to be manual. Wait... It has a play button, I think I need to play with it more and see if it can do that. Will let you know. 


tony1928 said:


> Great feature wit the lights. Gonna be an awesome and fun feature for your space. I got some strips from AliExpress and used it to backlight some furniture in my kids rooms. Looks great and it's fun for them to play with too.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


Thank you, yes first time I've tried these waterproof LEDs and they are awesome!

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## mysticalnet

Merry Christmas!! 









UG is growing but really slowly....









Alterneathera reineckii mini is growing pretty fast though









Coral moss / mini pellia established and growing good









Have a wonderful Christmas holiday and hope you guys get good boxing day deals!!


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## mike.m

wow looks great keep it up!


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## mysticalnet

Update 2016.01.04

Happy New Year everyone! And the best of health!

Today I finally received my ebay package, I'm still waiting for my CO2 reactor though. Ebay is my favourite place to go to get aquarium stuff, cheaper than most local fish stores and on many occasions have things that local fish stores do not have.

My eheim quick connector, some stainless steel clamps, pipe or tubing acrylic holder and glass lily outflow.









Assembling lily pipe and acrylic holder.









More to come  stay tuned.

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## Sandy Landau

It is very exciting to watch this tank progress. It is a work of art.


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## mysticalnet

Sandy Landau said:


> It is very exciting to watch this tank progress. It is a work of art.


Thank you for your kind comment! 

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## mysticalnet

Update 2016.01.06

So after dinner today I had some time so I played around with my equipment arrangement, particularly my inline heater, here's some pictures:

Got the 1/2" 90 degrees barbed engineered polyalloy elbows from home depot - 95 cents each. And some stainless steel crimps. These polyalloy elbows are supposedly superior to brass fittings. Though probably won't want to use brass anyway - brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Never know if the copper will erode out and poison invertebrates or not. Better safe than sorry. 


















Also put a ball valve just in case I need to shut off the water in this region for some reason. To the right of the ball valve will be leading to the CO2 reactor which I'm still waiting for to arrive in the mail. 









Comments?


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## Morainy

Your engineering skills are amazing and I'm thoroughly enjoying following your progress.


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## mysticalnet

Morainy said:


> Your engineering skills are amazing and I'm thoroughly enjoying following your progress.


Thank you, Morainy!  I'm glad!


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## CRS Fan

Hello Ashley.

It looks really nice!

Just be aware that the 90 degree elbow can impede flow a bit especially leading up to a CO2 reactor.

Respectfully,

Stuart


Tankless in Vancouver


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## mysticalnet

CRS Fan said:


> Hello Ashley.
> 
> It looks really nice!
> 
> Just be aware that the 90 degree elbow can impede flow a bit especially leading up to a CO2 reactor.
> 
> Respectfully,
> 
> Stuart
> 
> Tankless in Vancouver


Thanks Stuart!

Yeah I thought about that too but can't think of anything better especially with the inline heater needing to be vertical for best operation efficiency. Any ideas or suggestions to improve flow?

Cheers, 
Ashley


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## cammywf

Took me 1 hr to read this post. Amazing. Looking forward to it.


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## CRS Fan

Eheim does make a sweeping elbow. I used to have one.

http://www.eheim-aquarium-parts.co.uk/proddetail/eheim-2217-classic-16mm-elbow-connector-4015100

That is the only mod that I can think of.

Best regards,

Stuart

Tankless in Vancouver


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## mysticalnet

CRS Fan said:


> Eheim does make a sweeping elbow. I used to have one.
> 
> http://www.eheim-aquarium-parts.co.uk/proddetail/eheim-2217-classic-16mm-elbow-connector-4015100
> 
> That is the only mod that I can think of.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Stuart
> 
> Tankless in Vancouver


Good mod! But expensive and hard to find. I'm thinking now water slowing down a little in the inline heater is not a bad thing, allows more contact time between heater with the water. As long as it speeds up after the bends and regains higher velocity. What do you think?

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## mysticalnet

Update 2016.01.10

So I did lots for nothing this weekend lol... I had decided to fill the tank before my CO2 from ebay arrives because I have a CO2 diffuser. I connected all the equipment and no water leak, good!

But... As soon as I started the filter running I realized that half the UG (utricularia graminifolia) have not rooted properly yet, they uprooted themselves and floated to the top.



















This picture was short lived. It only remained like this for a bit before some UG patches floated to the top. 









Therefore I'm back to square one, drained water, saran wrapped and will wait longer and check periodically to make sure the UG has rooted enough before I flood the tank. 









I'm disappointed that after 6.5 weeks some UG are still not rooted. Previously when I first started my tank at work I had failed UG miserably, gave up and did HC instead. Hopefully this time planting UG will be better luck!


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## mysticalnet

2016.01.11 :

So after a weekend's work, flooding and then draining because half my UG have not rooted yet, I've decided to go the more aggresive way, root tonic!!

I went to a hydroponic shop near my work and got Canna Rhizotonic:










---------------------------------------------------
According to the canna site it is supposed to:

CANNA RHIZOTONIC made in the Netherlands is a powerful, algae based, vegetative stimulator for roots of fast-growing plants that already have roots or root initials. RHIZOTONIC stimulates further root development, increases the plant's resistance to disease and promotes its inner and outer strength.
RHIZOTONIC is 100% natural, and contains multiple vitamins. RHIZOTONIC influences the root environment and is the ideal supplement for the crop environment created by the grower. RHIZOTONIC has a calming effect on plants, and is ideally suited for use when shipping or re-potting plants. RHIZOTONIC will also improve plants that are unhealthy or poorly developed.

RHIZOTONIC can be used regardless of the type of medium. It is suitable for cultivation in potting soil and hydro culture. RHIZOTONIC is often sprayed on leaves and can be used as a simple means for raising the pH level in fertilizer tanks.

Root stimulant

RHIZOTONIC adds more than 60 microbiological substances that considerably speeds up the growth of a balanced root environment. Various trace elements and vitamins such as B1&B2 have been added to RHIZOTONIC in to stimulate the plant production of hormones and root growth, thus providing better and stronger roots.

Vital plants

Good results start with a healthy plant. There are many different ways of stimulating plants aside from a healthy balance of EC levels, acidity, temperature, air and light. RHIZOTONIC does so during and in the rooting and growing phase. Another important element in RHIZOTONIC is the root-strengthening hormone Oligosaccharide. Scientifi c research has shown its beneficial effect in the creation of root cells without any negative side effects. Your plants will be certain to get beautiful, strong white roots with RHIZOTONIC.

Benefits of CANNA Rhizotonic

Aids in the immediate generation of lush, new root growth on cuttings and transplants.
When used as a seed soak prior to planting, it will speed up the germination process.
Enhances overall plant growth and chemical reactions in the plant to ensure a healthier, powerful and stronger plant.
Aids in the recovery process of any plant or cutting that has been subjected to stress in any way whatsoever.
-----------------------------------------------------
I hope it works! I need the UG to root properly, and grow into a tank like this:






Oh and my CO2 reactor arrived finally, though since my aquarium is nowhere near flooding time because of the UG, I'm going to give the CO2 to my friend first, we ordered on ebay together, this is the first one that arrived so I'm expecting another of the same. Product of Taiwan.



















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## charlie1

I`m not sure this tonic will be beneficial to the UG, since UG has no root structure.


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## mysticalnet

charlie1 said:


> I`m not sure this tonic will be beneficial to the UG, since UG has no root structure.


Actually it does have a root structure, it is just really fine and small, kind of like the roots of Hemianthus Callitritrodes. I Imagine if there is a tank that uses really really fine substrate, such as mud or small particle size sand, it will root much better.

Here's the link from Tropica site about UG:

Utricularia graminifolia - Tropica Aquarium Plants


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## charlie1

mysticalnet said:


> Actually it does have a root structure, it is just really fine and small, kind of like the roots of Hemianthus Callitritrodes. I Imagine if there is a tank that uses really really fine substrate, such as mud or small particle size sand, it will root much better.
> 
> Here's the link from Tropica site about UG:
> 
> Utricularia graminifolia - Tropica Aquarium Plants


I stand corrected.


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## mysticalnet

Update 2016.01.17:

Some updates on the UG, because that's the only thing I'm waiting for before I can flood the tank.

I've noticed that some of the UG have begun sending side shoots and spreading, merging with patches next to each other, hurray for rhizotonic!! Some are doing better than others, if you can see in the pictures below, some UG are bigger fatter plumper blades while some still remain sharp and tiny and have not sent side shoots out yet.




























I









I think this is good progress, but slow, UG is probably one of the hardest plants I've ever encountered!

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## jagermelifter

have you trimmed it yet?


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## mysticalnet

jagermelifter said:


> have you trimmed it yet?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Nope not yet

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## Morainy

I am so impressed by the thought you are putting into this. It is a very interesting journal to follow because you take the time to share with us. Good luck!


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## mysticalnet

Morainy said:


> I am so impressed by the thought you are putting into this. It is a very interesting journal to follow because you take the time to share with us. Good luck!


Thank you very much!  I'll keep updating and I'm glad you like my journal!

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## Carpenter

that hardscape is sweet ,awesome job.


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## mysticalnet

Update 2016.01.25:

Hello everyone! 

UG is growing well and rooting quite a little bit, however because of the saran wrap it's all fogged up so I didn't want to unwrap just to take a picture.

Today I decided to do more with my hardware. First a picture:









As you can see, I had previously reinforced my IKEA TV cabinet (because wife loooooves IKEA) and it's relatively cheap, just need to make sure it is stable, which it is now. As you can see, plenty of space for fertilizers, fish food and other smaller equipment e.g air pump.

The plastic rectangular container which I got at walmart is to make sure if there is any water leak from the filter directly, it'll be able to catch quite a bit of water before overflowing. Maybe I'll see if I can modify a smoke alarm to make it detect water in the container, if done correctly it will blast so loud as soon as there is water leakage and alert me.

Okay the intake of the water is behind the mountain on the right, I had put a stainless steel mesh inside the eheim plastic mesh, just in case I decide to add a few shrimps. 









Then the water will be sucked into the canister filter on the left side of the cabinet, do what filters do - filter water and then exits the canister filter, leading to the right side of the cabinet. The water will flow through the in-line heater, then goes through the CO2 reactor. The CO2 is injected into the reactor (see black tubing).









I had fixed the in-line heater, bubble counter to the sides of the cabinet using home depot stuff, cheap, has double sided tape and I just put zip tie through and lock.









Actually all my hardware e.g canister filter, ADA CO2 system etc were all bought second hand or traded with here on BCA. I've took about 1-1.5 year to slowly accumulate all these equipment. 









These are parts to be connected to my air pump and to the sand waterfall on the right. 









It's going to be a busy week at work and need to wake up extra early. I wanted to trim my work tank this week but I don't think I'll have time, it's getting overgrown though. I doubt I'll do much but I'll see what I can do with the home tank.

Doing aquarium related stuff is very stress relieving and clears the mind!  stay tuned and have a good week ahead of you all!

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## charlie1

Thanks for sharing, clean H/ware set up.


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## randylahey

Looks good! No need to modify a smoke alarm, go to your local hardware and pick up a flood buzz pro. If I remember, they're under $10


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## tony1928

I have a couple of these. Honeywell RWD41/T Water Defense Water Sensing Alarm (White), Timers - Amazon Canada

They work great but be strategic about where you place them. They are REALLY sensitive, which is great, but not so great when you are constantly working on an aquarium which will produce the occasional mess of water.


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## mysticalnet

Nice! I'll need to check them out for sure! Thanks guys! 

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## mysticalnet

Update 2016.01.29:

So after 2.5 months I had got my tank and dry started the plants, I've finally flooded it yesterday night!









All seems fine, the plants like the UG will definitely go through some shock by me flooding the tank, some might not do so well later on but usually plants recover, I'm hoping everything goes well. I've added a hydor wave maker for better circulation, don't really want algae to proliferate at low flow areas.

No UG patches except the one patch on the most right floated (which I suspected it will). I have now buried it back and hair pinned it to the substrate, hopefully it will root faster.

Left side of tank









Right side









Top middle side, and in my opinion the UGs here grew the best, they have rooted greatly and spread like wild fire.









I think the middle grew the best because it's the lowest substrate vs. water level when dry starting, however more water means more algae, can you see the two blue green algae patches? I wonder if dilute H2O2 can get rid of it. 









I'm currently doing 4-5 bubbles/second for CO2, will need to gauge later today if that's sufficient. Meanwhile my lily pipe  I like it very much, almost invisible when view from front









Things yet to do:
- I've yet to determine a kind of moss for the tree.
- set up air pump etc for sand waterfall
- fill up pathway/river with more sand to hide the black trim. 
- H2O2 the two green mountains on the left of the algae to try to return them to the original nice grey blue stone colour.

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## CRS Fan

Hello Ashley.

Weeping Moss is one of the nicest mosses for trees. Under higher light, it has shorter nodes between fronds and looks like willow branches.

JMHO.

Stuart


Tankless in Vancouver


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## mysticalnet

CRS Fan said:


> Hello Ashley.
> 
> Weeping Moss is one of the nicest mosses for trees. Under higher light, it has shorter nodes between fronds and looks like willow branches.
> 
> JMHO.
> 
> Stuart
> 
> Tankless in Vancouver


But difficult to find! 

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## CRS Fan

Bien has always been a good reliable source. Stephen (MananaP) used to also grow it.

Best regards,

Stuart


Tankless in Vancouver


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## mysticalnet

Haha I've just texted Bien 10 minutes ago!

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## battmanh

Your UG is looking great Ash! Patience really pays off. I agree with weeping moss for the tree as well. I also have seen a tree with some sort of red Ludwigia growing on it that looked really cool. I'll see if I can find a picture/link.


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## mysticalnet

battmanh said:


> Your UG is looking great Ash! Patience really pays off. I agree with weeping moss for the tree as well. I also have seen a tree with some sort of red Ludwigia growing on it that looked really cool. I'll see if I can find a picture/link.


Thanks! !  red ludwigia? Cool! Yes please for the picture/link.

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## battmanh

I found a link! 




You can also look up: "Filipe Oliveira red bonsai"


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## mysticalnet

battmanh said:


> I found a link!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You can also look up: "Filipe Oliveira red bonsai"


Impressive!! Thanks! Hmmm but I don't understand, how is the plant rooting and where?

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## Reckon

mysticalnet said:


> Impressive!! Thanks! Hmmm but I don't understand, how is the plant rooting and where?
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk


Cool and wierd.
That must take a crazy amount of work. Anyone who have tried Diplis Diandria knows it grows like a weed. Even Hydrocotyle Verticillata tends to branch off everywhere. Unless that ludwigia 'mini super red' is a bizzare slow growing form the scape probably requires trimming every 2 days.


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## mysticalnet

Reckon said:


> Cool and wierd.
> That must take a crazy amount of work. Anyone who have tried Diplis Diandria knows it grows like a weed. Even Hydrocotyle Verticillata tends to branch off everywhere. Unless that ludwigia 'mini super red' is a bizzare slow growing form the scape probably requires trimming every 2 days.


Yeah I agree, that would need very frequent trimming. I have ludwigia super red, not the mini and didn't know there was a mini version, but don't imagine it will be any slower than the non mini version growth rate.

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## mysticalnet

Update 2016.02.01:

On the weekend I went to Roger's Aquatics to try my luck in getting weeping moss, and I got the last one!









Tropica plants are more expensive than any other plant supplier for sure but the good thing about it is, there is zero snails. And that's what I'm trying to achieve in the tank.

Took out my bonsai drift wood and since new wood tend to grow fungus for a little while, I sprayed it with dilute 3% hydrogen peroxide to get rid of the fungus.









I was originally going to blend the moss and paint it together with yogurt and fertilizers onto the wood for a more uniform spread and humid start but since I've already filled my tank, that's no longer an option. Therefore I've superglued the weeping moss onto the wood instead. 









Then I added ADA la plata sand, I think there might be two types, mine is the fine particle size type. I add the la plata sand on top, capping my beige sand. La plata is heavier than my beige sand (prevent beige sand being blown away or mixing with the black ADA amazonia) and maybe less prone to algae, I guess we'll have to see with time.

Hah made use of the tropica plastic cup, fill half cup with sand, mix with half cup water, slowly descend to place where I want to empty and empty slowly. Then sand won't go everywhere! 









UG roots grow..... grow! 









I've actually read on this site:
http://bubblesaquarium.com/images/home mid_photo/Article on UG/utricularia_graminifolia.htm
UG is really sensitve to change in environment and also when it is rooting it might prefer lower light, or at least that's how I interpreted it.

Makes sense though, if light is so strong, the plant will want to grow more leaves, instead of concentrating on rooting, roots grow slower. Having high light the past few weeks also made my UG become whiter (burn?), and since I made my light less strong and pipetted a few mLs of rhizotonic into the water column, the plants have returned to be greener and sending out more roots. The combination of lower lighting, rhizotonic and CO2 seem to work well. 









Two more photos for the day

















I'll be working on my sand waterfall next! Stay tuned! 

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## cammywf

wow. Last time I checked this post, your ug was still rooting emersed. Look it now, super cool. I really like the light effect.

BTW, your plant package are doing very good now. That's a big bag enough for 2 tanks. lol. Thank you.


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## mysticalnet

cammywf said:


> wow. Last time I checked this post, your ug was still rooting emersed. Look it now, super cool. I really like the light effect.
> 
> BTW, your plant package are doing very good now. That's a big bag enough for 2 tanks. lol. Thank you.


Thank you Cammy! it is finnex planted+ 24/7 LED and cheap waterproof LED from ebay 

Lol great! I'm glad the plants have been good use to you! Got a journal or picture to your tank? 

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## cammywf

mysticalnet said:


> Thank you Cammy! it is finnex planted+ 24/7 LED and cheap waterproof LED from ebay
> 
> Lol great! I'm glad the plants have been good use to you! Got a journal or picture to your tank?
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk


I am using the same light, finnex planted+, mine is 30 inch. Very good light, love it. Really want to buy another one from amazon.com, but our dollar is soooo weak now, the cost is much more expensive.  Do you know where can I find it in Canada?

Half plants are in my office 5 gallon, very simple setup (don't want my boss think I am not doing my work.), sunlight only with diy co2. This tank is about 7 months, and I am lucky there is no algae problem.


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## mysticalnet

cammywf said:


> I am using the same light, finnex planted+, mine is 30 inch. Very good light, love it. Really want to buy another one from amazon.com, but our dollar is soooo weak now, the cost is much more expensive.  Do you know where can I find it in Canada?
> 
> Half plants are in my office 5 gallon, very simple setup (don't want my boss think I am not doing my work.), sunlight only with diy co2. This tank is about 7 months, and I am lucky there is no algae problem.


You won't find finnex in Canada, you won't even find finnex in the states. They're u.s based but only online with no retail shop.

Your work tank is a bunch of pots in a tank, why not make a terrarium or palladium? Just a suggestion 

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## cammywf

mysticalnet said:


> You won't find finnex in Canada, you won't even find finnex in the states. They're u.s based but only online with no retail shop.
> 
> Your work tank is a bunch of pots in a tank, why not make a terrarium or palladium? Just a suggestion
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk


I know, will do some change one day, but I need find time I can plant them with my tweezers, and my boss won't think I am being a slack.


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## mysticalnet

Go on a weekend and finish it  or after work hours on a weekend. 

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## tony1928

cammywf said:


> I am using the same light, finnex planted+, mine is 30 inch. Very good light, love it. Really want to buy another one from amazon.com, but our dollar is soooo weak now, the cost is much more expensive.  Do you know where can I find it in Canada?


I believe you can buy it off amazon.ca. Very expensive though. If I were you, order it off amazon.com and pick up in the states.


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## khiyasu

tony1928 said:


> I believe you can buy it off amazon.ca. Very expensive though. If I were you, order it off amazon.com and pick up in the states.


Agree with tony - Finnex Planted+ 24 7 is cheapest on amazon.com

Robot Check

You can get it shipped to Ship Happens, you just have to register with them and get a code from them. It is only a couple bucks to pick up from their location in Sumas right across the border in Abbotsford. Cheapest Ive seen and best value IMO. I dont have the Finnex but wish I did  Alternatively amazon.ca has a good deal for Current Sat+ Pro.


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## mysticalnet

Yup or ship it to Point Roberts. Everyone goes there for gas and packages so the customs officer is even lazy to charge you Canadian tax. 

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## cammywf

I ordered mine from amazon.com too, shipped to peach arch, there is a place called 5dpackage, charge $2 each item, cheaper than point roberts. But for some reason, I had more chances to get charged imported tax in Peach Arch than in Point Roberts. No idea why.


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## mysticalnet

cammywf said:


> I ordered mine from amazon.com too, shipped to peach arch, there is a place called 5dpackage, charge $2 each item, cheaper than point roberts. But for some reason, I had more chances to get charged imported tax in Peach Arch than in Point Roberts. No idea why.


Because everyone goes to point roberts to collect parcels and they are used to it. When customs ask you why you're going over, people actually answer "to get gas" and "to pick up a parcel". The customs just let you pass back in without charging import tax unless you're buying a crazy amount of stuff. Also imagine if everyone was charged import tax there when crossing; no one will want to go to point roberts anymore. Point Roberts actually need people to go there, or else it might not survive.

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## tony1928

I've had my acrylic tanks shipped to point roberts and drove them back over. Easy. Just gotta pay a little tax if you buy alot. 

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## wslam

Got two Finnex Stingray off amazon and shipped to point roberts as well. Cheaper than buying a light in stores here even with the terrible exchange rate.


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## mysticalnet

Update 2016.02.03:

I've finally got my sand waterfall to work, but not without trial and error.

This is the cup which is part of the mountain and it catches the sand, I had to fix one of the two hard pipes here in the picture, the one on the right was way too long and sand got stuck in it as soon as the pump started.









The soft tubing was also faulty in the mountain, you can't see it and I've already painted it over with acrylic paint same colour as the mountain, but fixing that was a pain. 









The top of the mountain where the "reservoir" is, I've cut a thin piece of plastic and siliconed it to the top, preventing sand from overflowing into and out of the areas that cannot catch the sand back, basically anything that won't fall back down into the bowl. Pardon the poor silicone job.









The tubings up top that includes two check valves are connected to the fusion quiet air pump in the cabinet underneath. It is actually pretty quiet. My CO2 reactor is louder and the bubbling of water up top is also quite loud. Need to tweak this a bit, to minimize sound and just powerful enough for sand to be carried up the tubes with the air bubbles, and not too strong until sand is flying everywhere.









Finally, a short video.... notice the UG? Growing awesome! ! Key is not too bright, actually on the lower end of brightness, CO2, rhizotonic and soft water!





Plants still need to grow, moss tree needs to fill in and the surroundings need to age, then it should look much better.

One thing I've learnt this time, I still have lots to learn with regards to making the tank have much more depth perception and to make things seem far off. I did not succeed this time with depth.


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## geealexg

Awesome pictures and videos! I can already imagine a school of fish and some shrimp grazing on that UG!


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## Bien Lim

This project gets better and better !!


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## mysticalnet

geealexg said:


> Awesome pictures and videos! I can already imagine a school of fish and some shrimp grazing on that UG!


Thank you. I hope I'll add livestock soon!


Bien Lim said:


> This project gets better and better !!


Thanks Bien!

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## Dou

Friggin cool x)


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## mysticalnet

You guys have any ideas on what fishes to stock the tank with? 

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## Jousters

The waterfall looks great.I like the green on the rocks.Maybe just clean parts of it off.It gives it the aged rustic look.I would get small rasbora. April has a good selection.Just got some Emeralds off her and the colors are just starting to pop.


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## mysticalnet

Jousters said:


> The waterfall looks great.I like the green on the rocks.Maybe just clean parts of it off.It gives it the aged rustic look.I would get small rasbora. April has a good selection.Just got some Emeralds off her and the colors are just starting to pop.


Thanks! Yup I cleaned the rocks, didn't have time to take a picture yet. I went to April's yesterday and got some fish. Might go to fish addicts today.

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## jagermelifter

if you ever go to fishaddicts can u please check if they have any sawbwa resplendens? thanks!


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## mysticalnet

jagermelifter said:


> if you ever go to fishaddicts can u please check if they have any sawbwa resplendens? thanks!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Hey there, just came back. No sawbwa resplendens, but look alike rummynose tetras yes.

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## mysticalnet

Update 2016.02.06:

Happy long weekend! Yesterday I went to April's and today I went to Fish Addicts and got some fishes finally 

First of all, progress of UG is doing great, I find that not so high light with CO2 not only have much less algae, UG grows nicely and fishes come out more too. 









I've been searching for my hasborus corydoras but they are really good in hiding. So I only managed to take pictures of the other fishes I got.

Dwarf pearl rainbows









Badis darios









Rummynose tetras









Full tank shot! Cleaned the mountains a little so it's less green now. 











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## SeaHorse_Fanatic

Ummmm, I think the word to describe this tank of yours is GORGEOUS!!!!


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## mysticalnet

SeaHorse_Fanatic said:


> Ummmm, I think the word to describe this tank of yours is GORGEOUS!!!!


Thank you! 

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## Bien Lim

Very nice ug carpet...


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## mysticalnet

Bien Lim said:


> Very nice ug carpet...


Thanks Bien! 

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## mysticalnet

2016.02.09 - Took a short video on the weekend:






Fishes seem happy and schooling around. 

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## April

I can try order for next week. 


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## mysticalnet

April said:


> I can try order for next week.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


You mean Hasbrosus corydoras, April? Would like to get a few more female and one more male badis dario too. 

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## April

Habrosus won't be for about 3 weeks . I can order sawbwa . Still have darios


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## mysticalnet

Ohh I didn't need sawbwa, it's jagermelifter that wants them. 

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## jagermelifter

April said:


> Habrosus won't be for about 3 weeks . I can order sawbwa . Still have darios
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


its ok i dont need the sawbwa anymore, i just got the rummynose from you earlier. thanks!

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## April

Ok but I may anyhow! Not sure I've ever had them!


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## CRS Fan

April said:


> Ok but I may anyhow! Not sure I've ever had them!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Sawbwa resplendens are a cool little fish. They can be picky eaters and prefer a more alkaline PH. Only the adult males have the "rummy nose" look.

Best regards,

Stuart

Tankful in Vancouver!


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## jagermelifter

CRS Fan said:


> Sawbwa resplendens are a cool little fish. They can be picky eaters and prefer a more alkaline PH. Only the adult males have the "rummy nose" look.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Stuart
> 
> Tankful in Vancouver!


yes i have realized the male vs female appearance thats why i decided to go with the rummynose. i like the sawbwa coz they only grow an inch max.

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## Atom

You're tank is perfection. I too have a bonsai tree, but mine has Xmas moss on it. Really wish I had used weeping instead.


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## mysticalnet

Atom said:


> You're tank is perfection. I too have a bonsai tree, but mine has Xmas moss on it. Really wish I had used weeping instead.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thank you! It's not too late, you can kind of tear off the xmas (though I think xmas moss is nice too) and replace with weeping.

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## mysticalnet

2016.02.16 update:

Good evening! Hope you all are having a good day. 

Originally I had put two "U" pins (from daiso, small box of it) to secure my two airline tubings for the waterfall. Those were beginning to rust. I don't mind the rusting but I didn't like the orange rust rubbing onto the mountain. Therefore I dipped two "U" pins into acrylic paint giving it a nice protective coat.

Hung to dry and then baked at 350F for 30 minutes and let cool in oven.









Tubing re-pinned and held in place.









Got three tiny baby albino bristlenose plecos on the weekend that are approximately 1 cm. Almost blends in with the rocks. 









Weeping moss filling in









After water change today









There are actually 9 rummynose tetras, 6 dwarf pearl rainbows, 3 baby albino bristlenose plecos, 1 otocinclus, 6 badis dario but they are picture shy!

Thanks for reading!

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## battmanh

Hey Ash, the tank looks amazing! The UG carpet is the best I have ever seen. I like the La Plata sand too, where did you get it from?


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## mysticalnet

battmanh said:


> Hey Ash, the tank looks amazing! The UG carpet is the best I have ever seen. I like the La Plata sand too, where did you get it from?


Thanks Matt!  I got the la plata sand from King Ed's pets during boxing week.

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## mysticalnet

Anyone know what kind of algae is this?










Going to do a water change today and maybe some trimming.

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## CRS Fan

It is Cyanobacteria. Suck it off with a water change and then do a erythromycin treatment. Then do another large water change a couple days later. That should take care of it.

Best regards,

Stuart


Tankful in Vancouver!


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## mysticalnet

Did water change and sucked quite some of the BGA away. Treated with erythromycin as well  will update in a few days.

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## mysticalnet

Update 2016.02.24

Pictures of some fishies and bonus coral moss:

Male scarlet badis and rummynose tetra









Baby albino bristlenose pleco, approximately 1.5cm









Male dwarf pearl rainbow









Coral moss


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## Atom

The carpet photo with the badis is amazing. How is the tree growing?


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## mysticalnet

Atom said:


> The carpet photo with the badis is amazing. How is the tree growing?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thank you. Though I thought the dwarf rainbow picture might be better  tree is growing well but still need more time before it looks like a nice tree.

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## Atom

How did you attach your moss to the branches. I used fishing line on mine and broke a few pieces off unfortunately. Also did you end up selling off those extra bonsai pieces you had?


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## Atom

I was growing mine submerged, but now I'm trying it emersed.

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## mysticalnet

Atom said:


> How did you attach your moss to the branches. I used fishing line on mine and broke a few pieces off unfortunately. Also did you end up selling off those extra bonsai pieces you had?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I actually didn't use any fishing line on cotton thread. I just stuffed the moss on the smaller branches here and there and wound them with each other. Sometimes a small piece fly off and I'll just stuff it back. They seem to have stayed put and stuck to the wood now.

The bonsai wood have been all sold.... I only left one for myself which is the one currently in this aquarium...

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## mysticalnet

Atom said:


> I was growing mine submerged, but now I'm trying it emersed.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That's a very beautiful betta!

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## mysticalnet

Some members from another forum requested to see my worm cultures that I feed to my fishes, especially the scarlet badis, so I thought I'll post here too - here are some disgusting and sometimes a little smelly - worm cultures.

Grindal worms feeding on oatmeal, ADA amazonia substrate. 









Grindal worms can live in the aquarium for a few days until hunted down (if not immediately hunted down when put into aquarium, usually within seconds!) thus the ADA substrate so they get used to the same kind in the aquarium, just in case. Fishes go crazy for these worms.









Microworms eating oatmeal, see all that shimmering and glistening? That is not light reflection, those are all very tiny worms moving









My two main cultures and two backups









Enjoy the yucky pictures >. <

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## mysticalnet

2016.02.26 - got two nice shots today.



















Have a good weekend! 

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## CRS Fan

How's the Cyano, Ashley? Is it gone?

Best regards,

Stuart


Tankful in Vancouver!


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## mysticalnet

CRS Fan said:


> How's the Cyano, Ashley? Is it gone?
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Stuart
> 
> Tankful in Vancouver!


Cyanobacteria seems to be almost completely gone  will take a photo in a few days after water change.

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## charlie1

I have not checked the thread for a bit, but the progress is amazing !, Kudos on your photography skills, maybe you can share some of your photography set up for the tank shoot.
Regards


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## mysticalnet

charlie1 said:


> I have not checked the thread for a bit, but the progress is amazing !, Kudos on your photography skills, maybe you can share some of your photography set up for the tank shoot.
> Regards


Thank you! Hehe... my photography set up is actually just my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phone camera! 

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## charlie1

mysticalnet said:


> Thank you! Hehe... my photography set up is actually just my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phone camera!
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk


That speak volumes for phone cameras.


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## wslam

mysticalnet said:


> Some members from another forum requested to see my worm cultures that I feed to my fishes, especially the scarlet badis, so I thought I'll post here too - here are some disgusting and sometimes a little smelly - worm cultures.
> 
> Grindal worms feeding on oatmeal, ADA amazonia substrate.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Grindal worms can live in the aquarium for a few days until hunted down (if not immediately hunted down when put into aquarium, usually within seconds!) thus the ADA substrate so they get used to the same kind in the aquarium, just in case. Fishes go crazy for these worms.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> Microworms eating oatmeal, see all that shimmering and glistening? That is not light reflection, those are all very tiny worms moving
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> My two main cultures and two backups
> 
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> 
> Enjoy the yucky pictures >. <
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk


That last photo looks like a packed lunch for work haha


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## mysticalnet

wslam said:


> That last photo looks like a packed lunch for work haha


You wouldn't want to bring that to work though! Lol

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## mysticalnet

Update 2016.02.28

After treating my tank of cyanobacteria with erythromycin, a few water changes and trimming the UG a bit shorter, the UG has returned to being green and vibrant, some spots are still slightly brown but I would say 90% is good, yay!










Mini pellia behind the tree on the rocks are growing great too









There's some thread algae on the weeping moss, so I bought 5 japonica shrimps to take care of it but they're all hiding. I only saw two today briefly. Alternanthera reinickii mini growing well and almost fuscia colour. Anyways, a full tank shot:









Will need another UG trim soon I guess.

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## mysticalnet

Update 2016.03.04

Today my cheap very affordable ebay bought bubble counter finally arrived. Early last year I had also got on ebay a Wyin needle valve. My original intent was to complement the milwaukee CO2 regulator since it was very difficult to do fine adjustments only with the milwaukee alone.










Then I got my current ADA CO2 regulator for a smashing deal so I didn't use the Wyin needle valve until now; ADA regulator by itself is not bad but definitely a lot easier to make fine adjustments with the Wyin needle valve added.









The reason I got an ebay bubble counter is because I couldn't count properly with the crappy do!aqua one, it looks nice sure but in my opinion sucks as a bubble counter.









My current CO2 setup, with the new ebay bubble counter and also switched the original ADA pressure resistant CO2 tubing to CO2 proof hard tubing. I can immediately see the difference in CO2 dissolution and can finally count, 3 bubbles per second!

Thanks for looking. Comments always welcomed.


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## liquid_krystale

Damn...that ADA regulator is hella sexy. 

Curious as to why you think the bubble counter isn't that hot though. I've been considering getting the same one for my CO2 reg build. 

I also briefly considered the cheapie needle valves like yours on ebay but ultimately decided to buy a slightly pricier model (nothing like the swageloks and parkers they go crazy for on TPT though). Do you find that the Wyin does the job?


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## mysticalnet

liquid_krystale said:


> Damn...that ADA regulator is hella sexy.
> 
> Curious as to why you think the bubble counter isn't that hot though. I've been considering getting the same one for my CO2 reg build.
> 
> I also briefly considered the cheapie needle valves like yours on ebay but ultimately decided to buy a slightly pricier model (nothing like the swageloks and parkers they go crazy for on TPT though). Do you find that the Wyin does the job?


Haha thanks! I got it along with two 5lbs CO2 tanks for very cheap. I gave one 5lbs to my good friend.

The do!aqua bubble counter is not hot because I can't count the bubbles... Maybe it's also because I changed tubing? not sure. I like how the new bubble counter is long, makes counting a lot easier.

What is your CO2 regulator now? If milwaukee, it already has a bubble counter attached no? I have the milwaukee one for my work tank. If you want the do!aqua bubble/music counter and diffuser I can sell to you for cheap cheap.

Well I just started using the Wyin needle valve, but I tried it and was able to adjust very easily and very satisfied with it.

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## mysticalnet

2016.03.05

Full tank shot after a little bit of trimming, mostly the UG and a water change.










Hope you guys all are having a good weekend! 

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## mysticalnet

And here's a video I just took:





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## mysticalnet

Update 2016.03.09:

I'm sure some of us have had hair algae at some point, no matter how good the tank is.

Today I was manually removing the hair algae by twirling a toothbrush and noticed that small pieces of the hair algae will fly off and spread elsewhere.

So I thought of an idea, use airline tubing tied to something heavy and trimmed the tips of my UG to remove the hair algae. The diameter of airline tubing is small, so as soon as I dipped the sucking end into the tank, capillary reaction will start and pull water out of the tank automatically.

I find this way is much more precise, efficient and does not spread everywhere! Therefore want to share with you guys.

Picture:









Video:





Special thanks to my wife who took this video while I trimmed


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## battmanh

Nice tip! What do you think caused the hair algae?


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## mysticalnet

battmanh said:


> Nice tip! What do you think caused the hair algae?


Thanks! I'm not sure. Whenever I start a new tank, I go through different kinds of algae before I figure out the balance between CO2, nutrients, light, flow and bioload. Every tank is a little different and it takes me a while to figure out, then it will be minimum algae to almost none.

This time it might be my light intensity being a bit too strong or nutrients needing to be a tad more. Or it could be me feeding too much live worms to my fishes lol 

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## jagermelifter

i think youll do well as a hairdresser, good trimming skills. 

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## mysticalnet

jagermelifter said:


> i think youll do well as a hairdresser, good trimming skills.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Lol !!   thanks!

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## mysticalnet

Update 2016.03.14

Over the weekend it was raining most of the time so I stayed home. Trimmed 1cm of the UG, did 45% water change and fertilization of NPK, trace metals and Fe.

Hair algae seems to be much more under control now. On the other hand, some UG on the most left side of the tank is constantly uprooting, I think it's the alternanthera reinickii mini's roots that might be interferring with the UG roots.



















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## mysticalnet

2016.03.15

A video of daphnia feeding, recording a video with one hand and doing things with the other at the same time prove harder than I thought!






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## jagermelifter

mysticalnet said:


> Update 2016.03.14
> 
> Over the weekend it was raining most of the time so I stayed home. Trimmed 1cm of the UG, did 45% water change and fertilization of NPK, trace metals and Fe.
> 
> Hair algae seems to be much more under control now. On the other hand, some UG on the most left side of the tank is constantly uprooting, I think it's the alternanthera reinickii mini's roots that might be interferring with the UG roots.
> 
> 
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> Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk


hella clean bro

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## mysticalnet

jagermelifter said:


> hella clean bro
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks man! Your tank is looking good!

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## mysticalnet

2016.03.20

Not much to update on so here's some pictures I took just few minutes ago. I did some more UG trimming and trimmed off about 1.5 to 2 cm.

Enjoy the pictures.

Japonica shrimp









Siamese algae eater and baby albino bristlenose pleco 









Dario and female rainbow









My favourite picture of one of my scarlet badis so far. 









Full tank shot









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## mysticalnet

Today I found out that my waterfall is actually a shrimp assassin!! 









Shrimps seem to like to crawl up the two internal tubings at night time when the waterfall is off and by day time when the waterfall starts running they have no time to crawl out and gets sucked up constantly until they tire and die.... horrible dealth...

I think only huge japonica shrimps cannot get in there.

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## Dou

So sad to hear =[


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## April

Well that's sad...


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## mysticalnet

Just a few cherries... so not too bad I guess. 

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## Dou

On the bright side... your tree is looking fantastic!


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## KC1314

mysticalnet said:


> Today I found out that my waterfall is actually a shrimp assassin!!
> 
> Shrimps seem to like to crawl up the two internal tubings at night time when the waterfall is off and by day time when the waterfall starts running they have no time to crawl out and gets sucked up constantly until they tire and die.... horrible dealth...
> 
> I think only huge japonica shrimps cannot get in there.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk


Sounds like the time I found all my amanos in my eheim skimmer.

Maybe try to glue mesh screen(s) on the inside of the exit so that the shrimp doesn't get in?
I used a piece of those mesh bag that the garlic comes in at the supermarket for the top of my eheim skimmer. 
Think they should keep the shrimps out, but still let the sand get through.

-KC


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## mysticalnet

KC1314 said:


> Sounds like the time I found all my amanos in my eheim skimmer.
> 
> Maybe try to glue mesh screen(s) on the inside of the exit so that the shrimp doesn't get in?
> I used a piece of those mesh bag that the garlic comes in at the supermarket for the top of my eheim skimmer.
> Think they should keep the shrimps out, but still let the sand get through.
> 
> -KC


That's actually a very good idea! I might just try that.

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## mysticalnet

2016.04.08 - Don't really have an update so here's a video I took of some daphnia up closebefore they were fed to my fishes. Happy weekend!






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## mysticalnet

Recently I've been thinking of changing up the plants. Especially the foreground UG plant. Reasoning is because UG requires lots of work and is delicate. Also grows very fast once established. I'm also thinking of getting zebra plecos, so I need some other plant that is more robust. 

What do you guys think? Staurogyne repens? Monte carlo, dwarf hairgrass? 

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## Reckon

Repens is more robust than Monte Carlo or DHG. It definitely prefers medium 7-8 GH though. Mine start to melt if below 4.


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## mysticalnet

Reckon said:


> Repens is more robust than Monte Carlo or DHG. It definitely prefers medium 7-8 GH though. Mine start to melt if below 4.


Yeah I have repens carpet at work. I like it very much but it might not suit my home tank as much. Hehe. DHG looks like UG.

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## Reckon

Monte Carlo is pretty good too - well rooted. Sits flatter, minimal trimming. 
I'm currently trying Buce Sintang Wavy as carpet. It's a low lying buce. I wanted a carpet that is darker and doesn't grow quickly. Unfortunately, it'll be patchy for a while and a long time before my vision of a buce carpet is realized.


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## battmanh

Hey Ash, a shame to hear you're getting rid of the UG! You did a great job with it  Hopefully you find a carpet that will be less maintenance for you. I think DHG would look best in your tank.



Reckon said:


> Monte Carlo is pretty good too - well rooted. Sits flatter, minimal trimming.
> I'm currently trying Buce Sintang Wavy as carpet. It's a low lying buce. I wanted a carpet that is darker and doesn't grow quickly. Unfortunately, it'll be patchy for a while and a long time before my vision of a buce carpet is realized.


A Buce carpet sounds awesome. I saw Tom Barr's Buce carpet and was very inspired but it would either be a huge investment or long wait. I look forward to seeing it in the future.


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## mysticalnet

battmanh said:


> Hey Ash, a shame to hear you're getting rid of the UG! You did a great job with it  Hopefully you find a carpet that will be less maintenance for you. I think DHG would look best in your tank.
> 
> A Buce carpet sounds awesome. I saw Tom Barr's Buce carpet and was very inspired but it would either be a huge investment or long wait. I look forward to seeing it in the future.


Thanks! Yeah it's a delicate plant, I still really like it though but my love for loaches and zebra plecos is greater than UG lol.. I consider I've finally conquered UG so I'll treat it as achievement unlocked haha.

Yes I think DHG too, and it looks very similar to UG but pointier instead of blade like leaves, and less trimming, maybe a bit darker green. But close enough to UG, that it will have the same effect I hope.

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## mysticalnet

Reckon said:


> Monte Carlo is pretty good too - well rooted. Sits flatter, minimal trimming.
> I'm currently trying Buce Sintang Wavy as carpet. It's a low lying buce. I wanted a carpet that is darker and doesn't grow quickly. Unfortunately, it'll be patchy for a while and a long time before my vision of a buce carpet is realized.


Buce carpet..sounds expensive!

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## mysticalnet

2016.05.02:

Upgraded my filter (got here on the forum second hand for a great deal)and added poret foam, thanks to fuguman for picking them up! 



















My filter flow direction









Got some beautiful plecos from Dave. Enough said, pictures will do the talking.





































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## cammywf

very cute.


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## mysticalnet

2016.05.20 - As most of you know, I've changed the UG to DHG, UG is still my favourite foreground plant but it grows way too fast. DHG on the other hand grows very very slow, less maintenance for me.

Playing around with the lighting - cloudy during sunset.









Also got some green neon tetras, very cool and very visible, they look more blue in my opinion. 









My zebra plecos seem to have taken up residence in between the mountains. Not sure why they're not using the caves beside and under the waterfall near the back of the pathway I made them. Maybe they like really tight places. I might consider modifying or remaking the caves to be tighter if that's the case. 









Have a good weekend! 

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## shift

Your scape is looking awesome!


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## mysticalnet

shift said:


> Your scape is looking awesome!


Thank you! 

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## SeaHorse_Fanatic

Me sooo jealous. Great job on the aquascaping.


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## mysticalnet

SeaHorse_Fanatic said:


> Me sooo jealous. Great job on the aquascaping.


Thanks man! 

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## cammywf

To make DHG mini grow fast, you need to trim it before planting, and then it will spread like weed after 2-3 weeks. However, I guess you want it to grow slow. :lol:


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## mysticalnet

2016.05.25 - video of my darios flexing their fins at each other!






Sorry about the background exhaust sound, we were cooking in the kitchen!


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## Morainy

Gorgeous tank!


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## wslam

Really cool watching them do that


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## mysticalnet

Morainy said:


> Gorgeous tank!


Thank you Morainy! 


wslam said:


> Really cool watching them do that


Hehe I think the smaller one is the one I got from you!

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## Kinoslema

Amazing setup!


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## mysticalnet

Kinoslema said:


> Amazing setup!


Thank you!

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## lorka

mysticalnet said:


> Update 2015.11.22 - checking out my finnex 24/7 planted+
> 
> At sunny setting
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> Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk


Amazing job, great layout I love it. Can't wait to see it finished.

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## lorka

mysticalnet said:


> LOL... you're funny! Yes, it's IKEA furniture and wife loves IKEA too, I am not too sure why, it has always been a debate that I like real wood stuff, but she likes IKEA stuff, guess who won.
> 
> I'm going to try to waterproof the cabinet somehow, will figure out a way and see what you guys think.
> Thanks, I'm glad you like it! Yup, I'm trying to see how I can make the wood smaller.
> 
> Okay, will go to home depot later.
> 
> Seems like I really need to go get those today!


Ikea sells the glass tops for their furniture, I'm sure this would waterproof it. I've done the same. And so far it's been 2years and all looking good.

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## mysticalnet

lorka said:


> Ikea sells the glass tops for their furniture, I'm sure this would waterproof it. I've done the same. And so far it's been 2years and all looking good.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk


Wouldn't putting an aquarium on top of glass make it a little slippery? Especially when it's wet?

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## mysticalnet

2016.07.18

I've been doing a lot of home improvement projects recently so didn't really have time to update anything or do anything special, just regular water changes and trimming. I'll try to take some shots soon.

Meanwhile a picture of two male dario dario sizing each other up, they're one of my favorite fishes 










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## mysticalnet

2016.08.31

Haven't been doing much recently except my eheim 2073 hose adapter and red lever got stuck, my own fault, so I had to overwrite it and put maximum flow for now, while I order and wait for a new hose adapter to arrive so that I can replace.

Also here's what's been taking up my time recently, hahah.... Adopted from SPCA two cute kittens:









Meet Mello - the Tabby and Ninja - the tuxedo! 



























This one loves my maple tree.

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## aprilsaquarium

Cute cats. 


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## Gaia

mysticalnet said:


> 2016.05.02:
> 
> Upgraded my filter (got here on the forum second hand for a great deal)and added poret foam, thanks to fuguman for picking them up!
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> Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk


Those plecos are gorgeous!

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## Gaia

I just spent almost 2 hours reading. I'm blown away by how gorgeous your tank is! Your patience is admirable. Wow! My mind is blown! Great job!

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## mysticalnet

Gaia said:


> Those plecos are gorgeous!
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk


Thanks very much! 

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## gklaw

One wicked looking tank. Makes me want to get back into fresh water


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## mysticalnet

Got a few dwarf botia (loaches) on the weekend. 



















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