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Rockstar
Is anyone familiar with this sword and does it actually stay compact? I’m considering it in my scape as a long as it truly acts as a foreground/mid ground plant.
12 Replies
·
203 views
I just ran across this today on YouTube.
This is from Ty Stritman who runs the Biotopia channel on YouTube.
If you're not familiar with the channel please go check it out. It is one of the very few Aquatic channels I watch. If you are looking for inspiration from nature, Biotopia is almost exclusively for in situ videos. See wild fish and plants in their natural environment.
Apparently Ty has a book coming out and it sounds like George Farmer is involved as well.
This is from Ty Stritman who runs the Biotopia channel on YouTube.
If you're not familiar with the channel please go check it out. It is one of the very few Aquatic channels I watch. If you are looking for inspiration from nature, Biotopia is almost exclusively for in situ videos. See wild fish and plants in their natural environment.
Apparently Ty has a book coming out and it sounds like George Farmer is involved as well.
3 Replies
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11 views
Staff member
I Donated 2026
Founding Member
Hello Welcome, Stendkerfan
Welcome to ScapeCrunch, @Stendkerfan!
We would love to get to know you. Please tell us about yourself. What tank do you have?
We would love to get to know you. Please tell us about yourself. What tank do you have?
33 Replies
·
155 views
Anyone else here into fly fishing and tying?
Yesterday I was working on making moss walls and attaching some moss to driftwood, and a tool that very much came in handy was a fly tying bobbin holder.
The bobbin holder keeps tension and makes navigating the thread around wood a little easier. Give it a try if you have one. I've decided getting white residue everywhere from gel superglue is more annoying than doing thread wrapping.
Couple of fly boxes for summer fishing as well:
Yesterday I was working on making moss walls and attaching some moss to driftwood, and a tool that very much came in handy was a fly tying bobbin holder.
The bobbin holder keeps tension and makes navigating the thread around wood a little easier. Give it a try if you have one. I've decided getting white residue everywhere from gel superglue is more annoying than doing thread wrapping.
Couple of fly boxes for summer fishing as well:
4 Replies
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85 views
Supporting
I Donated 2026
AquaGirls
Tank: ADA 60F (60 cm x 30 cm x 25 cm) - 10.8 gallons
Lighting: Chihiros WRGB II Slim
Hardscape: Sensei Stone (Magura sandstone, with quartz and feldspar). GH, KH, pH neutral
Substrate: Crushed lava stone (to support hardscape), AF Lava Soil, and maybe Controsoil Extra fine? Still deciding
Filter: Oase Filtosmart 100 with Jardli 12/16 glass lily pipes (modified intake for shrimp)
CO2: GLA GRO Cartridge (once it is in stock)
Primary plants:
Livestock: Neocaridina Ocean Blue; maybe +/- a few Least Rasbora (Boraras urophthalmoides)
Still in the idea/planning stage of this tank. For a challenge I am pushing myself outside of my own comfort zone here, so this will be entirely new territory for me. Modern Iwagumi/diorama is not something I thought I would want to try, but my interest has grown in recent months, so why not give it a try? It will work, or it won’t. If it doesn’t work it’s always an excuse to rescape.
I have an ADA 60F tank sitting on my kitchen counter.
It was the first tank I purchased when I dunked my toes back into the hobby last year, that I scaped with some Ancient stone and driftwood for a few shrimp.
Once it was planted I quickly got in over my head on too many stems in the back, and moss growing too well on the rocks to maintain in a short, cramped space, and had some persistent CO2 related algae courtesy of a drifting needle valve. Thinking about rescaping the tank I had started to tear it down last week, removing most of the stems, and then found myself needing a temporary grow-out tank for some minnow fry, so the tank won’t be fully torn down and scaped for a few more weeks yet, but that gives me time to play around.
So, with an eye toward some sort of modern Iwagumi/diorama, I needed some hardscape. Without the luxury of walking into a store that caters to aquascapers, I am usually stuck with buying hardscape sight unseen. Rather than have a plan, and then try to find the materials, I ordered some rock to see what I would end up with, and let the hardscape inspire me.
Enter 55 lbs of Sensei stone in assorted shapes and sizes.
Why Sensei stone? I didn’t want to use Seiryu. It’s beautiful, easy to work with, and readily available, but I really needed this rock to be inert. Something in this tank’s original build sent GH and KH through the roof, and it had to be either the Controsand, or the or the ‘Ancient stone’ or both. I should have tested it in water first, and I learned that lesson the hard way. The 60F is a small and shallow tank, and shrimp loathe parameter swings, so this time I want to be able to control the water parameters a little more easily (especially the Ca/Mg ratios), so I am starting with inert rocks. Also, in case I wasn’t thrilled with the stones sent to me, I still wanted rocks that were easy to break into usable pieces, so no Hakkai stone this time. I did consider Frodo stone, but would like to use that in at least a 90P. So, hammer and cold chisel at the ready, Sensei turns out to have been a good choice.
The majority of the rocks were interesting either in color or texture, and reasonable in scale for a tank this size.
I did a quick speed-scape on Saturday afternoon with the majority of the larger stones, more for fit, and quickly ruled out some particularly chonky rocks. Thankfully, I saved the lid from the 60F tank when I ordered it, so it is currently my temporary dojo for now. I seriously need to build a real one, it is difficult to get much height in a cardboard lid!
My phone doesn't do it justice here, but Sensei has some interesting character, with neutral greys, and warmer tones that run throughout the rock due to insoluble iron deposits. I think it’s pretty flexible in that it is easy to pair with a variety of sands or soils quite easily. I could use something like WIO Rocket sand to bring out the greys, or Colorado sand to accentuate the warm reddish brown tones. For playing around purposes I just opened an extra bag of La Plata from the 150 build.
Not the all stone was well suited for use in a tank this size, though. That large stone center top in the image above is at least as thick as it is wide, and WAY too beefy and blocky to be useful, even if this was a 90P. Too many like that, and there would be no need for plants at all. It’s always difficult wanting to smash something you just purchased, but this morning I took a deep breath, and unleashed a hammer and cold chisel (honestly just the hammer works pretty darned well with with the strata in this stone) to see what I would end up with. Worse case scenario, I will end up with some accent gravel, because Sensei is difficult to match in color and texture with the accent gravels I have see out there.
What do you know…smashing it worked pretty well, and I much prefer the shards that I broke off that blocky rock. Much more pointy potential there. There are a couple of other odd shaped stones I would be willing to resculpt into a more useable shape, too. It is actually quite fun bashing rocks with a hammer first thing on a Monday morning. I am now looking forward to playing around some more with these rocks, and seeing if I can up the drama a bit. We’ll see what I ultimately end up with. I don’t think the shrimp will mind too much regardless.
Lighting: Chihiros WRGB II Slim
Hardscape: Sensei Stone (Magura sandstone, with quartz and feldspar). GH, KH, pH neutral
Substrate: Crushed lava stone (to support hardscape), AF Lava Soil, and maybe Controsoil Extra fine? Still deciding
Filter: Oase Filtosmart 100 with Jardli 12/16 glass lily pipes (modified intake for shrimp)
CO2: GLA GRO Cartridge (once it is in stock)
Primary plants:
- Eleocharis pusilla
- Micranthemum tweedii ‘Monte Carlo’
- Hemianthus callitrichoides (HC) 'Cuba
- Staurogyne repens
- Gratiola viscidula
- Riccardia Chamedryfolia
- +/- Myriophyllum guyana
Livestock: Neocaridina Ocean Blue; maybe +/- a few Least Rasbora (Boraras urophthalmoides)
Still in the idea/planning stage of this tank. For a challenge I am pushing myself outside of my own comfort zone here, so this will be entirely new territory for me. Modern Iwagumi/diorama is not something I thought I would want to try, but my interest has grown in recent months, so why not give it a try? It will work, or it won’t. If it doesn’t work it’s always an excuse to rescape.
I have an ADA 60F tank sitting on my kitchen counter.
It was the first tank I purchased when I dunked my toes back into the hobby last year, that I scaped with some Ancient stone and driftwood for a few shrimp.
Once it was planted I quickly got in over my head on too many stems in the back, and moss growing too well on the rocks to maintain in a short, cramped space, and had some persistent CO2 related algae courtesy of a drifting needle valve. Thinking about rescaping the tank I had started to tear it down last week, removing most of the stems, and then found myself needing a temporary grow-out tank for some minnow fry, so the tank won’t be fully torn down and scaped for a few more weeks yet, but that gives me time to play around.
So, with an eye toward some sort of modern Iwagumi/diorama, I needed some hardscape. Without the luxury of walking into a store that caters to aquascapers, I am usually stuck with buying hardscape sight unseen. Rather than have a plan, and then try to find the materials, I ordered some rock to see what I would end up with, and let the hardscape inspire me.
Enter 55 lbs of Sensei stone in assorted shapes and sizes.
Why Sensei stone? I didn’t want to use Seiryu. It’s beautiful, easy to work with, and readily available, but I really needed this rock to be inert. Something in this tank’s original build sent GH and KH through the roof, and it had to be either the Controsand, or the or the ‘Ancient stone’ or both. I should have tested it in water first, and I learned that lesson the hard way. The 60F is a small and shallow tank, and shrimp loathe parameter swings, so this time I want to be able to control the water parameters a little more easily (especially the Ca/Mg ratios), so I am starting with inert rocks. Also, in case I wasn’t thrilled with the stones sent to me, I still wanted rocks that were easy to break into usable pieces, so no Hakkai stone this time. I did consider Frodo stone, but would like to use that in at least a 90P. So, hammer and cold chisel at the ready, Sensei turns out to have been a good choice.
The majority of the rocks were interesting either in color or texture, and reasonable in scale for a tank this size.
I did a quick speed-scape on Saturday afternoon with the majority of the larger stones, more for fit, and quickly ruled out some particularly chonky rocks. Thankfully, I saved the lid from the 60F tank when I ordered it, so it is currently my temporary dojo for now. I seriously need to build a real one, it is difficult to get much height in a cardboard lid!
My phone doesn't do it justice here, but Sensei has some interesting character, with neutral greys, and warmer tones that run throughout the rock due to insoluble iron deposits. I think it’s pretty flexible in that it is easy to pair with a variety of sands or soils quite easily. I could use something like WIO Rocket sand to bring out the greys, or Colorado sand to accentuate the warm reddish brown tones. For playing around purposes I just opened an extra bag of La Plata from the 150 build.
Not the all stone was well suited for use in a tank this size, though. That large stone center top in the image above is at least as thick as it is wide, and WAY too beefy and blocky to be useful, even if this was a 90P. Too many like that, and there would be no need for plants at all. It’s always difficult wanting to smash something you just purchased, but this morning I took a deep breath, and unleashed a hammer and cold chisel (honestly just the hammer works pretty darned well with with the strata in this stone) to see what I would end up with. Worse case scenario, I will end up with some accent gravel, because Sensei is difficult to match in color and texture with the accent gravels I have see out there.
What do you know…smashing it worked pretty well, and I much prefer the shards that I broke off that blocky rock. Much more pointy potential there. There are a couple of other odd shaped stones I would be willing to resculpt into a more useable shape, too. It is actually quite fun bashing rocks with a hammer first thing on a Monday morning. I am now looking forward to playing around some more with these rocks, and seeing if I can up the drama a bit. We’ll see what I ultimately end up with. I don’t think the shrimp will mind too much regardless.
7 Replies
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192 views
I Donated 2026
Expert in Residence
MOTM Winner
Same camera settings, with a tiny bit of ambient light.
Under week aqua a430
Couple of close-ups:
Fluval 4.0
Twinstar S V
Although Fluval 4.0 is spectrum tunable, it does not have enough red diodes to balance out its spectrum curves and tends to be red deficient.
Twinstar has spectrum curves similar to Netlea/Chihiros/Week aqua, much easier to tune to a range of attractive visual colors.
In short, while Twinstar has improved in the last couple of generations to match the chinese LEDs, while Fluval has not.
Under week aqua a430
Couple of close-ups:
Fluval 4.0
Twinstar S V
Although Fluval 4.0 is spectrum tunable, it does not have enough red diodes to balance out its spectrum curves and tends to be red deficient.
Twinstar has spectrum curves similar to Netlea/Chihiros/Week aqua, much easier to tune to a range of attractive visual colors.
In short, while Twinstar has improved in the last couple of generations to match the chinese LEDs, while Fluval has not.
8 Replies
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185 views
I Donated 2026
Expert in Residence
MOTM Winner
I have always liked Rotala florida as plant due to its strongly colored leaves, but realized that I haven't actually aquascaped much with it - meaning to integrate it as part of a layout and not just growing a bunch of it in farm/collector style tank. Using plants in a layout in tighter bunches, and in competition with surrounding plants/hardscape is much harder than growing it farm style in a single patch - it also means be able to shape/trim the bushes to match the overall curves of the layout.
Back in 2016 or so when I first received Rotala florida samples from north america, I could only grow it in sparser bunches. It looked nice in macro photographs but I could not envision using it an bush that would show off well as part of a layout unless I can grow it much denser. In the recent years, there were two main discoveries that I found in my experimentation, the first is that it grows better in moderate GH (5 dGH+) compared to super soft water (say <3dGH), and that it grew better in certain soil mixes (I experimented with different garden soil mixes when engineering the composition of APT Feast). Eventually I integrated some of the soil data into APT Feast's composition, and paired with the higher power lights readily available today, I find that I could finally grow the plant the way I envisioned as part of overall layout. I could prune it dense, as the base stems were healthy enough to sprout dense side shoots after trimming - and the secondary/tertiary shoot tips were as fully colored and sized similar to a primary shoot tip that hasn't been subjected to topping yet.
As a midground stem, it works very well due to its slower growth rate vs other colored stem plants.
Against the deep purple of Rotala florida, I found that Golden white clouds worked quite well. So now they are the main inhabitants of the tank.
Tank this week (25/6/2025)
Tank started out like this:
A week or 2 after initial planting (5/5/2025). I reused old aquasoil from the previous scape, so I planted all plants up front rather than waiting more time for the tank to stabilize, with the idea that I could out-grow any algae issues. Initially wanted to add H. Chai but it really didn't fit the overall color scheme, and the bushes by the side were too invasive to be compatible with having a chai patch I think.
Since it was going to contain Rotala florida, I thought I might as well throw in other high demand troublesome species such as the Red Eriocaulon quinguangulare, blood vomit. I settled on Rotala tulunadensis for the background as I wanted something dense and shapeable.
Tank specs:
60x36x36cm
Filter: Oase biomaster 250, all sponge media
CO2 injected through inline atomizer
Substrate: APT Feast
Water column: APT Sky to raise GH to 5dGH, 2ml of APTe per day.
Light distance. Interestingly, not crazy high PAR - just around 200-250 umols PAR at the substrate level.
Trimming and shaping: Most bushes were shaped by cutting individual outlier shoots one by one. Only Rotala blood red and the Rotala tulunadensis was straight trimmed across the entire top once.
This is how the Rotala tulunadensis looked like after a straight trim on 29/5/2025. About 3 weeks from when the top picture at top of this page was taken. It took the plant a whole week + to show new shoots. It seems straight trimming slows down the plant quite a bit, but allows for a very dense & neat canopy afterwards.
There are some interesting plants stuffed here and there. Some Eriocaulon caulescens? bolivia? that local hobbyists passed on to me. Carved out a patch for Syngonanthus vichada - slow grower, but the couple of babies that came have doubled in size so I think they should be alright. I think I will move them to a larger tank with more space.
Only discovered the color combination with the Golden white clouds when the tank matured, but its one of my favourite fish-plant combinations now. I think that while some of the species are a bit picky about growth conditions, one thing I really like about this tank is that most things have moderate/slow growth rates, which makes maintenance with regards to removing excess growth less tedious.
Elatine triandra is used as a low growing green filler plant - it does this role well. As it does not root very deeply, I can easily cut and pull off excess growth easily. Its the fasting growing plant in the layout that requires frequent removal of excess growth.
Some more close-ups.
I'm trying to replicate concepts of this layout (slowing growing bushes) into my 4ft tank.
Back in 2016 or so when I first received Rotala florida samples from north america, I could only grow it in sparser bunches. It looked nice in macro photographs but I could not envision using it an bush that would show off well as part of a layout unless I can grow it much denser. In the recent years, there were two main discoveries that I found in my experimentation, the first is that it grows better in moderate GH (5 dGH+) compared to super soft water (say <3dGH), and that it grew better in certain soil mixes (I experimented with different garden soil mixes when engineering the composition of APT Feast). Eventually I integrated some of the soil data into APT Feast's composition, and paired with the higher power lights readily available today, I find that I could finally grow the plant the way I envisioned as part of overall layout. I could prune it dense, as the base stems were healthy enough to sprout dense side shoots after trimming - and the secondary/tertiary shoot tips were as fully colored and sized similar to a primary shoot tip that hasn't been subjected to topping yet.
As a midground stem, it works very well due to its slower growth rate vs other colored stem plants.
Against the deep purple of Rotala florida, I found that Golden white clouds worked quite well. So now they are the main inhabitants of the tank.
Tank this week (25/6/2025)
Tank started out like this:
A week or 2 after initial planting (5/5/2025). I reused old aquasoil from the previous scape, so I planted all plants up front rather than waiting more time for the tank to stabilize, with the idea that I could out-grow any algae issues. Initially wanted to add H. Chai but it really didn't fit the overall color scheme, and the bushes by the side were too invasive to be compatible with having a chai patch I think.
Since it was going to contain Rotala florida, I thought I might as well throw in other high demand troublesome species such as the Red Eriocaulon quinguangulare, blood vomit. I settled on Rotala tulunadensis for the background as I wanted something dense and shapeable.
Tank specs:
60x36x36cm
Filter: Oase biomaster 250, all sponge media
CO2 injected through inline atomizer
Substrate: APT Feast
Water column: APT Sky to raise GH to 5dGH, 2ml of APTe per day.
Light distance. Interestingly, not crazy high PAR - just around 200-250 umols PAR at the substrate level.
Trimming and shaping: Most bushes were shaped by cutting individual outlier shoots one by one. Only Rotala blood red and the Rotala tulunadensis was straight trimmed across the entire top once.
This is how the Rotala tulunadensis looked like after a straight trim on 29/5/2025. About 3 weeks from when the top picture at top of this page was taken. It took the plant a whole week + to show new shoots. It seems straight trimming slows down the plant quite a bit, but allows for a very dense & neat canopy afterwards.
There are some interesting plants stuffed here and there. Some Eriocaulon caulescens? bolivia? that local hobbyists passed on to me. Carved out a patch for Syngonanthus vichada - slow grower, but the couple of babies that came have doubled in size so I think they should be alright. I think I will move them to a larger tank with more space.
Only discovered the color combination with the Golden white clouds when the tank matured, but its one of my favourite fish-plant combinations now. I think that while some of the species are a bit picky about growth conditions, one thing I really like about this tank is that most things have moderate/slow growth rates, which makes maintenance with regards to removing excess growth less tedious.
Elatine triandra is used as a low growing green filler plant - it does this role well. As it does not root very deeply, I can easily cut and pull off excess growth easily. Its the fasting growing plant in the layout that requires frequent removal of excess growth.
Some more close-ups.
I'm trying to replicate concepts of this layout (slowing growing bushes) into my 4ft tank.
239 Replies
·
27827 views
Staff member
I Donated 2026
Founding Member
Hello Welcome, Simba3000
Welcome to ScapeCrunch, @Simba3000!
We would love to get to know you. Please tell us about yourself. What tank do you have?
We would love to get to know you. Please tell us about yourself. What tank do you have?
0 Replies
·
4 views
Journal Waterbox 20g AIO Planted Tank
NC AL’s Waterbox 20g AIO Planted Tank
Current view as of 5/26/26
Current view as of 5/26/26
Tank: Waterbox 20 AIO
Return pump: AI Axis 40
Lighting: (2) AI Blade Fresh 12”
Dosing pump: Ecotech Marine
CO2 injected
The purpose of this tank is to maintain a healthy planted tank for at least 1 year. There is a stipulation that I must be able to do this using my tap water for water changes.
51 Replies
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1738 views
Hello everyone!
I’m starting this journal to document my ADA 90P aquascape and get feedback from the community as it evolves.
This will be a moderately planted, CO2-injected setup with a focus on a natural, balanced look.
I’ve kept planted tanks before, but this build is meant to be my most refined project yet — a clean, rimless layout inspired by ADA-style aquascapes.
I am using the following apps to help me:
— ChatGPT to help with prep work and to draft this journal.
— Amazing Marvin to organize my thoughts during this process.
— Copilot, an iOS-only app, to track my spending. I figure the calculations may help someone else planning to get into the hobby. (Spent $2,500 on the previous tanks.)
I am in the early stages of planning and do not have all my equipment yet.
I will either add updates to this post or pin another one lower down as I go forward with the scape.
I work in the healthcare field and have a weird schedule with long stretches of time off, so I can devote time to this hobby.
I have two elementary-age kids who have not yet begun showing interest in my hobby, lol.
I have a bad back, so I’m constantly looking for hacks that prevent me from hurting it more.
I had a fish tank growing up stocked with a few guppies and swordtails, which was eventually converted to a turtle tank due to poor maintenance.
My interest in aquascaping started in late 2023 after viewing a bunch of Instagram reels. The hobby helped a lot with my mental health.
My first tank was a Waterbox AIO 20, which I bought off Facebook Marketplace.
I learned the basics of lighting, CO2 injection, fertilization techniques, etc. from this tank.
Lessons learned from the experience:
I decided to go the Walstad route for this next tank. I went down the Father Fish rabbit hole and ended up ordering his substrate mix. I used ADA La Plata sand as a sand cap, and I guess, due to its finer texture, it induced anaerobic conditions.
It is no longer self-sustaining, so I am dosing with ferts intermittently. I’m also using it as a grow-out tank for future plant retrievals.
I’m aiming for a balanced nature-style aquascape with a triangle layout — strong hardscape slopes on one side with either an HC Cuba carpet or La Plata sand on the other.
This aquarium by Dave Pierce, owner of Aquarium Gardens in the UK, is my inspiration:
This cinematic is awesome
A detailed descriptive video by George Farmer.
Most of the faucets in the house aren’t compatible with standard attachments like those used with the Python water change system.
There is a garden hose outlet a few feet outside which may be compatible and I should look into.
On the bright side, the patio is right next to the tank location, which will make draining water during maintenance much easier.
There is one power outlet at the site, although it’s not GFCI-protected.
I eventually plan to set up a larger tank, possibly a 120P or Waterbox 4820 in the basement. My main concern at this time is protect it from my young kids’ boundless energy. I might install a protective screen or barrier around it to guard against stray soccer ball kicks!
I wonder if I should make a separate thread requesting advice about this stuff. I will see the level of engagement on this thread and then decide.
I have some stuff from the previous iterations but planning on buying a lot of new equipment. Have been sourcing used equipment from Facebook Marketplace. Luckily, I am a couple of hours away from Chicago, so that increases my options.
Tank:
Will be ordering an ADA 90P when it becomes available. I am also waiting for the Waterbox Blue Friday sale to see if the 3620 is discounted. There is a 2 inch overhang with the 3620 on the stand that I have ordered. I was thinking of addressing this with a piece of marine plywood placed over the stand but now second guessing.
Stand:
I have the Archaea Modern Cabinet in Driftwood on the way.
I was looking at ideas regarding undertank organization and could greatly use some advice.
I saw this image on Instagram and was instantly hooked:
This is an old image and the account is not very active.
I wonder if anyone has any idea about what waterproof felt pads are used under the filters and on the door.
This is what I am thinking:
I have a Jebao auto doser with dosing containers that will go on one side inside the cabinet.
Will mount an ATO device to the same side
I plan to attach two power strips to the back, one for the stuff that I can turn off during water change and the other for the rest.
Motion activated rechargeable light pucks go overhead.
One door will have a magnet to hold aquascaping tools on one side.
The other door will hold racks for fish food and chemicals/fertilizers.
Filter, CO2 and RO reservoir on the floor.
Lighting:
I got a good deal off Facebook Marketplace for a WeekAqua L 900 so will be going that route.
Initially, was planning to use an old Chihiros WRGB Pro 45 that i have but fell short lengthwise. Was planning to rim mount but did not like the aesthetic of the black Chihiros one.
I really love the ADA Solar RGB mount but 350$ is too much. I looked into DIY stands and currently researching 8020 T slot builds but it looks like too much work.
For now will use the rim mount that came with the Week Aqua.
If you have any ideas, let me know.
Hardscape:
I had a terrible time with driftwood on my first aquascape. I introduced it later after planting was done. I tried gluing it down on to a piece of slate that I got from Floor & Decor but it would neither stick nor stay down.
This time, I will be gluing Driftwood to black egg crate and place it in the tank before I layer the substrate. I won't glue down the rocks so that I can move them around.
I bought a large piece of Driftwood from Belinda's Driftwood which I will start soaking soon. It is Osage Orange apparently.
Will start foraging for smaller pieces soon. Planning to go to SR Aquaristik and other stores in Chicago.
Also looking for Frodo Stones and Black Lava Rock or Black Basalt.
If you know any deals, let me know!
Filter:
Oase Biomaster Thermo 600. Looking into filter media setup.
Debating between steel vs glass lily pipes. Outflow will have a skimmer.
CO₂:
I have a 5lb CO2 tank with GLA Pro Double Stage regulator, glad I went with this for the previous build.
Planning to get the ARC CO2 Reactor. This needs more research.
Heater:
Integrated in the Biomaster Thermo. I have another smaller Oase heater for redundancy.
Substrate:
ADA Amazonia II with Power Sand Advanced (layered). I will also get the powdered version if I plan to go the HC cuba route.
Base will be washed lava rock in mesh bags at the left hand corner to add height. This will be layered on top of black egg crate.
Fertilization:
Bought a gallon of GLA Nectar AIO after reading up quite a bit on this. I do not have the time to mix my own dry salts.
Will be doing EI dosing.
Using Jebao 2.4 WiFi 4 channel doser for auto dosing. Got it off FB marketplace for cheap.
Maintenance:
Water changes
I think part of the problem for my loss of interest in the previous tank was water changes. I hated carrying the heavy 5 gallon buckets and the mess that I made with them.
Recently, I saw people using eheim canister filter water intakes with strainer to do water changes. Seems like the perfect solution, hose won't fall off the tank and the strainer will filter out shrimp. Refilling should not cause hardscape disruption either with the strainer diffusing water flow. I will use a Python hook to hang the outflow to the bathroom sink or toilet.
ATO:
XP Aqua with an Ikea tote as reservoir.
RO water:
I had an Aquatic Life RO system jerry-rigged to a plank of wood to make it portable:
I will be look into installing a permanent one in the basement.
Tools:
Aquascaping tools from Hygger bought off Amazon.
Python water change system.
I have a power head for water changes.
Will probably get an additional Sicce Syncra 2.0 if I can find a good deal.
Plants:
This is the plant list that I came up with:
Foreground: HC cuba
Midground: Staurogyne repens, Cryptocoryne parva and Alternanthera reineckii
Background: Crinum calimistratum, Cryptocoryene spirali, Rotala rotundifolia, Cabomba caroliniana and Hygrophila pinnatifida
Epiphytes: Anubias nana petite, Bucephalandra kedagang, Microsporum pteropus trident
Planned Livestock:
Holy wall of text! Thank you for reading till the end! Will keep updating as I go along.
Edited for better formatting. Added ATO
I’m starting this journal to document my ADA 90P aquascape and get feedback from the community as it evolves.
This will be a moderately planted, CO2-injected setup with a focus on a natural, balanced look.
I’ve kept planted tanks before, but this build is meant to be my most refined project yet — a clean, rimless layout inspired by ADA-style aquascapes.
I am using the following apps to help me:
— ChatGPT to help with prep work and to draft this journal.
— Amazing Marvin to organize my thoughts during this process.
— Copilot, an iOS-only app, to track my spending. I figure the calculations may help someone else planning to get into the hobby. (Spent $2,500 on the previous tanks.)
I am in the early stages of planning and do not have all my equipment yet.
I will either add updates to this post or pin another one lower down as I go forward with the scape.
About Myself
I work in the healthcare field and have a weird schedule with long stretches of time off, so I can devote time to this hobby.
I have two elementary-age kids who have not yet begun showing interest in my hobby, lol.
I have a bad back, so I’m constantly looking for hacks that prevent me from hurting it more.
I had a fish tank growing up stocked with a few guppies and swordtails, which was eventually converted to a turtle tank due to poor maintenance.
My interest in aquascaping started in late 2023 after viewing a bunch of Instagram reels. The hobby helped a lot with my mental health.
My First Tank
My first tank was a Waterbox AIO 20, which I bought off Facebook Marketplace.
I learned the basics of lighting, CO2 injection, fertilization techniques, etc. from this tank.
Lessons learned from the experience:
- A 20-gallon was too low of a volume.
- An AIO tank does not really fit the aesthetic of an aquascape like a clear one does.
- Some Amazon swords are too big for nano tanks.
- The tank had a snail problem and inspired me to create a pea puffer species tank.
I decided to go the Walstad route for this next tank. I went down the Father Fish rabbit hole and ended up ordering his substrate mix. I used ADA La Plata sand as a sand cap, and I guess, due to its finer texture, it induced anaerobic conditions.
It is no longer self-sustaining, so I am dosing with ferts intermittently. I’m also using it as a grow-out tank for future plant retrievals.
Inspiration
I’m aiming for a balanced nature-style aquascape with a triangle layout — strong hardscape slopes on one side with either an HC Cuba carpet or La Plata sand on the other.
This aquarium by Dave Pierce, owner of Aquarium Gardens in the UK, is my inspiration:
This cinematic is awesome
A detailed descriptive video by George Farmer.
Residence Layout
Space is somewhat limited in my house, so the aquarium will be placed in a specific spot beside the fireplace.Most of the faucets in the house aren’t compatible with standard attachments like those used with the Python water change system.
There is a garden hose outlet a few feet outside which may be compatible and I should look into.
On the bright side, the patio is right next to the tank location, which will make draining water during maintenance much easier.
There is one power outlet at the site, although it’s not GFCI-protected.
I eventually plan to set up a larger tank, possibly a 120P or Waterbox 4820 in the basement. My main concern at this time is protect it from my young kids’ boundless energy. I might install a protective screen or barrier around it to guard against stray soccer ball kicks!
Equipment
I would be grateful for any feedback or suggestions regarding the equipment list below.I wonder if I should make a separate thread requesting advice about this stuff. I will see the level of engagement on this thread and then decide.
I have some stuff from the previous iterations but planning on buying a lot of new equipment. Have been sourcing used equipment from Facebook Marketplace. Luckily, I am a couple of hours away from Chicago, so that increases my options.
Tank:
Will be ordering an ADA 90P when it becomes available. I am also waiting for the Waterbox Blue Friday sale to see if the 3620 is discounted. There is a 2 inch overhang with the 3620 on the stand that I have ordered. I was thinking of addressing this with a piece of marine plywood placed over the stand but now second guessing.
Stand:
I have the Archaea Modern Cabinet in Driftwood on the way.
I was looking at ideas regarding undertank organization and could greatly use some advice.
I saw this image on Instagram and was instantly hooked:
This is an old image and the account is not very active.
I wonder if anyone has any idea about what waterproof felt pads are used under the filters and on the door.
This is what I am thinking:
I have a Jebao auto doser with dosing containers that will go on one side inside the cabinet.
Will mount an ATO device to the same side
I plan to attach two power strips to the back, one for the stuff that I can turn off during water change and the other for the rest.
Motion activated rechargeable light pucks go overhead.
One door will have a magnet to hold aquascaping tools on one side.
The other door will hold racks for fish food and chemicals/fertilizers.
Filter, CO2 and RO reservoir on the floor.
Lighting:
I got a good deal off Facebook Marketplace for a WeekAqua L 900 so will be going that route.
Initially, was planning to use an old Chihiros WRGB Pro 45 that i have but fell short lengthwise. Was planning to rim mount but did not like the aesthetic of the black Chihiros one.
I really love the ADA Solar RGB mount but 350$ is too much. I looked into DIY stands and currently researching 8020 T slot builds but it looks like too much work.
For now will use the rim mount that came with the Week Aqua.
If you have any ideas, let me know.
Hardscape:
I had a terrible time with driftwood on my first aquascape. I introduced it later after planting was done. I tried gluing it down on to a piece of slate that I got from Floor & Decor but it would neither stick nor stay down.
This time, I will be gluing Driftwood to black egg crate and place it in the tank before I layer the substrate. I won't glue down the rocks so that I can move them around.
I bought a large piece of Driftwood from Belinda's Driftwood which I will start soaking soon. It is Osage Orange apparently.
Will start foraging for smaller pieces soon. Planning to go to SR Aquaristik and other stores in Chicago.
Also looking for Frodo Stones and Black Lava Rock or Black Basalt.
If you know any deals, let me know!
Filter:
Oase Biomaster Thermo 600. Looking into filter media setup.
Debating between steel vs glass lily pipes. Outflow will have a skimmer.
CO₂:
I have a 5lb CO2 tank with GLA Pro Double Stage regulator, glad I went with this for the previous build.
Planning to get the ARC CO2 Reactor. This needs more research.
Heater:
Integrated in the Biomaster Thermo. I have another smaller Oase heater for redundancy.
Substrate:
ADA Amazonia II with Power Sand Advanced (layered). I will also get the powdered version if I plan to go the HC cuba route.
Base will be washed lava rock in mesh bags at the left hand corner to add height. This will be layered on top of black egg crate.
Fertilization:
Bought a gallon of GLA Nectar AIO after reading up quite a bit on this. I do not have the time to mix my own dry salts.
Will be doing EI dosing.
Using Jebao 2.4 WiFi 4 channel doser for auto dosing. Got it off FB marketplace for cheap.
Maintenance:
Water changes
I think part of the problem for my loss of interest in the previous tank was water changes. I hated carrying the heavy 5 gallon buckets and the mess that I made with them.
Recently, I saw people using eheim canister filter water intakes with strainer to do water changes. Seems like the perfect solution, hose won't fall off the tank and the strainer will filter out shrimp. Refilling should not cause hardscape disruption either with the strainer diffusing water flow. I will use a Python hook to hang the outflow to the bathroom sink or toilet.
ATO:
XP Aqua with an Ikea tote as reservoir.
RO water:
I had an Aquatic Life RO system jerry-rigged to a plank of wood to make it portable:
I will be look into installing a permanent one in the basement.
Tools:
Aquascaping tools from Hygger bought off Amazon.
Python water change system.
I have a power head for water changes.
Will probably get an additional Sicce Syncra 2.0 if I can find a good deal.
Flora & Fauna
Plants:
This is the plant list that I came up with:
Foreground: HC cuba
Midground: Staurogyne repens, Cryptocoryne parva and Alternanthera reineckii
Background: Crinum calimistratum, Cryptocoryene spirali, Rotala rotundifolia, Cabomba caroliniana and Hygrophila pinnatifida
Epiphytes: Anubias nana petite, Bucephalandra kedagang, Microsporum pteropus trident
Planned Livestock:
- Small schooling fish (e.g., chili rasboras, and Pearl danios
- Amano shrimp × 10–15
- Nerite snails × 3–4
- Cherry shrimp
- Maybe some Blue dwarf Gouramis.
Holy wall of text! Thank you for reading till the end! Will keep updating as I go along.
Edited for better formatting. Added ATO
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I was going to use DOH! instead of STOP! in the title, because I can't believe this didn't occur to me earlier.
Three of my 5 active aquariums have black backgrounds. I like the way the black makes colors pop. For my first scape, I went back and forth on leaving it clear, going with frosted, or black. I read lots of pros and cons for the various options and decided to go with clear initially. That only lasted about a week when I decided to switch to black (painted). At the time I hadn't really put much thought into measuring PAR in my tank. Photone was not yet a thing for Android, and even if it were, it would have been very difficult to take readings in that tank. Then my farm tank came along, also with a painted black background. My PAR readings in that tank showed considerable variation with a 90cm Week Aqua M series light. I blamed the light. I then changed to an L series. Same issues, so I blamed Week Aqua again as a design issue or poor manufacturing consistency.
And here we are today and I've measured PAR in my new garden tank which has a Week Aqua 120cm L series. Nice consistent PAR across the front glass, 110 to 115 PAR at the substrate. Measuring the length of the tank down the center where I would expect a little higher, the numbers fall off a bit. But measuring along the back wall (also painted black) the numbers drop way off to 79 to 83. I tried removing the light shades, no difference. That's when it hit me (or should I say the light bulb came on). Could the black background be effecting light levels? Well, duh! The black back glass is absorbing light rather than reflecting it like the clear front. A quick google search confirmed. In fact, BRS has and old video discussing it and providing actual data of the effect. Why didn't I ever see this brought up in all the discussions about choosing tank backgrounds? Interestingly, even white/frosted backgrounds result in slightly lower numbers than clear per BRS testing. Something to think about for the next builds. My apologies to Week Aqua for blaming them when it was actually a physics problem.
Three of my 5 active aquariums have black backgrounds. I like the way the black makes colors pop. For my first scape, I went back and forth on leaving it clear, going with frosted, or black. I read lots of pros and cons for the various options and decided to go with clear initially. That only lasted about a week when I decided to switch to black (painted). At the time I hadn't really put much thought into measuring PAR in my tank. Photone was not yet a thing for Android, and even if it were, it would have been very difficult to take readings in that tank. Then my farm tank came along, also with a painted black background. My PAR readings in that tank showed considerable variation with a 90cm Week Aqua M series light. I blamed the light. I then changed to an L series. Same issues, so I blamed Week Aqua again as a design issue or poor manufacturing consistency.
And here we are today and I've measured PAR in my new garden tank which has a Week Aqua 120cm L series. Nice consistent PAR across the front glass, 110 to 115 PAR at the substrate. Measuring the length of the tank down the center where I would expect a little higher, the numbers fall off a bit. But measuring along the back wall (also painted black) the numbers drop way off to 79 to 83. I tried removing the light shades, no difference. That's when it hit me (or should I say the light bulb came on). Could the black background be effecting light levels? Well, duh! The black back glass is absorbing light rather than reflecting it like the clear front. A quick google search confirmed. In fact, BRS has and old video discussing it and providing actual data of the effect. Why didn't I ever see this brought up in all the discussions about choosing tank backgrounds? Interestingly, even white/frosted backgrounds result in slightly lower numbers than clear per BRS testing. Something to think about for the next builds. My apologies to Week Aqua for blaming them when it was actually a physics problem.
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220 views