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Nigel's Iwagumi - 34 gallon

10K views 64 replies 9 participants last post by  Nigel95 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello welcome to my Iwagumi minimalist journal! Started with the hobby around march 2017 and I really like it so far. This is my second tank, my first tank was a 6.6g but it was way to small IMO.

Have a look at my Youtube channel :)
>> www.youtube.com/nigelaquascaping
<<

Specs
Tank
80x40x40 cm / 31,49x15,75x15,75" opticwhite 8mm
34 gallon / 128 litre
Lighting
Aquatlantis easy led 742
Stones
Dragon stone
Substrate
ADA Aqua Soil
Shrimp
20 Red cherry
17 Amano
Fish
20 green neon tetra
Plants
Monte carlo
Dwarf hairgrass mini
Co2
Pressurized CO2 with a diffusor
Co2 checker edge (30 ppm)
Heater
Hydor eth 200 --> temperature 25 celcius
Filter
Eheim 2426 with stainless steel lily pipes
Background
Frosted glass spray

Final video


Day 1
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqx_pP_r4HQ

Made a pretty good deal and bought a 80x40x40 cm / 31,49x15,75x15,75" opticwhite 8mm tank with cabinet. Only front and side panels are opticwhite.


I really love seiryu stones but the seller gave me a lot of dragon stone. And they don't effect water parameters :)


Hardscape


Day 1


Day 14


Day 26
 
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#2 · (Edited)
#4 ·
Yeah probably will take over long term we will see.

I still need to buy a lot of equipment and I would like to buy the soil already and try scapes. People told me it is a bad idea to expose the soil to air w/o being wet. Gonna try to make/buy a 80x40x40 cardboard box and try some hardscapes with sand.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Found a cheaper light (second hand) CRI 80 but full spectrum (3200 lumens). Can't dim the lighting but I can play with the height. I think the lighting stand wouldn't hold the heavy black box, so that's why I went for this. The lighting build slowly up/down in 1 hour. So I guess the fish will be happy :)

Decided to buy the Eheim 2426 because it comes with filter media and is easier for maintenance. And is almost the same price as the eheim 2217
 

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#10 ·
Great looking tank and stand! It looks so crisp and clean.

I like the seventh hardscape the best. I think it might be nice to add just a little bit of stone around the base of your largest piece. It has the slight look of defying gravity right now. Adding just enough to slope away from the base of it below its "waist" (hope that makes sense!)

A little like this:


(FYI, you might want to turn off your location on photos you post here, public forum and all ;) )
 
#11 ·
Great looking tank and stand! It looks so crisp and clean.

I like the seventh hardscape the best. I think it might be nice to add just a little bit of stone around the base of your largest piece. It has the slight look of defying gravity right now. Adding just enough to slope away from the base of it below its "waist" (hope that makes sense!)

A little like this:


(FYI, you might want to turn off your location on photos you post here, public forum and all ;) )
Thanks for your reply! I might cut a larger piece down into some small ones to add that. Only have some larger pieces left that doesn't fit atm. Good to hear you like hardscape 7 the most; I like that one too. How do you see my location from the photo's?
 
#18 · (Edited)
After hours the tank is finally running. Made a mistake with planting monte carlo and they all floated fml.. Water is cloudy as hell. Will update a pic when lights are on. Had plenty of plants left because of splitting them in smaller pieces. Here some pics of setting up the tank.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqx_pP_r4HQ

 
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#19 ·
Lights are pretty high but wanna avoid algae. Gonna lower them every week and keeping the lights at 7 hours (first hour builds slowly up and last hour slowly down)

Not sure what to do with my 6.6 gallon. Breed shrimp for this one or sell it? Help me out

Around 5-6 bps atm and drop checker lime green / yellow. Flow is pretty high turned it a little down. In the right back grass is still moving with the flow.

Some pics ;)
 

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#21 ·
I was thinking about crystal reds as maybe higher survival rate with no co2 in the 6 gallon? Not sure if I can bump the ph low enough to with aqua soil and rain water. Reading on the internet it seems hard to breed this ones, but the seller of this tank told me he bought 10 and had like 100 after 4 months no "special" care. He just did 30 ppm co2 to bump the ph low enough. No special feeding at all. If it really seems that "easy" it would be waste to also breed them in my 6 gallon.
 
#22 ·
Iwagumi aquascape &quot;Mindhism&quot; - 34 gallon

Give it a go first with just Aquasoil and rain water mixed with your tap to get the correct parameters in the 6 gallon. Check what parameters the seller has and match those. I don't think it's too hard to get them to live once your tank is stable, and it would be much easier if you are not messing around with CO2 and stuff. Mine are yet to breed, they still seem too young. Some people have trouble with them so it may be worth giving it a go first, you may not find it as easy as the seller. You may want to supplement feeding maybe 3 times a week with blanched vegetables or something.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#25 · (Edited)

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#27 ·
Bought 50-60 rcs for 20 euros to make a good start in my Iwagumi. Most of them are still small. Some will stay in the small tank for 'better' breeding as in more stable water parameters due no Co2. Java Moss wil later be added on the piece of fake wood to give them a better environment. Thinking about to let like 20 in the 6g and 40 in the 34g. Tank is still cycling so for now they will be all in the 6g.

Will try some crs later If the tank is running Well.
 

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#28 ·
Monte carlo has been doing really well. Carpet is getting there :). Much better than in my 6g. Probably due smaller clumps and maybe RGB led instead of a desk lamp. Hair grass also sending a few runners in such a short time. The plants look a bit washed out hopefully this will be less when I lower my lighting. The white stripe will also be gone then but I'm carefull with the lighting. Keeping it at 7 hours and lowering the lights every week like 5cm.


 
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