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Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Stikes back-The End Teaser shots of new set up 7-24

253K views 848 replies 191 participants last post by  leequan 
#1 · (Edited)
Just finished up with the move from old rental property to new home. Life sure has been hectic lately!

So, the Journal starts over, and as much as I hated to tear down the tank from this:


and this:


To THIS:


and this:


.....but it had to be done. To re-set and try to go with the same aesthetic would have been uncreative and boorish. Everything was sold or given away. Many thanks to Tlyons01 who spent a "fun" afternoon tearing the tank down with me. It only took about 7 hours. :D

Prior to that, the outside of the stand/pedestal was removed. It was made of 2x4's: very solid construction, but the outside was made of pressboard. A terrible choice, in retrospect, for obvious reasons. It had been warped and bubbled, and was a total eyesore. So, I stripped it down and threw it out.

Here are a few pics of the new pedestal:




That is red oak stained with walnut with iron hinges and knobs. We're going for more of a "rustic" old-fashioned look for the sitting room, and I thought that this would look nice. Eventually, the pendant above the tank will be redone either in black, or it will be done to match the pedestal. Probably happen in January. In the new design, I added side doors in order to make accessing the equipment in the back easier to do. It has been triple coated in poly on all sides to ensure water resistance, and almost "water proofing."

The day following the drain and dis-assembly, we moved the tank, lighting, and new pedestal to the new house. This was all done within two hours, which was faster than I had anticipated. The move went flawlessly, and I was ready to re-start the scape. So....

IN went custom made Manzanita branches that came from hydrophyte, plain kitty litter (about 30lbs), and that was topped by MTS made by DogFish. The Manzy branches are semi-poseable that will allow me to move the "joints" as needed in order to access equipment with relative ease, or to alter the hardscape as desired. You will notice screws in some of the future pictures; these are the "joints" I refer to....just a simple screw and nut assembly. Hydrophyte did do a marvelous job cutting the ends of the branches into simple fittings through which the screw passes through and is held on the other side by the nut.

DogFish sent six large Flat Rate boxes of MTS to me months ago, and makes about a two inch layer in my tank. Wonderful stuff!:





Sprinkled on the potash, pressed it into the MTS, and then topped that with some of my old tank's substrate. Added the Seriyu stone and the old stone from CraigThor's tank, and now this is how it looked:





Three rock "peninsulas" are featured in this set up for bucephelandra, anubia, and java fern species; the substrate will feature mostly crypts.

More pictures tomorrow!!
 
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#262 ·
Hi and hope everyone is having a nice start to their New Year!

First, a bit of a teaser:



The Anubias nana "petite" is being used for a new tank that I'm setting up. It is a 30G long Tangynikan, and I just got the bulk of the set up done today. In fact, it was an incredibly long day, and spent a long amount of time getting the hardscape set up, the petite planted, heater and filter running, in addition to cleaning the Big Tank and getting it ready for pics. Anyhow, the 30G still has a ways to go though, but I'm hoping to post the build journal here a week from this coming Sunday or Monday. So far it's working out OK.

So, I went absolutely nuts with the camera today, so I'll be posting pics over the coming several days. I did a pretty MASSIVE re-scape yesterday after I got plants in from AaronT....few new crypts, "true" Sagittaria, a MYSTERY Sagittaria, and a few stems of Floscopa. The tank had become over-grown, which was fine as I was battling some green hair algae. Things are filling in now pretty nicely, and I wanted to reclaim the depth of the tank again. So, project done. I let the riparium plants become beastly-huge before I left for vacation to trap some of the humidity around the terrarium plants....I trimmed those down pretty far a little over a week ago, and they've bounced back nicely already!

I'll shut up now...I'm exhausted, and I will post more pics tomorrow. Feel free to comment if you would like to!!

Thanks!

Left Oblique...


Top part from this angle:


Closer look at the Alternanathera grouping:


Using my new Macro lens!:


Nice view of the slope from the Left side of the tank:


New Jewel Orchid cutting that I got from Xue is doing really well and has put out several new leaves:


Left side of the rock slope...close ups going from front to back:






Front of the tank.....left side (can you detect a "theme" here?):


Crypt bullosa "Bario":


Crypt Zukalii from Ghanzafar sending out a new leaf:
 
#269 ·
Hi SlopTank! Thank you! Cubes and squares usually mean a little more work, but it's worth what you get in return. And if it's "depth" you are craving, there is plenty of it in a square tank!

Nick and Bob! Thank you both!! :D The colors do pop out now! I've learned that if you mist the plants and the branches, you get better color from them in a picture. Most of the Tillys are a bit sedated in terms of colors, as they are covered in white hairs. If you mist them before a picture, those hairs get wet and allow the other colors to come out. Otherwise, it just about adding the ferts and doing a few small water changes! And, the soft water really helps, I think, too. The crypts are just becoming incredible to look at, too! I never thought a burnt orange, brown, and red color pallet could look so appealing mixed in with dark and light greens, but so far it's working OK.

Amajoh--Thank you! The Alternanthera really stands out amongst the green leaves! I got that from Hydrophyte, and is one of my favorite plants. It also does a great job at hiding equipment and such. EXCELLENT filler plant!!

Devin--Indeed it is!! It didn't start off that way, but it's turning out the way I had hoped for. Still has a long, long way to go though. Owe you a lot of gratitude for those riparium plants and Manzy branches. And the GroSoil and GroHumate tabs, too! :D

Toksyn! Thanks bud! My next set of photos will show the two branches that I used the Hygrolon....so far, the results have been pretty good, especially for the vine that you sent to me......the mosses haven't done well, but that's simply due to the fact that the air is pretty dry, so don't feel bad! In a true vivarium, terrarium, or even riparium, it would be growing mosses like crazy. The air in this house is just so bone dry. I lose 3L of water from this tank per day in the winter due to evaporation.

Who knows, though....maybe the moss will rebound...it's still pretty early yet, and the branch that's closer to the water's surface has most of it's moss still alive and doing well!

More pics to come a little later today!
 
#275 · (Edited)
Thank you Anthony!! She's turned a bit of a corner and is entering "maturation" now. Many of the algae issues I was having are just starting to disappear on their own without me having to do much at all. A little peroxide here and there. That's about it.

Non Con-Howdy and thank you for "getting it." :D I knew that I could count on you; well played, Sir!

Marko--That is Alternanthera! Got it from Devin a few months ago....I think he sent me 6-8 stems, maybe more, for about $6 or $7 bucks....it grows on the trellis raft very well for me, though you could plant it into a hanging planter if you wanted to. I would be happy to send you a few clippings, along with your buce cuttings, if you would like. If you are going to be buying from Devin, you will get more just buying it from him, though. PM me and let me know what you would like me to do!

Chad, thank you! The overgrowth was nice for clearing up the algae, but it was growing pretty tall about 18" from the front of the tank that you couldn't even really see the back at all. What's the point of having a square tank if you don't have the depth? So, I knew that it was time to do some rearranging. Surprising, aside from topping some of the plants, I didn't actually get rid of any more than a handful of stems. I just yanked, topped, and replanted the grouping a bit closer together or in better areas of the tank. It's the advantage of using Hygro's for most of my stems....they got moved closer to the back of the tank, but they'll keep growing regardless if they are in some "shade" or in bright light. I'm hoping that some will go emerged and cover up some of the space in the very, and in front of the Manzy trunks. I would be nice to have more leaves there instead of simple LFS. And some white mold. :D

A while back, Toksyn sent me some Hygrolon to try out on a few of my Manzy branches, which I readily agreed to! I added to two different branches: one on the "right" side that sits about 5" above the water line at it's highest point, though it does arch into the water, and another branch that pretty much stays in direct contact with the water for about a good 2/3's of it's length before rising up. This is where my Ant Plant is located.

First, I cut strips of the Hygrolon that were a bit smaller that the branch, and applied TillyTac to where I was going to put the Hygrolon on. Next, I added the Hygrolon material, and wrapped the branch with black cotton thread so it would adhere to the rough shape of the branch. I let it dry for a good 24 hrs. TillyTac is great stuff, but if you don't let it fully cure, it will turn white when exposed to constant moisture. I removed the thread using a razor blade, and added some plants along with LFS and moss species that Toksyn had sent along as well. Here are the results:

"Tall branch" on the right side of the tank:


And here is the other branch that remains in contact with the water for most of it's length:






I have Saleginella species and some java moss growing submersed to immersed where each branch meets the water, and well as LFS to wick water up onto the Hygrolon. The Hygrolon then wicks water up its entire length, allowing water to, in turn, wick into the LFS that is on top of the Hygrolon. I have to say, I'm pretty impressed so far! The Hygrolon stays moist constantly, which is great for my plants. The moss species that Toksyn generously sent along do fine on the branch with the Ant Plant, and most of the moss has died off on the other branch. I attribute this more to the incredible dry air in my house then I do the Hygolon in any way. Maybe over time, the Hygrolon will become seeded with moss....I added the material only a few weeks before Christmas, so I'll keep tabs on it. The mystery vine that I received is doing really well; it kept it's hairs, turned a nice gold and orange color, and seems to be producing a stem that is growing vertically. Anyone know what this is??

In short, I'm pretty happy with the stuff, and will be using it on my new set up and on additional areas on my Manzy branches too. Makes my life easier, and the plants seem to like it! It's a no-brainer.

One more question: anyone know what "this" is? I have about at least a dozen of these things popping up on my moist areas, but I haven't a clue as to what they are:



Any experts out there care to guess what on Earth these curious things are popping up all over the place?? I'm NOT concerned at the moment....just curious.

All right....Set #2 of pics. Will post more tomorrow...

Crypt Patch of Metallic Red. IT'S GLORIOUS!! :hihi:


Here's that "Mystery Sagittaria" that I got from AaronT. Hoping that it will spread and give a nice contrast to the R. Metallic:


The whole meatball, head on:


Just the Top, head on:


Just the Bottom, head on:


Just the Bottom head on, closer in on the right side:


The Bottom head on, closer in on the middle section:


Once again, the Bottom head on, closer in on the left section:


These last three were not easily shot.....the light from the pendant reflects off of me, so I was seeing myself in all these shots at first. Now, I'm a handsome guy, and all (tee!), but I don't like photobombing my own pics, so I had to tape black trash bags to block out all of the light from the top of the tank upwards to the pendant.

From the stairs looking down:


Thanks all! Please comment or critique!!
 
#279 ·
Thanks Fishykid! I appreciate the compliments! It's been worth staying patient with it, and it is a test of remaining consistent in the care and maintenance of the set up. It pays to not lose your head if there are small problems, like algae formation or something like that. Is never as bad as you think it is initially, just like anything else.

Hi Jiinx! Thank you!! It's been nice to see it start turning around and get the growth and color I was imagining. On that note, of course I had hoped (and had predicted) that the bottom part of the tank would catch up in aesthetic appeal to the top eventually. I hope that it surpasses the top, and I think that it will given enough time. I think that if you don't set out to achieve a step or two beyond where you left off the last time, you are underachieving. Never aim for something commonplace or ordinary, or do what someone else has already done, unless you can gain something from it, right?

Thanks for posting on the thread, both of you!
 
#288 ·
I think that if you don't set out to achieve a step or two beyond where you left off the last time, you are underachieving. Never aim for something commonplace or ordinary, or do what someone else has already done, unless you can gain something from it, right?
well said Don!! and by the way, if you were to actually put some time and effort, this would be a nice looking tank ;)

awesome buddy. i love looking at this tank. can you just put it on live webcam? it would be easier for all of us.....LOL

oh, and i'm gonna need more product review on that hygrolon for the 125 palu rebuild. i haves me some idears for that stuff :)
 
#282 ·
No, it's definitely a Sagittaria species, Philip! That's my fault...I should have taken a picture of it before I had planted it. It does look like it could be Lilaeopsis chinensis from that angle. Sorry about that!

ADA-- not sure why you think "swamp thing"! :hihi: but, why not? There is a ton of Spanish moss hanging down for the branches, the water is tannin stained, lots of crypts.....seems like a reasonable comparison! I think that the addition of some IAL's would have been a nice touch.
 
#285 ·
Aaron.....how slow is "slow" for this Sag?

Thanks Keithy!! Eventually, and the Sagittaria species fill in, I'll start yanking the Staurogyne out. The tank really isn't "supposed" to look like a perfect aquascape; rather, it's meant to blend in with the top of the tank. A little disorder will help that, and "time" will cause that to happen. But, I'm also not going for a "chaotic" look to it either, and it was beginning to look that way pre-trim and rearranging that I did a few days ago. I don't want a wall of stems blocking the view to the back of the tank.

Will be in Lexington this week, and we could do an early lunch around 11:00am on Wednesday. PM me, if you are available Keith!
 
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