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GLA 6g Rimless 36-L - The Fusion Tank (Nature, Iwagumi...Who Knows?)

35K views 113 replies 35 participants last post by  Brian_Cali77 
#1 · (Edited)
What's up TPT, I'm actually active in a couple forums and I decided that with the success I'm having with my new project that I started, I thought I'd like to share here as well...

And the story starts on 9/5/12...

Well after a good few years back in the hobby, I decided to start yet another nano aquarium, this time a rimless Iwagumi inspired scape (my first attempt so be kind). I poured through quite a few options and compared ADA, Do!Aqua, Mr. Aqua, Schuber Wright, and FINALLY decided on a GLA. Why? Well in terms of Low Iron high visibility glass on a rimless, the only competition in terms of 'value' that I can find are the Schuber Wright aquariums (which the beveled glass threw me off) and the Mr. Aqua 7.5g cube (which I didn't want another cube). I decided to spend a little extra on myself, but not ADA extra, since I'm still a starving student. Yes ADA is the cream of the crop (based on quality and established reputation), but I wanted to break away from the norm and save on some cash in the process, while still following 'some' of the principles associated with Iwagumi planted scapes. I finally decided on the GLA Low Iron Green Leaf Rimless Aquarium 36-L because it fell on the sweet spot of value, quality, and the right size I was looking for. Plus, I was impressed with how fast the GLA's customer service was in responding to my inquiries. That sealed the deal and the order was placed! :thumb:

All I have now is the tank, lighting, and substrate. I'll be ordering things online and taking some trips to the LFS's. But here's the list so far, feel free to critique it or comment.


The Rundown (Already Acquired and In-Progress / Planning):

Hardware:
Tank - GLA 36-L (Dimensions approx. 15" x 9" x 11", 6g, 5mm glass thickness)
Light - Finnex 16" Ray 2 DD (9 Watts: 88 HO LEDs, 7000k daylight)
Filter - Fluval 106
CO2 - Aquatek paintball regulator w/ solenoid


Substrate: Fluval Stratum, Floramax, and Sand
Hardscape: Yamaya Stone, Manzanita DW

Flora:
HC, Hemianthus callitrichoides
Rotala Colorata
Pogostemon Erectus
Ludwigia sp. Red
Echinodorus tenellus
staurogyne repens
Flame Moss

Planned Fauna:
Yellow (Neocaridina heteropoda var. Yellow), Tangerine Tiger (Caridina serrata) or Fire Red Shrimp (Neocaridina heteropoda var. Fire Red)
Galaxy or Chili Rasboras later long after a healthy population of shrimp is established.

Dosing:
Seachem Flourish, Excel, and API Leaf Zone until the liquids run out. Will be mixing up dry ferts after, just got my order from GLA with my tank. Undecided with the whole EI or PPS-Pro dosing, still need to read up on it.

And some pictures:
Hmm, look was the kind UPS lady brought me!


Excellent packing on the part of GLA! The tank was packed in a thick box within a box with plenty of styrofoam to protect the glass.


NO... it's not ADA, so what! LOL


The Finnex Ray 2 16" fixture:


The tank and the fixture (I'll most likely suspend the fixture, more on that later).


The pic doesn't do it justice, but WOW :eek: this Finnex Ray 2 is BRIGHT!
 
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#3 ·
Update from 9/16/12...

I installed the Fluval 106. Had to measure everything and cut the tubing. Looks okay... better than an HOB IMO.


Here are the goodies I picked up:


Added the first layer of Floramax with some decent sloping action:


Here's a pic with some experimental malaysian dw (still gonna go with a more subtle manzanita) and 3lbs of yamaya stones:


And lastly, I added in the Fluval Stratum, sand, and removed the dw.


On a side note... although the Fluval 106 intake/outflow pipes are okay and will have to do for now, the way they're looking is making me want to cough up some more dough for some glass lily pipes. Unfortunately, those will have to wait due to budget restraints..

I'll probably be working on suspending the light fixture soon.
 
#4 ·
Update from 9/24/12...

DIY suspension for the Finnex Ray 2 light fixture:

Materials:
-EKBY HÅLL Ikea Shelf Brackets x 2 = $8 ($4 each)
-3/32" wire rope from Home Depot = .60 cents
-Fishing Line = FREE off my fishing rod.
-Jewelry crimp-able closures from Michael's = $3
-Jewelry clamp/hooks = $3

Total Cost = $14.60

Took me a few hours to finally suspend the light fixture. I slowly gathered material from various places while out on errands for other things. Anyway, got stuff from Ikea, Home Depot, and Michael's. The hardest part was trying to measure and get everything straight. Also tying the palomar knots and basic knots wasn't that easy too (well basics are)...LOL

Some minor adjustments on height might still be needed. I would have planted this tank by now but the plants that I intend to use are sitting in my other tank in which I just discovered has some Hydra Polyps in it. I'm going to have to address that problem first because I do not want to introduce those pests to my new tank; especially, since I'm going to be keeping shrimp.

Now for some pics:

Materials and implementation of the thick gauge wires I found to fit PERFECTLY in the grooves where the stock plastic docking mounts slide into. If you intend to do this, either bring your measurements with you to Home Depot or bring your fixture with you (which I did) so the friendly Home Depot employee can cut it to size for you.


Once I inserted the wires, I got the jewelry closures and crimped them down with some needle-nosed pliers pretty tight on the ends. I thought I would have to put some epoxy or something to strengthen the hold, but they appear to be pretty tight without the need for glue. The closures conveniently have an eye at one end where I can thread the fishing line through... the tough part was tying the palomar knots there (hint: look up an instructional video on youtube if you don't know how to tie this knot).


Ikea shelf brackets and some hooks I found in the DIY jewelry section of Michael's. I'm only using the hooks as a quick disconnect to remove the fixture for aquarium maintenance. These particular hooks do not fit over the curled ends of the shelf brackets. I just tied a loop of fishing line over the curled rod iron under the brackets which then attaches to the jewlery hooks, which has another piece of fishing line tied to connect to the fixture.


And the final product pics:




:eek:Look ma... no mounting docks! Except for the pesky power cord, it appears to be floating! (umm, sorta).. LOL
 
#5 ·
Update time....9/26/12

The eagle has landed! I'm now planted and up and running...

This was my first time working with Fluval Stratum (FS) so I poked around a bit online and read how cloudy it can get when disturbed. So I took extra precaution in filling up my tank SLOWLY and with a plate to deflect the water I was pouring in with the bucket.

I also got some mulm I siphoned out with some tank water from my established aquarium to pour in the GLA tank. I had an extra flourish root tab sitting around so I broke that in to several pieces and embedded it in the substrate in various places as well. Although I had some issues with how light the FS is, it wasn't too bad (so far); at least not as bad as some of the complaints I read out there. I had some chunks and stems of the HC dislodge and float from the FS as I was filling the tank with water (albeit being careful), but I was able to replant with some tweezers.

The Fluval 106 filter is working like a charm. I decided to not use the activated carbon that came with the filter. Instead, I cut out a piece of filter floss to provide a little extra polishing in case the substrate decides to get dusty/cloudy. I also seeded the biomax compartment with biomax from my established tank's filter. I love the self priming featuring of this filter by the way. Turning on the filter, I was afraid everything was going to get blown away, especially my HC. But so far so good! It's running super quietly and I'm glad there's a flow control to make it more appropriate for a 6g nano tank. We'll just have to pretend the lovely black, white, and opaque (intake/outflow) stock equipment are sexy glass lily pipes for now... haha.. it's not so bad to have an imagination...right? :brows:

Well... after several hours of prep and planting... here are the pics! It's not very Iwagumi.. but hey, like my title implies.... it's Iwagumi "Inspired"... meaning, I get to throw my own twist on it.

Filled with some mulm and tank water... with heavy spritzing from a spray bottle. Oh, and I found a decent piece of manzanita branch.




Tied some cotton thread around the manzanita branch to secure the Flame Moss. This was my first attempt at using moss of any sort. Hope it fills in nicely.


And post-flooding the tank. I'm really surprised at how clear the tank is. Taking care in gently pouring in water and not disturbing the substrate really helps. The instructions on the Fluval Stratum say to rinse well, while others who have used it (also) say not to. I think the people who complain about this substrate being super cloudy, followed the instructions or just dumped water in the tank. I did not rinse it and the extra care I took by not disturbing the substrate paid off.





Thanks for reading!
 
#8 ·
What is that very thin, long, glass-like plant behind your driftwood? I really like it!

Overall, I usually don't like the sparseness of Iwagumi tanks, just a personal taste thing. What you have done here has a lot more 'stuff' in it while still having a really nice sparse look to it. I find the balance you've achieved right up my alley.
 
#10 ·
Thanks everyone! I'm glad you guys like it. I know it's not up to par with everyone's taste (especially hardcore ADA folks), but I'm excited about it nonetheless. I know it will look A LOT better with glass pipes, but that will come later.

@Talkyn... The grass-like plant in the back is actually Pygmy Chain Sword (echinodorus tenellus). I was told by someone in another forum that it's usually not that tall. So I'm worried about if I should keep it, especially how I read it will shoot runners and try to spread far. Never worked with that plant before so I don't really know what to expect? I'm considering switching it out to a taller variety of DHG (Eleocharis acicularis)? Oh and the whole "don't like the sparseness of Iwagumi tanks" thing, I agree... Although I can appreciate the minimalistic and simplicity of true Iwagumi scaped tanks, I decided to adopt 'some' principles while steering this scape in my own direction (thus the 'inspired' word in my title). Glad someone else sees my perspective. :)

What do you guys think about switching out the e. tenellus for e. acicularis?
 
#11 ·
nice! i saw you comment on my question about lighting for my GLA. I really love my new GLA tank. they look great huh?

Just curious, but how much did your co2 setup run you? Originally I was planning on doing low-tech tank.. but now maybe co2.. i just don't want to spend $200-$300 on a co2 setup.
 
#12 · (Edited)
You know i was exactly in your shoes too not too long ago. To save money i bought the Aquatek paintball regulator.. They used to be around $100, but they've dropped the price to $80 + free shipping (don't know for how long though) through their Ebay store. It comes with an electronic solenoid, co2 resistant tubing, a drop checker with integrated check valve. I bought the 20oz co2 cylinders for about 25 bucks. I found the same cylinders on Amazon for 17 bucks empty though. However, after calling around a bit, i decided to pay the higher price at a local paintball store because they offer 5 free refills if i bought the cylinder from them. At $5 a refill, the cylinders come out free! The only other thing i bought was the UP-Aqua glass diffuser on ebay new for $9 shipped.

So the co2 setup can run you (drum roll please...): roughly $114! Not bad IMO..
 
#14 ·
Awesome tank! Yet another I have to tell myself I don't need... I like that it's "Iwagumi inspired" as well. IMO, sometimes the straight-up Iwagumi style tanks can be kind of... "meh" lol. Nice rock/wood work too!
What's that spiky stem plant sort of back-right? I've been considering something like that for one of my tanks- it's super cool looking!
I just decided on an Aquatek set-up for CO2 also. Need to save some money right now, got a paintball tank for free, and they look pretty nice. Let us know how you like it down the road!
Excited to see how it all fills out!
 
#15 ·
Thanks KatJack! The spiky stem plant in the back-right is pogostemon erectus. I appreciate the compliments on my tank setup.

As for the Aquatek, I've only had it running for about 2 weeks (1 week in my other tank, 1 week in the GLA). So far, it's been trouble free but time will tell. Their full-size regulator has been out on the market for quite sometime and has excellent reviews. I just hope the paintball mini version lives up to that rep as well. I'll be honest, the GLA paintball regulators looks much nicer, but are also more expensive. At the price of one GLA, you can buy two Aquateks! LOL... So warranty isn't an issue if you look at it that way.
 
#16 ·
Update... 7 days since planted :)

Seems like the Finnex Ray 2 is doing a good job growing my red plants such as the ludwigia sp. red and the rotala colorata. It seems that the HC is doing well, although I haven't seen much pearling going on. Not sure if I'm doing something wrong or if it's still acclimating to being planted in a new aquarium (previous being in a pot for several weeks in 4w/gal). Some of the leaves on the pygmy chain sword turned a bit yellow so I removed them. I'm guess this is an acclimation thing as well--adjusting to new lighting, substrate, etc. Lastly, I planted a couple of more stems of p. errectus. My plan is to cover the equipment when they grow taller...

Oh... and I added a female betta to help keep the seeded filter media alive and keep my tank cycled. I'm really diggin' her vibrant deep color red. It contrasts well with the green plants and compliments my ludwigia red and r. colorata.

Here's some pics... (I'm a picture heavy type of guy, although I'm a bit too lazy to bust out the DSLR):





 
#21 ·
Well the guys at the LFS assured me that it was E. tenellus. I've read and was told by another (more knowledgeable member than myself) that it can grow tall when less light is available. Probably that's why it was in the very back of the display tank at the LFS, while other E. tenellus in the mid to foreground was much more compact in growth. Check out this article..
http://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/Chainswords-NeilFrank.htm

I think with the lighting I have now, however, that the longer blades might die off, which will leave me with a shorter plant. I'm not sure if this is what I want, so I'm contemplating on switching it out for a taller variety of DHG (eleocharis acicularis). My concern with that though is that I didn't put any plastic dividers in the substrate and the DHG might spread -- which I've also read that E. aciscularis is the 'master of invasiveness'... LOL
 
#19 ·
Yeah that's a good idea. I thought about buying the board too to make it a shelf, but decided not to because it would take away from my wall art. Anyway, if you anticipate putting anything on the shelf that might be heavier than fish food, you should probably use wall anchors as well--just a suggestion. LMK how it comes along.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Well... instead of just doing a photo shoot update, I decided to bust out the old digital camcorder for a quick video. Nothing special... I was just bored. Note: Just hit the 'mute' if you're not in to electro music...LOL

Anyway, the growth is pretty good with the Finnex Ray 2. I had to cut off some roots from the rotala because it was starting to grow sideways instead of up. I'm assuming it might have something to do with the current. The ludwigia red is growing pretty tall and the flame moss, well... is starting to look like "flame" with its vertical wavy growth. HC is creeping along and spreading slowly but surely. Pretty neat I must say! I am getting some green spot algae on the glass and rocks, and just a tiny bit of diatoms in just one area of the substrate by the branch. I scraped off as much GSA and diatoms as I could. I also reduced the photo period by an hour, upped the excel, and upped the co2 an extra bubble per sec. But overall, looking good :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MnlAov5cx4&list=UUEYpWs0oD3XU-ETcpKSVsbQ&index=1&feature=plcp
 
#24 ·
Ken... I've been dosing Seachem Flourish and Excel. For iron and potash, I've been using API leaf zone. When these liquids run out, I plan to mix the dry ferts and start dosing per EI or PPS-Pro (still don't know too much about either, been lazy to learn).

The PSI has hardly dropped on my regulator. It's registering 1000 psi right now. It seems like at this rate, the 20oz paintball tank should last a pretty good amount of time.
 
#28 ·
@Mike00726 - Thank you! Great taste in lighting and tank. I'm really pleased with my purchases. I was going to get the Finnex 360 as well, but decided on the Fluval 106 because of the flow control and the ability to place the canister way below the tank, unlike the PX-360's limit of 2ft I believe. Anyway, I'd love to see your setup when you get things going... LMK when its up.

@KFryman - Thanks! I really like the Aquatek regulator. It hasn't done anything for me to dislike it. Compared to comparable regulators out there, the Aquatek is really a good value! I just hope it last long since I've only had it for about a month now.

@tylergvolk - Thanks for the compliment! I'll be updating soon w/ pics. I've been getting some pretty good growth and the HC is carpeting in nicely.
 
#30 ·
looking really good, your betta girl compliments the tank really well, I bet she is really happy in that tank :)
 
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