My first wabi kusa w/ step by step pics!

rocksmom · 03-02-2013, 06:54 AM

Earlier this week I won an extremely generous RAOK from pweifan which included everything needed to make a wabi kusa. Here you can see all the supplies he sent. My only contributions were a few stems, thread, and some black flourite I had leftover.

Then I just followed his steps he posted in his wabi kusa journal. First was forming the ball and covering it in sphagnum moss. I only used about 2/3 of the clay because I was afraid it wouldn't fit in the bowl. I think it turned out to be a nice size:

Next was the moss, tied with cotton thread:

All planted:

In it's home, misted, and watered:

Sorry for the glare. I'll have to put something dark under it the next time I get a picture. Right now I have it sitting next to my 12 long with my reading lamp above it (13w cfl):

I'll post pictures in a week or so to show how the plants are doing. For those curious, here's the list:

Peacock moss
Hydrocotyle sp. Japan
Glossostigma elatinoides
Ludwigia sp.
Bacopa Caroliniana
Rotala Mini Butterfly

**l8nite** · 03-02-2013, 08:36 AM

really nice and pleasing!

**sayurasem** · 03-02-2013, 08:37 AM

Nice! Aren't you in scape now?

**pweifan** · 03-02-2013, 06:48 PM

This looks really awesome, great job! Thanks for posting this

gnod · 03-02-2013, 10:28 PM

subscribed!

rocksmom · 03-03-2013, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by l8nite

really nice and pleasing!

Quote:

Originally Posted by sayurasem

Nice! Aren't you in scape now?

Quote:

Originally Posted by pweifan

This looks really awesome, great job! Thanks for posting this

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnod

subscribed!

Thanks everyone!

sayuresm, yeah, I just signed up on the board a week or so ago. I haven't really had a chance to check it out much though. How do you get a number and the little card for your sig? I'm sure it's some basic FAQ I just haven't read yet.

Asgard · 03-03-2013, 08:54 AM

Very nice!
I'm very curious how it will develop.

**pweifan** · 03-14-2013, 09:16 PM

It's been 11 days. Time for an update

rocksmom · 03-15-2013, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pweifan

It's been 11 days. Time for an update

Here ya go:

The hydrocotyle and the glosso have a ton of new growth. The moss is starting to perk up too. It's not all flattened out like it was when I first wrapped it. The stems looked terrible so I trimmed them pretty much flush with the surface. Hopefully they'll send out some new growth, but if not I'll wait until I get some emmersed growth popping out of the top of one of my tanks and add that instead.

I've been misting twice per day and am still using the 13w light. Maybe that's not enough for the stems? Should I use a 26w instead?

**pweifan** · 03-15-2013, 08:46 PM

This is looking great so far!

I used a 13W light but not for very long. It didn't under-perform, it was just easier to use a different light fixture. So I really can't say

I bet you'll be OK with it.

I also have used the emersed growth from a tank and those stems do a LOT better.

Thank you for posting the updated pics. I promise to post some to my thread this weekend

Meganne · 03-19-2013, 04:09 AM

ok, these are COOL. and now on my to do list

Conrad283 · 03-19-2013, 05:59 AM

Pretty sweet

rocksmom · 03-21-2013, 06:52 PM

Time for a mini-update. I have a stem growing! Not sure what it is though, except that it's not the bacopa.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meganne

ok, these are COOL. and now on my to do list

Quote:

Originally Posted by Conrad283

Pretty sweet

Thanks!

**MABJ** · 03-21-2013, 07:12 PM

Wonderful post. I'd love to start something like this.

**pweifan** · 03-22-2013, 09:23 PM

Stacy, I'm pretty sure it's Ludwigia Repens x. Arcuata. I have it in my tanks and one of my wabis. It looks like you've got some really happy growth there

03-02-2013, 06:54 AM	#1
rocksmom Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (20/100%) Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Valley Center, Ca Posts: 496	My first wabi kusa w/ step by step pics! Earlier this week I won an extremely generous RAOK from pweifan which included everything needed to make a wabi kusa. Here you can see all the supplies he sent. My only contributions were a few stems, thread, and some black flourite I had leftover. Then I just followed his steps he posted in his wabi kusa journal. First was forming the ball and covering it in sphagnum moss. I only used about 2/3 of the clay because I was afraid it wouldn't fit in the bowl. I think it turned out to be a nice size: Next was the moss, tied with cotton thread: All planted: In it's home, misted, and watered: Sorry for the glare. I'll have to put something dark under it the next time I get a picture. Right now I have it sitting next to my 12 long with my reading lamp above it (13w cfl): I'll post pictures in a week or so to show how the plants are doing. For those curious, here's the list: Peacock moss Hydrocotyle sp. Japan Glossostigma elatinoides Ludwigia sp. Bacopa Caroliniana Rotala Mini Butterfly __________________ 135g \| Desktop Tank \| Wabi Kusa \| Riparium Last edited by rocksmom; 03-02-2013 at 07:06 AM.. Reason: update

03-02-2013, 08:36 AM	#2
l8nite Zombie (View User Tanks) PTrader: (11/100%) Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Fremont, CA Posts: 682	really nice and pleasing! __________________ HANdS: 110G Community, 10G Fry Containment Unit, 7.5G ADA Bettascape, 2.3G Moss Recovery Unit, 2G Fluval Spec

03-02-2013, 08:37 AM	#3
sayurasem SCAPEr (View User Tanks) PTrader: (2/100%) Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Loma Linda, CA Posts: 2,408	Nice! Aren't you in scape now? __________________ #364 \| Eheim Pimp Club #500 \| 12G Rimless Club \| 12 Gallon Loooooooooong Journal

03-02-2013, 10:28 PM	#5
gnod Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (29/100%) Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: ny ny Posts: 1,352	subscribed! __________________ ~~2.5 nano~~ ~~V1 - 4 gallon~~ V2 - 4 gallon @ 3.17.13 wabi ball #1

03-19-2013, 04:09 AM	#11
Meganne Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Florida Panhandlle Posts: 194	ok, these are COOL. and now on my to do list __________________ *The Fraternity of Dirt....member #102* *Just because its dirt doesn't make it low tech.* *http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=189703* http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...9703&highlight= http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...8412&highlight=

03-02-2013, 06:48 PM	#4
pweifan Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (45/100%) Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 588	This looks really awesome, great job! Thanks for posting this

03-03-2013, 08:54 AM	#7
Asgard Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Netherlands - Rotterdam Posts: 135	Very nice! I'm very curious how it will develop.

03-14-2013, 09:16 PM	#8
pweifan Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (45/100%) Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 588	It's been 11 days. Time for an update

03-15-2013, 08:46 PM	#10
pweifan Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (45/100%) Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 588	This is looking great so far! I used a 13W light but not for very long. It didn't under-perform, it was just easier to use a different light fixture. So I really can't say I bet you'll be OK with it. I also have used the emersed growth from a tank and those stems do a LOT better. Thank you for posting the updated pics. I promise to post some to my thread this weekend

03-19-2013, 05:59 AM	#12
Conrad283 Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (2/100%) Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Littleton, CO Posts: 243	Pretty sweet __________________ 10g and 20L

03-21-2013, 07:12 PM	#14
MABJ Invert Warrior (View User Tanks) PTrader: (12/100%) Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: NY Posts: 3,148	Wonderful post. I'd love to start something like this. __________________ Check out my tanks: Mark's Almost ADA \|18" Long DBP Tank \|10" Tall CRS Spec \| .5 Gallon cube \| Wabi-Kusa Thread \| New to shrimp? Need help? Check out these threads: \|Essential tools to buy\|List of inverts\|Sage advice\| Mark A Belcher Junior, A proud member: DBP Club

03-22-2013, 09:23 PM	#15
pweifan Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (45/100%) Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 588	Stacy, I'm pretty sure it's Ludwigia Repens x. Arcuata. I have it in my tanks and one of my wabis. It looks like you've got some really happy growth there

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