Dear Journal,
I've been reading and reading and reading so much that I finally feel the confidence to stop reading and start doing. I'm using a special concotion of top soil i made from my parents back yard. The whole community was built on top of what used to be a cabbage patch farm. All of the neighbors and my parents included grow lots of organic fruits and veggies so I have high hopes for this soil. I dug a 7 foot hole to get the deepest cleanest soil as possible. There are some patches where the flourite black is thin so the soil rises up from through the rocks. I will probably regret it later but planning on covering it more.
Of course i want a very beautiful hardscape and beautiful plants but my goal with this aquarium being my first is to GROW! I know i can do much better but i really want to start and make my first. Once i have the experience I will look at re scaping or maybe another
12 Gal Mr. Aqua
DIY LED strip
Flourite Black
Homebrewed top soil + organic soil mix (need to get list of items)
Odyssea 36" (Temporary light in the mail)
Eheim Ecco 2232 (in the mail)
Drwaf Hairgrass
Hemianthus callitrichoides
Petrified Wood
Some annonymous rock
When i opened the box to my surprise!
IMG_2538 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
ha!
While i get the rest of my supplies and leak test the tank, i put "Eli" in the tank. I need to get a bigger tank for him, he swam like there was no tomorrow!
IMG_2547 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
Basic look idea
IMG_2544 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
IMG_2545 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
My mud concoction
IMG_2551 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
IMG_2554 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
IMG_2560 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
IMG_2561 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
IMG_2566 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
IMG_2570 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
IMG_2581 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
5/13/2012
It's been 3 days and believe it or not i'm already seeing the HC grow! Not much but the mini branches are actually reaching up and it's starting to look alive! I also got rid of the 2nd rock to make room for a row of hairgrass. Ultimately i want the Hairgrass to surround the edges of the aquarium left and right. It will be mainly wrapped around the Petrified wood.
HC Planted, and Hairgrass
IMG_3109 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
Mini harscape tweak
IMG_3114 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
First Photo of hairgrass
IMG_3104 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
IMG_3124 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
HC Already growing! Yay!
IMG_3123 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
I've been reading and reading and reading so much that I finally feel the confidence to stop reading and start doing. I'm using a special concotion of top soil i made from my parents back yard. The whole community was built on top of what used to be a cabbage patch farm. All of the neighbors and my parents included grow lots of organic fruits and veggies so I have high hopes for this soil. I dug a 7 foot hole to get the deepest cleanest soil as possible. There are some patches where the flourite black is thin so the soil rises up from through the rocks. I will probably regret it later but planning on covering it more.
Of course i want a very beautiful hardscape and beautiful plants but my goal with this aquarium being my first is to GROW! I know i can do much better but i really want to start and make my first. Once i have the experience I will look at re scaping or maybe another
12 Gal Mr. Aqua
DIY LED strip
Flourite Black
Homebrewed top soil + organic soil mix (need to get list of items)
Odyssea 36" (Temporary light in the mail)
Eheim Ecco 2232 (in the mail)
Drwaf Hairgrass
Hemianthus callitrichoides
Petrified Wood
Some annonymous rock
When i opened the box to my surprise!
IMG_2538 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
ha!
While i get the rest of my supplies and leak test the tank, i put "Eli" in the tank. I need to get a bigger tank for him, he swam like there was no tomorrow!
IMG_2547 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
Basic look idea
IMG_2544 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
IMG_2545 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
My mud concoction
IMG_2551 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
IMG_2554 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
IMG_2560 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
IMG_2561 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
IMG_2566 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
IMG_2570 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
IMG_2581 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
5/13/2012
It's been 3 days and believe it or not i'm already seeing the HC grow! Not much but the mini branches are actually reaching up and it's starting to look alive! I also got rid of the 2nd rock to make room for a row of hairgrass. Ultimately i want the Hairgrass to surround the edges of the aquarium left and right. It will be mainly wrapped around the Petrified wood.
HC Planted, and Hairgrass
IMG_3109 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
Mini harscape tweak
IMG_3114 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
First Photo of hairgrass
IMG_3104 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
IMG_3124 by CFrancisco, on Flickr
HC Already growing! Yay!
IMG_3123 by CFrancisco, on Flickr