**PRL in the Mist** - JULY Updates

[youjettisonme]

Here are a few pics of my progress so far on my relatively lo-tech shrimp project. It will be a BKK tank, and I'm dry-starting the moss with a reptile fogger - Hence, "Gorillas (BKK) in the Mist (Fogger)".

Tank: ADA 90p
Substrate: Akadama Double-Red w/Osmocote
Lighting: 2 Current USA TrueLumen Pro Led bars. For the dry-start only, I am using a 150w MH as well with ADA bulb.
Fauna: BKK. May focus on WR. Will have a neo component as well. May be PFR, may be the very bluest of my blue pearls or blue rili. Not decided.
Flora: Mini Pelia carpet. Mini pelia attached to rock scape via dry-start. Willow moss for some branches. Belem in a few key spots. I haven't decided on any background stems yet. May pull from other tanks. Still a consideration.

UPDATE: Anubias nana petite,Golden Nesaea, Hydro tripartita

CO2: I will likely pump in CO2 post flood to prevent any chance of melting. Later, I will consider jettisoning this all together as the TrueLumen Pro may not put out enough PAR to make me excessively worry about algae.
Filtration: I nixed the UGF, and I'm going with a SunSun 403b coupled with two sponge filters that will be hidden. The SunSun will be attached to a Jaqno 1.5L external pre-filter for ease of maintenance and more bio. A steel pre-filter on the intake glass (likely acrylic) will further slow down flow.

ADDED: Purigen reactor via leftover RO/DI canister and parts.

Rocks: They are a combination of ADA and found rocks. Focused mostly on color for consistency. Obviously, since this is a 90p, all the rocks turned this from a 48 gallon to a.... great question. I don't know the size any longer. It could be more like a 25 now.

Plan: I want to dry-start this for a few months since MP is one of the slowest growers possible. Best-laid plans... so we'll see. I'm only a few weeks into it now. As I'm using an external reptile fogger to keep it uber-humid, it's not much of a hassle yet. The mini-pelia stays super damp on rocks, and not so much on branches. May use more willow moss then first thought.

The biggest part of the experiment will be to see how a dry-started moss like MP clings to the larger pebbles of the Akadama post-flood. For rocks? I've done this experiment already so I am not worried on that front quite yet. It will stick and flourish no problem.

***I should add that there is a handful of smaller, foreground rocks going into place soon that will be seen in newer updates. This is done to further tie the scape together and make it less disjointed.

[shrimpnmoss]

sounds pretty sweet....I love your previous tanks so I'm looking forward to your progress...good luck!

PS: BKKs would be more fitting for Gorillas than WR.

[youjettisonme]

Originally Posted by shrimpnmoss

sounds pretty sweet....I love your previous tanks so I'm looking forward to your progress...good luck!

PS: BKKs would be more fitting for Gorillas than WR.

Ha! Yeah, I actually thought of that. They would. I am still contemplating that part. I may just have many different BKKs. We'll see! BTW, I have definitely followed your recent projects. Love your latest tank.

[ChadRamsey]

WOW i LOVE it.

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[zachary908]

That looks really nice!

[ilovelucy]

i just remember my mom BAWLING during Gorillas in the Mist when i was a kid.... hopefully this tank will only have you crying tears of joy!

[D3monic]

so far that tank rocks!

[youjettisonme]

Originally Posted by ilovelucy

i just remember my mom BAWLING during Gorillas in the Mist when i was a kid.... hopefully this tank will only have you crying tears of joy!

Thanks everyone! Happy with the hardscape so far. Still has a little ways to go. I have never even seen Gorillas in the Mist, but that star Sigourney Weaver? If so, my first berried KK will be named Sigourney.

[youjettisonme]

Here is the latest emersed shot. The mini pelia is taking off nicely, especially on the substrate, and on the lower rocks. The largest rock has taken on some GSA I guess, and it is out-competing the mini pelia right now so a little melted. No big deal though. Every other rock and the every other location is growing rather quickly.

For lighting, I am running it about 14 hours a day, 1 150w MH with ADA/Nag bulb + 2 Truelumen Pro LED strips at 8000k which provide for nicer, even coverage. Obviously, it is putting out a ton of lumen/PAR. The rest of the flora, remaining moist with the reptile fogger, is reacting accordingly. Lots of really green, really lush looking growth right now.

The sand on the left looks particularly artificial right now, but the look will improve once those Yamaya stones are covered in moss and blend into the substrate. Will happen soon enough. The darkening of the wood post-flood along with the addition of willow moss on the middle branches will also help quite a bit.

Now I am mostly contemplating what will grow behind both rocks as far as mid-ground plants go (elevated with Akadama on the left). If I do use any CO2 at all long term in this tank, it will be via paintball at about a bubble every other second. From past experience this is enough for many CO2 hungry plants, but nothing that will register much to the picky fauna.

The goal, however is to go sans CO2. I will need a suitable plant for back there, but nothing is striking me as the perfect plant right now. Any ideas? I was thinking that maybe something like Heteranthera zosterifolia might work well if I get it thick during the cycle with tons of CO2, then slowly back off the CO2 to nothing and just let is be.

[inka4041]

This is an awesome scape. Those rocks look really convincingly massive. Can't wait to see it flooded!

[youjettisonme]

Originally Posted by inka4041

This is an awesome scape. Those rocks look really convincingly massive. Can't wait to see it flooded!

Ha. They ARE massive! I shudder to think how much I spent in rocks in this 90cm tank. I did get a few larger ones from Yosemite, but the rest are over-priced AF rocks. Yikes. Pretty excited for the flood, but that is still sooo far away it seems. Mini pelia will test anyone's patience.

[shrimpnmoss]

I like the new sand "pools" that you put in. That's like a signature feature in your scapes. This tank will be awesome when you're done with it!

[Craigthor]

Nice, looking great.

[jimko]

Looks Great Jeff!!!

I'm afraid of rocks though. Make sure you test them out with some lower grade stuff before you throw high end shrimps in there.

[youjettisonme]

Originally Posted by jimko

Looks Great Jeff!!!

I'm afraid of rocks though. Make sure you test them out with some lower grade stuff before you throw high end shrimps in there.

The stones that aren't yamaya have already been vetted in my other 90p. Nothing to worry about. Either way, I was already going to throw some lower grade CRS in there before I take the further plunge.

The basic timeline...

- Another month to two months of drystart.
- 6 weeks of cycle.
- 3 weeks of testing lower grade CRS.
- Actual long term inhabitants see the tank.

Since today is March 8th, and I have about 3 months of prep still, I expect this to all happen around the middle of June. Pain... ful.