Mizu-niwa (56k)((updated 01/23/2011))

[angelicodin]

Hi everyone. My name is Trenton, I live in Wilsonville Tigard Oregon, USA. I love fish tanks and love the tranquility that comes with having them but I feel I need more life in my office. I work from home as a database programmer and I vary often lean back and look at my fish tank to help me think. Well I want an underwater Zen garden, witch is why I'm going to name this tank "Mizu-Niwa" The garden of water in Japanese.
EDIT: It is my first real planted tank so I might as well learn and then go to the zen garden next time. Hopefully have an ADA rimless next time to boot.

Quick history with my small hand in aquariums.

The first fish tank I helped with (and not vary well) was when I was about 14 living with my parents. When they bought this house it came with a 55 gallon tank that was in poor condition. So I started to learn the basics about it for about a year then I moved else ware. Then I got the itch about 5 years ago and got my first 10gallon. It was lots of fun but I almost ran into every problem I could think of and in the end everything died out. So being too ambitious I tried my hand at a salt water 10 gallon. Needless to say I failed and donated the whole tank to some guy who wanted it for something.

Then I was tank-less until about 6weeks ago. I picked up another 10gallon again and set it up with some basic plants. Well a few weeks ago I realized that it was not doing so well and it's hard to maintain things in a 10g, as things just change way too fast. So couple days ago I upgraded into a much bigger tank than I've done in a the past. A 25 gallon. Needless to say I'm vary excited about doing a full planted tank.

My goal: I want to have my tank with a nice carpet of some kind of java moss HC with some wood with plants growing off of it, and some kind of bush plant in the middle that will kind of look like a tree. I have a digital tablet and I'll sketch out what my 'ideal' end tank will look like. In the mean time here is what I have currently.

EDIT: I've had to change what I want a little because it's not going to work out well with my current set up as well as other factors right now. So this is going to be just my 'learning tank' for now.

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|Setup:|
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Hard Ware:
-Aqueon 25 gallon Tank - Glass (I think this is the right brand)
-Glass Top
-T-5 Double Linear Strip Lighting with a 6700k(14w)Blub and a Colormax Full-Spectrum(14w) Bulb (28w total)
-T8 Flora-Glo 2800k(15w) ((just to get a little more light until I get better))
-Aqueon Quiet Flow 30 Power Filter
-Eheim Classic External Canister Filter 2213 with a Rena Filstar xP Micro pad on top. Inflow has a Fluval Pre-filter
100watt All-Glass Aquarium Heater ( Not sure if that is right, that's what the front of the thing says)
-Air Pump w/ Ceramic Air Stone No longer using.
-Coralife ESU Reptile Digital Thermometer + Glass as well
-25 lbs. Top Fin Gravel (multi color-light brown)
-DIY CO2 with bubble ladder @ 1 3 bubble per sec

Chemical Ware:
-API Proper ph 7.0 Powder
-API Leaf Zone - Aquarium Plant Food
-API Stress Zyme+
-API Stress Coat+
-API Algaefix
-API Aquarium Salt
-Seachem Prime (when needed)
-Aquarian Aleae Eater Chips
-Quick Dip Test Strips (Ammonia and 6 in 1 strips)
-Seachem Flourish (2.5ml x2 times a week)
-Seachem Flourish Excel (2.5ml everyday)
-Seachem Flourish Potassium (5ml x3 times a week)
-Seachem Flourish Trace (7.5ml x2 times a week)
-Seachem Flourish Iron (2.5ml x2 times a week)
-Genesis Conditioner (removes chlorine and heave metals from tap)

Plants:
-Malaysian Wood ( kind of plant I guess ;p )
-Java Moss (Vesicularia Dubyana) ((attached to the wood))
-Brazillian Pennywort (Hydrocotyle Leucocephala)
-Green Hygro (Hygrophila Polysperma)
-Anubias Barteri var. Nana
-Amazon Sword (Echinodorus Bleheri)
-Red Myriophyllum (Myriophyllum Heterophllum)
-Ludwigia Repens
-Water Sprite (Ceratopteris Thalictroides)
-Purple Cambomba (Cabomba pulcerrima)
-Green Cambomba (Camba caroliniana)
-Rose Moss
-Lesser Duckweed (Lemna Minor)


Substrate:
-15 lbs 2/12 Gravel
-5 lbs Amazonia Aqua Soil
-5 lbs Flourite Black Sand Substrate

Fish:
2x Tiger barb (Puntius tetrazona) Dead in moving
1x Otocinclus (Otocinclus vittatus)
5x Zebra Danio (Brachydanio rerio) Donated
5x Cardnal Tetra
8x Ammo Shrimp (last real count that is)
8x Rose something (trying to find paperwork on real name)



Update 12/06/2009 - Updated list of item on hand/using and items in tank.
Update 12/07/2009 - Changed First post with current Image. And will start to do this from now on.
Update 12/07/2009 - New Daily Pic
Update 12/14/2009 - New pic and I did some replanting to have more of an open space in the middle. Also my DIY co2 should be hooked up later today with any luck
Update 12/17/2009 - New pic and updated equipment.
Update 12/18/2009 - New Daily Pic
Update 12/27/2009 - New Pic
Update 12/28/2009 - New Pic again, with some minor clean up.
Update 01/19/2010 - New pic, after some cleaning, and minor trimming(i need to do some more but need some help/info)
Update 02/02/2010 - Updated front page pic and did some 'major' trimming.
Update 01/23/2011 - Updated front pic, and removed and added plants and dosing.
Update 08/15/2011 - General Posting.

[angelicodin]

Well after about 8 hours in the tank with the plants the water seems fine but some of the wisteria has some white stuff growing on it. Perhaps you guys know what this is:

[CL]

It's a start You could do white sand, or some other sand if you want. The white stuff is just the underside of the leaves.

I wouldn't use the aquarium salt or the algae killers, as those may be detrimental to a planted tank. Unless your fish have problems, I doubt that you will need the stress coat and stress zyme.

I would also suggest having the entire bottom of your aquarium supported.

It's a good start!

[angelicodin]

Sounds good. I'm going to buy some sand tonight or tomorrow. Can I put it into the tank with the fish still in there or should I move them out while swapping out the gravel for sand?

[CL]

Originally Posted by angelicodin

Sounds good. I'm going to buy some sand tonight or tomorrow. Can I put it into the tank with the fish still in there or should I move them out while swapping out the gravel for sand?

I would suggest taking them out for stress reasons

[angelicodin]

Fair enough. I'll report back with pics and what not after I make the swap. And thanks for the help.

[kyle3]

can't tell from the picture very well but the underside of wisteria is usually a silvery whitish color. . .is it just the underside of the leaf?

if you only want to grow anubias, java fern and java moss there's no need to replace your gravel b/c none of them root in the gravel.

for a carpet plant- you could try micro sword- i've gotten it to grow in round gravel like that. but most other carpet plants are so small and delicate that a substrate more "on scale" with them will be necessary- something finer like eco complete will suit your purposes. I've never planted a carpet in flourite but it seems a little more course grained- tho I'm sure you could make it work.

good luck with your tank and visit often this site is a treasure chest of information and moral support!

cheers-K

[kyle3]

i see CL has been at hand while i was typing lol

[kyle3]

oh and if you go with sand- be sure to rinse it really well!

[angelicodin]

Like 10+ times just to be sure? oh and how long dose it take to clear up?

And the information here is amazing, witch is why i donated before I even posted. And seems everyone, even to new people like me, have great support. Love this place.

[CL]

It depends on what kind of sand you get. It's completely optional, but i think it would add to the "zen garden" feel you are going for..

[kyle3]

haven't used it myself but if you do a search you'll come up with lots of advice on how to go about it

cheers-K

[angelicodin]

I have noticed that there are a lot of people who say they buy plants online and get them shipped. Where are some good places to get plants for a good price? I only ask because there are a lot of places around here who only do salt water and the other places are out of stock of almost everything I want.

[angelicodin]

also, when I get the DIY co2 thing going, should I use a bubble ladder or just have it run out a ceramic stone?

[angelicodin]

Originally Posted by CL

Unless your fish have problems, I doubt that you will need the stress coat and stress zyme.

What would you recommend for water conditioner?

Originally Posted by CL

I would also suggest having the entire bottom of your aquarium supported.

Yeup, I'm building a Custom stand for the whole thing ;p