Journal of a Mad Scientist: ADA 120-P (56K warning!)

[kzr750r1]

About the mat I get ya.

I'm nervous about side exposed hoses with my toddler. To top it off your using the glass units so any little tinkering could cause issues...I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you here. The worse mine could do right now is flip a shut off valve on the quick disconnects. Since she is distracted by so much else in the front she hasn't "discovered" what they do yet.
The things our kids teach us about curiosity...

The wood looks great. Plus the floating unit looks to be sunk, eh?

Nice stack of ADA boxes. I just have one at the moment.

[eklikewhoa]

Is it me or is the tank placed too far to the right on the stand?

[SuRje1976]

kzr750r1 - I'm hoping my daughter is distracted the same way. I'd really not like to get THAT phone call while I'm at work! Please KEEP your fingers crossed for me!

The floating piece has sunk, but it's "bottom" is still a bit more buoyant than the "top," so it won't sit correctly - yet.

The ADA boxes have 5x 9L AS Amazonia, 1x 6L PS Special M, and 2x 15kG Bright Sand in them - come to think of it, it may not have been a good idea to level the tank with them sitting right there

[SuRje1976]

Originally Posted by eklikewhoa

Is it me or is the tank placed too far to the right on the stand?

Good eye - it is actually about 3/4 inches off to the right, still sitting on the MDF, and of course this will be corrected before the substrate goes in.

[kzr750r1]

Originally Posted by eklikewhoa

Is it me or is the tank placed too far to the right on the stand?

I noticed the same but figured the amount of detail going into this was an optical illusion due to camera angle.

Toes are now crossed too. Your a brave man.

It sounds like in a coupe of days that wood will sit where ever you want. It's going to leach tannins for a while though. You have allot of wood in there compared to the volume of water...

[kzr750r1]

Originally Posted by SuRje1976

The ADA boxes have 5x 9L AS Amazonia, 1x 6L PS Special M, and 2x 15kG Bright Sand in them - come to think of it, it may not have been a good idea to level the tank with them sitting right there

Excellent point. Are you on a slab or have crawl space? Don't remember if we covered this in the beginning.

[SuRje1976]

kzr750r1 - the tank is on the second floor, across the floor joists.

[crisps]

I had a very large piece of Malaysian Driftwood in a 20G. This leached like anything. The only thing I found to clear it up is Purigen. You might want to try that if normal AC doesn't work.

Not sure how it will affect ferts etc.

[SuRje1976]

Crisps - good to know! I actually have both onhand - thanks

[SuRje1976]

The substrate and hardscape were set up at the NJAGC Meeting on Saturday, February 17th. It was pretty much a complete ADA system, using PowerSand Special-M, Tourmaline BC, AquaSoil Amazonia, and BrightSand. Thanks so much Mike (Momotaro) & Jay Luto for your help with this!

Poster board (to separate the sand from the rest of the substrate) was cut into strips and propped into position using rocks. First, in went a thin layer of the PowerSand Special M, only into the sections that will also receive the AquaSoil, but away from the side glass:



Tourmaline BC was "dusted" over the PowerSand (only because I forgot to add it first). The BrightSand was added next. We had to do this slowly, manipulating the rocks as we went along so the posterboard (which we decided was too thin) would behave the way we wanted it to:




The AquaSoil was then added slowly, sloping up slightly toward the back corners of the tank:




Once we got the sand and soil as close to even as we could, be carefully removed the posterboard:



Details of hardscape to follow!


Photos by Joe Hoetzl

[Finch_man]

Thats some nice stones you got their!!

[SuRje1976]

Thanks Finch - got them from AquaForest. They're Shou Stone.

[kzr750r1]

Originally Posted by SuRje1976

Thanks Finch - got them from AquaForest. They're Shou Stone.

I find it interesting you guys on the east coast are buying from Aquaforest. I could see HW but rocks too. Makes me feel a bit lucky the brothers are out here...I just have to burn some fossil fuel to get to the store.

Nice start on the substrate.

[mnsnowdaboy]

Dam that's it!!! Oh man you guys gotta work faster, everyone is just waiting to see the results..ha ha. I tried that layout once and I messed up pretty bad.

[Nightshop]

Originally Posted by kzr750r1

I find it interesting you guys on the east coast are buying from Aquaforest. I could see HW but rocks too. Makes me feel a bit lucky the brothers are out here...I just have to burn some fossil fuel to get to the store.

Nice start on the substrate.

Heh, same here. Some people are willing to go all sorts of lengths to get what they want.