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Joint 10gallon/5gallon hex - Ponyo & Agata

2K views 4 replies 2 participants last post by  Dollface 
#1 · (Edited)
Well, since I finally have these tanks home, and together in their final configuration, I might aswell post their journal.

This isnt going to be one of those updated every day journals, but hopefully having this up will make me not procrastinate on everything.

First off, the introduction.



This is 'Ponyo' and Agata, or it would technically be Agata and 'Ponyo', if you're reading the picture left to right.

Ponyo and Agata came about one day when I was staring at the tanks together.
"I wish I could have that hex topless." I thought to my self, "But what would I do for light?".
"Well, you do have that 30" 65w laying around, would it fit over both tanks?" self responded.
Yes, yes it would.
So, the Joint tanks were born.

Second, the tanks.

A Tree on a Hill By the Sea, or;
'Ponyo'.

And my trusty aquascaping tool up on the top corner.

The name is a nod to Gake no ue no Ponyo, Hayao Miyazaki's most recent movie, about a goldfish that wants to be human. I thought it was cute, and fitting. Or it will be, when it's not still just a pile of dirt with a stick in it. Really, trust me on this.

For Ponyo, I wanted a light, open, calm, and airy feel. Somthing like the song Two People Gazing at Each Other from the Okami OST conveys.

Ponyo is a 10 gallon AGA, with the top rim removed by me.
the substrate is currently is a damp mix of aquasoil Amazonia and Amazonia powder. It's waiting on some fine white sand for the 'river' and then a final top coat of Amazonia powder.

In the meantime, well, yeah, it's kinna ugly.

Agata


The name comes from Agata forest, from Okami.
Sadly i dont have much to say about Agata 'cause, well, look at it, There isnt much there, for now.

Agata's theme song is Taking the bait, again from the Okami OST.
While Agata forest is the inspiration for the name, the music was much to depressing.
For Agata I wanted a soft, magical, frozen in time effect. The imagery I wanted to convey was patches of light shining down to the forest floor, illuminating the small dust particals floating by.

Agata is going to be my 'dark' tank, with dark greens and reds, and hopefully some surface floaters.

This is the angle I usually see them from.

From my computer chair. D:

Third, the plan.

AS YOU CAN SEE, I dont have much there for right now, but I've got somthing, and a plan.

The plan is one thing off the list at a time, first thing oh that list?
Ponyo's tree.

The trunk is a perfect piece of driftwood from AFA, and these are the branches.

Mmmn, stick soup, my favorite. :|
Manzanita twigs that i've been soaking and boiling and rubbing the bark off for the past month.
Fun fact; boiled manzanita twigs smell like artichokes.

I'm nearly done, all that's left is the assembly. I'm figuring on drilling small holes into the top of the driftwood trunk, filling the hole with hot glue, and then shoving the ends of the branches is. All i need is the drill, and to find my glue gun.

After that? a list.

1. Fine white sand (wich is stupidly expensive, augh)
2. A new bulb for the light, since it's still the default 50/50 actinic
3. filters (also stupidly expensive)

By that point i could fill these guys up and start contemplating plants, but that's a way off, sadly.
And now, I have to go prep for a dentist appointment, joy.
 
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#3 ·
Thanks!
Alot of people seem to have 5g hex's but you never see them around.
And the veiw isnt much of a problem, I can always get out of the chair to look at them.

Remember what I said about the not updated everyday? I lied, kinna.

But there is some minor newsworthy things, I think.

first, Agata has a mat, and some more dirt.


The mat is made out of those funfoam sheets glued together with a layer of felt ontop. It acctually needs a fourth layer of foam to get the top of the tanks perfectly even.

And now, a kitty.



Finally done with boiling, so i let the twigs dry out overnight. Mostly to make sure if there was any visible bark left on, but also to figure out wich branches went where.
Next step is assembly, but i dont have a drill here, so untill i can bring a dremmel down, i'll be letting them soak somewhere some more.
 
#5 ·
The trunk thing is from AFA, I picked the little manzanita sticks myself. my other house up in norcal is on a couple acres that is just packed with manzanita
None of this ordering online stuff for me.
 
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