Back at it: UNS 90P

swilliam · Jan 12, 2025

Hey everyone,

It’s been a while since I’ve been in the hobby, but I’m diving back in with a new tank—a UNS 90P with matching natural wood grain stand. I’m in Phoenix, AZ, and I’m taking things slow to make sure I get the right equipment and setup for this tank.

I used to have a small nano tank a few years ago (I’ll throw a pic of it below if I can find one), and now I’m excited to try something bigger and more involved. This time, I’m aiming for a nature-style aquascape. The plan is to use Seiryu Stone, sand up front, aquasoil, and a few small river stones to give it a more natural and realistic feel. I might even throw in some driftwood if it works with the layout. I want the tank to have that clean, natural vibe while keeping the back wall visible for a sense of space.

I’ll be using the dry start method (DSM) to get the carpet plants (HC Cuba and others) going, and I’ll be documenting my progress here.

Equipment So Far:

• Tank and Stand: UNS 90P with matching natural wood grain stand.
• Controsoil Black (Normal) – 30L total
• Fine Bora Controsand – 8L (probably too much, might use less)
• Small river stones
• 75lb of Seiryu Stone (large pieces and extras for structure)
• Chihiros WRGB II Pro

I’ll keep adding to the list as I finalize more pieces. Feel free to follow along, and I’d love to hear any tips or feedback!

Thanks for checking this out—excited to get started!

swilliam · Jan 12, 2025

Here’s a photo of my first attempt, back in 2018. This was a 5G nano that I kept on the kitchen counter.

Went fine enough, but the small size and a few moves lead me to break it down. I had a handful of neocaridina at its best.

swilliam · Jan 19, 2025

Hey everyone,

The hardscape is officially done. I’m happy with how it turned out! This was a bit of a process, but I think it’s shaping up to be something special for me.

First things first, I had to level the stand. Turns out the UNS stand isn’t adjustable, not sure why I thought it was, and I noticed a slight slant where I set it up (the house was built in 1950 so I expected this tbh).

Some shims solved the issue, and now everything is level.

For the hardscape, I tried to find some larger stones as the main focus points. It was difficult with my options here in the valley. I had some smaller rocks, so I used them to take up space in the substrate.

The substrate includes:

• Fine sand in the front to keep things clean and simple
• Controsoil Black (Normal) sloping up toward the back for depth
• Small river pebbles where the sand and soil meet to avoid hard lines and keep it looking more natural

Here’s a few shots of the process.

Oh, and my Chihiros WRGB II Pro light arrived too—it’s unbelievably bright and really brings out the details in the hardscape. I’m still experimenting with the settings since this light gives tons of control, but I’ve got a good starting point with some balanced red, green, and blue levels. Once I plant, I’ll refine it further to optimize for growth and aesthetics.

Not sure how I feel about the app. It could use some UX improvements.

Next up is planting! I’ve ordered 5 pots of HC Cuba (my priority carpeting plant) and plan to start with the dry start method once they arrive. I’ll likely source tissue culture plants locally here in Phoenix for the rest.

Suggestions or feedback are always welcome.

Thanks for following along

zloveshrimp · Jan 20, 2025

swilliam said:
Hey everyone,

The hardscape is officially done. I’m happy with how it turned out! This was a bit of a process, but I think it’s shaping up to be something special for me.

View attachment 1068080

First things first, I had to level the stand. Turns out the UNS stand isn’t adjustable, not sure why I thought it was, and I noticed a slight slant where I set it up (the house was built in 1950 so I expected this tbh).

View attachment 1068083

View attachment 1068081

Some shims solved the issue, and now everything is level.

View attachment 1068084

For the hardscape, I tried to find some larger stones as the main focus points. It was difficult with my options here in the valley. I had some smaller rocks, so I used them to take up space in the substrate.

View attachment 1068087

The substrate includes:

• Fine sand in the front to keep things clean and simple
• Controsoil Black (Normal) sloping up toward the back for depth
• Small river pebbles where the sand and soil meet to avoid hard lines and keep it looking more natural

Here’s a few shots of the process.

View attachment 1068100

View attachment 1068101

View attachment 1068102

View attachment 1068103

Oh, and my Chihiros WRGB II Pro light arrived too—it’s unbelievably bright and really brings out the details in the hardscape. I’m still experimenting with the settings since this light gives tons of control, but I’ve got a good starting point with some balanced red, green, and blue levels. Once I plant, I’ll refine it further to optimize for growth and aesthetics.

Not sure how I feel about the app. It could use some UX improvements.

View attachment 1068104

Next up is planting! I’ve ordered 5 pots of HC Cuba (my priority carpeting plant) and plan to start with the dry start method once they arrive. I’ll likely source tissue culture plants locally here in Phoenix for the rest.

Suggestions or feedback are always welcome.

Thanks for following along

Do you have anything separating the soil and sand? I have the same layout but with lighter sand and I'm always removing aquasoil from the sand. Maybe close the gaps with something like a cutout from a thin plastic cup pushed down into the substrate or glue smaller rocks into the cracks. Just my 2 bits

Jekk · Jan 20, 2025

Looks amazing!

Back at it: UNS 90P

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