[harrow]

Iv been really interested in iwagumi tanks lately and have been saving up money to create one.
my budget is pretty low and want to stick around 100-200 range if possible
basically as cheap as possible.
I am still not sure what exactly you need
im guessing
-tank (hopefully rimless)
-filter ( does it have to be a canister)
-probably a diy co2 since i have one in my 10 gallon tank
-aquarium soil
-lighting

Im not sure whats a good setup and it would be awesome if someone could give me a build for a iwagumi tank.

Thanks Andrew

 

[razalas5]

I can't give advice on aquascapping since I pretty much put plants anywhere they fit, but you may also need some ferts depending on your lighting. The filter doesn't have to be canister. The aquaclear line is a HOB filter and works quite well.

 

[Aphyosemion]

I just ordered a Mr. Aqua tank off of marinedepot.com that might interest you. They are about $50 and you can grab a bag of Eco Complete at the same time for about another $20.
The lighting isn't cheap though. That is where a lot of the financial pain comes from for me. You could be looking at about another $70 for the light fixture.
I suggest a tank, Eco Complete gravel, a small nano sized filter, a hang on back light fixture, and that will take a lot of your budget. You can do DIY CO2 which will work fine for a tank that small. Since you are trying to keep your cost down, I suggest going to a local stream or lake and gathering some driftwood and rocks for decorations. Purchasing them can be outrageously expensive when you consider they are just wood and rocks.
After that you are on your way. Stock heavily with plants and lightly with fish and then it's all about fiddling with the aquascape.
Oh, lastly get yourself some trace ferts. You can order them in powder form for the best price. I personally only add trace to my nanos and I never have problems with algae, but don't only take my advice. The official fert routine includes nitrate, potassium, trace, and phosphorous. They are all very cheap in powder form and with a nano they will last forever. Do some research on how to dose before getting into ferts because you can quickly kill off your tank or suffer algae explosions if your dosing gets out of whack.
Good luck!

 

[harrow]

I was thinking of getting a really cheap tank and taking off the black rims. Im still sceptical about this as im scared of the tank not being able to hold itself together.
heres a craiglist ad i was thinking of getting
http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/for/2525527105.html

so right now my list to buy is

aquarium
maybe a hang on back filter or canister
eco complete (do i need another substrate to go on top or is this soil and substrate together)
light fixture (may revamp the one that is in the craiglist post)
fert supplements (im looking to keep a very easy going iwagumi with easy plants)
plants (what plants to get?)

I was also wonder why people cover there tanks at the beginning with seram rap

Thanks guys!

 

[razalas5]

Using eco complete alone or putting soil/mts under it is up to you. I have a tank with eco and soil and one with just eco, both do fine.
I believe most people who use saran wrap are doing the dry-start method for some carpeting plants. Pretty sure the saran wrap helps keep humidity in check, but I'm not sure if it has other uses.