Jump to content

Squirt's 30L Iwagumi New Photos 17.06.2012


Squirt

Recommended Posts

Hello :wave:

Today I've started to build my aquarium and stand.

Here are pics of the short stand:

Putting it together

67fad1fd.jpg

Undercoat

d2a80404.jpg

First coat

05f93ba4.jpg

Second coat

e0606346.jpg

Just a black stand.

The aquarium

Dimensions: 40cm(L) x 30cm(W) x 25cm(H)

Base

d47e5a7e.jpg

Back

bc2c035d.jpg

Base siliconed in

600339a2.jpg

Side silicone

f3cfeff6.jpg

One side in place

13ca2549.jpg

Two sides in place

afc8d45f.jpg

Front with silicone

da1e137a.jpg

Front side in

66335206.jpg

Full tank shot

fb8a8bef.jpg

I have a few questions

I was told not to remove silicone on the outside. Do you take it off once cured?

And it's probably too late now, but how do you clean up silicone? I mucked up some of the inside and it doesn't look very nice. Im thinking of using a razor blade but any suggestions on how to do it is appreciated.

I will be doing a leak test next weekend. I don't think it was too bad of a job considering I've never done anything like this before.

I will be planting it up maybe with a few ottos. Maybe an iwagumi look.

Any suggestions is appreciated,

But I hope you enjoy.

Matt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 166
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

If I was in your position I would remove all the fillet with a one sided razor blade when properly dry and clean up properly. Replace the fillet with an untouched (fine) nozzle on the glue gun then spread with your finger while wet. You have the right idea but like most people, have used too much glue.

Imagine the glue is worth $500 a tube and get tight with it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you decide to razor out the silicon wait a week if you can bear it - the drier it is the easier it is.

I have bought 2 tanks that had heavy handed silicone jobs and have painstakingly razored out the excess from inside and out and while it takes hours and hours, it's worth it not to look at green algae gunk all down the edges a few months later.

For the best 'shave' though you will need a very flexible sharp razor, I've tried all but keep coming back to the double sided very thin dangerous ones. I've used masking tape on one side so it's safe to hold. If you scrape it on the glass edge it will get blunt so if you need to do that (I did in places to scrape off bits) be prepared to use another one. You can definitely get that kind of razor in a shaving type shop (rare but there might be one in Wellington), or I bought mine on the offchance in the supermarket, they weren't there when I went back. I have never found one of the old fashioned flexible one sided razor blades except in copious amounts on Trademe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi everyone :wave:

Thanks for all the replies. I guess I can hold off for a week to re silicone, if it makes life easier. I'm up in hamilton and will go out to the goldfish bowl tomorrow if I can. Will post some updates when I get home and start the re silicone and leak testing the week after.

Thanks

Matt :bow:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

re silicone? why

Meh decided against it today. Cleaned it up with a razor blade a little and it looks good. I will do a leak test tomorrow.

The Plan:

1. Take it outside :wink:

2. Put dry towel underneath

3. Fill with water

4. Wait :nilly: (how long should I wait for?)

5. Check towels for leaks.

6. Repair leaks (how do you know where the leaks are?)

Would one of these lights work?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/pets-animals/fish/lights-lamps/auction-421803143.htm#qna

It's T5/11W and 2 bulb. Im thinking its not enough 7.5G/11W :x but it looks nice and is relatively cheap.

Thanks

Matt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A few tanks that I like he looks of, I do like the iwagumi look

utricularia-graminifolia.jpg

http://www.aquaportail.com/aquabdd/photos/utricularia-graminifolia.jpg

4-aquarium-oliver-knott.jpg

http://www.oliver-knott.com/uploads/pics/4-aquarium-oliver-knott.jpg

1_Autumn_Sunrise_4.jpg

http://www.aquascapingworld.com/gallery/images/769/medium/1_Autumn_Sunrise_4.jpg

Can any one ID any plants? Umm hairgrass is the only one I know for Iwagumi, and something Called HC I don't have a clue what this is, but everyone talks about it.

And where do you find rocks like that? I looked up the river, but nothing but round ones. And silica sand, in wellington, where do you buy it? I may see if the new LFS can get some in. If anyone in Wellington can help much appreciated.

I may just go low tech on this tank, I have seen people set up nanos with regular desk lamps, is this really possible, and if I'm going low tech on this tank how big of a light should I be looking at.

And any suggestions for a background colour is also appreciated, was pondering black, but then I'm scared it would look too dark.

Any help is appreciated

Thanks in advance

Matt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hemianthus micranthemoides is availabe but very rare. I lost mine over the winter. It will grow emersed but is more of a true aquatic and is the better one submersed.

Hemianthus umbrosum is also available and will grow emersed. It is not a true aquatic and is more suited to emersed growth in a terrarium.

As far as I know Hemianthus callitrichoides is not available in NZ.

They are all susceptable to algae when grown submersed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Alan, N1CK and si sphinx :bow::bow::bow:

Man I hate algae, ruins everything :P

What about a riccia carpet? I've read that you can attach it to a rock with a hairnet or thread to form a nice carpet? And is there any substitute plants for any of those?

Thanks

Matt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmm, I'm going to have to do some thinking, high lights=high Ferts+high CO2. Of course moss doesn't look as good as riccia.

Can you have High light without having to have high Ferts and CO2? This is becoming pretty complicated :(

Thanks Alan

Yes it is very possible.. ill get the article that you need to read to understand how high lighting and low ferts works. Just let me find it.. Ps the WPG rule is flawed to hell!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Liam I want to see that article too, I didn't think it was possible.

----------

Those tanks are cool but they all look like high tech tanks, it would take probably a number of months for a low tech to grow as thick as that unless you planted lots and lots of plants to start with.

My loach tank has about 11 watts of light from a clip on aquarium light that covers the tank from front to back rather than it's length, it's on 6 hours a day with only a short time of sunset light late in the day. The plants are slow growing (except anubias, puts out lots of new leaves) and there are no stem plants (only crypts, twisted val, anubias nana), but there is not a spot of algae. When the room lights are on the lighting looks like a shady nook in the forest compared to the brightness of those photos (looks brighter if the room lights are off).

The CPD tank seems bright with an 8 watt bulb that runs the length of the tank and is also on for about 6 hours. That one has various algae that comes and goes slowly enough for me to catch and kill or remove and the plants grow faster in there than the other one. I had riccia floating in that tank originally and it did very well for a while, grew very fast and then got a light brown slimey algae that incidentally didn't grow in others' tanks when I sold some, but it blocked the light and some of the plants underneath suffered. I tried plastering the riccia to a rock with plastic netting but I wasn't patient enough to wait for it to grow and the netting looked un-pretty. The crypts in there did really well (till I disturbed them :facepalm: ) and the swordplant and twisted val is also taking off now. Have now added some aponogeton undulatus which looks great, really green. Supasi also grew that in his low tech tank that you'll find in the search.

As Jennifer instructed me ( :sage: ), for low tech you have to have little or no ferts, short light period, but probably any light fitting/brightness will do when you control it time-wise. In the beginning you'd have to start out with say 6 hours and see how it went for a couple of months, if no algae you could increase it and so on. To match it you have to get plants that don't need high light requirements, but saying that many will still do alright if you are prepared to wait for growth. I have balansae crypt doing slowly but well that is supposed to like high light. I never tried glosso or many of the stem plants for those reasons.

In short - if you want the lush look with low maintenance and low tech then get lots of plants to start with so you don't have to wait for the growth.

Black background will be fine if you get a light fitting that runs the length of the tank so it's lit from end to end. My loach background is blue like the CPD tank but in the corners it's so dark it's almost navy. You need to come and visit Auckland and see my tanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...