# 1st Iwagumi attempt, please help critique



## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

Hey all,
I would like to share my 'draft' hardscape - inputs/comments are welcomed.
This is my first attempt at Iwagumi - Plant list would be very conventional with HC is the front, glosso in between the rocks and DHG at the back close to the glass.

Thanks in advance for your inputs.

FTS









Right Side









Left and Mid









-Riverboa


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

nice so far, I'll be watching. 
DHG=dwarf hair grass?
iz dat a Tek Light?
tank size?


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

Vancat, 
You are correct on both counts, dwarf hair grass and Tek 4x54w light. 
The tank is ADA 120P (120cmx45cmx45cm)


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## dollface (Mar 17, 2009)

I like your main stone on the right. It seems a little uneven with only the single rock on the left though. I would consider moving a smaller stone or two over to the left. It has great potential though, it should look really nice with glosso.


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

Dollface, thanks for the input. I agree w/ your assessment on the left side, I am re-doing the scape to put the rocks closer together forming a tighter cluster surrounding the main stone (instead of having left and right side).

I find this (the arranging, re-arranging) part to be one of funnest parts of aquascaping, so I would be taking my time enjoying it before planting.


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

what do you have for substrate there?
yes, I agree, tightening it up a little might be good.


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

Substrate is ADA Amazonia (3.5x 9L bags) plus PowerSand Special S (2 x 3L bags). The powersands are put inside mesh laundy bag mainly underneath the mount for the main stone.


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## zeldar (Aug 12, 2009)

very nice setup. what kind of rocks are those? and where did you get them. they have some great texture.


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

Thanks Zeldar, I don't have an ID on the rocks, they are located collected here in CT during my hiking trips. I've been fortunate to have collected enough 'similar' rocks for this scape.


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## dollface (Mar 17, 2009)

Those are a great find if they're locally collected.

I quite like the left and right side arrangement, I think your tank is large enough to pull off the two focalpoints. I hope you post some more pictures after moving the rocks around though.


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

Here is an updated arrangement. Not completely satisfied yet, but I am going let it stay overnight and see what I think tomorrow.

What do you guys think?









*-Riverboa*


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

Hey RiverBoa,
I'm in CT too! (Bolton/vernon area)
I see you are down by the shoreline?
penny


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

oh hey Penny! It's nice to meet another fellow CT APC'er. 
Yes, I am in Norwalk. I used to work up at Middletown, closer by where you are. 
*-Riverboa*


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

RB
I'm going to pm you.


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

Update, I was able to get the plants and the rest of equipments set up. Here is how the tank looks like now










*-Riverboa*


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

Riverboa said:


> Substrate is ADA Amazonia (3.5x 9L bags) plus PowerSand Special S (2 x 3L bags). The powersands are put inside mesh laundy bag mainly underneath the mount for the main stone.


Just to let you know the function for power sand other than rich on the fert. there main purpose is to prevent your bottom gets too compact over the years. It is to prolong the life for the bottom for water circulation, so next time you should spread it evently in the tank.


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

Riverboa said:


> Here is an updated arrangement. Not completely satisfied yet, but I am going let it stay overnight and see what I think tomorrow.
> 
> What do you guys think?
> 
> ...


Your rocks are too uniform in a straight line. Even as straight as it is you can simply put one forward and the next one pointing back ward from the left to the right as a start.


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

hi Armbiggiet, thanks for the feedback. 
Re: Powersand, I understand the 'proper' way of distributing across the tank, this is how I did it w/ my other tank. In the long run, Malaysian Trumpet Snails tends to dig and bring ugly white Powersand up. I am trying to avoid this in this tank, so I put them in a mesh bag and spread the bag across the mid portion under the big rocks. 
I fear that putting in a mesh bag already negate the benefit of 'compact prevention', so I am really looking for the ferts benefit only. Does this make sense?

Re: the scape, I have more a couple of rocks around since then see the planted scape. I am not satisfied w/ the placement of the second rock, I am waiting for the weekend to tinker w/ the arrangement. I'll take your suggestion into consideration.

Thanks,

*-Riverboa*


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## hedson_25 (Sep 20, 2005)

i'm not sure of it, the hardest is iwagumi so you could spend hours and hours trying...


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

RB- the spacing in between the rocks is too even, I think.
penny


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## travis (Oct 5, 2004)

I like the rock placement (and the rocks - nice find!). I think it will lose its uniform look once the tank is planted. Good work


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

Travis, Thanks for the encouraging words.

Week 1 Update: 
Everything seems to be filling in okay, hopefully it would continue to stay out of trouble.

FTS









HC spreading


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## nguyendetecting (Dec 26, 2008)

nice your hc looks like it's doing good. tank setup is real clean I like it


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

A small update: HC is filling in nicely and more excitingly my tank has cycled! Cardinals (59) are added in batches over a period of a week, along w/ Oto cats (10), Amano Shrimps (12), and Glass Catfish (6). I consider this tank fully stocked.

Tank on 9/26









Tank on 10/11 









*-Riverboa*


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## JapanBlue (Mar 12, 2009)

Great work!

I really like it, but I would throw the glosso out!


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## fishaquatics (Aug 2, 2009)

Looks amazing!!!!


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## jocky (Jun 24, 2008)

Neaaaaattttt!!!!!!


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

Thanks guys.

I would give the glosso a couple of weeks to see how it looks. It has just started to spread, I don't mind the height and like the contrast in leaf size from HC.

*-Riverboa*


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

Another small update, taken when the HCs are pearling.

Tank as of *10/27*


















*-Riverboa*


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## travis (Oct 5, 2004)

Hard to believe this is your first iwagumi design. Very nice, classic iwagumi. Beautiful.


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

Update: After a major trim



















Scared Cardinals and Lampeyes









*-Riverboa*


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## ofridagan (May 23, 2006)

What happen to all the beautiful HC? and gloss... I liked it.

Very nice tank though :thumbsup:


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

Thanks. 
It was getting too hard (near impossible) to keep the Hairgrass away from HC and Glosso. After awhile I gave up and took the HC and Glosso out.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

Very nice layout you have going. And the plants appear to be growing well.

Nice light!


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

Lol Newt~! Thanks.


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## shark1505 (Jan 24, 2010)

Man nice tank. I love it. PS: you have some serious money!!!!!  Love the cardinals, they add a nice touch.


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## kingken (Apr 18, 2010)

Looks really nice, I love the rocks.


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

Thanks Shark and KingKen.


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

As posted earlier, this tank placed #402, modes placement for sure, but I am happy =)

This is the picture that I submitted (point and shoot camera), not a great shot, I need to work on getting better picture of the tank..









This is how the tank looks like now (phone camera), the hardscape has changed a bit.


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

*Iwagumi no more. Updated look w/ random placement of Manzies*

I had to soak the woods Tom sent me in two batches. After the first batch is waterlogged, I had no where to keep them, so I 'dump' them into the 120P iwagumi that I am planning to rescape.... now I am thinking I could almost keep it as is =) Not bad. huh?

FTS









Right









Left









with no DW (months ago)


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## kriskristofferzen (Nov 11, 2010)

Wow, that is nice some driftwood, your HC carpet was really nice and it was also great to see your grass fill in so nicely. Really nice setup. I will be posting some pics of my 20 gallon setup soon, it is HC which i grew in aquasoil for about 2.5 months in a 20 gallon long iwagumi style. Nice work!


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## Stimz (Aug 18, 2009)

Riverboa said:


> Thanks Stimz,
> Yes, they riccia weaved themselves into the Hairgrass, quite annoying actually if you are trying to grow hairgrass and not riccia.
> 
> What you see in the pic is the left side of the a 120P. Here is the journal of the tank http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...t-iwagumi-attempt-please-help-critique-4.html
> ...


Drat, not quite a 60P then! Still the wood is amazing, as is the trident (been trying to get my hands on some actually) your choice of plants is almost identical to mine, only your tank looks about 100x better. I currently have no rocks or wood(mostly due to my indecisiveness) in mine with a thick carpet of hairgrass 'belem' and a TON of downoi that just keeps growing. The downoi doesn't look that great with the hairgrass as it's only a slightly lighter shade of green than the grass but it's one of my favorite aquatic plants by far, any suggestions on how to bring those out more? some type of stone? Something like java just looks so much better.

I definitely wanna get some of that wood you have to attach some mini pellia or fissidens to. I've been experimenting with lava rock but its very difficult to make it match in a freshwater aquarium, much better suited for salt water. What kind of stone do you have in yours?

(replying from your riccia thread so as not to hijack it any further)


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

I still think the light fixture makes it all work :wink:


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## oscarjamayaa (Dec 12, 2009)

It looked very nice qith the HC, but the Eleocharis is much stronger in it growing ... ahev oyu think anout Utricularia graminifolia===??

Nice work


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## Riverboa (Jun 26, 2007)

Stimz: Stones were locally collected, not sure what they are.

Newt: No doubt pal! it's all in the light, but I'll have to give the CO2 some credit as well = ) 

Oscar: Tried UG in my other tank, don't like the color. Too pale.


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