# Jeff Senske - DVAGA presentation



## jerseyjay (Jan 25, 2004)

Another great event with live presentation.

Thanks to Erin for hosting this presentation, thanks to DVAGA for organizing this get-together and last but not least thanks to Jeff Senske ADG for his excellent presentation. Step by step explanation, product knowledge, aquascape knowledge combined with amazing ADA products = successful final layout.

Jeff and Mike Senske (ADG) are doing a lot for this hobby (*from personal experience). Show support by visiting their website and ADA store.

http://www.aquariumdesigngroup.com/

Here are few pictures, Enjoy !

1) ADA fertilizers 









2) Wood









3) Jeff preparing for presentation









4) Aquasoil and Powersand 









5) Erin's 120G setup









6) Jeff preparing first layer - ADA sand (* notice divider !)









7) Powersand on the back ONLY ! - very think layer !









8) Powersand covered with Aquasoil (* notice thickness of Aquasoil !)









9) Sand / Powersand / Aquasoil layers are done - divider removal









10) Dry aquascape done !









11) Jason is holding "Salad Bar"









12) Jeff planting anubias 









13) Jeff attaching small rocks to anubias 









14) Some of the plants used in this aquascape









15) Top view









16) Audience









17) Those that left until the end - group photo 









18 ) Final aquascape !


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## John P. (Nov 24, 2004)

Wow, Erin, that's some setup you have! Looks like you all had a blast. Very nice writeup, too!

I look forward to seeing this scape's development.


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## Emc2 (Oct 29, 2005)

Thank you John. We did have a blast and learned a lot in the process. I'm really looking forward to watching the tank progress and seeing how the ADA products work. Particularly the Iron Bottom and the Multi Bottom root fertilizers Jay featured in the first photos. 

Very nice photos Jay.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Great photo report, Jay!

--Nikolay


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## zig (Jul 3, 2005)

I love little journals like this, very nice photos guys and great result, how long would a workshop presentation like this normally last out of interest? I would imagine a few hours, I think i would be there until the end as well, but no such events around here im afraid, you guys should consider yourselves lucky that you have access to such great events.

Very nice post Jay and a great result for Erin!


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## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

Zig,

The whole thing was about 6 hours for the demo, with about 3 hours prep and clean up time. It was a blast to take part in every second of it. There were so many high points. 
-Watching jeff work was a pleasure. You can tell he owns his skill like any master. Even the way he preens plants shows that. 
-Also, seeing the ADA line was truly amazing. I know there is a bunch of uproar on pricing and all that, but i can tell you this; That stuff is worth every penny. Seeing the product up and close, the quality is absolutely obvious!! I will never buy another substrate.
-Then there was meeting the whole crew. You read these guys every day and then meet them in person, it is truly a pleasure.

jB


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## Happy Camper (Jul 22, 2004)

Moss thread!!!...Now thats just being ridiculous


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## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

Happy Camper said:


> Moss thread!!!...Now thats just being ridiculous


I think we all feel the same way as you when we first read about ADA products. However, slowly each of us come to an understanding of not only the quality of the ADA products, but more importantly is the whole point of ADA products.

ADA is designed for us...... Our corner in the aquarium hobby has long been over looked, and to a lot of degree, it still is. We have unique needs that have solutions that apply only to our hobby.

Many of these solutions can be solved in convention approaches. Jeff Senske did a great job of explaining many of the things he has tried over the years. Remember, Jeff is a hobbiest just like us.......and he was way before he ever got his hands on an ADA product.

He said, as many have said, "you can tie this moss with regular thread, or you can tie this anubias down with normal landscaping tie". But the point is that amano has devoted his life to our hobby. The moss thread is colored perfectly for moss. The wood tie is colored perfectly for wood. That is the point; to take our hobby to the next level, he created products that are specifically for us and our needs.

You have to understand that what you are buying is a solution made specifically for us. You are buying a product that has no short comings....

"Well this substrate looks good, but effects the water or plants adversly. This diffusor works really well, but it will break if i bump it too many times during weekly cleaning. This lighting is brite, but i dont love the color." You will never say these things with ADA. The ADA products are designed by somebody who understands what we go through. There are no shortcomings in these products.

When anyone gets their hands on an ADA product and then one wraps their head around the reasoning behind ADA, you immediately understand.

After all, we are a skeptical bunch of hobbiests, and we dont quite have the spiritual approach that the japanese do. Because of this, we will be skeptical on price and functionality. But I can tell you as can every single person who has touched an ADA product, the quality and craftsmanship is really unmatched, and the price that you think is high really just ensures that more quality products will come out to solve that problems that are unique to our hobby. Amano lives this hobby. His life is surrounded by balance and nature.

Cheers

jB


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## brad (Jul 10, 2005)

Nice layout. Erin, I don't think you'll have any problem maintaining that. My problem would be that I'd ruin the aquascape during maintenance.lol

So we know Jason's the one holding the plants, and obviously who Jeff is, but let's put some names to the rest of the faces in the pics.


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## Emc2 (Oct 29, 2005)

Thank you Brad. It should be very easy to maintain. 

I'm not sure everyone wants to be unmasked Brad so I'll leave that up to others. 

I will tell you that I look nothing like my avatar.


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## jsenske (Mar 15, 2004)

I am so glad everyone enjoyed the presentation and layout. I had a really great time and thoroughly enjoyed meeting everyone and visting the Philadelphia area.

Thanks for the great pics, Jay-- you are always the professional.


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## zig (Jul 3, 2005)

Jason Baliban said:


> Zig,
> 
> The whole thing was about 6 hours for the demo, with about 3 hours prep and clean up time. It was a blast to take part in every second of it. There were so many high points.
> -Watching jeff work was a pleasure. You can tell he owns his skill like any master. Even the way he preens plants shows that.
> ...


mmmm.....6 hours.....id still say i would stay till the end, cant get enough of a good thing, right! Thanks for the reply Jason

btw i was sceptical of ADA products in the beginning, but now i cant wait to get my hands on some ADA soil in the not to distant future as a retailer may be stocking ADA goods over here quite soon, i think people are definatly coming around to the idea that some ADA products are setting the industry standard, the soils are the perfect example.


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## brad (Jul 10, 2005)

lol. That's funny Erin 'cause I was going to write that if that's you in your avatar, I shoulda flown down this weekend!

I'll narrow it down  You know who I'm looking for an i.d. on anyway.


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## JLudwig (Feb 16, 2004)

Heya gang... First I would like to thank everyone involved, it was a blast and I know how much work these things take.

Secondly, Re: ADA products, this was my first time seeing a lot of these in person, specifically the tools. I always thought the price-quality balance was there in the substrates and tanks, but after seeing some of those stainless tools in person I would sleep alot better if I bought them now.  As hobbyists we want nicer and nicer things (starfire glass tanks with no rim, glass intake-outlet tubes, etc) but we're hard-wired to want them at Walmart prices. Small production runs of custom niche products cost lots of money  That 90cm ADA tank looks nicer and nicer every day... 

Jeff


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## sarahbobarah (Sep 5, 2005)

Wow! Final result is.... breathtaking. 







And Jeff is cute too....


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## freshreef (May 14, 2004)

could u explain what is this?


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## freshreef (May 14, 2004)

i mean all the white one's


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## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

mor b - The orginal intent for that tank was to be a reef tank, thus all the circulation pipes. Reef tanks require serious turn-over per hour.

sarahBB - You sure know how to make the rest of us plant dudes feel small

jB


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## Emc2 (Oct 29, 2005)

Mor B,

as Jason said, the "white" stuff is flexible pvc piping,ball valves and unions. Jason's wrong though. When I started planning an in-wall tank two years ago the plan was for a reef tank. That plan changed about ayear ago but I decided to keep a lot of the applications used in a reef tank. Especially after seeing Ghazanfar Ghori's tank at a GWAPA meeting. 

The pvc pipes are used in conjunction with a pressure rated pump (Iwasaki 30 RLT) for an application called a "closed loop." The pump is actually much smaller than what would be used for the typical reef tank. Between the eheim and the Iwaki the tank turns over about 5 times per hour. 

Erin


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