# Dorm Room ADA Mini S



## windfish

With move-in day just a week from now, I thought I would go ahead and start the journal for my new planted tank. Here are the details:

Tank: ADA Mini S
Lighting: Solar Mini M (27w)
Filtration: Eheim Ecco 2232
CO2: ADA CO2 Advanced System

I decided to get a new Mini S rather than bring my old Mini M in order to maximize space on my desk. However, I'm still going to be using the Solar Mini with the M size base because I'd rather use most of what I've already got at home. I may remove the old base and DIY my own that fits the S a little better.

Here's everything ready to go, in the old tank. The new one should be here tomorrow.


----------



## jackh

looks cool and i like the wood. what are you plans for plants and animals?


----------



## windfish

jackh said:


> looks cool and i like the wood. what are you plans for plants and animals?


Thanks. For plants, I think I'm going to do moss, riccia, nana petite, and needle leaf java fern. For inhabitants, probably just amanos.

I picture something like this:
http://www.adana-th.com/limagegal/image/nano8.jpg


----------



## TNguyen

Nice! I just finally got everything I needed for a Mini S and been itching to set it up. Good luck.


----------



## jackh

o thats really cool. keep us updated


----------



## thief

That tank in the gallery is awesome. I can't wait to see what yours will look like.


----------



## windfish

thief said:


> That tank in the gallery is awesome. I can't wait to see what yours will look like.


Thanks. Its really just an inspiration though. I like the variety of textures and the way the wood breaches the surface.


----------



## thief

I like how the tanks moss is like a waterfall and the wood is portraying out of the water fall at it's edge!


----------



## windfish

Update:

The tank is all set up on my desk. I'm waiting for a new 27w bulb, a bag of Amazonia, and some bright sand. Everything should come together this weekend, except plants, which I will be ordering next week. I have decided on the following for this layout:

Rotala sp Green
Anubias "petite"
Moss (not sure what sp yet. can anyone tell me what moss is used here? I like the light green color)
Riccia sp Japan or Dwarf

I'm planning on a "corner" style layout with a sand foreground. The sand and soil will be bordered by stones tied with Riccia and Anubias and moss will grow attached on the wood. The Rotala will be planted in the soil "corner"

Here's a crappy phone picture of the wood placement, without sand and Aquasoil:


----------



## Steven_Chong

As a matter of experience (as a fellow college kid) I'd suggest you don't set it up there. If you can, try to set it up somewhere in front of a whilte wall without wodden bars running behind it. You can probably find a better place that lets you easily change the background situation, but also if you put it in a place in front of plain white wall, your overall day-to-day enjoyment will increase. For me, having the enjoyable overall mood of the aquarium is important in terms of how positive I am about it.

edit: also, I find the desk as a difficult place for photo-shoots.


----------



## windfish

Steven_Chong said:


> As a matter of experience (as a fellow college kid) I'd suggest you don't set it up there. If you can, try to set it up somewhere in front of a whilte wall without wodden bars running behind it. You can probably find a better place that lets you easily change the background situation, but also if you put it in a place in front of plain white wall, your overall day-to-day enjoyment will increase. For me, having the enjoyable overall mood of the aquarium is important in terms of how positive I am about it.
> 
> edit: also, I find the desk as a difficult place for photo-shoots.


I will look into moving it. Unfortunately, this is basically the only place for this aquarium. I actually don't think its too bad; it sits on the upper shelf of my desk, not where I work, and I plan on placing a simple white background behind it. Also, the power outlets are located conveniently behind the desk, so I don't have to worry about hiding extension cords from my RA :mmph:.


----------



## Steven_Chong

Is the top shelf of your dex fixated to the desk itself? At my school, they are not and we can move the shelf to wherever we wish. While I have set up aquariums on the shelf (for many of the same reasons), I have found from experience, they have a nasty habit of being bumped into or leaned on by friends, sending your aquarium flying (along with having water spilt all over the computer). Ok, well that has not actually happened to me, but it's good to have a good sense of paranoia.

As a note, I myself am actually setting up a very small aquarium on said shelf. Very small though. 4" cube, < .27 gal


----------



## styderman

I like the mini S, you can put it anywhere. Make sure thats where you want it, I have had the table that my tank is on get hit, and about an inch of water came out of the tank all over the power strip. Here is a pic of my mini s for inspiration. The only problem with the mini S is that you have to clean the glass a lot.


----------



## windfish

styderman said:


> I like the mini S, you can put it anywhere. Make sure thats where you want it, I have had the table that my tank is on get hit, and about an inch of water came out of the tank all over the power strip. Here is a pic of my mini s for inspiration. The only problem with the mini S is that you have to clean the glass a lot.


Great tank, styderman! I can't wait to 'scape mine... my soil and sand will be here tomorrow, and I've ordered most of the plants I'll be using. I will keep your advice in mind.


----------



## windfish

9/5

Hardscape complete. I decided to move the tank over to my metal shelving unit to prevent any problems with water damage to my University-provided desk and my laptop (thanks for the suggestion, Steven.)



















The slate will be covered with Riccia sp Dwarf or Christmas moss, and I plan on tying Christmas moss to the driftwood as well.


----------



## chagovatoloco

looks like you off to a great start. I'll bet you will be the only kid in the dorm with an aquairum.


----------



## Steven_Chong

Looks SEXY dude. Love the new location. Whish I had one of those shelves . . . Good luck!


----------



## mpagri

what do you have in mind to keep the riccia attached to that slate?


----------



## Erirku

styderman said:


> I like the mini S, you can put it anywhere. Make sure thats where you want it, I have had the table that my tank is on get hit, and about an inch of water came out of the tank all over the power strip. Here is a pic of my mini s for inspiration. The only problem with the mini S is that you have to clean the glass a lot.


Hmm... that filter looks mighty familiar! Good looking tank. Can't wait to show off mines.


----------



## windfish

mpagri said:


> what do you have in mind to keep the riccia attached to that slate?


Probably fishing line.


----------



## El Exorcisto

You know the poofy shower sponge thingies from Bath & Body Works, etc? They are actually about 12 feet of netting coiled into a convoluted ball. They're really the cat's ass when it comes to tying down riccia, and light years beyond just fishing line. Eventually the riccia squirts out around the netting, totally hiding it.


----------



## mpagri

on the topic of ricca and loofa..

i just tied up a bunch of slate myself. i have it in an emmersed setup right now, but because the substrate is sloping the ricca is pretty much under water. my question is about how long after tieing do people start to see new growth through the loofa mesh, i feel it is still veryy slowly dieing back at the moment, or at least at a stand still. it has only been 4-5 days so far tho. i have a 65w cfl over a 10g. hope its not too much light. 

to get back on topic a little, the loofa was definitely an easy way to tie it all down. i only fear that maybe i put the riccia on too thick. i even found a green one so the mesh stands out less. once i figd out a system it was very fast work. i was looping the string (nylon) into an open single knot and i'd put that down, then twist the mesh up around the back of the rock and then slip the rock through the single knot, tighten, and then tie another knot. people have also used zip ties with good success apparently.


----------



## El Exorcisto

I wrap the rock in mesh then 4 or 5 wraps of 4lb fishing line to secure the package. I never get die-back... If yours is dying, you may not be doing what it likes. Mine pearls up very quickly in the morning under 4wpg ODNO and pressure CO2, and seems to about double in density inside of a week. I have been retying weekly since I received a very small culture to begin with. This is my first try with the mesh, but I'm already sold. Judging by the growth I was getting, I'd say 10 days, maybe two weeks before the majority of the mesh disappears?


----------



## rountreesj

if you tie the mesh too tight it will kill the riccia...you have to tie the mesh a little loosly...


----------



## styderman

Eriku show your ADA Mini, I like see!!


----------



## chagovatoloco

"cat's ass" ------nice.


----------



## windfish

I decided to take a slightly different approach than I had originally intended. I siphoned out the Aquasoil portion of the layout, and replaced it with the rest of my Bright Sand to prevent dealing with the mixing of substrates.

Here is the tank, post "planting" of Christmas Moss and Anubias var "petite".










And the full set-up, minus equipment.










I have some Riccia sp "Japan" on the way, which I will be tying to slate with mesh and placing along the back of the tank behind the wood.


----------



## windfish

Latest photos:



















I'm really glad I chose the white clouds for this tank. They're a really beautiful, lively fish. The riccia seems to be filling in nicely. I ended up using a laundry bag for the netting...I'd say that's college aquarium resourcefulness at its best!


----------



## robster

I am a saltwater reef nano guy who wants to try a planted tank. I have a few questions. 

1) I don't see a heater on your tank. Are you heating the water? If so, how? If not, why?

2) I never see any mini tanks that have metal halide bulbs on them. I'm surprised nobody makes a small 70W double ended bulb fixture. I'd really like to have a 70W fixture suspended abovem mine. 

3) Why are these tanks so hard to find in the US? Nobody seems to have any of the smaller tanks in stock. 

4) Are the glass pieces fragile? Those look slick with the rimless tank. They aren't cheap. I can't imagine breaking one. 

I plan on watching your thread. The tank really looks good. I love the plants mounted to the driftwood. That is going to look great when it fills in.


----------



## armedbiggiet

That is not metal halide, it is a PC bulb, I think the guy did said 27w. That glass pieces are not fragile, all glass tank in Asia all looks like that now. 

That is some good looking wood you got there Windfish... did you get it from ADA as well?


----------



## thief

Hey WF,

How's your White clouds doing. Mine breed already! I have like 4-5 babies. Only thing is that the Daddy jumped out of the tank and well you know the rest.


----------



## Ravenous

robster said:


> 4) Are the glass pieces fragile? Those look slick with the rimless tank. They aren't cheap. I can't imagine breaking one.


I can't speak for the ADA stuff but I purchased some Cal aqua and generic glassware from ebay and Orlando at Green Leaf Aquariums (Highly recommended) and it seemed sturdy enough. I think you'd have to be a bit on the reckless side to break the glassware.


----------



## gravy9

Awesome tank, simple layout and very clean. Good work.


----------



## CuLan

Simple and beautiful. Can't wait to see more. Great job!


----------



## robster

Any updated pics? Do you run a heater on this?


----------



## windfish

Final Photographs. I have to tear this down in a week or so for Winter break.

Two white clouds have jumped since I added them, both within the last few weeks. I do not run a heater on this tank.

Enjoy.


----------



## Jeff.:P:.

Very clean, Nice!


----------



## Narut0

Hi!I am beginner here) It's nice!
I also want to ADA nano aquarium to start, and already in the process =) Do not tell what the ADA is different from the ADA Power Sand Power Sand S? I do not know what to choose ... And be sure whether the ADA Green Brighty K to buy?


----------



## schg

This tank was awesome, sad it is broken down. But I believe you're on nano-reef now?



Narut0 said:


> Hi!I am beginner here) It's nice!
> I also want to ADA nano aquarium to start, and already in the process =) Do not tell what the ADA is different from the ADA Power Sand Power Sand S? I do not know what to choose ... And be sure whether the ADA Green Brighty K to buy?


The different sizes of power sand are for different size tanks, they are mostly used to create good water circulation under the substrate so bacteria can colonize correctly. I believe they tell you which sizes are used for which size tanks.

Brighty K is a fertilizer used in conjunction with the Brighty series, depending on the maturity of the tank. You'll be dosing Brighty K + Green Brighty step 1 in the beginning, then Brighty K + Green Brighty step 2 after a little while, then move on to Brighty K + Green Brighty step 3 once the tank is fully matured.

If you order an ADA product from ADG shop, be sure to request the free ADA catalogs from them, as they have a LOT of good information on their products and practices.


----------



## ThoHell

nice looking moss!


----------



## Narut0

*schg*, thanks you 
P.S. I'm from Russia, we can't afford ADA cubes-in Russia ADA is so expensive, and some things of ADA we can't buy  But soon I will start my ADA Project, although, it is not ADA


----------



## giocattolo

good job.
I like,it is simple and clean!


----------



## thlim

i like the moss, it looks really cool.


----------



## Narut0

Very good moss aquarium! I have a quaestion: how you've got so much clear water? I didn't see that you had used a Seachem Purigen?
P.S. Do not be afraid of my grammar, I'm only in 8th grade in school, and not fully learned English


----------



## BJRuttenberg

robster said:


> 1) I don't see a heater on your tank. Are you heating the water? If so, how? If not, why?


Many Planted tanks run w/o heaters - they're not always necessary if you have hardy fauna and the ambient temp (you A/C controlled home) is consistent. The plants do not require specific temperatures. Generally, the warmer the water the faster they grow, but fluctuation in temp is perfectly acceptable. Also, many aquascapers use in-line heaters to minimize the ugliness of equipment.



robster said:


> 2) I never see any mini tanks that have metal halide bulbs on them. I'm surprised nobody makes a small 70W double ended bulb fixture. I'd really like to have a 70W fixture suspended abovem mine.


Me too


robster said:


> 3) Why are these tanks so hard to find in the US? Nobody seems to have any of the smaller tanks in stock.


Im assuming you mean the all-glass rimless tanks. It's B/C they're generally not made in the US and they're more expensive than run-of-the-mill tanks. Most come from Countries not the US, though the movement is catching hold in the West. 
Try: 
http://www.adana-usa.com/
OR google - "Mr. Aqua Aquariums"



robster said:


> 4) Are the glass pieces fragile? Those look slick with the rimless tank. They aren't cheap. I can't imagine breaking one.


Like any glass object, they break if you don't treat them right. However, I have found them to be more durable than their rimed counterparts b/c the glass must necessarily be thicker to make up for the lacking rim.



robster said:


> I plan on watching your thread. The tank really looks good. I love the plants mounted to the driftwood. That is going to look great when it fills in.


You should try it. We welcome all to the cult.


----------



## lanceduffy

fishneedit.com makes a 70w MH fixture and bulb


----------



## sierramists1

What a beautiful tank! Just goes to show that less can=more.


----------



## sierramists1

Wow! AMAZING tank for being so small. Just wondering- what camera are you using? The pictures look amazing!


----------

