# saintly's LFS iwagumi



## saintly (Mar 22, 2009)

i've decide to start another journla from my display that i've done for my Local fish shop. it's another iwagumi. i'm already about 12 weeks into the display but i'll add images as and when.

the spec

90 x 40 x 55
JBL aquabasis plus and depleted ADA AS
seryiou stone
1 x fluval 405
1 x korolia no.1
pressurised co2
2 x 39w t5

the dry run....




























the plants....


----------



## Bunbuku (Feb 10, 2008)

Could you elaborate on the "HC Oliver Knott way". I assume the HC you get in the UK comes in pots. So you break each pot up into 6-8 clumps and plant with a bit of wool remaining to hold it in place?


----------



## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Great! These are the things that will help this hobby expand!

A real aquascape in a store makes the LFS stand out. In our area at least 2 stores invited ADG to setup a full blown ADA tank for them. But both stores fell into the trap of thinking they can take care of the tanks. Both shops don't even have the tanks any more.

I think that what's even more important than setting up the tank is to make sure that the maintenance is good too. That's what will make the tank stay there forever and attract more people to our hobby.

--Nikolay


----------



## saintly (Mar 22, 2009)

thanks guys,

the oliver knott way i believe is as you desrcibed. it's planted in the rockwool in small clumps. i do it different ways, but this way was quicker for the amount i used.

the whole display is to make awareness and i'm taking full control over it. the staff add ferts each day and i come at weekends to trim etc....

i'm guessing but this is a week or so in to the tanks life....



















thanks again niko and Bunbuku


----------



## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

I really like this hardscape, well thought-out plan.

It's great to see how an aquascape matures, from the initial planning stages to the mature product. Keep us posted, can't wait to see what it looks like as it progresses


----------



## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

niko said:


> Great! These are the things that will help this hobby expand!
> 
> A real aquascape in a store makes the LFS stand out. In our area at least 2 stores invited ADG to setup a full blown ADA tank for them. But both stores fell into the trap of thinking they can take care of the tanks. Both shops don't even have the tanks any more.
> 
> ...


It usually comes down to money with LFS. They simply don't have it so they try to get by. I setup a few tanks in some stores but the tanks were usually compromised by having to use lighting, equipment and hardscape that they either had in stock or promoted so it was very limiting some times. And on top of that to pay someone from the outside to dose and maintain the tanks was tough and as you pointed out once they start to dose and/or maintain it themselves it goes downhill. I only work with private and/or commercial entities that are willing to let me do it my way and maintain. Even if thas they agree on maintenance that can be tricky since almost no one will pay to have you come by twice a week to dose, etc. so I end up going once a week and dosing everything.


----------



## saintly (Mar 22, 2009)

hooha said:


> I really like this hardscape, well thought-out plan.
> 
> It's great to see how an aquascape matures, from the initial planning stages to the mature product. Keep us posted, can't wait to see what it looks like as it progresses


thanks hooha  it's my best rock scape to date, but the new 120cm is becoming my fave.

My local lfs have been brilliant, they offered everything i need. even JBL supplied some equipment. infact JBL want to sponsor my next scape in the shop  i'll be scapeing a 120 x 50 80 (h)

anyway, the staff dose all the ferts and carry out water changes. i come in at weekends to gauge the tank health and trim plants.










after the trim....


----------



## chadly (Dec 19, 2005)

Great lookin tank! what fish are you planning on putting in there?


----------



## saintly (Mar 22, 2009)

chadly said:


> Great lookin tank! what fish are you planning on putting in there?


good question. I've actually got the final fish choice in the tank, but i'll slowly get to that point.

initially i had 24 cardinal tetras in the aquarium, but they were shy fish so they had to come out. no matter what we did, they just wouldn't swim without eventually hiding in the rotala....very annoying!

this was several weeks in to the scape. the rotala made a quick recovery and filled out brilliantly!....




























the last image really shows how far the tank had come, and shows that the staff had done a great job in dosing the tank


----------



## Kozy (Feb 16, 2009)

Convince my boss to let me do that in the store?

Looks great. How often do you anticipate trimming?


----------



## saintly (Mar 22, 2009)

Kozy said:


> Convince my boss to let me do that in the store?
> 
> Looks great. How often do you anticipate trimming?


for sure. remember i'm just a customer of the store, so if you work in the shop even better. the sales of plants just from this tank being set up went through the roof. and still are being sold at a high rate. substrates too, are sold out.

it's about getting the word out about planted tanks. the only other way people may ever see one, is by surfing the net and finding one by chance, or visiting a LFS and seeing maybe a tank that's full of algae usually not looked after in months.

this is my wife looking into the tank....



















now were getting close to the second trim of rotala....



















trimmed....










you may notice i haven't trimmed from the centre upwards to the sides?....that's because there's an annoying glass rim inside the tank which impedes light, so the plants on the outside grow slower than those in the middle.....

at this stage of the tanks life, there are just 6 ottos and about 30/40 amano shrimp.


----------



## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

The tank is gorgeous! Sounds like your LFS is very smart where marketing is concerned. I've often thought how much a display tank like this would boost their sales. Not only plants but all the equipment needed to keep the tank would be affected. It would be so easy for them to have a low maintenance set up with crypts and ferns, mosses, etc. - or have you for a customer!


----------



## Knotty Bitz (Mar 11, 2009)

How many lbs of rock did you have to use for that, I am hoping to set up my 75 gallon soon and just need to know how much rock to order. Any help would be great.


----------



## saintly (Mar 22, 2009)

good question...I'm not sure as i just have a large selection a pick what i want. at a guess, maybe 20kg not much more.


----------



## saintly (Mar 22, 2009)

and so the recovery of the second trim of stems....










my wife and son.....



















hopefully you can see that dosing schedule is spot on! I've not had any algae problems from start up


----------



## NowMed (Feb 10, 2009)

Wow! Your tank grew in very very nice


----------



## Travis.808 (Apr 2, 2009)

Love the plant selction for this composition. Beautiful tank!


----------



## Six (May 29, 2006)

nice work. great looking tank. I hope the customers appreciate the effort you have put into it!


----------



## NeonFlux (May 15, 2008)

Really excellent results. My tank with HC needs a couple more weeks to fill in. I can't wait


----------



## EQUINOX (Nov 19, 2008)

Do you deal with replanting the cuttings??


----------



## saintly (Mar 22, 2009)

EQUINOX said:


> Do you deal with replanting the cuttings??


no, cut and chuck.

avtually, here in the uk is a bank hiliday, when LFS' get real busy with people on holiday.BUT, i forgot!

i started to trim the stems on Thursday, before the holiday start on Friday. i had to stop trimming otherwise the stems would not look so good for the weekend. the shop sells a lot of rotala because of this tank. so here is the tank half way through trim. i will finish Monday afternoon.










it looks a littl;e like a volcano, which gave me an idea for the next display tank!


----------



## flowerfishs (Mar 26, 2009)

nice stone, nice layout!


----------



## Travis.808 (Apr 2, 2009)

Is that a moss in the bottom center? Below the background "gap".


----------



## saintly (Mar 22, 2009)

Travis.808 said:


> Is that a moss in the bottom center? Below the background "gap".


no, it's actualy riccia. i've tried to remove it but tenellus and acicularis has grown through it, so it's best it stays as it is otherwise there would be a gap.

i have plans to start this tank all over again, using different varieties of stems.


----------



## volatile (May 10, 2007)

This is an amazing tank saintly! If only the local fish stores here had something like that. Are there any updates on the tank?


----------



## FBG (Jan 2, 2006)

I really wish that my area had nicely Aquascpaed display aquariums...that tank looks amazing! Nicely done!


----------



## saintly (Mar 22, 2009)

Thanks everyone for the replies.

here's a quick snap taken a few weeks ago....










i've recently had this tank feature in the UK magazine practical fish keeping, which was an honour.



















many thanks to George Farmer for asking me.

more updates later

mark


----------



## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

Congrats!


----------



## saintly (Mar 22, 2009)

hooha said:


> Congrats!


thanks hooha. now i've fully come to grips with growing plants, i can now concentrate on the visual side of things. I'm about 18 months into my aquascaping career, so I'm studying the greats like amano intensely. Jeff senske is also becoming a favourite of mine.


----------



## thurmy (Aug 27, 2007)

nice


----------



## saintly (Mar 22, 2009)

thurmy said:


> nice


thanks!

i've changed the fish to 80 neon tetras.


----------



## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

nice, I'm personally a fan of very large schools of small tetras in large tanks....


----------



## Mikeracing77 (May 15, 2009)

hooha said:


> nice, I'm personally a fan of very large schools of small tetras in large tanks....


Same here. I bet they look wonderful in that incredible tank.


----------



## saintly (Mar 22, 2009)

thanks guys. and thanks to you hooha, you keep my threads going 

here's the tank as it is today










tomorrow I'm going to trim and make the foreground tidy. i enjoy trimming HC and making everything neat around the stones


----------



## saintly (Mar 22, 2009)

an artistic style shot.










thanks for looking


----------



## saintly (Mar 22, 2009)




----------



## Bunbuku (Feb 10, 2008)

Enjoyed watching this tank evolve! I especially like the color changes that took place with rotala. Reminds me of passing seasons. Since you do not "top" the rotala, do the lower parts of the stems ever turn black?


----------



## apm (Jul 1, 2009)

I c u have lots of rotala sp green in the back, im growing my out right now and need to trim.. how long does it take for it to grow out again? Im scared to trim it down... and how far down do you trim, like half way?


----------



## apm (Jul 1, 2009)

sorry i meant rotundafolia


----------



## saintly (Mar 22, 2009)

dont be afraid to trim any stem plant. trim at the desired height, taking into consideration where it will re grow.

take a look at my site

http://www.plantedbox.com/?p=838#more-838


----------



## monkeyruler90 (Feb 27, 2008)

Wow, what an amazing tank. And yeah, the trimming of the rotala and the changing colors remind me of trees going through different seasons. That's awesome that you haven't had any algea issues. I guess 2 x 39 w is the perfect amount of light.

And dang, I wish I could see those 80 tetras packed in there. Good luck with the tank


----------

