# Ada Journal - 15gal Nature Aquarium



## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

*ADA Journal - 15gal Nature Aquarium : Need help with Hardscape*

Hey guys, This is my new journal for my brand new old tank. Heres some background.

I Have this really old tank that looked atrocious with this horrible hood and black tape all round it ect. it used to be my dads when he was a kid. So its maybe 40 yrs old! Ok after testing for leaks i started stripping down the tank to make it an open top, which worked great! But i really wanted an ADA tank (you cant import them to this country without paying through the balls) so heres my challange of creating a passable ada style tank out of a 40yr old tank. Hope you enjoy!

The first step was Building a stand! Im lucky because my dad owns a factory!
The staff were on holiday so we had the place to ourself:








we designed the stand on a program called cabinet vision and then a machine cut out the peices for us! it was like some kinda futuristic movie!








Then all we needed to do was put them together








You will see the finished stand later, it still needs a lick of paint though

Ok second step was ordering the equipment - aka the fun part  i got it all from www.aquaessentials.co.uk and it all arrived great!








I will be using all the full ada system, aquasoil, powersand, tourmaline, ferts ect.








I also got the 2005 catalouge and an aquajournal for inspiration.

Setting up
this is still going on but so far ive done this:








you can see the pressurized co2 and the glassware, im going to put a 36w pc over this, and an eheim pro filter (2222 i think).
Next will come the hardscape and then planting


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## zQ. (Dec 15, 2006)

What a nice tank ! For 40 years :lol: :heh:


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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

Ok Now I will setup the substrate!

put the door on just to see what it was like

















































































i put some more tourmaline over the power sand special 
















et viola!









now im going to go hunt for some hardscape!


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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

Ok i need help with the hardscape, ive never done wood before!








please help me make this look right, somethings off


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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

2nd attempt








in this one ive used more iwagumi
comments please?


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## zQ. (Dec 15, 2006)

The 2nd looks better,but the center rock look a bit distracting.I think if you take it out maybe it looks better,ah remember it is just IMO,the removal of the rock is up to you :heh:


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Turn the center rock some other way....it's too "square".


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## Paul Higashikawa (Mar 18, 2004)

What a great program to design the stand! I am very envious of you! Also, the trimless tank looks fantastic, and at an unbelievable 40+years of age!


Also another tid bit on the hardscape. Do know that you also have the option to bury parts of rocks and/or woods. Either dig deeper or add more AS around the base to cover parts of it. Alot of times you can do so much with just a little tweaking around with the stuff you already have. It also gives it a more natural look when parts of hardscap are buried. In this way, the bigger more squarish rocks can literally become any shape you want. 


Good luck and keep posting updates!


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## gf225 (Mar 26, 2005)

Sweet journal, Felix. Well done!

Look forward to following this one.


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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

Thanks guys. ive completely removed the hardscape now as i just wasent digging it
i tried with this massive rock in my garden but it was just too insane and there would be no room for plants!
here is a picture of that, but not a very good one








im going to have to hike up to the quarry with my pickaxe like last time and get some rocks because theres nothing good in my back garden 

has anyone got advice on how to arrange wood?

at this stage i really want to try the following plants
Hemianthus callitrichodes cuba
Hemianthus micranthemoids
rotala roundifolia
hydrocotyle
xmas moss
elocharis parvula

my ideal hardscape would be some low lying stones just to break up the plants and some nice but not massive dw


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## Jessie (Apr 23, 2007)

What fun to have access to such convenient tools! I'd be like a kid in a candy shop.

I really like your second rendition w/ the driftwood. Best of luck finding your rocks!


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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

thanks for the comments guys, i think ive found a hardscape i wanna stick with, quite close to the second attempt but imo alot better, pictures when my camera charges up

ive also installed all the equipment into the stand


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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

ok i think im finished with this hardscape maybe a a bit of tweaking stil with the wood but here it is










now i am all plummed in (still waiting for my lilys in the post though )

















hope you guys like it, does anyone have any suggestions for fish for a 15gal?


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## gas (Jul 27, 2006)

Hi
I prefer your hardscape now, good job with it and your plant list is well.
I already can imagine what you want to do with the plants and it's a good start.
IMO the wood look like too much as branch of trees or maybe in the water the color will be better?
Moreover the xmoss can give a good look to the wood.

Can't wait to see the update.


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## gf225 (Mar 26, 2005)

Hardscape is looking very nice, Felix.

Not too sure on fish yet. I tend to wait until the 'scape is maturing personally, so you can see how the layout works etc.


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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

thanks guys, just to put something out there, how big to rummy nose tetras get?

also, there is a some grains of powersand that have been dug up to the surface, will they cause algae problems?


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## Leonard (Mar 4, 2007)

Felix I really like your tank!  You've got another reader of this thread! 
In my oppinion some kind of killies, shrimps and Bettas would do nice in this tank! Maybe Rasboras instead of something of what I suggested also?

I like your hardscape, but maybe there are a little bit too many stick in the right corner. You could take away some out of there or replace them into the opposite side of the tank :?

Glossostigma elatinoides would look nice on your tank, together with most green (now bright-yellowish grenn, further dark in that case) and a small piece of really dark red plants 

Just my tips, I'm sure someone else have something else to say about them


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## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

Great stuff Felix, like the wood. Will look good with a little moss on.

As for fish Killis would look great, they're one of my favourites, but they are terrible jumpers and not the best choice for an open tank IMO. Though not sure if Lampeyes are big jumpers and a shoal of them would look very cool in your tank.

How about some microrasboras?


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## Leonard (Mar 4, 2007)

I've got the ezperience that also Rasboras are good jumper thought  Bettas and killies are actually also good jumpers, so my suggests aren't surely the best. I don't know anything about Lampeye, but they are anyway nice.
Shrimps could possibly be a alternative then


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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

thanks for the comments guys, anyone know about the power sand causing alage if on the surface of the substrate?

as regards to fish, i was thinking killies aswell actually but my lfs dont stock them i might try some rasboras or maybe leopard danios? WCM could be an option but do they need a bigger space?

ok guys i ordered the plants now i got:
Hemianthus Callitrichiodes - for the fore ground, i got 3, 4cm clumps so that should be enough?
hemianthus micranthemoides - got 25 of them dunno how much that will be?
rotala indica - 5 of them (thanks for the idea leonard
elocharis parvula - for midground, i will plant around the sides of the rocks and along the back in the open space
hydrocotly - i just really like the look of this plant, another for the midground
willow moss - ed is right the wood does need some moss , should i put this near the top or what?


edit. the wood i have still needs to soak, so i will leave the stems and the moss in the containers they come in until its sunk, how long does this take? i boiled them for 5 hours and then but them in my water butt (haw haw )

ill also pick up somethign from work to grow out of the water, maybe bolbitis or anubias? will they grow emersed?

i also ordered a co2 speed controller , i have a question abotu co2 actually, should i start it right away or can it wait a few days?


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## fishdude92 (Jul 19, 2007)

tight


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## vicpinto (Mar 27, 2007)

Very nice. I'll have to try a hardscape with my next tank.


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## Anti-Pjerrot (Mar 12, 2006)

Light minus CO2 = algea...

So CO2 is a important thing to have from the begining


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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

thanks guys, yeh i figured as much, thanks anti-pjerrot
so right now the wood is still soaking, and the plants and LILY PIPES ( ) should be arriving tomorow. So im gonna go ahead and plant (with loads of pictures of course ) but i will leave the stems in the pots and just let them float for now.

later on im going to make the light hangers so ill document that aswell, what kinda height above the surface should the light be?
Also i added a shelf to the stand, with a semi-circle cut out the back so wires ect can get through.
heres some eye candy
front shot








shelf fitted
















untidy 








ready for the lily pipes!








from above minus the wood








with a light above it, notice the grains of powersand at the front will this cause algae?


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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

Heres a planting plan, lol rubbish drawing but meh
HC = hemianthus callitrichoides
HM = hemianthus micranthmoides
EP = elocharis parvula
Hydro= hydrocotyl
rotala = rotala indica


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## gas (Jul 27, 2006)

Nice plan ; beautiful plants : Hope to see your planted tank soon  
off to a good start man that will rox


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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

thanks gaspard, 
update, 50% of the wood has sunk, so i may be able to put them in tomorow!


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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

Hey guys lily pipes came in the post this morning they are just gorgeous








came safely packed in a really nice box, not a scratch on them








they are really good quality glass nice and thick aswell probly quite hard to break








































im so stoked on the quality of the pipes, and the apparent lack of equipment in the tank








thats it with all the hardware attached and ready to go, you can barely see it 
heres the tank in situ in my (messy) room








cant wait to get this planted, still waiting on the plants and a co2 part


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## LindaC (Nov 7, 2005)

So far, so good, I can't wait to see the tank once you've added the plants!


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## zQ. (Dec 15, 2006)

What light would you use for this tank ?
Ah,give me some info about the lily pipe,i want one set too :heh:


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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

im going to be using a 36w power compact W/ reflector hung over the tank somehow

Yeh the pipes are really nice, they set me back £79 so about 2,620,794.30 vietnamese dongs (hehe)
the intake is 30cm long on the tank side and 20cm on the outside with 6 slits in the tube to take in dirt from all levels of water, and a hole in the bottom.
the outtake is a standard lily pipe bell shape that does the whirlpool surface skimming thing and looks pretty darn nice.
heres the manufacturers blurb:


> Efflux Outflow
> 
> The Efflux outflow pipe carries the unique downward-angled funnel design to provide increased water movement to lower parts of the aquarium. This reduces stagnation points and improves gas and nutrient exchange for low and midground plants
> 
> ...


















i really would reccomend theese i was expecting cheap ada knockoffs but i got a real ada competitor, at half the price of ada!


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## corbius (Aug 14, 2005)

héhé great aqua and great pipes, i have pipes too but from naturalaquario from portugal 
great quality too and price :mrgreen: goooooood price about 50€ set with shipping cost The glass is not distort on the first image, it's just an optic illusion, i can take photos with my aqua in water 
























































^^


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## zQ. (Dec 15, 2006)

?? how did you know about dongs Felix ? 
Your pipes is far so good,im intend to buy a set of FLO too,cuz its cheap and easier to ship (from malaysia to vietnam)


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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

haha zq i may only be 16 but i am well traveled, ive also been called a dong master lol


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## zQ. (Dec 15, 2006)

hahah,when travel back to VN just gimme a PM :heh:


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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

ok yesterday the plants arrived! 
from greenline plants they were pretty good, all nicely packadged








Rotala indica, heminathus micranthemoides, elocharis parvula, willow moss








heminathus calltrichoides, hydrocotly








tank ready to plant








HC took ages








finished and filled with water
















lily pipe








midground detail








d/w








hc








finally i got the light done









hope you enjoy, water still is a bit yellow from the aquasoil, but i changed 50% this morning and dosed K as reccomended by jeff walmsley


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## gas (Jul 27, 2006)

Really nice I love your tank.
Can't wait to the update


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## cmcnulty (May 14, 2007)

Looks good, Im sure it will be stunning when the plants really take off.


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## FelixAvery (Mar 29, 2007)

thanks for the comments. ill post some pictures of the tank a bit later, the water has been colored bty the driftwood so i put some purigen in the filter


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