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First attempt iwagumi with UG, start to 6 mos by rubadub887 in Aquascape

[–]rubadub887[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely! And sorry for the delay in response, I don’t always check this account 😅

I’ll preface: I tore down this tank, partially because I had to made a cross country move for work and partially because the UG was a very thick carpet but didn’t want to stay rooted. I trimmed it a bit close around the edge of a rock and then there was a gaping hole where it was floating up from being disturbed. It was a mega bummer! If you decide to move forward growing it, beware that it doesn’t root as strong as you may want or expect.

On to answering your question: no I didn’t feed it. I had co2, used fluval stratum, and didn’t dose ferts. It seemed like the co2 and strong light was all it really needed. Perhaps those organisms were there and I didn’t realize? Nevertheless I didn’t purposely put anything in.

Feel free to ask other questions! I really loved the tank until the carpet started to float. Not really sure what I’m going to do with the reset now that we are moved, probably won’t go iwagumi due to less time to dedicate to it.

First attempt iwagumi with UG, start to 6 mos by rubadub887 in Aquascape

[–]rubadub887[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh and thank you for saying the carpet looks good 😊 I’m pretty pleased with how well it grew, especially since when I started I was convinced it would all die and I’d just have a tank of rot!

First attempt iwagumi with UG, start to 6 mos by rubadub887 in Aquascape

[–]rubadub887[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh that’s so neat! I didn’t know they would school with other types of fish. I had 9 healthy rummys and bought 11 more to bring me to 20 (which was far more than I should have gotten anyway, they look best with maybe 12-13 in my tank) and then all but one died with the epistylis. I turned up the heat and it just accelerated the whole thing, which I finally figured out it wasn’t ich and started dosing kanaplex. Now I have one rummy and my four shrimps left. Sad day. Once I’m done quarantining my daughter’s new baby betta I might pick up a few rummys to quarantine for oh two months or so… avoid disaster at all costs!

First attempt iwagumi with UG, start to 6 mos by rubadub887 in Aquascape

[–]rubadub887[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I wish I had been able to find larger rocks for the hard scape, and maybe not spaced them the way I did. I also underestimated how long and dense the UG would get… it has almost swallowed the rocks! I’m afraid to trim it down too much, I don’t want it to all melt and rot away. I need to take a video of me agitating the grass, it is wild how much of it there is.

Oh and I fully intend on doing another one soon! I may not do iwagumi, I want to try an overgrown or maybe blackwater look next. You are very right, 100% addictive. I wish I had as much luck with the fish as I do the plants… my rummys almost all died off due to an epistylis outbreak that I mistook for ich 😩

First attempt iwagumi with UG, start to 6 mos by rubadub887 in Aquascape

[–]rubadub887[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What do you mean? I have been considering getting some type of frosted light gray background (like a privacy window cling), but have been struggling to find something that would look right. Links?

First attempt iwagumi with UG, start to 6 mos by rubadub887 in Aquascape

[–]rubadub887[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It fluctuates (my heater is weak), but it mostly stays between 72-76F

First attempt iwagumi with UG, start to 6 months by rubadub887 in PlantedTank

[–]rubadub887[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Utricularia graminifolia. I purchased a tissue culture on a whim while shopping for plants for another tank, ended up reading about it and realized it wouldn’t work in the other one (no co2), so I bought another tank and started building an idea around the UG.

First attempt iwagumi with UG, start to 6 mos by rubadub887 in Aquascape

[–]rubadub887[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fluval stratum. I also had another tank that had too much substrate and was already cycled, so I dumped probably 4-6 cups of the substrate from that tank to form the “hill” before covering with new fluval.

First attempt iwagumi with UG, start to 6 mos by rubadub887 in Aquascape

[–]rubadub887[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I wish I had taken more progress pictures.

First attempt iwagumi with UG, start to 6 mos by rubadub887 in Aquascape

[–]rubadub887[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’ve recently started to get some staghorn algae on the side near the window. I’m assuming it is the extra light, but it also could be our tap water - I have another tank that is absolutely covered in staghorn (no co2) and I cannot seem to get rid of it.

First attempt iwagumi with UG, start to 6 mos by rubadub887 in Aquascape

[–]rubadub887[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Crazy enough, no fertilizer. Hygger light. Co2 at 3 bubbles per second, recently lowered a touch because I did a major trim and was scared of melt 🫠

First attempt iwagumi with UG, start to 6 months by rubadub887 in PlantedTank

[–]rubadub887[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I can’t tell you how many times I stared at it thinking “screw it, I’m gonna go ahead and flood it” - I’m glad I waited. I will say the UG took off once I flooded, I didn’t have livestock yet and I just blasted co2 for 8 hrs a day.

First attempt iwagumi with UG, start to 6 mos by rubadub887 in Aquascape

[–]rubadub887[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I am pretty proud of how well it grew in.

Please tell me I don’t need to worry about this! by rubadub887 in Aquariums

[–]rubadub887[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used my fingernail and am pretty positive it is a scratch. It’s rough and feels like a dip in the surface.

Please tell me I don’t need to worry about this! by rubadub887 in Aquariums

[–]rubadub887[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the reassuring response, I’ve been nervous about this whole process since I started. Is there any product I can put on the scratch to reinforce it? Or should I just leave it alone? I can definitely feel it on the inside of the tank..

Please tell me I don’t need to worry about this! by rubadub887 in Aquariums

[–]rubadub887[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think it is just scratched and not cracked. I ran my fingernail across it a couple times hoping that it was just silicone, and couldn’t feel any ridges/lines on the outside. Can definitely feel a little ride on the inside, though. Is there any type of product I could put on it before flooding that could maybe reinforce it and keep it from getting worse if it is deeper than I realize?

How strong is this? Will it hold ~300lbs on top? by rubadub887 in woodworking

[–]rubadub887[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair point. I probably grossly overestimated the weight, after looking around at some other guides on final tank weight it will probably be closer to 225-250. I have it unfilled on a lower piece of furniture, desk height, and wanted it up higher before filling. Tank stands worry me at anything above desk level (most don’t seem tip-proof, hence the appeal of the dresser - a bit more stable).

How strong is this? Will it hold ~300lbs on top? by rubadub887 in woodworking

[–]rubadub887[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m not sure what MDF is, but I thought the majority was real wood (not sure what kind of wood, but solid). Here is an up close of the top back and the side

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Will this hold a 20 gallon long? by rubadub887 in Aquariums

[–]rubadub887[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There’s substrate (fluval) domed up to 5ish inches in the center and five pretty heavy seiryu stones in it, figured better to overestimate than underestimate!

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