DIY ADA Nature Design Planted Nano

ShortyKiloGyrl

ShortyKiloGyrl

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Alrighty so time has FINALLY come!!! I got the Fluval Spec V tank for my office (used.) I FINALLY got my ADA Amazonia Powder substrate. And this weekend I will be setting up stuff to go. Hopefully if all goes according to plan, the tank will be set up and starting to cycle by the end of the weekend. I am VERY excited for this. I still haven't fully decided on what to put in the tank. Ember tetras are at the top of the list as well as a few shrimp. I was able to pull a few photos from the video I watched of Takashi Amano's Nature series of videos on how to set up tanks. I printed these off for reference and will use them for the designing of the layout. I am not going to follow EXACTLY to the layout he has since this is only a 5 gallon tank it would be difficult to do. I am using a tan/brown small gravel substrate instead of the white/tan sand and I won't be doing a skinny back to wide front opening, instead I will be making it look more of the shape of a river. I plan to take pictures of the progress and show it on here. Bare with me as I don't have any branches and not many plants yet. But I will show progress of the tank as it goes along. This is my first actual project tank and I'm excited for it. :)

Here are some of the photos from the video:







 
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bronzefighter

Member
Ohh very cool. I'm excited to see how this turns out! I absoulutly love my Spec V, fluval did an awesome job with this tank. One word of advice, before you fill the tank or anything grab a piece of plastic and superglue the bottom filter slit closed. This improved the filtration on my tank a bunch!
 
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bronzefighter

Member
The filter has 2 intakes: the fake overflow on the top, and a small slit about 3" from the bottom. I found that the small slit allows a lot of bypass and also lets too much debris into the filter, since it is placed right in front of the biomedia. With it glued shut water is forced over the fake overflow and down through the media. It really cut down on any surface scum and stuff like that (including duckweed!), and cut down on any maintenence I would have to do to the filter sponge. I think I have a diagram of it somewhere on my computer if that doens't make since.

I also took a bag of purigen and put it on the floor under the sponge, since you have a good 1" or so of clearence.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
I am excited to see what you come up with Shorty. Keep us updated! :D
 
ShortyKiloGyrl

ShortyKiloGyrl

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Alright here are pictures as promised!

All washed up ready to go:


Starting the 'Koke' Stone: (I used drive way gravel hehe)


Both sides laid out:


'River bed' rock laid:


Amazonia Aqua Soil Powder adding:


Wasn't happy with the height, added some more:


Both sides of ADA added:


Top view of substrate complete!


TA DA!! :D



I can't wait to start adding plants! Now to decide with wet or dry start? Anyone want to weigh in?
 
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bronzefighter

Member
Wow that looks great! Just a suggestion, take some plastic and place it inbetween the ADA and the rocks. I have a feeling that overtime it will settle and mix due to the different grain sizes.

And if you have the patience, go for a dry start!
 
ShortyKiloGyrl

ShortyKiloGyrl

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I used a plastic spoon and poured it into the gaps of the rocks to help secure them into place and reduce settling. I did the same with the 'river' rock substrate as well.
 
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bronzefighter

Member
ShortyKiloGyrl said:
I used a plastic spoon and poured it into the gaps of the rocks to help secure them into place and reduce settling. I did the same with the 'river' rock substrate as well.
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Gotcha. I'd just be worried about the sand settling and mixing with the river substrate. But more power to you if you're confident!  :D 

Got any idea what plants/fish/etc you're gonna throw in there?
 
ShortyKiloGyrl

ShortyKiloGyrl

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I was going to do Scarlet Badis. However, after talking to WetSpot it sounds like they are difficult to feed and require live foods which would be difficult at work. Through talking to them further I believe I'm going to get some Pseudomugil cf. paskai "Irian Red Neon Rainbow" and either green neon tetra or blue neon rasbora with some yellow shrimp I think.
 
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bronzefighter

Member
ShortyKiloGyrl said:
I was going to do Scarlet Badis. However, after talking to WetSpot it sounds like they are difficult to feed and require live foods which would be difficult at work. Through talking to them further I believe I'm going to get some Pseudomugil cf. paskai "Irian Red Neon Rainbow" and either green neon tetra or blue neon rasbora with some yellow shrimp I think.
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Cool! I had 5 Psuedimugil sp. "Neon Red Blue Eyes" rainbows in mine. They were beautiful, and the dominant male actually one first prize in a bowl show for GSAS. Sadly, they were crazy jumpers. I lost 4 of them over the span of 6 months just from them jumping out of that little opening in the cover. The last male has been moved into a more secure location. I'm thinking I want to replace them with a small school of Boraras brigittae.
 
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bronzefighter

Member
ShortyKiloGyrl said:
Oh man, they jumped through the top opening? I wonder if I can devise a way to block that from happening.
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Yeah  :cry: at first I thought they might have been hiding, but every so often I'd find a little rainbow fishstick on the ground or behind the tank. I've heard more than one person refer to the little Psuedomugil Rainbows as "gymnasts of the tank." I though about placing a small piece of acrylic or the like on the lid, but I just never got around to doing it.
 
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cichlid-gal

New Member
Looking pretty Amano there...just needs the wood element. Very nice inspiration. Is the ADA soil large enough that it will not seep through the rocks?
 
ShortyKiloGyrl

ShortyKiloGyrl

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I have a piece of wood on it's way that I'm going to be tying moss around :) So far the substrate hasn't seeped through the rocks. The bigger rocks are about 3" across at the base and then tier up. Prior to filling I also took a spoon and pushed it into the crevices. I as well have the water flow turned down all the way. It was very strong like others had said. It was knocking plants around.
 
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