The Great 12 Gallon Long

[Salzabar]

Heat and salt? Like hydroforming metal only instead of water injected steel you use salty Mcdonalds french fries and a heat gun? This I gotta see. Roll that video!
My guess is you fill the tubes with salt to keep the tube shape then heat the tube up to bend into the shape you need, right?

 

[binbin9]

LOL - I used the salt I shook off of the fries to fill the tubes.

Yes the salt keeps the walls of the tubing from collapsing on itself.

 

[binbin9]

total cost for 3ft long tubes off of ebay, which can make 6 pipes, was $26 bucks.

If you buy the much more beautiful pipes off of this site its about $150 for a set. before shipping.

Of course mine is acrylic but it serves the purpose. =)

http://www.adgshop.com/Lily_Pipes_s/48.htm

 

[Anonymous]

.oO Impressive DYI! Thanks for sharing this, I know I'll be using this at some point.

 

[cichlid-gal]

Loving watching this thread and all the info you are sharing in your build...very nice aquascaping with your rocks..that layout looks awesome. Keep up the feed lus1:

 

[pbmax]

Indeed; I'm looking forward to grow-out photos of the riccia. It's tricky business to maintain in the long term, from what I've read; good luck!

 

[binbin9]

Not as nice as PBmax's marsilea carpet =) but I plan on growing these guys nestled between some HC carpet on the left side of the tank. It should offer up some nice texture contrast in the carpeting

 

[hobbyorobsession]

Nice M. Minuta.

 

[binbin9]

2 day update:

The riccia rocks are starting to poke pass the meshing and its only been a few days. The light leaves you see on the inner part are elatine trianda.

I ripped out the pony's foot and replaced it with Glosso. This is about one pot's worth.

I received a small patch of baby dwarf tears (HC) from an issaquah planted tank pro. I have that planted on the left side of the tank. I hope they fill in with plenty of light and CO2

I planted some micro swords on the left back ground and received some elatine trianda from a friend I received it in the plastic pot today. This is another type of carpet plant that looks awesome when it fills in. It's pretty undemanding but can melt if not taken cared of properly.

 

[hobbyorobsession]

love the idea of the molded tubing.

 

[pbmax]

Looks great! The riccia is definitely happy.

 

[binbin9]

update:

Today. I bought a few bacopa and more HC from a place for pets and rearranged my riccia rocks to the base of the stones. I think it gives it a very natural look. I read online that seiryu stones from ADA can raise PH. So I ripped out every single rock today and did a quick acid test. Luckily mine do not. While I had them out I scrubbed them down and now each rock has a brighter sheen to them.

Since I almost sold them off today. I went out and bought some petrified wood and was about to do a complete rescape but since the PH test shows negative ill affects. I'll save those stones for another scape in the future. =)

Everything still looks a bit messy and cloudy because I just finished cleaning off the stones and rescaping about 70% of the plants.

I've also installed my new eheim 2213 with extended spray bar. I added an inline heater so I can keep the tank looking clean and uncluttered.

 

[pbmax]

Wow, looks fantastic! :cheers:

 

[Anthraxx]

really liking that one. wheres that lily u wanted from the get go tho?

 

[Anonymous]

Very impressive. Good job...

I have future plans for a long aquarium, your set up is my inspiration.

Thanks for sharing!!

 

[binbin9]

really liking that one. wheres that lily u wanted from the get go tho?

Are you referring to these pipes?

I made and extended spray bar with the same acrylic tubing by drilling holes every couple inches.

I ended up snaping the piece on the right though when I was trying to adjust the angle of the spray. I man handled it a bit too much. Got lazy and used the original green tubing. =)

 

[binbin9]

Quick Update;

I've added a Pair of threadfins and 5 gertudaes. One of my males however rammed himselff into the glass during a water change and knocked himself out. He is in fishy heaven.

My pennywort arrived but it's no where near what it looked like on the ebay auction. It was pulled up from some pond. and came completely broken and full of pond dirt.

Im trying to get it accustomed to being submerged with high light. which should cause it to grow smaller and shorter leaves then I'll cut the gigantic leaves.

the marsilea is coming in but kinda slow for my liking. I've added some hydrocotyle sp japan to help fill in the tight corners.

Pay attention to this Rotala Indica. It looks like it was grown emersed and so If and when it adjusts to my aquarium I have a feeling it will transform quite a bit.

 

[binbin9]

Some picture updates:

I've trimmed the cabomba. Interesting thing here is that when I put it into a lower light tank it sees to do a bit better.

The glosso is growing like mad and beginnig to carpet nicely. I've also added some cardamyne next to the rocks to give it the old rock covered in vine look.

The rotala Indica, is actually more of a rotala Rotundifolia. check out the transformation to pink leaves. I really like it , gives the tank a splash of color.

The HC and Glosso are starting to meet in the middle. I've put down a some staurogyne repens next to the pennywort.

It took a couple of weeks being submersed but the pennywort eventually shot out some small shoots and it's looking more like what i had imagined.

I've also trimmed the bacopa and the marsilea are starting to fill with the hydrocotyle japan.

Here's an interesting fact. Bacopa are also used as a brain supplement to enhance memory and other brain functions.

I think my tank is at a bit of an imbalance though since thread algae has started to grow on everything. It may have been introduced from one of the plants I bought but I've hit it with hydrogen peroxide, raised my light and shortened my photoperiod to 6.5 hrs. The peroxide has killed off some of it but has damaged some of my riccia in the process.

 

[pbmax]

Looks great! The glosso is doing really well.

 

[haika]

Great inspiration! I have a Mr. Aqua 12g long still in the box out in the garage. I want to put my Danio erythromicron in there eventually, but have to figure out where to put it.

I've been waging the slow war against Riccia for about a year. It's NOT a good plant for me as it gets into everything, breaks off bits that plug the filter and is all-round a nuisance. It's hardy as well....so what got tossed outside over the winter is still going strong. At least the over-wintering seems to have killed off that pesky, thready pest Utricularia! Glad Riccia works for others.....I am starting to toss the pickings now.