Noob Noob Iwagumi Tank

[Mookie]

Hi guys,

I would appreciate if the pros here can give me some suggestions into the plants I should consider in my tank. I hope to have good contrasting plants and hopefully not too high maintenance. I could go with a co2 system, but a chiller for plants would be out of the question.

its just been 1 week since I heard of Iwagumi haha So I didn't bother to read and follow how to do it, but just went with my gut

Using
-Eheim 2213
- Up Pro Led 60cm
- ADA Amazonian
- Power sand
- added Penac W and P
- Bact ball, super clear and tourmaline

[Mookie]

Picture uploaded fine, but came out upside down

[Urban Aquaria]

If you are planning to do an iwagumi style tank, then your plant choice would be mainly low-lying carpet plants, such as popular ones like HC, glosso or hairgrass.

Amongst the 3 plants mentioned, HC is abit more tricky to grow, will need to make sure your Co2 injection, light, nutrients and water parameters are balanced for it to grow well (or else it easily gets overwhelmed by algae).

Glosso is much easier to grow, but the leaves are larger than HC.

Hairgrass is relatively easy to grow too, but for your layout with rocks laid low, using normal straight hairgrass would end up covering the rocks as those grow tall, so instead go for japanese hairgrass (they grow bent over like hoops, so stay shorter), or the sp. "Mini" variant from Tropica (grows in a curve shape and stay short too).

Btw, what's the tank dimensions? Based on scale comparison with the glass lily pipe in the photo, it either looks like a shallow height tank, or the soil substrate is filled high.

[Mookie]

My tanks height I think is just 28 cm, and the substrate is pretty high haha was going for a more sloped layout. Previously had a couple of tanks with flat layout, so I thought to try something different.

I thinking would pass on HC haha have read many bros failing on them, would certainly prefer an easy to grow plant. I do like glosso but read it was pretty tough to grow too.

[Urban Aquaria]

I see... maybe try reducing the height of the soil in the front section of the tank (just 3-4cm high will do), so that there is less of a thick "block" of substrate when viewed from the front and it'll help enhance the perspective of the slope.

If you are considering hairgrass, i'd recommend the sp. "mini" type. So far i've found it to be the easiest to plant and maintain, and it creates a nice dense lawn effect in the scape. For reference, you can check out its growth rate and coverage in my journal thread (i'm also using the Up Aqua Z-Series LED lights in that tank too): http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...320#post752320

[gilch icariel]

Japanese hairgrass is a good choice. Trimming is easy as well, compared to the other 2.

[Urban Aquaria]

Btw, in my tank i only used one pot of the sp. "mini" hairgrass, so the carpet was only very sparsely planted at the start. On hindsight, if i had used 2 or more pots, the carpet would have been completed much faster, probably in half or one-third the time.

So the moral of the story is... the more densely you plant initially, the faster you'll see the carpet being completed.

[Mookie]

Has anyone tried Bacopa Monnieri? Seems like an easy foreground plant to grow

[wongce]

hmm, the rocks are a bit low and small for a iwagumi, plants may cover the low rocks and you will end up with a lawn instead of iwagumi

[Urban Aquaria]

Has anyone tried Bacopa Monnieri? Seems like an easy foreground plant to grow

I've kept those before, they are stem plants and grow tall (its actually a marginal/pond plant that grows up above the water suface and sprout flowers)... more suitable as a background plant, not sure how it could be used as a foreground plant though.

[Mookie]

GXFC guys!

Will be be away for 2 months, leaving tank to cycle, hopefully don't come back and get a shock...

I will update once planted

[Mookie]

Just got back and started immediately on my tank, never knew it would be this backbreaking to plant. I bought Monte Carlo from a bro here and started planting, assuming that it was the correct method. Cause I had difficulty planting them in clumps, so I cut the plant up into a root and 2 leaves before planting. And this was really tedious, especially since it was my first attempt on aquascaping.

I'm pretty pleased with the results so far, but would like to add some Anubias Petite cluster to the middle of the tank and still considering what plant I should put on the top right portion. Tossing between "bonsai" or straugen repens. If any bros have got good suggestions, please share, cheers!

[Mookie]

[Adrain]

Looks great! Wish I could do this but no budget being an nsf hahs


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[Mookie]

Thanks Urban Aquaria for your tips on using daisos super glue and pebbles to stick the "Petite"! Have put a few of those, in my tank as well haha, doubt it's much of a proper iwagumi style.. But What the hell...

[Mookie]

After 2 weeks of horticulture the Monte Carlo has grown out pretty well, thanks to various bros in AQ who have given me pointers on fertilisation, co2 tank, inlet out placements etc

I have recently changed the position of the inlet outlet pipes to the same side and have added a inline diffuser which has improved my co2 distribution a lot. Added in 20 fire red, 8 gold tetra and 1 tiny nerite snail hahah.

Have cut back on fertilisation as well as co2 bps hoping that the shrimps can take it. I guess it's down to maintaining it for me now.

[Urban Aquaria]

Very nice growth in 2 weeks!

[Mookie]

Very nice growth in 2 weeks!

Yeah I didn't realize how much the plant grew until I compared the pictures and was pretty impressed with MC as a carpet. Didn't want to fail on my first attempt or else I wouldn't hear the last of my wife I believe the inline diffuser was the savior cos before that, my co2 distribution was pretty crappy.. As a lot of bros mentioned the co2 just went straight up and was wasted.

[fireblade]

Hi

Nice growth of plants there!!

Hope you don't mind my 2 cents worth...
The front soil looks a bit too high.. if you have pushed it back before planting, that will be great... find that your rocks are too flat too..
If you can "consolidate" some rocks together, I think it will look more stunning. Hope it is not too late to do any changes.

[Mookie]

Hi

Nice growth of plants there!!

Hope you don't mind my 2 cents worth...
The front soil looks a bit too high.. if you have pushed it back before planting, that will be great... find that your rocks are too flat too..
If you can "consolidate" some rocks together, I think it will look more stunning. Hope it is not too late to do any changes.

Yeah the soil at the front is pretty high but my plan was to have the whole tank being able to be viewed from eye level. Also I used PVC pipes to raise the height at the rear, so that posed a problem for me to have thinner soil in front. Will be smarter next time to use panty hose pebbles haha

doubt I be able to move the rocks already as the MC is carpeting. Will consider your suggestion on my next scape. Still have plenty to learn from the pros.