Project sunken garden

[Jungle-mania]

Out of curiousity, I know this is still a faraway thing, but what fish are you going to keep?

[medicineman]

It has been some time eversince I stalled the project.

With huge bags of gravel stacked by the store room, I start to collect the rest of what I need.

One thing is another CO2 regulator. This part is easy as it can be obtained from many shops, for fish tank or not, it does not matter to me as long as I make it work.

It goes quite different around here for CO2 cylinders. You need to own one instead of exchanging for a filled one. Naturally, I want to have the biggest cylinder I can get, and I want a good tank which will not fail and last a long time before I need to get another one.
Iron-based ones are quite plentiful, new or used, but they rust over time.
A hunt for big aluminium cylinder was on and I finally managed to get 20lbs capacity.
Bad timing.... no CO2 gas for now. Need to queue for a long time before any fresh supply from factory will ever come (another reason to own several big gas cylinders). Fortunately the refill shop is kind enough to lend me a half filled tank - just because he owns an aquascape as well and know how bad it is not to have any CO2.

I also managed to collect much needed big enough powerhead/pump to power CO2 micro bubbler - my plan of CO2 diffusion into the pond. Since there is a huge outgassing process that will be happening on the waterfall part, I think it is better to create small bubbles of CO2 and blow them out like a mist. These will get stuck everywhere and dissolve, hopefully absorbed by plant stomatas that outgassing is no longer a big problem. I have done this before in a tank with those bad wet and dry filter and the result is quite acceptable.

As time goes by, my research pays off.
Somehow continuing from a success in making quality root tabs, I find a way and create another product... my own base fertilizer.
(dont mind the label... it is just for fun right now)


Like usual, I turn mad scientist and decided that it is going to be the fertilizer to test in large scale. 40+ lbs of the stuff, mixed 1:5 ratio with plain gravel to become base fertilizer. This is a critical decision which I may or may not regret. With a large stake, there is no turning back now.


@Jungle-mania,
How three dozens of puntius denisonii... these fellow are currently available here and I should not miss this opportunity

[medicineman]

Here is how the concept base fertilizer looks like


Light brown grain of high concentrated granules that it has to be mixed well with a part of plain sand/fine gravel to work. It got lots of stuff inside ranging from minerals, iron, micro elements to partially soluble macros. I dont expect best result out of the first initial testings, but will hopefully get more refined later on.

I mix the stuff to 5 times it mass (which I say is a bit to the strong side) with dry 1mm grade silica sand, 40+lbs of fertilizer to 200+lbs of sand in total. I didnt bother to clean/wash the sand beforehand since it is intended to be placed at the bottommost part of the setup, forming a layer of heavy mix 1-1.5 inch thick.
Then another layer of capping 1-3mm grade gravel is added on top to seal the mix from water collumn, totalling in about 3-4 inches of substrate.

Meanwhile we take a look at some of the emmersed plants I planted earlier for a head start. With the correct care and enough mix of added fertilizer, they started promisingly to take off.

Here is a kind of red Piper sp, a climber.


And here you can see a group of climbing green Philodendron sp


Now I need to get some wood.... serious hardscape

[Jungle-mania]

I recalled somebody on Australian forum using mangrove wood (illegal, but manage to get one in a LFS), they do not break down for a very long time compared to bogwood and driftwood. You might want to consider that.

[Goondoo]

I recalled somebody on Australian forum using mangrove wood (illegal, but manage to get one in a LFS), they do not break down for a very long time compared to bogwood and driftwood. You might want to consider that.

I don't think mangrove wood are illegal in Indonesia? Or are they?

[medicineman]

Meanwhile, I went for hunting hardscape. What I have in my mind is huge branchy driftwood, but unfortunately such piece is likely originated from a living mangrove. All my suppliers seems to be detered if I ask for bigger piece of whole mangrove driftwood, probably because of the fact that huge pieces can be obtained only by killing a good sized mangrove tree. Then it would take some time to cure properly, not to mention there is a risk of people getting involved getting arrested for cutting mangroves.

So I must be satisfied with just smaller pieces and other wood alternatives. I found this huge piece of driftwood, rasamala tree type (a kind of wood suitable and commonly used) and bought it home.

Comparative size with a standard brick piece


Good thing that the wood is readily sinking halfway, I just need to soak it further in my pond for a few days. The seller also promise me an exchange if I cannot use it, so nothing to lose!

Not enough of just DW, I proceed with hunting suitable rocks ornament. There are so many alternative out there, ranging from roundish smooth river rocks, reddish pumice, hard slates, unsuitable calcium based rocks, petrified wood to lava rocks. I pick the last, porous lava rocks, good size.


Just one of more than a dozen piece I bought home. Hope I'm good enough in doing rock arrangement :icon_redf

[medicineman]

First, like I mentioned before, the first layer of substrate-fertilizer goes in. 20kg+ of base fert mixed well with around 100 kg of plain gravel.


Then, additional plain gravel for capping is added, forming a nice layer of plant bed some 3-4 inch thick, sealing the fert mix below from getting directly into water collumn.
You can see here the substrate is being manually flattened and inspected for correct minimum depth (since there is no way to see by eye if enough substrate is being used.




In total, currently 12 big sacks of white silica sand, 1-3mm grade goes in (some 1200+ lbs).

After that water is filled in slowly, up to a halfway point. This is because I just want to condition the tank first before pumping excessive water out later on and start again with hardscaping and eventually planting.

[BFG]

Will the water falling or flowing down from the waterfall eventually create a dugout area beneath the overhanging part of the waterfall? If that's the case, the base fert might be mixed into the water column. I suggest getting a few flat surface stone to diffuse that water flow from the overhanging area near the base of the waterfall structure. Just a suggestion though.

[medicineman]

@Gondoo,
Getting the big ones usually means cutting down a mangrove tree instead of using the dead one. Getting caught transporting of cutting down huge part is not a fun job for any wood seller I suppose, and that is why it is not easy to find those bigger pieces.

@BFG,
Thanks for the reminder.
The potential problem is already foreseen beforehand because I tested with a hose, simulating water falling down. The area directly below the hit of water does not have any base fert and the bottom most part is being filled partially with coarse river pebbles. This, with a layer of additional gravel on top and with deep water (75-80cm) hopefully will be more than enough to break the eroding power of falling water (which will be set halfway dribbling anyway, I hate having too strong waterfall).


I decided the new wood is too big and bulky for this use. Good enough that the seller allows for goods exchange (perhaps I will pick plants or branchy slender woods).

Being finished in soaking and cleaning for fine dust for these past few days,
all lava rocks goes in and form the hardscape, creating a bit beachy look.


Kinda split into two sections of rock grouping. Another angle of view from top.


And one other from the side.

[tcy81]

very big project, hope to see more updates soon

[medicineman]

Planting time now.

My package of plants arrived to my delight. Two boxes full of plants. This time I did not hunt for plants, I back ordered them for the best and preferably the good sized ones. I got various bigger size hygrophilla, huge cypts, assorted echinodorus, some crinum, some ferns and others.

I start off immediately, not leaving excess precious time before the plants can go bad. First of all water level is being lowered as low as possible to ease planting job. Then the planting continue in just damp condition, and in this way of planting, things get much easier. No excessive murkiness since ther is no disturbance to the substrate to mix with water. When planting dry, a handheld sprayer is your best friend, keep the plants moist enough during the planting and filling water.




It took quite some time to fill the pond despite the fact that the house is fitted with double 1000L water towers and two wells. Reserves almost ran out so water filling must be stopped for a while and continue the next day.

[Jungle-mania]

I know it is not completed, but you have already WOWed me over.

[blackghost]

same here. absolutely jaw dropping..

[oblivion]

is that 1st pic the fully planted scene?
i suppose you will be planting more later on?

looking good!

[nkm68]

Hi medicineman, mind telling what's thickness of your viewing glass?

Thanks

[fireblade]

wah!!!!!!!
I feel like crying! the place so big for creativity to run wild!!
I suppose you will have to climp in to do planting right?
will that disturb the gravels and turn water milky?

[vinz]

This is an amazing project! My dream tank... but I'll put arowanas!

Stickied for the time being.

[oblivion]

This is an amazing project! My dream tank... but I'll put arowanas!

Stickied for the time being.

I'll prefer a couple thousand tetras.
Now that would be an awesome sight

[medicineman]

@lee1224,
No, I'm not finished.
Need more plants, esp tiny or small growing ones to complement the big ones.
The dry part also need more plants. Will do things slow, probably involving trial and error.

@fireblade,
Hell yeah. If I want to keep my clothes dry, the pond needs to be drained 3/4 of the volume (a great waste of water) and then I jump inside. Taking careful steps not to crush any plant and do any work necessary.
The gravel will definately get disturbed if I go in but water will not turn milky so bad since just the top part is being disturbed.

@km68,
19mm glass. Far over the safe limit, I'm glad that I picked such thickness now I can safely lean or no worry when accidentaly knocks the glass. It looks good too, a match with the tank size.
You can actually escape with 12mm if on a budget.

@vinz,
Thanks for the stick. This will help some people who need to see but do not notice yet.
Arowana? they are nice fish. I'd be upset if one jumps out the pond though

@lee1224,
Several hundread perhaps would be more practical and likely possible. Must resist and think of maintenance needed.



Filled and running now. The filter started to work and hopefully in several days, the combination of filter and bacteria will clear up the water murkiness.
My 20lb+ CO2 cylinder is not back yet from refilling (yeah, no more CO2 within the city like last time!) and currently I use spare leftover 4lb one. Running at 6bps via 3 blown micro bubbler points, I am hoping it could buy some time before the leftover run out.



Seen from second floor. Quite a jewel to enjoy at night.


I'm not finished with planting the pond yet. Thing is I ran out of small plants. Planting will continue with several dozens of foreground plants later on, though I still like to left a large amount of open space by the front for fishies to hang around. Then some more plants to the waterworks, perhaps anubias and some emmersed growth aquatic plants will work.

[fireblade]

really cannot imagine this is inside a house...

btw, will you be planting some moss on the background on top?

still cannot believe my eyes!