My unofficial ADA 120 DoAqua Glass Cascade Journal

Unofficial only because I have to decide on a name officially for this beauty. I have a few and a theme I am shooting fo so a name shouldn't be too far off.


Tank Journal / Blog
ADA Do Aqua WabiKusa Waterfall Ver.2 120cm

5.11.12
It arrived today finally after so much anticipation and waiting it’s finally here my glass cascade dream. :biggrin: I am very excited, I had stopped by AFA today after hearing from George that the container with my tank as well as the rest of their products had arrived and was cleared through customs and would most likely be available for my pick this evening. They were of course good to their word and I arrived around 6pm to await its unloading. The excitement I felt was like that of a child going to Disneyland for the first time :red_mouth , or waiting to board a plane or depart on your very first tropical vacation . I was antsy last night going to sleep :icon_eek::icon_roll with the excitement and anticipation. So.... here it is, pretty bare at the moment but once I get the stand set up in the bay window I will start the scape. Hopefully by next weekend or sooner.


First I apologize for the crap quality of these shots. I really miss my camera right now but oh well, its only a camera. I will try to update with better shots as I gather them.

Front with some manzi and a fern in a berry basket for some size perspective.


Side


Looking down.


As of right now this is the intended list of flora in my possession and Fauna that I plant to use in this tank and scape:

Submersed Aquatic Mosses/Plants:
5 portions Mini Pellia
4 portions Mini Fissedens
1 Potion Fissedens Fontanus
6 portions Flame Moss
1 Willow Moss
1 Riccia Flutans

8-10 -Petite Anubias ‘nana’

1 - Bolbitis cuspidata Micro - TB Rhizomes
4 - Bolbitis heudelotti - Full Lot 10’ of Rhizomes
1- Hygrophila pinnatifida
1- Hydrocotle sp
1 - portion E hydropiper
3- NLJF
3- Trident Java


Emersed plants:
3 Terrestrial mosses 4”
1 Sundew Carnivorous plant
3 Awapuhi Shampoo Ginger
11 Mimosa Pudica aka sensitive plant(I bought some sprouted seeds on Ebay we’ll see)
1 Black Bamboo (GGP)
2- Un ID’d Hawaiian ferns.

Hawaiin terrestrial mosses (to be planted at waterline on large Black lava stones)
Dicranum sp.
Thuidium sp.
Polhia sp.
Sphagnum
Plagiomnium cuspidatum

To be grown on the glass cascades
8-12 various orchids




Fauna
6 Ottocinclus
1 dozen Gal. Rasbora
1 dozen Emerald dwarf Rasbora
Clown Killies
Lampeye Killes


Inverts
Caridina simoni simoni
Red Rilli’s
Blue RIli’s
CBS &
Finally once seriously established I would like to add and hopefully breed
Black Shadow Panda’s :mrgreen:

List of Hardscape Stockpile
40’ black lava Rock ¼” - ¾” inch
40’ DRL Akadama SS
8-12 lrg size stones
Mopani Pieces Lrg
Manzi Logs 3-6” dia. & Branch wood.

I believe that sums it up for now. Stay tuned.:fish:

Updated to add some full scale sketches of my initial layout design for the bottom section I have no real concrete idea for the upper section as far as asthetic layout other then to compliment the lower level and house the orchids and semi aquatic mosses and other terrestrial plants and hopefully a few wabi balls.
For my new tank the 120 Waterfall in the lower section it is like a 120F tank. The layout I have sketched it is to scale. I have some plant abbreviations scribbled in and general layout and placement to some extent although nothing is set in stone to say... and in my head I want to have a narrow about 4-5 inch swift water channel coming from the back far left corner on a diagonal to the mid way point. I am trying to figure out what kinds of plants would do well in in narrow little fast water slot? I need some suggestions.
I am planing on doing a dry start so rooting and water uprooting the plant wont be too much of an issue once it is flooded. The tank will be a med to High light tank with lots of additional natural light via a north facing bay window. It will have pressurized CO2 and low dose basis FWIW for anyone's suggestions.

Blue shading equates to calm and or un-agitated water

Orange Rust shading equates to my intended fast flow current

Yellow shading equated to terrain that is barely and or gradually submerged

I plan to propel the water via a Marineland Maxi-Jet 1200 Multi-use water pump propeller and two of these mini jet 404's, they are small and can be tucked away among the wood and rocks in the back sections the will be dense with flora.



The center emersed like triangular area will be make up of Aquarium logs of mopani, manzi and sorts I wanup a wood reef/wall long that side, the other side opposite the lest side will be constructed of Rock possibly slacked flat slate and as I have access to a bunch and its cheap and stackable and I can like sandwich mosses between the layers as I stack them up to help secure them along the vertical wall/reef I am going for. So, along one side of the channel wall will be solid stacked large wood and the the other will be stone, like a stream flow where water is forced between large rock and the bank of the stream in a tight slough of fast water. Not sure if anyone can get a picture or idea of that but no worries. The main thing I need your input on is my options for plants/mosses that thrive in a fast current. :mrgreen:

5.12.12
Ok the unboxing continues here are some shots of the nice ADA glassware that is included. The “L” shaped inflow pipe and the long two section glass outflow pipe that will run the length of the about 1 inch shy of the the top of the back glass above the top tier. Again nothing but the best craftsmanship with this medical grade glass stemware 8) .

The glassware all packaged and taped to the bottom of the tank for secure transport. Plenty of bubble wrap was used. No cutting corners when they packed this thing for over seas shipping.



Outflow


Inflow & Outflow


included literature/instructions

5.12.12
ok so I have a full scale sketch that I drafted out a while ago and I am now laying in the large diameter manzi logs (4"-6" dia & 12-24"L) in place where I have envisioned them as well as working in the spikey piece of mopani that I bought years ago back in LA just because its shape was so cool and unique. It reminds me of a huge vertibrate bone of a large mammal like a rino or something prehistoric it has a hollow cave/ tunnel right through the spine of it and will make so all kinds of good places for shrimp and critters to hide of as well as lots and roots nooks for the anubias and other plants to root into.

This tank is just so big I was worried was beyond its limits but with this marvelous lay out your options and scape is limitless :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Here are a few shots of the logs in place as to reflect my scale drawing I had sketched up, the smaller branch manzi is not planned just put in on the spot to experiment with dimension and space in the tank. These are
Front


Close up


Top


Here also are so pics of some plastic suction dishes like for your soap dish and such I picked up for next to nothing that I may experiment with hanging and floating flora dishes both emeresed, submersed and at the water line, oh so many options.



These are some laundry dryer and clothing mesh bags I also snagged for next to nothing in case I need them to separate and isolate some of my substrates. I may use some ¼”-3/4” Black lava to biuld up elevation and terrain in the tank in some parts and this will assist with keeping the lava from spreading wherever over time and also scratching the glass.


This is only initial playing around I no way is the tank going to sit there as I have a large bay window reserved for it and the hardscape should start going into place permanently next weekend. Until then this is just dress rehearsal.

Nice start! I can't wait to see it planted. Keep us updated!

A morning misting for the Hawaiian collection waiting standby on the fire escape in a buss tub awaiting their time to make their move to the new tank. A little VF-11 dilution with water applied in the morning and an evening and afternoon mist of pure H2O.

2 Hoyas, 1 Fern-Humata tyermanii, 1 Terrestrial Moss & 1 Sundew (carnivorous) also awaiting transfer to the emerged sections of the tank.

Quite a build thread! This is a very cool build. I will be following this one. Where did you find those soap dishes?

On Clement St. here in Chinatown SF, CA they were about $1.50 each. I am sure Target and Bed Bath & Beyond or places like that also carry similar.
Yeah this build has been a long time coming. I knew I was getting the tank the day I saw the tanks in The Book of ADA, from that day forward it was all planning I have all of the listed plants in my initial posts standing by for dry start set up so right now I am just waiting for my tank stand and the build will be underway.

Cleaned out and organized the supply closet, all my hardscape materials ready to go.
30lbs Small Black Lava1/4"-3/4"
Akadama DRL 2 9L bags,
Bucket O Manzi,
Box O Black Lava Rocks Med-Med Lrg
Large Volcanic and Boulder Stones


My SGT500 Regulator I snagged on Ebay also awaiting it's build up (geeez so much to do:icon_roll) Since I am going dry start and water wont be going in for at least another six weeks my priorities both for the tank and where my finances are focused are adjusted appropriately so holding on this for the moment is ok although I wish I could afford to do it all like yesterday:icon_wink.

this looks really cool. will follow.

This tank makes me want to get one. Really cool idea and design.

I felt the same...

Super stuff..Cant wait to see it planted!!!

5.14.12
“The map is not the territory”
Well since my stand for the tank is no there till next weekend to mid next week looks as though all I can do is toy with lay design concepts for now. What I can really see now though as compared to the full scale sketches I had and a basic footprint, the actual tank is a whole different perspective.

The map is most certainly not the territory when it comes to this tank and scaping it first hand. I am finding out that the size of the area is quite massive indeed even with the large Mazi logs and boulders I have place in there now. I placed the hard scape items in the back half section as to leave the front half for grazing area and plants.

I envision the now bare logs to be totally covered and grown in with a variety of mosses (both semi aquatic and aquatic) and anubias and bolbitus ferns also. I have also arranged the wood and rocks as so they will line up and break the flow from the lower tier waterfall directly as to ensure any plants on them stay adequately moist and also to diffuse the cascade of water directly onto the water surface(if that makes any sense).

With all the hardscape materials I have at my disposal to work with, black lava, round lrg river stones, large boulders etc... I have more than enough material to complete this build easily. This tank is just so massive and so versatile it’s hard to grasp the entire thing flowing like a Eden like creek. The upper section has just as much potential or more then the lower and right now I am completely drawing a blank as far as a layout concept for up there. I only know that it must compliment the lower sections and look as though it is an immersed / emerged extension of the lower half. My thought is to take my time in the upper half and let it slowly evolve out of the stream scape like natural evolution... Lol... I will just have to see how things progress.

Here are a few shots of the current layout concept for hardscape, as far as plant placement see my sketch post in this thread.





Looking toward the back left corner.

Gnarly piece of Mopani or other Malaysian wood I picked up about 6 years ago in LA at my LFS. Never used it in a tank yet but its shape was so sick I had to snag it. Looks like something out of a Sci Phi novel like a death star or some fragmented piece of meteor, a prehistoric vertebrae bone from some range roaming beast. Who knows my imagination runs wild with it when I hold it and look at it from different angles, as it has so many crevices, holes tunnels and crags extending for every point. Not sure where it will work is way into this layout but I believe it must it some way, shape or form.

I envision shrimp making their home it and crawling all through out it's geography as well as it being a great rooting platform for my anubias, bolbitus, mosses etc...

your reg looks awesome...nice stuff. can wait to see everything in shape soon. good luck:1:

Looking really good, looking forward to seeing it with plants inside!