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Is there any problem with clouding at all using Eco-Complete? If you seen my 10 Gallon log the ADA soil clouds really bad. It says not to rinse as well, but it has very fine dust all through it which my filter doesn't handle.

I think any substrate will cloud the water alittle, but I don't remember the eco staying cloudly more than a few days.

I would do alot of water changes which should eventually get rid of it. You could also use a finer filter media that will catch smaller particles.

My Scapes

Hmmm.... getting confusing. You day you plan Anubias etc but worried light might not be enough. I still think the 96 watt pc would be fine.

I'd try the ADA soil ! Not much price difference with the eco. Never heard of anyone else having clouding issues. Besides we needa guinea pig for some Amano products.

Off topic. I'm heading to Singapore on Sunday night for a couple of days. You now what that means - lots of tank shopping and rare plant smuggling I'm determined to get my hands on a ADA diffuser. Have a list of rare plants I want to try too.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Re the ADA versus eco complete. Here's extract from an aussie supplier today. The prices are all AU$, but thought you might be interested in his comments.

Eco-Complete has an expected lifespan of 24-36mths, similar to the Seachem product, whereas ADA lasts over 10yrs.

For 9.2kg's of EcoComplete you would be looking at approx $75
9kg's of ADA Amazonia is $62.95 (powder form $102.95)
7kg's of Seachem Flourite is $69.95
7kg's of Seachem Onyx is $69.95

HTH

Cheers
TW

Also, NowhereMan6 posted this in one of my threads. I agree, it's very interesting. (Thanks NowhereMan6)

Found this link interesting.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/photo-album/30369-ada-90cm-tank-journal.html

It was made by Jeff senske, the guy at ADA and it shows how he set up one client's tank. Note the way he set up the substrate and how densely he planted from the start. Good advice to follow, me thinks

Cheers
TW

Hmmm.... getting confusing

i think Bensaf is right about that. I am not the one asking for ADA soil, and I decided on a single strip unit.

Maybe this thread has fulfilled its purpose, which was to identify the tank size. A 40G Breeder it is

I made the same mistake that I usually tell others not to do: "Don't plaster one thread with 50 different questions as the situation will become confusing"

As such, feel free to continue the discussion on topics like ADA soil and others, I myself will create a new thread asking more specifically about the hardware wor this tank.

Thanks folks, as always you have been a great help so far,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Eco-Complete has an expected lifespan of 24-36mths, similar to the Seachem product, whereas ADA lasts over 10yrs.

What happens to the Eco after 24-36mths? Does it turn into a pumpkin?

My Scapes

Probably just his sales pitch to me. I asked him for eco-complete, which he was going to have to do as a special order. He's just started stocking the ADA products, so he was trying to swing me across.

Sorry, Ingo, didn't mean to confuse your thread. Thought as you'd mentioned Eco Complete was to be your substrate, thought you might have had a comment about LFS comment re Eco.

Cheers
TW

I'm determined to get my hands on a ADA diffuser

Try to get your hands on one of those beautiful lily pipes too

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Back in the saddle!

TankWatcher,
Only thing I could think of is that eco comes "complete" with alot of macro and other trace elements and that they disapate after 24-36mths. Even if that was the case it doesn't really matter because you still have to dose these things in the water column.

Nowher,
The lily pipe makes the nice swirl on top of the water, right.

My Scapes

No problem Robyn,

I have no issues with having this thread takeing a live of its own as I am interested in the discussed topics as well

So, NowherMan6, what does the beautiful lily pipe do except sucking out water?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Maybe call Jeff again

If the tank doesn't clear up in a week or so I may. Who knows by the time I get this tank set up Jeff and I may be bestest buds ... or he'll get caller ID!



Rick
See all my pictures at Google Web Albums

I don't know if I've mentioned before but Jeff Senske is without doubt my favorite scaper. Yep I even like his work more then Amano's.

He always uses very easy plants so it's a scape anybody can do - with the right vision.

LF - note how he didn't use 1 big piece of wood , rather he built a solid looking structure from smaller pieces

It also shows why I'll never have a hood on any of my tanks. I love open topped tanks. Much more attractive to look at and maintain. Never had a problem with jumping fish either.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

I don't know if I've mentioned before but Jeff Senske is without doubt my favorite scaper.

Then you would love his showroom. When I went to pick up the soil I was amazed by the tanks he has in there. I almost didn't go back to work. All I needed was a lawn chair and a beer and I could have sat and looked at his tanks all day!!

Rick
See all my pictures at Google Web Albums

So, NowherMan6, what does the beautiful lily pipe do except sucking out water

I was actually talking about the pipe that does nothing but spit out the water .. but it's just so damn nice to look at.

Isn't it amazing that there's this big world of aquascaping and planted tanks out there, thatwe're just startign to scratch the surface of over here? Wish the hobby was as advanced over here as it is in Asia


Bensaf,

What's the deal with Senske - is he a student of Amano (not literally, but in terms of design) or what? His site sells ADA products so they have to be related somewhow, but why him?

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Back in the saddle!

Jeff and his brother Mike (another great 'scaper) run ADG. It started as a company doing tanks for clients. People have been bemoaning for a long time the lack of availability of Amano products. Amano has said that it's due to the difficulty in finding a distributor willing to take on a line of products for such a small niche market. The Senske brothers decided to give it a shot while still maintaining their core design/maintenance business.

They have spent some time with the "master" , don't know if you'd call them students though. They have a great web site which I've forgotten the address of, but you could google ADG.

Certainly there's a wider choice and much easier availability of plants and equipment here in Asia. Especially in places like Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong where aquascaping is considered almost an art form and has it's own unique style, very different from a US or European style. The planted tank scene is just starting to expand in places like Indonesia, Tailand and Vietnam. Here in Indo planted tanks have slowly but surely become more popular then marine tanks.

They are a bit behind on the science of it, but with the style of tanks they do (lower light and smaller slower plants then typically used in the US) they get away with it.

Amano products are expensive(with the exception of the soils which are very competeively priced) and some are ridiculous (Riccia thread anybody?) but they work very well
and are beautifully designed and works of art in themselves. Are any of them neccessary for success? Certainly not, but if you can afford it they have an aesthetic that, forgetting about their practical benefits, only can add to the beauty of a tank. So yeah if you can afford it go for it.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Thanks for the info Bensaf. I have seen their website, in fact I spend a fair amount of time looking at it at aquariumdesigngroup.com. There's something different about the way Senske seems to do things from ammano - maybe that amano has a more minimalist style sometimes. Can't put my finger on it right now as I've just returned home from mccann's. But Senske seems to use swords - and large swords at that - moreso than Amano, from the pics I've seen anyway. Perhaps this is due to the custom size tanks Senske has to work with for clients etc, whereas Amano can choose his own canvas... not sure, but there are clear similarities and clear differences.

To be honest their main products aren't TOO overpriced. Considering a new AGA 46 gallon glass bowfront tank can cost $130 dollars or so, $200 for the seamless, rimless 42 gallon work of art isn't too bad - add more money for shipping of course, but it isn't outlandish.

Need to start working more OT

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Back in the saddle!

Considering a new AGA 46 gallon glass bowfront tank can cost $130 dollars or so, $200 for the seamless, rimless 42 gallon work of art isn't too bad

Except when you start reading the Extended Information section. There you find out that all but one size of tank (much smaller) are special orders with very special shipping (and with that comes cost). That is the reason why I buy all my tanks locally. I just cannot afford (or I don't want to) to pay extra for a nicer tank and then double that money for shipping.

Plus, most would require a "custom" stand as well, if you don't place them on a counter top or the like.



Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

I don't know if I've mentioned before but Jeff Senske is without doubt my favorite scaper

So there's another good scaper with the name Jeff?

My Scapes

So there's another good scaper with the name Jeff?

Are you publicly revealing your identity?

I am impressed, this is so non-tetratech like

And yeah, I think the other Jeff is almost as famous as you are

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

go for the 50g i have a 50g and i cant complain one tiny little bit, not to big, not to small .......... perfect !

So there's another good scaper with the name Jeff?

Drat, walked into that one

Betcha didn't know that Takashi Amano's middle name is Bensaf.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Are you publicly revealing your identity?

I am impressed, this is so non-tetratech like

This truly is a big step for tetra. First he showed us his feet, now his name... next we'll have his dog's name and from there it's just a hop-skip-and-a-jump and we'll know where he lives, then we can ransack his house and take all his nice plants

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Back in the saddle!

Yeah you got the left (manicured not) foot and the name. I'll gradually reveal other parts of my anatomy until you could put it all together.

As far as ransacking the house. I have quite an extensive security system around my tank. My dog is also a herding dog and she takes protecting my "herd" of cardinals very seriously.



My Scapes

This truly is a big step for tetra

... Says the person who is only known as NowherMan6



I haven't seen his foot yet

I'll gradually reveal other parts of my anatomy

Oh no, I don't even dare to ask which part we are going to see next

ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Says the person who is only known as NowherMan6

Didn't nowher reveal his first name? At least he's identified himself as NowherMan6 and not just plain NowherMan

He is very secretive even with his tanks

Oh no, I don't even dare to ask which part we are going to see next

Don't worry it will come when you least expect it.

My Scapes

He is very secretive even with his tanks

First of all, give me another week or so. Second, FYI, I have indeed made my first appearance on FP, just yesterday:

http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/threads/28844.1.htm?9#

And I revealed a lot more than tetra has, if I do say so myself

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Back in the saddle!

Your winter grear? That is all I can identify in that picture.

At least tetratech shows us some skin

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Hey LF lets not go there!

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric