JadeIceGreen's Project Nanos

[nitingdedao]

Originally Posted by JadeIceGreen

Yes, it's a joy to work with such equipment. Thanks for dropping by!




I'm glad you are enjoying the journal.
The bags you recommend are for Purigen? Or?

I tried many bags or coffee filters but to no success....

Bought "The bag" from ebay 3 years ago. Still using them till now.

Originally Posted by nitingdedao

I tried many bags or coffee filters but to no success....

Bought "The bag" from ebay 3 years ago. Still using them till now.

Yes, The Bag is a fantastic product. Too bad I don't have one of my own.

[fireblade]

wat bag is that? same as the "sock" you showed?

Wah, thanks for the ADA equipment porn! Looking forward to your next update!

Originally Posted by fireblade

wat bag is that? same as the "sock" you showed?

No it's not. The one I got is another brand which specialises in Marine, that's why it's so fine and can hold Purigen.
Seachem's filter bag is not available any more for local sale based on what I know.

Originally Posted by stelim

Wah, thanks for the ADA equipment porn! Looking forward to your next update!

You're most welcome and thanks for dropping by! Working on the next update as we speak.

Pressurised CO2 injection is critical to any successful and thriving aquascape. Even for aquascapes that features flora such as Java Ferns, Anubias Nana or any of the various Mosses, CO2 injection have shown to encourage healthier and stronger growth.

About a year back or so, cylinders in stainless steel, holding just under a litre of CO2 were made available. It was a most welcomed addition as stainless steel is more stylish than the conspicuous red, blue or green steel cylinders we were all using. Before the introduction of the 1 litre amount, the existence of other stainless steel CO2 cylinders were avialable. However, they were largely copies of ADA's CO2 system and their small size meant that a change every month or so was needed. A 1 litre amount is small enough to not be an eyesore but yet holding enough CO2 for a nano tank for many months.




An area of great importance in which sufficient attention should be given to, is the quality of the CO2 regulator. The accuracy and reliability of the CO2 regulator has a direct effect on the aquascape, especially in preventing algae outbreaks.

The accuracy of a CO2 regulator is based on how sensitive it allows for the adjustment of bubbles per second, while reliability ensures the holding of constant pressure based on the established bubble count over a long period of time. A good regulator will allow of the adjustment of every 0.5 bubbles per second and hold constant pressure till the CO2 cylinder runs dry.

Just the right amount of CO2 supplied is necessary for a balanced aquascape. Too little and CO2 becomes the limiting factor, leading to poor flora growth with excess nutrients being the catalyst for algae growth. Too much CO2 and fauna suffers or even dies. Another reason for algae is the fluctuation of CO2 injected into the aquascape, and this is one reason many overlook, blaming fertilisers or lighting levels. An aquascape is more forgiving of fertilisers and lighting levels as compared to the constant availability of the right amount of CO2 during the photo-period.





Of all the essentials of a healthy aquascape - lighting, CO2, filtration, substrate, fertilisers and temperature, CO2 was the hardest for me to get right. To determine the amount of CO2 needed for the aquascape in bubbles per second is not difficult, but to ensure that the CO2 is sufficiently diffused and spread evenly around the aquascape took some failures to learn.

There are many methods to ensure injected CO2 is processed into bubbles that are minute enough for prolonged exposure and ready intake by the aquascape. Utilising a ceramic disc, an atomizer, an inline diffuser or even the filter's impeller are common ways. Although the ways to introduce CO2 into the aquascape is diverse, they all work towards the same goal, to achieve as fine a CO2 mist as possible.

The quality of the diffuser is therefore paramount. Before the Pollen Glass Mini, I have always struggled with algae as the recommended bubble count does not seem to work in my aquascapes. After realising that the CO2 mist from my creamic diffusers are not as fine as ADA's, I increased the bubble count to achieved a sufficient CO2 amount.

Inferior diffusers do not evenly diffuse across the entire disc, creating bubbles of different sizes. More often than not, the majority of bubbles created are of sizes too big to be useful. Although I managed to get enough CO2 into the aquascape when using such diffusers by overloading the areas of the disc which are fine enough, the sight of so many of the bigger bubbles is distracting and a waste of CO2.

Manufacturing a ceramic disc that creates a fine enough CO2 mist throughout its entire surface takes some effort and cost. For diffusers which are retailing cheaply, the quality of the disc will have been compromised to a certain degree. For Nano I, I decided to go with Pollen Glass Mini to achieve as fine a CO2 mist as possible.




Like all ADA products, the packaging and protection afforded to the glassware is of the highest standards.








Simply beautiful.






The high quality ceramic disc that ensures a fine CO2 mist emits equally throughout the disc's surface.

With this post on the chosen substrate to be used, we have finally come to the end of introducing all the components of Nano I. After this, we can start discussing about the aquascape itself. The choice for substrate is a very easy one, ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia is celebrated worldwide and I've not used a better substrate.






Aqua Soil Amazonia is made up of natural black soil that is then heat treated and processed into a specific gravity and grain size that is ideal for root growth. This black soil is rich in humic acid and nutrients which are very good for flora. However, the high concentration of humic acid will seep into the water column during the first few weeks and if chemical filtration is not utilised, a yellow tinge can be seen.

Aqua Soil Amazonia comes in two sizes, normal and powder. As their names suggests, normal is the bigger-sized grain while powder is much smaller. In nano tanks such as the Mini S, Aqua Soil powder is very useful in ensuring the substrate grain size is in good relation to the tank itself. A grain size bigger than Aqua Soil powder will hinder the creation of an aquascape that appears larger than it is.




Besides using Aqua Soil Amazonia, I will also be using Power Sand Special S. Similarly, Power Sand comes in various sizes but the reasons behind the different in sizes is to enable Power Sand to better withstand the increased water pressure that comes with tanks of greater depths.

So what is Power Sand and what does it do? According to ADA, Power Sand is made out of porous volcanic stones and humus which supplies nutrients to plant roots over a long period of time. The volcanic stones prevents substrate hardening, sustains water penetration and encourage better water circulation at the bottom of the substrate.



Power Sand is one of those ADA products that no one seems to be sure of. I'm confident that it does work as described, but how effectively, I have no idea. It is completely possible to have a healthy substrate with just Aqua Soil Amazonia, and many world class aquascapers have proven it to be so. But I'm still going to use it because the best growth that I've in my nano tanks were from substrates that had it.

I will be using Power Sand Special that has Bacter 100 and Clear Super pre-blended in. Bacter 100 is a substrate addictive that contains more than 100 kinds of substrate bacteria in a dormant state. Clear Super is also a substrate additive but it is made out of activated carbon and organic acid. Together, they will improve the substrate environment right from the start. When pouring out the Power Sand Special S, you will notice that the stones are moist, just like ADA Bio Rio. I presuming it's because they contain they too contain beneficial bacteria and nutrients.

Power Sand is the first to be introduced into the Mini S. Carefully poured in and spread out evenly, a thin layer is formed. Special attention is paid to the front of the tank and a corridor of space is created to ensure that it will not be visible when the substrate is completed.






After Power Sand Special, Amazonia Powder is then sprinkled in slowly, building up the substrate layer by layer. Each existing layer is worked upon using ADA's Sand Flattener before a new layer is added, ensuring a smooth and inclined substrate.





This is my first time using the sand flattener. Before this, I thought it was largely a waste of finances and I was not willing to purchase one. Even this well-used sand flattener was a loan from a friend who has been using it for more than 10 years! But after experiencing setting up the substrate with it, I will be purchasing one. It was incredibly easy to establish a smooth and detailed substrate with it for the Mini S. For a larger tank, it may not make that much of a difference, but for a nano tank like the Mini S, it was great for the finesse it allowed.




After a quick 10 minutes of work, the substrate is complete. All we need to do next, is to get some hardscape in!

[Jon-san]

The scapes starting soon then? We want more! We want more!

Originally Posted by Jon-san

The scapes starting soon then? We want more! We want more!

Yes, hardscape will be starting later today. Instead of doing a complicated one, I want to pull off a simple but elegant aquascape and let it shine in its simplicity.

I'll give you more soon! Haha.