experimenting with acrylic terracing (90x40x90)

[azurehalcyon]

Hi all.. ive this huge custom tank (base 40cm x 90cm, height 90cm). The thing is, its very tall, but very narrow. Finally inspiration came in the form of terracing after visiting qian hu fish farm. They used acrylic boards to create diff heights in the aquarium. Below shows the outlays(numbers represent length in cm):



SIDE VIEW(note blue line represents watermark)


I purchased acrylic boards n put it over the stove to make it malleable, then bent it to shape. I then used lots of silicon sealant to glue on sand and petrified rock onto the acrylic to make it look natural. Its currently drying in my tank, n ill update with pictures soon.

Finally, this is how i plan to decorate it:

This is where i need help.. im still quite in the dark about with aquarium plants, n the info dennerle provides isnt quite digestible.(couldnt find Vallesneria gigantea there too, as recommended by juggler) Could anyone help to comment on the type of plants i should get? And can anyone reccommend any sites with comprehensive info on plants?
Thanks to all in advance

[Simon]

interesting concept, will nice to see the real thing.. one thing I challenge about such tanks is to try making the terrace less obvious. Or less, it sticks out like a sore thumb. May I suggest covering it with mosses or using plants to cover them

[azurehalcyon]

hmmm... what mosses are good for covering the terracing? ive seen some that grow all haywire n extend tendrils ALL over the place. but thanks for the idea. maybe ill try to attach some anubias(they can survive without having roots in soil right?) to the boards as well. Also, id like to get those plants with really long, wrinkled leaves... anyone know what are they called? n where can i get them?

[Simon]

[quote:a39beff6cb="azurehalcyon"]hmmm... what mosses are good for covering the terracing? ive seen some that grow all haywire n extend tendrils ALL over the place. but thanks for the idea. maybe ill try to attach some anubias(they can survive without having roots in soil right?) to the boards as well. Also, id like to get those plants with really long, wrinkled leaves... anyone know what are they called? n where can i get them?[/quote:a39beff6cb]

infact any moss is good, if you looking for something easier, that will be java moss.. also try to break the form.. perharps get something to create a rocky feel to it

[Green Baron]

[quote:1fcd4d0acf="Simon"]
infact any moss is good, if you looking for something easier, that will be java moss.. also try to break the form.. perharps get something to create a rocky feel to it[/quote:1fcd4d0acf]
I won't recommed Java Moss as they tend to grow haywire after a while. Suggest Singapore Moss or Christmas Moss. I think using Anubias or other Java Fern may be better choice. You can also use rocks and drift woods to soften the terrancing effect.

Gan

[chua]

A tank of height 3ft (90cm).

You can only try less light demanding plants as light may not be able to penetrate into the ground. Hairgrass may not be the suitable plant. maybe you can try tenullus as the chance will be higher.

[loupgarou]

mh would work

[azurehalcyon]

Gosh u guys r pro... i understand less than half of the plants u mentioned.. tenullus? tried finding it on dennerle but no avail..
so hairgrass requires hi light? ok mayb will try putting it on one of the higher platforms. Is it possible that i install a light lower down, around the watermark? r there models which allow the bulb 2 stick to the aquarium wall? maybe this will help get more light to the plants...
one more question: im planning to grow tall plants, and with light coming only from on top, i fear the leaves lower down wont get much light. What will be the result? would the leaves wither away n rot? or grow bigger? if thats the case wont it be crowded even more n result in even less light getting to the lower leaves?

[BFG]

I don't think leaving a mh right at the water mark is a good idea. It is very hot! The water temp might exceed 30 degrees! Suggest you go for a 2ft depth tank. A 3ft depth tank will cause some problem during maintenance work. It is a struggle for me for a 2ft depth tank to maintain let alone a 3ft depth tank. I'm 1.91m tall. How tall are you?

[vinz]

Try tropica's plant catalog... www.tropica.com. There is also an advance search button on their page somewhere near the top left corner.

To camoflage your acrylic, you can try glueing gravel, pebbles, etc to them with silicon (I think). There's a website on that somewhere... but I have to go find it.

[vinz]

The off-side of Tropica's catalog is that the pictures are in watercolour, not photos.

You can browse the thumbnails by clicking "Plant Catalog" above the alphabetical index.

[Simon]

I think even if you suspend the MH 1.5ft above the water line, I think the bottom still gets the kind of penetration you need

[juggler]

As I mention to him, can use this Plantella's tank for inspiration:
http://www.pbase.com/plantella/malawi_tank

The Vallesneria gigantea can get from Teo Plant Farm. He has a few varieties of Vallesneria available.

[azurehalcyon]

loupgarou: tenullus? whats that? what kind of plant?
BFG: im only 172... haha broke back a million times even jus clearing the tank!! unfortunately, i dont have a choice for the tank. it was custom made, made tall to act as a barrier for my staircase..
Vinz: yup thats what i did. only now the silicon sealant is still quite soft, even after a few days.. hope it stays put. will upload pic soon
juggler:thanks for the link, but i was looking more for some riverbed theme. Got any suggestions to that? heheh.. dont think ill be going teo's first. just found out that my base (yes, im servin NS) has a few nice waterways with LOTS of plants, both emersed n submerged. Maybe ill go on a merry harvesting spree first. Of course, ill leave enough plants for them to recover back. I'll try to get some pics up from there too.
All: pls can anyone tell me, im planning to grow tall plants, and with light coming only from on top, i fear the leaves lower down wont get much light. What will be the result? would the leaves wither away n rot? or grow bigger? if thats the case wont it be crowded even more n result in even less light getting to the lower leaves?

[Sleepy_lancs]

If light is a concern, do try crypts. At least they are slow growers. However, keep some fast growers as Nutrients absorbers just in case you give your plants too much treats.

[izzat]

this type of terracing has been done at a lfs in jurong...
it's FU WO...

but their terracing is nt as complex as urs...
you can take a look there...and they also offer a wide range of plants...

[azurehalcyon]

hi bowler, is it jurong east or boon lay?

[azurehalcyon]

UPDATES:
Ok.. next step in the slow tedious process of setting up my tank. There goes my back. The silicon has hardened n the sand is staying put (well, most):
more detailed:

overall view:

The rocks on the acrylic u see are from petrified wood, bought frm qianhu. I havent added the substrate yet, gonna wait till i attend the workshop this sun. Then ill have a clearer understanding.

thanks juggler for the mayaca n swordplant cuttings. im sure theyll be nice. will keep u updated on my nature ramblings in base. n specimens too, hopefully!!

Comments? i do have a qn: im not gonna fill up the big terrace at the right with all sand. waste of good gravel. Anyone have suggestion for good space filling stuff? ive heard volcanic rock is "porous" hence good for bacteria growth(?), but what abt intrinsic chemicals n trace metals? will it affect h20 chemistry n affect the flora n fauna? or r there "safe" n "unsafe" rocks??

[james]

[quote:4e696d0169="azurehalcyon"]loupgarou: tenullus? whats that? what kind of plant?
...........[/quote:4e696d0169]

"tenullus" would be Echinodorus tenellus.

[geoffrey]

You may want to consider planting into pots and hide them behind your terraces instead of filling your terraces with substrate and planting on it.

This allows flexibility in scaping.