Another tank setup – another long 2ft story

[Rupert]

I sort of had a good idea of what my next 2ft tank would be, the rocks would rise above the water surface like an island. The picture below described the vision, I just needed to be able to complete the picture of what could lie beneath.

After several rock hunting trips in the Philippines I found some rocks that matched what I wanted to achieve, ones that would be tall enough to be higher than the water level, just like the picture.

My interpretation was a two rock formation with smaller rocks for support. Finding the rocks that you want is hard, so when returning to Singapore I didn’t want to risk them being damaged in the check-in luggage so had them as hand-carry in a solid bag. Naturally the queue to check-in at manila was a mile long, but managed to check my luggage ok an progressed through the various security checks, the last one described my rocks as dangerous items and had to be check in. It wasn’t long before boarding started and to go back to check-in queue was daunting, but the rocks were worth it, so back to the long queue I went.

To cut a long story short, boarding had commenced before I reached the counter which then said that I would have to pay excess luggage and of course join another long queue. So I took my precious rocks, which were more heavy than precious and handed them over to the startled check-in person and said that she could have them. This naturally caused more concern, but my flight was departing and it was the flight or the rocks. So my rocks were left behind.

On the positive side I was upgraded and boarded the plane with a few rock scraps. When I got home I managed to reclaim my nano tank off my daughter, which I lost for a year to produced the layout below. The solitary guppy the main inhabitant is a legacy inhabitant.

Now the real reason of this post, after losing my rocks I naturally did something on impulse and bought a new 2ft tank [2ftl x 1w x 1h] to replace my 5plan tank, then got myself an Eden 501 filter and even worse more rocks and produced a “Mars Biotope”.

The larger rock formation in this “Mars Biotope” is made of three rocks at sticking up at angles, with the larger of the 3 standing about 2-3 inches out of the tanks and 4-5 inches above the waterline, while it is expected that the other rock formation on the left will just reach the water surface.

The orphan rock suspended to give an interesting pattern of gaps and it will also be above the waterline as well an intruding into the tank by about 4 inches.

Substrate used is a local brand that is $8 a pack, again a bit of an impulse buy as was going to use lapis sand which I have used before. But this new substrate is dark and probably more colour compatible with the rocks and contrast well with the future inhabitants, which will be scrimp.

The tank will not have CO2 and the light source will mostly by indirect sunlight, except when I get home and I am sitting in front of it, then it will have the lights on [T5 HO], maybe 1-7 hours a week. So the lighting is for my satisfaction rather than the plants.

The problem I am facing now is what plants would look good?

Original thoughts:
1. Cover the entire available base with “leolapis”, so there would be a green carpet. But like a bare foreground so this idea is no longer appealing.
2. Plant the left side & right sides only and leave the center foreground bare. The plants of choice Hemianthus callitrichoides ''Cuba'' Tropica No.048B and or Monosolenium tenerum (''Pellia'') Tropica No.002C
3. Terrestrial plant [bonsai] on the small rock, or a submerged plant that would rise above in a delicate fashion.
4. Weeping willow coming from behind the large rock on the right and rise above the tank. This idea depends on me finding some suitable branching willow at CNY that is short enough and flexible to bend into the desired shape above the tank. Bonsai Willow, if it is at all possible.

What I don’t want to consider:
• Java moss – have too much of that now
• White sand
• Blyxa Japonica – have that now, but it might be good on the small suspended rock?
• Stem plants – but could change my mind
• Hair grass as it just grows too slow and have that already

Suggestions Welcomed

A top down view might help? Not a good picture as space does not permit me getting the entire tank in the field of view.

[loupgarou]

mars would look better bare.. maybe go for cichlids or more alien lifeforms such as yabbies.. hehe

[benetay]

i agree with lougarou go for cichlids...i think they'll love it inside and spawn for you.

[Rupert]

i agree with lougarou go for cichlids...i think they'll love it inside and spawn for you.

Thanks Chris & Benetay I haven’t thought about fish yet, and am completely unfamiliar with "cichlids", so I better study up on their characteristics.

I had dinner tonight down Tung Choi street and found my Hemianthus callitrichoides ''Cuba''. The Tropica ones were selling for $HK120 per pot! and another place was selling a generic kind for $HK30 per pot…. So about to do something but not sure what.

[Nicky]

I had dinner tonight down Tung Choi street and found my Hemianthus callitrichoides ''Cuba''. The Tropica ones were selling for $HK120 per pot! and another place was selling a generic kind for $HK30 per pot…. So about to do something but not sure what.

Hey HC is no longer so pricy in Singapore.. come back to Singapore then buy lah.

[|squee|]

Very innovative. If you manage to pull it off, could be a revolution!

It looks sort of Iwagumi-ish to me though. Um, I'm not sure about the rock really. IIRC Mars doesn't have suspended rocks on it's near surface

Conventionally, I'd go for Vallis nana at the back, bushy plants (blyxia?) at the sides, leave the foreground bare and keep corydoras. The idea is to focus on the rocks and the corys, much like a "empty space in the middle of nowhere".

[Fei Miao]

interesting rocks layout, looking forward to see the tank Terence, is right, don't loose the focus on the rocks.

[ragn4rok]

Hey HC is no longer so pricy in Singapore.. come back to Singapore then buy lah.

Or come to Indonesia. Hemianthus cuba is extremely cheap here. It's only 2500 rupiahs / pot (1S$ = 5858 rupiahs)

[Cacatuoides]

wow! this guy is all over asia.....interesting concept and layout...looking forward to see the step by step process and of cos the final product....e rocks are cool, where did u get it from?

[Justikanz]

Or come to Indonesia. Hemianthus cuba is extremely cheap here. It's only 2500 rupiahs / pot (1S$ = 5858 rupiahs)

Huh? Isn't that like $0.50 per pot? So cheap? Wow... Maybe you can actually bring some over and sell to us! That's even cheaper than almost all plants here...

Rupert, I would also suggest a bare substrate with vallis nana at the sides. What about Aspidoras sp. as the main fish?

[Rupert]

Hello Nicky - Pleased to see that SG is cheaper than HK, but not sure the HC is a good idea, so will need to think about it. I want plants but like it bare as well, so sort of stuck with insufficent experience to complete what I want achieive.

Terrance & Fei Miao, not trying to innovate, just do what I want to do in a manner that is enjoyable. I might get ugly before it gets better as I have stuggled to get to grips with a plant selections not really sure what I am doing, but want to keep the focus on the rocks. Terrence it was my family that thought it look like Mars, with just the rover explorers missing! What is the full name of Vallis nana so that I can search on it?

Ragn4rok you should export HC to Hong Kong!

Cacatuoides, travel is not much fun, my weekly cycle is airport - hotel – work – airport. The final product is not known, but I have a rocking chair in front of the tank and I like to have a coffee in the morning and watch the critters mover around the tank.

[ragn4rok]

Huh? Isn't that like $0.50 per pot? So cheap? Wow... Maybe you can actually bring some over and sell to us! That's even cheaper than almost all plants here...

Sorry OOT,

The price drops like crazy because local freshwater plant farmer don't care about the beauty of this pant. They just think about the quantity, and sell a lot of them to local fish shops. When they first come to Indonesia from Tropica, the price is still quite high (Rp 100,000) then the price drop to Rp 50,000; Rp 25,000; and finally Rp 2,500 (after be bought by local farm).

This condition is also happen with other plants that come to local farm. There is no different price between Glosso, Hemianthus cuba, Rotala macrandra, Echinodorus martii, Ludwigia arcuata, Nesea crassicaulis, Ludwigia inclinata, and many many other plants. Except : large and slow plants such as Crinum, Echinodorus rubin, etc.

[Rupert]

Rupert, I would also suggest a bare substrate with vallis nana at the sides. What about Aspidoras sp. as the main fish?

I found the full name "Vallisneria nana" with a description + picture at the Tropica web site. This is a good suggestion from the forum, I can almost see it in the tank…. now I just need to find some before CNY!

[|squee|]

Guess you found the name However you see it, it's a different tank and concept and it's refreshing! Hope this tank turns out well for you.

[Justikanz]

Try C328. Aunty often has a couple of pots at the back... Or you can try Fu Wo @Jurong East. They have this vallis nana look-alike, which Andy the shop owner claimed to be thick hairgrass...

[Rupert]

Try C328. Aunty often has a couple of pots at the back... Or you can try Fu Wo @Jurong East. They have this vallis nana look-alike, which Andy the shop owner claimed to be thick hairgrass...

Thanks I might just order some plants and wait. I went out along Tong Choi street tonight to see if I could find some vallis nana. I found one shop with a plant that looked the same [but unnamed] at $HK98 per rosette I consider that way too much.

So this CNY I will have plenty of time to stare at an empty tank and consider plant layout options.

[Nevada]

Hey Mr Rupert,

seems like you are getting deeper into this hobby ... the rock positioning for the Mars Biotope looks great. You can try using the combination between hairgrass, HC and glosso stigma...
Keep us updated with the progress there Mr Rupert. You are making me feel ithci to setup a tank again ...

anyway good luck and enjoy doing more and more planted tank setup ...

Edwin

[Rupert]

You are making me feel ithci to setup a tank again ...

Hello Edwin,

Good to hear form you! You should set a new tank, the last one that I saw of yours look great, did I see it in the ADA results this/last year? When I did see your tank for real I was surprised that is was only a 2footer as it looked a lot larger.

I am getting deeper in to the hobby, have 4 tanks at present, however I am really just the caretaker of the nano tank, and the FivePlan tank will get decommissioned over the next month or so.

I have changed the rocks a bit to add some more character and bit of terracing, then moved the floating rock to the left side, it is still floating, but the pointed profile can be seen better. This layout is me trying to do something a bit different and seeing how it works out. Probably the only rule followed is that if one hides one side of the layout the remaining half looks interesting.

I was lucky that Thio of Biotope was going past my place and was able to deliver my HC Cuba late Friday night, so was able to plant it out this morning at 6.am when normal people are probably sleeping-in, but, with nothing to do and still missing the Vallis Nana, it was easier than cleaning my big tank.

This 2ft tank will not be complete for a week or so, which is good as I do not have a camera to take pictures even if I wanted to…..and with nothing to do tonight, I might just sit in my rocking chair in front of the new tank, have a beer or two and see if I can generate psychic plant growth.

[spinex]

Interesting concept. For plants you might wanna visit Teo's Plant Farm at Lim Chu Kang and buy all those you fancy in 1 trip. They have a lot of plants at reasonable price.

My first and only trip there is with the AQ 2005 outing. A large patch of hairgrass at $5 bought by XnsDVD. It's at least 20cm x 15cm patch.

I got my HC there which is also roughly about 20cm x 15cm for $10. Cheap or not ?

For the HC you can choose and request for the patch to be cutted. Just like cake cutting.

[Rupert]

Interesting concept. For plants you might wanna visit Teo's Plant Farm at Lim Chu Kang and buy all those you fancy in 1 trip. They have a lot of plants at reasonable price.

My first and only trip there is with the AQ 2005 outing. A large patch of hairgrass at $5 bought by XnsDVD. It's at least 20cm x 15cm patch.

I got my HC there which is also roughly about 20cm x 15cm for $10. Cheap or not ?

For the HC you can choose and request for the patch to be cutted. Just like cake cutting.

Thanks Spinex the concept is still maturing. Unfortunately travel commitments meant that I was only back in SG for CNY and at a time when all the plant farms were shut! I too have seen various plants sold in a carpet like format, just requiring a pair of scissors to cut the shape and then lay it out like carpet to form a golf course look.

In my case I went the old fashioned way of getting a pots and planting them as best I could and secondly the plants in the tank need to rely on low diffused light, so I would prefer that the plants grow to the limits of the available light rather than die back to a level where they can survive. My plants might get T5 HO light in the weekends when I am home, but that is it.

One thing that I have noticed about the presentation of plant stock is that the quality in SG is ok, but in HK there is greater presentation emphasis & concentration. Tung Choi Street seems to be a living example of Michael Porter’s clustering generating business and driving up consumer choice etc.