grey_fox 5 footer tank journal.

[grey_fox]

OK, after a good 9 hours of back breaking work (I ended up spraining my neck... and ended up getting a 2 day MC...) I've rescaped the tank but its not fully done up yet.

I'm thinking if I should cover the entire right with hair grass or probably another driftwood, thus forming a valley (any ideas?)

I threw away ALL the e. tenellus (had a full bucket of it..) and a number of other plants... I kept most of the hairgrass and re-trimmed it down again except for those that got entangled badly by the tenellus.

Sorry for the dirty shot.

From this



To this

[richietay]

filling up with hairgrass or adding DW together with plants forming a gentle slope, both option certainly work out well!
filling up the bare patch with hairgrass means another back aching work, !

Awaits to see the completion of your setup!

[dc88]

A valley design may add some interesting complexity to it ?
The second DW mound at the right probably to keep the golden ratio 1.618:1 ?

[grey_fox]

I'm keen on doing a valley as well as keeping the right simple by simply having a hairgrass field (which will probably take a while to grow), also I agree that the golden ratio will be kept, however, what will be the focal point if I add the other driftwood?

**Yah.. after spraining my neck and my upper right shoulder, makes me thinking if I should go about spraining the other side of my body as well.

[michael lai]

Try adding a smaller DW on the right( lower than the left DW ), your focal point will still be the DW on the left and you still get your valley. My 2 cents.

[grey_fox]

So, I should keep that lower driftwood planted with JF, Windelovs, etc as well?

[michael lai]

Moss and nana will be nice.

[grey_fox]

Hmmm... moss & nana. Looking for a driftwood would be the next issue... by the way, you do have tubs of taiwan moss right?

[michael lai]

Yea, and some still on DW, big and small. If you like can negotiate letting go cheap. I'm cutting down on tanks.

[grey_fox]

Will pop by tomorrow then to have a look-see, will you be in around 1030-1100?

[Justikanz]

I think your discus will prefer an echi, with its big leaves. Anyway, with a 5ft tank, you can have an echi on the right corner and with a smaller piece of wood, you can create a psuedo-valley... My 2 cents.

[Fei Miao]

Nice, I think the discus would love the open space, I would keep the echis near the back.

[grey_fox]

Thanks guys, really appreciate your feedback.

Anyways, I've added more items and have the following layout. Please note that it is not complete as yet, I am intending to have more moss on a driftwood added to the front of the driftwood on the right side or perhaps a medley of crypts. (Suggestions?) Thanks to Michael Lai for his feedback and assistance as well

If I have more moss on the foreground driftwood, I will move the hairgrass into the 'valley' and have them spread out left-to-right infront.

I did have a huge Echi. Osiris (leaf width was about a good 15-18cm) and height more than 2 feet. I have passed this to one of the members of the forums here, believe he can vouch for the sheer size of the Echi. The discus prefer to hide at the back of the driftwoods and do come out once in a while, the braver three (that you see being captured) are always out in the open. The rest are hiding in the 'cave' I created at the combination of driftwoods at the left side. They'll only be visible when they 'sniff' the bloodworms.



EDIT: Replaced photo taken in the afternoon with a new photo just taken. -reflection.

[michael lai]

Looking good, grey fox. Now only need to fill in the blank and wait for the rest of the plants to grow out.

[grey_fox]

5 days after the rescape, water has cleared up already and have also added 60 red noses. I've yet to cover up that open hole on the right and also another spot.

Removed all the "tiger" vallisnerias on the left and added the chiller to the tank.

[|squee|]

What's missing is the lack of plants at the extreme left and right of the tank, doesn't "fill out" the picture. The moss balls look weird to me too, but this is purely my personal preference

Perhaps use more crypts (crypts en masse and grown well are very nice and wild looking) around the moss balls's bases, and for the extreme left and rights I've no idea, because I'm thinking the discus will like the extra swimming space. If that is so you have to "stablise" the java fern mound.

[grey_fox]

Hmm yeah, I'm actually waiting for the balansae's to grow thicker at the extreme right and thinking of placing more balansae's at the extreme left.

As for the moss ball, i simply moss balls

I'm thinking of placing more moss at the base of the moss ball, probably another driftwood to cover up that hole and shift the hairgrass to the centre and have more crypts on the right side (en masse).

[richietay]

grey_fox, looking good!

your moss ball near the water surface, does the shape sag down when u do water change? where the water level dropped when water drawn.
i have a taiwan moss ball grown on tip of bogwood near water surface, the whole shape sag down when i do weekliy water change. Have to actually style it ..

are you planning to further fill the foreground with hairgrass? will look very nice

[grey_fox]

Hey richie,

Thanks. Yup, it will sag down but as long as the water level drops slowly everything should be fine

I'm planning to fill the right side first with a driftwood with more moss and have crypts and nanas surround the base. The hairgrass will be planted further into the foreground to fill up the spaces on the left & right. It'll be more concentrated in the middle of the "valley" and more balansae's to fill up the left back of the tank.

[genes]

The left side seems to be giving a natural look while the right side is showing the opposite - controlled and artificial.

I feel having some symmetry on the left and right hand side is better for a valley concept. Just my opinion...