My Planted and Marine Tanks Update

[FC]

Hi reader,

Just wish to share with you my simple aquascapes. I would appreciate your comments on how they can be improved. Thank you.
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[ruyle]

Freddy,
I'll comment on the FW planted tank: I find it very serene. To add some
hardscape like rocks and driftwood would stand the chance of ruining
this serenity. Some miniatures (like men stripped to the waist with drawn
machetes coming out of the dense thicket might be a nice touch)......no,
too Taiwanese

Ummm, where are the fish? On holiday? Some fish would be nice.

Did you try it with a white background? Just as an experiment....

It's a beautiful tank the way it is, Freddy!

Bill

[FC]

Hi Bill,

Thank you for your feedback. Yes, I like to have serence feel in my setups. And I like rocks and woods very much but I was not good at using them for aquascape at all .

I do have fishes, about 25 young Holland Rams, some newly added killies, a SAE, some ottos. They are all small fishes, spot them in below photo. I hope the main fish, Rams, when grown up will add enough life/colours to the tank.
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Notice the clear water when looking through the long side of the tank (below).
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Having crystal water has always been my highest priority because I get lots of satisfaction out of it. Besides, it helps to bring out the best of the plants' beauty. It also give me a sense of health in the tank.

[ruyle]

Amazing clarity, like there's no water in there at all! I also like your choice
of color for the stand and hood: a mahogany stain? This is your 4x2x2 foot tank, isn't it? Rams are nice but some shoaling fish would be cool in this tank

Freddy, what model of Eheim canister did you use for this tank? Truly
impressive!

Bill

[FC]

Amazing clarity, like there's no water in there at all!

Almost to that effect. If the viewer can put away the thought of the water and with room lights off, the tank will acutally appear that way.

The photo's colour was not accurate, it is cherry which goes with the rest of the room's furnitures. I also like black, which I think would help make the tank stands out.

Yes, it is 4x2x2 foot tank. The filter I am using is a Eheim 2028. If I were to choose again, I would go for 2250. It has huge 12 litres of filter media volume and flow at 1,000 L/hr which will work great (for my tank size) as both mechanical and semi-biological filter. It would last me at least a year before needing rinsing. And best of all, they cost almost the same. However, it would (of course) takes up more room of my cabinet. In contrast, 2028 has 7.3L and flow rate of 1050 L/hr, it is a (mechanical) filter with little biological value.

I learnt the key to clear water is to do minimal change water. Contrary to popular beliefs, plants can thrive with no algae issues with infrequent water change. The other important aspect is placement of the filter's inlet and outlet in the tank. See above first photo, this is, in my opinion, the best. The oulet produces a gentle swirl and the filtered water travels the longest possible distance before it return to the inlet point. On the other hand, the inlet take in the oldest water every time.

Rams are nice but some shoaling fish would be cool in this tank

Yeah, I like to have schooling fish too. I had been looking for one for a long time but I cannot find one that I like. I like cardinals but they are too common (though they are beautiful fishes). Do you have recommendations?

[ruyle]

I've always liked tiger barbs, common I know, but I like their antics.
Rasboras would be good, too. And, to keep that lawn you have finely
trimmed, throw in a couple of tennis ball-size apple snails!

I'm kiddin'

Bill

ps Freddy, thanks for the info on the Eheims!

[FC]

Yes, Rasboras would be great. I am going shopping this weekend . I have soft spot for small fishes, so, I will go for the small species.
Thanks!

[hwchoy]

Freddy, I would strongly recommend you a school of free swimming and schooling fishes (considering your scape allows a lot of swimming room)…

smaller: Inlecypris auropurpureus
larger: Rasbora caudimaculata

I think a school of 16-24 fish will be good.

[FC]

hwchoy,

Do you photos to share? Any fish shop that you would recommend to get them. I would go for 50 pcs.

[hwchoy]

hwchoy,

Do you photos to share? Any fish shop that you would recommend to get them. I would go for 50 pcs.

here's the Inlecypris auropurpureus, size should be around 3-4 inches each. Azmi have had them before.

Suggest you add them in 12 at a time, and observe if they still school. Too many and the school may break up.




I haven't edited my own Rasbora caudimaculata pix, but here's some from MrTree and Fazlee (petfrd). This fish is bigger but also schools well.

http://www.petfrd.com/forum/attachme...achmentid=9910
http://www.petfrd.com/forum/attachme...achmentid=9909
http://www.petfrd.com/forum/attachme...chmentid=19235

[Piscesgirl]

Nice tanks -- I love the shrimp in your Marine tank! I agree some small schooling fish would look very nice in your planted tank. I'm not so sure about the tiger barbs though, they can be aggressive.

[FC]

Heng Wah,

The fish reminds me of "Nasik Lemak" fish (a fish used in a popular Malay style packed rice) . Not bad, I will get to see them as delicious fishes that are too petite to land up on my plate . I will find time to fish them this weekend... *I am so fishy now*:P

Deborah,

We call it the "doctor" shrimp here. It has dramatic colours.

[CM Media]

Hi fc,

I saw that you do have a tomato clown in your marine tank setup. Are you keep to adopt mine to make it a pair? I have problem with this fish as it's always going after my another clown of a different strain.

[FC]

Au,

Mine is not agreesive, may be because it is not "native" fish, I add it in about a month or two ago. I just realised that it is a fast grower/ big eater, I do not know how big it can get. And I think he likes a partner .

[greenmiddlefinger]

Man a beautiful field.

Hmm, well you're asking for improvements so to be honest I don't really like the lily where it is . . . it draws all eyes to it, and I don't think it contrasts well with the (tenellus?). I think it would be nicer moved closer to the crypts, or if it were replaced with more crypts . . . just my opinion.

[FC]

Hi Steven,

I appreciate your opinion.

Yes, the lotus is a bit awkward in position. I was aware but I have a problem, most of my plants grow like giant, just look at the Crypt Wenttii brown. Soon, the lotus would be big enough and close to the Crypt. So, to avoid over-shadowing the Crypt, I placed a bit far apart. I will update you with photos and let me know if you have further comments (please do).

I also kind of using what I have left in this aquascape. In any case, I am really bad in it, I hardly can hold a candle to most show tanks in local fish shops here .

[|squee|]

Hi Freddy,

I might sound a bit crazy over the next few paragraphs but here're just some suggestions I've learnt if you really want a good scape.

You'll find that addition of a hardscape (a peice of driftwood, or a set of rocks) will improve your scape dramatically. Select long branchy ones that give the eye lines to follow, leading to the crypt "bushes" I'm going to talk about later. Tie some moss (you guys are supposed to be moss-crazy!) on the branches at random but "settled-looking" places.

I feel that the crypt bunch (fantastic bunch there by the way) can be trimmed to produce a more defined orb look if you know what I mean. I personally hate lotuses , so I'll suggest you remove it and plant more of that crypt you have in it's position. It'll 'balance' out the scape. Finally, some neatening of the E.tennellus lawn can be done to touch the scape up.

[greenmiddlefinger]

I don't see moss branches being very strong here, as the theme is a "field tank" more than a typical planted tank lay out. It's not really a forest, and not really a close-up type look. This tank is more like a zoomed-out shot of a field, especially reminiscent of Amano's Africa-influenced tanks. In that context, wood doesn't really make sense, as it will inevitably "zoom-in" the picture a bit. Stone-work might be plausible, and might be strong, but I think even that should be minimalistic. After all, how many huge rocks do you see sticking out of the middle of a field? If rock-work is to be used, I think it should be bent in the shape of the plants, instead of the usual plants bent to the shape of the hardscape, because this isn't an iwagumi, that's for sure.

Though, who doesn't love a good iwagumi or more tradition "nature-aquarium" style. But this isn't one of them.

I kind of agree on the lotus. A plant with such huge leaves also inevitably "zooms in"