My new aquascape using cosmetic sand

[timebomb]

Hi, folks,

A few weeks ago, my issue of TAG (The Aquatic Gardener Volume 18 Number 14) arrived. Many thanks to Bill Ruyle who paid the subscription fees for me.

TAG has improved a lot since the days when it was in black and white. Now, the pictures are in colour and the articles are very good. In the latest issue, there's an article by Takashi Amano where he describes how he uses cosmetic sand in his latest aquascapes.

I was inspired to try something similar so about a week ago, I started planning. I couldn't afford ADA's light coloured Bright Sand which sells for $68 a bag but I found something almost similar. It's Europet River Sand which retails for only $10 a bag (10 kg).

2 days ago, my wife helped me tear down my tank. It was a lot of work and if I had done it alone, it would have given me a backache. Anyway, we caught out the fish, removed the plants and took out all the gravel. I washed the top layer and threw away the rest. It was just too much work to clean all the gravel as those mixed with the base fertiliser was just too messy.

After emptying the tank, I dried it with a piece of rag. It was important that the bottom of the tank was completely dry as I have to glue a piece of acrylic to it. The acrylic acts as a divider to separate the cosmetic Europet sand in the foreground from the Lonestar gravel in the background. Idiot that I was, I didn't realise that there's a difference between transparent silicon and white silicon. I discovered, only too late, that white silicon stands out like a sore thumb. Anyway, here's a picture of the piece of acrylic:



Next, I poured in the base fertiliser to the back portion. I'm trying something new. It's called Amtra Plant Depot. The brochure says its made of "compounds specially enriched with nutrient iron via a patented manufacturing process, and which releases the iron to the plants only very slowly and over a very long period of time". Sounds good, doesn't it?


I then covered the base fertiliser with Lonestar gravel and added the Europet sand to the front portion. The huge ice-cream stick you see in the tank is my sand flattener


Next, I put in the driftwood and the rocks. I tied some Spiky Moss to various parts of the driftwood and some of the rocks. Instead of a piece of acrylic, Amano uses rocks as a divider. But I'm concerned that I may have to tear down the tank again one day so I figured it was best to keep the cosmetic sand entirely separated from the gravel. You never know when you have to tear down a tank again, right? My rocks are used for hiding the piece of acrylic.


Then it was time to add water. I used a few sheets of old newspapers to cushion the force of the water.


When the tank was half-filled, I added the plants to the back portion. On both sides, I planted Crypts, those low-growing ones. In the centre portion, I planted 4 stalks of Echinodorus uruguayensis and many Cryptocoryne balansae. The idea was to keep all the tall plants in the middle of the tank behind the driftwood to keep it as a focus point. Then it was time to add a moss wall. We can't have an aquascape without one, right? I'm using Taiwan Moss.

This is how my tank looks this morning:


Nice?

Now, all I have to do is keep my fingers crossed and wait for the aquascape to take shape. The cosmetic sand, under the lights, glares. But I think it will act as a very good background for fish pictures. I intend to keep Simp. fulminantis in this tank and I hope to get very good pictures of them. If only they will keep still for me

Loh K L

[damnit]

Hey Kwek Leong,

That is one promising planted tank!!! My cories would love your front yard!!!

[stormhawk]

I like using fine river sand for my tanks if they contain catfishes. My main 3ft tank has a fine sand layer to the right side mixed in with ADA Amazonia. While I realise I should have used a divider, the sand has naturally mixed into the Amazonia layer and it looks very natural now.

Good luck with the scape, note however, do not keep diggers in the tank and make sure the sand layer gets a good raking every now and then. Trapped gases or dirty particles in the sand layer can be a killer of bottom-dwelling fishes.

[Piscesgirl]

Looks like it is going to be beautiful!

[amber2461]

It looks gorgeous ... keep us posted !

Cheers

[ruyle]

Hummm, "Huge ice cream stick?" So if I'm in an SG hardware store
wanting a paint stirrer, I ask for a huge ice cream stick? Interesting....

KL, as your friend, it is time to make an intervention here: I don't think
the moss wall is going to work with what you're trying to say with this
new scape, which looks like it'll be wowzer when you get it done! I think
a green wall of moss behind the scape will obscure the line of plants, the
setting, and detract from it. All up to you of course, just my opinion.

Nobody does moss walls like you do, but with this totally new scape,
why bring back the old?

OK, I'll shut up. Glad you're enjoying TAG

Bill

[timebomb]

Thanks for the encouragement, folks.

Bill, you're probably right. The moss wall was a last-minute addition. It never figured in my original plan. I shouldn't have put one up but I feel a certain obligation to grow as many mosses as I can in my tanks because, quite regularly, hobbyists around the world write me for them.

In any case, it isn't a big deal with the moss wall. If it spoils the aquascape, I can easily take it down.

Loh K L

[ruyle]

KL,
I forgot you're Mr. Moss to the world! Who knows, maybe it'll look
better than I think....really like what you've done so far.

Keep us posted!

[FC]

Hi Bill,

I was there when KL put up the moss wall.

KL and I discussed about this addition and we both agree (like what you mentioned) the moss wall would "blur" the aquascape outline and discounted the much desired contrast. I also think that the moss wall, which will show up in a month's time, will reduce the valuable depth and illusion feel too.

However, KL mentioned as a long timer in moss (wall) grower, it is a pain to get a break. And I agree.

[timebomb]

Hi, everyone,

It's been 3 months so I thought I show you how the tank looks now:





The cosmetic sand in the foreground is as pristine as ever. I never have to vacuum it as the surface is so smooth no dirt stays on it. The rocks along the divider can no longer be seen as the mosses have covered them completely. I will have to start pulling out some mosses later.

Loh K L

[FC]

KL,

The photos did no justification to the real thing. The plants and cosmetic sands are much more awesome in reality. The sands did create the soothing view much like a virgin beach. With effect like this, who needs foreground plant? When I waked my lazy bones, I will do the same.

[amber2461]

Your tank has blossomed beautifully under your tender loving care K Leong. A job well done !!!

[timebomb]

Thanks for the kind words, Freddy and Marge.

Actually, using cosmetic sand as part of the aquascape is a great idea. I think it would work better for small tanks though. With nano tanks, there are few suitable foreground plants so it's best to keep the foreground clear.

Loh K L

[Yong Foo]

Wow! Simple, nice and neat.
I like it
Drooling .................
Add in some Notho rachovii I guess they will stand out pretty well.

[azn_fishy55]

looking good,I like the bushyness of the the moss.

[luenny]

Wow! That's a very nice tank indeed. Wish I have the time and patience for that. By the way, did you use any chiller for the tank? What's the temp?

[RRG]

I thought in the beginning that I agree with Bill about the moss wall, but in my eyes looking at your mature tank now I think that moss wall is perfect in that tank.

The sand is so neat! It reminds me of floating in the ocean and seeing the coastal beach from that view. I also love that Spiky Moss and like Andrew said it’s so bushy.

I might try doing similar like this, too. KL, how many gallons is that tank? Are you using any CO2 supplement and what kind of light are you using? And I hope you don’t throw away your excess Spiky moss when you do start trimming the mosses.

[timebomb]

The tank is almost 400 litres, Randall. I have CO2 and Freddy was the one who tuned the bubbling rate for me. You have to ask him if you want to know "how many bubbles per second". As for lights, I'm using two tubes of 4 feet florescents. It may seem too low but mosses and Crypts do fine with low lighting.

You're a regular in this forum, Randall so it will be a shame if you do not have any Spiky Moss. Let me have your mailing address through private messaging and I'll send you some right away.

Luenny, I'm using a DIY chiller for the tank. It's actually a Potong ice-cream freezer. You can read up on the details in this post.. The DIY chiller keeps my tank at a temperature of 26 degrees C on most days. By the way, if you noticed, the members here sign off with real names in their posts. I would appreciate it very much if you do the same. Thanks.

Loh K L

[luenny]

By the way, if you noticed, the members here sign off with real names in their posts. I would appreciate it very much if you do the same. Thanks.

Loh K L

Hi KL,
Sorry about that. Will keep that in mind the next time I post - which is now And yes I read up about your DIY chiller some time ago. Good to hear that it is functioning so well.

Wei Luen

[stormhawk]

Excellent tank KL, now all it needs are some flashy killies to top it all off. I feel the moss growth is already quite well-kept and organised so I think it'll be best not to pull out any of them.