Nav's Iwagumi Project Log "Greater Heights"

[Navanod]

At the advice of "Blue33", I obtained some lava rocks from NA. I was somewhat puzzled at first as they seemed to be more lava chips.



Fearing the same problem as powersand, I had them bagged



NA's boss assured me they are quality lava rocks from ehiem and unlike the larger and cheaper ones I had initially wanted, would not crumble or leak anything into the water column.

Much scaping later, this is the result



Am still waiting for more small rocks and a few large ones to arrive...also thinking of throwing in the remaining powersands I had to create a better slope under the "cliff"

Please give your expert views
Perhaps moving the main rock forward may improve depth?

[Navanod]

I think all scapes benefit from patterns in nature. Some patterns like the main rock type are borne from opposing tectonic plates pushing against each other causing one main rock to point upwards.

Your current ideas are close to a concentric ring type scape. Also a natural phenomenon. Like a bunch of rocks falling in a concentric ring radiating from an imaginary centre.[probably from a meteor strike?]

In art school/class, you learn perspective.
1 point perspective-all lines come from this point. A lot of my scapes are one point only surprisingly. View from your tank straight on.
2 point perspective-lines come from two points. Architectural artist impressions always have this view. The view of your tank at 45º angle from the side.
3 point perspective-lines come from 3 points. A very 3D look. A view of your tank 45º from the side and also 45º higher.

How about 4D? Well, buying numbers isn't my thing.
4th dimension is 'science' I think and not relevant to us at this point in time!

The most important point is that the 'points' themselves can be set very very very far away or right in the middle of the tank or as it often is, at the golden section.

Example- For those with all arrow pointing up, it just means the perspective point is very very far down-as far as the center of the earth till all the arrows look parallel where your tank is.

So if you arrange the things in your tank to match the perspective will it be a good design?
It's only the BASIC!
To get a good design you will need more research into natural formations and also creating optical illusions-though overdoing this is tacky IMO

It's also good to go to a shop that has a lot of nice aquascaping materials and openly 'stare'.

Something for me to ponder the next time I sit before the tank...I'm still not entirely able to see patterns and somethings still looks unnatural but I don't know why

Any examples of creating optical illusions?

[blue33]

The problem with those lava rocks or powersand coming out is when you remove plant from the soil you don't remove totally, we pull out the plant till you see about 1 inches of the root and cut it off, leaving the remaining root there, it act as ferts for the soil also.

Lava chips is better than lava rocks and is hard to find lava chips.

You got to leave some space in the real for planting, at least 3 inches.

You must like the scape you've created cause everyday you going to face it. Not us.

[Navanod]

Relooked at the the tank before leaving my house this morning...
This is what I see...



Cyan arrows are the flow of the rocks.
Blue is the overall flow I would've wanted

Green are the things which I find needs improvements. The slope can be more defined and with a more distinctive "step" kinda like the one in the inspirational picture



Also, the green line at the rear signifies the lack of depth and distance. How can I slope it to create that illusion? Switching to smaller stones at the back (or burying the bigger one more)?

Thanks in advance!

[Navanod]

The problem with those lava rocks or powersand coming out is when you remove plant from the soil you don't remove totally, we pull out the plant till you see about 1 inches of the root and cut it off, leaving the remaining root there, it act as ferts for the soil also.

Lava chips is better than lava rocks and is hard to find lava chips.

You got to leave some space in the real for planting, at least 3 inches.

You must like the scape you've created cause everyday you going to face it. Not us.

Thanks for the lava chip tips! I'm certainly not complaining and is very happy with them after working with them last night
I agree bout the lava chips. Very porous yet very solid and hard, unlike the spongy type normally found in boxes outside LFS.

Thanks for the cutting tip. However, the reason for bagging is not just with uprooting of plants.
I'm still constantly rescaping at the moment and turning everything upside down. Took me 3 retries before I settled with the latest scape.
Had the chips been loose and not bagged, they would be all over by now! They are also rather sharp and I tend to dig with my hands...
The good thing is that these chips blend in rather well with the aquasoil, unlike the bright white powersand.

Leave space in the rear? Means the rocks should be moved forward?

I'm quite happy with the overall feel but I feel the slope and the depth can be improved further.

Thanks

[blue33]

Yes, the real stone move forward infront. It will look closer and majestic and leaving space and plant to grow.

[ranmasatome]

Wa! looks like you're getting the idea..haha..
personally, i think it looks more soothing compared to your first hardscape.

As for creating a "step" and the placement of your focal rock, consider where your horizon is right now and where the focal rock/"step" is in accordance to the horizon. This is important because when you take a FTS, it will be what you're seeing.

If you look at your inspirational picture.. the step is evident because the horizon is way below the tip of the mountain. How do you make that happen in your scape? Would lowering the slope be better? or would shifting the rock? or both? or is there another novel way to do it? There is no right answer loh..it all depends on what your purposes are for choosing either one of the methods. Point is to create a noticable gap while maintaining the flow. Realise that your back ground now is grey and in your current scape the gap may seem small because of how high your current slope is. What if you planted directly behind this rock to highlight its edge? would it make the "step" more evident without you even moving anything now?

Also, the focal rock looks funny just "sitting" on the top of the horizon. Nothing that big i see "sits" on the horizon of your inspirational picture.
I would suggest to let your horizon run (not excessively such that it blots out your focal rock)... creating more depth.
Now.. how to do that??

[Navanod]

I feel a butcher trying to do surgery, hahaha! Just starting to grasp the very basic!

The initial plan was to top up enough soil behind the main rock that I can plant and have some plant (likely HC or hairgrass) peek over the top of part of the main rock. But I ran out of soil

No worries, I'm expecting a delivery tonight. Will post the next rescape soon!

[Navanod]

Just got my new rocks. They looked different from what I currently have...
Now I don't know what kinda rocks I currently have since they are neither Kurokinryu nor Seiryu Stones. Intriguing...

Nonetheless, lets see if I can blend them together? hehe

[Shadow]

You did not buy at the same shop?

When you try it, try to spray water on it. Some rock look different under water.

[Navanod]

You did not buy at the same shop?

When you try it, try to spray water on it. Some rock look different under water.

Nope, Biotope still had some but the sizes and shapes didn't suit my ideas at that time so I went and order from Mizu thinking they're the same.

After wetting the new rocks, they do look dark enough to blend in but these new ones had much sharper edges and more white veins in them.
They also have more character and Ben from Mizu had chosen very nicely shaped ones for me

Another thing is, at places where the rocks had newly broken off, the underlying color is very dark, almost the same as the ones I've gotten previously. But the outer surfaces have this pale "coating" that renders it lighter in color.
Wondering if I can sandpaper that coat off? There is a chance they are indeed the same type of rocks but I cannot explain the difference in smoothness/sharpness and the white deposits

Will take some pictures and post.

[Navanod]

You may have to increase your screen brightness for this but here's the new rocks and old rock comparison.

The new ones are certainly more full of characters but I wonder if they'll look obviously lighter in shade when placed in the tank with the old?

Dry new, wet new, wet old


Details


3 new and 1 old all wet


Wet old, half wet half dry new, dry old


Ok, I'll go dig in the dirt and see if I can find a good way to put these very nice new rocks to use in the scape

[blue33]

Your new rock is Seiryu rock. The huge pimple it has shown.

[Navanod]

Your new rock is Seiryu rock. The huge pimple it has shown.

That was my initial thoughts too...however, Mizu assured me it was not since they market both rocks.

I had just returned from a back breaking scrubbing session after soaking the rocks in hot water and after watching as some of the whitish layers slowly gets scrubed off...I'm starting to think that most of the rocks now looks very close to the ones I initially had~!
Either they were very dirty (but hey, they're rocks afterall) or they came from a quarry with more limestones veins.

Many of the rocks could probably blend in now with the exceptions of those with a thick layer of whitish limestone-like encrustment. One of the small stone was almost entirely made of that whitish stuff! I tried knocking it against the others and it just chipped and crumbled, hehe.

I'm thinking that with mild acid or some aggressive polishing, the underlying dark stone can be exposed. I even tested that by using 2 of the small stones to rub against each other...the eroded portions exposed darker materials.

Then again, I'm already too obsessive, lets not feed the obsession

Here's a shot of the new cleaned Seiryu-like rock in the tank, dry, next to a newly cleaned old rock.



Here are 3 of the smaller rocks. Left - Dark. Top - Dark below but with thick layer of whitish stuff. Right - Almost entirely white


Any reasons why I should not mix the new rocks with the old? They do look similar underwater (excluding the obviously whitish ones). Whatever they are, the larger ones do look good and I don't want to drag this on...
By the way, can anyone then tell me what stone I had initially please!!?

[ranmasatome]

isn't it just granite? haha.. i so "sua ku" (backdated)!

And NA got lava chips?? wah.. i also want some. Think i'll head down today.

[Navanod]

isn't it just granite? haha.. i so "sua ku" (backdated)!

And NA got lava chips?? wah.. i also want some. Think i'll head down today.

Seiryu is also called Azure Dragon stone, 青龙. If the newer rocks are indeed Seiryu, then now I know why its called that. When wet, the rocks exhibit a bluish green hue, unlike the older rocks I have, which have a reddish hue...

Am going to sink 2 rocks into a spare tanks and do a proper comparision in case they really cannot blend.

NA have! Eheim somemore. Ask the boss cause they're very hard to spot

OT abit, Just woke up with a very swollen left eye Now one eyed 龙

[Shadow]

what happen to your eye? you fight with someone or something? ...

IMO, I don't think it can blend. Even if the color the same but surface is look different

[ranmasatome]

Seiryu is also called Azure Dragon stone, 青龙. If the newer rocks are indeed Seiryu, then now I know why its called that. When wet, the rocks exhibit a bluish green hue, unlike the older rocks I have, which have a reddish hue...

Am going to sink 2 rocks into a spare tanks and do a proper comparision in case they really cannot blend.

NA have! Eheim somemore. Ask the boss cause they're very hard to spot

OT abit, Just woke up with a very swollen left eye Now one eyed 龙

Take a pic of when they are in water loh. i can imagine what you are talking about, perhaps if its reallly obvious then "bo pian" (no choice), have to look for the right rocks. The last thing you want is to finish scaping and then realise that you have to move the rocks...wa... that one die man..haha

Oh.. great!! i'll head down today and ask chan. Can pm me cost? Thanks man!

[Fei Miao]

Finally have some time to look at this thread, I'm flattered to see my little tank here. Justin explained the flow and energy in Iwagumi very clearly, hey, you should do a more comprehensive article and have it as a sticky.

Iwagumi scaping is probably among hardest thing in aquascaping, if it's wrong, there's no hiding it Behind all great iwagumi scape is the understanding of the japanese psyche, something I still have not fully apprehended.

Navanod- the hardscape is probably the hardest part but absolutely necessary to have it done well. With time and patience this scape is going to turn out great! Next will be the choice of plants and fauna, keep it simple. I'm looking forward to it.

[blue33]

During my interview for 2010 January Aqua Journal for "Iwagumi", they mentioned "Iwagumi" is consider as the most difficult scape/style in Aquascaping. Look simple but full of consideration before the final result can be produce.