Aquascaping idiot seeking for opinion

**uklau** · 14th Sep 2007, 21:41

Hi, I'm seeking for help to start with my first aquascaping (other tank is mainly to learn how to grow healthy plants).

Attached are the layout I came out with my DWs. I'll add more substrate at the back once the DW positioning has been finalized.

The left most "cave" consists of 2 DV stacked together. The middle piece is to create a continuity from left to right & also to maintain the slope at the back (added later). The right most DW would be the main focus.

Feel free to comment & input. Thanks in advance.

**illumnae** · 14th Sep 2007, 22:29

i like it. what fauna are you thinking of keeping in this tank?

**valice** · 14th Sep 2007, 22:42

Your centre piece of DW will be eventually covered by the foreground or middle ground depending on the plants you are going to use there. And if you don't use any, then a break in the middle will be created if you leave the DW exposed.

For the right wood, maybe you might want to consider pushing the DW more into the substrate. But don't push it such that you crash the soil. That will create an anaerobic situation or hardening of the soil in future. To push in, clear out a hole, put inside and push the soil around it.

Maybe also can consider shifting that focal piece abit such that deep is created. For now, the hardscape looks flat.

Just my 2 cents.

**Jaws** · 14th Sep 2007, 22:43

Looks good. Very nice driftwoods.

**StanChung** · 15th Sep 2007, 03:51

Try sloping the soil up to the back. I feel the arrangement is a bit timid and can be bolder by making the pieces point upwards and diagonally to make the scape more dramatic.
Ironically by adding wood you create space. Use the wood to show us the 'space'. Hope I didn't confuse you.

Would like to hear your ideas on plants and fishes. That will greatly influence the outcome.

**uklau** · 26th Sep 2007, 10:51

Thank you so much for sharing. I've tried to digest & absorb as much as I can before I came out with the following layout. Decided to move the DWs slightly to the front to leave more space for mid-ground & background plants.

I couldn't move the rightmost piece of DW much as it will topple if I turn the branchy part (the one extended to the top of the tank) some more to the front. Once I've tied all the plants to the DWs, I'll top up the substrate at the back to create the slope.

I have been doing some study on plants & the plants I have in mind is as per labelled in the attached. Feel free to advise, especially if the plants are not suitable or not compatible with each other. All suggestions/recommendations are welcome & very much appreciated.

Do bear with me as I'm still learning .

Once again, thanks for the encouragement & useful yet practical advices.

Front view

Top view

**yeoyl87** · 26th Sep 2007, 10:54

Just my opinion, I feel that nana will grow nicer under shady condition. Indirect light will do them best.

**Shadow** · 26th Sep 2007, 11:53

I suggest to leave the '?' as it is. Showing some wood part is nicer that covering it up entirely with plants IMHO

**medicineman** · 26th Sep 2007, 13:20

Hi Ben,

Echi leopard tends to stay low and stick to the substrate, while echi pink I think is more suitable for the position for it sticks out tall.
Rotala macrandra at the front seems to be too much trouble later on for it always grow tall - it is your choise though.

Hemiantus on wood... not sure if it will last nice, perhaps on the substrate. Continue the moss instead perhaps?

The anubias might take some beating from GSA at this setup, but that depends on how well the management is.

Anyway, slope it again at the back. Maybe you want to try barr's method of growing glosso before actually setting the tank with water.

**uklau** · 30th Sep 2007, 22:08

Originally Posted by yeoyl87

Just my opinion, I feel that nana will grow nicer under shady condition. Indirect light will do them best.

Thanks, Yeoyl87. I'm thinking of either having the nana planted much later after the mid & background plants grow up or using Amazon Frogbite to reduce the amount of lights hitting on nana.

**uklau** · 30th Sep 2007, 22:10

Originally Posted by Shadow

I suggest to leave the '?' as it is. Showing some wood part is nicer that covering it up entirely with plants IMHO

Thanks, Robert. I may want to try this out

.

**uklau** · 30th Sep 2007, 22:12

Originally Posted by medicineman

Hi Ben,

Echi leopard tends to stay low and stick to the substrate, while echi pink I think is more suitable for the position for it sticks out tall.
Rotala macrandra at the front seems to be too much trouble later on for it always grow tall - it is your choise though.

Hemiantus on wood... not sure if it will last nice, perhaps on the substrate. Continue the moss instead perhaps?

The anubias might take some beating from GSA at this setup, but that depends on how well the management is.

Anyway, slope it again at the back. Maybe you want to try barr's method of growing glosso before actually setting the tank with water.

Thanks for your valuable input, Medicineman

.

**uklau** · 30th Sep 2007, 22:13

Apart from Anubias, ferns & moss, what other available plants that I can use to decorate the DW? Thanks.

**valice** · 8th Oct 2007, 20:26

For the sake of looking natural, they are the usual suspects.
Some have tried using Blyxa sp.

Besides also the using Java ferns, you can use the African fern, which is Bolbitis instead.

**uklau** · 8th Nov 2007, 17:55

Thanks for the lead, Vincent

.

**uklau** · 30th Apr 2008, 19:13

Finally, I managed to allocate a day for myself to set up my long abandoned tank.

Here is the outcome after spending 12 hours on the tank.

Day 1: Full tank view

Tank parameters:
Dimension - 42" x 18" x 24" (approx. 210L)
Seachem Flourite covered with Onyx sand
Lighting - 3 DIY sets of 39W T5HO (2 tubes each set).
CO2 injection with DIY reactor, 3-4bps.
Running Rena XP3 canister filter inline with Teco TR10 chiller (set at 26C). If the bill is not killing me, I may reduce some more

Eheim Compact+ 2000 pump to drive the CO2 reactor (& a FR containing biomedia), which connects to the rainbar.

While painstakingly setting up my tank, I was telling myself that I would never ever set up another tank, which is equal or bigger than this. After having the tank running for a few days, I felt that all the hardwork & efforts are worth it (fingers crossed that not much visible algae yet. Everyone knows this is not an easy battle).

Plant list has changed compared to the initial plan.

**medicineman** · 30th Apr 2008, 21:22

At last, we can see some plants and lots of water in the tank!

Don't be overwhelmed by the magnitude of your tank. Find a way to rule over it. Bigger tanks are not always much more troublesome, though sometimes they can be a huge burden.