Xmas gift 200lt - Rounded stones

[FAAO]

Hi,
Before all, I hope that you had a good Xmas and I wish you an Happy New Year, all the best!!!

This Xmas I offered a different gift to a friend... a new planted tank.

Trying to do always something different, this time I used some big round rocks and plants with very thin leaves to break the round shape.
I know that is a bit symmetric but I will try to solve that with time pass adding some plants or with the trimmings.

So… here it is the step by step of the layout from 2008.12.20 (yyyy-mm-dd):

The aquarium (100x45x50cm)


Placing the rounded rocks on the better place… I hope! It isn’t easy to work with them, they are rounded and you need to fill the bottom with some soil and others small rocks to equilibrate them.


ELOS Terra Zero (2 packages) over the first layer of ELOS Terra.


ELOS Bottom Mineral (5lt) over Terra Zero from ELOS.



One test with white sand on the front of the layout, later I replaced it with black sand because it gives more contrast with the plants and it is homogeneous with small and big rocks.


After planted, top view of the layout. I used the following plants: Cyperus helfery, Juncus repens, Echinodorus tenellus e Cryptocoryne parva.


View from the right.


View from the left.


Panoramic picture of the layout.


Another Picture, frontal top view.


Planted zone.


Start filling the aquarium with water, very slowly.


Picture of the place where is the aquarium near of the Xmas tree. You can see at the right a banner of my last workshop there, local retailer.


The aquarium filled with water and a bit cloudy.


Again the planted zone.


Panoramic picture.


And finally a general picture of the aquarium with me (at the right) and the owner of Orniex (local retailer) Joaquim Gomes.


Some updated pictures from today 2009.01.16 (yyyy-mm-dd)





I hope that you like it and please feel welcome to comment and criticise!

[aquaticmaniac]

This is too beautiful. What fauna do you have? I really love this aquascape. Wonderful use of something most people don't use in 'scapes.

[hoangnam55]

Very,very nice and very very SEXY

[Jur4ik]

what happened to the c.parva?
very nice layout - it isnt easy to work with those round stoned, congratulation

[Anti-Pjerrot]

Its a very different - kinda more terrestrial look than most scapes. I like the small pebles you have used in the open area, since such a rough looking foreground is not common.
Only negative thing, is that the left rock seems too big and round.

And yes - why did you take out the parva?

[elmagico82]

simple and beautiful ....clap clap clap good work man

[darren slater]

indeed a very sexy scape, and what a great xmas gift to recieve.

[Supercoley1]

superb, different, original as always Filipe.

You are quickly turning into the aquascaper that can turn his hand to anything and not scared to go away from the norm which is waht I like.

Keep it up. Can't wait to see what you experiment with next.

AC

[FAAO]

Hi,

Thanks for the comments!

Regarding C. parva, it is there... it did meltdown and now is recovering.
About the left rock, in fact the shape it isn’t so good like the right one, but it isn’t easy to find such good rocks in this kind of stone. I will try to disguise with some plants and the trimmings. Lets wait and see what I can do with this…

[bgangler]

Is it only me that is not seeing the pictures?

[FAAO]

Perhaps you have any rule on the PC or Firewall that don't permit you access to my domain... http://faao.kicks-ass.net
Check it please, otherwise you can see it on my blog FAAO - Aquascaping
Here it is the link: http://faao.blogspot.com/2009/01/depois-da-tempestade.html

[bgangler]

Now is fine.
Wonderfull scape. I like the transition from large rocks to sand and the plant selection. I hope that when it develop it will look even better!
Regards

[ReefJones]

Hey Filipe, You are straight up the man! That was a great photo journal and the tank looks great I love the large round stones!
Reef

[Jur4ik]

will you let the tenellus grow into the foreground or are you going to hold it back?
imo the way it is now - it is perfect. what stones are those?

[Steven Chong]

Very fresh look Phil, I like it a lot. I kind of wish there had been some areas in the foreground where tenellus had been included, but it is a very balanced and visually appealing tank.

[LondonDragon]

Great step-by-step Filipe has usual Shame you didn't use some lily pipes instead of the green Eheim tubbing, other than that another great original scape.
Bom trabalho

[padookie]

Beautiful. One of my new favorites. What kind of fish are those in your avatar? Its so small I cant tell.

Brian

[FAAO]

Hi,

Originally Posted by Jur4ik

will you let the tenellus grow into the foreground or are you going to hold it back?
imo the way it is now - it is perfect. what stones are those?

I intend to have the tenellus only on the soil, if it passes to the stones (black sand) I'll trim it. I think that it looks better like it is, isn't it?
This stones are basalt in rounded shape.

Originally Posted by Steven Chong

Very fresh look Phil, I like it a lot. I kind of wish there had been some areas in the foreground where tenellus had been included, but it is a very balanced and visually appealing tank.

Hi Steve it pass a long time without talking, how are you my friend?
I don't know if you are talking about those naked areas, but I hope that Cryptocoryne parva fill that space, they did meltdown...

Originally Posted by LondonDragon

Great step-by-step Filipe has usual Shame you didn't use some lily pipes instead of the green Eheim tubbing, other than that another great original scape.
Bom trabalho

I worked with what they have...
You are absolutely right... this lily pipe is horrible! This aquarium isn't mine, so I need to respect that
Obrigado!

Originally Posted by padookie

Beautiful. One of my new favorites. What kind of fish are those in your avatar? Its so small I cant tell.
Brian

Iriatherina werneri, look here for more pictures: FAAO - Aquascaping: Macro fotografia

[Jur4ik]

Yey, keep the tennelus only on the soil, this way there is some kind of oasis feeling
I really can imagine this scape to be a part of a river and this "green spot" in middle of stones is kind of oasis for fish and shrimps, i have the impression that the "green area" is safety and friendly, on the other hand the area around it, with black stones is dangerous and risky.

[iam_koi]

That looks great! Symmetry usually doesn't look good, but this is executed well..KUDOS!