PFK step-by-step aquascaping feature

[George Farmer]

As most of you probably don't see Practical Fishkeeping magazine, I thought you may be interested in this feature, now online.

In pursuit of perfection | Practical Fishkeeping magazine

This matured into my 2008 ADA entry, placed 898th that you can see here...

60cm - English Summer

[Bunbuku]

Excellent post GF! Beautiful work as usual. I am dumbfounded that it was ranked 898th!

Maybe its the picture, but does the substrate stay relatively flat initially going from front to back, then as we get closer to the back it slopes upward rather steeply?

[chillaquaplants]

Thanks for the link to your step-by-step. I always enjoy watching someone take an empty canvas and turn it into a work of art.

[George Farmer]

Thanks.

The substrate was sloped gradually.

I look forward to re-scaping this when I return home from my tour of duty...

[John N.]

Great title for your article! It's hard to believe you created that bases of that aquascape in such a short time frame of 1 day. You're lucky to have all that equipment and plants at your finger tips all at once! I think a challenge for many hobbyists is that they have to piece their tanks over time.

Oh yes, I agree Bunbuku, your scape was robbed of a higher placement. Compared to others, your scape has more detail and a complicated hardscape and driftwood arrangements.

-John N.

[George Farmer]

Thanks, John.

It was a logistical challenge getting everything together for the day in the studio.

The tank and cabinet were made to order in Germany and delivered to my house the day before, after 2-3 weeks of waiting. I was nervous they wouldn't turn up in time, as the studio was already booked for that day.

Then the plants I originally planned to use from Tropica didn't turn up in time, so I had to strip a load from an exisiting aquascape and take a quick trip to my LFS to supplement the plants from my own existing aquarium.

The glass lily pipes were special delivery and turned up in the studio on the day.

But it all came together in the end... I did have a plan for the aquascape, but using the Tropica plants I arranged. As they didn't turn up I had to make do with what I had. Adapt and overcome as they say in the military!

Cheers.

[Bunbuku]

Sigh.... If we only had a Tropica distributor in the US! I bet the quality/selection of the plants at a typical UK LFS far exceeds what we can get at a typical US LFS!

[JEK]

Great step-by-step article and great aquascape, I specially like the red alternanthera! You have no pics when the glosso is more grown in (before you changed it for staurogyne)..?
The only thing I don´t like with the scape is that the wood is so symmetrical and it looks there´s four pieces.

Theres one thing i don´t understand... I subscripe on PFK and read the article in the April issue. Theres much more pictures in the article on the website and off course theres not so much place for pictures in the magazine, but why more pics on the free website than in the magazine we pay for?

[Dave Spencer]

Originally Posted by Bunbuku

I bet the quality/selection of the plants at a typical UK LFS far exceeds what we can get at a typical US LFS!

LOL! If only you were right Bunbuku. Most LFS have purple gravel and Oscars shoe horned in to two foot tanks with a sunken galleon and Java fern buried in a purple substrate. The rest of the selection are non aquatic Dracaena etc.

We have two good sources of Tropica plants that I can think of, and I am lucky enough to live within 20 mins of one of them.

Dave.

[StanChung]

Hi George,

I think it's an oversight as it does showcase every plant well.

Probably, the plants are a little big for this size tank and the muted hardscape[fancy name for wood and rock-as Matte called it! LOL]

Other than that, I have no idea why it's marked so low.

Anyway, can't wait for you to get back to showing us more of your beautiful scapes.

Over here it's 'Make it work'...[however you do it!]

[George Farmer]

Thanks for the comments, all.

Originally Posted by JEK

Theres one thing i don´t understand... I subscripe on PFK and read the article in the April issue. Theres much more pictures in the article on the website and off course theres not so much place for pictures in the magazine, but why more pics on the free website than in the magazine we pay for?

Only a small tiny proportion of the magazine articles are converted to the website. Normally a considerable time after initial publication too. (years in some cases).

Also, I know the website editor and he has recently become very interested in planted tanks and aquascaping, after I set up a planted tank for him... So this may explain the relatively quick mag-web turnaround and good photo coverage.

[JEK]

Originally Posted by George Farmer

Thanks for the comments, all.



Only a small tiny proportion of the magazine articles are converted to the website. Normally a considerable time after initial publication too. (years in some cases).

Also, I know the website editor and he has recently become very interested in planted tanks and aquascaping, after I set up a planted tank for him... So this may explain the relatively quick mag-web turnaround and good photo coverage.

Aha, thats the reason.