Mystical Mountains Journal

[ashley]

Hi everyone!

So recently I had ordered my custom tank and picked it up, very happy with it, in hindsight should have made it 40" long instead of 36" long for a even more panaromic aquascape.

36" x 13" x 14.5"

Originally I wanted to put my bonzai wood but now I'm not too sure. Also got finnex planted+ 24/7 light.

Sleek!

The controls

The structure on the right is going to be my waterfall. For the left side I was originally going to either get manten/sansui/koke rock but it's sooo crazy expensive that I gave up those type of rocks.

Then I went to a landscaping supply warehouse and got these two big rocks instead, they were labelled San Juan pond rock, total weight of these two rocks was 25lbs @ 16 cents per lb, plus tax = $4.48 only! ! Cheapest stones I have ever bought, not counting the ones I got from mother nature Compared to manten rock though, of the same weight will be like $200+ !

A little concerned about the weight of the rocks but I think should be okay, what do you guys think? Is the weight too much for the tank to be unsafe?

This is my hardscape so far, I'm trying to make a mountain scenery that I saw when travelling in taiwan, possibly a pathway, a waterfall. Don't know if I should still put the bonzai tree.

[emoji1]


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[ashley]

Update 2015.11.21

I've done quite a lot this weekend, decided to cut off part of the structure to make it look more natural instead of a square edged mountain. Had to get some acrylic paint to patch up the whites.

Then I siliconed the painted structure to the glass so that it won't float up and started to fill some substrate to make a slope on the left side behind the rocks.

Added some yamana stones that I got for pretty cheap, just needed a few anyway, to join the mountain to make it look more natural.

Then I proceeded to make my path, I went to Michael's crafts hunting for supplies I could make a path with, I needed it to be maleable yet hard enough to keep the two kinds of substrate from mixing.

Found some soft clear plastic but it was way too soft for my liking, plus it couldn't make a nice curve. Hard plastic won't work either so I didn't get that either. My wife then suggested why not polymer clay? It is non toxic, maleable when kneeded, and after baking will become hard. Thanks wifey, that was a great suggestion! Even had 50% off coupon!

After lots of kneeding and folding, I rolled it out and cut to size I wanted.

Then flattening and shaping the path I wanted, as the path goes to the back it gets progressively higher as well.

As I was shaping the black polymer clay, and taking it out of the tank, this was tricky, because it was soft and long, it just de-shaped and no longer the shape I wanted it to be, so I had to trace the path on parchment paper and then take the clay out and follow the tracing on the patchment paper, this took me quite some time.

And ready to bake! 275 degrees Farenheit for 20 minutes and let cool. As it cools it hardens. It holds very well and I'm very satisfied with how sturdy it is.
Beige sand added.

ADA ammonia substrate added

View from sofa, usually I'll sit here most of the time

Should I add the bonzai tree? It seems rather large for the mountains, or maybe I should push it down the substrate to make it look smaller?

One main concern I have now is when water is filled the ADA soil tends to leach out black water, before putting the substrate in I've already washed the substrate a few times partly to take away the black water and partly to remove some ammonia to speed it up a little. But I think there will be still quite some black water and that might make the beige sand darker.

Thanks for looking and reading! Comments and suggestions always welcomed!

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[ashley]

Update 2015.11.22 - checking out my finnex 24/7 planted+

At sunny setting

At moonlight setting, too bright for a moonlight in my opinion, luckily I can play with the settings and make it less bright.

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[lucasgg]

Keep that driftwood in there. Planting options for the future?

 

[keithgh]

Ashley

I have a few concerns, the weight on the LH side you have the white open support but its not on the LH why?
That means the weight is not distributed over the base of the tank.
On the upside I see you have a good thickness of foam under the tank.

Then you have a few small pieces of foam partially under the rocks again not fully supported.

This is my hardscape so far, I'm trying to make a mountain scenery that I saw when travelling in taiwan, possibly a pathway, a waterfall. Don't know if I should still put the bonzai tree.

I am referring to the rocks at both ends individually they are very nice looking rocks but together they are totally different as if from different areas.
The glary "white" pathway completely divides the Aquascape into too areas.
The piece of DW linked them together but did you remove it?

Backing do you intend to use any or are you intending to use back lighting and hide all the bits and pieces?

Planting and inhabitants what do you intend to have?

Keith

 

[ashley]

Ashley

I have a few concerns, the weight on the LH side you have the white open support but its not on the LH why?
That means the weight is not distributed over the base of the tank.
On the upside I see you have a good thickness of foam under the tank.

Then you have a few small pieces of foam partially under the rocks again not fully supported.

I am referring to the rocks at both ends individually they are very nice looking rocks but together they are totally different as if from different areas.
The glary "white" pathway completely divides the Aquascape into too areas.
The piece of DW linked them together but did you remove it?

Backing do you intend to use any or are you intending to use back lighting and hide all the bits and pieces?

Planting and inhabitants what do you intend to have?

Keith

Hi Keith,

Thank you for your comments! I think you meant why the right side does not have the egg crate? It's because the right side does not have as much heavy rocks than the left side so I didn't put any crate there. You're right though, should have put on right side too... but too late now lol. I think the thick foam should be okay.

The smaller pieces of foam under the rocks are actually siliconed to the bottom and they are really stable, I couldn't find any flat rocks and I didn't want the tank to be too heavy so I went with painted flat foam.

The left side rocks are actually much darker coloured when in contact with water, I'll post a photo after this. The driftwood I took it out and currently in a bucket full of water floating, as soon as it sinks I'll be able to use it. My main concern is the tree being too big and do not look proportionate to the mountains but I'll try to press it into the substrate to make it shorter, or possibly cutting it a little shorter.

The river/ pathway was scenery I saw in Taiwan that ran between two sets of mountains actually, I was trying to replicate my memory of the scenery.

As for backing I already have a mosaic window screen sticker on the back glass but it's not quite mosaic enough so I might add another layer. I'll probably have a back light too.

Not sure about plants and inhabitants yet, maybe UG or monte carlo for foreground. Dario dario possibly one type of the fish I would get. Any suggestions?

Cheers,
Ashley

 

[ashley]

Update 2015.11.23:

I sprayed all the rocks with water, the left side rocks turn quite a lot darker when wet, making it more similar to the right side.

There were some concerns and private messages about the tank weight and the tank not being on both the sides of the IKEA cabinet where it is strongest. So to ensure that it is strong enough and can withstand the weight so it does not cave in I went to home depot to get some wood.

They are pine, 1" x 4" and asked the home depot guy to cut 22 1/8" lengths for me since they have free cuts when you buy wood there.

Drilled holes into the wood, screwed the wood into the underside of the cabinet top and installed 90 degree metal brackets to further help support the weight. I think the cabinet is pretty safe now, wood and brackets altogether not even $7. Pretty cheap for safety.

 

[keithgh]

ashley

The river/ pathway was scenery I saw in Taiwan that ran between two sets of mountains actually, I was trying to replicate my memory of the scenery.

Its not the concept it actually looks OK is the colour

My main concern is the tree being too big and do not look proportionate to the mountains but I'll try to press it into the substrate to make it shorter, or possibly cutting it a little shorter.

Keep hunting go to every LFS in your area and see if they can get a finer piece for you.

Strengthening sorry to tell you you have not strengthened it very much at all. (I am a retired Cabinet Maker and taught the trade for 26years)

All the weight has been transfered to those little screws on the side.

You require a heavier timber on its edge and that weight transfered to side pieces down to the base to get full support or full vertical divisions at least two from front to back (hidden when door closed)

If this is not clear I will draw something up for you.

Your total weight you know so far and the water will weigh 1kg per 1lt.


Keith

 

[ashley]

Yes please can you draw a a sketch of the supports, thank you!

Forgot to mention, actually the middle where the two doors meet there is a middle piece of wood that is 1.5" thick. Also at the bottom, center of the cabinet, there is a metal support against the floor.

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[keithgh]

actually the middle where the two doors meet there is a middle piece of wood that is 1.5" thick

Ashley

Does that piece act as a divider and go from the front to the back of the cabinet "2"

or like "1"

Keith

 

[ashley]

Ashley

Does that piece act as a divider and go from the front to the back of the cabinet "2"

or like "1"

Keith

It is like "2"

Update 2015.11.26

Today I listened to you guys and added vertical supports!

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[keithgh]

ashley

That should help.

Keith

 

[keithgh]

Ashley

What you must remember that unit was not made to support an Aquarium.

Can you take a photo of the cabinet with the doors open back a bit so I can see it better, also make sure there is enough lighting so I can look into the cabinet please

Keith

 

[ashley]

Okay my wood in my bucket full of water finally sunk after three weeks.

Dilemma, tree or no tree? Is the tree too big?

If tree, which positioning?

Pos.1 left

Mid

Right

Pos.2 left

Mid

Right

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[keithgh]

ashley

I prefer the forth photo position its does not become a distraction feature it seems to blend into those rocks.

Keith

 

[ashley]

Update 2015.11.27:

Decided to try out the tree and see how it goes, since when sitting down it doesn't look super big and perspective wise, a tree in front usually looks bigger and rhe background is distant. The tree also connects the two sides that is separated by the "river".

Also started some plants and let them grow emersed, Utricularia graminifolia, mini pellia/coral moss and alterneathera reineckii mini for now.

Let me know what you guys think.

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[keithgh]

Ashley

Actually not 100% sure I would like to try another option.

Remove the second last rock LH side (light colour) and see how it looks there.

as its so small it might give you a better perspective.

Keith

 

[ashley]

Ashley

Actually not 100% sure I would like to try another option.

Remove the second last rock LH side (light colour) and see how it looks there.

as its so small it might give you a better perspective.

Keith

Can't, the substrate will all fall down if i do that. After the moss grows nicely you probably won't even notice the colour too much.

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[keithgh]

Ashley

It was not only the rock colour it was more repositioning the DW to a different location.

Keith

 

[ashley]

I can't figure out what plant(s) to put behind the mountains in the left. Currently the lower portion of the slope has done alterneathera reineckii mini but nothing on the upper slope. Any ideas you guys?

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