Planning a rescape, and would like for some professional input! Substrate:Ada Amazonia II Tank : Fluval Edge 30l (I bought it abroad and is bigger than the uk version) I have glossa, hc and dwarf hairgrass in my existing setup. I have got mini fissadens, mini p moss and peacock moss on the way. The sand is set to be silica, and I am going to try DSM for the carpeting and moss linching on the driftwood and rocks. Thoughts?
Silica sand is a pita to keep clean, 1-2mm aquarium gravel/sand is a better bet. Moss walls are horrible to maintain and tend to look indifferent, java moss is a difficult moss to use, it often ends up tatty looking. Mini p moss? The sketch is fine but it might be trying to cram too much into too small a space. pick one carpet plant or the other, consider using anubias nana petite or getting rid of the right hand side "detail" and work from there.
Will look forward to some pics. From your overhead shot, make sure that your sand path doesn't end up looking like the yellow brick road from the Wizard of Oz. If you have similarly sized rocks lining the edges in a uniform way, it will end up looking more like a miniature golf course and less like a nature scape. So, just keep that in mind as you lay it out.
Thanks guys. Im dyign to buy a big tank and do it the best of my ability, but I feel like with anything else I need to learn the trade beofre splashing out huge amounts of money on glasswares and external filters. This is the Edge I currently own, and aim to drain it and hold the fish in a container for a few days with a small filter submerged and heater. The longer i can successfully keep them in this container the better. Im considering a largish plastic storage box from ikea, so they dont get cooped up and start annoying eachother. Terrified of mixing sand with the ada, incase i make a mess. Still having a nightmare trying to source some decent shaped wood with interesting twists. I can grow glossa like a motherf8cker in my tank, ive only realy half experimented with HC. Im set on marring and growing fissadens on the rocks, but as stated above, i dont want it to look too planned and like a sandy highway down the middle of the tank. I want it to look like a cross-section of a wild river, with the sand the direction and centre of the waters flow. Ideally i will build up both sides of the banks and submerge the wood slightly. The fluval edge has its drawbacks, but its a trainign tank so to speak. Looking for a small filter pump, for my remodel auxillary container, are they called HOV? Any advice?
Johnny After the last time you asked the same question and copped a blast I am surprised you have asked the same question. This time its totally different you listened to the advice even if you did not get the replies you wanted. Starting off with sketches is always the way to go. Sand looks fantastic when new and that is about all, its extremly difficult to maintain and when a fish disturbers it the fine particles can cut an impeller to pieces very quickly. Moss walls it is like having a Bowling green in a tank in a vertical position. Every cutting must be collected other wise it will take off in places you never thought you had. It took me over 2 years to complete remove it and, in the end I took all the substrate out and boiled it to kill the stinking stuff. I recently had some plants given to me and it had very fine pieces of moss on it, I had no option but throw it in the bin not worth it if just one piece got into my heavily planted tank. The less variety of plants the better the same goes for the rocks when they are all from the same natural area it makes your aquascaping look much better and shows you have put some thought into it. Remember you must calculate and allow the plants to grow and develop, we all know the bare look to start off with, but you should be thinking and working slowly towards a finished aquascape. I suggest you make up a mock tank (back & sides) and lay it all out first (naturally no plants) tanks photos and post them. By doing that you might go back one step but forward many more. Keith
Not quite sure if that's a criticism or compliment but whatever! At the moment, I'm trying to sort out where my fauna will be spending the weeks as I rescape. I am forced to find rocks and visit Lfs stores at the week due to the intensity of my job. Will see what happens, as yet I'm just looking to gettin a structure in my tank, on that can be maintained. Settling that I like this, having some spare roots lying around.
I have tried to give you a very constructive critique and, complementing you in the way you are going about it this time. That is an excellent scape to work from. It might take you awhile to find all the bits and pieces you are looking for. In Aust, I would suggest you hunt down every landscaper supplier and see what they have or can get in for you. Print out that scape enlarge it and take it with you when every you go rock hunting. It took me over 3 months to find the pieces of Golden Vine (Driftwood) I was lo0king for. Keith
Thanks mate, and I do apologise for going off last time, it's a difficult hobby to get into, and I guess u need to fail before you can progress.
you sketch is look good. The hardpart now is collecting the material. Make sure you get rocks with rough surface. The same goes for wood, get the one with rough surface and lots of branches.
They (twisted branched wood) only appear to be sold in Lfs stores, I have a list of ten private ones in my Area to visit tomorrow on my day off, openly find a jewel in the rough! I have fissadens enroute from Malaysia, I might have to plant it in its pot in my tank until I'm ready to rescape. Having a nightmare with my DIY O2, the yeast sugar and water aren't showing any bubbles after I changed it recently!
Johnny I was always classed as a very hard trade teacher and expected nothing but the best students could do then a bit more. "Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do." Keep that in mind all the time and you will even surprise your self Now you realize you were told the truth as hard as it may have been, every one could have easily said how lovely and well balanced it looked. I have see a few forums that posted shockers a young school person could do better and the replies raved about them. This time you have got off to a very good start by planning every thing out, and the end result might not be what you intended it to be but I can guarantee it will be a winner in this tough forum. Keith
Johnny I would consider moving the tree more to the left and certainly go for a larger open overhanging style that is if you can find one. If you can remove some and add to others the joints would not be seen if you intend to grow ???? on the branches. You are certainly heading along the correct path now. Keith
And so it begins. From this.... To this... Fish safely transferred... And plants hopefully will live whilst I design the hardscape.. ..... After reading the threat on filterwool DIY branches, it looks the business mixed in with partially covered real wood... Or maybe artificial is the way to go completely, Artificial, DIY and this? ....tucked in on the right, with a rocky left with glossa carpeting, could be a good design, no?
So glad you decided to fully rescape and transferred the fauna. I like your sketch, and I see big possibilities. You can see the potential depth before you've even laid down a stone. Nice start my friend.
It looks like too much soil to me but I could be wrong - once filled it may compact.Looking at your sketch though it definitely is if you want a path or sand at the front. The rocks also need to be pulled up to add height or add larger rocks otherwise they will disappear. You always need to go bigger than you think as the plants will drown them out once grown in. This is my favourite bit though - you should play about to see what works for you and leave for a while to make sure your happy - sometimes the hardscape just works but other times you can play about for days...
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