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Dutch Nature style

George Farmer said:
I think I prefer the white background but unfortunately your photo is very underexposed.

I hope you don't mind but I have corrected it a little... 🙂

The 'scape is coming along very nicely too. 🙂

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I know, I didn't notice this on my pc, but saw it when I posted them. I was planning to correct it this evening so you saved me some work, thanks!
 
Murf said:
Looks great ..... what dimensions are your tank and what filters and other equipment have you used in your set up i.e. Co2, glassware etc?
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Thanks! Dimensions: 120x60x55 (a little less than 400L). Eheim 2080 with inline heater and CO2 reactor. And an inline Wave Stream 2200 to help the Eheim because I lost a lot of flow. No more glassware, I broke two inlets. All steel pipes now. Custom made, because I didn't knew there were steel pipes back than.

flygja said:
Thats looking really nice. Could you share what lighting set you have? It looks nice and sleek too. Thanks.
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Aqualight F1, 6x54W. Made them dimmable and not running full power all the time anymore.
 
Next step will be adding extra Fissidens to the wood. Don't feel like taking it out and tying everything to the wood. But I did used super-glue before to attach moss. Really worked well but I only did this in new setups where I changed water a few times before fish came in. Now thinking about doing it while conducting a large water change but will this harm the fish/shrimp?
 
I think perhaps Rotala sp "green" in both corners might give a nice feel and they are easier to trim and deal with over time.
You can make nice domes and they send nice bright green runners through the wood, giving and matching feel.

This is a bit of the nature style, but some cross over with contrast with Dutch plant groups side by side.

Mid ground needs work still. 2-3 species perhaps and nice thick growth that can handle plants shading them from above.
the Blyxa would look good for one of the plants. Maybe some tighter grouped Crypts.

Fissidens will contrast well, but it sloughs off and you'll find it everywhere over time.
Very hard to remove from wood if you want total removal.

I would try to simplify the midground some. I'd keep the L. arcurata.
 
plantbrain said:
Mid ground needs work still. 2-3 species perhaps and nice thick growth that can handle plants shading them from above. the Blyxa would look good for one of the plants. Maybe some tighter grouped Crypts.
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There are a lot of crypts beneath the wood. They just need to fill in or be placed more forward. I love them, never seen such a nice waxy layer on them before🙂

plantbrain said:
Fissidens will contrast well, but it sloughs off and you'll find it everywhere over time. Very hard to remove from wood if you want total removal.
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I find this to be true for regular moss way more. Ones I trimmed this, it would take over the carpet. No problem with Fissidens so far. But total removal from the wood will be a totally different story indeed. Tropica sells it as an high light plant, in need of 4 WPG according to the label. It even grows in the darkest corner in my tank so no problem here.
 
I too like the white background for photos, but day to day viewing the black would be easier on the eye maybe.
Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I really like the pogostemon at the rear, its kind of forest like which works well with the wood. I'd be inclined to do the same at the right rear for some continuity and keep the arcuata mixed in there also for a colour contrast.....perhaps the pogostemon doesnt give that full bush effect of say rotala that fills in the space between the wood but I like it none the less, it gives a strong backdrop 🙂
I can see what others are saying about the midground, your crypts are like you say perhaps a little too far back. Maybe bringing them forward and adding some bolbitis or larger leaved Anubias in the shade with the crypts slightly in front will add an extra layer of depth.
I really do like this scape though, and I think the constructive comments of George and Tom are testament to its potential 🙂
Cheerio,
Ady.
 
I'm not feeling the Pogo here, but, I like the plant.
The Rotala green and then the Red acurata billowing up and over the Rotala green would give a nice effect.
The pogo has such an ordered look to it, you might find it as a mid ground location perhaps, anyway, ponder some species swaps and see what you can cook up that looks nice.
The central hole needs a very dark moss feel with the white background in the back, that will add to it.
 
plantbrain said:
I'm not feeling the Pogo here, but, I like the plant.
The Rotala green and then the Red acurata billowing up and over the Rotala green would give a nice effect.
The pogo has such an ordered look to it, you might find it as a mid ground location perhaps, anyway, ponder some species swaps and see what you can cook up that looks nice.
The central hole needs a very dark moss feel with the white background in the back, that will add to it.
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Thats exactly how I feel, I love the pogo but not really in this setup. The whole back with Rotalas and similar leaved plants would make it way better IMO, but can't dump the lovely erectus🙄

Any thoughts on glueing moss in a filled tank (during water change)?
 
Super glue works well, the Reef folks have long used it.
I would just use cotton thread personally for moss.
Then re tie it a few times as it grows out, then it'll be well attached, eg, you'll never get it off.

Another plant is Rotala wallichii, that will make a nice over arching pink/red color in the background to off set all the green, and will give a brighter feel to the tank.
Another thing you could do to brighten the effect without adding the different color plants: white sand in the foreground.
Add small moss stones between the Crypts and the sand.

This will really brighten the display up a lot.

So you have a few options.

I have many love hate relationships with plant species, but they all get the axe if they are troublesome or do not look right, and I'll change things till they do look right.
 
plantbrain said:
Another thing you could do to brighten the effect without adding the different color plants: white sand in the foreground.
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Stop it! Now you start sounding like my girlfriend!😕 She really loves sand in the front. She even prefers the aqua soil bare over my beautiful glosso carpet:banghead:


plantbrain said:
I have many love hate relationships with plant species, but they all get the axe if they are troublesome or do not look right, and I'll change things till they do look right.
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I've been worse! Really suffered collecturitus for some time (see picture below) but than I was still learning to grow plants and trying out different methods (EI, ADA, RR even some MCI for a very short while). But still find it hard to get rid of certain plants, like the Rotala mexicana 'goias' in front is not adding anything, but it's rare and I like it for later maybe (blablabla excuses)

11gksr4.jpg
 
You can grow plants easily and cheaply for use emergent if you cannot let it go.
R. mexicana goias is fairly common these days. the Red Australian form of R. mexicana is not.
 
Really like your tank Johan. I am with Ady and prefer the black background to white. Much more natural ithink and shows off the colours of your fish better. Am following this. Regards, Andre.
 
Thanks Andre!

plantbrain said:
You can grow plants easily and cheaply for use emergent if you cannot let it go.
R. mexicana goias is fairly common these days. the Red Australian form of R. mexicana is not.
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Do remember that rare is very relative. I can buy Althernathera 'mini' and Hygrophila sp. 'red' in every shop here, in gel, in pots etc. While in the US you pay 50 dollar a portion😉
 
Yo-han said:
Thanks Andre!


Do remember that rare is very relative. I can buy Althernathera 'mini' and Hygrophila sp. 'red' in every shop here, in gel, in pots etc. While in the US you pay 50 dollar a portion😉
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Funny story about the 50$ a stem rates: someone asked me how much I was selling mine for, as a JOKE, I said 50$ a stem.
The next day, 2-3 people suddenly posted the 50$ stem rates.

True story, they fell for the joke. Then wondered why few people bought anything. It is an easy plant to propagate.
 
plantbrain said:
Funny story about the 50$ a stem rates: someone asked me how much I was selling mine for, as a JOKE, I said 50$ a stem.
The next day, 2-3 people suddenly posted the 50$ stem rates.

True story, they fell for the joke. Then wondered why few people bought anything. It is an easy plant to propagate.
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Haha, I sent a lot of gel cups to the USA and these were sold for 50 dollar a piece so maybe not per stem, but at least per portion.
 
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