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Tonys 'Triassic Hollow' 420L - Now FOR SALE !

Tony Swinney

Tony Swinney

Member
Joined
14 Dec 2008
Messages
1,185
Location
Cobham, Surrey
So here we go with an all new journal 😀 This is the tank that sits where my discus tank used to live, and is 5' x 2' x 2' with an optiwhite front panel. It's sunken into the wall of our kitchen-diner, and backs into our utility room (which is becoming more of a flaura and fauna room by the day :lol: ). Here is the tank in location, in its last incarnation:

InSitu_IMG_0854.jpg

That tank has now been ripped out, and the discus have gone to a new home, so its a fresh start today:

Tank: 60 x 24 x 24". Approx 420L filled (allowing for substrate and hardscape)
Lighting: 6 x 54w T5HO (2 on for 5hrs a day, plus 2 for 3 hours a day after week 2)
Filtration: 2 x Eheim 2075
Powerheads: 2 x Koralia 3's
Co2: Pressurised into 2 x AquaMedic 1000 reactors
Ferts: EI
Water Change: 20% fresh RO/HMA everyday just after lights on
Substrate: Unipac gravel, ADA Malaya (plus Powersand)
Hardscape: 55kg of Fossilised Wood from TGM

Whilst I sorted out the discus I had the tank sitting in my studio for a while, so that gave me a good chance to move rocks around endlessly until I came up with this placement:

MUS5223.jpg

and viewed from above:

MUS5221.jpg

which led me to working out my initial planting plan so I could get things ordered. I'm sure things will change as the day goes on, but this is my starting point 🙂 :

Plantplan.jpg

Yesterday, I moved the tank into place in the alcove, and started scaping ! I placed some Tropica substrate on the bottom of the tank, then added the Unipac gravel and filled it to about 4" deep at the back to pack out the height. On top of this went the Powersand and ADA additives:

MUS5236.jpg

This was then all capped with Malaya:

MUS5246.jpg

This morning my plants will arrive from TGM and PlantedTanks, so I'll be prepping glosso stems for a while then planting it up 🙂 More pics later on

Tony
 
Re: Tonsers 420L "Triassic Hollow"

Wow that hardscape is incredible!
 
Re: Tonsers 420L "Triassic Hollow"

amazing rockwork.going to be another amazing tank.
any idea what fish you're going for.
 
Re: Tonsers 420L "Triassic Hollow"

Tony, if i may?

i keep coming back to view the images it's that good. i Cant help but feel though, the first image without substrate is better than the final one. you can see more of the stone base.

the first image layout just blows me away! and actually, is the best hardscape i've ever seen and makes me want to cry and give up.
 
Re: Tonsers 420L "Triassic Hollow"

wheres the *like* button on this???? 🙂
Looking forward to seeing it in the flesh soon!
 
Re: Tonsers 420L "Triassic Hollow"

You know what I think pal. All I want to say is... Once it's up, you will have to have me and the misses over so we can sit at the breakfast bar with a glass of red. You know it's happening.

Can't wait to see it planted, can't find fault with the scape.
 
Re: Tonsers 420L "Triassic Hollow"

Another amazing scape Tony, this just blows away the previous Discus tank and most tank here on the site, looking forward to seeing this planted and developing 🙂
 
Re: Tonsers 420L "Triassic Hollow"

That is simply superb, Im loving seeing great scapers like yourself come up with this stuff, such an inspiration!

Adam
 
Re: Tonsers 420L "Triassic Hollow"

I keep thinking about your idea of "bending" the composition to the right with all the rocks leaned right.

MUS5246.jpg

Nature has produced many formations with this "idea in mind", yet I had to experiment a little --- trying to pull the composition back to it's less tense state - equilibrium if you wish... Here's what I came up with in the first round. Not sure it works, just had to test it... 😉

mus5246copy.jpg
 
Re: Tonsers 420L "Triassic Hollow"

I don't think it works. It was all cohesive before, but the new idea doesn't ballance the rest of the stones out, so to me it looks unnatural and stands out.

I really can't pick point with it.
 
Re: Tonsers 420L "Triassic Hollow"

It doesnt really do it for me either Keymaker I think the original hardscape is best, it works better for me anyhow. I think Saintly has a point though, the first shot looks best as well IMO. Just subtle differences between that shot and the others but they are there. Nothing that cant be ironed out and im sure they will, overall great job, lets see the plants in :clap:
 
Re: Tonsers 420L "Triassic Hollow"

It's gonna be great what ever. It reminds me a lot of pride rock from Lion king, any chance of sneaking a baboon and lion into the scape? 😛

I prefer your very first shot too, there's just that "something", the subtlety of the textures is fantastic and once softened and further balanced by the greens of your plants it will look absolutely great, I think the key will be to not go too overboard with plant forms, I think red plants and pinnate plants might not sit right with the colour of the rock. Best of luck I'm sure it'll be great.
 
Re: Tonsers 420L "Triassic Hollow"

WOW Tony! back with a vengence! Stunning landscape youve built up there. I'd echo what saintly and zig said about the original, i liked it slightly more due to the interesting nooks and crannies. Haveing said that i cant tell the soil depth on the original so it may not have been deep enough for you to plant. Really like the planting list too. Roll on planting time 😀
 
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