First aquascape project

This is sort of a test run, before i try anything with 200 ltr i'm going to have a go with 33ltr and just try different things. Plus it gives me something to do till i save up enough money for an injected CO2 system.

The plan goes as follows:
Use pond soil substrate and cap with gravel.
Hairgrass (echinodorus vivipara) carpet.
Mopani driftwood with Java moss and Java fern attached.
Black background.
Will be using the EI Dosing method with Carbo.
Will be doing 50% water changes, these will consist of (50% clean / 50%water from my main tank)
------- Tank water will only be for a few weeks.

After perfectly making a batch of moist soil to form the base of my substrate, I used a layer of gravel to cap it.
Filled the tank a little too quick...............whoops.



Once the water cleared i had a few attempts at arranging the driftwood, this is what i got so far.

http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/7822/ppa2.jpg

I was originally going to use a different carpet plant but I remembered the Eleocharis my brother bought a while back and since it was slowly dying in his tank I decided to see if i could save it.

So far so good.....I have a little ammonia (probably from the soil).
No Nitrites yet
about 5ppm nitrate (from my main)

Waiting for some fishing line, dry Salts and Carbo then i can start to properly dose with ferts.
Till that arrives i have waterlifes tropiflora, some old grow tabs from plants alive and a crappy co2 kit.
Just gotta watch and wait.

am using vivipara in my tank. It does grow very tall, 30 cms in one week so far. Am wondering if one of the shorter varieties would have been better... I will trim mine in a few days to see how it responds.

Just out of curiosity, what is your tank setup?
I'm guessing injected CO2?
Would love to see this patch grow and spread out altho i doubt its going to happen until I start EI Dosing (hurry up royal mail, lol)

i have vivipara in my 40 litre nano, 18w light with ei dosing and easy carbo. growing like nuts. also in my 260 litre with half ei dosing and injected co2.

That's exactly what I wanted to hear!
Quite excited about aquascaping, can't wait to get my ferts etc in the post, so I can start learning.
I'm a complete noob at this, had plants before lots of times but only really stumbled upon aquascapes when looking for new plants.
If I get any good I may even start making my own tanks ><

Note to self......calm down, one step at a time.

I have somehow started a new thread, this little project has now moved to

http://www.ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=19679