# Marks 120cm Bay Fronted Jungle "A 5 Year Work In Progress"



## Arana (2 Mar 2008)

I decided to change the background in my 120cm a few weeks ago and replanted it all with Rotala, what with life getting in the way as usual it's now well past it's first pruning. So i thought i'd post some pre-prune pics and you can follow the progress as i try to turn it into some kind of scape over he next month or so. All comments and suggestions welcome of course  It's probably going to take a few prunings to take shape so be patient  

 Please excuse the photography, they are taken on my sons compact camera and i havn't quite got the hang of it yet, especially after a bottle of wine  
























[/img]


----------



## Arana (2 Mar 2008)

PS i should be pruning tomorrow so i'll post more pics then


----------



## TDI-line (2 Mar 2008)

Nice work Mark. 

What plants do you have btw?


----------



## ceg4048 (2 Mar 2008)

Hi Mark,
             Pretty nice so far. As you say, a haircut is in order. You could improve things by adding some hardscape across the midground, say, immediately behind or around the low growing  bushes. Also, I love red, so I'd find a place for a red plant somewhere in the back or middle to offset the greens in the same way that the Crypt does that so nicely up front.  

Cheers,


----------



## Moss Man (2 Mar 2008)

Very green and jungle like, it's pretty good. 

The thing I love about stems is their versatility, if you dont prune for a while you have a jungle, although just after pruning you have a neat dutch or nature aquarium scape. For now though, you can enjoy the jungle.


----------



## Themuleous (2 Mar 2008)

Loved it when I saw in last weekend, but a good haircut is overdue   I wouldn't leave it to long as you don't want the bottoms of the stems to get to tatty.

Sam


----------



## Arana (2 Mar 2008)

What plants do you have btw?

Here's the list mate, many others have come and gone over time  
Bacopa caroliniana
Hemianthus callitrichoides
Ludwigia repens
Micranthemum umbrosum
Microsorum pteropus 
Riccia fluitans 
Rotala rotundifolia 
Rotala sp. ''green''
Didiplis diandra 
Hottonia Paulensis
Cryptocoryne beckettii
Lysimachia nummularia
And about a dozen different mosses



			
				ceg4048 said:
			
		

> Hi Mark,
> Pretty nice so far. As you say, a haircut is in order. You could improve things by adding some hardscape across the midground, say, immediately behind or around the low growing  bushes. Also, I love red, so I'd find a place for a red plant somewhere in the back or middle to offset the greens in the same way that the Crypt does that so nicely up front.
> 
> Cheers,



I agree with every word mate, it's just finding the right bit of wood for the job  

Thanks Mossman, i keep expecting to hear Tarzan in the background


----------



## Arana (2 Mar 2008)

Themuleous said:
			
		

> Loved it when I saw in last weekend, but a good haircut is overdue   I wouldn't leave it to long as you don't want the bottoms of the stems to get to tatty.
> 
> Sam



Thanks Sam, i don't want tatty bottoms thats for sure


----------



## Arana (3 Mar 2008)

BTW The macro shots were taken by Garuf during the UKAPS get together the other week


----------



## Arana (4 Mar 2008)

OK i finaly got around to giving it the big haircut tonight, i also changed a couple of plants  The back glass needs a good clean, i'll do that at water change time.

i have ordered a long piece of redmoor, i'll post pics when it comes.

i will post weekly pics and we will see how it grows in  

Here's the pics...


----------



## Garuf (4 Mar 2008)

TURN THAT FLASH OFF!

It looks amazing, a credit to your talents.
I can't wait to see the redmoor go in, it's going to be amazing.


----------



## TDI-line (5 Mar 2008)

Nice one.


----------



## nickyc (5 Mar 2008)

Nice work!!


----------



## aaronnorth (5 Mar 2008)

Boy it was ready for that, they can actually breath now!


----------



## Arana (5 Mar 2008)

Thanks everyone  

I just wish i had a better camera  

I should have the wood by the weekend


----------



## Themuleous (5 Mar 2008)

Nice Mark, about time!!!

You could probably be more sever with the prune and take another few inches off the top, so that the new growth is just above the plants in front of it.

Just a thought

Sam


----------



## Arana (6 Mar 2008)

Themuleous said:
			
		

> Nice Mark, about time!!!
> 
> You could probably be more sever with the prune and take another few inches off the top, so that the new growth is just above the plants in front of it.
> 
> ...



you're probably right mate, i plan to hit them again in a couple of weeks once the wood is in and i'm sure of the final layout, just incase i change my mind about the shapes


----------



## Arana (8 Mar 2008)

i was thinking of using this bit of wood for this tank, what do you all  think?


----------



## Garuf (8 Mar 2008)

looks good but you won't know until its in


----------



## Luketendo (8 Mar 2008)

I think it'd look good, especially if you could turn it upside-down.


----------



## Garuf (8 Mar 2008)

I dunno, I think it'd look daft upside down, I like the way it is at the moment, but then the proof will be in the pudding as they say.


----------



## Luketendo (9 Mar 2008)

I was trying to get more height out of the branches, I don't really think it's possible with this piece.


----------



## TDI-line (9 Mar 2008)

Give it a go, the worst that could happen is you waste a day moving this and that...


----------



## beeky (10 Mar 2008)

I like the look of it, although what about turning it around so the large bit on the left and it extends out to the right. The dark of the wood and the dark of the crypt on opposite sides might work quite well.


----------



## Arana (10 Mar 2008)

beeky said:
			
		

> I like the look of it, although what about turning it around so the large bit on the left and it extends out to the right. The dark of the wood and the dark of the crypt on opposite sides might work quite well.



I thnk left to right would look more natural but the other side of the wood is nowhere near as nice


----------



## Themuleous (10 Mar 2008)

I think left to right works better for European eyes as thats the way we've learnt to read text, however right to left scapes work just as well and that bit of wood looks great the way you have it.  I would try and tilt it a bit so the longest 'branch' is not laying flat but pointing upwards slightly.

That said, you often have to try these things in the tank several times before you get it the way you want it or that looks good.

Sam


----------



## Themuleous (11 Mar 2008)

Mark,

I see the Hottonia inflata is growing well?  I might use it when I redo my nano.

Sam


----------



## Arana (11 Mar 2008)

Themuleous said:
			
		

> Mark,
> 
> I see the Hottonia inflata is growing well?  I might use it when I redo my nano.
> 
> Sam



I'm not sure about this one yet mate  :? it's lost a few of it's lower leaves, and they seem to be verry brittle, no browning they ust seem to snap off   OR the siemensis has taking a liking to them   i'll keep you informed of it's progress  

I'll try and post an updated photo later


----------



## Garuf (11 Mar 2008)

I meant to tell you, Mark but I totally forgot till just now. 
With hatonia you have to SLOWLY introduce it to emerged growth otherwise it will die off like described, I'll try and find the article for you now, it seems as though unlike otherplants it can't just switch over it just dies.


----------



## Garuf (11 Mar 2008)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hottonia_palustris


Not the same article but the same advice, needs to be submersed in stages.


----------



## Arana (11 Mar 2008)

cheers garuf, i read that article myself before, but obviously not properly   
 i think i'll cut the bottoms off and replant, then hope for the best  
if it don't take, i'm sure i can find something nice to replace it with


----------



## Garuf (11 Mar 2008)

You could simply plant it in a glass vase in the window sill and add a glass of water to it each week, when you notice new shoots transfer them into the tank.


----------



## Arana (11 Mar 2008)

sounds like a fun idea  i think i'll give it a go


----------



## Garuf (11 Mar 2008)

Ferts wont hurt, a handful of something for it anchor in will help too.


----------



## Arana (11 Mar 2008)

Time for an update  

Day 1...






Day 7 after pruning...


----------



## Arana (12 Mar 2008)

Garuf was right about that Oakleaf, it's almost doubled in size in 7 days


----------



## Themuleous (12 Mar 2008)

The stems have responed really well to the prune!


----------



## Arana (12 Mar 2008)

Themuleous said:
			
		

> The stems have responed really well to the prune!



Yeah i'm pleased with the way thay have grown  
all that Riccia wil need a trim soon as well  
and i'm going to try that wood for size at the weekend 
I just wish i could get better photos


----------



## Arana (19 Mar 2008)

Time for another update, the oak leaf hit the surface in 10 days so i have cut it down and replanted the tops, the bacopa in the right hand corner and the rotala in the center need trimming back into shape and the rotala on the left needs another hard prune. The wood is still in soak hopefully it can go in at the weekend  then i'll trim and post some updates.
still got all that riccia to trim as well  

here's some more photos as of last night...


----------



## beeky (29 Mar 2008)

That's stunning. You should be very proud.

Did you mean for the Crypt to be the focus when you planned it, as it's perfectly positioned? The R. rotundifolia (I think) behind it is completely hidden though. When you trim next how about cutting it so it's in between the crypt and the background plant (not sure what it is!)


----------



## planter (29 Mar 2008)

Your tank is really beautiful mark! I especialy like the crypt. the darker leaves are a real contrast to light green stem plants. nice one!


----------



## Arana (30 Mar 2008)

beeky said:
			
		

> That's stunning. You should be very proud.
> 
> Did you mean for the Crypt to be the focus when you planned it, as it's perfectly positioned? The R. rotundifolia (I think) behind it is completely hidden though. When you trim next how about cutting it so it's in between the crypt and the background plant (not sure what it is!)



Thanks   Do you mean the red stem behind the Crypt? thats quite a new introduction and still waiting for it's first trim but seems to be quite slow growing, you are right tho' somewhere between the Crypt and the Rotala in the background would be the perfect height. The problem is i have a huge piece of wood soaking at the mo that will mean i wil have to move that Crypt! i'm not looking forward to it, as it's a monster


----------



## Arana (30 Mar 2008)

planter said:
			
		

> Your tank is really beautiful mark! I especialy like the crypt. the darker leaves are a real contrast to light green stem plants. nice one!



Thanks Planter  that Crypt started out as 4 sorry looking leaves about 4" long just 6 months ago and now i'm constantly removing leaves to stop it taking over the tank


----------



## Garuf (18 Apr 2008)

Any updates mark? I'd be really interested to see how it looks now, especially the dingly dell.


----------



## Arana (18 Apr 2008)

There shoud be an update at the weekend mate, the new wood is fianally in   i'll get some pics and maybe some video at the weekend


----------



## Garuf (18 Apr 2008)

Whoop! How does the wood look? resisted buying bolbitis and mosses for it?


----------



## Arana (18 Apr 2008)

no mosses but i bought some bolbitis at the TGM, it looked a bit burnt but i thought i'd give it a go, but it hasn't recovered to well so far


----------



## Garuf (18 Apr 2008)

It's slow, oh so very slow, best bet would be to trim of the burnt bits and give it time, mine too 2 months to start to regrow when I got mine. Leave a few leaves on though other wise it'll take even longer to get started.


----------



## Steve Smith (19 Apr 2008)

Looking forwards to update pics Mark!  Looks so great   It gives the impression of being bigger than 120cm.


----------



## Arana (19 Apr 2008)

cheers Steve  It's a very large piece of wood! makes quite statement i think


----------



## Garuf (19 Apr 2008)

Bold statements are the best, I can't wait to see how its changed the scape.


----------



## Arana (19 Apr 2008)

Just hoping i can get some decent photos of it


----------



## Garuf (19 Apr 2008)

I dunno, the last load have all been brilliant, just give it ago.


----------



## Arana (21 Apr 2008)

Since the last update i have been contstantly pruning and have now finally added that piece of wood  the bare area of gravel front right will be planted with some Downoi soon, i have been trying out a couple of bits in the tank for a few weeks and it is growing well, so i'l order some more in  

Questions and comments welcome


----------



## aaronnorth (21 Apr 2008)

That improves the scape alot IMO, those atems are growing well aswell  

Aaron


----------



## Steve Smith (21 Apr 2008)

Wow Mark, looks amazing   That crypt is rampant


----------



## Arana (21 Apr 2008)

Thanks guys, glad you like it  Steve your right about that crypt if i didn't keep removing leaves it would own the whole tank by now


----------



## Garuf (21 Apr 2008)

Sweet lord what an improvement, amazing scape and even better plant health! I can't wait to see the bolbitis grow in and the downoi to arrive.


----------



## Arana (21 Apr 2008)

Garuf said:
			
		

> Sweet lord what an improvement, amazing scape and even better plant health! I can't wait to see the bolbitis grow in and the downoi to arrive.



cheers mate i thought it was the perfect piece of wood as soon as i saw it


----------



## Garuf (21 Apr 2008)

I agree, do you have a suitably pretentious name for the tank yet?


----------



## Arana (22 Apr 2008)

Garuf said:
			
		

> I agree, do you have a suitably pretentious name for the tank yet?



 the wife sugested "Redbridge Roundabout" it's a well known road junction near me


----------



## Garuf (22 Apr 2008)

HAHA!
Spaghetti junction 8)


----------



## planter (22 Apr 2008)

WOW  Mark the tank looks great fella! I wasnt sure how you was going to fit that lump of wood in there but it looks the business.


----------



## LondonDragon (22 Apr 2008)

That looks amazing, its filling in really well, congrats


----------



## Martin (22 Apr 2008)

Cor blimey, that chunk of wood is a corker, love it.


----------



## Arana (22 Apr 2008)

Thanks everyone  i'm going to try and get some video of it later as i agree with Tom Barr when he said it gives you a much better idea of the reality of the tank than a photo


----------



## Themuleous (22 Apr 2008)

Very nice Mark, the wood is very nice in particular, needs to settle in and let the plants grow around it which should soften it up which will help it blend, but its very nice.

Sam


----------



## Arana (23 Apr 2008)

Thanks Sam


----------



## John Starkey (23 Apr 2008)

Hi mark,sorry i have missed this your setup is absolutley gorgeous mate, the wood you put in caps it off nicely well done,regards john


----------



## TDI-line (23 Apr 2008)

Looks great Mark, love the wood.


----------



## Arana (24 Apr 2008)

Thanks for the kind words John and Dan


----------



## Lisa_Perry75 (24 Apr 2008)

Love the set-up Mark, it looks really lush and loving the crypt!


----------



## Arana (25 Apr 2008)

Lisa_Perry75 said:
			
		

> Love the set-up Mark, it looks really lush and loving the crypt!



Thanks Lisa, i'll try and get around to taking some video at the weekend  been meaning to all week


----------



## Luketendo (26 Apr 2008)

Excellent it looks fantastic!


----------



## Arana (29 Apr 2008)

Thanks Luke  

Here's that video but for some reason it made my tank look squashed  anybody know why? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruFFdCTVAAQ


----------



## LondonDragon (29 Apr 2008)

Arana said:
			
		

> Thanks Luke
> Here's that video but for some reason it made my tank look squashed  anybody know why?




Possibly the codec used, when uploaded it will re-encode it for the site, could have misunderstood the codec info!
Try uploading it again.


----------



## JamieH (2 May 2008)

Garuf said:
			
		

> I agree, do you have a suitably pretentious name for the tank yet?




 

LOL


Amano has a lot of things to answer for in the world... not all of them good!

I've noticed of late tha everyone's journal on every forum has to have a name...


----------



## Arana (3 May 2008)

JamieH said:
			
		

> Garuf said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I will only give it a name if someone comes up with one that is unmistakenly british


----------



## Arana (3 May 2008)

LondonDragon said:
			
		

> Possibly the codec used, when uploaded it will re-encode it for the site, could have misunderstood the codec info!
> Try uploading it again.



I just tried uploading direct from the camera but it's made no differance


----------



## ulster exile (3 May 2008)

Arana said:
			
		

> I will only give it a name if someone comes up with one that is unmistakenly british



How's about "Empire of the Plant" or you could even add a HM at the start to make it more British?   

Beautiful tank though - inspiring!


----------



## Arana (3 May 2008)

*Re: Marks 120cm Bay Fronted Jungle - Video Updated*

finally got that video working  now everything looks in proportion instead of squashed  

click on "watch in high quality" under the movie for your enhanced viewing pleasure 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruFFdCTVAAQ

Enjoy


----------



## Themuleous (4 May 2008)

Veru nice Mark, the Riccia has gone mad!!!

Sam


----------



## Steve Smith (4 May 2008)

Looks superb mate   Would love to pinch some of that background plant! (Micranthemum umbrosum?)


----------



## Arana (4 May 2008)

Themuleous said:
			
		

> Veru nice Mark, the Riccia has gone mad!!!
> 
> Sam



Cheers Sam, it gets to that stage about every 3 weeks, so next week it will need re-netting, the last time i did it i had half a bucket of Riccia that ended up on the compost  




			
				SteveUK said:
			
		

> Looks superb mate   Would love to pinch some of that background plant! (Micranthemum umbrosum?)



There's Rotala Green on the left, Rotala Rotundaflora in the middle and Bacopa on the right, i'm pruning today if you want some mate?


----------



## LondonDragon (13 May 2008)

Any updates? we need some photos


----------



## Arana (13 May 2008)

Funny enough i have made some changes and will post some photos at the weekend...  

I have added some more downoi at the front, cut back that huge crypt, swapped the bolbitas for an anubias and added some red nosed shrimp


----------



## Steve Smith (13 May 2008)

Cool, sounds interesting!  Red nosed shrimp look so cool


----------



## LondonDragon (13 May 2008)

Sounds good, where did you get the red nose shrimp from? Do you know if they are compatible with Amano and Red Cherry? cheers


----------



## Arana (13 May 2008)

LondonDragon said:
			
		

> Sounds good, where did you get the red nose shrimp from? Do you know if they are compatible with Amano and Red Cherry? cheers



they come from Wetpets in Romford and they seem fine with my Amanos mate


----------



## Steve Smith (13 May 2008)

Heres a pic of one of Gill's red nose shrimp:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/psgill00/Picture031-6.jpg

Slightly odd looking things.  I can't help but think they need a french accent and a roguish attitude


----------



## Arana (13 May 2008)

SteveUK said:
			
		

> Slightly odd looking things.  I can't help but think they need a french accent and a roguish attitude



  having worked in France that really did make me "laugh out loud"...nice one!....still laughing


----------



## Arana (25 May 2008)

New photos as promised  comments welcome


----------



## ceg4048 (26 May 2008)

Hi Mark,
            Looks good enough to eat mate.   Filled in nicely. Can't help thinking that the background stems need something - maybe shaping like a hedge. It just seems like a wall of green. Maybe let the red plant grow tall and then put it in the back middle to break up the color and texture of the wall?

Cheers,


----------



## Arana (26 May 2008)

ceg4048 said:
			
		

> Hi Mark,
> Looks good enough to eat mate.   Filled in nicely. Can't help thinking that the background stems need something - maybe shaping like a hedge. It just seems like a wall of green. Maybe let the red plant grow tall and then put it in the back middle to break up the color and texture of the wall?
> 
> Cheers,



Cheers mate  i agree about the red it needs to grow taller, the Red Luwigia that was there never really grew at all so i replaced it yesterday with this Rotala Mac (i think) hpefully it should fair better


----------



## ulster exile (26 May 2008)

That does look really impressive


----------



## bugs (26 May 2008)

What are the tank specs? I'm sure they're in this thread somewhere but, with 10 pages I'm struggling to find them.


----------



## Dave Spencer (26 May 2008)

There is a lot of good stuff going on in this tank, but the Crypt is becoming a bit too distracting IMO, and doesn`t really fit in with the texture of the rest of the tank.

Personally, I would replace it with some other type of stem along the lines of HM or MU. Rotala sp `Nanjenshan` or the like may work, also.

Placing groupings of midground plants along the line where the foreground plants meet the background could help to break up the feeling of FFWS on the left hand side of the tank.

With a little more careful planting and pruning it should look pretty exceptional, not that it isn`t a beauty already.

Dave.


----------



## LondonDragon (26 May 2008)

WOW that looks great Mark, thos much growth its unbelievable, what you dosing it? 
Loving the jungle, must look great in watching it in person, when is the BBQ? hahaha

Keep us posted, great work


----------



## Arana (26 May 2008)

ulster exile said:
			
		

> That does look really impressive



Thankyou  



			
				bugs said:
			
		

> What are the tank specs? I'm sure they're in this thread somewhere but, with 10 pages I'm struggling to find them.



sure  

120cm
220l
Tetratec 1200
24/7 pressurised CO2, Rhinox 5000
30w & 40w T8 Triplus and 2 Daylight Plus 55w T5 PC's no reflectors but the hood is lined with Mylar 



			
				Dave Spencer said:
			
		

> There is a lot of good stuff going on in this tank, but the Crypt is becoming a bit too distracting IMO, and doesn`t really fit in with the texture of the rest of the tank.
> 
> Personally, I would replace it with some other type of stem along the lines of HM or MU. Rotala sp `Nanjenshan` or the like may work, also.
> 
> ...



I know what you you mean about the crypt mate but it's become a battle of wills    i want it out, it wants to take over the tank and the wife loves it  
I have always fancied trying some Nanjenshan though  

 FFWS... ????



			
				LondonDragon said:
			
		

> WOW that looks great Mark, thos much growth its unbelievable, what you dosing it?
> Loving the jungle, must look great in watching it in person, when is the BBQ? hahaha
> 
> Keep us posted, great work



Thanks mate  it currently gets 5g of KNO3, 1g KH2PO4, 8g MGSO4 and 1g AE Trace 3 x week


----------



## Steve Smith (27 May 2008)

Looking great Mark!  Is the riccia much work to maintain?


----------



## beeky (27 May 2008)

What was the red ludwigia that you tried? L.mulllertii or L.repens "Rubin"?


----------



## Arana (27 May 2008)

beeky said:
			
		

> What was the red ludwigia that you tried? L.mulllertii or L.repens "Rubin"?



I think it was Arcuata  



			
				SteveUK said:
			
		

> Looking great Mark! Is the riccia much work to maintain?



no problem really, it's just hairnetted to cobbles, sometimes i just give it a trim and sometimes i re-net it depending how the mood takes me


----------



## Steve Smith (30 May 2008)

If you're having a trim anytime soon mate... *nudge nudge*


----------



## Arana (30 May 2008)

i'll probably trim it next week, how much do you want? last time i ended up with half a bucket full


----------



## Steve Smith (30 May 2008)

Ooh, erm.  Well I'm going to be planting a 4ft, but only the back corner.  I already have some, but it's not doing so well (dodgy order from a plant retailer I won't name)

I guess whatever is going spare   PM me what you want in terms of postage/donation etc


----------



## aaronnorth (1 Jun 2008)

Looks great, i love the stem backgroind


----------



## ukco2guy (31 Oct 2010)

Hi,

Just spotted your tank on You tube and got to say what a great healthy looking tank!

Can i ask about your co2 and flow. How did you get your flow so good, are you using spray bars, power heads etc? Can you tell me more about the setup?

Cheers,


----------



## Arana (31 Oct 2010)

ukco2guy said:
			
		

> Hi,
> 
> Just spotted your tank on You tube and got to say what a great healthy looking tank!
> 
> ...



Glad you like it mate, unfortunately it doesn't look quite as good at the moment as it's in the process of being run down while i find a home for the fish, once they have gone it's going to be a total rescape i think.  8) 

The CO2 was pressurised from a FE pushing through a Rinox 5000 at about 1 bubble p/s and on 24/7. the filter was a Tetratec 1200 using the spray bars that come with it mounted on the side of the tank, flowing left to right and turned slightly downward to avoid to much surface disturbance. Usually you would be better off putting the spray bars at the back pusing forward but i found with the bay fronted design of tank that the angles seem to favour side mounted, it seemed to bounce the flow around in all directions  
The only modifacation i made was to drill a small hole into the spray bar pointing straight down and then i mounted the Rinox under this so the downward jet smashed up the bubbles as the came out of the diffuser. No other Power Heads or filters were used. Hope that makes sense :? 

Can't believe that video has had over 86,000 views


----------



## roge21 (31 Oct 2010)

Your tank looks very good


----------



## Garuf (31 Oct 2010)

It's great to have you back, Mark. No photo or video could really do the tank justice, it was beautiful with so many layers of texture and detail. 
Hope you're well, I look forward to seeing you soon, poker re-match!


----------



## Arana (31 Oct 2010)

Garuf said:
			
		

> It's great to have you back, Mark. No photo or video could really do the tank justice, it was beautiful with so many layers of texture and detail.
> Hope you're well, I look forward to seeing you soon, poker re-match!



Thanks mate! hope you are well too. maybe you can come down and give me a hand when i rescape this one then we can have a poker rematch. Sam! you owe me a rematch too


----------



## Garuf (31 Oct 2010)

It'd be a pleasure. We'll sort something out closer to the day but I'm more than up for it. There's quiet the thriving scene developing in London with the LFKC and the places like the living waters bringing some of the most unusual plants around into the hobby.


----------



## Arana (31 Oct 2010)

Garuf said:
			
		

> It'd be a pleasure. We'll sort something out closer to the day but I'm more than up for it. There's quiet the thriving scene developing in London with the LFKC and the places like the living waters bringing some of the most unusual plants around into the hobby.



You are always welcome to stay whenever you fancy a mooch around London mate


----------



## Arana (29 Dec 2011)

Time to revive this Journal as this tank has been going strong now for a few years and it's time for a rescape  the only things staying are the huge crypt in the front, which is now 4 years old   and the large piece of redmoor wood. i have pulled out all the old stems and bought a load of new plants that have been acclimatising in their pots for a couple of weeks now. So the plan is tomorrow to strip down the tank leaving the crypt and some of the original gravel in situ, top with new gravel and add some nice lumps of Plum Slate i bought today along with the redmoor, replant and refill. I will take photos as i go tomorrow and post the progress, i think it's going to be a long day


----------



## Alastair (29 Dec 2011)

Looking forward to seeing this mate, this journal was one of the first I read through when I joined


----------



## Arana (29 Dec 2011)

Alastair said:
			
		

> Looking forward to seeing this mate, this journal was one of the first I read through when I joined



Thanks Alastair, well you are still here so at least it never scared you off  I'm getting excited now at the thought of a fresh start


----------



## Arana (30 Dec 2011)

*Re: Marks 120cm Bay Fronted Jungle (Rescape with lots of pic*

Well that was a long day  started at 8am this morning by starting the new gravel rinsing in a wheelbarrow...





While that was rinsing i moved the fish and plants to their tempory home for the day...




and started to play around with the Plum slate i bought yesterday in the hallway, there is over 35 kilos there and it only cost me £12!...Result  




and then it was time to strip down the old tank and remove some of the existing gravel, i also took the oppertunity to thin out that huge crypt that had got quite congested, hopefully it should recover soon. had to leave it in there though as it had such a huge root system...




once that was done i added a fresh layer of gravel...




and then added the rocks i had chose and added more gravel behind...







Then it was time to clean and put back the wood and a few more small pieces rock...




Now the hardscape is complete the planting can begin


----------



## hinch (30 Dec 2011)

where did you get the slate from was it ordered online or from a local place?


----------



## Arana (30 Dec 2011)

hinch said:
			
		

> where did you get the slate from was it ordered online or from a local place?


It came from a local rockery supliers, 35p per kilo


----------



## Mark Evans (30 Dec 2011)

Good stuff Mark.

Have you any more wood or stone?...It's just a thought, but maybe add a bit more wood on the right and a bit of stone on the left, to make the hardscape a bit more fluid.

 it kinda looks like two different scapes in 1.   

It's great, but could be improved slightly. I'm not being critical in a bad way mate


----------



## hinch (30 Dec 2011)

think they'd deliver? I need a few largish pieces


----------



## Arana (30 Dec 2011)

Mark Evans said:
			
		

> Good stuff Mark.
> 
> Have you any more wood or stone?...It's just a thought, but maybe add a bit more wood on the right and a bit of stone on the left, to make the hardscape a bit more fluid.
> 
> ...



Haven't got any more wood but still got loads of the stone left


----------



## Arana (30 Dec 2011)

hinch said:
			
		

> think they'd deliver? I need a few largish pieces



Give the nearest branch to you a call and ask mate, here's the link...
http://www.ced.ltd.uk/html/contact/


----------



## Arana (30 Dec 2011)

Arana said:
			
		

> Mark Evans said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I have just finished planting but no doubt i will be tweaking a lot over the next week so i may well add some more of the stone


----------



## Arana (30 Dec 2011)

Finally it was time to put all the plants back...














Still a lot of tweaking to do and as Mark suggested i may well add some more rock on the left and maybe a few more plants, it's never finished so i will keep posting pics as things change, grow and develop


----------



## Mark Evans (30 Dec 2011)

Good stuff Mark.

I see potential in the scape even as it is


----------



## Arana (30 Dec 2011)

Mark Evans said:
			
		

> Good stuff Mark.
> 
> I see potential in the scape even as it is



Cheers mate, i have finally had a chance to sit down in front of the tank for a while with a cup of coffee and have decided i will be adding more rock on the left tomorrow and probably some more stems behind them during the week   no doubt the first of many changes over the next few weeks


----------



## Themuleous (30 Dec 2011)

Nice matey  love thw hardscape.

Sam


----------



## Arana (30 Dec 2011)

Themuleous said:
			
		

> Nice matey  love thw hardscape.
> 
> Sam



Cheers mate, as i sit here i am starting to see how i can improve it, more rock, more bolbitis on the main horizontal branch and moss on the upright branches


----------



## Alastair (30 Dec 2011)

Those crypts will look awesome when theyve filled in. I'm just waiting on delivery of a fair amount to fill up my bow front too. I love how it's looking mate 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Arana (30 Dec 2011)

Alastair said:
			
		

> Those crypts will look awesome when theyve filled in. I'm just waiting on delivery of a fair amount to fill up my bow front too. I love how it's looking mate
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



That's what i am hoping mate, cheers


----------



## Mark Evans (30 Dec 2011)

Arana said:
			
		

> i have finally had a chance to sit down in front of the tank for a while with a cup of coffee



There's nothing better than that! I love the part straight after planting, when you sit down and have a cupper looking at what you've just done.


----------



## Arana (31 Dec 2011)

*Re: Marks 120cm Bay Fronted Jungle (Rescape with Photos)*

Have now added a touch of rock on the left, hopefully it gives it more balance...




So the plan now it to get Bolbitis to grow along the main branch of the wood and add moss to all the upright bits, hopefully the hydrocotyle vulgaris will spread around and fill in the gaps although i have never grown it before so will have to see how it does in my tank. no doubt i will still be impulse buying everytime i see a new plant i like so will be squeezing in bits here an there as it develops. Also thinking of adding a shoal of vietnamese white cloud minnows and some shrimp.


----------



## darren636 (31 Dec 2011)

really like the rock and wood arrangement, maybe the wood could pass in front of the rock in the middle of the tank-instead of behind it? ( a minor gripe)  looking foward to your progress.


----------



## Mark Evans (1 Jan 2012)

darren636 said:
			
		

> maybe the wood could pass in front of the rock in the middle of the tank-instead of behind it?



That's a good suggestion. The added rock is good, but could be a tad bigger maybe. sorry for critiquing too much Mark


----------



## Arana (1 Jan 2012)

Mark Evans said:
			
		

> darren636 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Please never stop critiquing mate, i' always learning an listening, it's greatly appreciated


----------



## Arana (1 Jan 2012)

*Re: Marks 120cm Bay Fronted Jungle (Knightmare)*

OK i woke up this morning hungover and blurry eyed from the new years celebrations to find the water in the tank was like soup, 2 dead pencils, 3 dead ruby barbs and 1 dead otto    i have no idea what has happened, everthing is stable and the same as it has been for a couple of years, the filter is mature and maintained regulary. i imeddiately did 2 large water changes and cleaned the filter any way.. it's still a tad murky but i am monitoring it to see if it starts to clear or gets worse again, all the other fish who were gasping at the surface are now fine. not a very good start to the new year!! something i did in the rescape has triggered it but i can't think what it could be, any ideas or suggestions welcome guys :?:


----------



## darren636 (1 Jan 2012)

something has been dropped into or sprayed near your tank maybe?


----------



## Arana (2 Jan 2012)

Arggggggggggggg!!!!!!!!!! woke up this morning to find the same thing  had left an airstone on all night just in case but i still have cloudy water and another 3 dead pencils!!! what the hell is going on????


----------



## sanj (2 Jan 2012)

You need to do a large water change. Did you have people over at your house?


----------



## Arana (2 Jan 2012)

sanj said:
			
		

> You need to do a large water change. Did you have people over at your house?



did 2 large water changes yesterday and i'm in the process of doing another one now and no we went to a party so the house was empty :?


----------



## darren636 (2 Jan 2012)

a power cut, trapped toxic gas under the substrate, an introduced chemical, err . Wtf?


----------



## Arana (2 Jan 2012)

darren636 said:
			
		

> a power cut, trapped toxic gas under the substrate, an introduced chemical, err . blimey?



I am starting to think it is something Bacterial as it definately depleteing the oxygen levels in the water :?


----------



## GHNelson (2 Jan 2012)

Hi Mark
Have you added anything to the substrate :?: 
hoggie


----------



## Ady34 (2 Jan 2012)

Hi Mark,
this must be awful for you after having such long term success prior to the rescape.
it can only be three things, the old disturbed substrate leaching something toxic into the water column, the new gravel or the new stone.
From what i can gather you removed some of the old substrate but left some and topped off with the new black gravel.  the only suggestion i have is that the substrate balance has been compromised and for whatever reason is badly affecting the tank water. 
I would remove the livestock to a quarantine tank so as not to lose any more, then monitor the main tank and check the obvious nitrite, nitrate, ammonia etc. maybe also put a seperate sample of the rock and gravel into seperate buckets for a couple of days to see if the water goes cloudy. If it doesnt go cloudy you can eliminate these as the reason.
Personally though i feel that even though there is a mature filter etc the tank needs a 'cycling' and settling period to ensure a natural balance before it will be fish safe.
Hope you get it sorted.
Cheerio
Ady.


----------



## GHNelson (2 Jan 2012)

Hi Mark
I would do what Ady suggested.
Did you clean the aquarium gravel?
The problem could of been caused by leaving the tank gravel to dry out....ie uncovered without water....then adding fresh clean gravel on top.
Did you add dechlorinator to the wheelbarrow at the end of the rinsing process :?: 
Just a couple of thoughts.
Cheers
hoggie


----------



## dw1305 (2 Jan 2012)

Hi all,
It may be chloramine in the water supply, the water companies put in an "emergency" dosage if there is any breach in the integrity of the water main (burst main, main repair etc.). The conversion of the  extra ammonia will deplete the oxygen from the water, even if the filter isn't over-whelmed. 

There was an absolute epidemic of this last year after the freeze with peolpe losing £thousands of L number plecs etc. 
The more water they changed the worse it became. Do you have a non-tap supply you could use? like rain water? I just bring enough rain-water in for my next 2 water changes to allow it to warm to room temperature. This would also tend to out-gas any extra CO2, if you were worried about fluctuating CO2 levels.

If you use CO2 I would turn it off until things settle down, as a high CO2/O2 ratio is likely to stress the fish. I'd also treat any tap water with Prime or Amquel as these will complex the ammonia from the break-down of the chloramine.

cheers Darrel


----------



## Arana (2 Jan 2012)

Thanks for the replies guys, i have removed the fish to a tempory home and the good news is they seem fine and are feeding well  i have used this rock before so i am sure that is not the cause and the gravel is from p@h and was well rinsed with dechlorinator so i am sure that is fine. as you have suggested i think it was disturbing the old gravel that has caused this problem, i thought i was doing a good thing leaving some of the mature gravel in there but now i wish i had removed it completely. i am guessing it released something or the good bacteria in the old gravel didn't survive the rescape and this has led to the problem. i will keep doing daily waterchanges until some sort of balance resumes. will keep you all posted, thanks again


----------



## Arana (2 Jan 2012)

dw1305 said:
			
		

> Hi all,
> It may be chloramine in the water supply, the water companies put in an "emergency" dosage if there is any breach in the integrity of the water main (burst main, main repair etc.). The conversion of the  extra ammonia will deplete the oxygen from the water, even if the filter isn't over-whelmed.
> 
> There was an absolute epidemic of this last year after the freeze with peolpe losing £thousands of L number plecs etc.
> ...



Thanks mate, i don't have an alternative supply of water but if it doesn't start to clear by the end of the week or continues to get worse i will go and by some RO from the LFS and try that, at least the fish are safe now so i can stop panicking


----------



## Arana (3 Jan 2012)

GOOD NEWS!! woke up this morning to find the water crystal clear again  will still continue with daily water changes for the rest of this week tho' and reintroduce the fish at the weekend if all is still well


----------



## Arana (5 Jan 2012)

Still clear


----------



## Arana (11 Jan 2012)

After a week of daily water changes all has remained clear and seem stable, the fish have gone back in and seem happy  i have replaced the rocks on the left with some slightly bigger ones and that seems a definate improvement but i did try the wood in front of the rocks on the right but it was just not doing it for me so have put it back how it was. Also i have added some moss to the highest verticle bit of the wood and i have some more moss and bolbitus on order, will do some more photos once they are in, the hydrocotyle is starting to spread a little and all the plants seem healthy. will keep you posted


----------



## Ady34 (11 Jan 2012)

pleased to hear all is well.
Time to relax and enjoy it again.


----------



## darren636 (11 Jan 2012)

any new pictures?


----------



## Arana (11 Jan 2012)

darren636 said:
			
		

> any new pictures?



I have a day off on friday will try to do some then


----------



## mitchelllawson (11 Jan 2012)

Looking good mate.


----------



## Arana (16 Jan 2012)

*Re: Marks 120cm Bay Fronted Jungle - New Pics*

I have today added more Bolbitus to the wood and some more moss, here are the latest photos, still a lot of growing in to do and i have an inline diffuser and heater to add as soon as i get a chance. As always comments and suggestion most welcome


----------



## Arana (20 Jan 2012)

Things still growing nicely, and apart from a couple of small white patches that have appeared on the black gravel behind the rocks where the flow is restricted, simply removed with a quick vacum, everything seems to be nice and stable. will try and get some better photos this weekend


----------



## darren636 (20 Jan 2012)

your cryptocorynes look nice and fresh. Are you using plum slate for the rocks?


----------



## Arana (20 Jan 2012)

darren636 said:
			
		

> your cryptocorynes look nice and fresh. Are you using plum slate for the rocks?



Yes mate big lumps of plum slate, got over 30kg for £12... Bargain


----------



## darren636 (20 Jan 2012)

right. that's me decided then. plum it is.


----------



## Antipofish (20 Jan 2012)

Looks fantastic mark.  what are the stems at the back in the middle please?


----------



## Arana (20 Jan 2012)

Antipofish said:
			
		

> Looks fantastic mark.  what are the stems at the back in the middle please?



The Stems at the back are i think one of the Bacopas, not sure which on tho' as they were unlabled at P@H and they are still changing to their immersed state, they already need a trim and i intend to replant the cuttings and spread them further along the back


----------



## Arana (23 Jan 2012)

I am getting strange white patches appearing on the black gravel in areas of low flow ie behind rocks, never seen this before :? it does vacume aways but returns 24 hours later, i am guessing it is either bacterial or fungal. as anybody else encoutered this or do you have any ideas how to eradicate it?


----------



## Piece-of-fish (23 Jan 2012)

Hi Mark, nice crypts you got in there. White staff could be diatoms. If you post a picture would be easier to say.


----------



## Arana (23 Jan 2012)

Piece-of-fish said:
			
		

> Hi Mark, nice crypts you got in there. White staff could be diatoms. If you post a picture would be easier to say.



Will post a pic later when i am home, never seen white diatoms though and the ottos wont go near it which is why i thought maybe bacterial


----------



## Arana (23 Jan 2012)

Also the white stuff seems to coat each piece of gravel individually rather than a sheet of white, if you know what i mean :?


----------



## Arana (23 Jan 2012)

OK here's a couple of photos of the white stuff and it seems to be getting worse, also a couple of shrimp pics as i had the camera out...


















Any ideas anyone, this is a new one on me and i have had most things over the years :?


----------



## Piece-of-fish (23 Jan 2012)

Interesting. Not diatoms for sure. Hope someone can I'd this.


----------



## Ady34 (24 Jan 2012)

that is very odd, looks like a fungus! ive never seen anything like that either.


----------



## Antipofish (24 Jan 2012)

A friend of mine had that in his "plastic" planted tank.  I told him to put purigen and carbon in his filter just to keep the water quality tip top and it went away.  Having said it could be coincidental.  I have no idea what it is, but if its a bacterial bloom of some sort, is there any mileage in treating with an appropriate anti bacterial chem ?  Just thinking aloud really


----------



## Arana (24 Jan 2012)

Antipofish said:
			
		

> A friend of mine had that in his "plastic" planted tank.  I told him to put purigen and carbon in his filter just to keep the water quality tip top and it went away.  Having said it could be coincidental.  I have no idea what it is, but if its a bacterial bloom of some sort, is there any mileage in treating with an appropriate anti bacterial chem ?  Just thinking aloud really



I have alresdy have Purigen in the filter and the water is crystal clear so i know it is working   
I have just syphoned it out and am in the middle of a water change right now, on closer inspection it has a very distinctive smell a bit like BGA, which leads me to believe it is probably bacterial :?


----------



## ceg4048 (24 Jan 2012)

Yeah, anytime I see white growth I more or less assume some sort of fungus but I'm really not sure either. If it's on the gravel you can try scooping it up and cleaning it off but there's no guarantee it won't grow back.

Cheers,


----------



## Arana (24 Jan 2012)

ceg4048 said:
			
		

> Yeah, anytime I see white growth I more or less assume some sort of fungus but I'm really not sure either. If it's on the gravel you can try scooping it up and cleaning it off but there's no guarantee it won't grow back.
> 
> Cheers,



Yes mate i have been removing it but it's back within 24hours, and that nasty BGA type smell is making me think bacterial, i'm not sure though and have tried doing a bit of research but can't find antything online


----------



## Arana (14 Feb 2012)

Just a quick update as i have been away working in Birmingham for a couple of weeks, everything is growing well now and the white patches on the gravel seems to have finally dissapeared  i kept removing them but they kept coming back but 2 weeks without water changes or manual removal while i have been away and they seem to have vanished of there own accord, will post some new photos soon


----------



## Steve Smith (14 Feb 2012)

Excellent work Mark


----------



## malawistu (14 Feb 2012)

Just read the whole thread very nice tank interested to se how the new scape matures


----------



## Callum (15 Feb 2012)

I had that white fungus stuff on my gravel too but it has gone now after frequent water changes


----------



## Arana (15 Feb 2012)

SteveUK said:
			
		

> Excellent work Mark



Cheers Steve


----------



## Arana (29 Jan 2013)

Been a long time since i updated but the tank it's still going well i have recently added some staurogyne repens and 8 different Bucephalandras to try...

Bucephalandra sp. "Sekadau 1" 
Bucephalandra sp 'Sintang'
Bucephalandra sp. 'Melawi'
Bucephalandra sp. 'Kapit'
Bucephalandra sp. 'Pancuraji'
Bucephalandra sp. 'Semuntai 1'
Bucephalandra sp. 'Semuntai 2'
Bucephalandra sp. "Gunung Sumpit

oh and i nice shoal of rummy nose tetras wich are great schoolers and seem to love it in there, will try to get some new photos soon


----------

