# REALLY need some inspiration :(



## Rob P (21 Oct 2013)

At the minute I just have a nonsense tank. I set about it with no real real goal other than having a nice looking tank with a nice selection of plants. On reflection (6 weeks in LOL) there's already many things I would have done differently, such as not bothering with an internal background for one (I do like it but have realised that it's something you are stuck with once in and even placement of filter inlet/outlet pipes becomes a difficulty, not like just sticking suction cups on glass!).

In light of some algae issues, i've been clearing round the tank a little bit at a time and took the wood out this weekend to clean it. It's not going back in.

I'm in a start again frame of mind, but with just the 1 tank with fish already in, ripping it down completely to start over would be difficult. I don't know what to do. I definitely don't want to remove substrate (jbl aquabasis under sand) or the background really as i don't know how much work that would be.

I have a revised goal of something easy on the eye and easy to maintain and i'm thinking rock formations, maybe a couple of peaked clusters either side with one higher than the other and a smaller one slightly forward with a clear area through the middle. Seems an already tried and tested option. I already have a mixture of plants foreground and mid/back that it would be nice to retain.

The idea started as this:



Then went to this:



And now looks like this:



The red stones will be coming out...

I'm just really, really struggling to come up with ideas on how to move this forward 

Regards,
Rob


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## Yo-han (21 Oct 2013)

Why did you take the wood out? I really liked it. I think if the stones were placed a little more natural (closer to the wood and to each other) instead of so evenly distributed. If you really want the background out, it is not that hard. Just put a filling knife in between and get the silicon of with one of those razors for cleaning the glass.


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## Lindy (21 Oct 2013)

It would be a good idea to have a small holding tank that you could use for your fish and plants to allow you to do rescapes. Large plastic containers can also be used. It also means you can keep your filter running while you fiddle with an empty tank. I agree with Yo-han, the wood is nice and the rocks could be arranged around it. You could smash a couple of rocks to get a mixture of sizes to make it look more natural. Also putting moss on a couple of stones can soften the appearance and make more natural. Idealy you want to arrange your hardscape and then leave for a day or two to see if you still like it.


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## Rob P (21 Oct 2013)

The wood was an algae magnet. It was planted with anubias and moss as you can see and these were the first thing covered with algae and basically have had to go. I've rescued two minute pieces of the anubias, probably not even enough to flourish. And yes I know I won't always be battling algae to the extent I am now (well I bloody hope not!!). I found the wood a pain to work around and it takes up so much room in the tank. If the plants grew into the wood over time which was the plan, I'd not be able to just pop it out for cleaning like I could and just wasn't feeling the love I have to say.

And it's already sold this morning... lol

The rocks again looked nice when fresh and redder, but with a bit of muck on them they soon look rough. Even having grey rocks with black patches of BBA on them would look better


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## Lindy (21 Oct 2013)

Algae would suggest too much light/ not enough co2 so not the woods fault! I never remove the wood from my tank.


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## Rob P (21 Oct 2013)

ldcgroomer said:


> Algae would suggest too much light/ not enough co2 so not the woods fault! I never remove the wood from my tank.


 
I totally agree. My lighting (2 grobeam 600 LED strips) is now running at 20% and i'm still in my infancy with CO2. It was only turned on 2 weeks ago and i've never used it before so it's WIP.

I liked the wood, it's a lovely piece, but I also think I can make it look nicer without. But how!? (I reitterate the wood is sold lol)


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## Lindy (21 Oct 2013)

Its down to personal taste i guess, you have to decide what kind of plants you like.  I love java ferns, moss, hygrophilia pinnatifida so they feature in my tanks. I also like island style layouts so I have one of those. The other tank is more jungly getting by the day. Do you want jungle style, shaped stems etc. A big factor would be sorting out your flow and co2 first as whatever you do could still be spoiled by algae. Your co2 diffuser would be better off under your spray bar or with the power head pointing at it to blow the mist  down and around. Textured backgrounds are supposed to mess with co2 too. I think you need to trawl through the pictures in the planted tank gallery or journal section and choose a style and plant list that are compatible. But first sort co2 and distribution!


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## Rob P (21 Oct 2013)

Again, a problem of the 3D background is that i can't just swap placement of stuff around with suction cups. Don't know if you've noticed but the diffuser has a Koralia pump above it (you can make out if you squint!) which does a good job of sucking the bubbles in and shooting them out. I may upgrade the Koralia Nano 900 for a Tunze 6015 unit yet as the Koralia pump doesn't seem to make much move over halfway along yet all my plants sway to some degree. Also going to see if MA can get me another section of spraybar for my Aquamanta to make it full width across the rear. Flow seems better with the wood out (obviously), but not perfect yet.  

I really like the idea of a rainforest stream biotope with emergent growth, but that'll be a new tank project so i'll have to make this good for a while 

All appears easier with the bacground out... :-/


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## Lindy (21 Oct 2013)

Why don't you make your own spraybar? you can buy lengths of clear acrylic tube on ebay, cut to length and then drill holes. I'm sorry but I don't know any of the specs for your tank ie filter size or even tank size. I did see the power head but it isn't pointing at the diffuser.  Do the plants at the substrate level move much? Why don't you check out what plants you would use in the biotope you mentioned and have a trial run in this tank? You could create a river bank theme in this tank by using graded gravels and rock with plants to either side of your gravel'stream bed'.


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## Rob P (21 Oct 2013)

Firstly, thanks for your time replying 

The powerhead was originally lower and angled more down/towards the front glass. It was flowing most strongly across the Hair Grass. The HG and rocks directly behind it are the worst areas for BBA and were getting smothered with bubbles, so it can't be lack of circulation to that area that has caused the BBA to mucky the HG. In fact, the more flow lower down the more debris was getting snagged up in my low plants. So I moved it. They still see good flow lower down.

It's not the right tank for a stream biotope in my mind. Fitted hood for starters (again, had I investigated more i'd have almost certainly gone open top but the OH to please as well) so emegent growth would be impossible. Also having the fitted hood has massive limitations on the lighting, I wish I could lift my lights higher but impossible. I'd really need a larger footprint yet shallower tank for what i have in mind. I want to take this and put it in a tank somehow.


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## Lindy (21 Oct 2013)

Can't you just take the hood off? My main tank is a juwel korall and came with a truly dreadfull hood! I still don't see why you couldn't do something like the above in your current tank. If anything the higher sides give you more scope to plant up. I can imagine rocky banks either side of the tank with javafern, bolbitis, hygrophilia pinnitafida and maybe some sagittaria . But then i have so many ideas its hard to chose which one to realise. BBA is supposed to come about through inconsistant co2 levels not lack of flow. I have a tuft in my shrimp tank and its in the area of highest flow on my wood. It appeared when I switched the co2 off to allow shrimp to breed. To keep plants clean, especially hairgrass it is beneficial to have shrimp. I don't like how hairgrass gets so clogged so have used Lileaopsis mauritiana in the past instead. It has a much more open habit while staying small.
Anyway, good luck with your next scape. Don't let your tank limit your ideas.


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## Rob P (21 Oct 2013)

I've 40 shrimp waiting to come my way, just holding off whilst i get it settled down a bit. Maybe i should just get them in but it does seem like a lot more to fish out when i rejig the tank!

It's a Roma 125 by the way, 80x35x45. 

I do think things are getting better and algae more under control. Just tried out new ph pen and reckons I'm at 6.4 which will be a full point drop from tap. And DC is looking lime green for the 1st time. 

Do you ever sell Hygrophilia cuttings??!   lol


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## Lindy (22 Oct 2013)

Rob P said:


> Do you ever sell Hygrophilia cuttings??!  lol


 
Ha, not yet but sure I will eventually.


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## Rob P (22 Oct 2013)

I'll keep an eye out mate 

Just blagged a Rio125 as a spare tank from a mate, currently sat in his back yard lol. FOC


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## Andy Thurston (25 Oct 2013)

Rob P said:


> Do you ever sell Hygrophilia cuttings??!   lol


I'm about to remove some tropica Hygrophila
corymbosa 'Siamensis 53B' thats getting too big for where it is in tank you can have for the price of postage .


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## Rob P (25 Oct 2013)

Sounds great, I'll drop you a pm


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