# Hardscape Positioning



## Superman (6 Apr 2008)

Laides and gentlemen...

My first attempt at a trial aquascape for my Juwel Vision 180 and would appreciate people's thoughts and opinions.

I'm trying to work on wood and rocks to create a two tired area to mix up the small/carpet plants with the larger leaves being in the middle of the rocks/wood etc etc.

Plus I really need to have wood to provide for my BN Plec or (if I decide to trade) a group of Ottos.

I've marked out the layout of my tank in the kitchen, played around with the rocks and wood to create the picture below.

The idea for what I've done is this...

The wood would provide a place for my catfish to rest/hide. The ferns that I'm planning on putting on the "branches" of the trees would provide an over hang on the rocks to the far left.
Then there's the overhang provided by the largest rock.
The gravel will be higher around the wood and thats why I've lifted it up on a box.
I've put eveyrthing on the left so that nothing blocks the internal filter on the right and provides swimming space for the fish.


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## Steve Smith (6 Apr 2008)

Nice rocks! 

in my uneducated opion, I think the rocks look a little too much like they are circling the wood.  Have you thought about maybe moving the middle front rock to the right, nestled to the base of that nice long bit?  This would also give a nice "path" from the tree down which could be planted with some nice carpeting plant and give some nice height differences.

Is the rock on the far left sloping upwards and away from the front?  What if you turn that 90 deg right to emulate the angle of the long bit on the right?

Not sure if those ideas would work but my 2p worth


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## Superman (6 Apr 2008)

Yer know what you mean, I rearranged things, might move the smaller rock on the left to between the two bigger rocks so there'll be like two flows of gravel from the higher up bit.


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## Garuf (6 Apr 2008)

Alright Clark, If I where you I would firstly look at the wood and find a position that looks most aesthetically pleasing, then layout your rocks to fit into a flow, angles all one way, nice composition. From there, slot the wood into a position that makes it look as though the wood is bursting through the gravel and out over the rocks, your rocks are good already just keep playing with the wood till you have a good effect.


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## Superman (6 Apr 2008)

Garuf said:
			
		

> Alright Clark, If I where you I would firstly look at the wood and find a position that looks most aesthetically pleasing, then layout your rocks to fit into a flow, angles all one way, nice composition. From there, slot the wood into a position that makes it look as though the wood is bursting through the gravel and out over the rocks, your rocks are good already just keep playing with the wood till you have a good effect.



Understand your points, at the minute the wood goes at a totally different angle to the way in which the rocks go.

I'll play with my wood later tomorrow and see what it looks like.


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## Martin (6 Apr 2008)

Superman said:
			
		

> Garuf said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


                                                                   Don't play with it too much, you'll go blind!


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## Steve Smith (6 Apr 2008)

Ooeer!  Don't forget, you can always trim bits off your wood...

Anyway, liking the masking tape idea!  Ingenious


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## Garuf (6 Apr 2008)

True words, my new scape is the same wood as my old, just sawn in half.


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## Steve Smith (6 Apr 2008)

I'm repeating perls of wisdom that Dan C. was giving me yesterday   "Just cut that bit off..."


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## Arana (7 Apr 2008)

i can see you were inspired at TGM... keep tweeking it's all part of the fun


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## Themuleous (7 Apr 2008)

Rocks look good, its difficult to get a true idea of how it'll look until its in the tank.  If you can keep them from looking to samey then they should look great.

Sam


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## Superman (7 Apr 2008)

Arana said:
			
		

> i can see you were inspired at TGM... keep tweeking it's all part of the fun



Hard not to be eh?

I think I might of got a perfect arrangement of the wood, will post pics later.


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## Graeme Edwards (7 Apr 2008)

It will take time to get a hardscape your happy with. The fact that your playing with composition before you even put anything in the tank shows a wise mans way of aquascaping.
When setting up rocks and wood. Look at where you rocks point, if they look top heavy or are in to mcu of an un-natural symetrical lines etc. Same goes for your wood.
Look to create differant hights and differant depths of fields, ie stages of facal objects and various possistions from front to back.

Happy aquascaping.
Graeme.


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## zig (8 Apr 2008)

Make sure you don't drop that big one!!   thats my best tip!!!! 

Edit: joking mate, I would seriously consider putting something underneath the larger rocks to cushion them from the glass.


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## Superman (11 Apr 2008)

What do people think of this layout?

Looks better than the photo, as the wood flows from behind the wood.


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## Lisa_Perry75 (11 Apr 2008)

Looking good, just one criticism really, the end of the branches are obviously sawn off. Are you planning to put moss on the wood? I can't remember... If you aren't I would rough up the edges a bit, but that's just my own personal opinion.

Good luck!


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## Garuf (11 Apr 2008)

I like the new hardscape best but the rocks are obviously wrong to my eyes. maybe have them opposing the wood? without having a fiddle with the actual resources I can't figure out how to use them best.


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## Superman (12 Apr 2008)

Lisa_Perry75 said:
			
		

> Looking good, just one criticism really, the end of the branches are obviously sawn off. Are you planning to put moss on the wood? I can't remember... If you aren't I would rough up the edges a bit, but that's just my own personal opinion.



I am planning on having moss just not got round to ordering any!



			
				Garuf said:
			
		

> I like the new hardscape best but the rocks are obviously wrong to my eyes. maybe have them opposing the wood? without having a fiddle with the actual resources I can't figure out how to use them best.



Opposing the wood? Don't follow you?


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## Garuf (12 Apr 2008)

opposing like this, sorry I could have made that much clearer.


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## Superman (12 Apr 2008)

Gotcha


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