# saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.5months old



## Mark Evans (14 Mar 2009)

i just cant stop   

The tank's on order. its a 120 x 50 x 70H

The plan is to create a scape that's a little easier to maintain. lower light, leaner dosing regimes and easier to grow plants such as crypts ferns and anubias'. oh and a e acicualsris foreground!   i'll still be injecting co2 via a jbl system.

the inspiration is coming from amano's early work. NA book 1 and 3 (thanks george, i will return promise)

The reasoning?.... to inspire new comers to the hobby..... now i know not everyone has a 120cm, but it's is long term and size does matter, oooeeer. i wish it could of been a 6 footer

JBL are on board with this tank too, I've yet to arrange a dosing regime for the tank but of course it's not going to be like the last MA scape.

lighting will consist of 2 x 54w hot5
substrate is to be 30 L of aqua basis plus and a capping substrate of some kind. i'm using  filter's provided by jbl and I'll also include korolias to aid water movement.

well thats got the ball rolling.....


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## gratts (14 Mar 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Quality! Is this replacing the current one, or going alongside?
Interested to see what you come up with, as I seem to be drifting more towards the easier to maintain side of things with anubias etc


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## John Starkey (14 Mar 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Hi Mark,
you are mad for it at the moment,hope you come up with something very interesting,

take care john.


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## samc (14 Mar 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

im not a fan of slow growing plants as im really impatient when waiting for plants to grow but ill look foward to seeing what you have got too show    have u ever done a scape like this?


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## Mark Evans (14 Mar 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				gratts said:
			
		

> Quality! Is this replacing the current one, or going alongside?



well for a while, it'll be along side. when the old "high tech" scape finishes i may rescape using riccia as the focal point. it seems to be a crowd pleaser.



			
				gratts said:
			
		

> as I seem to be drifting more towards the easier to maintain side of things with anubias etc



yes, anubias' microsorum, crypts, e acicualris (should develop nice given a long time) i'd like to put a lilly in there too, but need to investigate first. mosses on wood etc. i've claimed the only decent bit of wood thats left i the store  

hey john. i'm like a nutty professor at the moment!   

samc, the closest i cam to a slow growing set up was "the miracle mire" which contained crypts and ferns, but even they grew at a stupid rate due to a high tech system. so in answer to your question?....no   

i'm hoping it should be a bit more manageable, for the staff mostly.


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## samc (14 Mar 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				saintly said:
			
		

> the closest i cam to a slow growing set up was "the miracle mire" which contained crypts and ferns, but even they grew at a stupid rate due to a high tech system. so in answer to your question?....no


its good you get to have a go doing one then, even more knowledge.


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## Mark Evans (14 Mar 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

i'm doing some research and i'm discovering from the great CEG that co2 injection makes the tank high tech. so this tank is high tech now, with low tech plants! i'm happier running co2.

looking at amano long term scapes he still uses co2, so i'm safe going down this road.


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## aaronnorth (15 Mar 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

It would be interesting to see you do a tank without CO2 injection, especially seeing as this is to encourage newcomers into the hobby who generaly are scared of injecting CO2/ pressurized systems.

Either way i'm looking forward to it.


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## hellohefalump (15 Mar 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Sounds interesting and I'm sure you'll do a great job.  Something like Supercoley's tank (the one with all the ferns) would be cool...

JBL don't like nitrates and phosphates... will you be dosing them?  I suppose with slow growing plants maybe you wouldn't need to?  Maybe you could put in some messy fish and feed them a lot!  Angels?


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## Mark Evans (15 Mar 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				aaronnorth said:
			
		

> It would be interesting to see you do a tank without CO2 injection, especially seeing as this is to encourage newcomers into the hobby who generaly are scared of injecting CO2/ pressurized systems.



good point aaron, and one i did consider,but,....JBL really wanted me to use there co2 system so that was that. (I'm not complaing though) after seeing what George has done without co2 in his big tank, truley shows what's possible. 

it looks like i'm in for a bling my acicularis ride  8) 



			
				hellohefalump said:
			
		

> Sounds interesting and I'm sure you'll do a great job. Something like Supercoley's tank (the one with all the ferns) would be cool...



i'm considering a "view from either side" scape. 



			
				hellohefalump said:
			
		

> JBL don't like nitrates and phosphates... will you be dosing them?



i sure will.



			
				hellohefalump said:
			
		

> Maybe you could put in some messy fish and feed them a lot! Angels?



this is JBL's answer too.


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## Mark Evans (24 Mar 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

little update. the makers of this aquarium work in inches apparently and are making it almost 80cm high (woohoo   ) so slightly taller than before. other dimensions are the same. i'm doing my investigative work with regards to plants and positioning, like i do with all my set ups!


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## jay (24 Mar 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

80cm???
good luck with that mate. 
May as well check this out for ideas


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## LondonDragon (24 Mar 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Amano looks bored in that photo!!!


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## samc (24 Mar 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

good luck from me too itll be a massive project cant wait


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## jay (24 Mar 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

he's seen it all before i suppose


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## LondonDragon (24 Mar 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				jay said:
			
		

> he's seen it all before i suppose


Maybe he wants to go for a swim and forgot the snorkel!


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## Thomas McMillan (24 Mar 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

80cm is some height! You'd better get the Balansae out.


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## Mark Evans (25 Mar 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				Thomas McMillan said:
			
		

> 80cm is some height! You'd better get the Balansae out.



thats going in the back. i've really got to get my thinking cap on.


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## Joecoral (25 Mar 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Excited to see what you do with this one Mark! Cant wait
Just fill the whole tank with giant vallis and 100 danio's


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## GreenNeedle (5 Apr 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

You should've bought those 50-70cm Crypt Spiralis when I was selling them 





AC


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## Mark Evans (5 Apr 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				SuperColey1 said:
			
		

> You should've bought those 50-70cm Crypt Spiralis when I was selling them



true mate, not to worry.

anyway, i can recap on this tank. i've recieved most of the stuff from JBL, substrates, filters, co2 etc etc. the tank arrives next week

. I've got the hardscape sorted. i was screwing pieces of wood together yesterday.( with PROPER/TRUE stainless screws. i use them at work because English heritage state) there were only 2 good bits...not much choice I'm afraid. would be amazing to have ANYTHING you want to hand. can only but dream....(sighs)

I've also got the planting arrangement in my head.


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## Mark Evans (2 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

a little update.

tanks arrived last week. I had only 2 pieces of wood that came close to being worthy of being in a scape, not an ideal start but you make the best of what you have.

 after a bit of drilling and fixing with "proper" stainless screws from work, 2 became 1. 

The plants arrived yesterday, which i sorted/split/ glued to wood etc, etc.... and today i planted.   for some reason, this tank took forever to plant.

here's a couple of images of the foreground planted. this style of scape is still new to me,and made it up as i went a long a little bit but taking in to consideration heights etc.

it's not a straight forward foreground, but i wanted to get lots of texture in there. time will tell if it works or not.










so from stripping one tank down, to building a new one. in one weekend


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## JamesM (2 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Damn you for always finding great hardscape  

Looking good bud  

What do the MA crew think? And reaction from customers yet?


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## Mark Evans (2 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

just to add, this is just the foreground planted. i did add other plants to the back of the tank but i'm not showing you that  8)


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## aaronnorth (2 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

interesting foreground. I think it will work nicely 

Is that eleocharis in the foreground? cant quite make it out


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## Mark Evans (2 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				aaronnorth said:
			
		

> Is that eleocharis in the foreground?



it sure is aaron.   it snakes towards the back of the tank into an openish area


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## Mark Evans (2 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				JamesM said:
			
		

> Damn you for always finding great hardscape



lucky with this. the only 2 decent bits.



			
				JamesM said:
			
		

> What do the MA crew think? And reaction from customers yet?



the staff love it. as i was putting it together i started to really like it too. customers were amazed at what goes into it. i could of sold tickets


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## samc (2 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

looks pretty good although i would like to see it fully planted    look foward to seeing it


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## Mark Evans (2 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				samc said:
			
		

> i would like to see it fully planted



 

newly planted tanks look strange to me. i never like them once theyve been filled. i allways struggle to see the bigger picture or have the foresight to know how it will turn out. this, if it grows ok will be a manic scape...as in, organized chaos, or something like that   

this is what ended up in that big void in the middle.....


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## Mark Evans (3 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

a handful of fish have gone in, namely rummie nose tertas. there will be a focal fish added at a later date, but more on the fish later.

also 10 ottos and 10 shrimp have gone in. overdose?.....i've stuffed the 2 x JBL 1500e with mature media from the shops main filters.

here's looking up the path type thing....and sorry for the reflection


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## Nelson (3 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

hi mark,
that looks fantanstic.stop teasing though  .give us a full tank shot.
neil


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## Mark Evans (4 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				nelson said:
			
		

> that looks fantanstic.stop teasing though  .give us a full tank shot.



thanks nelson. 

here's me planting the vallis. all the ferns were added last off.





lets see if i can keep this alive eh?....


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## aaronnorth (4 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

I am sure you will keep it going, it is easier at a fish shop aswell because you have everything to hand  Its great when you have loads to choose from!

Nice to see you go for some rossette plants too


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## Mark Evans (4 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

true aaron. thisshould go for quite sometime. i cant wait to see what happens to it. and the guys in the shop are just brilliant. they do everything i say.....the henge 2 is testament to that.



			
				aaronnorth said:
			
		

> Nice to see you go for some rossette plants too



there are one or 2 different plants in there that i've never tried before. i did a lot of homework on this, and have tried to create something that has varying degrees of interest within the tank, and i've also tried to follow a few of the rules associated with the composition, time will decide whether it works or not. this style of scape was/is completely alien to me, and believe me i was nervous putting it together/planting it   
if i'm honest i still am   but i do feel confident in the outcome.


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## Mark Evans (10 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

even though there's a complete lack of interest with this journal I'll persist with it temporarily.

anyone thinking of using saggataria teres as a foreground plant, might want to take note....it's wild! and grows quite tall. it's still early days (7 to be precise) but this stuff has grown 7 inches tall. it is a nice plant though.see it in the bottom right corner....





i've also got the other variety from aquafleur which is real nice. the echinodurus are firing out new leaves, the tenellus *(which seems to be a different species to before) is also doing great. in fact considering there's no ADA magic substrates or additives,testament to JBL maybe?..... this tank is doing awesome! it's giving me food for thought thats for sure....

of course this style of scape will take months to look anything like i want it but it's certainly on track.


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## Garuf (10 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

I'm loving the look of it.
I have to say, Mark, in that top picture you look like Morrisey (of the smiths, not Neil).


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## Nelson (10 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

hi mark,
how about a full tank shot as it looks now   . 
neil


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## StevenA (10 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Looking great Mark, love the plant choice    It's amazing how much one can learn from varying types of scape. I loved the Henge part 2 and I'm sure this one will be a cracker too. Please keep the journal going mate  8)


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## Garuf (10 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

I meant to mention a lot of aquafeurs plants aren't "proper" plants having some non aquatic plants in the range, I was reading on a german forum that a lot of their plants aren't what they say they are species wise. E tennelus and some of the crypts being the worst offenders, the one you sent me wasn't e tennelus, or at least not the same strain as tropica's having different leaves, taller growth and being stockier at the base.


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## Mark Evans (10 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				Garuf said:
			
		

> . E tennelus and some of the crypts being the worst offenders,



interesting, although i've never personally had tenellus come through as wrong. just slightly different. it has all the same characteristic's just slightly different. the stuff i sent you was deffo tenenllus,i admit different to tropicas.



			
				Tourney said:
			
		

> It's amazing how much one can learn from varying types of scape.



true,this particular one is making me sway towards long term stuff now.



			
				nelson said:
			
		

> how about a full tank shot as it looks now  .



maybe,but i'd much rather wait a few weeks though.  

in addition to the rummies, there are 7 congo tetras in there now. it's great being able to add all this live stock and not having to wait for filters to mature. i don't know why i didn't do this on the other tank   



			
				Garuf said:
			
		

> in that top picture you look like Morrisey (of the smiths, not Neil).



 not the first time thats been said.


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## Joecoral (10 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				saintly said:
			
		

> even though there's a complete lack of interest with this journal I'll persist with it temporarily.



This is one of the threads that interest me the most Mark, I love long-term, slow growing scapes, I mush prefer them to the rapid growing scapes which are over and torn down again in several months, and personally am very excited to see how this turns out.
Keep up the good work, going on you're previous work I'm sure you'lll turn out another belter!


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## Mark Evans (10 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

thanks for the reply joe.   very kind words indeed.

i think for me, the whole "grow it as fast as you can" thing, was what captured me in the first place. growing, and seeing "instant" results! but, i'm discovering the world of slow evolving scapes....not my own, amano's.

it's nice to turn over scape after scape, heavens knows i've done it in the last 12 months, but to watch something evolve must be even better.my old mate jamesM has put me wise to this way of thinking.
and on the completely flip side of the same coin   (possible?) this "slow grower" is growing fast    even with just 2 54wt5 over this bad boy, is encouraging every plant to grow. i'm sure iy will slow though...(hopefully)



			
				Joecoral said:
			
		

> Keep up the good work, going on you're previous work I'm sure you'lll turn out another belter!



cheers bud


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## Joecoral (10 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Just noticed you wrote that you have congo tetra in there, I love congo tetra! Get some pics of them up asap!


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## Mark Evans (10 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				Joecoral said:
			
		

> Just noticed you wrote that you have congo tetra in there, I love congo tetra! Get some pics of them up asap!



will do.  



			
				saintly said:
			
		

> completely flip side of the same coin



what?.....   :?: i mean the....i dont know what i mean  .... errr. the flip side of the same side of the same coin     me and my bad england


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## Steve Smith (10 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Scapes' looking great Mark!  That's a monster bit of wood, looks really sculptural.  Whats going at the back? (sorry if I missed that bit of info )

Edit: Ahh, Vallis.. (pays to look again!)


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## George Farmer (11 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Looking promising, Mark.

Vallis in a long-term tank?  Be careful as it will quickly cover the entire tank unless it's maintained very frequently.  I guess the staff will keep on top of it in your absence.


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## Dan Crawford (11 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

That looks nice mate, i don't know how i've missed this.


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## John Starkey (11 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Hi mark,what's the plan time wise to keep it going the crypts in my tank are nearly two years old,
Like how it looks  at the moment but it's  a waiting to see how it will in twelve months,it you fancy useing any c,balansae, I could find you a few plants, looking good mate,
Regards john


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## Mark Evans (14 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

2 weeks on and the grass returns!.....


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## TDI-line (14 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Tip top Mark.

What anubias did you use and do you use any kind of superglue for glueing plants to wood. Is the wood/plants wet or dry when doing this?

Thanks,

Dan.


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## Mark Evans (14 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				TDI-line said:
			
		

> What anubias did you use



i think...nana and barteri nana.i'll confirm tomorrow.

 i was going to use the bonsai version(aquafleurs name) but weighing up the sizes (luxury of having them to hand) the bonsai would eventually get lost. thats how i see it any way.

i bought a branded superglue, and glued them straight from the box (almost dry) emerged growth/leaves wont suffer the short period out of water while glueing.



			
				TDI-line said:
			
		

> . Is the wood/plants wet or dry when doing this?



damp is fine.i still pat it dry with tissue. it still goes off. the reaction with air and moisture assists the curing period (i think)


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## TDI-line (14 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Thanks.

And lastly how do you do multiple quote replys?


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## LondonDragon (14 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				TDI-line said:
			
		

> Thanks.
> 
> And lastly how do you do multiple quote replys?




Everytime you click on quote it gives you the starting quote code and the ending code, all you do is copy and paste the start code to the beginning of each sentence you want to quote and then remember to close it with the ending quote code. 

for example:


```
[quote="TDI-line"]Thanks.[/quote]
enter your text here
[quote="TDI-line"]And lastly how do you do multiple quote replys? :oops:[/quote]
enter your text here
```



			
				TDI-line said:
			
		

> Thanks.


enter your text here


			
				TDI-line said:
			
		

> And lastly how do you do multiple quote replys?


enter your text here


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## Mark Evans (14 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				TDI-line said:
			
		

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				TDI-line said:
			
		

> And


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				TDI-line said:
			
		

> astly


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				TDI-line said:
			
		

> how


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				TDI-line said:
			
		

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				TDI-line said:
			
		

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				TDI-line said:
			
		

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## TDI-line (14 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Like this, brilliant.     

Cheers Paulo.


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## Joecoral (15 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

How long do you leave the superglue to set before you put the wood/plants back into the water then Mark?


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## Mark Evans (15 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				Joecoral said:
			
		

> How long do you leave the superglue to set before you put the wood/plants back into the water then Mark?



it's a matter of seconds, maybe 30 seconds and it's done IME. others may disagree. just look at the glue to go white. it's revolutionised my anubias/stone relationship


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## GreenNeedle (16 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

I agree   I leave it a few minutes and walk away come back a few minutes later, give it a wobble and then chuck it into the tank 

AC


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## Mark Evans (18 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

well 2 weeks have passed and all is looking good. The JBL aquabasis plus has truly and honestly surprised me in it's effectiveness. i do believe you require more than is stated on the packet. i'm still reluctant to give full tank shot due to the fact i've got parts not grown in and i don't like to see it this way. another 4 weeks and I'll consider it.

i thought i'd try and squeeze this in amongst the fun day out everyone had TGM.

maybe it's not up to some peoples standards but I'm pleased with it so far.









my grass path...









red rainbows...













A ram....this little chap is fun to watch, actually i think its a girl fish   













and finally...





thanks for looking

mark


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## Garuf (18 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

I love it, I've got a pair of nano's sitting about you fancy scaping them for/with me?


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## Jur4ik (18 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

nice shots mark,
seems to be realy difficult to make some without reflections


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## Mark Evans (18 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				Jur4ik said:
			
		

> nice shots mark,
> seems to be realy difficult to make some without reflections



hi jur4ik, nice to see you. yes it's difficult because opposite is a marine tank   and it'sright in the way.

i may swop this journal over to your site general aquascaping forums  8) 



			
				Garuf said:
			
		

> I love it, I've got a pair of nano's sitting about you fancy scaping them for/with me?



cheers mate. if the world were a smaller place i'm sure we'd all meet up more often.


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## Joecoral (18 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Looking great Mark, can't wait for a FTS in a few weeks time!


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## aaronnorth (18 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

nice choice on the rainbows


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## Mark Evans (18 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				aaronnorth said:
			
		

> nice choice on the rainbows



cheers Aaron, they are nice. i didn't like them in the normal tanks but now there amongst plants etc, they look great. the congos look great too.



			
				Joecoral said:
			
		

> Looking great Mark, can't wait for a FTS in a few weeks time!



cheers Joe


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## Tony Swinney (18 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Looks nice Mark - nice lush greens in there.  I had a pair of rams a while back, and they were great to watch - really played with each other  

Cheers

Tony


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## George Farmer (18 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Coming along nicely, Mark.  

The hairgrass will look great once filled in.  My favourite carpeting plant right now.  It's softening effect works so well when it starts to merge into other plants.

Love the congo tetras too.  Great shoaling fish for larger tanks, especially when planted with Anubias for that African feel.

Was the fish selection your choice?


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## Mark Evans (18 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				George Farmer said:
			
		

> Was the fish selection your choice?



i can only lay claim to about 70%. the congos and red rainbows were matt's (manager) and amano's idea from NA book 1. TBH i've no skill in fish choice, but then i'm not trying to follow a style to the letter. so if i like em' they go in kinda deal.BUT, slowly i learn what certain fish do/looklike.

there are cardinals,rummie nose tetras in there too. SAE's ottos and amano shrimp. 



			
				Tonser said:
			
		

> Looks nice Mark - nice lush greens in there.



cheers bud, there are things i'm wishing i could of changed though....you live and learn. at least it's not my money this time   customers love it so what the hell.


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## Nelson (18 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

hi mark,
tanks looking great.my kind of scape  .wish i had the foresight to do something that good.an inspiration.


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## Goodygumdrops (19 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Beautiful tank as usual,damn those rainbows are ugly mothers though.Great to see a Saintly long term tank,gives people like me inspiration as I don't have the funds to be constantly spending on plants.
God,that makes me soud really tight,but I've seen how much some of you guys spend on plants!!


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## Mark Evans (21 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				nelson said:
			
		

> tanks looking great.my kind of scape  .wish i had the foresight to do something that good.an inspiration.



well you say that, but it's not a skill i posses, well i don't think so anyway.not like some of those on here.

 i'm still learning about plants, and in this scape there are one or 2 i wish i didn't put in now, but we live and learn.



			
				Goodygumdrops said:
			
		

> Beautiful tank as usual,damn those rainbows are ugly mothers though.Great to see a Saintly long term tank,



thanks goody, the rainbows are a funny looking fish, but today i've seen one male colour a treat! real orange/red   

i'm happy that it gives you a source of inspiration and in the end, 95% of what's in this tank can be used in real low light set ups, i'd suppose some may say 100% but I'd rather not try it.

anyway, i took the backing off to see how it looks from tuther side, and frankly it looks better  ....well almost. we've decide to keep it off for a while. i wish i'd gone ith the 2 way scape from the start, i did have the idea in my head at the beginning :? 

Looking ok for 3 weeks old.....notice the c helferi out on a limb


----------



## Steve Smith (21 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

Looking lovely mate   I bet the regular customers are loving comming back and seeing how it's doing.  I expect it's made a few people regulars too!


----------



## rawr (21 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*

This is looking great, can't wait to see a full tank shot! 

It's interesting to see people's idea of a long-term, low-tech tank. To me, this sort of tank wouldn't have CO2 injection because that seems more hi-tech and short-term so it'll be interesting to see how it evolves and looks in a long-term situation.


----------



## Mark Evans (21 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA "long term" scape.*



			
				rawr said:
			
		

> It's interesting to see people's idea of a long-term, low-tech tank. To me, this sort of tank wouldn't have CO2 injection because that seems more hi-tech and short-term so it'll be interesting to see how it evolves and looks in a long-term situation.
> This is looking great, can't wait to see a full tank shot!
> 
> It's interesting to see people's idea of a long-term, low-tech tank. To me, this sort of tank wouldn't have CO2 injection because that seems more hi-tech and short-term so it'll be interesting to see how it evolves and looks in a long-term situation.



cheers Thomas. very true regards "long term".... actually if i'm to be honest, this is high tech in every aspect. i might change the title   it's a bit misleading   

the spec of this tank is

120 x 50 x 70

2 x jbl e1500

1 korolia no3

pressurised co2

lighting is  4 x 54 t5s  2 running for 6 hours then the other 2 click on half way through.

the idea though is to keep it for some time, (anything is longer than my prairie lands scape) i foresee the grass to last some time, along with the crypts, tenellus, ferns etc...the vallis can do what it wants, then I'll just heave a load out.



			
				SteveUK said:
			
		

> I bet the regular customers are loving coming back and seeing how it's doing. I expect it's made a few people regulars too!



for sure it gets attention, and also from certain reps/companies that are visiting


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## LondonDragon (21 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.*

I am moving my tank towards a more long term status too with less demanding plants, and want to keep it high-tech to try some stems and carpeting plants, just so its more managable that it has been in the past where I had to do maintenance on it on a daily basis.

Its look good Mark, like the photos as always  just like previously said those rainbows gotta go, some Bosemani would ne nicer


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## Mark Evans (21 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.*



			
				LondonDragon said:
			
		

> just like previously said those rainbows gotta go, some Bosemani would ne nicer



thats what you had in your tank right?....i did like that fish.

but these are (male is) starting to change it's colour, and there activeness in the tank is amazing, they follow you/hand if you wave it...very funny.I'm also assured they'll go redder 





i over hear some customers commenting on those rainbows and how nice they look in there "natural habitat"   i must admit, there growing on me.


----------



## LondonDragon (21 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.*

They also get uglier as they get older  can't stand those rainbows! only ones I don't like to be honest


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## Mark Evans (21 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.*



			
				LondonDragon said:
			
		

> They also get uglier as they get older



in what way?...


----------



## Dan Crawford (21 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.*

They get like a massive forehead and seem just odd looking


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## Mark Evans (21 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.*

looks like i'll be changing these then.   

back to the drawing board....


----------



## Goodygumdrops (21 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.*

 I think they look like those red salmon with the big jaws.


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## Mark Evans (22 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.*



			
				Goodygumdrops said:
			
		

> I think they look like those red salmon with the big jaws.



there called salmon reds goody. 

now there definitely going, anyone like them?....remember, fish is for life not just for half a scape


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## Garuf (22 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.*

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/R ... Ap19AF.jpg
there you go, a mature one at the estimated 14cm max growth size.
Have you thought about preacox rainbows? they're smaller and blue in colouration but don't get as much of a hump.


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## Mark Evans (22 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.*

mmm...ugly things i agree garuf. i'll look at another focal point fish. maybe just the congos  would do the trick.


----------



## aaronnorth (22 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.*

is this tank really going to be kept going that long, for them to become full sized though? It is going to take several years...


----------



## Nelson (22 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.*

hi,
how about loads of threadfins.don't see them that often.great fish,especially when the males are showing off.


----------



## LondonDragon (22 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.*



			
				nelson said:
			
		

> hi,
> how about loads of threadfins.don't see them that often.great fish,especially when the males are showing off.


That I would like to see, amazing fish!!!  never seen them on sale at my local shops though!


----------



## Nelson (22 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.*

paulo,
if you don't mind mail order fish   http://www.tropicalfish4u.co.uk/Fish/Fr ... finRainbow


----------



## LondonDragon (22 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.*



			
				nelson said:
			
		

> paulo,
> if you don't mind mail order fish   http://www.tropicalfish4u.co.uk/Fish/Fr ... finRainbow


Thanks Neil but I don't buy fish through the mail, just shrimp and snails, many thanks though, I am sure one of my local shops would be able to get them if I asked, have to get rid of those Bosemani first


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## George Farmer (23 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.*



			
				saintly said:
			
		

> ... maybe just the congos  would do the trick.


I would think so, Mark.  Great fish for larger aquaria.


----------



## Mark Evans (30 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.*

well, 4 weeks in to this scape and all is rosy....well almost. i've got to change the diffusion co2 method. i've used the JBL tower type but i just dont think it's up to scratch.  and also it's a pain to clean and return to the tank and get working again. I'll be putting on of my ceramic diffusers on today.

so! the plants are doing good. my echinodorus is about 5 inches out the tank now...does any one know if this sends up flowers?

you can see it between the 2 lights....






here's me leaning against the tank. as you can see it dwarfs me.





also notice the black tape! this preventative measure for problems is brilliant (nice george) in the small tank, the aquarium sits in the cabinet hiding about 3 inches of the substrate. i pulled it out and looked at the substrate and it was like new   so i've put black tape on until the newly made strip arrives which is the same finish as the tank. (thanks seashell)

The red rainbows departed last week you'll all be pleased to know and i'm on the hunt for another variety.

it's still early days, but it's filling a treat!


----------



## chump54 (30 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

 Is that your age on your t-shirt?

tank is looking good! how big was the echinodorus when you put it in?

I use the black tape method too, I get direct sunlight    on the front of the tank for a few hours which was causing algae problems/plants growing under the substrateBlack tape sorted it out a treat.

Chris


----------



## rawr (30 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

It's looking good! Are we allowed a full tank shot? 

That Echinodourus must be some size, do you know what variety it is? 

What's this black tape thing, I don't get it.  :?


----------



## samc (30 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

i dont know how you get so muh growth out of slow growing plants mark, its looking great


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## Mark Evans (30 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*



			
				chump54 said:
			
		

> Is that your age on your t-shirt?



no, thast on my hat   



			
				chump54 said:
			
		

> tank is looking good! how big was the echinodorus when you put it in?



cheers, this was the tank @ day one. all of those echinodorus leaves have gone now, and everything is new growth.











			
				rawr said:
			
		

> Are we allowed a full tank shot?



for the time being this is the best you'll get. this tank is directly in front of a huge marine tank, so  i cant get a decent shot. i'll try soon though.



			
				rawr said:
			
		

> do you know what variety it is?



cant remember   me and plant names are not good.



			
				rawr said:
			
		

> What's this black tape thing, I don't get it. :?



it blocks out light which emits through the front i.e sunlight, or a big marine tank etc etc. it's just to minimise future problems.



			
				samc said:
			
		

> i dont know how you get so muh growth out of slow growing plants mark, its looking great



very kind of you to say so Sam.    it's slowed a tad now, now i've lowered the light a little (staggered lighting) i've also cut out the sagitarria teres as it's not a foreground plant by ant stretch of the imagination. it grew too tall and I'd placed some right near the front glass. 

also, it's now got a ceramic dish diffuser so i can relax a little now.


----------



## JamesM (30 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

Looking good bud


----------



## rawr (30 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

I still don't get it...  :?  Are we talkin about the black tape along the bottom of the tank? Doesn't that just block out the light to the substrate - isn't it an issue if light gets to the substrate? I might just be being really stupid here, but I'm intrigued.


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## George Farmer (30 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

BGA mostly originates in the substrate.  By eliminating light getting into the depth of the substrate by using tape, one can reduce the risk of BGA spreading into the main water column.

I have used black tape like this -


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## Fred Dulley (30 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*



			
				rawr said:
			
		

> I still don't get it...  :?  Are we talkin about the black tape along the bottom of the tank? Doesn't that just block out the light to the substrate - isn't it an issue if light gets to the substrate? I might just be being really stupid here, but I'm intrigued.



Just helps against BGA from creeping up from the substrate. 
Super looking tank, Mark.

Edit: Ninja'd by George.


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## Mark Evans (30 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

the sides and rear of tanks don't get as much light hitting them from the front so that's fine. often problems arise from excess light hitting the front glass. i admit with ADA AS and nature soil the problem is not as bad but this is just an addition that i feel just eliminates future problems.  simples    it also acts in a "guide" lets say for customers. when they ask about certain problems it's nice to explain it and show how to do something in the flesh so to speak   

I think George was the inventor of this for BGA?


----------



## Mark Evans (30 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*



			
				Fred Dulley said:
			
		

> Edit: Ninja'd by George.



 i was too slow


----------



## rawr (30 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

Ah right, I get it now!  I didn't know this was such a problem with the substrate, sorry to hijack the thread and thanks for explaining that to me guys.


----------



## Mark Evans (30 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*



			
				rawr said:
			
		

> sorry to hijack the thread and thanks for explaining that to me guys.



no problemo.


----------



## Nelson (30 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

still looking fantastic.i can't believe the growth you get in your tanks  .whats your secret   .
don't suppose you want to pop down to essex and swirl your hands around my tank for a bit


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## Mark Evans (30 May 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*



			
				nelson said:
			
		

> still looking fantastic.i can't believe the growth you get in your tanks  .whats your secret  .
> don't suppose you want to pop down to essex and swirl your hands around my tank for a bit



thanks nelson. 

magic pixie dust mate.... thats the secret


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## Mark Evans (26 Jun 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

blimey i'd almost forgot about this tank   

well much has happened with this one, one being poor CO2 distribution! which resulted in algae on my wood.

anyways, after swapping diffusers to a ceramic type things are improving slowly. I'm trying to stay away from this as much as pos and leave it in the hands of the staff, but it looks like I'm going to take to take the reigns (correct spelling?) back.

the microsrum went and still is going through the longest transformation in history   in the miracle mire i had it looking good in weeks, this is just taking forever. anubias is the same, but were on to new growth, even flowers. this is pointing out to me that ALL tanks need constant TLC.

i've not seen the tank for a while but it's looking OK, i'd love to try this very same layout at home and realy keep on top of it like Autumn blush and past ventures.

water change time....the tanks is filling at the time of photo, water level usually to the top.


----------



## Joecoral (26 Jun 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*



			
				saintly said:
			
		

> which resulted in algae on my wood.



You should probably see a doctor about that then!   

On a serious note, the tank is looking great, just a shame it maybe isn't getting quite as much attention and care as it needs to have unfortunately.


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## Steve Smith (26 Jun 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*



			
				Joecoral said:
			
		

> saintly said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You beat me too it!  It all adds to the aged feeling 

Mark, it still looks fantastic, even if it needs a little TLC (doesn't look like it!).  A customer who's probably never seen a good planted tank will still be awe struck by this creation, even if there is a little algae here and there!  

What CO2 diffusion were you using before changing to the ceramic diffuser?

I really love the sort of shaded/jungle feel to this.  Looks a little bit Sci-Fi to me, like a miniature Arnie and predator should come crashing through at any moment


----------



## Mark Evans (26 Jun 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*



			
				Joecoral said:
			
		

> On a serious note, the tank is looking great, just a shame it maybe isn't getting quite as much attention and care as it needs to have unfortunately.



yeah, and it's just the little things that left undone, result in problems. of course it's not as drastic as i'm thinking but all the same, if you do something, you do it right yeah?....all the algae is just that green stuff, not hairy. it's the stuff a bristlenose would see of instantly.



			
				SteveUK said:
			
		

> A customer who's probably never seen a good planted tank will still be awe struck by this creation, even if there is a little algae here and there!



i've actually heard customers say that (in one particular tank, not mine   ) the algae looked good   BBA on wood. 



			
				SteveUK said:
			
		

> I really love the sort of shaded/jungle feel to this. Looks a little bit Sci-Fi to me, like a miniature Arnie and predator should come crashing through at any moment



it's based around an early amano set up. not copied, but borrowed ideas.

i do want to recreate this at home in the future.



			
				SteveUK said:
			
		

> What CO2 diffusion were you using before changing to the ceramic diffuser?



A JBL ladder diffuser, it just didnt cut the mustard.plus it's a pig to clean! 

 at the same injection rate the difference is ten fold with ceramic. so now i've got to swing the balance back.


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## chump54 (26 Jun 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

I'm liking this one, it has a very different feel to your usual clean style (I don't mean the algae)   I hope that sounds how I mean.

It has a ... bu****r don't know what its got but it has something.   actually it has a fishiness, a natural feel almost homely.

ha  

Chris


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## Mark Evans (22 Aug 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

thanks chumps. i've neglected this, almost an experiment. not in terms of maintenance (although it don't get much) but in terms of growth. i've let it do what _it _wants to do.

couple of reasons, to see how plants invade on each other and to see the effects of what plants look like when merged.

the vallis was added due to the fact the was no balansae @ aquafleur when i planted. hey ho.

like every other tank of mine, things are learnt good and bad. I'm sure when the time come to scape my own 120 jungle i can make a few calculated decisions instead of the guess work within this tank   

I think this just goes to show what's possible with just JBL aquabasis and gravel, co2 and good fert regime.





my ricca store


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## Keithoms (22 Aug 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

Woooow, looks great!


----------



## samc (22 Aug 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

i like it  

its got a nice wild feel to it   what happened to the acicularis?


----------



## Dan Crawford (22 Aug 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

I like it Mark, as you may have noticed with my tanks, I like a certain lack of orgination, nice work.


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## MadMupps (22 Aug 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

Love the natural look, and the angels contrast the green perfectly imo.


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## Mark Evans (22 Aug 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

thanks fellas. 8) 



			
				samc said:
			
		

> what happened to the acicularis?



it's still there. in all honesty the images isn't the best, but it is there.

again a snappy snap....the sagii?.. is mixing itself in with the grass.


----------



## Mark Evans (23 Aug 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

i've just shot a load of images....





more to come.


----------



## Mark Evans (23 Aug 2009)

*Re: saintly's MA 120x 50 x 70cm scape.(1 MONTH ON)*

a few more.


----------

