# My current 'scapes - 65cm NA and 30cm cube



## George Farmer (26 Apr 2015)

Hi all,

I thought I'd post pics of my current 'scapes before I tear them down soon and create some new layouts. Both have been featured fairly recently in PFK magazine although they've been re-scaped a little.

The first is a Natural Aquario 65x40x45cm. I set it up as a sub-tropical set-up and it's low-maintenance. 

The 'scape is basic with broad textures and small plant selection (swords, Anubias, crypts). Fish are zebra danios, cherry barbs and odessa barbs - all happy at room temperature. Because of the cooler temps growth rate is limited. I'm injecting CO2 but only 1BPS using inline diffuser. Dosing Tropica Spec. at 5ml per day.

The LED lighting is powerful so I'm using floating Salivinia natans to add some shade. The fish like the shade too. Photoperiod 6 hours.




 

The second is a 30cm cube lit with an ADA Mini Solar - 6 hours. Basic planting again but with finer textures for better sense of scale - mini hairgrass, Staurogyne repens, Anubias petite, Pogostemon erectus. 

It's low maintenance also. Non-CO2 injection but with liquid carbon, 1ml per day. Dosing Tropica Spec at 1ml per day. It has a small internal filter but I'm upgrading to an Eheim 250T with gUSH glassware with the new 'scape.



 

Both tanks have seen massive periods of neglect resulting in big algae blooms and poorly plants, but with a few days TLC I've managed to turn them around. 

When I re-scape I'll create new journals. Can't wait! 

Happy to answer any questions.

Cheers,
George


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## BigTom (26 Apr 2015)

Love the cube George. My three have been completely neglected since I moved last year - plants literally just dumped in and left to their own devices. I keep meaning to sort them out but find them so fiddly to work in, so I'm highly impressed with the scale and textures in yours.


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## Andy D (26 Apr 2015)

George, how are you finding the Odessa's in 60cm? I had some in a Rio 125 ( lovely fish by the way) but felt they could do with more room as they were very active fish. 

Tanks look good. I especially like the cube and hope I can get mine to look half as good.


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## banthaman.jm (27 Apr 2015)

Nice couple of tanks George, will look forward to your new journals...
Jim


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## Dantrasy (27 Apr 2015)

Beautiful scapes! (wish i could pinch some of your dhg)


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## George Farmer (27 Apr 2015)

Thanks guys. 



Andy D said:


> George, how are you finding the Odessa's in 60cm? I had some in a Rio 125 ( lovely fish by the way) but felt they could do with more room as they were very active fish.
> 
> Tanks look good. I especially like the cube and hope I can get mine to look half as good.


I know what you mean about the Odessas, but they seem to be thriving in here. I think from an aesthetic perspective they would look much to big if I were using fine textured plants, but the broad textures work with bigger fish.


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## George Farmer (28 Apr 2015)

PS, Andy - it's 65cm, not 60cm. Apparently 2" makes a lot of difference....


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## Tim Harrison (28 Apr 2015)

Awesome fish and I've often looked at them wistfully but never bought because of the scale/aesthetic perspective...but they do indeed seem to work well with broad textures; something to keep in mind for the future.


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## Ryan Thang To (28 Apr 2015)

Amazing tank George. Cant wait for what next.

Cheers
Ryan


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## viktorlantos (28 Apr 2015)

That nano is crying for a cover  Looks fab man!


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## Andy D (28 Apr 2015)

George Farmer said:


> PS, Andy - it's 65cm, not 60cm. Apparently 2" makes a lot of difference....



Ha ha, my wife has always told me size doesn't matter!


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## Tim Harrison (28 Apr 2015)

She was lying to make you feel better...
...about not having a larger aquarium...that is...obviously...


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## George Farmer (29 Apr 2015)

Playing with my wide angle lens last night... 

(Don't look too closely - there's algae!) lol


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## banthaman.jm (29 Apr 2015)

algae or no algae still a nice tank, if i could only get growth like that (not the algae  )...
Jim


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## George Farmer (29 Apr 2015)

Thanks, Jim.

Really, it is no secret. Just light, ferts, circulation, good quality plants, a bit of maintenance, and time.... This has been running for a few months now. I spend about 30 mins a week on it.


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## Sk3lly (29 Apr 2015)

Great fish choice! Really stand out against the greens. What are they?

Scape looks great. Then again all of your work I've seen looks stunning


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Andy D (29 Apr 2015)

George Farmer said:


> and time.



I think this is what a lot of people forget about. 

Some tanks can tank months to reach the desired end result and it can test your patience! 

I recently planted up a 'cube' tank and growth is certainly patience-testing. However I have zero algae and have to do very little maintenance.


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## George Farmer (30 Apr 2015)

And another of my 65cm.


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## George Farmer (5 May 2015)

I gave the 30cm cube a hack and planted some of the cuttings in the 65cm. I'm really enjoying this tank now and can see it being a long-term "evolver"...


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## Alexander Belchenko (5 May 2015)

Very great tank! Can you tell names of floaters and swords at the back?


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## parotet (5 May 2015)

Hi George

I use an inline Co2 diffuser in my current 60 cm tank attached to the filter outflow and to a spraybar. In a smaller tank I am using lily pipes with an in-tank ceramic diffuser and wow... the tank looks much better and the Co2 uptake seems not that bad. I will re-scape the 60 cm tank in a few months and I will be using glass lily pipes again... Do you find the "Seven-up" look is less obvious when using lily pipes (compared to spraybar)?

Jordi


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## George Farmer (5 May 2015)

Alexander Belchenko said:


> Very great tank! Can you tell names of floaters and swords at the back?


Hi, the Amazon swords are Echinodorus bleheri and the floaters are Salvinia natans. Thanks


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## George Farmer (5 May 2015)

parotet said:


> Hi George
> 
> I use an inline Co2 diffuser in my current 60 cm tank attached to the filter outflow and to a spraybar. In a smaller tank I am using lily pipes with an in-tank ceramic diffuser and wow... the tank looks much better and the Co2 uptake seems not that bad. I will re-scape the 60 cm tank in a few months and I will be using glass lily pipes again... Do you find the "Seven-up" look is less obvious when using lily pipes (compared to spraybar)?
> 
> Jordi


Hi Jordi. I've rarely used spray bars in the past so couldn't really comment with any credibility. At the moment I have the CO2 on the inlet so there's no visible bubbles at all.


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## George Farmer (19 May 2015)

Hi guys and girls,

I'll be stripping this one down soon ready for a new 'scape. I've also another two empty home tanks to 'scape so expect some more journals soon!


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## Tim Harrison (19 May 2015)

Nice scape and fish, but good news nonetheless...any spoilers about what you have planned maybe?


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## George Farmer (21 May 2015)

Thanks Troi. 

The 30cm cube will likely be a iwagumi with fake rocks (!) and the 65cm will be a classic Nature Aquarium with low maintenance plants - ferns, anubias, crypts, easy carpet. I'm thinking of DSM in the cube with Riccardia chamedryfolia attached to the rocks.


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## parotet (21 May 2015)

George Farmer said:


> Thanks Troi.
> 
> The 30cm cube will likely be a iwagumi with fake rocks (!) and the 65cm will be a classic Nature Aquarium with low maintenance plants - ferns, anubias, crypts, easy carpet. I'm thinking of DSM in the cube with Riccardia chamedryfolia attached to the rocks.


Is Riccardia very difficult? I would like to try it (fits very well with mosses and low plants attached to wood and stones) but people report quite a lot of problems with growth and algae. Even Tropica mention it on its website. Surprisingly it seems that when it works it can swallow the whole hardscape.

Jordi


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## George Farmer (21 May 2015)

Hi Jordi

I don't think it's very difficult but may take a long time to adapt to water. Once it's adapted it can be a fast grower. CO2 and good lighting obviously help a lot.


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## George Farmer (26 May 2015)

Hi all,

After a 12 months break from YouTube uploads...


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## Ryan Thang To (26 May 2015)

Nice one george. I love the swords at the back Give it a really nice green look. Keep up the good work and can't wait to see the next scape.

Cheers
Ryan


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## Tim Harrison (26 May 2015)

Nice video...Good to see you well and truly back.


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## Alexander Belchenko (26 May 2015)

I really enjoy your video. Watched it twice in a row yesterday. Very like swords at the background. I suppose you have enough depth in that tank to be able to get swords and still have room for everything else. Does it have dimensions like 65*45*45cm or that's different tank?


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## Mot (26 May 2015)

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with next George.


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