# Advice on this hardscape please.



## zanguli-ya-zamba (12 Sep 2013)

Hi members,
So I have received my NA 90 cm since two weeks, and I have been looking for my sand, rocks and wood. 
The last few days I have been playing with hardscape. After a nice realization, I don't know why I decided to change things, and I end up with something horrible. So I stopped to think again and start from scratch. Here is what I end up with. 
I wanted to have you critics on this scape before flooding and start a proper journal. 
Unfortunately, the picture doesn't really reveal the effect of the scape. 
A bit stress to show what I have done haha. 












So guys I am open to all critics !! 

Thanks


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (12 Sep 2013)

Let me put you a pic of how the rocks looks when they are wet. 
And BTW this is the first realization.


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (12 Sep 2013)

This was the rock selection (not all the stones are inside)


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## Ady34 (12 Sep 2013)

Hi Zanguli.
Love those rocks!
It looks great and very natural, except perhaps for the very top rock which looks a little at odds with the rest. Maybe move that to the far left rear and add a couple of smaller ones in front of it to transition better like the others? you could even raise it higher in the corner to give a fraction more height. Alternatively if you have another piece of that root wood you could try to integrate that around it?
Really nice layout though mate, will look stunning when planted.....have you got as far as a plant list yet?
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## Martin in Holland (12 Sep 2013)

very interesting stones...I like them...the scape looks good too....especially the one without the wood...I wonder about your plant list too


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## flygja (12 Sep 2013)

I think that looks good. The hill has a multi-layered look that will look nice with plants. The big peak right at top sticks out a bit too much at the moment, but should soften with planting.


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (12 Sep 2013)

Ady34 said:


> Hi Zanguli.
> Love those rocks!
> It looks great and very natural, except perhaps for the very top rock which looks a little at odds with the rest. Maybe move that to the far left rear and add a couple of smaller ones in front of it to transition better like the others? you could even raise it higher in the corner to give a fraction more height. Alternatively if you have another piece of that root wood you could try to integrate that around it?
> Really nice layout though mate, will look stunning when planted.....have you got as far as a plant list yet?
> ...


 
Hi Ady,
thanks for your input mate !!! I was thinking exactly the same about the top stone, I will try another one that I will place in flat position. If I move it to the rear I think that I will have a dead spot there with flow. I will make adjustment tonight and take shots. Hope my sister can come on friday to take pictures with her canon D5 like that I can start the journal 



Martin in China said:


> very interesting stones...I like them...the scape looks good too....especially the one without the wood...I wonder about your plant list too


 
Hi Martin,
Yes I know... the one with only rocks was nice .... 


So for both of you here is my plant selection, I wanted to wait for the journal to show it ... but you guys give me the envy to show it. And it is a good idea like that you could help m in the choice.

So on foreground (flat part) I will put HC, I have a load of HC in the pond, and really want to have success this time with this plant.
On the slop I will put some staurogyne repens. I already have it in my 20 G. It will be place in three spot on the slop.
than I have some crypt petchii that will go just over the stauro.
after I have some crypt mi hoya, undulata, legrois, and an other cryp that I frogot the name lol.
For the wood I will put some moss on it that I will trim to stays low and I have also 2 pots of anubia nana petite that I will put on the neginig of the long wood.
for the background I am  bit lost .... if you look at the side view you will see that there is a long free zone behind the long root, I would like to put rotala mac, that I will trim to stay low. on the top of the edge that's where I have a problem !!!!
here are the plants I can put there : Pogostermon stelata, or rotala rontund. red or green or rotala indica, or hygrophilia polysperma sunset or ludwigia arcuata, Hemianthus Micrantemoid. I have too much choice haha I have also loads of microsorum pteroptus and a big microsorum pteroptus.
I like the choice of Pogo stelata + HM !?

........ in fact you can see that I need help hahaha and if you athor idea of plants let me know maybe I have it in the pond.

thanks guys for your answer.

cheers 
Zanguli


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## flygja (13 Sep 2013)

That's an interesting plant choice and its great to have it all growing somewhere ready to be transplanted. I personally don't know about playing stems on the top. There isn't any "mid-ground" to hide the ugly bottom parts and its not easy to maintain a nice shape by trimming it low all the time. Especially plants like Pogostemon stellata which can grow pretty big or Hygrophillia polysperma, which can grow like a weed.


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (13 Sep 2013)

flygja said:


> That's an interesting plant choice and its great to have it all growing somewhere ready to be transplanted. I personally don't know about playing stems on the top. There isn't any "mid-ground" to hide the ugly bottom parts and its not easy to maintain a nice shape by trimming it low all the time. Especially plants like Pogostemon stellata which can grow pretty big or Hygrophillia polysperma, which can grow like a weed.


 
Hi mate,
to hide the ugly part of the stem plants, I will use the crypts that will grow quite enough to hide these parts. 
Yes it's nice to have all these plants in the pond  the only down ward is that they are growing in emerge form so I have to induce transition before putting them in the tank.
So I have to go this afternoon to the pond and collect the plants to put them in bucket and let them float for 2 weeks. this will do the transition from emerge to submerge.
This means that I will not flood the tank before two weeks.


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (13 Sep 2013)

Ady34 said:


> Alternatively if you have another piece of that root wood you could try to integrate that around it?
> Really nice layout though mate.



Hi Ady 
I have not done some arrangement yesterday, hope I will have time tonight ! 
But I think that you are right, maybe a piece of root coming from top left, a like George hill side. Gorge s tank is big part of my inspiration for that scape. So maybe I ll try the wood option plus small stones. 

Thanks for the idea and your sharp eyes !!!

Cheers


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## flygja (15 Sep 2013)

zanguli-ya-zamba said:


> Yes it's nice to have all these plants in the pond the only down ward is that they are growing in emerge form so I have to induce transition before putting them in the tank. So I have to go this afternoon to the pond and collect the plants to put them in bucket and let them float for 2 weeks. this will do the transition from emerge to submerge. This means that I will not flood the tank before two weeks.


 
Will that work? Without good lights and CO2, I thought the transition will be harder. Some will melt and cannot be replaced with submersed growth without good lights and CO2. Most of the plants we get are emersed anyway, so transition is a problem for most of us. I would suggest just planting it immediately


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (16 Sep 2013)

flygja said:


> Will that work? Without good lights and CO2, I thought the transition will be harder. Some will melt and cannot be replaced with submersed growth without good lights and CO2. Most of the plants we get are emersed anyway, so transition is a problem for most of us. I would suggest just planting it immediately



Hi Flygja,

Yes that must work lol. You can read in this link where Clive explain why it is working. 
This is great to know that, because all my plants are growing emerge in my pond. 
"NEW" PLANT Congo | UK Aquatic Plant Society

Regards


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (18 Sep 2013)

I did some minor change. 
On the left added a small piece of wood, change the stone at the top. But not very satisfied with the top. I have a piece of wood that I have to try ! Didn't have the chance to take pic with a good camera. So sorry for the poor quality and the small reflection in the middle. 
I think that I am not far from what I want. The spaces on the top will be full of crypt and one stem plant at the back of them. This will add height and balance the scape. All the slop of the hill will be stauro even in between the stones. And the flat part HC that it. 
I have to give a try to that piece of wood. 
Here is a quick shot. 




Thanks


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (19 Sep 2013)

Hi I took some close up of the stones for you to have a better idea of texture of the stones. 














Cheers


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## aqua!nano&more (19 Sep 2013)

Hi Zanguli

Is this rock from Pool Malebo? Or did you bring it from somewhere eslse? Really nice!
Roland


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (19 Sep 2013)

aqua!nano&more said:


> Hi Zanguli
> 
> Is this rock from Pool Malebo? Or did you bring it from somewhere eslse? Really nice!
> Roland


Hi Roland,
Yes exactly, it is stone from the pool malebo, but the end of the pool malebo, where it close to creat the Kinsuka rapids. 

How do you know about these stones ?? 

Regards


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## Alastair (19 Sep 2013)

Those stones are beautiful. I love the texture of them 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2


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## aqua!nano&more (19 Sep 2013)

dear Zanguli
I was in Kinsuka athe rapids 2 times,and also in Maluku

Roland


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (19 Sep 2013)

That s great !!! 
I have also a house for the week end at Maluku !!
That's weird to see someone of ukaps that have already been in Kinshasa. 
You came for professional purposes ? 
Best regards


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (19 Sep 2013)

aqua!nano&more said:


> dear Zanguli
> I was in Kinsuka athe rapids 2 times,and also in Maluku
> 
> Roland


Will you comeback to Congo ? 
When you were here did you visited the chimp sanctuary : Lola ya Bonobo ??


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## aqua!nano&more (19 Sep 2013)

dear Zanguli
Yes I want to come back!
Had been on my trips to Kinganga ( lower Congo) Bandundu and Mbandaka
Esp.Mbandaka and the rainforest there is so nice,and os many extrem nice fishes there!
The place you found the hairgrass is near Inkisi River right? There i want also to go,so many new fishspecies in that river!
Roland


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (19 Sep 2013)

aqua!nano&more said:


> dear Zanguli
> Yes I want to come back!
> Had been on my trips to Kinganga ( lower Congo) Bandundu and Mbandaka
> Esp.Mbandaka and the rainforest there is so nice,and os many extrem nice fishes there!
> ...


 

Roland,
hooo that's nice that you have been in different "town" in Congo. yes Mbandaka is a nice place at the cross of the Oubangui river and Congo river.
The hair grass is not in the Inkisi river, I have take this near the Nsele River (between kinshasa and the bandundu region).
I know well one part of the Inkisi river (Inkisi water falls or Zongo falls) didn't knew that this river have unknown species.
Inkisi river is not very far from kinshasa (120 km from town good road).

Are you a scientist, that you came in Congo to see new fishspecies ? 
Next time if you come let me know we could have a drink, and maybe why not going in trip together !! 

best regards


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## aqua!nano&more (19 Sep 2013)

dear Zangui
I was in Congo 2 x times to look for new fishes for the ornamental fish trade
Roland


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (19 Sep 2013)

If you have an other opportunity to come to congo I will be very happy to meet you and your team.
It would be great to meet someone who do the job I wanted to do when I was 17 th !!
there is a group a scientist that go often to the Lomami river and it's area, it's great river that we don't know much on it.
My mother also have a scientist base at Basankusu between Lopori river and Maringa rivers (in middle of the rain forest a place se rounded by a lot of small rivers, there is student from harvard ducks andrew university who go there, to study Bonobos.
This is a great place for oramental fish. 

So if you come again to Congo contact me please.

best regards


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## aqua!nano&more (19 Sep 2013)

which  fishes will you put in your tank? Congolese?
Roland


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (19 Sep 2013)

Yes I will put Congolese fish !! 
But I don't know which one yet, I am sure that you could help me with this haha 

I was thinking a school of Barbus hulstaerti (butterfly Barb) or a group of Phenacogrammus interuptus. But I am not sure.
Do you have a nice schooling fish to advice me ?


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## aqua!nano&more (19 Sep 2013)

for myself,I would choose yellow Congos (Ph.caudalis) and B.hulstaerti and some nice Epiplatys for the surface.
Maybe some small Chiloglanis,if they are availabel in Kin for the rocks. 
I like the yellow Congos more than the blue ones,a more gentle and elegant fish.
Or if you can get a large School of Congopanchax myersi or brichardi and the B.hulstaerti plus 1 pair of Congochromis dimidiatus or spec."Bloody Mary) .
To which exporters in KIn you have acess?Some should have the Congochromis from time to time instock.
Try aquafaune or maybe Aime Kamanda

Roland


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (19 Sep 2013)

Do you have pic of some of these fish ?


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## aqua!nano&more (19 Sep 2013)

just Google them easy to find


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (19 Sep 2013)

I have google it and I knew the yellow Congo, it's a nice one you are right. 
One in particular is very interesting, the small chiloglanis that swim up side down. I used to have it all my tanks ! I had totally forgot about that fish. 
By what I have read this could be a good cleaning fish, to eat algae etc ? They even eat diatom ?? They will not eat the small plants like HC or staurogyne ?  
Would they do the same job than the otocinclus ? 
They are very easy to find for me. 
Thanks for you input !!! 

Regards


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## aqua!nano&more (19 Sep 2013)

The upside down fish is Synodontis nigriventris, they don´t eat algae! I also think the real Chilos eat algas,but there is a perfect algae eater in Kinsuka: Garra congoensis.I had them ,the clean very well!


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (19 Sep 2013)

aqua!nano&more said:


> The upside down fish is Synodontis nigriventris, they don´t eat algae! I also think the real Chilos eat algas,but there is a perfect algae eater in Kinsuka: Garra congoensis.I had them ,the clean very well!



Thanks for the information !
I am looking for a small cleaning crew . 
 Cheers


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (19 Sep 2013)

Is it this one ?




Do they stay small like that ? 
This would be so perfect, really appreciate your help on this mate. 

Cheers


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## aqua!nano&more (19 Sep 2013)

yes this is the right one, and yes they grow bigger!


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