# frustrated or not?



## Mark Evans (21 Mar 2010)

who here, if like me gets frustrated not being able to fully exploit there visions?

I mean, this hobby has to be the strangest i've been in. 

for example...photography! we can snap away when ever we want right? yes of course
music! we can create, write and preform music when ever we feel like it.
painting! a blank canvas can always be painted on at will.

but with aquascaping, were bound by time, and with this boundary, we come up against things like algae etc and potentially  fail. but with time we learn. but for me, i need to create constantly, it's not possible without a thousand tanks.

who else feels like this?

mark


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## samc (21 Mar 2010)

all the time!

i am allways thinking of the next tank. and theres allways different things i want to try in the same layout. foreground is the worst. (seems you had the same trouble the other day) i want sand but then i want to try with HC, hairgrass ect. then im woundering what it would have been like  

maybe i just think into things too much


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## NeilW (21 Mar 2010)

samc said:
			
		

> all the time!
> 
> i am allways thinking of the next tank. and theres allways different things i want to try in the same layout.
> 
> maybe i just think into things too much



This is me too.  Also not the budget, time to put into maintenance, space for tanks that match the ambition   Funny how the actual main scaping bit (which is my favourite bit) takes very little time in comparison to how long you look at the tank.


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## Garuf (21 Mar 2010)

There's not a point in any of it that I haven't had some frustration, It's part and parcel of the habit. I think what's limited my personal creativity most is not being able to get plants in the right quantaties at the right price. I've had 6 scapes in my nano that I've wanted to plant but for all of them I've come up against the same issue, 6 pots of plants per species for a tank with less than a square foot of base, that or pay as much as 4x as much to get a single pot.


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## rawr (21 Mar 2010)

I see what you mean but that's also part of the beauty - the fact that this hobby is all about nature. It evolves on it's own and creates it's own art in the process.


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## viktorlantos (21 Mar 2010)

Mark for guys like you it's not easy anyway  Whatever i see from your works even if it is a photo or an aquascaping thing, i feels the maximalist guy behind there. The need of a perfection. As a result this always give a beautiful work to us, but it could be painful in the creative period as you never feels good with the work what you're doing.

Do not be frustrated. Whatever you miss this time you can do next. It's not the only one shot here. Just do another beauty like you allways do and do not think too much. You have all the senses, art, vision, creativity to create nice tanks.


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## Nick16 (21 Mar 2010)

for me its budget. i think if every aquascaper was given top notch soil like oli knotts, all the right tools, and some top equipment like lighting, ferts, filters etc we would all be amazed at what is produced. 

however, first, education is needed to get rid of all these myths. like the '2WPG club' as i call them.


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## JamesM (21 Mar 2010)

Time, money, effort, space, the wife... all contributing factors as to why I'm not 'scaping atm, and yes its very frustrating


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## Mark Evans (22 Mar 2010)

Some good points made. 

But I'm thinking slightly different. imagine writing a song on a particular guitar, then someone saying to you...

"you cant write another song on that guitar for 8 months, you'll need another one! oh, and by the way, you only had 1 stab at it, now you cant practise that song"

same kind of thing. we get 1 tank, fill it with hardscape, put plants in and over several months, we have to look at our mistakes everyday. then next tank!


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## NeilW (22 Mar 2010)

Thats what I was thinking too.  For me the most interesting bit is setting it up with hardscape at the start, but that doesn't take long at all in comparison to looking at it everyday like you say.  Maybe the way forward is to have 2 tanks an the go and change the both scapes every few months but alternate which one.  also have a couple of 'mini' projects on the go like picos...


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## George Farmer (22 Mar 2010)

I think the frustration discussed here is perhaps a symptom of the instant gratification philosophy that is all too common in Western societies, in my humble opinion.

Delayed gratification is better, in my view.  

The reward is so much richer, because the journey itself is more fulfilling than the destination.

Try and keep a 'scape for 6 months minimum, and see how you feel about the final product, after you've nurtured it daily.  It's what the top 'scapers do in the Far East.  The vast majority of the Top 27 IAPLC entries are 6+ month old layouts.



			
				saintly said:
			
		

> we have to look at our mistakes everyday. then next tank!


Your glass is half-empty, Mark!  Look at your successes every day and build on them... 

If you kept a layout for 6 months I'm certain it would look amazing.  Little tweaks here and there over the months.  Even the odd plant change if you're not happy.  Try it mate.  I dare you.


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## LondonDragon (22 Mar 2010)

Yes Mark I dare you to keep a long term scape hehehe there is never enough time, enough money, enough patience lol I am still going with the scape I started back in 2006 LOL it just keeps evolving from one to the next. Its about enjoying it your way and just keep tweaking it


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## Mark Evans (22 Mar 2010)

true indeed. I suppose you cant create something natural in 5 minutes (as hard as i try    )

This next 120cm is long term indeed. and I guess, the hobby, ultimately is a nurture process.


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## NeilW (22 Mar 2010)

George Farmer said:
			
		

> Try and keep a 'scape for 6 months minimum, and see how you feel about the final product, after you've nurtured it daily.  It's what the top 'scapers do in the Far East.  The vast majority of the Top 27 IAPLC entries are 6+ month old layouts.



Out of interest and curiosity what is the 'oldest' 'scape that anyone has seen?


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## TBRO (26 Mar 2010)

I think like Garuf I ascribe to the Wabi-sabi thought process when it comes to scapes. I currently have 3 tanks and 3 emergent glass bowls and I know that they will wax and wane with time.

 I think it's really important not to get caught up in "perfection" which is impossible when dealing with nature, some of the tanks in international comps just look too pristine which makes them look sterile. If anyone has let their lawn get out of hand in the summer it can look really pretty with green grass and wild flowers but come winter it will look brown and dead, that's life  8)


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## Mark Evans (26 Mar 2010)

TBRO said:
			
		

> I think it's really important not to get caught up in "perfection" which is impossible when dealing with nature, some of the tanks in international comps just look too pristine which makes them look sterile.



this is my point.

you wont create that look without practise, meaning we need to aquascape as much as possible to acquire this look. natural, unruly growth alone wont get us to this point.

trimming etc gets the look of natural scapes, this is what we need to practise

amano is absolute testament to this.


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