# Aquascaping for dummies



## Mawgan (28 Mar 2010)

How can you presume to start a journal when you haven't even got a tank yet?!

This is a question I have been kicking around for quite a few days now, and thankfully have been too busy before to do anything about it.  But now I've got an hour or so on my hands, and look what happens...  I start a journal!  Please forgive me for I know not what I do - which is probably the only half-decent justification for it.

I have read and inwardly digested as much as I can here on UKAPS, which has to be the single best resource on the net for aquascaping.  Now I will probably test your collective patience with a string of daft questions.  I hereby swear to do my utmost to research before asking, and will not object to the odd clip round the ear and an invitation to cut along to such and such a topic!

This is my aim:






Now you can see I'm no artist!  But this 'design' is intended to fill an Aquariums Ltd 80 x 45 x 45cms optiwhite tank due for delivery this coming Wednesday to be mounted on one of their tastefully constructed cabinets in a pear finish.

A long trip up to Wrexham in snowy January yielded an Eheim 2128 Thermo filter, but much more of value, about four hours or Graeme's time and remarkably good-natured advice!

Since then, I have ordered three 9kg bags of Amazonia II Aquasoil which will be thrown around onto 9kgs of Power Sand.  I have also bought up all of the Seriyu stone that Croydon can offer.  That will go where the lumpy bits in the drawing are.  I also got Graeme to box up anything he could find with a Sera label on it, plus some Brighty K, which I will do my best to keep away from my wife in case she mistakes it for hair conditioner...

I have badgered Dan Crawford into sending a couple of FEs by Wells Fargo or whichever courier he can persuade, and I've done deals with gentlemen in Hong Kong which resulted in them sending me things called regulators with all sorts of dials and taps and stuff.  Goodness only knows what I am going to do with them.  I blame Andyh on whose infinitely more interesting journal I first saw them, along with an inline CO2 atomizer diffuser thingy. I got that because I hate seeing large chunks of black plastic in the tank.  Mind you, when the only growth that succeeds in my tank is some slimy algae then perhaps I will see the sense of Koralia pumps and spray bars, etc.!

The tank will be in a corner and viewed primarily from the left and front.  I will top it off with an Arcadia OT2 luminaire with four 24w lamps (Plant Gro is the default supplied, I believe). Graeme suggested that I fill it and leave it with the filter running for a couple of weeks while the Aquasoil divests itself of any ammonia it's not too keen on...

After that, I hope to plant a mixture of HC Cuba and Eleocharis Parvula in the foreground, softening the boundary with the rocks with Blyxa Japonica or Eleocharis tenellus, and maybe some Pogostemon helferi.  I'd like to plant the mid-ground to backgound with more hair grass, and have some kind of reddish Ludwigia and/or Limnophila behind the major stone.  Just to wrap up my dream sheet, I had thought of something like Cyperus helferi to sway gently to the far right to camouflage the filter pipes.  Ooh, and I want to fill some of the fissures in the stone with mosses, maybe fissidens or even riccia if I thought I could grow it...

My purpose in putting this up is to try to be proactive.  In other words, I'm sort of relying on anyone kind enough to read this to post something on the lines of 'dream on', 'you must be joking',   or maybe just 'get a grip!'  However, if you felt like putting a virtual arm around my shoulder and suggesting something much more sensible and likely to succeed then I wouldn't object too much!  

I will do my best to put up some 'before' shots when I actually have something to prattle about, and we'll think about the after shots later (either that or leave the country).  :?

Yours in hope...


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## Mark Evans (28 Mar 2010)

sounds like a master plan!


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## Steve Smith (28 Mar 2010)

Sounds like you've got many bases covered   I think starting a journal before your tank even arrives is totally fine!  I see journals as a log for your project, as well as a place to discuss ideas with others.  God, I've started a few journals recently before starting the tanks


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## Tony Swinney (28 Mar 2010)

Thats a great opening post to a journal Mawgan - I look forward to watching your progress.   

I also hope your tank arrives on Wednesday, as they are delivering mine in the same trip - I'm not far from you   

Cheers

Tony


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## TBRO (28 Mar 2010)

Well, I  like the sketch. Hope you bring it to reality, has a kind of "Yellow Mountains" look to it. T


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## Mawgan (2 Apr 2010)

Firstly, many thanks for your comments, especially from guys whose journals I have devoured over the past few months.

But I'm not a happy bunny, more's the pity as we're approaching Easter!  My Azoo regulator arrived in the post, which was great until I opened it.  





The box had obviously been used for American football practice by some caring baggage handler, and because the inside packaging hadn't been all that clever either, the result was the needle valve tap had cut throught the box and had been knocked off its spindle.   





It doesn't look much but it is enough to prevent it turning.  I've reported it to the seller who wants me to get a damaged article form from the Post Office, which I can do but which adds to the delay and frustration.  I know that patience is a virtue and so I'm reminding myself of TGM Graeme's advice just to run the filter alone for the first two weeks after filling.  Time enough, I hope, to receive a serviceable unit...

I had a look at the accompanying instructions, in Mandarin, Japanese, and something approaching English.  It referred to a switch on the solenoid which goes from manual to automatic - couldn't see a switch on the unit,  :?  and it's things like that, coupled with the fault on arrival which make me question the decision to go to the Far East when I could have bought British, or maybe German at any rate... :?

Harumph...


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## AverageWhiteBloke (2 Apr 2010)

What a downer nothing worse, I know exactly how that feels I waited for a glass diffuser to come and then smashed it first day sticking it too the glass   

I'm just about to embark on a bit of aquascaping so will be following this post.


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## Mawgan (2 Apr 2010)

Not wishing to dwell on the negatives    I wanted to share my delight with the arrival of the apple of my eyes.  No, I haven't tried fatherhood again, but my long-awaited tank was delivered on Wednesday.  It is an OptiWhite 10mm glass 80 x 45 x 45 cm open topped tank, on some of Aquariums Ltd.'s finest cabinet work, in Miracosa Pear.  I am seriously chuffed with it, and very pleased with the company who did not allow the fact that two of the delivery crew were bunged up by the snow in Newcastle to stop them bringing my precious down to golden Kent.  Top marks to Aquariums Ltd   .  I take back everything I said about scousers...  

I threatened some 'before and afters', so here's a couple to start with:

The living room corner - Before




The living room corner - After




No cigar for guessing which I prefer, although I've had to find another venue for my Wisdens!  

Must say that I'm slightly nervous now - time to move beyond reading and theorizing, now I need to put thoughts into action   .


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## George Farmer (2 Apr 2010)

Wow!  What a refreshingly nice and well-articulated journal.

You can't go wrong following the advice of Master/Brother Edwards.

I look forward to following this very much indeed.


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## tel (2 Apr 2010)

Damaged goods is always a pain David, but hey look at it as a blessing in disguise. It will give you ample opportunity to work on your hardscape and have that drawing start to become a reality.
cheers, tel


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## fish fodder (3 Apr 2010)

Looking forward to this.


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## Graeme Edwards (3 Apr 2010)

Hi David,

Very nice journal you have posted. I like your approach and patience, a true aquatic artist - patience, deliberation, research and dedication.
The sketch is great and the tank and cabinet looks swish.

I really look froward to your hardscape going in.

Good luck David.


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## Mawgan (3 Apr 2010)

George, Tel, Fishfodder - thanks for taking a look. Please come back...   

So yesterday I took out the box of Seriyu stone I bought last weekend to inspect it properly.  Graeme had told me that TGM were out of stock and weren't getting any more in for quite few weeks.  I'm sure their's would be top quality but I just couldn't wait that long.  A not-so-local LFS said they were getting new stock in last Saturday, and so I was knocking on their door to buy it. 25kgs of Seriyu, most of which was medium to small pieces.  Thank you very much - could you carry it to my car?  Oh, you have a bad back...  So will I after carrying this lot to the car park!    

I had it in my mind that I needed a large bit as Principal Stone - in a 45cms deep tank I though that would equate to someting in the region of 30cms longest dimension, or 12 inches in old money.  There is nothing bigger than about 23cms, although it's perfectly good stuff, and I'm a little disappointed that this won't provide the height or fit in with my 'concept' (please see scrawl above). So I took advantage of the odd break in the Bank Holiday rain to set out a draft:





...and from eye level...





and from a more typical viewing angle:





I'd like you to imagine a substrate build-up on the right to about 7 - 10 cms (I've got three bags of Aquasoil to get rid of, after all...) which will lift the Principal Stone by that amount, and I will leave the Supporting Stone at a more lowly level in deference.  The smaller stones in front will be used to terrace and hold back the deeper Aquasoil, and so will be less evident.  Do you think this will work?  I'm not trying to create a pure Sanzon Iwagumi, because I want to cut myself a little slack and allow myself a reasonable selection of plants, but still I am very attracted by the idea. 

Any comments regarding the relative heights and positioning from front to back (given that it is a 45 cms wide tank), and general design will be much appreciated - positive or otherwise.  I'm conscious that this is not exactly ground-breaking, but this is my first effort, and I am determined to create something that is primarily sustainable, and that will not send me running and screaming to the gentle embrace of marquetry...  :? 

Next step is to empty all that ADA dirt into my precious, and get those stones in place.  Any bright ideas of where to put them kindly received. 

Thanks for looking.


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## Mark Evans (3 Apr 2010)

Mawgan said:
			
		

> I'm not trying to create a pure Sanzon Iwagumi,



you'll only need 3 stones for this   

sanzon iwagumi roughly translated means.... 3 stone pillar

youve got some nice stone, and i hope this works out for you


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## andyh (4 Apr 2010)

Hey David

Excellent journal so far and hats off to you for starting it before you had the tank. I personally think this allows us to experience the whole process rather than, "here is my finished scape what do you think?" Please try to keep up this detailed journal as i am sure many of us will enjoy reading it!  

Andyh


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## George Farmer (4 Apr 2010)

Hi David

That's some nice stone you have there!

Before committing to a specific Iwagumi layout, if you haven't seen this before, I can highly recommend it -

http://www.aquajournal.net/na/iwagumi/styles.html


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## andyh (4 Apr 2010)

George Farmer said:
			
		

> Hi David
> 
> That's some nice stone you have there!
> 
> ...



George

This is a an excellent article! I have never seen this b4, very useful indeed. Never been on the aquajournal website.


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## Steve Smith (4 Apr 2010)

andyh said:
			
		

> Never been on the aquajournal website.



  

I should browse it more often to be honest


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## Mark Evans (4 Apr 2010)

andyh said:
			
		

> Never been on the aquajournal website.



theres tons of stuff on the net regards to amano etc. just need to know where to look


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## Mawgan (4 Apr 2010)

Saintly wrote:



> you'll only need 3 stones for this



Does that mean I can take the rest back for a refund?    But you're right, and it's a useful reminder of the spirit of Iwagumi, and reinforced by George's kind link to the Aquajournal site.  I had seen that article before, George, (I do tend to read things to death    ) which really demonstrates the many different paths to the enlightened state, to Nirvana.

Self: Hey, man, like groovy!  You into Nirvana too...?  Where de gig?

Other Self: Shaddap! This is a serious forum. Can't you see there are serious people reading this?  You've blown it!

Sorry about that embarrassing interchange.  Put it down to too much chocolate.   

I do take a lot of inspiration from Iwagumi - I love the minimalism, the calm, the focus - but although I will try to capture the latter two qualities, I deliberately want to keep sufficient options open for me to experience varying plant types and fish species so that I can learn.  In other words, the more I cock things up initially the more I will learn!   

And without wishing to sound too luvvy, darlings, when I first found the forum a lot of my reading centred on Blyxa Hills and the Kitchen Tank.  I wanted to create a plants and rock layout sloping from rear right to front left, and when I saw those two fantastic designs, my first thought was "Well it's all been done!  It's stamp collecting for me then..."

Actually, maybe that's not a bad idea after all...


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## Mawgan (4 Apr 2010)

A joyous Easter to one and all.  Idle hands lead to mischief and I wanted to utilize the unaccustomed free time, so out with the TGM 'frosty' film.  I had initially ordered a tank with frosted glass in the back pane, but Graeme had suggested that the more cack-handed among us might scratch the front glass at some time and with frosted glass installed, there is no option to turn the tank around.  Better to use a stick-on film.  :idea: 

Hmmm, I thought, this bloke's not daft, and so I changed the order to OptiWhite all round, and now I can scratch it to my heart's content.  And  i bought a roll of about 50 metres of film for my 80 cms tank...  I told you he isn't daft.   

Anyway, here's what it looks like after application:






(Cue singing Siamese cats) 'There will be a head for you, maybe a tail for me...' 

Actually it went on easily, and after judicious smoothing out with an M & S credit card (my wife said it would come in handy one day) it all looked very smart - and sort of frosty, in a diffuse kind of way.

So while the tank was parted from the cabinet, I thought I would implement part two of my master plan.  I had bought a 60cm LED strip light from a local wholesaler, plus a plug.  





Now even my rudimentary skills can just about hack wiring a plug, but when I connected it up...  Zip.  Nada. Niente.   How can something like this, fresh out of the box not work?  P****d off doesn't even start to get there.  This is meant to be my arty-crafty ethereal backlighting thingy, fixed at the back and to the top of the cabinet, shining up at 45Â°on to the wall behind.  Fair idea - crap execution!  First thing Tuesday morning I will be rapping upon said merchant's counter, and he'd better have one that works.  Even then, I'm going to have to fiddle around behind the cabinet.  Why? 

Well, here's why...





Just couldn't wait to unload 30-odd litres of ADA's finest cat litter into my new precious, and top it off with a few off-cuts from Mount Fuji.  Mix gently and season to taste.  Now that cabinet isn't going anywhere fast, and so fiddling around behind it will be the order of the day.   

OK, but I really enjoyed setting it all out, so I'll fiddle where necessary.  But now we come to the 'Does my bum look big in this?' moment.  This is where I implore you to say you like it, to find something positive, even if it's only that the Aquasoil is a pleasant dung shade.     Seriously, I need some feedback on the disposition of forces, bearing in mind the order of battle as described overleaf.  Acres of pearling HC, interspersed with delicate stands of hair grass, leading to outbursts of Blyxa and Downoi, punctuated by outcrops of Fissidens and riccia, and vistas of Ambulia and Cyperus helferi stretching to the horizon, 15 centimetres beyond... 

Back down to earth, are the lumps of rock in vaguely sensible places?  Is the balance between heights OK?  The theory is that there are two main areas of stone (main and supporting), with terracing (which may be largely hidden by the planting) of the Aquasoil to retain its depth, with a small stone (front left) complementing the larger ones.

What do you think?


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## Mark Evans (5 Apr 2010)

it looks much more like a stone arrangement now. 

Think about the foreground stones maybe, think how in nature, they might be connected under ground?   Think about the 'flow' of the stones.

your certainly on to something.

mark


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## George Farmer (5 Apr 2010)

This has to be one of the most entertaining journals I've read!

Stones are looking good too...!

Keep up the good work.


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## Becca (5 Apr 2010)

Well I saw the name of this journal and thought that's the one for me! Am a complete novice and hoping to start my first aquascape very soon, once I have collected my stones. This is therefore really interesting to me and I will be following keenly. 
Can't offer any advice as I know nothing - just encouragement to keep going as it's scary the first time! Especially on here where so many peeps know what they are doing.
This is indeed the place to gather info and I will be soaking up as much as possible over the next couple of weeks before embarking on my first attempt. Scareeeeeeeeeeey!  

Good luck, and I look forward to seeing the finished product!

Becca


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## Mawgan (5 Apr 2010)

Becca said:
			
		

> Well I saw the name of this journal and thought that's the one for me!



Becca, I think we could be kindred spirits - love the 'pinky' by the way.   



			
				George Farmer said:
			
		

> This has to be one of the most entertaining journals I've read!



Very kind, George, and for goodness sake, stick around!  I'm sure I'll be crying out for help before very long...



			
				saintly said:
			
		

> Think about the foreground stones maybe, think how in nature, they might be connected under ground?  Think about the 'flow'



Saintly, thanks for this advice.  I think I know what you're getting at.  I will experiment with aligning the stones to try to create a more natural appearance.  The current layout is based on the perceived need to hold back the higher/deeper amounts of Aquasoil by forming a 'walling'.  I will see if I can kill both birds with, er, several stones...   

Thanks all for looking - much appreciated.


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## Becca (5 Apr 2010)

Yep, same boat etc....

My pinky is legendery - no mocking! Cos I'm a posh old bird!   

Becca


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## Lisa_Perry75 (6 Apr 2010)

The layout of the rocks looks quite nice but I do agree with the others that perhaps you should try to line up some striata on the rocks.

The tank is looking good so far and the journal is v. fun to read. Keep up the good work


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## Mawgan (6 Apr 2010)

Another day, another chocolate overdose!   

Convinced myself that battering 100 balls into the middle distance at the driving range constituted somthing close to exercise, and so I'm feeling fairly self-righteous now.  Especially after taking my non-functioning LED straight back to the retailer this morning.  Now I'm no expert on restorative surgery but I'm confident that with the right care and attention he's going to be back selling duff lights in - ooh - a matter of weeks, and in the meantime, I have a working backlight thingy.  Will it be worth the grazed knuckles and the unsightly fluids on the wall?  Only time will tell...  8) 

In the meantime, I had focussed on sage words from Saintly and the lovely Lisa (although I'm pretty sure that striata is a type of Italian ice-cream, Lisa, but I knew instinctively what you meant   ).  Cue some minor rejigging of the hardest bits of the hardscape...





Now this will be a bit like those puzzles in old school comics where there were two pictures next to each other and you had to spot the differences (although I'm afraid you would have to skip back to a previous post for comparison if you could raise the interest).  I make it six.  They're subtle, but they are there, and to just to give you some clues, here are a couple of Google Earth-type views:





and 





The stones are now more aligned with each other but is there, we ask ourselves, a deep and meaningful bond between them...?  The only point in boring you with these images is to seek your valued opinions on whether the changes constitute an improvement.  If they do, or even if you can point out the error of my ways, in which case I will adopt, adapt and improve, I surely want to get some water playing around the nooks and crannies ASAP.  So please, let me know if I am clear to launch.   

As ever, thank you for your time.


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## Mark Evans (6 Apr 2010)

forget the scape! I just love reading what you write.Very entertaining.  

could we see a 'full frontal' please?...of the tank of course.


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## Nelson (6 Apr 2010)

have to agree with mark.this is the most entertaining journal on here   .
what plants are you using.some of the stones look quite low and may get lost.but i know nothing  .


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## andyh (7 Apr 2010)

I second Nelson, as soon as your plants grow you will loose a lot of your rocks. As Saintly requested a "full frontal" would help.

Excellent journal by the way!


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## Mawgan (7 Apr 2010)

Thanks for your kind comments.  

Andyh, nelson, I hope I understand what you're saying about losing the rocks when planted, that is that the stones are too low...? 

But what do you mean by a full frontal? Should I post an eye-level shot?  I'm just wondering what the existing posted photos don't show, apart from a decent hardscape  :?   Tell me, and I will provide.  I appreciate your help.

If it is a question of lack of height, then I'm struggling because I 've given it my biggest bits.  I did buy some special glue, but I don't actually want to go down the route of sticking one on top of t'other!  I may have to send out the search-bots for larger lumps.  :text-search:


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## Steve Smith (7 Apr 2010)

You can combine rocks to make them look like one larger rock.  You shouldn't need to glue them really (depending on what you're trying to achieve).  Also, mounding your substrate to give more height to rocks, and make them look bigger can help   That's something I tried to achieve with this scape:


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## Mawgan (7 Apr 2010)

Steve,

Thank you very much.  Very interesting to view your creation and to compare.  

I have also piled up the kitty-litter higher on the right hand side, hence my comments about trying to construct 'walling' with the stones at the forefront to hold it in place.  It's not easy to judge whether my main formation (which is actually four stones) reaches the height of yours, which seems to get to roughly half the actual water depth.  I drew some 'rule of thirds' lines on my original sketch and tried to conform to that in the layout.  Although your photo is obviously of the tank in early growth stage, the stones don't seem overwhelmed as yet.  I'd be interested to learn whether it was an issue at a later stage.

I shall await some other pearls of wisdom and judge what the consensus is.  I do have even more litres of Amazonia II fretting away in the garage, with a good few unused kilos of rock, so there is scope for development through their employment.  Just wish I'd had a couple of larger chunks initially...


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## Stu Worrall (8 Apr 2010)

Mawgan said:
			
		

> Although your photo is obviously of the tank in early growth stage, the stones don't seem overwhelmed as yet.  I'd be interested to learn whether it was an issue at a later stage.
> 
> I shall await some other pearls of wisdom and judge what the consensus is.  I do have even more litres of Amazonia II fretting away in the garage, with a good few unused kilos of rock, so there is scope for development through their employment.  Just wish I'd had a couple of larger chunks initially...


hi mawgan.  Great thread that ive just read through. Very entertaining! 

I thought id post some pictures of my tank development to highlight what steve and andy are saying.

In the first pic the HC is quite newly planted and very low.





In this pic a few months later you can see that the HC has become quite deep and overwhelmed the front stone, probably about an inch higher than the base of the stone where it was buried in the soil.  I did a heavy trim after this picture was taken to try an drop it down a bit.





The full frontal shot that saintly asked for is like pic no 1.   People looking at your stones can get a better idea of their positioning from the front rather than the angled shot like no 2, plus the frontal shot is the preferred view for competitions should you enter any in the future.  

Get the extra amazonia and rocks out of the garage and have a play, you can always put them back again later if not needed 

Hope this helps


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## Mawgan (8 Apr 2010)

Stu,

Thanks so much for your explanation and the photos.  Of course, I had swallowed your LlÅ·n Peninsula journal before and it's so helpful to be reminded of it.  Your rocks (which are lovely, by the way, - where do they come from?) hit the rule of thirds intersections much more accurately than my efforts so far.

Your tank is, I believe, similar to mine in depth (45cms).  I've measured the longest dimension of my right hand rock to be 22 cms.  Therefore, in order to get it to the desirable 'rule of thirds' point (30 cms from the base) I would need the substrate to be approx 10 cms deep (allowing for a little settlement).  Is that practically desirable?  Can one build up the height, without adverse effects on the water, by using stones as invisible 'foundations' under the Aquasoil, upon which to site the crowning glory?

As the Irish would say "If I was trying to get there, I wouldn't start from here", and I said before, it would be preferable perhaps to just have a larger stone to play with.  Yours is so BIG!


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## Stu Worrall (8 Apr 2010)

Mawgan said:
			
		

> Thanks so much for your explanation and the photos.  Of course, I had swallowed your LlÅ·n Peninsula journal before and it's so helpful to be reminded of it.


ta   



			
				Mawgan said:
			
		

> Your rocks (which are lovely, by the way, - where do they come from?) hit the rule of thirds intersections much more accurately than my efforts so far.


 Funnily enough they are actually from the LlÅ·n Peninsula.  When out i pop into quarries now and again and was fortunate to find a spoil pile that was dug out for a sewage works extension.  The guys there were more than happy for me to take a load of stone for a very cheap price as it was just going to be chipped down for hardcore.



			
				Mawgan said:
			
		

> Your tank is, I believe, similar to mine in depth (45cms).  I've measured the longest dimension of my right hand rock to be 22 cms.  Therefore, in order to get it to the desirable 'rule of thirds' point (30 cms from the base) I would need the substrate to be approx 10 cms deep (allowing for a little settlement).  Is that practically desirable?  Can one build up the height, without adverse effects on the water, by using stones as invisible 'foundations' under the Aquasoil, upon which to site the crowning glory?



10cm of AS is not a problem as youll want to get some height at the back anyway (maybe more than 10cm) to give a feeling of depth.  ie, about 4-5cm deep at the front of the tank sloping up to 10-20cm at the back.  I wouldnt get too hung up on the rule of thirds for the design though.  It can help for placing main stones but its really what looks good to you that matters.  Also piling the stones isnt a problem although you may squash some of the AS.  I actually wanted the substrate in the back of mine higher but i ran out of aquasoil   

Piling the stones (cheaper slate maybe?) under the AS is fine also but watch that the soil above then isnt too shallow that you cant plant in it.



			
				Mawgan said:
			
		

> As the Irish would say "If I was trying to get there, I wouldn't start from here", and I said before, it would be preferable perhaps to just have a larger stone to play with.  Yours is so BIG!


 as the actress said to the bishop!


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## Mawgan (8 Apr 2010)

Anxious to demonstrate that my Post a Reply page is fitted with a 'Receive' button as well as the 'Transmit' facility, I have been busy re-scaping.  The box of rocks has actually gained weight, while the Aquasoil has been further depleted.  I've got about enough for a pico now...

This is where it's got me (by the way, this is my rather naff interpretation of Saintly's request for a 'full frontal'. Lots of flash and reflections - I promise to try harder in future   ):





I'm actually fairly pleased with this now, and submit it for your further comment and approval.  I have raised the right rear corner significantly, and tried to make the rocks look part of the natural scene while raising them further above the substrate, to prevent their loss when (or if) the plants take over!  I've also reduced their number.  This I hope has defined the features more, giving more contrast to the rock scape, and justified all the money I spent at TGM!   

It was also quite therapeutic, as I had earlier left my bent CO2 regulator in the tender mercies of Parcel Force, as it started its long journey back to Taiwan, all for the small matter of Â£37-99p!!!     They should be sending a replacement as soon as they can start tracking the despatch - it had better work this time!

Tomorrow, it's a toss-up between an afternoon's golf or setting up the filter.   

Your comments will be gratefully received.  Thanks again to Stu, Andy, Nelson et al...


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## Nelson (8 Apr 2010)

i really like it   .
leave the filter.you'll be waiting a while for your reg,so plenty of time.

happy putting  .


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## tyrophagus (12 Apr 2010)

how things Mawgan?  I'm a few weeks behind you in setting up my first tank.  I'm looking forward to seeing the tank develop.  Still waiting for that regulator?


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## Mawgan (14 Apr 2010)

Fine, thank you, Tyrophagus.  That name's a mite interesting...   

A missive received today from distant Taiwan tells me that another regulator is winging its way westwards as I write.  Good news!

I aim to publish some photos from the weekend tomorrow, and in the mean time wish you well with your own preparations.

Speaking of photos, I am really impressed with the lovely landscapes on your website.  Some very attractive scenes...


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## Mawgan (26 Apr 2010)

Well, I could blame the Icelanders who, not content with unleashing on us that well-known weapon of mass destruction, Bjork, then chose to chuck all their second-best volcanic ash over the garden fence, to the mild annoyance of one or two holiday makers.  But not me, instead I opted for a spot of golf on the links in north Norfolk - it's too b****y windy there for a volcano to have any influence!  And neither of these account for the strange lull in this journal, because actually I had a really busy weekend since when I myself have had a strange lull.

First of all, out came the big box I brought back from TGM many moons ago.  In it was one of Herr Eheim's finest gadgets, and I proceeded to assemble the 2128 thingy together.  Carefully following the instructions, helpfully provided in English, I managed to get all the flexible green bits stuck into the rigid green bits and connected up to the socking great grey jobby.  Cunningly, I had realised that you should do quite a lot of this before trying to put it through the holes in the cabinet (I didn't get an I-Spy feather for nothing , you know   ), and so I was then able to stick the cleverly camouflaged green tubes on to the pristine OptiWhite glass with equally unobtrusive black stickers.  To cap it off there is a dear little temperature sensor gizmo, again provided in a colour of which only Henry Ford would have approved.






There, you hardly notice it's there...   

Still, it constituted progress, and I had learnt a bit on the way.  Like how to discard the bits of macaroni Eheim include in the big box, and to replace it with TGM Graeme's own brand of hula-hoops, which he likes to call Siporax.  He says that the bacteria chappies colonise the hula-hoops a lot more thoroughly, and who am I to disagree.  Personally, I find the whole subject not a little distasteful and don't understand why you just can't chuck in a couple of tubs of Activia or Yakup or whatever...  After all, apparently their bacteria are quite friendly if you can believe what you hear on the TV    

So, how best to cover up all the Eheim promotional blurb on the green stuff?  I know, we'll fill the tank up with water and perhaps it'll float off.





Well, of course it didn't, but it sure covered up the plumbing.  Couldn't see a thing!  No wonder Graeme said not to plant anything for a few weeks - they'd have been lost in a world of their own. But look on the bright side, I thought to myself, at least the tank didn't leak.   





This is my 'Close encounters of the flakey kind' shot.  You might recall a couple of pages ago there was a slight ripple in the time/space continuum when I was sold a duff LED.  Well, as you can see the replacement, so dearly won, is now (stuck) in place and I think it does produce a groovy ethereal effect, at least without any water in the tank!





Here you can see it grimly hanging on to a length of glazing beading which is stuck to the back of the cabinet.  Didn't want to penetrate the timber - might invalidate the warranty!  Anyway, not wishing to appear to bear a grudge, I dropped in to the lighting emporium to wish the proprietor well.  Nowhere to be seen, but apparently, he should be able to take solids quite soon...


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## LondonDragon (26 Apr 2010)

Looking good, I like the Mark style back lighting, gotta try that out sometime 
All you need now is to start planting


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## Mawgan (27 Apr 2010)

LD,

Thanks. The order has been placed.  As we speak, minions in places far off are scouring the waters for suitable flora to send winging their way to good ole Blighty.  Either that, or someone's just nipped out the back to see if anything's still alive...   

I keep telling myself that aquatic artists are a patient breed, but I'm pretty convinced that I'm just pretending!  Hoping that the consignment will arrive next week ready for a weekend planting extravaganza.


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## Mawgan (15 May 2010)

Saturday dawned overcast and cold but, nothing daunted, I girded up my loins and set off to collect my plants, ready to finally set up my tank.  The thirty miles to beautiful downtown Croydon passed in moments as I took in a couple of podcasts from BBC's History of the World in a Hundred Objects - dead cultural, me...  

I arrived outside Living Waters and wondered whether to park there.  For the uninitiated, the outside of the emporium could easily be mistaken for a sex shop or, ahem, what I am given to understand that a sex shop looks like.   Once inside, however, the true wonderful nature is revealed.  Or at least it is after about five minutes, which is the time it takes the condensation on my glasses to disappear.   A number of carefully maintained and presented tanks greet the visitor and I usually spend the acclimatization time gazing through crystal clear waters at their contents.  Care has to be exercised however.  At the far end of this part of the shop is a very large floor-based tank set out for cichlids, but they shield a dark secret...  In its depths lurk two monsters, two prehistoric forbears of the humble catfish, who gaze hungrily through their glazed prison walls, and I swear one of them licks his lips as I slide nervously past their domain.  

By this time, I am ready to take delivery, but the festering volcanic ash has delayed more than half of my order.    But no matter, I am given excellent advice as to how to plant what is available, and given suggestions about substitutes while awaiting the orignal selections.  

After a very pleasant hour or so, I am speeding homewards, having slipped past Stadtler and Waldorf sitting at the bottom of their lair, their expressions showing eternal patience and limitless hunger...   

Home again, and I've drained the tank down to an inch or so above the substrate.  In the meantime, I've mastered my fears about the dreaded CO2 cylinder, bolted on the (second) AZOO regulator, walked outside, removed the safety pin and squeezed (my eyes closed) and then, heart beating quickly, the handle. Not even a pfftt, if you know what I mean!  I even wondered if I had done it properly but the gauges were registering.





Now, dear reader, you will have realised by now that the word that frequently comes to mind when describing my technical abilities is - numpty.  :?  So when confronted with readings which did not seem to match those that others on the forum have shared, I was a tad concerned.  Like how do you vary the pressure?  Other regulators seem to have a knob to turn the outlet pressure down - apart from the fine tap regulating the flow, I can see nothing that I can use.

I had cut the Eheim tubing and fixed my snappy little inline diffuser in place, dithered about which way round a non-return valve should be installed, and linked the piping to my FE.  I have retained all the green tubing, deciding not to replace it with some clear stuff I ordered from AE.  I may yet use that, but not until I lash out on some glassware or I find some other clear alternatives to the current spray bar and inlet.  The clear tubing is less thick that Eheim's and I fear it may kink more easily.

At last I could get on with the planting!  Those wonderful people at PlantedBox had kindly lent me some tools while they awaited new stocks of their nice aquascaping kit, and I set to with a will.  Placing some cyperus helferi was pretty easy, I coped reasonably well with some rotalas, blyxas, downoi, and some eleocharis parvula, but fiddling about with some HC was a trial.  It hasn't got any roots   and I was at a loss as to how to get it to stay in the substrate.  Burying it seemed to be the somewhat drastic solution, leaving just a few leaflets above the surface to mark the resting place.

Here's a 'how goes it':





and here's the situation so far:





Only a couple of floaters...    I took the rotalas mainly to try to bulk up the biomass, while I await the remainder of my order.  Consequently, it is rather lop-sided but I hope to rectify that soon.

Here's another piccie showing off my main investment at AE:





No, I don't meant the wallpaper, its the silvery thingy on top.  Very smart, to my mind, but I'm not averse to experimenting in the future with the lamps inside.  Two of them are pink, and I will reserve judgement until I can see their effect on fully grown plants and fish.

So, eventually refilling and throwing the switch left me somewhat taken aback - it all seemed to work!  That doesn't usually happen to me    but the Co2 is coming through the spraybar in a lovely fine mist and flow seems good to my untrained eyes.  I hate the appearance of the spraybar, but it does seem to do what it says on the tin.

I'm only using one half of the lighting for about 6 hours in the evening, and I'm dosing Brighty K and Easy Carbo daily as recommended by TGM Graeme, the fountain of all knowledge.  

Thanks for looking at this.  I really enjoyed my first experience of planting, and although it's nothing special to look at now, i have hopes for it. I haven't updated for some time, I'm afraid, but would appreciate any comments/tips about further fleshing out the 'scape.


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## LondonDragon (15 May 2010)

Nicely done, the hardscape is very appealing, but the rocks are a little low you careful planting and pruning needed here.
Congrats on a lovely setup.


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## Mawgan (16 May 2010)

Thanks, LD, appreciate your comments.

You're not the first to say that the rocks a rather low, certainly in the foreground, and I'm conscious that I may lose them if the nearby plants take off.  Careful pruning will be needed, as you say.

Another visit to Living Waters yesterday yielded some nice bits of blyxa, some lovely potamogeton gayi, and some riccardia moss, all of which I am really pleased with, and which has balanced the scape somewhat.  I'll post some photos soon...

Thanks again.


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## Mawgan (20 May 2010)

Rather later than expected, some evidence of further planting activity, as mentioned above.  





This remains very much work in progress, as I'm still waiting for the rest of my foreground plants, which are likely to be mainly HC.  I'm pleased with the ability to fill in the left side somewhat, and to tuck some small pieces of moss into the cracks of the seiryu stones.  That's Salvinia floating around at the (rather filmy) surface, purchased for its alledged nutrient guzzling quality.  

Now I would like to introduce some wildlife in the form of ottos and amano shrimp, but while the latter seem plentiful, it's not easy to find the fish in this neck of the woods.  :?


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## flygja (21 May 2010)

Can't imagine how I missed this journal. You've got a real gift for story-telling   And of course, that's a really nice scape.


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## ceg4048 (21 May 2010)

Mawgan said:
			
		

> That's Salvinia...purchased for its alledged nutrient guzzling quality.


Which is yet another illusion of The Matrix.  



			
				Mawgan said:
			
		

> ...(rather filmy) surface..


The filmy surface is a cosmic messenger. 
The message goes something like this: "Either add more nutrients/CO2 or turn down the lights - or both."  

Cheers,


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## tyrophagus (22 May 2010)

Mawgan it's looking good!  `nice to see it planted at last     Do you have a co2 drop checker?  Is it yellow?  May as well be until you add fish.


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## grandb3rry (31 May 2010)

Nice start mate!


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## tyrophagus (6 Jun 2010)

Mawgan how are things progressing?  Are your plants growing?


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## tyrophagus (14 Jun 2010)

Mawgan regarding your concerns about a yellow drop checker and the fish you want to introduce.  I thought my fish were fine but this morning I found one dead.  The rest were fine and swimming about without a care in the world.  Just before I went to bed tonight I checked on them and found the school of danios was sticking to he surface layer of water.  It's 9 hrs after the co2 went off but my drop checker is still yellow.  

I think they are suffering from hypoxia because the plants have stopped supplying O2.

I think I might turn down my co2 slightly and switch it off earlier so the plants can use up the CO2 I have injected.


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## Mawgan (15 Jun 2010)

Forgive me, fellow Forummers, for I have sinned.  It is 26 days since my last post. I have been immersed in matters totally divorced from this serious interest - ephemera   .

But time does not stand still, and things have moved on.  Firstly, some acknowledgements and thanks:



> Can't imagine how I missed this journal. You've got a real gift for story-telling  And of course, that's a really nice scape.



How kind, flygja, and how I wish I could pronounce your name...   



> The filmy surface is a cosmic messenger.
> The message goes something like this: "Either add more nutrients/CO2 or turn down the lights - or both."



ceg - Funny, but the Oracle told me something similar...  Your comments, of course, are always valued, and now the film is no more.  But still I wander in search of that white rabbit...

Granb3rry - a start it is, but little more.   



> It's 9 hrs after the co2 went off but my drop checker is still yellow.



Tyrophagus - This is the nub of the matter, is it not, and represents my worries as expressed on your journal.  Not trying to be smart at all, but just genuinely concerned that trying to find that balance between optimum conditions for plants and those for fish is pretty elusive, and we're both at a similar stage in the hobby.  I'm really sorry that one of your residents checked out - hope the rest have decided to stay.

This is what I was observing in my own tank a week or so ago:





Now, in my innocence, that indicates too much CO2 and a difficult environment for your average fish, perhaps more so for Otocinclus, which according to my research is averse to easy acclimatization.  Hence, my delay in adding any fauna to the tank.  I even went so far as to switch off the 6 hour injection routine, and stopped my recommended three times dosage of EasyCarbo.  Now after three or four days, I could even tell myself that my drop checker shows a bluish tinge, so I've started the cycle again but at a slower rate, and tomorrow I will bring home six little Otos.  I've even bought a 100 Most Popular Names for Otos book   .  Obssessive, moi...?

I've fretted somewhat because the AZOO regulator lacks a main pressure tap, and the 'needle' valve has all the sublety of your average carving knife.  Therefore the main control mechanism would appear to be the duration of operation during the day, and currently I have reset it to a mere three hours a day.  I've started again a single dose of EasyCarbo and I will closely monitor firstly, the drop checker but more importantly, the fish!

My plants seem to be marking time in the main.  I'm pleased with the hairgrass, and the pogostemon helferi.  The blyxa and cyperus have not thrived - I think I placed the latter in exactly the wrong place.  Back right, out of the main flow of CO2 and perhaps out of the main light coverage.  The ludwigia is fine, but the rotala refuses to behave and keeps trying to run up the stairs.  I've had a word but scissors seem to be the only answer - harsh but fair. 





Pearling...? Shurely shome mishtake...  





Hairgrass, rising like some phoenix from the ashes of my pruning





Overall, though, there seems to be some foreground and some back ground, and little in between.  I'd appreciate some inspired advice as to what to use to bridge the gap, given that the rotala is there primarily to ward off an algae fiesta, and is probably only a temporary resident.  I haven't told it yet, though... 

Thanks for staying with me this far.  I'm afraid that the muse is not with me this evening, but your comments as always would be much appreciated.


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## chrisfraser05 (16 Jun 2010)

Watching this Journal with interest. I love the way you write and your tank is coming together nicely 

Can't wait to upgrade mine and really get scaping!


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## tyrophagus (24 Jun 2010)

Added any fish lately Mawgan?


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## Mawgan (28 Jun 2010)

> Added any fish lately Mawgan?



Indeed, yes, Tyro, but as ever not on the same scale as you!  

Thursday before last I introduced six otocinclus (affinis, I think  :? ) hereinafter known as the Clean-up Crew (originality never was my strong point) and six Amano shrimp, these Japanese now known as the Brothers Kamikaze.  I was worried that the timing of my importing the otos may be wrong because of the yellow drop checker (please see above), but with some support from other directions they seem to be thriving. I hope this optimism isn't misplaced, some posts on the web recording instances of deaths after a month or so for no apparent reason. 

The Brothers seem to have taken to their new surroundings with a will, in fact they seem to get a little closer to them a little quicker than perhaps is advisable, hence their new title.  It's not because of their nationality, and not because they've taken up wearing white scarves around their carapaces (which of course they haven't), but because of their propensity for ploughing into the substrate at a fair lick and from a fair altitude.    

Now in the dim and distant past, I used to do a spot of aviation.  One of the basic tenets that is first taught about the joystick is that as you pull it back, houses get smaller, and as you push it forward, houses get bigger.  Now that latter point is supposed to register in your average pilot's brain the notion that all that is very well, but you don't want the houses to get too big, and most will take the appropriate avoiding action.  :idea:  

Not so with the Brothers Kamikaze...  While I can appreciate the smooth application of power, the steady climb to pre-determined altitude, the timely levelling off and trimming of all surfaces, the next bit worries me because the boys seem to push the nose down, aim for the nearest chunk of ADA Amazonia II and ignore the advice about not letting the houses get too big!  There appear to be no major ill-effects so far, apart from a couple of depressions in the aquascape where before all was flat, but all I can see in the future are mis-aligned shrimp antennae and a string of 'no win - no fee' compensation cases.  'I was given the freedom of the environment, but I was not informed that collision with the surface could be detrimental to the exoskeleton. My solicitor got me three tubs of pleco wafers and I didn't even have to go to court'.  Well, we don't condone that sort of victim culture...

Now that in spite of all the above, and as I still have the same numbers of inhabitants as I started with, it is time to invest in the main attraction fauna-wise.  Asian Rummy-nose, Celestial Pearl Danio, or Threadfin Rainbow - those are the horns of my current dilemma.  Any of your experiences with all or any of those would be helpful in the decision-making process.

Thanks for reading...


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## Nick16 (28 Jun 2010)

would be careful with those ottos' shouldnt really go into a tank less than 3 months old, ideally a bit more! 

i certainly wouldnt add them into a new set up. Hopefully you will get away with it. fingers crossed.


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## Garuf (28 Jun 2010)

Oto's can be added to a cycled tank straight away, typically being added 2-3 weeks after adding water. The mature tank thing is a load of tosh by and large it stems from insufficient bacteria and high levels of ammonia from a tank that hasn't been cycled properly. They're a lot tougher than people give them credit for as long as they're acclimatised slowly and the tank is cycled then they're fine from my experience. 

The tank shows promise, once you've got denser growth it'll be really nice, it's a very good hardscape.


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## tyrophagus (29 Aug 2010)

Oi garuf what's happening? It's been a couple of months and I'm wondering how things are turning out?


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## Lisa_Perry75 (30 Aug 2010)

Hi Mawgan,

Just wondered how the tank is going? All the fishes going strong and plants growing well?


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