# New 60cm forest hardscape



## IamAHill (27 Jun 2020)

Hi I'm in the process of setting up my 60cm tank with a forest/swamp theme. Its based around the idea of 2 tree stumps, a large branchy one in the foreground and a smaller one in the back right corner. The soil will slope up towards the back right corner - bit lower on the left because of the filter inlet. The tank will be largely viewed from the front and the front right corner.

I have quite a lot of river cobbles of differing sizes that Im debating if I should add or just stick to wood? 

Let me know what you think

thanks Andy


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## kishan313 (27 Jun 2020)

Looking great initially, definitely reccomend river pebbles, I think they give a bit of a unique feel compared to dragonstone/ seiryu


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## Ady34 (27 Jun 2020)

Yep, you could try adding some river pebbles and perhaps trim some of the lower roots on the front left most piece of wood to get it to sit lower in the water column. This will help add extra perspective with your planned substrate slope.
Cheerio,


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## Steve Buce (27 Jun 2020)

Looks good, agree add river pebbles and maybe different sized gravels for a natural look


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## IamAHill (28 Jun 2020)

Thanks guys appreciated - unfortunately I've just changed some water (I'm doing a fishless cycle and the ammonia keeps raising my ph too high) and the wood has basically all come apart where I had glued it - used cigarette filters and glue to create it and the filters are still rock hard but the wood is just breaking off under the wood. 

I think I might need to abandon this scape and come up with an other idea that doesnt require glue.


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## dw1305 (30 Jun 2020)

Hi all, 





IamAHill said:


> I'm doing a fishless cycle and the ammonia keeps raising my ph too high


You <"don't need to add ammonia">. 

It is better to plant the tank and then wait until the plants have grown in before adding the livestock.  <"Plant/microbe biological filtration"> is much more efficient than most  fish-keeper realize, partially due to  the <"increased oxygen production">.

<"Fishless cycling"> was based on the premise that <"relatively few bacteria are capable of nitrification">, and that they required high alkalinity and ammonia loading, but  <"scientific research has shown that isn't true">.

cheers Darrel


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## IamAHill (30 Jun 2020)

Wow thankyou! great links - long night of reading ahead of me. 

I have decided to go down this route now also - just waiting for a few weeks while I have some time off work then ordering my plants and getting all set up. Plan is to let it get a few weeks growth in, keep up with the initial water changes and then add 10 galaxy rasbora once Im happy the plants are growing in. 

For now the tank is full but just so the wood sinks so I can glue it back together


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## IamAHill (24 Jul 2020)

Bit of an update - got the hardscape and aquasoil in place now. Quite happy with it - just one piece still floating in the top right behind the trunk and looking at this image the branch arching in the background does not look quite natural the left side of it might be able to push down a bit more which will help. 

Plants are here now too I just need to get time aside to plant it all in. One area I am concerned about planting is under the stump on the left - should I fill it with rock work or is there a mid ground plant that would grow tall enough to get enough light? I have some Myriophyllum Guyana that I was thinking could work here as it wont grow too tall over the wood? Or I have some Crypt Alibida 'Brown' that might grow up nicely through the roots?

Let me know what you think


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## kishan313 (24 Jul 2020)

I think putting some rocks and having some buces/ Anubias growing out would look pretty cool? Could be good with the lower lighting and shadows + adds a good pop of colour 


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## Wolf6 (25 Jul 2020)

I find the three rocks between the roots up front a bit  distracting, at least the way they are positioned now. I really like the wood placement of the main pieces. Also this picture reminds me of why I'll never keep nerites ever again. Last time I removed every last egg with a little knife because it just annoyed the hell out of me


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## IamAHill (26 Jul 2020)

I think they look better for planting  its bedded that bit in. I might attach some moss into this section of rocks too. I really wanted to get some nice rocks but budget ran out haha so had to stick to what I had from my old tank. I'm just waiting for some buce and bolbitis to arrive and then I will add that to the wood and rocks with the moss I have waiting. 

Seems to be going ok so far, Co2 does not seem to be dropping over night but I think it is because the plants are not growing enough yet to use it all up through the light period. I'm doing a 6hr light period at the moment and the tank is in quite a dark room. Pretty sure the Micranthium Umbrosum is dead (on the left side next to the wood) it was the only non-tropica plant I got and think it shows unfortunately...

I also need to learn how to get water back into the tank without disturbing the substrate too much - turned the pump down but think its still too powerful. Tried using a colander but it doesnt fit across the top of the tank so hard to rest in place. Wonder if I can find a watering can attachement as that would be perfect. 

Let me know what you think


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## IamAHill (29 Jul 2020)

Quite pleased with 3 days growth  The Micranthemum Umbrosum has had it so I've taken it out on the far left, it looked half dead in the pot - it was the only invitro pot I got that wasnt Tropica so lesson learned... I got some Crypt Tonkenisis which I wasnt sure on so had left it out but I've decided to give it a go, that section of the tank is a little shaded, flow is an issue because of that wood so I figured a crypt might do ok as a hardier plant? Trimmed the leaves off Juris style so hope it comes back. 

Had a very small patch of green algae on the top of the left hand stucture - fortunately the top 2 bits of the stack are loose so i just took them out and scrubbed. This is right near where the M.Umbrosum was so assuming it could be linked. I've added some Frogbit to the tank to try and help soak up some nutrients.

I finally got round to adding some Buce. I had planed on some mini Bolbitis too but when I put it in it just didnt look right so I've left one rhiozime on the left structure to see how it does but not sure. Shame as I've always wanted Bolbitis but just dont think it suits this tank. 

Andy


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## IamAHill (8 Aug 2020)

2 Weeks since planting tomorrow, I trimmed the background plant quite a bit as it was really taking over the back left corner, it will come back bushier but I want to work out how to shape it without it getting too bushy. I want to add some background plants behind the stump on the left, I'm thinking Rotala H'ra for the fine red leaves, hoping it would compliment the Hygrophila Araguia and AR mini when it comes through. I have some soil space infront of the Hair Grass in the background I want to fill too but not sure what, needs to be something bigger than the mini hair grass and that blends the two tones of green - any ideas?


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## dcurzon (8 Aug 2020)

I think this looks great


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## IamAHill (9 Aug 2020)

Thanks really happy with it for my first properly planted tank


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