# Help aquascape my South American Clearwater stream



## 14crazychris (9 Aug 2018)

So getting all my equipment together for the tank and thought I’d have a play around with some wood I purchased, had to chop it up and attach it back together so it would fit in my 2ft cube. Tanks currently in the garage so messing about with the scape. Have a range of different smooth rocks, going for a South American Clearwater stream. Rocks will surround the wood at the base but think it needs something else? Will plant vallis along with echinodorus along the back and around the wood, a few small low lying plants in the foreground with a couple of small Amazon swords. But I think the tank need something else? Like a small rock pile on one side? Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated or what I could change/ add. That’s the best position for the wood, will be slightly angled up so the branches are an inch from the glass on all sides. Hopefully the pictures are attached.
Cheers Chris


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## alto (9 Aug 2018)

Awesome wood 

Will the black be tank back or side?


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## 14crazychris (9 Aug 2018)

alto said:


> Awesome wood
> 
> Will the black be tank back or side?



Cheers, sorry yeah the black is the back of the tank, it will be viewable from all three other sides.
Cheers Chris


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## Keith GH (10 Aug 2018)

Chris 
Its a very interesting piece of wood that must be set up in such a way it blends in with its surrounds.

My only advice at the moment would be keep every thing looking natural.  Do a lot of research on the "South American Clear water streams"  I am not referring to looking at Aquascapes.

Keith


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## 14crazychris (10 Aug 2018)

Keith GH said:


> Chris
> Its a very interesting piece of wood that must be set up in such a way it blends in with its surrounds.
> 
> My only advice at the moment would be keep every thing looking natural.  Do a lot of research on the "South American Clear water streams"  I am not referring to looking at Aquascapes.
> ...




Cheers, yeah it’s a really nice but, took a lot of chopping and changing to get all the branches in the aquarium and not touching the glass. Have been researching scaping ideas for a few months now, lots of planning before setting this up. Most images show sparse planting which is what I’m aiming for. Will keep sorting through clear water stream images but think I’m going to try and hide the back of the aquarium with val and swords, around the base of the wood. So it’ appears to be emerging. Going for a river bank on a large stream look. Lots of smooth rocks with about 50/50 rock/soil substrate. 
Cheers Chris


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## tam (10 Aug 2018)

You could go the opposite. Flip the wood 180 degrees so the flat piece is on top at the water surface. Lots of rocks and little planting below and loads of emersed plants on the top of the wood, so it looks like the bank with roots hanging down.


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## 14crazychris (10 Aug 2018)

tam said:


> You could go the opposite. Flip the wood 180 degrees so the flat piece is on top at the water surface. Lots of rocks and little planting below and loads of emersed plants on the top of the wood, so it looks like the bank with roots hanging down.



Cheers tam, I did try this but the wood didn’t look quite right, however I will try it again and see if there’s a way I can suspend the wood up higher, as you say emerged plant growth with the roots hanging down would look awesome! Will have a play about!
Cheers Chris


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## tam (10 Aug 2018)

I'm want try this with a piece of wood I'm planning, I think I'm going to fit it with a hook and hang it over the side. Using acrylic or maybe even oak to make the hook and then a cable tie to attach the wood to the hook. It's difficult getting wood to go exactly where you want it!


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## 14crazychris (10 Aug 2018)

tam said:


> I'm want try this with a piece of wood I'm planning, I think I'm going to fit it with a hook and hang it over the side. Using acrylic or maybe even oak to make the hook and then a cable tie to attach the wood to the hook. It's difficult getting wood to go exactly where you want it!



Yeah that’s true, did think about that, maintenance would be a nightmare as no acces to tank substrate, and unfortunately there aren’t any significant points touching the bottom so hardscaping would be difficult. Think that’s the best position for the wood, will have one pile of rocks around one root creating a foreground structure as well as rocks around the base of the stump. Might need to choose some new rocks and the ones I have might not create impact.
Cheers Chris


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## Wulfen (10 Aug 2018)

You may enjoy this guys channel. Some great South American biotopes 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIt33wrOT25jwzucibiGUw


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## alto (10 Aug 2018)

Some pools have more plant density than others - I believe the green neon video (or really it could be another ) shows fairly dense vallisneria type plants


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## 14crazychris (10 Aug 2018)

Wulfen said:


> You may enjoy this guys channel. Some great South American biotopes
> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIt33wrOT25jwzucibiGUw



Thank you! Will have a good look through now 
Cheers Chris


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## 14crazychris (10 Aug 2018)

alto said:


> Some pools have more plant density than others - I believe the green neon video (or really it could be another ) shows fairly dense vallisneria type plants



Ok great thank you! Getting there slowly still need to find a moss from South American to put all over the wood.
Cheers Chris


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## alto (11 Aug 2018)

14crazychris said:


> moss from South American


Thats an easy one 

Christmas moss from Brazil


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## Keith GH (11 Aug 2018)

Chris

Looking at that video and others the bottom of the river looks rather uninteresting if converted to an Aquascape.

I have seen many mangroves when fishing in northern tropical Australia with your piece of wood it just might work.   Here are some typical examples.
https://www.google.com/search?tbm=i...N4KHY51DnYQ4lYIKygA&biw=1024&bih=531&dpr=1.88

Keith


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## 14crazychris (11 Aug 2018)

alto said:


> Thats an easy one
> 
> Christmas moss from Brazil



Perfect thank you! Thought Christmas moss originated from Asia however looks like that sub species is from South America! Just what I needed! Thank you


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## 14crazychris (11 Aug 2018)

Keith GH said:


> Chris
> 
> Looking at that video and others the bottom of the river looks rather uninteresting if converted to an Aquascape.
> 
> ...




Cheers Keith, done marines before, had a full Reef tank setup but want to go back to tropical now, mangroves would look awesome! But staying away from saltwater sorry, thanks for the link though. Think I’m going to have large river rocks surrounded with gravel, leaving patches of open soil which will be planted. Have a wave maker which I will hide at the back, thisb along with my two return pumps should provide lots of flow. 

Cheers Chris


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## 14crazychris (11 Aug 2018)

Managed to get some assorted pebbles and have been messing about with the scape. What do you guys think? Will have 4cm of Colombo flora base below it and the open areas will be lightly planted. A few plants poping up between the stones. Valis will grow up the back with a few amazon words dotted inbetweeen the rocks at the back middle. Will place lots of moss over the wood, some will hopefully emerge out of the top.

Cheers Chris


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## tam (11 Aug 2018)

The circles are a little neat looking at the moment, but I think if you scatter some additional small pebbles between that will solve that. Otherwise nice pebbles


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## 14crazychris (11 Aug 2018)

tam said:


> The circles are a little neat looking at the moment, but I think if you scatter some additional small pebbles between that will solve that. Otherwise nice pebbles



Ok cheers, that’s great, will do. Don’t think any additional hardscape supplies will be needed. The substrate will be littered with alder cones and catapa leaves. 
Cheers Chris


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## Keith GH (12 Aug 2018)

Chris

Those rocks and pebbles in neat piles makes every thing looking perfection instead of a natural appeal.

You have a wonderful piece of DW use it to is advantage with a very basic substrate and scattered stones of various sizes.

Keith


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## 14crazychris (12 Aug 2018)

Keith GH said:


> Chris
> 
> Those rocks and pebbles in neat piles makes every thing looking perfection instead of a natural appeal.
> 
> ...




Ok cheers, will have another play this afternoon, so you think keep the piles but scatter the stones more making it look more dispersed and natural? Wanting to get all the details right before scaping properly, no rush what so ever.
Cheers Chris


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## alto (12 Aug 2018)

What are you planning for substrate?

If plants will be limited I’d just go with something like Tropica Growth Substrate under fine gravel/sand rather than an aquarium soil

Or something similar to what Lauris has done in Escape 

Once the gravel is in place, you can add sand in areas - as long as it’s not “sugar” fine sand, the substrate will mostly remain layered 
(unless you add some crazy digging cichlids that begin “nesting”  )


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## 14crazychris (12 Aug 2018)

alto said:


> What are you planning for substrate?
> 
> If plants will be limited I’d just go with something like Tropica Growth Substrate under fine gravel/sand rather than an aquarium soil
> 
> ...



Have Colombo floa base pro which I’m capping with dennerle plant soil. Looks identical but smaller grain, this will give a better sense of scale. If mixing does occur then it won’t matter as the colours is near identical. Will start another thread on stocking but not going for anything larger or or digging type. Had a rearrange this afternoon and the scape is looking more natural.
Cheer Chris


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## 14crazychris (12 Aug 2018)

Forgot to add, I’m aiming to go for a few small high end pleco species so didn’t want to risk any mixing of substrate as that ruined my last soft water tank.
Cheers Chris


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## alto (12 Aug 2018)

Don’t know how I forgot the Colombo 



I’d place the stones into the Colombo, then add Dennerle - this should leave stones looking sunk into the “muck” 
Depending on pebble size, you can always place some mesh over the Colombo, then top layer/pebbles etc


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## 14crazychris (13 Aug 2018)

alto said:


> Don’t know how I forgot the Colombo
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Cheer alto yep great idea, think this is what I’m going to go for, have spread the stones out which looks much more natural. Added another large handful of small stones, will also be adding the alder cones and small catappa leaves, hopefully have a bit of flow which will gives movement to the plants. Need to decide on a stocking list.
Cheers Chris


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