# Mark Evans-120 x 55 x 55cm.... 'Convalescence'  The joy of shrimp



## Mark Evans (28 Sep 2013)

Hi everyone.
It's been some time since I've posted any kind of journal, I must admit, I have been a 'lurker' rather than a 'poster.
Some may recall the following images that I had taken,. My next layout should incorporate some of these 'foreground' ideas, with some more unusual choices for the back of the tank.


gumi5 by saintly's pics, on Flickr


sunset-gumi by saintly's pics, on Flickr

The stones are kindly donated by Dan Crawford, and are extremely heavy. I've already nearly broke my aquarium putting them in. 

So, here's as it stands now....partial view.


iwagumi-layout by saintly's pics, on Flickr

I shall post a full list of plants soon, and shall be planting this next week. It has been quite some time since I've had a running aquarium  

I do have to fulfil 2 purposes with this layout. To create a tank that is 'easy' to maintain, and an iwagumi layout that will look good with large Echinodorus sp.

Thanks for taking a look.


----------



## Antoni (28 Sep 2013)

Glad to see you back, Mark! That is a strong hardscape and it will definitely be a unconventional iwagumi! Can't wait to see it planted!


----------



## Deano3 (28 Sep 2013)

looking forward to watching another great journal mark,hardscape stones looks great will be watching this one 

Dean


----------



## tim (28 Sep 2013)

Love those stones are they the purple schist stones you've used in other scapes ? Looking forward to more updates.


----------



## George Farmer (28 Sep 2013)

Yay! Mark is back in town.


----------



## Jack12 (28 Sep 2013)

Nice pics! Is this emersed growth?


----------



## Alastair (28 Sep 2013)

Great to see you back scaping again mark. Its been a while.  Already looks great.  
Whats the substrate your using In it??? 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Gary Nelson (28 Sep 2013)

Good to see you back Mark, looking forward to seeing more


----------



## Dave Pierce (28 Sep 2013)

Looks promising Mark  looking forward to the updates.


----------



## Ian Holdich (28 Sep 2013)

And he's back in the room! 


Nice to see you about mate, the rock placement looks awesome.


----------



## Mark Evans (1 Oct 2013)

Just to recap on previous posts that have unfortunately been lost.

My initial idea of creating a scene from ideas I had before have slightly changed.

I did want to recreate the following...


gumi3 by saintly's pics, on Flickr


gumi4 by saintly's pics, on Flickr

I created these scenes at home using simple methods...


moss-tent-2 by saintly's pics, on Flickr


light-tent by saintly's pics, on Flickr

I've finally come up with a traditional Iwagumi layout, but i'll featuring plants that are not often seen in Iwagumi layouts. Echinodorus sp., crypts, cladophora and various others.

Once it's planted, i'll update with an image.

Here's the hardscape...The 2 big stones are seriously heavy, and I did come close to breaking the aquarium....oooops!


final-hardscape by saintly's pics, on Flickr


----------



## Ady34 (1 Oct 2013)

Hi Mark,
im pleased you didnt manage to break the tank with either of your efforts.....stones or throwing your light unit around! 
Good to see you presenting another journal, ive missed them. Sounds like an interesting plant scheme.
Nice title too 

Cheerio,
Ady.


----------



## Mark Evans (1 Oct 2013)

Indeed Ady. What with the lights crashing onto the tank, and nearly taking a chunk out of the glass with the stone, I consider myself lucky, to say the least.

The title has personal meaning, so thanks for liking it.


----------



## Mark Evans (1 Oct 2013)

here's a very short clip...watch in 720p and beyond!


----------



## Alastair (1 Oct 2013)

Mark Evans said:


> here's a very short clip...watch in 720p and beyond!


 
Looks fantastic already mark and that's with out plants. Cant wait to see it planted
That's some huge rock. What is it?


----------



## Mark Evans (1 Oct 2013)

Cheers Alastair. It's blue schist I believe. A couple of these stones are on lone from Dan Crawford who got them from TGM. the biggest stone to the right is known as coppice green granite, from CED stone supplies. They're identical! I have several 'big' stones, some bigger than what's in this layout.

I'll be planting on Friday all being well.


----------



## Ian Holdich (1 Oct 2013)

Wow mate, that really adds a sense of scale! Can't wait to see it planted mate.


----------



## LondonDragon (1 Oct 2013)

Ian Holdich said:


> Wow mate, that really adds a sense of scale! Can't wait to see it planted mate.


 
Agreed from the first hardscape photo it looks much smaller! Impressive rocks mate  looking forward to this one already!


----------



## flygja (2 Oct 2013)

This video makes me really wish I installed some sorta of castor wheels on my tank so I can pull it out from the wall. A lot easier to scape when there is access to all 4 sides. The cabinet makers here all said no way wheels can hold the weight of 300L of water, rocks and substrate.


----------



## Mark Evans (2 Oct 2013)

You need to get the correct wheels. I researched, and approached a company here in the UK, gave them the total weight, and they told me which wheels to get. They use a chart to choose what wheels are needed for any given weight.

 Combined, these castor wheels will take over 2 tonnes. They're industry standard and quality. I think (cant remember) they were about £130 for the 4.  A hard wood floor helps to. It's had at least 3 scapes in it, and no issues to date.

The first time I put water in it, I was scared. I can even move it when completely full of water! It does make life_ so_ much easier.


----------



## Ady34 (2 Oct 2013)

Its those huge rocks perched on top of that gravel bank that would scare me  , id have to have them bedded right in, with smaller wedge rocks underneath to feel safe incase of substrate movement. In fact i added my rocks first, before substrate in my current scape as they are quite large too.....however that does limit positioning somewhat 
Looks great though, those large rocks wont get lost with the plant choices.
Cheerio,


----------



## Mark Evans (2 Oct 2013)

Those stones are in there good mate. They are slightly buried, and don't tip, even with a bit of 'pushing'

I was going to prepare for planting, but I ate something nasty last night,(I cooked it...says a lot about my cooking) and I'm suffering today!


----------



## Ady34 (2 Oct 2013)

Mark Evans said:


> Those stones are in there good mate. They are slightly buried, and don't tip, even with a bit of 'pushing'
> 
> I was going to prepare for planting, but I ate something nasty last night,(I cooked it...says a lot about my cooking) and I'm suffering today!


 
well thats a good thing really, bad luck comes in threes, i was hoping a falling rock wouldnt be the third after the light and previous rock incidents, but you got ill so that counts as number three so your safe 
Get well soon.


----------



## Mark Evans (2 Oct 2013)

Bad luck comes in waves for me mate!

Here's the last shot before planting. Beachems taken and I'm off to bed now 


blue-iwagumi by saintly's pics, on Flickr


----------



## Deano3 (2 Oct 2013)

love them tall rocks looking forward to seeing planted never usually see rocks at the top of aquarium usually wood so will be very interesting, love it so far  , keep us updated mark 

Dean


----------



## flygja (3 Oct 2013)

Mark Evans said:


> You need to get the correct wheels. I researched, and approached a company here in the UK, gave them the total weight, and they told me which wheels to get. They use a chart to choose what wheels are needed for any given weight.
> 
> Combined, these castor wheels will take over 2 tonnes. They're industry standard and quality. I think (cant remember) they were about £130 for the 4. A hard wood floor helps to. It's had at least 3 scapes in it, and no issues to date.
> 
> The first time I put water in it, I was scared. I can even move it when completely full of water! It does make life_ so_ much easier.


 

I will have to research it properly next time. The cabinet maker said it was impossible. Even if there were wheels strong enough, which I was sure there is, I mean there are factory machines weighing several hundred kilos that can be wheeled around, he said the cabinet itself would have to be really strong in order to support weight on only 4 wheels. Like the chassis of a car.


----------



## Mark Evans (4 Oct 2013)

flygja said:


> I will have to research it properly next time. The cabinet maker said it was impossible. Even if there were wheels strong enough, which I was sure there is, I mean there are factory machines weighing several hundred kilos that can be wheeled around, he said the cabinet itself would have to be really strong in order to support weight on only 4 wheels. Like the chassis of a car.


 
Nothing is impossible my friend. You know that already. You're clever, I know! Indeed, research it.

So, after tirelessly preparing plants, I'm finally done. Here's a snap after filling.

It of course needs time to develop, and become 'natural' looking. There's plenty of slow growing plants, so this will take some time to get to the finish line.

It's good to have a tank up and running in the house again.

It's not a full tank shot as the blue background didn't stretch to the right. Videos and images were all done with a white background.


day-1 by saintly's pics, on Flickr


----------



## Mark Evans (4 Oct 2013)

how do I edit the title of the thread guys?


----------



## Alastair (4 Oct 2013)

Mark Evans said:


> how do I edit the title of the thread guys?



First page of the thread mate, there's a thread tools option on the right. Click that and you can change the title and add tags etc

Looks awesome by the way. Great to see your journals going again mark


----------



## Mark Evans (4 Oct 2013)

Thanks Alastair!

Here's the FTS

day-1-a by saintly's pics, on Flickr


----------



## virgojavier (4 Oct 2013)

Amazing!


----------



## George Farmer (4 Oct 2013)

A multi-textural treat! Looking good mate and great to see you back in the game.

Which Echinodorus is that in the center? Should make an interesting and different focal point to the usual Iwagumi.


----------



## TOO (4 Oct 2013)

Yeah, I was wondering about the Echinodorus as well - and whether it might get too tall? The stones are beautifully arranged and I fear that a tall plant in the middle might disturb the great dynamic created by the center space between the two large rocks. But you probably considered that .

Kind of refreshing to see the use of natural gravel. Are you planning to leave this area free of plants?

Thomas


----------



## Ian Holdich (4 Oct 2013)

Very nice Mark, and great photography. It'll be interesting to see the sword when it gets it's proper leaves.


----------



## Mark Evans (4 Oct 2013)

Thank you chaps.

George, the Echinodorus is 'red diamond' If it gets too big, I'll just trim the leaves off. This is a multi purpose layout. The first being, a layout for myself, but secondly, a layout for acquiring images for my work.

I had to find middle ground.

So, an image with blue, and the last for while. I left the glass cleaner in there like a dumb a*s!

Thanks to Ian for the second set of glassware. 

@ Too...I intend to keep the foreground clear. I did think about planting it, but decided against.


day-1-blue by saintly's pics, on Flickr


----------



## George Farmer (4 Oct 2013)

Hi mate

When we've chatted recently you've alluded to using some different methodologies in your future works.

Are you implementing any of these changes in this layout? If so, can you share them, please?

I'm sure we're all fascinated to know how one of the pros goes about looking after their plants and aquascape. 

Really looking forward to following the progress of this refreshingly different iwagumi. I know it can be a challenge to maintain one's passion in the hobby when it's their job, but hopefully by sharing your brilliant work to guys like us on here, the inspiration you're providing others can help to keep up your motivation levels. I know journals on UKAPS certainly help me this way.


----------



## Gary Nelson (4 Oct 2013)

That is really nice Mark... Great photos too, good to see you back in action and creating yet another master piece to your growing portfolio.


----------



## Dave Pierce (4 Oct 2013)

+ 1 on any aquascaping tips and plant care tips you have to share!

Following with interest


----------



## Mark Evans (5 Oct 2013)

Hi George,

A few things have changed, in so many ways. When a hobby becomes a job, it changes the mind set. A change which shocked me a little, but with time, and new routines, things slowly change for the better.

In terms of aquascaping, there are no massive changes. Oh, actually there is. No more aquasoil.

I've been impressed so much by layouts done by Michael over in Denmark, that I thought I should adopt this method. It's not really a new method; an old one in fact, but it works just great.

I was the biggest aquasoil user going, and I don't condone the stuff, far from it. I still may use it in the future, but there are cheaper alternatives.

Methods in plant handling and maintenance have been thrust upon me, and again, Michael has been like a mentor to me. I have, and still am, learning tremendous amounts in how to manage plants. Information that _will_ be shared here and on the web as a whole.

I think also for the future of my own artistic take on layouts, that may well change, as mentioned before, I have to consider showing certain species at their best. If that means placing a plant in random position just to get a good photo, then so be it. But actually, this forces me to think outside the box a little.

This layout for example...I'd of never chosen these plants to go in an Iwagumi, but with certain criteria that needed to be met, I reconsidered what's actually possible, and hopefully, I've achieved my goal.

By no stretch of the imagination am I saying this is ground breaking, but it is slightly left of middle.

The use of Cladophora as a foreground plant (flattened out), is not new, but its 'forgotten' It's kind of going back to basics, with the aim, to help and educate newcomers and advanced hobbyists alike.


----------



## George Farmer (5 Oct 2013)

Thanks Mark.


----------



## Nice (5 Oct 2013)

what kind of substrate your layout has got?


----------



## Tim Harrison (5 Oct 2013)

Mark Evans said:


> ...I think also for the future of my own artistic take on layouts, that may well change, as mentioned before, I have to consider showing certain species at their best. If that means placing a plant in random position just to get a good photo, then so be it. But actually, this forces me to think outside the box a little.
> 
> This layout for example...I'd of never chosen these plants to go in an Iwagumi, but with certain criteria that needed to be met, I reconsidered what's actually possible, and hopefully, I've achieved my goal.
> 
> ...


 
That puts it all in to context...I must admit to being a little confused before your explanation and couldn't quite get my head around what you were trying to achieve. The hardscape is understated yet the creative experience behind it more than apparent, and the plant choice at first appears slightly odd but nonetheless purposeful and well thought out. I really like it, in an odd sort of way, and I'm looking forward to seeing where you go with it, especially within the confines of the above. Anyway, good to see you back doing what you do best.


----------



## flygja (6 Oct 2013)

Great explanation Mark. All endeavours are a balance of the triple threat - scope, cost and time. Glad to hear that you found your balance!


----------



## Piece-of-fish (7 Oct 2013)

I think it is ready for a final pics


----------



## Mark Evans (11 Oct 2013)

So, after returning from Aqua Telford, I'm feeling week at the knees. LOL standing for 2 days solid, takes it out of you. It was a great show in all, and saw and met some great people. Was good to see Georges tank for real. It is indeed a beauty.

Anyhow, I've come home after being away from the tank for 4 days, and all is well.

With my lighting being 'key' to my aquariums, this gives me 'breathing room' this is how far the light is from the substrate....2 x 54w T5 for 6 hours a day. 82cm to the front of the aquarium, and 74 cm at the back of the aquarium.

Eleocharis sp. new is producing runners, and healthy new growth. Eleocharis parvula is producing runners, crypts have new leaves, The anubias' are showing new leaves, and the Echinodorus is the fastest growing plant, along with the stems.

Cladophora is looking great too.I may add a bit more of this to create some 'random' looking effect, rather than a 'linear' looking effect.

I'm adding my shrimp today., and i'll also get some better photos over the weekend.

I* must leave you now, and do some work!


light-height by saintly's pics, on Flickr


low-light by saintly's pics, on Flickr

My Echinodorus is doing great, and is speedy in it's growth. And for once, in such a long time, I have red in an aquarium. oh the joys!


colour-2 by saintly's pics, on Flickr

when compared to 7 days ago, growth rates are very good. especially considering i'm not using aquasoil. This is my first 'gravel tank' with Tropica plant growth substrate.


day-1-a by saintly's pics, on Flickr


1-week by saintly's pics, on Flickr


----------



## Dave Pierce (11 Oct 2013)

Looking great mark. Really interesting about how high you suspend the light.

There has been quite a lot of growth in just one week! 

Cheers
Dave


----------



## Alastair (11 Oct 2013)

That's a huge amount of growth for a low tech in 7 days mark. It looks stunning mate. 
Great shot of the echinodorus too.  
Its already a beautiful set up cant wait to see how it looks in another few weeks


----------



## Mark Evans (11 Oct 2013)

Thanks guys.

Alastair, it was good to meet you mate @ Telford. I'll come over to your thread shortly, after our discussion about 'wood'

The growth has impressed me also. I wasn't expecting such a quick start to be honest. I've just put about 40 shrimp in.


----------



## zanguli-ya-zamba (11 Oct 2013)

Hi Mark,
I am very impress how the growth is only after one week. My tank have more than three weeks and I don't have the same growth !!
As usual your picture are fabulous, I wish I could have your talent for picture and the work you are doing on it.

best regards


----------



## Mark Evans (11 Oct 2013)

Thanks. It's a quick start, and hopefully it will remain growing in the same manner.

It's quite amazing to see how much crap the shrimp are eating already. Not visible to the naked eye, they're eating something, as you can see the crap piling up on the cladophora beneath the stones. A fair few ottos have also been added this afternoon. Algae crew ready to go!


----------



## George Farmer (11 Oct 2013)

I swear you have magic water mate.


----------



## hydrophyte (12 Oct 2013)

Lovely plants in there!


----------



## Mark Evans (12 Oct 2013)

Cheers Hydrophyte. 

George, it is magic water. Going for £2.00 per Litre


----------



## Stormy (12 Oct 2013)

that's one of the most incredible 1-week old tank i've ever seen!
£2.00 per Litre seems like a great bargain!


----------



## Mark Evans (12 Oct 2013)

£2.00 it is then. I can start shipping ASAP!

Here's a very short segment....The green on the rock was from a previous set up by the way!


----------



## Ian Holdich (12 Oct 2013)

That Rubin looks great mate, nice colours.


----------



## Alastair (12 Oct 2013)

Mark Evans said:


> £2.00 it is then. I can start shipping ASAP!
> 
> Here's a very short segment....The green on the rock was from a previous set up by the way!




Dont know about magic water but that video didnt even look like there was any in there ha. 
Beautiful.


----------



## hydrophyte (12 Oct 2013)

Mark Evans said:


> Cheers Hydrophyte.
> 
> George, it is magic water. Going for £2.00 per Litre


 
£2.00 per Litre? So you just filled this tank with petrol?


----------



## Mark Evans (12 Oct 2013)

hydrophyte said:


> £2.00 per Litre? So you just filled this tank with petrol?


 
The taxman will want his cut 

Alastair...

I could not resist buying some cheap fish. I've had sivertip tetras before, and when they colour up, they look amazing. A fave of mine. I also needed to see something swimming about.

I bought 12. They've settled in straight away. feeding within 5 minutes. puts my mind at ease when fish settle quickly.

This wont be the only fish, and I may swap them out at some point, but as some may know with me, I tend to put all kinds of fish in my tanks. I aint so fussy. Actually, I reckon I could get away with many varieties in this layout.


silvertip by saintly's pics, on Flickr


----------



## tim (13 Oct 2013)

7 days growth  you'll be ready to rescape in another fortnight. Aquascaping genius mark


----------



## Orlando (13 Oct 2013)

The sword plant is absolutely stunning, deep beat red.  Your skill with the camera is something I hope to learn through osmosis via my computer screen.


----------



## Mark Evans (13 Oct 2013)

Thanks guys.

I like to add species such as Eleocharis tightly against the glass. Usually on the side. This gives me a 'guide' as to how quick plants are growing. It does not apply for every plant, but gives me an idea.

Eleacharis sp. new is growing approx. 1cm per day vertically. The newer Eleocharis is not so rampant when it comes to horizontal growth, so it's good at keeping itself to confined areas, or rather it means less intervention from us in terms of maintenance.

I'm going about my usual 50% W/C per day (last 2 days) and carrying out a quick vac around Cladophora and the foreground gravel.


----------



## Mark Evans (14 Oct 2013)

As I've mentioned, I've put a dozen silvertip tetras in the tank. I've had them before, and they've always been relatively peaceful. However, with this bunch, 2 of the males seem to be fighting all of the time.

They've coloured up really nicely, so I guess there claiming there status? when a female comes close, it's shunted away. The 2 other males (4 in all) stay well away.

This went on for hours.


----------



## Ian Holdich (14 Oct 2013)

Great coloration on those mate, can't wait to come over and see em!


----------



## Mark Evans (14 Oct 2013)

They are nice Ian.

Here's the boss. He's claimed his spot, and no one comes near.


silvertip-boss by saintly's pics, on Flickr


----------



## Mark Evans (14 Oct 2013)

I forgot to add the picture of Anubias with it's unfurling leaves. Nearly all of the Anubias' are producing new growth, at quite a rapid rate.


Anubias-leaves by saintly's pics, on Flickr


----------



## tim (14 Oct 2013)

Lovely fish and images mark, just a quick question if I may are your anubias attached to rocks or are the roots in the substrate to hold them down ?


----------



## Alastair (14 Oct 2013)

I still cant get over the clarity of the water. Phenomenal photo shots too mark and the fish look great


----------



## Mark Evans (14 Oct 2013)

Tim, I've used slate which I've cut down to size, and used garden ties to attach the Anubias. Same process for the Cladophora. The Cladophora is something I'm going to be using a lot of. Especially in an upcoming Iwagumi layout!

Alastair, you cant beat Purigen!!!...oh, and water changes.


----------



## Ady34 (14 Oct 2013)

This is what I've missed about your journals Mark, stunning images and plenty of them. Keep them coming 
Inspired and envious of the plant growth. I'll take £500 worth a week of your 'magic' water


----------



## aliclarke86 (14 Oct 2013)

This really is a beauty but I guess its to be expected. I hope you are enjoying it mate!

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


----------



## Aron_Dip (14 Oct 2013)

It's not the water its his skills and knolage .... Awesome pal 

Sent from my HTC Desire C using Tapatalk


----------



## Mark Evans (15 Oct 2013)

Thank so much chaps for such kind words. It is good to be back posting.

I think Cladophora is such an underrated species. The 'instant' look it can give is great, and the deep green it produces is wonderful. It also has such a 'soft' look about it.

The fishing line is still visible, but slowly disappearing as the algae grows. Once these all 'merge' together, it should look quite natural. I'm still tempted to add some much smaller pieces just in front of what's already there.


Cladophora1 by saintly's pics, on Flickr


----------



## Deano3 (15 Oct 2013)

that moss is amazing mark and plants amazing shade of green, just exceptional mate

Dean


----------



## Mark Evans (15 Oct 2013)

Cheers Dean. Beware of the moss police....It's actually an algae.


----------



## steveno (15 Oct 2013)

Hello Mark,

Your tank is simple stunning i might give Cladophora a try but have read it can get out of control very quickly...


----------



## sa80mark (15 Oct 2013)

Mark Evans said:


> They are nice Ian.
> 
> Here's the boss. He's claimed his spot, and no one comes near.
> 
> ...




Truly inspiring tank, the growth is something for all of us to aim for 

I love this picture, what is the plant in the picture ? Crypt parva ?


----------



## Mark Evans (15 Oct 2013)

Mark- You are correct. It's Crypt Parva. First time I've tried it. Very slow growing, and loves the light.

Steve- Cladophora, is a slow growing form of algae. In it's natural environment of rivers and streams, it creates the 'ball' effect by rolling around on the river bed. They can grow as big as a football if left, and in actual fact, they're hollow inside.

Flattening it out, and weighting it down will create in 'instant' look. Certainly wont get out of control. I was looking for an alternative to moss, yet create the same look/colour. obviously texture is drastically different. Moss can sometimes have you running circles around it...


----------



## Mark Evans (15 Oct 2013)

Frome a previous video, I mentioned that 1 rock had algae on it from a previous scape...which is true.

In the space of about 3 hours, this 1 shrimp cleaned the stone. I've only just noticed. Both of these photos were taken today.


shrimp by saintly's pics, on Flickr


----------



## Michael W (15 Oct 2013)

Got to love the shrimps especially in setup with mosses or cladophora as they keep it nice and tidy from grazing on it.


----------



## Mark Evans (15 Oct 2013)

Ady34 said:


> This is what I've missed about your journals Mark, stunning images and plenty of them. Keep them coming
> Inspired and envious of the plant growth. I'll take £500 worth a week of your 'magic' water


 
You'll get bored soon mate! 

Shrimp-they are indeed an integral part to a healthy, algae free environment. Prevention is better than the cure, yet the cure is also the prevention!


----------



## NatureBoy (15 Oct 2013)

Mark Evans said:


> Cheers Dean. Beware of the moss police....It's actually an algae.


with good flow, sufficient CO2, adequate dosing of ferts and the right light period and that cladophora should clear up in no time, then you'll be algae free.
Pretty brave for posting such an algae infested tank, but it's good to see even the pros have battles with algae


----------



## Mark Evans (15 Oct 2013)

NatureBoy said:


> with good flow, sufficient CO2, adequate dosing of ferts and the right light period and that cladophora should clear up in no time, then you'll be algae free.
> Pretty brave for posting such an algae infested tank, but it's good to see even the pros have battles with algae


 
I think there's slight confusion. The Cladophora is an algae, it's not a moss covered in algae. A lot of people think Cladophora is a moss, and call them moss balls. It is actually an algae.

For now at least, my tank is algae free.


----------



## George Farmer (15 Oct 2013)

Mark Evans said:


> For now at least, my tank is algae free.


Apart from the Cladophora...  lol

Great to have you back mate. Keep up the great work.


----------



## NatureBoy (15 Oct 2013)

Mark Evans said:


> I think there's slight confusion. The Cladophora is an algae, it's not a moss covered in algae. A lot of people think Cladophora is a moss, and call them moss balls. It is actually an algae.
> 
> For now at least, my tank is algae free.


 

sorry was being a bit tongue in cheek, I love the cladophora and the tank is superb, well done!

I'm particularly interested in the gravel / tropica substrate you've used, so looking forward to seeing that work. Is it a long term option do you think?


----------



## Conger (15 Oct 2013)

Mark Evans said:


> Steve- Cladophora, is a slow growing form of algae. In it's natural environment of rivers and streams, it creates the 'ball' effect by rolling around on the river bed. They can grow as big as a football if left, and in actual fact, they're hollow inside.
> 
> Flattening it out, and weighting it down will create in 'instant' look. Certainly wont get out of control. I was looking for an alternative to moss, yet create the same look/colour. obviously texture is drastically different. Moss can sometimes have you running circles around it...


Hi, you have certainly used the Cladophora in a very nice way. Can you just clarify for a relative noob... Have you achieved that effect simply by squashing the 'moss balls' flat and manipulating them into the shape you want?


----------



## viktorlantos (15 Oct 2013)

Cladophora can be used in many ways. I was wondered how many IAPLC tanks used this plant this year.

We had this also in our contest tank. My collegue formed a cactus tree from this fitted to a wire skeleton. 
Saguaro Forest. IAPLC 2013 rank number 46 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! this was back in may.
Since then the cladophora grown a lot. We never trimmed it. This was the reason why we selected cladophora and not riccardia for cactus tree. This not need trimming 
Same trees later:
Green Aqua Showroom | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Green Aqua Showroom | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Sorry Mark i would not like to hijack your journal.

Great to see you back mate! As always top quality shots and you even makes a simple layout so inviting that i almost thinked about i need a similar tank!


----------



## Mark Evans (16 Oct 2013)

I did wonder if it was tongue in cheek...but wasn't sure LOL

George, when I wrote 'algae free' I did smile, and think....OOOOPS! The tank is full of it! 

Viktor, no problem mate. Good post. I think it's good to show some of the things that get forgotten and try and bring them back.

Conger- simply, open up the ball so you then have it as one flat piece. Attach it to something weighty to hold it down. I used slate.


----------



## stu_ (16 Oct 2013)

Nice shot of the 'Silvertip' , if you like active fish then they're definitely for you..
The males i have, spar just about the same time every night, you could almost set your watch by them.


----------



## Mark Evans (18 Oct 2013)

Stu, I didn't realise they were so boisterous! I may take them out., but there's now one reason why I may not.

I've just got an Arcadia LED luminaire to try out. It's the freshwater Classica version, which is extremely bright. After much preparation, I've got it sorted out. It's all about the timers, and how you set them.

I have way above the tank too, as the light give off is intense, but by setting the timers up, you can limit the light.  The sunrise, and sunset feature is just amazing. Especially with 1 and 4 channel dimming lastly. Hence why the silvertips may stay. They just look 'dreamy' under LED. I've got colours in the aquarium I didn't know existed!


led-1 by saintly's pics, on Flickr


----------



## Alastair (18 Oct 2013)

Very jealous mate.  I looked at one of those units last week. Really nice.


----------



## Mark Evans (18 Oct 2013)

It's a great light Alastair.

I've bought some Rams today. I was a little unsure about these, as I thought they needed R/O, but these are from a tap water tank.


ram by saintly's pics, on Flickr


----------



## Ian Holdich (18 Oct 2013)

Oooooo rams! Hope you got a male and female. Nice little fish.

That's a female by the look of it.


----------



## foxfish (18 Oct 2013)

I have a pair of German rams in tap water, must be two years old now.


----------



## Iain Sutherland (18 Oct 2013)

lovely looking scape mark, its nice to see you getting your hands wet again on the forum.  

Love that last image, 3 species all pin sharp


----------



## George Farmer (18 Oct 2013)

Most Rams available in the UK these days are Czech origin, bred in harder water, so are ok for most of us.

Mark - didn't you fancy a balloon ram?! lol 

Glad you like the LEDs - about time you caught up with modern lighting mate!  

The PAR output on these is outstanding, and the spectrum is based on their Plant Pro tubes, so unlike most LED units it's great for reds.

Super photos too.  So good to have you back on board mate!


----------



## Mark Evans (18 Oct 2013)

George Farmer said:


> Mark - didn't you fancy a balloon ram?! lol Glad you like the LEDs - about time you caught up with modern lighting mate! The PAR output on these is outstanding, and the spectrum is based on their Plant Pro tubes, so unlike most LED units it's great for reds.


 
LOL! 

You're bang on with the LED's I've got it set, so that the last hour is the LED's that produce the 'pink/red colours. The fish look AMAZING under these.

Like this image George? 





Iain Sutherland said:


> lovely looking scape mark, its nice to see you getting your hands wet again on the forum. Love that last image, 3 species all pin sharp


Cheers mate. Just looking for an image from an old photobucket account for George, and stumbled on one of my first scapes...LOL This aint such a great scape...nor is 'sharp'






foxfish said:


> I have a pair of German rams in tap water, must be two years old now.


That's good to know. They've settled in OK, and feeding. They really are inquisitive things.



Ian Holdich said:


> Hope you got a male and female. Nice little fish.


 
They are different mate, so i'm guessing theyre sexed. Hope so...


----------



## Antoni (18 Oct 2013)

Wow, that is not bad for a first scape of the great Evans 
The rams are so nice! I wish a larger tank now....
Congrats for the new light! It's very nice and the colour rendering is amazing!


----------



## Eboeagles (18 Oct 2013)

Very vivid greens. Another winner. I love that last shot!


----------



## Mark Evans (25 Oct 2013)

Here's a quick update pic @ 3 weeks...The LED's are great! They're that bright, I can shoot @ iso 100 

It's very slow growth, but very trouble free.


LED-@-3-weeks by saintly's pics, on Flickr


----------



## Alastair (25 Oct 2013)

Mark Evans said:


> Here's a quick update pic @ 3 weeks...The LED's are great! They're that bright, I can shoot @ iso 100
> 
> It's very slow growth, but very trouble free.
> 
> ...




Thats stunning mark. It doesnt look like its been slow growth when you compare it to a few weeks ago. And personally I think that E.Red Diamond really contrasts well in this layout. 
Do you think slow growth may partly be down to the use of gravel as substrate from nutrient soils that might give some extra juice to the plants??? 
Awesome photo skills as per. Very jealous.


----------



## Mark Evans (25 Oct 2013)

It might be Alastair, but I think it's light. I really limit my light, and have done for some time. The crypts still need to change form. They're are new leaves coming through, but plenty of the old ones left. Which will be cut off tomorrow. (Don't shout at me Michael ...I know, I know... )

So, in a few months time, I should have 'clumps' of crypts and stems here and there. There's still plants not really showing themselves yet.

I've pulled the tank away from the wall, and looking at the back of the tank, you can see all of the new, white roots from everything planted at the back; so it might just 'jump' in to life soon.

I'm still new to LED, and I reckon I've programed this Arcadia unit just right. No algae on the stones, yet steady growth from plants. That will do for me!


3-weeks-2 by saintly's pics, on Flickr


----------



## NatureBoy (25 Oct 2013)

I'm getting super envious of the LED light set ups I've been seeing recently, I love the shadow and shimmer like real dappled light. I'm gonna look into making a switch...


----------



## Phil Edwards (25 Oct 2013)

Mark,

Would you please tell me about the Tropica substrate material?  We don't have many things (if any) like that here in the States to my knowledge.


----------



## Mick.Dk (25 Oct 2013)

Roots first, Mark........growth will follow !!
"Growth-curve" - remember??  
Exponential !!
Patience !!!
---- and I don't like Flamingo's, to be honest.........
Mick.


----------



## Ian Holdich (25 Oct 2013)

I love them...


----------



## Mick.Dk (25 Oct 2013)

........ it just had to be you, ansvering that, Ian !!! 
Mick.


----------



## Mark Evans (26 Oct 2013)

Thank you chaps 

Here's a few clips, with music! I didn't use the glide track, hence the poor panning shots.


----------



## LondonDragon (26 Oct 2013)

Love the lights, not too much glimmering and great colours, does anyone know when they will be on the market and pricing?


----------



## Andy Thurston (26 Oct 2013)

they are already available http://www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=classica+LED&x=0&y=0


----------



## Ian Holdich (26 Oct 2013)

Nice video Mark, everything looks really well in there. Nice colour renditions as well.


----------



## Mark Evans (26 Oct 2013)

Thanks for the feedback. Paulo, they are available to buy mate.

For some reason, I think I've embedded the video wrong. I've watched it on my other devices, and 'in forum' in doesn't look sharp at all, yet in you tube, it's sharp as a tack!


----------



## andyh (26 Oct 2013)

Hey mark

Just come back to UKAPS today after a very long break, delighted to find your journal, just read it from start to finish and always stunning photos and inspirational scape. Still need convincing on the Cladaphora....


----------



## Tim Harrison (26 Oct 2013)

It 's all looking remarkably good...back to basics with a very sophisticated twist...that orange doood fish is a really aggressive fellow  ...and as always the cinematography is par excellence..


----------



## Mark Evans (27 Oct 2013)

Phil Edwards said:


> Would you please tell me about the tropica substrate material? We don't have many things (if any) like that here in the States to my knowledge.


 
I'm using tropica substrate, capped with a large grain size gravel. Where it's steeper at the back, I have 2 layers of tropica substrate. Because it's about 10 inches deep, I've gone...

tropica substrate-1 inch
gravel - 4 inches
tropica  substrate - 1 inch
gravel - 4 inches
Using thin strips of plastic to stop the tropica substrate coming forward.

Cheers Andy, and Troi.

Andy- thanks mate. Cladophora wont be for everyone. It's even a new one for me. Still learning how best to use and place it. This is a 'multi task' layout. A layout which looks half decent, yet later down the road, I can obtain images of plants. Hopefully, people can see that you're able to focus on individual plants without them being smothered by something else.

Troi- I think you mean the silvertips tetras?....Yes there lively little things. Too lively for my liking.

I'll be putting some cardinals in soon. Quite a few of them as well...


----------



## ghostsword (6 Nov 2013)

Why not add some floculant and filter floss to the filters?


----------



## Pedro Rosa (6 Nov 2013)

Mark, this work deserves some updated photos


----------



## Ian Holdich (8 Nov 2013)

I went over to see Mark this morning, the pics and vids don't give the sense of scale this tank really is. Those stones are massive! The scape is really healthy, and looks great. This LEDs are immense! They really give great colour rendition. I know what's on my Christmas list...

Just to try and get some sense of scale, here a pic of yours truly stood next to it.


----------



## Pedro Rosa (8 Nov 2013)

Ian, you're 100% right. I had already thought that the rocks should be very big, taking the size of the tank, but the picture really clears that up 
A great job from Mark!!!


----------



## Gary Nelson (8 Nov 2013)

Those stones are huge! A great pic too, I thinking that could be March 2014 sorted on the UKAPS calendar


----------



## foxfish (8 Nov 2013)

So is the tank a low tech or C02 injected?


----------



## Ian Holdich (8 Nov 2013)

foxfish said:


> So is the tank a low tech or C02 injected?




I'm sure Mark won't mind me answering, but it is c02 injected, the plants are out of tropicas easy range though.


----------



## foxfish (8 Nov 2013)

That is what I thought but there seems to be some confusion earlier in the thread, thanks for clearing that up.


----------



## Edvet (11 Nov 2013)

Gary Nelson said:


> thinking that could be March 2014 sorted on the UKAPS calendar


 Wel it's  at least one kind of full frontal.........


----------



## Mark Evans (8 Feb 2014)

Thanks for the interest guys, but sadly, the tank is now disassembled.

I'm uncertain of when any kind of layout, or journal, will be completed.

My sincere thanks to everyone who has followed my work, and to all that have subscribed to my you tube channel.

See you all in the future....came in as saintly..... and goes out with saintly.


----------



## aliclarke86 (8 Feb 2014)

Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk


----------



## LondonDragon (8 Feb 2014)

Mark Evans said:


> came in as saintly..... and goes out with saintly.


Will return as Mark Evans the Aquascaper


----------



## darren636 (8 Feb 2014)

Mark Evans said:


> Thanks for the interest guys, but sadly, the tank is now disassembled.
> 
> I'm uncertain of when any kind of layout, or journal, will be completed.
> 
> ...


 That's unfathomable and quite disturbing


----------



## Ian Holdich (8 Feb 2014)

Thanks for your contribution to aquascaping mate, you've been an insperation to a lot of people including myself. I'm not sure the scene in the uk would be where it is now without your very valuable contribution. 

Thank you.


----------



## Iain Sutherland (8 Feb 2014)

i was really sorry to hear you are stepping back from the hobby Mark, i know for one that your tanks were and still are a primary motivation for my being in this hobby... im sure you have more than just my credit cards to answer for!

I sincerely mean it when i say your contributions will be sorely missed but wish you and your family all the very best fella.


----------



## Michael W (8 Feb 2014)

Sorry to hear that, your work has been inspirational. I will look forward to type "Welcome Back".


----------



## Gill (8 Feb 2014)

Have enjoyed watching your scaping grow thru the years mark, you won't be gone for long. The Scaping bug pulls us all back in slowly but surely.


----------



## Mark Evans (10 Feb 2014)

Many thanks everyone. It's been an absolute joy posting on this forum over the years.

Life goes on, and things happen that we cannot undo. I'm sure the hobby within the UK will grow, and at some point, there may be people who will genuinely challenge for the title of IAPLC champion.

Good luck to everyone, and may your aquascaping visions and dreams become realty.


----------



## LondonDragon (10 Feb 2014)

Mark Evans said:


> and at some point, there may be people who will genuinely challenge for the title of IAPLC champion.


You said it bro, so get on scaping  life knocks you down sometimes mate, but you gotta get up and punch it in the chin and move on


----------



## Deano3 (10 Feb 2014)

sorry to hear mark and such a shame someone of your skill stepping back but best of luck for future and sure we will se you soon

Thanks for all your work
Dean


----------



## Brian Murphy (10 Feb 2014)

No way! Sorry to see you stepping back Mark.  Hope all is well and hopefully we see you back on the scene very soon !


----------



## Robert H. Tavera (17 Feb 2014)

really nice aquascape, very original and interesting plant choise IMO. I can´t wait to see the final results.

just one question about your tank. it´s 120x55x55, and the glass thikness? it looks like 10mm optiwhite but i´m not sure.. 

i'm planning to change my current tank of 120x30x55.... because it´s too narrow and the braces are bothering me a lot. I was thinking in the same measures than yours.


----------

