# 60cm - English Summer



## George Farmer (7 Jul 2008)

Some low-res shots from my 60cm opti-white.


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## Ray (7 Jul 2008)

*Re: 60cm opti-white*

Hot Damn that's good George!  The composition is really exceptional, the rocks, the plants, quite so much blyxa is perhaps a  cop out but its nice, the red it really is quite cheeky but you got away with it.  I really can't imagine I could ever beat that.  This is the one you entered for ADA, right?  Definitely top 500, I'd put money on it.  

So Dan, are you going to show us yours or do I have to wait until I am in the UK this weekend and can try to procure a copy of PFK?


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## ceg4048 (7 Jul 2008)

*Re: 60cm opti-white*

Wow! George using red in a composition :?:  Hell must have just frozen over  

Brilliant stuff mate!

Cheers,


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## George Farmer (7 Jul 2008)

*Re: 60cm opti-white*

Thanks, guys.

You can 'blame' Dan for the red.  He helped me set this up initially in the PFK studio and we needed some more plants from the LFS.  It didn't stay in there long-term but I liked it for a while.


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## jay (8 Jul 2008)

*Re: 60cm opti-white*

Saw this and Dan Crawford's tank in todays PFK. Both beautiful tanks flying the flag for Blighty in the ADA  

Have to bring this up though....Why do your pictures in the magazine seem bigger and clearer than the ones in Dan's Article?
You put a word in to the editors or something George?  

Really though, amazing tanks.


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## Dan Crawford (8 Jul 2008)

*Re: 60cm opti-white*

Thats up to the designers pal, all though George always gets a half page photo LOL
There was an awful lot of photos to go with my article and a lot of text too so to take up a half page with a pic would have meant that George couldn't wax so lyrical about my tank   

Thanks for the comment, i'm chuffed to be in PFK. I had my UKaps product placement in for sure, t-shirt, CO2 bottle and tank logo    UKaps BABY!


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## Dan Crawford (8 Jul 2008)

*Re: 60cm opti-white*

That shrimp shot is one of the best i've seen mate! quality.


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## George Farmer (8 Jul 2008)

*Re: 60cm opti-white*



			
				jay said:
			
		

> Saw this and Dan Crawford's tank in todays PFK. Both beautiful tanks flying the flag for Blighty in the ADA
> 
> Have to bring this up though....Why do your pictures in the magazine seem bigger and clearer than the ones in Dan's Article?


Thanks.

I haven't seen the articles in print yet so cannot comment properly.  

All I can say is that all my photos receive the same amount care and attention, whether they're from my own work or not.  To submit that I haven't put 100% effort into is something I simply do not do.  The same with most things actually.


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## LondonDragon (8 Jul 2008)

*Re: 60cm opti-white*

Great tank George, if I ever change my  mind on mine I will start one like this low tech  too much prunning at the moment, at least some of the members are getting the benefits of the trims through the post! lol

Keep up the good work over there and on your return we look forward to more great scapes.


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## jay (8 Jul 2008)

*Re: 60cm opti-white*



			
				Dan Crawford said:
			
		

> Thats up to the designers pal, all though George always gets a half page photo LOL
> There was an awful lot of photos to go with my article and a lot of text too so to take up a half page with a pic would have meant that George couldn't wax so lyrical about my tank
> 
> Thanks for the comment, i'm chuffed to be in PFK. I had my UKaps product placement in for sure, t-shirt, CO2 bottle and tank logo    UKaps BABY!



There is some serious plugging going on in the articles. Got to be done though  

Just dug out the original set up issue and compared old and new of George's tank.... superb growth, the alternanthera looked so leggy at the start, just look at the vibrancy of it now!
The black neons are perfect for the set up, great choice.


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## George Farmer (8 Jul 2008)

*Re: 60cm opti-white*

Thanks, guys!

I wonder what the tank will look like in 4 months after my 12 year-old daughter has looked after it...?

Actually, the filter has already bust in my absence, but thankfully Jeremy Gay popped over to fix it for me.  Nice to have friends that know what they're doing in times of crisis!


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## Dave Spencer (9 Jul 2008)

Bagged any medals yet, George? I got one for my sterling efforts on the Italian Riviera at Aviano AFB during Kosovo in the mid 90s.  Didn`t know I was a war hero, did you? It always make me laugh when I come across it. We were given the option of a full ceremony in uniform, or receiving it through the post. I chose the latter!

I have no experience with Blyxa, but it looks as if that could be the only real problem for your daughter to keep on top of.

Dave.


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## johnny70 (9 Jul 2008)

Very nice, love the red accent! is there a journal for this or have I missed it? would love to know all the spec's  

JOHNNY


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## George Farmer (9 Jul 2008)

No journal.  The original step-by-step set up was in the May issue of PFK though.

Tank specs -


*Tank and cabinet*
60x30x36cm German opti-white (low iron) glass and bespoke cabinet supplied by http://www.aquaessentials.co.uk for feature in Practical Fishkeeping magazine.  I understand the same German aquarium manufacturer also supplies ADA, but I don't have the logo. 

*Filtration and heating*
Fluval 405 external canister (1300lph) with lily pipes and clear hose.  Hydor ETH 200 inline external heater set to 24C.

*Lighting*
Arcadia overtank luminaire (4 x 24w HO T5) with Arcadia Plant Pro and JBL Nature (9000K) tubes.  I only run half the lighting for an 8 hour photoperiod.  

*CO2*
2Kg pressurized system with Rhinox 1000 diffuser.  1 bubble per second with solenoid. Approx 25-30ppm with glass drop checker and 4dKH/bromo blue solution

*Substrate*
ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia, sloped a little to rear

*Ferts*
2ml Tropica Plant Nutrition+ per day. 50% water change per week with hard tap water high in NO3 and PO4.

*Water parameters*
I haven't tested my aquarium water years.

*Hardscape*
Midori wood and Mini landscape rocks from Aqua Essentials

*Plants*
_Staurogyne sp.
Pogostemon helferi
Crytocoryne wendtii 'Green'
Anubias barteri var. nana
Blyxa japonica
Microsorium pteropus 'Philippine'
Alternanthera reineckii_

*Fish and inverts*
_Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi
Otocinclus sp.
Caridina multidentata_


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## TDI-line (10 Jul 2008)

Top banana pictures as usual George.

Are you burnt yet.


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## George Farmer (11 Jul 2008)

Thanks, Dan!

No, not burnt yet, as I work through the night.  It's still around 30C though!

BTW, some of you may be interested to know that I'm being interviewed for Aquascaping World, in their next issue.  It'll feature most of my aquascapes, from the last five years, and my word count is over 3500!  It's keeping me busy out here, and distracting me from missing home too much.


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## aaronnorth (11 Jul 2008)

> It's keeping me busy out here, and distracting me from missing home too much.



Thats good, you need to keep your concentration and mind on track


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## Mark Evans (11 Jul 2008)

George Farmer said:
			
		

> interviewed for Aquascaping World



is this a magazine george?

30c at night eh? my wifes gone back home to kazakhstan ( she's russian and not boratz sister   ) she reckons it +45c in the day. you cant go out for more than 5 mins! 

she's not gone for good, but when she comes home and see's this optiwhite, she might go for good then    

take it easy george!


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## George Farmer (11 Jul 2008)

saintly said:
			
		

> George Farmer said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Yes mate.  It's an online mag, dedicated to international aquascaping.  Our very own Tom Messanger and Peter Kirwan (zig) have contributed.  Tom does so regularly, and a very fine job he does too!

http://www.aquascapingworld.com/


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## Mark Evans (11 Jul 2008)

cheers mate,
ive just registered. i'll check it out.


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## aaronnorth (12 Jul 2008)

saintly said:
			
		

> cheers mate,
> ive just registered. i'll check it out.



I registered to


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## George Farmer (21 Jul 2008)

Here's a full tank shot I found on my laptop, complete with running gear.


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## BeBea (21 Jul 2008)

Wow   

Beautiful *bows-down*

Zoe


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## fandango (9 Aug 2008)

Beautiful tank. The red plant looks like a giant cactus flower.


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## Themuleous (10 Aug 2008)

Lovely the splash of red, really set the whole thing off.

Sam


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