# Project name - Forest



## viktorlantos (23 Sep 2012)

Cheers guys, i am sorry that i was not that active nowadays. Too much going on and as i am posting all over the net i thougth everyone is full with my spams 

Well i changed my mind and thought i share one of my latest tank in our gallery.

Everything started with this 240L tank. As IAPLC competition shots was done we kept the tank going for a few months but you can't keep a super dense stem tank forever   So it was time to rescape it to something else....






This time we removed everything including the soil. This worked well on our last 2 setups but as we planned some sandy scape we had to remove it.

This was the start. The idea was that to create a mossy scape with lot of sand. Pretty minimalistic view





Weeping moss is fixed with riccia line





We had a lot of Microsorum Needle from the earlier tank so i thougth i put them in





I was not happy at next day so i removed the microsorum (was too large here).
Added in some bolbitis and we changed the bit the scape. Since the base was there there was an idea to do some tree trunk scape, but not the typical one. We added in a couple wood pieces and also filled in the background with some beaty stem plants from the past tank plus some new one...... that's about the minimal mossy tank eh?   

Well the changes helped on the final form. Which looks like this one week after planting





I also made a quick vid as we had the background up there and the lights so it was not that much extra. Oh on these shots i am using the 6x54W ATI fixture above and 4x54W Aqua Medic from the back   



I will keep posted later to show how this progress. This is for 2013 IAPLC so we have some time to grow   
Thanks for watching guys


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## Iain Sutherland (23 Sep 2012)

You guys just keep producing stunning tanks, very nice viktor.  
Could you post some running stats... tank dimensions, filters, co2, running lights etc..

Dont think anyone gets bored of your 'spamming' viktor!!


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## Antipofish (23 Sep 2012)

Thank you Viktor.  This thread has just reminded me why I joined UKAPS.  Absolutely fantastic.


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## viktorlantos (23 Sep 2012)

easerthegeezer said:
			
		

> You guys just keep producing stunning tanks, very nice viktor.
> Could you post some running stats... tank dimensions, filters, co2, running lights etc..
> 
> Dont think anyone gets bored of your 'spamming' viktor!!



Thank you   

Sure the specs are:

120x45x45 Optiwhite tank - 240L
Light: ATI Sunpower 6x54W - currently runing 4x54W in 7hrs a day
Filtration: 2 x Eheim 2075 filter (2500lph on total) so kind of 10xturnover
The glass pipes keep more CO2 in the tank
CO2: Pressurized, AM1000 CO2 external reactor hooked to one of the Eheim unit
Fertilizers: ADA series or EI (our own fert line). This is a fresh running tank and we started with ADA
Plants: Weeping Moss, Bolbitis Difformis, Bolbitis Heudelotii, Fissidens, Rotala SP. Green, Rotala Rotundifolia, Rotala Indica, Limnophila Sessiflora
Fishes: Paracheirodon simulans, Corydoras pygmaeus, Caridina multidentata



			
				Antipofish said:
			
		

> Thank you Viktor. This thread has just reminded me why I joined UKAPS. Absolutely fantastic.



Thank you for you too   
Well the good thing about this hobby is we get inspired from many places. For example the creative redesign i've seen at Amano before many times, but George Farmer's tank makes me think that i should try. Since then i've did that a couple times.   
Mark Evans put the scaping and photography skills to high that i felt chicken before   It's good because you're pushing harder as you see you not met with the limits yet.
But i've seen so many good tanks here and knowledge/experience sharing in the past few years that i know, i would not be here without that. That's why i am posting back also sometimes our tanks. If this is inspirational to someone or we learn something from it it's already worth it.  

Thanks guys.


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## taggerz28 (23 Sep 2012)

Wow Viktor, just wow! Another stunning tank, got anymore to show?


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## tim (23 Sep 2012)

awsome very inspiring scape bolbitis made a huge difference to the look you are going for


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## Tim Harrison (23 Sep 2012)

Truly inspiring.


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## greenink (21 Apr 2013)

Is this the one blurred out in your Flickr stream? Looks great.


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## viktorlantos (21 Apr 2013)

mikeappleby said:


> Is this the one blurred out in your Flickr stream? Looks great.


 
Cheers Mike, nope this project is not hidden. The one you seen blured is a new idea that's why we not shared til the IAPLC. That's a Sedona scape 

This one is still growing to have the final moment for shooting. I guess need a week or 2 to make it. Here is a bit ealrier shot. Unfortinatelly i missed the moment around these days so had too do another trimming on the stems.


Green Aqua Showroom by viktorlantos, on Flickr


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## viktorlantos (21 Apr 2013)

Weepeng was removed in 85% as this was not good. ANd added in Riccardia. I wanted this originally but not had the moss at that time.


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## viktorlantos (21 Apr 2013)

For the final shoot i would capture a vision like this (from the past also)


Forest theme 2 by viktorlantos, on Flickr


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## anasarka (21 Apr 2013)

Amazing it feels so natural and the path does not seem to end around the corner
Very good composition, I can only dream of such an aquarium at home


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## Swee (21 Apr 2013)

Hi Victor, this tank kick ass. In my opinion, it would be nice with a bit more wood in the rocks, to seem like roots.


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## anasarka (21 Apr 2013)

Can I ask for a photo wallpaper for my screen


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## viktorlantos (21 Apr 2013)

anasarka said:


> Amazing it feels so natural and the path does not seem to end around the corner
> Very good composition, I can only dream of such an aquarium at home


 
Thank you  You can do this. Sometimes it is easier to do a similar one if you see the phases. I do not have problem making a copy on any tank if that is good enough. Sometimes even if you do a similar one you will learn a lot meanwhile you're building it. Nice experience. 



Swee said:


> Hi Victor, this tank kick ass. In my opinion, it would be nice with a bit more wood in the rocks, to seem like roots.


 
we have a few small iron wood pieces. will check if i can use any of them without being too much 



anasarka said:


> Can I ask for a photo wallpaper for my screen


 
Please feel free to use any. I usually have all the photos in 1600 pixel width on flickr. Will have a better capture shortly that might work better as a wallpaper


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## viktorlantos (22 Apr 2013)

Looks like we will try to capture the tank this week for IAPLC. To have the rotalas in the best form we switched on all 6 tubes for the following days. So now 6x54W from the ATI sunpower. ....I had to take my sunprotector with me to the shop tomorrow


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## Pedro Rosa (22 Apr 2013)

No words for this. I'm definitely becoming a big admire of your work 
The shape of the Rotalas are lovely.

Pedro.


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## viktorlantos (23 Apr 2013)

Had a fun today as i made some test shooting. Some of the mosses need some cleaning as it has some algae but tomorrow i will brush them. Anyway in the meantime here is some shots and a teaser vid. Enjoy 


Green Aqua Showroom by viktorlantos, on Flickr


Green Aqua Showroom by viktorlantos, on Flickr


Green Aqua Showroom by viktorlantos, on Flickr


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## George Farmer (23 Apr 2013)

Stunning.


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## cookie3985 (23 Apr 2013)

Wow that's amazing one my favourite ever scapes. 

Do you think the rotala at the back might be slightly too clean cut to score really highly at IAPLC?


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## Ady34 (23 Apr 2013)

Another amazing aquascape Victor. Would be great to visit someday and see them in the flesh 
What is the gas injection system in front of the right hand lily pipe please....is it a co2 system? Havnt seen anything like that before. I thought it was some kind of ph reader or something until I saw bubbles coming out of it in the video.
Interesting seeing your photoshoot lighting technique too with the light unit behind the white background.
Great photos and video.
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## Pedro Rosa (23 Apr 2013)

Unbelievable 
One day everyone of us wants to make something like this


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## charlie (23 Apr 2013)

Love it Victor, well done.


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## viktorlantos (23 Apr 2013)

cookie3985 said:


> Wow that's amazing one my favourite ever scapes.
> 
> Do you think the rotala at the back might be slightly too clean cut to score really highly at IAPLC?


 
Thank you 

Honestly i do not have high hopes on this scape. We did this to have a nice stem forest in our showroom. Visitors enjoys the progress and the scape in overall like i do since i started it. But i do not think this will get a good ranking. I try to do my best both on the scape and the photography, but this is not that unique to get high at ranking. Contest is kind of an energizer for me. Once you have a goal you need to put more attention to the scape, maintenance, trimming. You can't be lazy. So it keeps us fit and fresh. But it's fun after all.

And i do enjoy these moments too when the tanks got to the point where only a perfect capture is needed. 

I could imagine with different cutting it would look a bit different too. The stems now so dense that i think i could not trim it to wild really.


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## charlie (23 Apr 2013)

Ady, i think the 'gas injection system' is an ADA Vuppa, surface skimmer. Im sure Victor will clear it up.


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## cookie3985 (23 Apr 2013)

I think we could charter a flight from the UK to Hungary to visit your shop with the amount of people who would love to visit your shop 
Well done again.


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## viktorlantos (23 Apr 2013)

Ady34 said:


> Another amazing aquascape Victor. Would be great to visit someday and see them in the flesh
> What is the gas injection system in front of the right hand lily pipe please....is it a co2 system? Havnt seen anything like that before. I thought it was some kind of ph reader or something until I saw bubbles coming out of it in the video.
> Interesting seeing your photoshoot lighting technique too with the light unit behind the white background.
> Great photos and video.
> ...


 
Cheers Ady, you're welcome anyitime when you're around of course.

That stuff on the right hand side is an ADA Vuppa. Kind of an expensive stuff especially if you own the limited Titan thing 
This is a surface skimmer. We keep them in continously. Once the skimmer is a bit high this shoot out a lot of bubbles as it could not suck in enough water from the surface. I let it this way for the photo shooting.

The tank has a pressurized CO2 with an AM1000 external reactor. So the CO2 is coming in exactly on that side where this skimmer is sitting on the glass.

On the lighting i used this before. Works perfectly for a large tank like this. 6x54W from above with the power of the ATI light. And 4x54W from the back from the Aqua Medic unit. Awesome power and fun to shoot with.  The backround paper is a plastic light table paper. So this can be illiminated nicely.


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## viktorlantos (23 Apr 2013)

cookie3985 said:


> I think we could charter a flight from the UK to Hungary to visit your shop with the amount of people who would love to visit your shop
> Well done again.


 
This is a small shop compare to any beast out there. But we do have lot of passion which drives the whole thing. Still nice to work on something we like. And hopefully some of this helps to others.

You're lucky as you have Green Machine in your country, not many scaper can tell this in Europe. Also now Ed's brilliant clean showroom too in London. 
Let's hope more and more showroom will open up in the near future. But of course you're all welcome anytime if you're around.


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## viktorlantos (25 Apr 2013)

I know this is IAPLC and we could not publish the final photos, but please forgive me i need to share one of the shots as i did today meanwhile the final shooting. I am so happy right now. Good timing, last few adjustment, little trimming here and there. And we're done. Does not matter how i will rank, but a good feeling to have it ready and be at another milestone in the aquascping lifetime learning school 

Rock'n'Roll guys! 


Green Aqua Showroom by viktorlantos, on Flickr


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## anasarka (25 Apr 2013)

Amazing aquarium, I have no words


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## Pedro Rosa (25 Apr 2013)

I'm sure you're going to have a very good rank.
Wish you the best of luck.

Pedro.


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## viktorlantos (25 Apr 2013)

Thanks for your feedback guys 

I always loved the in situ shots from George, Mark and some others here at UKAPS, so i thought i share how the tank looked right after the shooting today just before we left. 


Green Aqua Showroom by viktorlantos, on Flickr


Green Aqua Showroom by viktorlantos, on Flickr


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## LondonDragon (25 Apr 2013)

Another Masterpiece Viktor congrats


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## macek.g (25 Apr 2013)

Wow,beautiful


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## greenink (26 Apr 2013)

Amazing


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## charlie (27 Apr 2013)

Love the insitu shots. Just what aquascaping is really about. . . . Buckets with bits of kit in and cables wrapping around everything. I can't quite see the wet pubble on the floor, but it must be there somewhere  The tank looks great, hope it does well.
Charlie


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## viktorlantos (22 May 2013)

Ok in the past month after the contest shot we let the stems grow.... and they grow so big 
I had an idea to remove all of them and set the initial minimal look for a little time, but before i do that i did a trimming video on this one mostly to our local community members. I thought i share it with you too. A little trimming, water change and the result is there after 13 min. Video playback is on double speed otherwise it would be an all night long movie 

Enjoy


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## hydrophyte (22 May 2013)

This is amazing! Nice work Viktor 



viktorlantos said:


> Thanks for your feedback guys
> 
> I always loved the in situ shots from George, Mark and some others here at UKAPS, so i thought i share how the tank looked right after the shooting today just before we left.
> 
> ...


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## Ady34 (22 May 2013)

Great video Viktor, love seeing the maintenance on a tank like this.....no magic formula, just the same as we all do it, nets and syphons and a quick rub of the glass. I just need to get the plant health and aquascaping the same now, can you do a video for that too please 
Thanks for for sharing


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## Antoni (23 May 2013)

Love it! Thanks for sharing, Victor! Amazing tank.


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## cookie3985 (23 May 2013)

Fantastic scape, you make it look simple and the execution is brilliant. I really like the rotala at the back combined with the moss i think it gives the scape a sense of age.


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (24 May 2013)

Amazing !!!! love it !! The feeling that gives the moss going down on these rock is very nice.
I also love the touch that microsorum sp narrow gives on the right !!!
thanks for sharing

cheers and congrats


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## Ady34 (6 Jul 2013)

viktorlantos said:


> .
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hi Victor, hope you are well?
Could you tell me if you had to remove your rocks individually to tie on the moss please? I can see some extra pieces were added afterwards with moss already attached, but some of the existing rock work looks too interlinked to have done this so I'm just wondering if you could share any tips please  
Thanks,
Ady.


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## Curvball (7 Jul 2013)

Simply stunning.


Posted from the comfort of my iPhone...


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## Deano3 (7 Jul 2013)

wow that is stunning a beautiful looking scape hats off to you mate keep the updates coming

thanks for sharing
Dean


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## plantbrain (7 Jul 2013)

viktorlantos said:


> Thank you
> 
> Honestly i do not have high hopes on this scape. We did this to have a nice stem forest in our showroom. Visitors enjoys the progress and the scape in overall like i do since i started it. But i do not think this will get a good ranking. I try to do my best both on the scape and the photography, but this is not that unique to get high at ranking. Contest is kind of an energizer for me. Once you have a goal you need to put more attention to the scape, maintenance, trimming. You can't be lazy. So it keeps us fit and fresh. But it's fun after all.
> 
> ...


 
Perhaps you should do aquariums for yourself/business and not worry about a ranking or the ADA contest.
If it were myself:

I'd focus on what draws NEW hobbyist to the the hobby and sell that, work on maintenance contracts and hardscape sourcing locally.  

You'll make more money, have more materials, and have more aquariums to play with.
Contest are fine for a few years to improve, but at some point, it's not worth your efforts.
I'd ponder that for a good while. If you got say a 8# ranking, how would this help your local business? Versus say if you got 108# but the tanks looked pretty close to the new hobbyist? 
Not much at all. If this is a business, treat as such. Your market is the new people coming into your door, buying off the net etc.
Producing a nice aquascape book would be a wise marketing thing for your business also.

We do this hobby for ourselves, not for ADA or their judgement. 
You also have too many tanks to worry about trying to produce one whopper for the contest. 
I do. I focus on things I enjoy and that make me decent $, so I can remain motivated enough after 35+ years in the hobby. 
Contest are helpful for hobbyists wanting to improve their skill set, but they have limitations after a few years. 

I do like the rock in this tank


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## xim (8 Jul 2013)

I was drawn to this hobby by pics from contests.

Heck, and what's wrong with joining a contest?
You have to produce beautiful tanks for your own business all the same.


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## viktorlantos (15 Jul 2013)

I would feel worst without contest probably. I really think this is the best around this hobby. If you have enough motivations to do this on a good level this gives so much fun and joy. As a bonus you learn a lot of things not only about plants and overall balances but additional stuffs which probably you would not care about if you would just build a planted tank for yourself. Since you watch every plant more closely, you try to step out sometimes from your comfort zone etc.

It is not about ADA, AGA etc. This is a challenge for yourself. To do better every time or at least on the same level as before 
I am a creative guy so maybe enjoy this better than many others probably, but til the contest feels fun it's worth to enter. I may will not do this 10 years later, but now it is fun 

Contests are the energy booster behind the hobby. Not sure local community sites would buzz without the decade of work what these races added to the hobby. It is strange on the other hand many people not enter and feels this as an unnecessary exta or political races. But where would be Dave Chow? Oliver Knott, CAU team. How we would know Poland is an aquascaping empire or would meet ADG to pick an example from the US. Then George and Mark and last time Stu's blast. The list is too long to pull awesome names here. Some maybe only entered once in their life til now, but they were inspired by other contestant's work and their tank may inspired others too. I do not know how much times my fav guys entered to contests, but many scape visual just burned to my memory.

If money would be the main thing i probably would never be in this business. Since IT is more fruitful to boost your wallet 
But i fully accept and understand if someone do this only on a business level. I am pulled in for a different reason. And maybe it's not healthy for my wallet on a long term, but definatelly a nice experience and a way to the creative expression what i could not use fully because i was limited by paid clients before in my venture


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## plantbrain (16 Jul 2013)

I think for many folks contest are fun and pushes them to develop and hone their skills. But, when you suggest a nice tank is not worthy of a competition, at that point........well...........now you are where the "growth and fun" are no longer offering you any benefit. It's no longer fun with that tank.
You seem to have hit that point.


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## Dan walton (16 Jul 2013)

Stunning tank


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## brancaman (17 Jul 2013)

Viktor, it's because of your works and others that publish here that i decided to join this forum, to show what i've got but most of all  to see and learn from your admirable works. So keep the great work


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## plantbrain (17 Jul 2013)

viktorlantos said:


> For the final shoot i would capture a vision like this (from the past also)
> 
> 
> Forest theme 2 by viktorlantos, on Flickr


 


viktorlantos said:


> Had a fun today as i made some test shooting. Some of the mosses need some cleaning as it has some algae but tomorrow i will brush them. Anyway in the meantime here is some shots and a teaser vid. Enjoy
> 
> 
> Green Aqua Showroom by viktorlantos, on Flickr
> ...






Hi Viktor,

I have a 75 Gallon I plan on doing for a client and I will likely do something fairly similar to this display.
I showed him the Youtube to see if he'd be okay with the maintenance routine.
He said okay, we will see

How do you like the ATI fixtures? 
I love them.


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## viktorlantos (17 Jul 2013)

Cheers Tom,
It's a nice kind of setup. Not too hard to build, but the maintenance as you said  (we will rescape it in the following weeks)
Still looks pretty good especially with the sandy front if you go to this direction.
We were inspired by Mr. Amano here. So the idea is not unique we've seen many similars but this does not matter it's a nice add on to any interrior.

Sandy front helps to light up better the scape adds some energy to the setup. If this would be grass or soil it would be a little depressing 

ATI fixtures are awesome! I do love them too. I have to tell the best plants i've seen was under this fixture. It is extreamly powerful. And we love power 
Stems goes crazy under this light.
This is one of our client's tank under ATI: Overgrow | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
This is another example: Client Project | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

So the light is awesome! However i've seen some faulty unit especially from the dimmer version. Support helped to solve it, but the ratio is like 10% to have something with these kind of lamps which is frustrating sometimes. Also sometimes the ventillation is noisy. So if you feels that do not hesitate to replace the part as it is not normal.

Still it's sleak, powerful and the result is awesome usually if you keep the balance


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