# Lakeland Wraith - NA 120



## Iain Sutherland (23 Jun 2014)

Afternoon all, now that Asian Dreams has been taken down it is time to start a new journal for the new scape.
This will take a couple of weeks to complete set up as im very short on time with work and i still need to organise plants.
Hardscape is almost complete, just waiting for some more gravel/sand to arrive as i originally thought i had over estimated but turns out a 30cm bank uses far more substrate than anticipated.... who new.

Updated specs....

Natural Aquario 120 x 45 x 55 superclear glass
Natural Aquario Cabinet in matt grey
Natural Aquario Light Arm
Natural Aquario Stainless Steel inlet and outlets
Giesemann Futura Led luminaire
Eheim 2080 
Tetratec ex1501 greenline
Hydor 300w inline heater
AM1000 co2 reactor (on 2 hours prior to lights)
Dennerle profi 1000 regulator
German manifold and needle valves
Eheim Skim 350

Using Re-mineralised RO
Ferts will be a mixed bunch.... tropica Specialised and Premium to start, some seachem range and some dry salts as needed... especially iron for a couple of the plants.
Will start with 5hrs light at 30% slowly increasing to 7 hours at 50% a few months in.  May go higher powered later...

In the tank...
Unipac fine Fiji sand
Tropica Plant substrate
River cobbles from the Lake District... was given permission from the land owner 
Redmoor Roots

Ive had an idea for a fish scape in my head for a while, this isnt quite it but should scratch the itch....
30ish x Melanotaenia praecox - Neon Dwarf Rainbows
praecox
They will share the tank with some Gobys along with the usual clean up crew of amanos, SAE's and ottos.

Plants list will come shortly but ultimately there is a good chance im over stretching myself with quite a few carpet species including glosso, big leaved stems and a bunch of other midground and accent plants.
I guess id say its the sort of tank the likes of Mark, Viktor and Stu would make look easy so now its a great opportunity to see what happens when it doesnt go so swimmingly 

Hardscape pictures will follow in a day or two as im interested to get all your opinions on that...... 

ciao for now


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## aliclarke86 (23 Jun 2014)

Been subscribed from the shut down of Asian dreams mate. And some beutifull rainbows this time round should make for fantastic viewing. 

Also the river stones will add a great contrast to the usual mini landscape/siryu.

Can't wait mate 

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## EnderUK (23 Jun 2014)

Melanotaenia praecox are crazy fish.


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## Alastair (23 Jun 2014)

You know my feedback on this already mate. 

I've already had the chance to see iains next work of art and I say that with no exaggeration. It is going to be possibly his best yet..

Subscribed as always mate


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## Andy D (23 Jun 2014)

Looking forward to it!


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## James O (23 Jun 2014)

Love the little rainbows. They're great little charecters.  

As for a 30cm bank.....now _that's _scaping!!!!!'


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## Lee Sweeting (23 Jun 2014)

Looking forward to this one


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## Antoni (23 Jun 2014)

Come on Ian, bring something stunning on!


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## Ady34 (23 Jun 2014)

I do look forward to your scapes mate, no exceptions this time....


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## Iain Sutherland (23 Jun 2014)

aliclarke86 said:


> Been subscribed from the shut down of Asian dreams mate. And some beutifull rainbows this time round should make for fantastic viewing.
> Also the river stones will add a great contrast to the usual mini landscape/siryu.
> Can't wait mate


Cheers ali, ive wanted praecox for ages just need to figure out how to keep them in the tank!  Im loving the river stones to, hope the gobys like them and dont dig too much or large rocks could fall down a 30cm bank 



EnderUK said:


> Melanotaenia praecox are crazy fish.


as long as they are crazy in the water all good.



Alastair said:


> You know my feedback on this already mate.
> I've already had the chance to see iains next work of art and I say that with no exaggeration. It is going to be possibly his best yet..
> Subscribed as always mate


cant you see im playing up the failure possibility here al! Think its my most ambitious, wether its the best is yet to be seen!



Andy D said:


> Looking forward to it!


Coming to a PC screen near you soon....



James O said:


> Love the little rainbows. They're great little charecters.
> As for a 30cm bank.....now _that's _scaping!!!!!'


now thats nerve racking!!

One lesson learnt already... setting the scape up nice and early to be happy with it is great but with a 30cm bank as the sand has dried out it really wants to landslide. So now having to spray daily and added extra supports.
Everyday is a school day 



Lee Sweeting said:


> Looking forward to this one


me too, want plants now!



Antoni said:


> Come on Ian, bring something stunning on!


im trying Antoni, no promises.



Ady34 said:


> I do look forward to your scapes mate, no exceptions this time....


Thanks Ady, i quite like giving them to you too, no exceptions


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## Edvet (24 Jun 2014)

I would make sure the stones are large (for the gobys) or all stacked on each other, having too much substrate will be risky with 30 cm. Exciting plans though!
I've always fancied a Rainbow tank, and then a natural biotope/ecotope setting.


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## Dan walton (24 Jun 2014)

The dwarf neon rainbows are a great fish I have some in my 125 looking forward to this scape will be watching


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## Iain Sutherland (25 Jun 2014)

Edvet said:


> I would make sure the stones are large (for the gobys) or all stacked on each other, having too much substrate will be risky with 30 cm. Exciting plans though!


Hmm I'm having second thoughts on the gobies now even though I have them in a holding tank already. Not so much for the risk of rock movement but also they are likely to dig down to the tropica substrate and continually make a mess of the water..

Banking has gone well, I'm much happier it shouldn't move much but it will settle some I guess... 
I put substrate supports in every few inches as I built it up so hopefully it shouldnt go anywhere...







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## Iain Sutherland (25 Jun 2014)

Dan walton said:


> The dwarf neon rainbows are a great fish I have some in my 125 looking forward to this scape will be watching


Thanks dan, glad to have you along 


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## NC10 (25 Jun 2014)

Iain Sutherland said:


> I put substrate supports in every few inches as I built it up so hopefully it shouldnt go anywhere...



What do you mean by substrate supports? I've been wanting to ask on the forum about substrate angles and mounds etc without them falling over time.


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## Iain Sutherland (25 Jun 2014)

youll get a better idea when i post pictures up but i use lawn edging strip from the garden centre, just cut into strips and push into substrate to hold it all in place.


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## NC10 (25 Jun 2014)

Ah ok, cheers. Look forward to the pics


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## Edvet (25 Jun 2014)

If possible i would bury some smaller rocks/pebbles ( 2-3 inches) half till 2/3ds in the slope, leaving plantable area's in between, but decreasing the risk of landslides.


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## Iain Sutherland (25 Jun 2014)

Got round to finishing the hardscape today, so time to share 

Often see tanks i really like but find it hard to imagine how they have built them as rarely see build images.  I had to use a little creativity to build this one as id would never have got the main wood to stay where i wanted... thought of a few options but ended up at the local metal shop who hilt a little stand i could build onto.  Made of stainless steel then screwed to the wood with ss screws.

Anyway...

LW1 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

LW2 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

then used media bags filled with Alfagrog to start build the mound...
LW3 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

LW4 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

added lawn edging strip on each layer to help hold the substrate in place
LW5 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

Tropica substrate added
LW6 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

LW7 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

LW8 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

Start of the hardscape placement
LW09 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

LW10 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

LW11 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

devil is in the detail
LW12 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

LW13 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

LW14 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

LW15 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

So there we have it, welcome all comments and suggestions.
Planting should happen in the not too distant future


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## Iain Sutherland (25 Jun 2014)

Plant list is decided but could be interesting to see what your plant list would be.... Don't be shy  


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## Mr. Teapot (25 Jun 2014)

Looks fantastic and I wouldn't dare suggest a single plant to such a talented scaper! Lovely to see water worn, rounded rocks  - much more natural and something I must make a metal note to use in the future. Really like the smaller scale roots knitting the whole composition together. Inspirational and something to aim at for beginners like me.


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## Lee Sweeting (25 Jun 2014)

Very nice, and interesting too. Looking forward to seeing what you do with planting 


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## Greenfinger2 (25 Jun 2014)

Hi Great start  Looking forward to seeing this one come together  As to plants Moss, Anubias , HC Cuba, Hair grass ??


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## James D (25 Jun 2014)

Aponogeton crispus red, Ceratopteris thalictroides, some nice Fissidens and Bolbitis on the wood and rocks, sorted. 

Nice hardscape BTW.


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## Alastair (25 Jun 2014)

I'll repeat my words mate. This is going to be a stunner. I love it mate and it's so natural. Hope you don't lose site of the stones once flora has grown in. 
Brilliant and we'll worthy of a Facebook appearance so early on


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## Iain Sutherland (25 Jun 2014)

Mr. Teapot said:


> Looks fantastic and I wouldn't dare suggest a single plant to such a talented scaper! Lovely to see water worn, rounded rocks  - much more natural and something I must make a metal note to use in the future. Really like the smaller scale roots knitting the whole composition together. Inspirational and something to aim at for beginners like me.


Thats very nice of you, i do really like the rocks as you say they are a little different from the norm.
I welcome your suggestions for plants though, some of the best plant ideas come from newer people as they havent got set in the way to think about plants and planting 



Lee Sweeting said:


> Very nice, and interesting too. Looking forward to seeing what you do with planting


 cheers Lee, plant choices arent ground breaking but if i manage to grow them how i envisage they should work well... at least to my eye.



Greenfinger2 said:


> Hi Great start  Looking forward to seeing this one come together  As to plants Moss, Anubias , HC Cuba, Hair grass ??


thanks... nice idea and would work.  This time im going more manicured than nature aquarium, although they are my favourite type of scapes i fancy trying something different so definitely no bolbitus for me this time.



James D said:


> Aponogeton crispus red, Ceratopteris thalictroides, some nice Fissidens and Bolbitis on the wood and rocks, sorted.
> Nice hardscape BTW.



Do love a crispus red and is in my mind for another scape soon, hadnt considered thalicoides, i always seem ignore what i think of as bread and butter plants... hmm add a new scape idea for the list (NA120 bread and butter  )



Alastair said:


> I'll repeat my words mate. This is going to be a stunner. I love it mate and it's so natural. Hope you don't lose site of the stones once flora has grown in.
> Brilliant and we'll worthy of a Facebook appearance so early on


Was a real consideration when laying out and plant choices as too many amazing hard scapes get lost after 3 months... i did lift a few of the rocks when i finished to ensure they stay very focal once mature.
Facebook fame here i come haha [DOUBLEPOST=1403715980][/DOUBLEPOST]Just for fun, ill offer up all left over plants to the person with the closest suggestion to my plant list.... i always over order so should be several/lots of pots.  Get your thinking hats on!


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## parotet (25 Jun 2014)

Amazing harscape... I would keep it minimalistic, like a river shore, just a few spots of well selected and small plants


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## Iain Sutherland (25 Jun 2014)

parotet said:


> Amazing harscape... I would keep it minimalistic, like a river shore, just a few spots of well selected and small plants


Thanks, fingers crossed it stays there, i will genuinely cry if it starts to level out when i fill it.  I know what your thinking though, i did consider it but i need plants   Compromise is that a lot of the lower levels will be plant free.


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## James O (25 Jun 2014)

For some reason when I saw this (great btw) I thought of this http://miriadna.com/preview/avatar-trees .  Some sort of dense leafy plant with upward facing leaves leaving the wood visible below and roots hanging down. Anubis nana came to mind but I'm not sure if that fits with your lighting or creates too much shade?


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## Alexander Belchenko (25 Jun 2014)

Great idea behind hardscape. So, your wood is that wraith? (I suppose it's a kind of ghost). Like a watchman or guardian of lake  I like that, that big idea, in big tank.


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## tim (25 Jun 2014)

Epic Iain, I've said it before you make me miss mr Evans journals just that little bit less  hardscape is stunning mate, I would love to see it planted with crypts, just crypts nothing but crypts, this is a winner, hope you can update the journal often.


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## alex08 (25 Jun 2014)

Beautiful hardscape, Ian. 
Can't wait to see the rest.


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## Ady34 (25 Jun 2014)

Lovely fresh scape mate 
Whatever your plant list is I'm looking forward to seeing it complete.
I see grasses, riccia, hc as a mixed carpet, something tight (ish) which won't envelop the rocks. Unsure about planting, if any, on the branches, but maybe something a bit out of the box like floating, trailing clusters of hydrocotle t. here and there?....nice light green so not too heavy a palette to unbalance things? Hydrocotle would look nice in there, has a softness in keeping with the cobbles. Then maybe a feature plant reaching for the surface, a lily or nymphoides taiwan, rounder leaf shape to compliment the cobbles again?
Thats likely too safe a plant list for you though mate, you do seem to like some more unusual species, but really looking forward to following progress whatever goes in 
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## Iain Sutherland (25 Jun 2014)

James O said:


> For some reason when I saw this (great btw) I thought of this http://miriadna.com/preview/avatar-trees .  Some sort of dense leafy plant with upward facing leaves leaving the wood visible below and roots hanging down. Anubis nana came to mind but I'm not sure if that fits with your lighting or creates too much shade?


haha not this time, but again the hanging root look is another i want to try... need more tanks... and time 



Alexander Belchenko said:


> Great idea behind hardscape. So, your wood is that wraith? (I suppose it's a kind of ghost). Like a watchman or guardian of lake  I like that, that big idea, in big tank.


 Thanks alexander, not really sure where the names come from... normally get an idea, think what i want to do with it then a name just sort of fits.... im not as creative as some people with names.



tim said:


> Epic Iain, I've said it before you make me miss mr Evans journals just that little bit less  hardscape is stunning mate, I would love to see it planted with crypts, just crypts nothing but crypts, this is a winner, hope you can update the journal often.


hey tim, cheers for the comments   love the look of crypts but they hate me... think im a bit slap dash with things and fiddle with the lights etc then they melt on me.
Hope to update weekly at least to begin with, really enjoying the video and video editting aspect of the hobby so want to explore that some more.



alex08 said:


> Beautiful hardscape, Ian.
> Can't wait to see the rest.


Me either Alex, being patient to plant isnt going to be easy.  Thankyou for your comment. 



Ady34 said:


> Lovely fresh scape mate
> Whatever your plant list is I'm looking forward to seeing it complete.
> I see grasses, riccia, hc as a mixed carpet, something tight (ish) which won't envelop the rocks. Unsure about planting, if any, on the branches, but maybe something a bit out of the box like floating, trailing clusters of hydrocotle t. here and there?....nice light green so not too heavy a palette to unbalance things? Hydrocotle would look nice in there, has a softness in keeping with the cobbles. Then maybe a feature plant reaching for the surface, a lily or nymphoides taiwan, rounder leaf shape to compliment the cobbles again?
> Thats likely too safe a plant list for you though mate, you do seem to like some more unusual species, but really looking forward to following progress whatever goes in
> ...


Hey Ady, great to hear from you mate.  Always love your thoughtful input on the threads... youve been missed while you were playing around with that salty stuff!  Glad you've seen sense though and returning to the fold  Marine is amazing and its wasn't so much the work that stopped me pursuing it as it was the the constant concern and feeling of impending doom haha  does this mean a rescape is on the cards for you?
Actually the plant choice is pretty common, nothing too exciting.  I did originally have a plant list with a lot of randoms on but ive had to change it for certain reasons.
Your not a million miles off though fella, similar idea different delivery


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## Ady34 (25 Jun 2014)

Cheers Iain, yeah, I've scratched the itch of keeping marines, the fish are beautiful but freshwater and planted fit much better with my lifestyle currently. One tank is enough and 'touch wood', I can keep algae out of a freshwater tank  Rescape could be on the cards, but need to move the marine on first, then decide what to do from there. 

Regardless of your plant choice mate I'm itching to see it and once the plants get growing, they'll hold up 'Sutherland slope'


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## Alexander Belchenko (26 Jun 2014)

Re plants. Your hardscape tells me it would be "island" type design. So I think you want some carpet plant at the hill foreground, that would be a shame to hide all those details behind huge plantmass (even crypts), all those twigs and boulders. And I see more stem plants at background, behind the main wood and around it (to hide the fixture). Maybe you would put some short crypts at left/right back background. Maybe little patches of moss on the branches of main wood to make hands of the wraith  

That should be epic!


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## Edvet (26 Jun 2014)

Interesting.Iám guessing Hydrocotyle verticulata as low growth around and some Pogostemon stellata around the main branch, some clumps of Urticularia.


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## Iain Sutherland (7 Jul 2014)

Evening all,  update but no images just yet.... sorry

First off i need to say a huge thankyou to Aqvainnova who has kindly donated the plants to this project, all invitro or linea zero.  Not wishing to break forum rules i wont rattle on about the brand etc but believe it is ok to say that as you would expect from 2 established aquatic producers the plants were in great health, i would gladly use them again and they are a welcome addition to the hobby. 
I have a video of the whole planting process (most of it anyway) which ill edit together at some point along with full tank shots, images of new plants etc.

The reason for no images right now is the tank has had a huge bacterial bloom making the water very milky, no idea why?  The established filters and daily 50% water changes (such a pain with big tanks and RO) are clearing it up slowly.

Plants have settled very quickly, showing new growth and most excitingly i have horizontal glosso for the first time.  As the tank is running mature filters and no ammonia spike expected part of the clean  up crew is in, couple of ottos and a dozen amano shrimp.  CO2 levels seem stable and effective, the only slight adjustment i need to make at the moment is the ph swing caused by almost pure RO... from 6.8 - 3.9.  Moving on, tomorrow i will be adding some buffers to achieve more reasonable levels in the region of where the end inhabitants will like the gh, around 5-8.

The plant list i had originally planned was adjusted to fit with the aqvainnova product line which is relatively limited but steadily growing  as they dont launch until september,  still more than enough to make me scratch my head though, what i ended up going with...

Glossostigma elatinoides 
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis 
Cryptocoryne parva 
Staurogyne repens
Alternanthera reineckii "Mini"  
Ammania sp. "bonsai"
Lobelia cardinalis 
Lobelia cardinalis "dwarf" 
Lagenandra meeboldii "pink" 
Ammania gracilis 
Ludwigia inclinata  "Cuba" 
Vesicularia ferriei "Weeping"

also reusing my bucephalandra, its very close to the light so it may come out again and will be adding a little hydropiper elantine once i can get hold of some to try out.

The banking has held up reasonably well, mainly the whole slope shrunk by about half an inch as it compacted, i stupidly didnt consider this!! Now i know why the pro scapers usually fill their tanks then drain then to plant, it gives you the opportunity to tweak after it settles.  There is a little slippage but should be fine after the plants root.

I was going to add neon blue/ emerald gobys but i tested out the digging habits in the holding tank and its safe to say i wouldnt have much of a scape left had i added them, so wednesday im taking them back and picking up 15 different bottom dwellers to go in the holding tank for when the plants have established.

So again apologies for no images but thought id get this bit done while im being paid 
They will follow in due course.


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## Vinkenoog1977 (7 Jul 2014)

You're killing us mate...


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## Dan walton (7 Jul 2014)

Looking forward to a FTS


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## EnderUK (8 Jul 2014)

Iain Sutherland said:


> The reason for no images right now is the tank has had a huge bacterial bloom making the water very milky, no idea why? The established filters and daily 50% water changes (such a pain with big tanks and RO) are clearing it up slowly.



I feel your pain, and my tank is only half the size of yours and tap water but I usually get a bacterial bloom when I rescape. I think it just happens when you knock the tank out of balance.

Nice list of plants there looking forward to see how it goes.


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## Alastair (8 Jul 2014)

Ady34 said:


> Lovely fresh scape mate
> Whatever your plant list is I'm looking forward to seeing it complete.
> I see grasses, riccia, hc as a mixed carpet, something tight (ish) which won't envelop the rocks. Unsure about planting, if any, on the branches, but maybe something a bit out of the box like floating, trailing clusters of hydrocotle t. here and there?....nice light green so not too heavy a palette to unbalance things? Hydrocotle would look nice in there, has a softness in keeping with the cobbles. Then maybe a feature plant reaching for the surface, a lily or nymphoides taiwan, rounder leaf shape to compliment the cobbles again?
> Thats likely too safe a plant list for you though mate, you do seem to like some more unusual species, but really looking forward to following progress whatever goes in
> ...



Ady you make that sound like you could almost eat it ha ha. A master chef of aquascaping nom nom 


Oh and I've gotta spoil it....sorry, and say I've already seen the plant up and think I know what iains intended look will be and it certainly will be something mate. 
Belter 
( don't like saying 'cracking' in this hobby lol)


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## Edvet (8 Jul 2014)

(Looked at the new plantfirm on the web, looks good, but why the hell did they partner up with Knott?)


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## Greenfinger2 (8 Jul 2014)

Hi ,Cannot wait


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## tim (11 Jul 2014)

Suspense it killing me mate, we need Pics


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## Iain Sutherland (11 Jul 2014)

haha me too mate, wish i had the time to get some images and edit the video together.  Bacteria bloom has cleared and everything is growing like mad considering its only been a week.  I have some time off coming up this week so should get something organised sunday or monday.

I did pick up some gems today for the bottom though, just need to let the glosso root properly before they go in.



Edvet said:


> (Looked at the new plantfirm on the web, looks good, but why the hell did they partner up with Knott?)


why Knott?? haha he is one of the most followed aquascapers out there so has a huge audience, he grows amazing plants and aside from some things being a bit off the wall he makes some awesome scapes (minus plastic figurines)


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## aliclarke86 (11 Jul 2014)

Agree his scapes a genuine he just IMO ruins it with Yoda and monks... 

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## Iain Sutherland (15 Jul 2014)

Plants from Aquainnova.  High Quality in vitro cups and really very impressive Invitro tube (taller stems)
The new part of this brands line is the Linea Zero range, effectively old school pots but with no rock wool and grown sterile.  I was very impressed with the linea zero plants ability to get going and grow as you'll see from the images.  The stauro. repens and gloss showed visible growth after one day.  The main benefit to these plants is the ability to be sold internationally to countries with strict regulations to plant import.

IMG_4639 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

I didn't take many images during planting as tried a full planting video (yet to be put together)
Just after planting...
IMG_4656 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

7 days later following bacterial bloom, managed 2 x 50% water changes to sort the cloudy water and 1 more during the week due to work but with mature filters and no ammonia spike it seems to have faired well.
IMG_4740 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

IMG_4741 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

IMG_4742 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

Mixed Bucephalandra seem to be happy enough really close to the light source, they have started flowering but I'm unsure if that could be induced by stress like with anubias??  No sign of algae though and new leaves coming through...
IMG_4746 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

So far I'm pretty happy, the growth from the plants that went in day one has been good.  The other plants only went in 4 days ago so are busy getting roots down before showing me any growth and covering up the steel holding the wood.
Ammania grasilis is a nice pink colour, ludwigia inclinata cuba is rocketing off, I can see this being a brute.
Stauro repens seems to be a slightly different variety than I've had in the past with longer leaves and maintaining the serrated edges??  Will see what happens after the first trim.

Will try and update in a few days with progress and get the video up and running...


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## Alexander Belchenko (15 Jul 2014)

That's epic!

But I can't find your lagenandra on 7 days picture. Where have you hidden it?


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## Ady34 (15 Jul 2014)

Great job with the planting mate, and the growth seems very impressive.


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## Iain Sutherland (15 Jul 2014)

Alexander Belchenko said:


> That's epic!
> But I can't find your lagenandra on 7 days picture. Where have you hidden it?



cheers alex, lagenandra is hiding at the back, i have just trimmed the emersed growth and new leaves just coming through.... should be able to see it by the end of the week   In honesty ive never grown it before so have no idea of size, shape etc which is why i tucked it away at the back for now.



Ady34 said:


> Great job with the planting mate, and the growth seems very impressive.


haha its suprised me how quick it has settled and grown ady, i hope it continues.  Ill do a bunch more pics friday night which will be 2 weeks to see how its changed.... should be some movement in by then aswell


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## Antoni (15 Jul 2014)

Love it! I think this will turn up very, very nicely!


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## tim (15 Jul 2014)

Astounding, looks superb for a week old mate, another epic scape in the making Iain, up there with the best IMO mate.


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## Iain Sutherland (16 Jul 2014)

Antoni said:


> Love it! I think this will turn up very, very nicely!


thanks matey, hope it lives up to the idea.  Im still a little on the fence with the lowest right piece of wood, may do a little work with that further down the line.



tim said:


> Astounding, looks superb for a week old mate, another epic scape in the making Iain, up there with the best IMO mate.


Growth has been very surprising tim, this is the only big tank ive done more than one scape in, so having a feel for the equipment etc has certainly helped.  Ive got a week off now so am going to push the lighting up towards the 70% area and see how it goes, currently at 50% 
Assuming it doesnt all go horribly wrong then ill have plenty of trimmings to move on.


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## BigTom (16 Jul 2014)

Mmmmmmmmmmmm bucephs!


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## Iain Sutherland (16 Jul 2014)

BigTom said:


> Mmmmmmmmmmmm bucephs!


Haha, more to come i think


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## sanj (16 Jul 2014)

It is looking very smart, hopefully the plants wont obscure the hardscape, but they look well chosen.

The one thing I am thinking of at the moment is the placement of the bucephalandras and proximity to the light source. If you get everything in balance it may not be a problem, but Green spot algae could be an issue. These were placed low down in your last scape?


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## EnderUK (18 Jul 2014)

I was thinking about bucephalandra for mine but couldn't commit £10 per plant and trust my brown thumbs. Looks very good so far

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## Iain Sutherland (21 Jul 2014)

hey folks, tank is continuing on the right track and alls well.
I have been trying for two days to get a couple of videos uploaded to you tube and every time it fails after waiting for hours of processing.  Its very annoying but hopefully i should get it sorted eventually.
The second video is of the licorice gourami sparring which i was very chuffed to catch and keen to share but again fails to upload.... watch this space.


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## Andy D (21 Jul 2014)

Such a tease....


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## Iain Sutherland (21 Jul 2014)

Ha more just me sharing as I'm getting really angry with it! I started editing and trying to upload on Friday!
It'll be worth it 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Andy D (21 Jul 2014)

There you go again!


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## Alexander Belchenko (21 Jul 2014)

Just saw your first video. WOW!

What's the name of your corys? Very nice fish.


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## Iain Sutherland (21 Jul 2014)

hazah!!! best in HD




I would add id love any critisism, im really enjoying the video aspect and would love your honest thoughts to improve


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## Iain Sutherland (21 Jul 2014)

Also, anyone have an idea what the plant around the base of the wood is??? Emersed it looked like stauro repens but now its growing it clearly isnt.....


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## Alexander Belchenko (21 Jul 2014)

I have no idea about right plant name, but as a wild guess: could it be penthorum sedoides?

Also, I like your corys, can you say their name?


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## Iain Sutherland (21 Jul 2014)

Cory hasbrosus. They are very cool little fish 

dont think so as no wavey leaf, first thought was a polysperma...?

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## Alexander Belchenko (21 Jul 2014)

Yeah, very cool fish. I thought it was hasbrosus, but wasn't sure. I keep pygmy corys and successfully breed them. Now I know what to get next


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## Alexander Belchenko (21 Jul 2014)

Did you fill your tank with RO water while you was planting it?

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## Brian Murphy (21 Jul 2014)

Loving the video and obviously whats in the video lol ...... really can't wait until I get my new tank etc


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## Michael W (21 Jul 2014)

Really nice vid Iain! It is easy to say a scape is nice and amazing but it is when you can see the effort in which someone puts into designing, planting etc which makes you appreciate their work to the fullest. 

Well done!


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## EdwinK (22 Jul 2014)

Iain Sutherland said:


> Also, anyone have an idea what the plant around the base of the wood is??? Emersed it looked like stauro repens but now its growing it clearly isnt.....


Staurogyne porto velho maybe.


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## tim (22 Jul 2014)

Porto Velho would be my guess as well ? Top video Iain, worth the wait very impressive scape


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## Gary Nelson (22 Jul 2014)

Iain... This is an absolute belter of a scape, shown off to perfection by a fantastic video! This is my favourite scape by far - the choice of fish complement it brilliantly too... Really well done mate


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## Andy D (22 Jul 2014)

Finally! 

Great video Iain. Tank looks great!

For me I would speed up the hill planting (I know it is sped up already) as I found myself skipping this. Or (if possible) take some video from above and you can combine the footage for that bit. I realise it is a bit late to do this now. 

I like that you have covered the plants on the wood with plastic and could be seen tying the moss on. 

Overall though a good video!


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## Ady34 (22 Jul 2014)

Iain Sutherland said:


> Also, anyone have an idea what the plant around the base of the wood is???


judging by the growth rate its clearly a weed 
Lovely vid Iain, next time i plant a tank you can come and do mine, you're super fast 
Love the little corys too.
Look forward to plenty more photos and videos.
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## Iain Sutherland (24 Jul 2014)

Alexander Belchenko said:


> Did you fill your tank with RO water while you was planting it?
> Sent via Tapatalk


yes, just gets the process started, filled from water butt once i finished planting.



EdwinK said:


> Staurogyne porto velho maybe.


think it maybe but i thought it had finer leaves when high tech and not bright green....?



tim said:


> Porto Velho would be my guess as well ? Top video Iain, worth the wait very impressive scape


thanks tim, few bits im not to happy with at the moment but will change slowly.   Added repens today also.



Gary Nelson said:


> Iain... This is an absolute belter of a scape, shown off to perfection by a fantastic video! This is my favourite scape by far - the choice of fish complement it brilliantly too... Really well done mate


cheers gary, itching to get the praecox in 




Andy D said:


> For me I would speed up the hill planting (I know it is sped up already) as I found myself skipping this. Or (if possible) take some video from above and you can combine the footage for that bit. I realise it is a bit late to do this now.


true, i did think this but couldnt figure out on imovies how to go faster 


Andy D said:


> Overall though a good video!


thanks andy, learning with every tank and video 




Ady34 said:


> judging by the growth rate its clearly a weed


nah, just my skills mate lol  will be interested to see how quick the repens goes, just gone in so next update will tell a story.
Have also upped the lighting duration and intensity today along with reduced surface agitation.... stems are fizzing away nicely.



Ady34 said:


> Look forward to plenty more photos and videos.


me too mate, try not to leave it as long as asian dreams updates!


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## Andy D (27 Jul 2014)

You've even made it onto Oliver Knott's Facebook page!


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## Iain Sutherland (29 Jul 2014)

Haha saw that Andy, probably more to promote aqvainnova than for my scaping skills!!

Praecox in   tank is madness!! Very twitchy about movement around the tank at the mo though....  iphone pic


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## EnderUK (30 Jul 2014)

did you get neon rainbows want a serene tank?


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## Martin in Holland (30 Jul 2014)

nice fish...a bit to jumpy for an open tank otherwise I would have the same kind.


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## Iain Sutherland (30 Jul 2014)

EnderUK said:


> did you get neon rainbows want a serene tank?


haha no, definitely after a lively tank this time round.  Great watching the males sorting the pecking order.[DOUBLEPOST=1406706265][/DOUBLEPOST]





Martin in China said:


> nice fish...a bit to jumpy for an open tank otherwise I would have the same kind.


sure are, first jumper within 2 minutes of introduction.. i have a cunning solution though ill share once sorted, currently cling film covering a lot of the gaps.


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## Iain Sutherland (31 Jul 2014)

praecox seem to have settled a lot, not so twitchy and trying to leap out of the tank anymore.  Live food twice daily seems to have got them going nicely, males are flashing and chasing with the colours coming through.

I have to also say im over the moon with the giesemann futura, i have tweeked the colour mix and the blue on the praecox is BANGING!  Light was worth every penny lol

so been thinking about the last fish (for now) to stock in the near future.  Would ideally like a couple of pairs of smaller less active bottom dwellers....
current thinking peacock gobies, german blue rams or an apistogamma* however my fish knowledge sucks so always open to ideas...  *
Also pretty tempted to add a small group of larger rainbows but thats not because they would look good in the tank, just i think i have a rainbow fetish at the moment.

Will have some time tomorrow night for some new images and maybe a sneaky video...


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## Alexander Belchenko (31 Jul 2014)

impatiently waiting for video!


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## Edvet (31 Jul 2014)

I'd say :http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/tateurndina-ocellicauda/ or
*
http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/hypseleotris-compressa/*


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## Michael W (31 Jul 2014)

Iain Sutherland said:


> current thinking peacock gobies, german blue rams or an apistogamma however my fish knowledge sucks so always open to ideas...



All three fish have great personality! The gobies are probably the easiest of the lot. Rams are great but they can be very hard to keep depending on where you source them from. Most stores get them from Asia where the fish are injected with hormones to enhance their colours, they also keep them in poor tank conditions with medicine to avoid illness. These to reasons combined usually makes them die in the home aquarium due to the lack of medicine in the water etc. Apistogrammas are also very easy to care for, if it is your first Apisto I would advice you to go for A. Cacatuoides or A. Borellii which are usually suggested for a beginner in terms of keeping their first Apistos. However, I started out with an Apistogramma Hongsloi which I kept for 4 years without problem so there is another one to keep in mind should you fancy it. If that isn't enough, another dwarf cichlid which you can consider keeping is the kribensis which is another easy fish the keep and will almost certainly spawn in your aquarium! No matter what you pick they all have great personalities.

 A common thing with all of them is that they will prefer a cave or something similar to hang out, but it is not really a must but it will be appreciated. I know mine didn't like the DIY coconut caves I made and preferred to hangout under my driftwood and fight for the spot with the Bristlenose!


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## dw1305 (31 Jul 2014)

Hi all, 
I like either the Gobies or _Apistogramma_. Rams need soft warm water and have all the problems that "Michael W" mentioned. 

As long as your water isn't very hard? _Apistogramma cacatuoides_ is a great fish to keep. If your water is softer then there are a lot of other options, _A. borellii, A. macmasteri, A agassizii, A. hongsloi_ are all reasonably easy to obtain and keep.

cheers Darrel


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## Wendal_spanswick (31 Jul 2014)

Iain Sutherland said:


> Also pretty tempted to add a small group of larger rainbows but thats not because they would look good in the tank, just i think i have a rainbow fetish at the moment./quote]
> 
> I'd definitely go with more bows. Fantastic range of colours and they'll really show off their colours in a heavily planted tank. In natural morning daylight the males sparring colours are amazing. Such a choice and I'm sure Sanjeev Kumar could help advise you better. Just check out his journal for inspiration.


[DOUBLEPOST=1406840169][/DOUBLEPOST]Sorry, still getting to grips with this quote thingy!


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## tmiravent (1 Aug 2014)

one more to follow!
amazing tank, love plants and inox tubing!
very inspiring

tanks


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## Andy Thurston (1 Aug 2014)

Loving the tank


tmiravent said:


> one more to follow!
> amazing tank, love plants and inox tubing!
> very inspiring
> 
> tanks


Stainless tubing, most people in the uk wont have heard of inox let alone know what it is


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## Alastair (1 Aug 2014)

I wouldn't add any bigger fish mate as it'll throw out the sense of scale and focus away from the hardscape etc. 
I found my praecox settled after a few weeks when I kept them. 
Gobies would go great especially as they'll be all over your rocks 

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## Tim Harrison (1 Aug 2014)

Another cracking scape. That's some height you've managed to achieve with the banking...very impressive.


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## Iain Sutherland (1 Aug 2014)

Edvet said:


> I'd say :http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/tateurndina-ocellicauda/ or
> *http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/hypseleotris-compressa/*


the peacock goby was the original plan and i added some 28mm tubing either end at the back for caves... quite likely ill stick to them.
Think empires are a little bit big for scale.  Thanks for the input 



Michael W said:


> All three fish have great personality!


cheers for all the info michael, ive kept kribs before and would like to give some apistos a go.... maybe another tank.



dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> I like either the Gobies or Apistogramma. Rams need soft warm water and have all the problems that "Michael W" mentioned.
> As long as your water isn't very hard? Apistogramma cacatuoides is a great fish to keep. If your water is softer then there are a lot of other options, A. borellii, A. macmasteri, A agassizii, A. hongsloi are all reasonably easy to obtain and keep.



water is super soft at the moment so lits of options and Rams do look stunning if they settle and mature.  Ill look over those apistos later darel. 



Alastair said:


> I wouldn't add any bigger fish mate as it'll throw out the sense of scale and focus away from the hardscape etc.
> I found my praecox settled after a few weeks when I kept them.
> Gobies would go great especially as they'll be all over your rocks
> Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk 2


could always take them out for photos al  ive been spending a lot of time watching sanj's videos, easy to see how addictive rainbows can be!
They seem to have settled a lot over the last few days, they dont care about me anymore and they are perpetually hungy!  great watching the males square up to each other.



Troi said:


> Another cracking scape. That's some height you've managed to achieve with the banking...very impressive.


cheers mate, good chance it may end up being an impressive failure... the front slope which is the steepest is slipping/settling a bit.  Will help if i stop mucking around with planting across that section.

So i removed a lot of the mystery plant and planted some invitro stauro repens which melted, then added some emersed stauro which dumped all emersed leaves but is showing signs of recovery now and i have just added some more immersed from another member.  Hopefully it will be looking good in a few weeks.

Due to the melt from the invitro i have added a little powerhead to aid flow across the middle of the mound while it roots and upped the bubble count a little.
Also removed, trimmed and replanted all the stems as they were almost at the surface.  I planted them in groups which didnt benefit them so have split them up into single stems so improved flow across the back.
Few teething problems as usual but nothing to worrying, as GSA it getting worse on the rocks.... not something i was planning but have a twinstar en route 

Thanks for all the input guys, will endeavor to keep you updated...


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## dw1305 (1 Aug 2014)

Hi all, 





> water is super soft at the moment


 _Apistogramma panduro _or_ A. baenschi _then, quality fish. 

Have a look here, Bob Wiltshire doesn't update the site very often, but the information is solid gold: 
<http://www.dwarfcichlid.com/Aquarium_care.php>.

cheers Darrel


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## Iain Sutherland (1 Aug 2014)

Nice link Darrel, trouble is it will give me too many ideas! 

My solution to jumping praecox... Bar shelf matting and some suction cups...




Works a treat and no too obtrusive.


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## Iain Sutherland (1 Aug 2014)

praecox beauties!!

praecox by iainsutherland24, on Flickr


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## Tim Harrison (9 Aug 2014)

Iain Sutherland said:


> Nice link Darrel, trouble is it will give me too many ideas!
> 
> My solution to jumping praecox... Bar shelf matting and some suction cups...
> 
> ...


Necessity is the mother of invention... Honestly...the lengths we go to...

P.S. they are beauties...


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## Iain Sutherland (11 Aug 2014)

Warts and all... 
So few issues with this one at the moment which now I think about it happens everytime around 6-8 week mark!  
I get comfortable, over estimate my ability, get busy with work, fiddle with co2 and light in a rush then suffer the consequences!! 
So work got busy again, co2 ran out (noob!) for 2 days and didn't notice as working lates so the issues with stauro I already have got worse.  Now mostly melted but will see if I can save it but worst of all the bucephaldra dumped a lot of their leaves 

So lights turned down, co2 up, WC increase and generally care increased... Will see what happens...?

Photos will follow later.


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## Andy D (11 Aug 2014)

I'm sure you'll sort it out. 

Sometimes I think you do this for the challenge!


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## Iain Sutherland (11 Aug 2014)

Yeah sure, love a headache Andy 

In truth aside from it being bad timing I don't mind this one. I've never managed stauro in a big tank it's failed everytime so I'm committed to persevering  this time to find out why.... Aside letting co2 run out!

I am gutted about the buce's though, being so close to the light they are walking a fine line. Probably take 6 months to get their leaves back 

One day I'll have a trouble free 120, one day.....


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## Alastair (12 Aug 2014)

I'm sure you'll have it looking tip top again in no time mate 

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk 2


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## Rini (20 Aug 2014)

Very nice scape! Love it


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## Brian Murphy (20 Aug 2014)

The trials and tribulations of aquascaping ..... the end result shows us who is the master! Keep up the good work


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## Iain Sutherland (28 Aug 2014)

Afternoon all, well over due an update on this one... As usual night as well get the story telling done while I'm being paid but pictures will have to wait until tomorrow, got a night free and plan to sort out some movie footage.

The tank is going ok but still got issues with certain areas not getting the flow needed so yesterday resorted to 2 hydor 900 powerheads.  Along with that I increased co2 and boosted the lighting up.  It was probably a fools decision and I can hear Clive groaning but it worked out ok. Came home last night to a pearling tank, happy fish and healthier looking plants.

I added 3 pots of elantine hydropiper last week which promptly melted aside a few bits which was more proof of the lack of flow at substrate level.  Awesome little plant and I hope what's left struggles through so I can propagate it a little.

Also added 6 more amanos and some more ottos, no stock of SAE around my way so they will have to wait.
GSA is still out of control, K levels are through the roof and 2 twinstars recruited yet it keeps on coming back, covering the rocks. Really not seeing any benefit to the twinstars as of yet even directly around them.  Maybe the poor flow was part of the reason so will give them another few weeks then eBay will be calling.

As you know I ve been considering a red(ish) bottom dwelling fish to add some interest to the lower levels.  Went through as many as I could think of ruling them out for different reasons... Too much flow, too difficult to feed, get too big, too aggressive etc... And ended up back at apisto's. Sadly I dont actually like them and although the tank is already a bit of a mix I really wanted something Asian.

Anyway I got frustrated and made a impulse purchase of apisto. hongsloi pair. They are happy enough but I'd be lying if I said I was in love.... Pretty enough but doesn't float my boat... (Google image)





Hey ho, I'll get some movie done tomorrow and you can judge for your self...

Cheerio.


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## Alexander Belchenko (28 Aug 2014)

I've read your story with great interest. Now I think more about flow in my tank, too.

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## Ady34 (29 Aug 2014)

how can you not love an apisto? Look forward to a video....


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## Iain Sutherland (29 Aug 2014)

Thanks Alexander, I usually think flow is far harder to get right than co2 but people shoot the messenger when they see co2 issues.

Just a bit too razzle dazzle for me Ady, love the praecox but a part of me thinks the same about them.
Call me boring but I quite like drab fish... To me they look more natural and blend with the scape...?


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## dw1305 (29 Aug 2014)

Hi all,





Iain Sutherland said:


> Just a bit too razzle dazzle for me Ady, love the praecox but a part of me thinks the same about them.Call me boring but I quite like drab fish... To me they look more natural and blend with the scape...?


 I like "tabby" fish as well, but _Apistogramma hongsloi _is a nice fish. If your water is soft you could look out for _Apistogramma iniridae_, they are quite commonly available (I think they are a by-catch) and don't have much colour (but the males have "sail fins").  

cheers Darrel


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## Iain Sutherland (29 Aug 2014)

couple of images from tonight, not quite in focus but you can blame the hoegarden.

cory 1 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

threadfins1 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

threadfin 2 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

praecox1 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

also planted up the third batch of stauro, hopefully now the issues have been resolved it will take.

and the apisto hongsloi
apisto by iainsutherland24, on Flickr


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## tmiravent (30 Aug 2014)

love those corys!


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## aliclarke86 (3 Sep 2014)

Fantastic. I've been pretty absent of the forum of late but I quick read through your thread has reminded me why I spend so much time here! The trials and tribulation of aquascaping is quite riviting  almost feeling like I want to go back high tech again  

Looks great to me Iian and will be finding time to check up on it! 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


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## Rini (3 Sep 2014)

Nice fish! Especially those corys. Do you like them? Are they active all day?


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## Alexander Belchenko (3 Sep 2014)

The last apisto shot made me think you've purchased it because the shape of its body resemble the shape of praecox's body.


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## Iain Sutherland (11 Sep 2014)

Hey guys thanks for the comments, apologies for my absence and lack of images... 

Quick one from the phone, still not quite right but trudging along.


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## Alexander Belchenko (11 Sep 2014)

It begs for your attention, Iain. Well, I think sooner or later you'll have some free time for that.


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## tim (12 Sep 2014)

Another superb scape Iain, maturing nicely, twinstar doesn't seem to have done much to keep your rocks clean, you think they are a worthwhile addition to the tank ?


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## EnderUK (12 Sep 2014)

How are you finding your rainbows with co2 mine start to struggle first out of all my fish?

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## Iain Sutherland (22 Sep 2014)

Alexander Belchenko said:


> It begs for your attention, Iain. Well, I think sooner or later you'll have some free time for that.


 I hope so Alex, prospects of free time don't look good at the moment...


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## Iain Sutherland (22 Sep 2014)

tim said:


> Another superb scape Iain, maturing nicely, twinstar doesn't seem to have done much to keep your rocks clean, you think they are a worthwhile addition to the tank ?



Not the slightest difference at all, I have turned them off to see if it got worse and the answer is no.
So now I just need to go old school, extra maintenance and sort the balance out...


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## Iain Sutherland (22 Sep 2014)

EnderUK said:


> How are you finding your rainbows with co2 mine start to struggle first out of all my fish?
> 
> Sent from my Radar C110e using Tapatalk


They have been fine, least effected of those in the tank. I've been keeping it quite low though...


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## Iain Sutherland (22 Sep 2014)

Still embarrassingly neglected, work is killing me so much so I'm now job hunting as it's not worth it.
Got a quite WC in today but no rock cleaning etc... Twinstars are now off as they haven't made the slightest difference to GSA.  Time for old school measures..

Mystery plant is taking on new shape at the surface





Stems growing in well




All the usual neglect issues.... GSA, wild glosso, few dead spots, BGA starting to pop up, BBA on wood zzzzzzzz


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## Iain Sutherland (23 Dec 2014)

well, unfortunately life got in the way of this tank, and scaping in general, so i had to make the decision to take it down.  Its a real shame and i think ill revisit the idea sometime but for now a low tech is what is needed....
As such this is now gone and i have put together a very low tech dirt based African Biotope(ish) with lots of anubias, microsorum, crypts and bulbs.  So far im loving the lack of time needed for it but the obvious downside being that it will require over a year to reach maturity.  Ill begin a journal once I start adding livestock....  the high tech itch will get satisfied in the form of the 60cm being reincarnated in the new year.
Happy Christmas everyone!!


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## Andy D (23 Dec 2014)

I look forward to the updates. At least you are still around!  Seems loads of people don't post anymore. 

Any update on the job front?


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## Iain Sutherland (23 Dec 2014)

Yep still around mate and poke my head in from time to time to see whats happening.  I hope to have a bit more time in the new year for the tanks but that depends on the job situation as decided to see the year out in the current position, start hunting in a few weeks


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## Alastair (23 Dec 2014)

Shame on this one mate, I'm sure you'll bounce back with a high tech of some sort. 
Don't forget you've got a whopping high tech in January  


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## alto (24 Dec 2014)

Fantastic scape ... finally got motivated out of lurk mode to say how much I appreciated this even if you've gone elsewhere for now, it was a truly awesome hardscape & well worth re-visiting when you've the time & inclination.

Re the twinstar system, I've recently set up 1 tank with, 1 tank without (yes, longterm tanks that have sat idle for the last year - not even properly broken down  ), it's doing a decent job ... my take on the twinstar is that it's a "stat" not a "cide" so limits rather than destroys - I hate the smell of algae tank water so it's well worth the investment just for that  ...not that I'm going out to buy a second system, but as a lazy aquarist, I've no regrets.

Anyway looking forward to your next project journals.


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## Iain Sutherland (24 Dec 2014)

Alastair said:


> Shame on this one mate, I'm sure you'll bounce back with a high tech of some sort.
> Don't forget you've got a whopping high tech in January
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


yes mate, cant wait to catch up with you all and have a delayed festive bevvie!



alto said:


> Fantastic scape ... finally got motivated out of lurk mode to say how much I appreciated this even if you've gone elsewhere for now, it was a truly awesome hardscape & well worth re-visiting when you've the time & inclination.
> 
> Re the twinstar system, I've recently set up 1 tank with, 1 tank without (yes, longterm tanks that have sat idle for the last year - not even properly broken down  ), it's doing a decent job ... my take on the twinstar is that it's a "stat" not a "cide" so limits rather than destroys - I hate the smell of algae tank water so it's well worth the investment just for that  ...not that I'm going out to buy a second system, but as a lazy aquarist, I've no regrets.
> 
> Anyway looking forward to your next project journals.


thanks alto, thats very kind of you to say, it was very disheartening to fail with this one but such is life....big tanks really are a serious commitment maintenance wise...... which has got me thinking about a 90 for high tech 

ill reserve judgement on the twinstar until i try it from the off in my 60...  i dont think they are ideally suited to such a big tank and a number of factors that caused the issues in the first place will no doubt of made its job even harder.  There is no replacement for good regular maintenance.
Im with you on the BGA water though


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## Alastair (24 Dec 2014)

Iain Sutherland said:


> yes mate, cant wait to catch up with you all and have a delayed festive bevvie!
> 
> 
> thanks alto, thats very kind of you to say, it was very disheartening to fail with this one but such is life....big tanks really are a serious commitment maintenance wise...... which has got me thinking about a 90 for high tech
> ...




I've a 90 optiwhite you can have dude. 90 x 50x 45 height. Bivarium polished the lot??? 


Sent from my iPhone 6 plus 
using Tapatalk


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## Sk3lly (24 Dec 2014)

Sorry to ask, but what is the plant in the last picture that looks similar to pogo erectus but has the curled leaves? 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Iain Sutherland (24 Dec 2014)

Alastair said:


> I've a 90 optiwhite you can have dude. 90 x 50x 45 height. Bivarium polished the lot???
> Sent from my iPhone 6 plus
> using Tapatalk



That's a generous and tempting offer pal, will have to think on it... I'd do it tomorrow but the landlord is getting funny about the damp.  Easier to blame the fish tanks than the bad insulation and leaking roof!! 
Hmmm



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## Iain Sutherland (24 Dec 2014)

Sk3lly said:


> Sorry to ask, but what is the plant in the last picture that looks similar to pogo erectus but has the curled leaves?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk



Don't be sorry  Think you'll find it on eBay etc as ludwigia tornado, can't remember off hand what they sent it to me as...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## dougstar (13 Apr 2015)

wow nice tank!


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## Sianita (26 Feb 2017)

Wow! I love that so far! Very aesthetically pleasing


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