# Help with aquascape...



## aaronnorth (8 Dec 2008)

The rocks in my scape are a major weakpoint due to their positioning, and repositioning them isnt really an option, i was thinking about replacing them with staurogyne sp, or some specie of crypt?
Any ideas on what i could do/ what plants to use etc?

Thanks, Aaron

Here is the latest picture i have got:


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## George Farmer (8 Dec 2008)

Try removing the center rock (smash it into pieces for later) and replacing with some branchy wood pointing into the empty space to the right.  Maybe add some moss to the wood.  I have moss and a suitable piece of wood for an appropriate UKAPS donation.

Think about moving the fern to the right, attaching to the wood and have more stems to the left.  Prune the stems to form a sloping composition.  

Lose the untidy HC on the right and have open substrate with some small rocks to complement the remaining rocks.

Just a thought.


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## Graeme Edwards (8 Dec 2008)

I think you have the makings of a very nice scape. 

I don't think you need to mess about to much with it,some simple changes would bring a new lease of life. The main, bigger center rock could be swapped round with the smaller rock to its left, same angles as before, but switched. Then, to bridge the hight gap from your HC to the HM, as you have mentioned - Staurogyne would work great.You could alter your pruning on the HM to give a more gradual line up from the HC - Staurogune - HM.
As mentioned, tidy your HC up and get a more clear line from HC to the sand if that was the look you where striving for.
Not a big move and it still remains your scape, just a little tweak.

Cheers.


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## Thomas McMillan (8 Dec 2008)

I agree with George on this one, surprisingly. I wouldn't normally give advice like that but I actually think it would look real nice!

OR

What about just having a HC foreground, loose the rocks, loose the sand path and do something similar to the left-hand side but on the right?

OR

How about somethin similar to TGM's new display tank?


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## Mark Evans (8 Dec 2008)

Graeme Edwards said:
			
		

> The main, bigger center rock could be swapped round with the smaller rock to its left, same angles as before, but switched.



what i was thinking.

 the smaller centre (backbone stones) is bringing a dividing line between the biggest "main stone" and the second (sub stone)which needs to be smaller . its up to you which way around the main and sub stone go.

and as george says, clear the right hand side of hc and have it open with another sub stone and smaller backbone stones. just check out amanos stone arrangements and all becomes clear   

cut those stems in 2 matey or preferably re plant and start again as the untidy lower bits are way to visible. unless you trim the stems frequently your always going to end up with untidy lower parts unless you have higher rocks to hide them. this is something i'll face myself in the new 120cm on the left and right wings. the fern could play a massive part in hiding untidy bottom part of the stem.


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## Ed Seeley (8 Dec 2008)

I was thinking remove the centre one and replace with a large one (or even a couple of) Anubias tied to a much smaller piece that won't be seen.  It'd fill in the visual gap under that stem plant IMHO.


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## aaronnorth (9 Dec 2008)

Thanks for all the detailed answers guys  , i certainley have a lot to think about. 



> You could alter your pruning on the HM to give a more gradual line up from the HC


Last night i trimmed the HM some more, and i spread it the hole length of the tank (just at the back)

Firstly i will have a mess around with the stones, probably switching the middle and the left one around like quite a few have mentioned,


> I have moss and a suitable piece of wood for an appropriate UKAPS donation.


Could you PM a picture of it please? I have been looking for some nice bits of wood for quite a bit, but no one LFS around me has any... Thanks.



> Think about moving the fern to the right, attaching to the wood and have more stems to the left. Prune the stems to form a sloping composition.


The fern has got huge so i have quite a bit spare to chop of the main plant 


> > Lose the untidy HC on the right and have open substrate
> 
> 
> How about somethin similar to TGM's new display tank?



So trimming the HC in the same/ similar shape as TGM's small tank - i have just replanted the carpet last night as i didnt prune it in time    some parts had turned yellow underneath. So not to much hassle to change the carpet right now 



> cut those stems in 2 matey or preferably re plant and start again as the untidy lower bits are way to visible.


I replanted the whole lot last night.



> I was thinking remove the centre one and replace with a large one (or even a couple of) Anubias tied to a much smaller piece that won't be seen. It'd fill in the visual gap under that stem plant IMHO



Thanks for the suggestion, but i dont think anubias would go right, with the tank having small, fine textured leaves and all...

Thanks, i will report back with any changes.


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## Dave Spencer (10 Dec 2008)

Aaron, if this was my tank, the thing that would bother is the dividing line that disconnects the right hand third of the tank from the left hand two thirds. This is clearly caused by the way you trim the HM and the large rock itself.

My easy fix would be to trim the right hand side of the HM to the height of the rock and graduate it higher to the left of the group. As for the rock, if it is immovable, then get one or two similar rocks that get gradually smaller and add them in amongst the HC, getting lower to the right. You could then end up with something of a triangulsr shape, giving the whole look a lot more structure and linking the two sides of the scape. Hope this makes sense.

Dave.


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## aaronnorth (10 Dec 2008)

Here is the first part of the rescape, i have moved the rocks, and the HC is positioned different - although there is too much there and i dont want to throw it incase i need it!









> Aaron, if this was my tank, the thing that would bother is the dividing line that disconnects the right hand third of the tank from the left hand two thirds. This is clearly caused by the way you trim the HM and the large rock itself.
> 
> My easy fix would be to trim the right hand side of the HM to the height of the rock and graduate it higher to the left of the group. As for the rock, if it is immovable, then get one or two similar rocks that get gradually smaller and add them in amongst the HC, getting lower to the right. You could then end up with something of a triangulsr shape, giving the whole look a lot more structure and linking the two sides of the scape. Hope this makes sense.



Hi Dave, thanks for the input,
As you can see i have moved the HC which will hopefully make a big difference, and placed some more HM the whole length of the tank which i can trim to break the division up 

Thanks for looking & comments welcome on the latest scape


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