• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

The Dark Side or What Lurks Beneath

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
Looks great.....i liked the wood though 🙁
 
Yer me too, but I think overall I preferred this planting scheme without it. I think that when the stems grow the wood won't be an issue...my attempts at photography really don't do it justice anyway.

I've had a bit of a trim - the Rotola (back left) and the Microsorium and swapped the Cryptocoryne nevillii with the C. wendtii (bottom right). I think it gives the scape a bit more depth; it was looking a bit linear before.

trimandreposition.jpg

I don't hold much hope for the HC cuba (bottom left), since my dwarf golden barbs love grazing on it so I think I'll replace it with some more Staurogyne when its gone.

I'm also about to re-scape my low-energy tank but nothing fancy, mainly with the big root feeders Crypts, Vallis and Echinodorus.
 
Ian Holdich said:
Looks very Dutch, well planted mate!
Click to expand...

Thanks Ian, I guess that was sort of the idea, but with a bit of nature aquarium thrown in as well. But I must confess I didn't feel comfortable announcing it outright since I'm not totally confident I really understand either style that well :?

hydrophyte said:
Nice planting! That will grow in very pretty.
Click to expand...

Cheers, I hope I can keep the plants alive long enough for that to come to fruition 🙂
 
Whitey89 said:
Is that the same tank! Wow. That's some planting sir! Looks magnificent!
Click to expand...

Thanks Nate that's much appreciated, I meant to reply earlier but got sidetracked. By the way, liking your Ryuoh Ravine it's a pretty cool scape.

stu_ said:
Ian Holdich said:
Looks very Dutch, well planted mate!
Click to expand...

That was my first thought
If it's a Dutch influenced scape, then it does it for me
Good luck
Click to expand...

Thanks Stu, nice to know that someone else thinks there is at least some sort of recognizable resemblance to the Dutch style. Once the stems grow though it'll be interesting to see if it starts to resemble the nature aquarium style more.
 
Sorry it’s been a while, I've not been on site at all recently what with one thing and another. But now I've posted a snapshot below. On comparison I’m not sure it’s looking any better, but it’s still early days yet and it has a long way to go.

But in the meantime, it’s had several trims and I've removed the Cabomba sp. (it was only meant as a filler and it grew very leggy) and replaced it with Rotala rotundifolia which grows very well.

The Alternanthera Reineckii died back but sprouted new leaves (I guess it was grown emersed in the nursery) so I pinched the crowns out and replanted them, and they seem to be doing ok.

The Ludwigia repens is doing very well and the leaf colour is remarkable. The Myriophyllum grows quickly and the leaves have turned from dark brown to orange, but like the Cabomba it tends to grow very leggy. I suppose, I need to consider increasing light intensity possibly using T5s instead of T8s.

And what was left of the Ludwigia arcuata is recovering slowly but still looking a bit sorry for itself.

I’ve also simplified the foreground and added some Cryptocoryne wendtii (green) to the mid-ground far left. As predicted there isn't much Cuba left uneaten.

But overall I’m fairly pleased with the results so far, and I’m very interested to see how it all develops and whether my ability is up to the challenge of maintaining the tank without too many problems and achieving the luxuriant growth I’m after.

update2_zpsb7d97eb7.jpg
 
tim said:
looks good troi switching to t5s will increase the need for gas maybe beyond the levels your livestock can handle as I've just found out with the optiwhite I've purchased still its a steep learning curve as they say good to see an update mate :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Thanks Tim, I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet on that one either way, T8s are great for low-energy tanks but I don't think that they quite cut the mustard with hi-energy, I imagine it's something to do with intensity and penetration.

easerthegeezer said:
Looking good troi, cant help but feel some nano wood would add some natural height and help draw the eye around 🙂
What is the crypt on the right? tropica or brown? its got a lovely red shade!

How are you finding the high tech world?
Click to expand...

Cheers Iain, I think you're right about the wood, and I'm hedging toward putting it back, but for the time being I want to be able to grow the stems unhindered for a while more yet.

The crypt is tropica, I inherited these from George's shallow, but I've grown them since I restarted with the hobby over 2 years ago. The original ones (or their offspring) are still in my low-energy tank and they love soil; they're only supposed to reach 15cm in height mine are about 25cm.

I'm finding the Hi-tech world interesting, for the want of a more interesting adjective. It's amazing what you can achieve with a fuel injected tank in a week. Tim is right the learning curve is very steep which suits me down to the ground; I'm an impatient perfectionist. But alas, I have a long way to go still and truth be told I not sure I'm all that successful with the more difficult plants, but time and experience will tell...I hope.

What's your take on the whole high-energy T8/T5 thingy. I know it's been discussed ad nauseum but it doesn't hurt to get another perspective on the subject?

Alastair said:
Very very nice troi certainly done just as good a job at the high tech side of it as you have low tech


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

That's nice of you to say so Alastair, especially since my rubbish snapshots do not do it justice at all, but I'm trying...probably very. I totally redid my low-energy tank at the same time so I have a direct comparison regarding both methods and the rate of plant growth, which is phenomenal in both tanks. But when all said and done I'm still amazed at how fast the plants grow in my low-energy setup, definitely on a par with the high-energy. But admittedly I've chosen all big root feeders for the low-energy.
 
Well, thought I'd add a few pics since it's been a while, but I have a good reason. I'm recovering from surgery.

Anyway, I've put the wood back and given everything a bit of a trim. I've allowed the Rotola to take over, and I think the overall look is now that of a nature scape rather than dutch. At least it will be when it all grows back.

update3_zps8439d922.jpg
update31_zpsc3c26e82.jpg
 
Tank is coming along nicely 🙂 also wishing you a speedy recovery, careful during maintenance 😉
 
Looking great Troi. Much better with the wood back in again IMO. Like the way the wood sits on a bed of rock and how you have merged these two elements with anubias.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top