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Low-energy Soil Substrate Scape

Tim Harrison

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UKAPS Team
Joined
5 Nov 2011
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10,359
Location
Leicestershire
Just finished setting this up for my eldest son in his new home. A neighbour was giving away an old bow fronted Aqua One Aquastart 500 with stand and accessories. Thought I'd have a go at scaping a low-energy soil tank since it's been a while. It was designed to be viewed from the front and LH side.

I used bits and pieces of hardscape that I had laying around in the garage and bought a load of easy plants. Slate, I bought from a local garden centre years ago, and a few bits of spider wood. The substrate is 1:1 mix of moss peat, and Growise aquatic compost from Maidenhead Aquatics, capped with pea gravel and a mix of left over sand, mainly Tesco play sand.

Hopefully it'll survive long enough to grow in. Excuse the reflections and less than perfect phone camera shots...

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Looks good......I like it 👍
Thanks hoggie :)
Looking good all my tanks but one have been second hand so far. May not be the prettiest tanks but the scape inside is what is important. Its amazing how creative you can be with the left overs you have lying about.
The scape certainly is the most important thing. Gucci open top tanks look great but they’re not particularly livestock friendly and can increase room humidity. This aquarium is perfect for my son.

I hope it is as successful as your previous attempts.
Thanks foxfish, me too. It’ll be up to my son to look after it now. But it’s not his first so it should be in good hands.
 
Yeah still running. I’ll take some images soon. Curiously though the Vallis is struggling. It always went mental for me in the same water. So not sure what’s going on. Suggestions welcome.
 
Nice find and scape.
Moss peat perhaps too acidic in the substrate for the Vallis?
 
Thanks
Is it being dosed with anything like Glut?
No glute, but you’re right vallis isn’t a fan.
Nice find and scape.
Moss peat perhaps too acidic in the substrate for the Vallis?
Actually I think you’re definitely on to something there Ady. I’ve grown vallis in100% moss peat in the past capped with silicon gravel and it did well. However, I’ve grown it in peat capped with coral sand and growth was mental 👍
 
Thanks

No glute, but you’re right vallis isn’t a fan.

Actually I think you’re definitely on to something there Ady. I’ve grown vallis in100% moss peat in the past capped with silicon gravel and it did well. However, I’ve grown it in peat capped with coral sand and growth was mental 👍
Maybe add some coral sand and see what happens :)
 
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