Critique my aquascape 5ft Tank Scape Critique

[Harry Muscle]

I'm working on an aquascape for my 5ft (18" front to back, 24" tall) tank and I'm looking for some input on the manzanita that I've put together so far.

I'm looking to create that feeling of it being the edge of a river. This will be a low maintenance tank with a large array of plants ... I'd say close to a jungle tank but a bit more manicured.

I'm trying a tree trunk style layout at the moment. I'm open to any and all suggestions, good or bad.

Here's a front shot. Ignore the rocks at the moment they are there just to hold things up. The wood planks are there to give a sense of where the gravel depth will be and to show the tank dimensions.

Here's two side shots. The tank will be viewed mostly from this angle cause that's the direction of the sofa.

And here's the other side.

What do you guys think? BTW, I will be adding rock work of some sorts using dragon (Ohko) rock.

Thanks,
Harry

 

[Harry Muscle]

Here's a few shots after I added some rocks ... the rocks were sort just thrown together to give some extra context to the wood. Not really sure what to think of this scape yet.

Thanks,
Harry

 

[tam]

You've jigsawed that trunk together well. Maybe some smaller thinner pieces coming off the roots, like they are splitting up as they would naturally - e.g. where the long right hand root has that little offshoot - continue that and add some more.

 

[Harry Muscle]

You've jigsawed that trunk together well. Maybe some smaller thinner pieces coming off the roots, like they are splitting up as they would naturally - e.g. where the long right hand root has that little offshoot - continue that and add some more.

Thanks. I'll definitely try that suggestion.

I decided to try adding some branches to the escape. I also raised the gravel level to reduce the mangrove look I was getting. So in these pictures the bottom you see is going to be the top of the gravel.

I think the branches are starting to give the scape a less artificial look, but I'm open to opinions, etc.

Thanks,
Harry

 

[Enano_1]

I think the branches are starting to give the scape a less artificial look, but I'm open to opinions, etc.

Thanks,
Harry

You've reached with last branches that you added.

It looks very natural, when the wood will be wet, it looks more natural

You can put other little dragon stones between the final of the root of the right side

 

[Ryan Thang To]

Hi
Wow this going to look epic. Really like the wood. Keep it up can't wait for the next update

Cheers
Ryan

 

[Harry Muscle]

Here's what I've put together so far.

I'm not sure about the long root though. I might remove it. I'm also still playing around with adding more smaller roots at the base of the stump. Not sure if that might be too much wood though.

And I'm mostly stuck in figuring out how to incorporate some of the dragon rock I have into this scape.

Feel free to comment, offer opinions, suggestions, etc.

Thanks,
Harry

 

[foxfish]

Great effort, I like the windswept effect of the branches but I feel the main stump should follow suit & at lease lean at little towards the branch direction.
Possibly cutting or shaping the top of the stump at an angle would develop the effect even more.
Windswept is a classic bonsai design.

 

[Harry Muscle]

The driftwood is now all done and I'm playing around with the rock scape. Please let me know what you guys think of this rock layout. For some reason the rocks are proving harder for me to scape that the driftwood.

Don't forget that there will be about 3" of gravel so the bottom portions of the wood and rocks will be hidden by that.

Thanks,
Harry

 

[tam]

Have you thought about putting a tray around and adding the gravel or some sand in? Might be easier to picture how the rocks will look as the height and what will show is a bit more complex for them.

 

[Harry Muscle]

Here's the latest version actually in the tank. No gravel yet though.

Thanks,
Harry

 

[Costa]

Very nice! Well done!

 

[Danny]

Here's the latest version actually in the tank. No gravel yet though.

Thanks,
Harry

It reminds me of a squid lol really not sure about those two "feeler" branches

 

[cookie.dou]

When you are at the edge of the water, you usually don't see roots sticking straight out from what I've seen on my hikes. The tree roots usually cling onto the stones/soil and they aren't always visible. But when a stream flows through the forest, the bigger stones usually build up near the center of the stream and creates a divide (as they are more difficult to push out). If you're feeling itchy, I would actually try to do a stream flowing into a river feeling with 2 main "trunks", with the stones beneath as support (with a path in the center) and not just have this go literally trunk then stones.