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New Scape (critique needed) PICS

tko187

Member
Joined
18 Jun 2008
Messages
244
So some of you will remember me from posting here a while ago when i was going to rescape my rio 180, well ive finally got the bug again..........which i think i lost interest for about a year.

The tank is a Rio 180, i have taken the internal filter out and added an external, it keeps the original jewel lighting with reflectors also added, will be using a hydor koralia powerhead for flow purposes. The co2 system is JBL with 500g and solenoid. I will be using dry fertz.

Right now i want your help with the hardscape, this is all the rocks and wood i have, i have used 2 and a half bags of Amazonia and nile sand at the foreground. This is my first proper nature aquarium, my first effort was very amatuer indeed and hopefully this is a bit better, please give all your comments on positioning of rock and driftwood, i am open to all requests to reposition, as i am basically a noob ha ha.

With regards to planting i really want a jungle feel and helferi and hc or glosso placed in between rocks with java ferns, bolbitis , moss on wood, anubias and crypts and helferi for the background.

Now fire away im all ears, thanks in advance !!

First pic
fishtank005.jpg


From the side so you can see different angles.

2nd pic Full Tank Shot
fishtank001.jpg


Thanks for your help.

Edited to add another pic.
fishtank002.jpg
 
You've got some nice pieces of wood and all the correct substrate to give plants a really good start.
Try the wood coming from one direction (left or right) and same with rocks - big to small and then add some intermediate sizes to break up the transition of rocks to pebbles, gravels to sands.
Good luck, this is the fun part.
Keep posting your results, we're interested.
 
elanmak said:
You've got some nice pieces of wood and all the correct substrate to give plants a really good start.
Try the wood coming from one direction (left or right) and same with rocks - big to small and then add some intermediate sizes to break up the transition of rocks to pebbles, gravels to sands.
Good luck, this is the fun part.
Keep posting your results, we're interested.

Thanks for the reply, i forgot to mention that i will be using graded gravels and smaller rocks or stone with moss for the transition. Thanks for that, any ponters on how to switch about the rocks.

chilled84 said:
I like it. try lowering the background substrate in the middle so u have a steep left and steep right, that would give a nice layout. try and take just a few stones out the middle too just to lead the eye more. :D

Thanks i will do this in the morning and post a pic once i have done, thanks for the kind words.
 
welcome back :thumbup:

the thing with wood is that it can look ok before planting then really good after and it can work the other way round.

one thing i try to do with wood it make the tips of them at different levels. if you look at yours they are all on a similar level. i try and make them like a zig-zag so maybe the fist piece on the left alot lower and less verticle. this is also down to your tastes and there is no 'right' way of doing it, thats just how i think
 
tko187 said:
elanmak said:
You've got some nice pieces of wood and all the correct substrate to give plants a really good start.
Try the wood coming from one direction (left or right) and same with rocks - big to small and then add some intermediate sizes to break up the transition of rocks to pebbles, gravels to sands.
Good luck, this is the fun part.
Keep posting your results, we're interested.

Thanks for the reply, i forgot to mention that i will be using graded gravels and smaller rocks or stone with moss for the transition. Thanks for that, any ponters on how to switch about the rocks.

chilled84 said:
I like it. try lowering the background substrate in the middle so u have a steep left and steep right, that would give a nice layout. try and take just a few stones out the middle too just to lead the eye more. :D

Thanks i will do this in the morning and post a pic once i have done, thanks for the kind words.
anytime, ill be happy to see more. keep it up.
 
Thanks, i really would like know how to position this rock or should i break it more and try with different pieces? Also any ideas on planting???
 
Ok so i have been messing about a bit, let me know if im going in the right direction or not, ive tried to slope out the aquasoil to the left and right as suggested and also broke up rocks and added some smaller ones, i think seperating the rocks has created nice gaps so i can add glosso, hc, helferi and anubias. Please tell me what you think i need to do.

scape006.jpg
 
tko187 said:
Ok so i have been messing about a bit, let me know if im going in the right direction or not, ive tried to slope out the aquasoil to the left and right as suggested and also broke up rocks and added some smaller ones, i think seperating the rocks has created nice gaps so i can add glosso, hc, helferi and anubias. Please tell me what you think i need to do.

scape006.jpg
Try leaveing the centre without rocks and wood. and also try and place the large rocks buried half way up slopes on either side trimed with smaller burryed rocks quiet close to the large ones in groupings. that would be better. i could mesure the gaps between your loyout and they would be to similar. try a bit more random rather than methodical. get me. Art masters under my belt hehe. dont seem to help me much thou. :lol: hope it helps you.
 
Hi thanks for the input again, this is some hard work man, i can see that there isnt a lot of interest in this. Please have a look at the following scape of Luis Navvaro from APC this is very much what i am trying to acheive or something like Saintly's Miracle Mire.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/journals/9052-75-gallon-open-forground.html

Maybe this will help you understand what im tring to do.

3 month update i think is on page 3, the tank looks nothing special at the beginning but after time it mature reeally well. I am after jungle scape, say like amanos big tank.

Also what kind of graded gravel should i use?? The same stuff Saintly used in Miracle Mire.

Anyone else care to jump in, wheres the big guns man??? :lol:
 
Hey guys i really never meant any offence by that, i really listen to your kind advice and worked on it. Thanks so do you think it is ok like this now, i mean the 2nd option.
 
Hi Tko.

so your looking for graded gravels eh? :angelic: it's no big surprise if i were to say, visit your garden center and buy some really cheap bags of pebbles. check out the different sizes and colours.

one thing i've discovered is, mix colours to achieve a noticeable colour change as opposed to gravels that are the same colour.

if you look at the following image, you'll notice different sizes and colours...even black towards the rocks. all from a garden centre. don't pay through the nose for over priced gravels.

manziwooddemo.jpg


side-2.jpg


6.jpg


here's the miracle mire too.....not my best

d1a5c70e.jpg


734ba313.jpg


stuff you want to be looking for....
974256ac.jpg


P@H and MA stock this.....

50bc5f93.jpg
 
just a little pistol here :lol: but looking at luis scape it looks to me that the main "feature" is on the right 2/3rds of the tank,with the left almost seperate.smaller stones between to link it all together.
i think your biggest stone/rock is too big.bury it a bit or break it.move or lose the stone in the middle and replace with smaller ones.
then do as mark said.

BUT......its you that looks at it every day ;) .
 
I think you know where you're going with it now. Just keep lookin for natural rhythms in the rock and wood.
Go with your instincts, it's lookin good.
You'll be amazed how different it will look when you add the water and the plants, it transforms into a magical, mystery tour :D
Keep us posted
 
elanmak said:
I think you know where you're going with it now. Just keep lookin for natural rhythms in the rock and wood.
Go with your instincts, it's lookin good.
You'll be amazed how different it will look when you add the water and the plants, it transforms into a magical, mystery tour :D
Keep us posted
And that's one of the biggest guns the UK aquascaping scene has to offer. Top advice!
 
Hey thanks for all the replies, im still working on it and messing with it everyday, i will try to remove the middle rocks. Saintly thanks for the extra pics and stuff, really helps to see how the tanks were set up, any more of these set up pics.

Am i just putting the wrong size rock in here?

If i take out the middle rock, should i just replace with smaller ones?

Im going back to see what i can do, have to setup all the filter and co2 today, hopefully plants coming next week.

Thanks for everyones input, really appreciate it.


Thanks you are all big guns compared to me......so cheers!
 
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