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This scape was loosley based on Castle Crag in the lake district. I did not have a photo, so worked form the memory of a visit there. Tank: ADA 60p Lighting: 2 x 36Watt PC T5 lamps (ADA solar 2) Filter: Eheim Prof 3e Hardscape: Baltic rock, Lava rock Plants: Hemianthus callitrichoides...

The inspiration for this scape, as you might have guessed from the title, came from the Lord of the Rings. For the general plan I used yet another of my derbyshire photos. I'm very pleased with my iaplc placement this year, although its lower than last year's i feel this scape is more my usual...

Well done chaps, looks even better than the new malden one :thumbup: Sorry I couldn't make it, but I had to work on Saturday morning. I'm really looking forward to seeing update photos as these awsome scapes grow in :). Cheers, James

Forest’s Edge (60 litre) - IAPLC 2013 #158 Tank: 60 x 30 x 36 cm Volume: 60 litres Hardscape: Redmoor Root, Cornish forest stone Plants: Hemianthus callitrichoides, Eleocharis parvula, Staurogyne repens, Lilaeopsis brasiliensis, Microsorium pteropus ‘dwarf’, Anubias nana ‘petite’...

This was my scape, placed 158. With which I am very pleased indeed :). Cheers, James

Congrats to all, big well done to Stu and ED. I've found all 21 UK entries: 82 - Stu Worrall 86 - Eduard Gercog 158 - James Starr-Marshall 175 - Tony Swinney 380 - Iain Sutherland 432 - Damien Zysk 523 - Andrew Mack 626 - Ian Holdich 766 - George Farmer 826 - Andrew Ward 1006 - Adrian Myers...

I thought the idea of forums was to offer contstructive criticism. If I were to post on someone's journal and say that "for me the aquascape is pretty lame" I would expect them to somewhat offended, as a comment of this nature offers little or no help. It might be worth mentioning that myself...

Thank you Luis, I’m sure that Myself, George and any other contributors to PFK magazine that post here will find your comments very encouraging. If you have any suggestions for ways in which we could make the magazine less lame please feel free to share them with us, as your opinion is very...

I'm gutted that its cancelled, i've really enjoyed meeting up with the UKaps members that attend, and will sorely miss the opportunity to do so. I'd like to echoe what george said, PFK have done everything they could to support the show, and i'm sure they would continue to do so, were the show...

At the levels I suggested, carbonated water won't present any risk to livestock, I've dosed as high as 1ml per litre with no problems. It is actualy the components of the carbonated water other than the carbonic acid that limit the dosing, and I therefore only use it in scapes that receive...

That a very nice pico scape :thumbup: , I have frequently scaped at this end of the spectrum, but never as small as 1 litre. I've found 100% daily water changes and dosing carbonated water really helpful in combating algae and encouraging plant growth. I would add 0.5ml of carbonated water at...

This scape is real textural treat, which in turn adds to the sense of scale The plants have filled in very nicely now, good decsion to loose the Cyperus btw. You should beat me at the IAPLC now mate :) Cheers, James

Sorry, I must have been in a rather silly mood yesterday. The scape looks exactly like a 60 litre because it is in fact a 60 litre, I just found the idea of an inversely scaled scape really funny:) Although, thinking about a schoal of adult discus or angels would look tiny against the...

What I've done with this scape is to use an inverse sense of scale. I used Staurogyne as HC, Giant vallis as Lilaeopsis and Bolbitis as Christams moss. So in the final photo it looks exactly like a 60 litre scape thats been growing in for 17 weeks. :D :D

I've just submitted my entry, was a little surprised when I realised its my 5th time. However, this the 1st time i haven't used a 20litre tank, instead I've entered a 12000litre scape that i've been growing in secret for the last 17 years :D

Thank you guys I agree, nano tanks don't seem to fair well at this contest. I did think about entering the 60 litre but then I would have no excuse for not ranking well :lol: Thank you Notator. I do usualy limit the numbers of species I use in small tanks, as i find things can look a bit...

Many of you will have already seen this scape, but this was the one i decided to enter in the IAPLC, upholding my tradition of using a 20 litre tank for my contest piece. Cheers, James

I hope this of use to you Cheers, James

Irrespective of any contest result, this aquascape absolutely outstanding Mark. Its not just the balance and natural appearance of the layout, but the execution and finishing that make this scape. It is very rare indeed to see a scape where every single leaf could not be better placed. :clap...

Re: Stu's 90x45x45 Apalala Shore - IAPLC 2012 #114 - AGA 201 Congratulations on both your contest placements, Stu :clap: The AGA is a real result mate and a very well deserved one at that :thumbup: The scape is absolutly stunning, and its great to see art work of this standard coming from...

Well done to everyone took part in the prelims :thumbup: , and especialy to those who made it through. With such a talented line up of contestants, I reckon the judgeing will be a real challenge. I look forward to seeing you guys in action. Cheers, James

Hi Jack The carbonated water is a source of CO2, and a more natural way of providing it than liquid carbon / gluteralderhyde. 6ml per tank looks fine to me, and i would add it just before the lights are switched on. If you are able you could also dose the same again half way through the photo...

Having looked at the pictures again i see you are at maximum gap what with the sofa. I remember now that i had mine set up right in the middle of the lounge floor, my girlfriend was not happy :oops: . As I said its great to see one again, they are extremely rare. Obviously they take more effort...

Hi Jack Its great to see another aquascape triptych :thumbup: My only critism is that i feel the tanks are a bit too close together to get maximum impact. I did one back in 2010 for an art exhibition and used the golden mean 1:1.618 ratio to set the gap between the tanks Please click on the...

Thank you Chris :D Hi John, I prune the Glosso fortnightly and cut the whole lot down to less than half a centimeter tall. The carpet regrows in about 10 days, by day 14 the carpet is about 5cm thick and requires pruning again. Unfortunately this means that the scape only looks its best for a...

Hi Folks Sorry about the lack of updates, i've been really busy and have only had time to maintain the tank. Thanks Ady, I think its mainly that the fish are easier to see, some of the Boraras i've kept in smeller tanks are not visible at more that a couple of feet away. Thanks mate, my...

Re: James' ADA 60p setup (week 6 shots) Thank you Stu :D , No signs of even a red tint yet on the tennelus. I may start adding some ECA soon, that sometimes helps with the reds. It will be interesting to see if the 10 hours flattens your Glosso, I reckon that Mini-M would look spot on with...

Re: James' ADA 60p setup Sorry about the slow response chaps, I’ve been crazy busy this week An excellent example there Luis. Often we can determine more from observing the real world than we can by using loads of scientific principles, as it’s very easy to overlook an important variable...

Re: James' ADA 60p setup Thanks Andras. Its interesting that you mention Amanos tanks as I was looking through his complete works last night. Something I noticed was that in the scapes with large areas of Glosso carpeting, he uses a long photoperiod (minimum 10 hours), I remember now that I...

Re: James' ADA 60p setup Hi Schruz Thanks for the compliments :D That's a super healthy Glosso carpet you've grown there, and you make some interesting points about the growth of this plant. Untill now I've not used the plant for a couple of years but last time was in this 20 litre tank...

Re: Rebirth (550d!) Lovely scape and photography :thumbup: The images look super sharp. Cheers, James

Re: James' ADA 60p setup I think it's alot harder to grow than many people think. I've only ever got it grow completely sideways under ridiculously high lighting i.e. 48watts of T5 2 inches from the water surface of a Mini-M. Although I know George has managed it with far less light, just by...

Re: Stu's 90x45x45 Dragon Stone Scape That's a very intricate and innovative layout Stu :thumbup: With such attention to detail the sense of scale is excellent, i look forward to seeing it grow in. Cheers, James

Re: Double Opti White Nano - Cherry/Sakura Breeding Colony Lovely pair of nanos Paulo, the tanks look great in such close proximty to each other. Cheers, James

Re: James' ADA 60p setup Thanks Paulo, I've haked the Glosso right back and can now see quite a few horizontal runners :D Cheers, James

Re: James' ADA 60p setup Thank you chaps :D Luis - TGM don't mind, but PFK like exculisives, so I will have to rescape or perhaps just replant. Paulo - Yes, it's quite a list, I was like at kid at christmas when I picked it all up. Here's the tank at 3 weeks, there are still a few...

Re: James' ADA 60p setup Again not my intention to insult or cause offense, aren't journals meant to show people what you are doing and get some feedback? I just gave my feedback. :) ___________________________ Hi Luis, You have not offended me, although reading over my response I can...

Re: James' ADA 60p setup Thank you George, much appreciated. I do have a slightly more complex planting scheme in mind for a replant of this hardscape. However I really wanted to remind myself how to grow Glosso horizontaly in a tank that contained only fast growing varieties of plant. That...

Re: James' ADA 60p setup Thanks Fandango Here's the tank at one week, I pruned the tenellus right back shortly after this shot was taken. At 2 weeks old the tenellus has recovered from the pruning and seems to be producing shorter leaves. The Glosso is still growing verticaly so I've...

Re: James' ADA 60p setup Thank for your comments folks, much appreciated :D Cheers Luis I didn't really have a prescribed style in mind when I designed the scape. Its just my interpretation of a landscape that caught my eye whilst on holiday in Derbyshire. Thanks Emyr, worth every penny...

For some time I have been planning to scape something larger than my usual 2 to 20 litre tanks and really fancied doing an ADA 60p. On phoning the green machine to investigate they suggested that I scape a full ADA 60p setup and photograph it for their website. I visited their store in early...

Blimey Girls... don't bust the buttons on your blouses. :roll: Just to shut you up... Got this for the 60cm...and yes George I thought I might super glue riccia all over it, because I have the coordination of a 3 year old and can't tie with fishing line. :lol: Happy New Year :D , James

Thanks for your appreciation folks :D As the shrimps are slow moving I could take these shots at 1/6 second shutter speed. The ripples would then have been completey blurred, so I sacriiced them for a small aperture and slow shutter speed to capture the mosses as sharply as i could. Cheers...

Re: 120 x 55 x 55 now with 300w of metal halide Stunning scape Mark :thumbup: , that's some super dense HC for 8 weeks. I like the tweak, a small change can make a big difference. Cheers, james

Well its been a while, but the 20 litre Iwagumi has finaly reached its final photo stage. It has taken 22 weeks to grow the mosses to full maturity, but well worth the wait i feel. I have battled a bit of BBA on occasion, which I suppose is a risk with 85% moss planting in a 20 litre tank under...

Re: Tonys 'Triassic Hollow' 420L - Altums in residence Absolutely stunning Tony :thumbup: The scape has evolved beautifully. Cheers, James

Re: Tonys 'Triassic Hollow' 420L - 1yr old ! I second the motion :)

congratualtions on your well deserved placement :thumbup: Cheers, James

What a fantastic weekend, hats off to Tom, Jill and their team for putting together such a successful show. To have achieved what they did at launch is testament to their skill as event organisers. The Ukaps presence was, as always, legendary. The superb scapes on the stand from Ed and Tony did...

The results of the 2011 AGA aquascaping contest are out. Their website is a bit sticky at the moment, what with all the trffic it's receiving. I'm chuffed to bits as "A World Apart" received "most innovative" award :D . Cheers, James

The tanks looking good :thumbup: It was a very pleasant evening, great to see some familiar faces and meet some new ones too :D . Looking forward to seeing you all again at "Aquatics LIve". Cheers, James

I'll pop down after work, look forward to seeing you all Cheers, James

This is great news indeed :D The show would not have been the same without George at the helm. Cheers, james

Re: A more conventional Iwagumi Thanks Andy. I've never known easycarbo to kill anything but BBA and Staghorn, It has had no effect on thread algae even when spot dosed. However others may have had different experiences. Thread algae is best delt with by Amano shrimps. Cheers, James

Re: A more conventional Iwagumi Thank you folks :D , much appreciated. All maintenance is done once a week. I only syphon the moss at the base very lightly as the stones its attached to are sitting on a layer of mulm, and i don't want to drag it up into the moss. Cheers, James

In my experience Xmas moss usualy attaches very well, but i never had weeping moss root properly to the rock work. Cheers, james

Re: Stu's ADA Mini M nano - Step by step on page 5 i'm really sorry to hear that Stu, my condolences to you and your family.

Re: A more conventional Iwagumi Update At nearly 11 weeks old the scape is starting to fill in properly. The mosses were pruned 2 weeks ago and are now a lot more dense. The BBA has all but gone, and the traces that remain look well bleached by the gluteralderhyde. The gluteralderhyde...

very encouraging words from the master himself. Cheers, James

Top class shots George :thumbup: . It always adds authenticity when the fish are set against the appropriate biotopical backdrop. Cheers, james

Hi Nick Frictional losses in flow rate will depend on the length of hose used as well as the diameter. There are formula to work out the exact amounts, but they're fairly complex and probably not as accurate as practical experiment. I'd time how long it takes to fill a 3 gallon bucket and do...

Re: GA in-store display 120P Iwagumi - Fly above the giant c Wow, that's some seriously healthy HC Viktor :thumbup: For it to look that lush and green just 2 days after pruning is truly amazing. Cheers, james

Re: Tonys Mini-M - 65 days & going strong ! It looks stunning Tony :thumbup: Great macro shots too. Cheers, James

Re: A more conventional Iwagumi Thanks Mark :D Good point. That's one of the reasons i'm getting a 60cm set up, nanos can be a bit limiting when it comes to choice of plants and fish. I might even have a try at using some wood :shock: :lol: Cheers, James

Re: 120 x 55 x 55 Flowering Anubias That's interesting, cos i'd imagine that a final shot with a dozen or more submerged flowers would look incredible and somewhat unique. Cheers, James

Suberb layout Andy :thumbup: . The HC amongst the rocks on the left gives a very natural effect. I look forward to seeing it grow in. Cheers, James

Re: A more conventional Iwagumi Thanks for the compliments folks :D , they are much appreciated. Me too mate, hoping to get started on it next month. I've used an opaque white tank backing in conjunction with a "powerglo" backlight shining on the white wall behind the tank. I think It is the...

Re: Tom's 60P build - Change of paint - again! It's never worked for me, I think once its bowed it will never return to flat. I've got used to checking the boards I get delivered at work. If they're not flat I send them back, much to the amusement of the delivery driver. Cheers, James

Re: Tom's 60P build - Change of paint - again! Plywood is probably better as it is lighter weight and tougher than MDF. However if it has not been stored properly it is just as likely to bow as MDF. As long as it is flat when you get it, should be ok. You might want to use some grain fill on...

Re: Tom's 60P build - Change of paint - again! NIce build Tom. Did the door bow as a result of painting it ? Cheers, James

Re: 120 x 55 x 55 Flowering Anubias Very cool, how long do the flowers last under water ? I've had sagittaria flower loads but always above the water level. Cheers, James

Re: A more conventional Iwagumi Update The scape is 8 weeks old now and is finally starting to look more as i envisaged. The weeping moss is begining to creep over the lower stones and i feel the Riccia is looking a little more natural. Still, I think it's going take at least another 8 weeks...

Re: A different approach - photo shoot Lovely scape Tom, and great photography too. You've convinced me to give Crypts a try again. Cheers, James

Re: [UKAPS-LAC] Top 10 Winners Announced (Pg.3)! Thank you for your votes guys, I’m very pleased to have received so many. It’s great to see such a range of different scaping styles in the top 10, and I look forward to meeting up with you all at aquatics live :D . Cheers, James

Re: A more conventional Iwagumi Thanks Luis. A splash of red could look good, however a few isolated stems would just get laid flat by the current as the tank is turned over 20 times per hour. Thank you George, much appreciated :D I'm planning another Gumi myself, i,ve got to get a 60cm...

Re: 60cm iwagumi scape Nice scape, a very striking design. HC looks super healthy as well. Cheers, James

Re: A more conventional Iwagumi Thanks Tom :D . HM is a good suggestion, it might well creep over the rocks at the back more naturaly than riccia. Cheers, James

Re: A more conventional Iwagumi photos taken today. Well, the mosses seem to have recovered and are growing nicely. I still feel the scape looks a little scruffy, but i hope that will improve once the moss matures. The Riccia and Grass are growing fast and have been pruned a couple of...

three equaly spaced planted cubes in a line, always looks cool in my opinion :D I reckon that hydrocotyle could creep in to the other 2 tanks given half the chance. Cheers, james

Re: 120 x 55 x 55 full tank shot @ 5 weeks Super healthly plants as always Mr Evans. The layout is superb, the path way adds crazy depth. Cheers, James

Re: A different approach That's looking really good Tom. I would never have considered using such large plants in a nano, but they look perfectly proportioned. Cheers, James

Re: A more conventional Iwagumi Thanks Paulo, much appreciated. Update Day 7. Started to get some BBA in the moss so decided to spot dose it with easycorbo Day 10. Seriously damaged the moss with the spot dosing. Day 14. Weeping moss on the left had on the left of the tank was all...

Thanks guys :D That's true Paulo, large tanks do seem to fair better. Although i'm not sure that my style of scaping is to their tastes irrespective of tank size. :D Cheers, James

Thank you Balazs, much appreciated :D Congrats on your excellent placement this year :thumbup: Cheers, James

Thanks everyone :D your appreciation is greatly received. Cheers, james

That's a great layout Neil. Congrats on your placement mate :thumbup: Cheers, James

This is my entry Ranked 747th. Cheers, James

That's stunning Mark, a very natural and mature look. Congrats on a well deserved place :thumbup: Cheers, James

I am quite suprised at this placement, I really thought this would be the year you got top 100. Although the final shot was unreleased, the hardscape had recieved alot of publicity, I wonder if this resulted in a points deduction. Personally I rate both versions of this aquascape very highly...

Congrats to all who entered. Greatest respect to Balazs 64th, Viktor 80th and Mark 95th, well done chaps :thumbup: Cheers, James

Re: A more conventional Iwagumi Unfortunately my use of Riccia doesn't lend itself to being removed. I don't find pruning it too bad, as long as I remember to turn my filter off first, then it floats to the top and i collect it with a net. I know I can successfuly pluck Riccia from moss with...

Re: A different approach - DIY ADA Light done :D :thumbup: Sweet :thumbup: 10/10 mate, much better than mine. I'm definately going to work out a way to suspend my current canopy from a metal tube, looks way cleaner that way. Cheers, James

Re: A different approach - DIY ADA Light done :D The cable is just + and - , I cut mine to feed it throught some white conduit, and i've had no problems. Probably best to make the cut as far from the metal tube as possible (for obvious reasons) and use a good quality cable connector. I would...

Re: A more conventional Iwagumi Thanks Tom Thanks Flygja, That's a good point, i've mixed HC and Riccia a few times and the riccia can be plucked out with tweezers to stop it swamping the HC. However, this is not so easy with hair grass as I tend to accidently grab the grass and uproot it. I...

Re: A different approach - DIY ADA Light done :D Top notch DIY job Tom :thumbup: , I've been making DIY lighting for a while myself. Is there any way you could run the power cable for the lamp through the supporting tube ? p.s The scape looks stunning too. Cheers, James

The scape looks great after only 2 weeks, love the way the hardscape uses the whole height of the tank. I bet it will be stunning once grown in. Cheers, James

Wow, the emersed growth of the Hydrocotyle is incredible, i've never seen it grow like thet. I wonder how dense it would become if left. Cheers, James

Re: A more conventional Iwagumi Thanks Viktor :D I am becoming a fan of mosses, they do seem to give a natural mature look to a scape. Cheers, James

Re: Stu's ADA Mini M nano - Step by step on page 5 Hi Stu, sorry i missed the start of this Journal. That's a stunning little nano :thumbup: . Got any recent shots? Cheers, James

Re: 120 x 55 x 55 'Ruby' Run out of superglue! That's looking suberb Mark :thumbup: , I shall watch this one grow in with great interest. Cheers, James