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I fully understand what you're saying Andre. Sure my London tap water is never constant in it's chemistry. Also, the idea of adding near half a tank of cold chlorinated water into a tank of wild Amazonian fish (green neons, checkerboards and ottos) use to give me some concern, but as I said...

Hi all. Bad news for me. Whilst performing a water change yesterday, filters off, hose straight from tap into the tank, dechlorinator poured in as the tank is filling up. Same as every week for the past 2 years of fish keeping. As it was filling up I noticed that one of my male checkerboard...

Love the idea of an Xmas moss carpet. Shrimp will love that! :) Those choc gourami's are stunning!! I only run standard London tap water in my tank so think I can only day dream about having them in mine. Hope they keep well in there for you mate.

Well I've always attributed sand discolouration to dirty filters and bright light. For this set up, the 2 t5 bulbs are nearly 2 feet off the top of the water surface, only on for 7 hours a day. Also, this sand is a nice natural colour to it. Unipac Fiji.

Thanks very much. Yeah I believe I am now. I've added some amazon frogbit on the surface, but I think it's soaking up all the nutrients before anything else has the chance. Is this possible? It is rather lean dosing. Also, I think it's restricting flow as over the last couple of days I've...

Still going strong. Everything except algae is growing. Added eleocharis acicularis to both far sides and back middle. Runners after a couple days!! My light is about 2ft off the water surface! Two 4th t5 tubes only. 8 hours a day. Thanks.

It's changed a little. Thanks for the sand suggestion, George. I actually have gone for a mass of Fiji sand. Lots of moss. Cut the stems right down also. Was getting lots of BBA on the hardscape so I've purchased a new regulator and raised the lights about 2 foot off the tank surface. This...

An amazing set up, finished off with a beautiful 'scape. This has really inspired me. Thanks for posting! Also... A magnetic strip for the tools! Seeing that was a true "why didn't I think of that" moment. :)

Re: 120 x 55 x 55 What a day! Wow. Where is this being displayed? Sorry, I've been under a bit of a work shaped rock for a while.

Also throwing in half a teaspoon of KPo4 and TRACE. 50% water change twice a week. Not happy with the Unipac Maui sand. Far too bright for this layout I think. May suck it out am stump up for some ADA stuff. What you guys think?

Been a little while since my last update. This is how it looks as of tonight. More sand, less light. Got rid of the moss all over the wood as it was just gathering algae. Added some crypts around the vase of the wood and a few moss stones. The stems are growing, but seem to die whenever I trim...

Yeah I did love that. Still got all that wood so may go back to that at a later date. Really feeling that style more than the landscaped look lately.

Thanks very much Alastair. Appreciated. Done the intake also. Just crimped the end together and willsand it down later. Then sawed some slices up the tube. Looks ok and does the job!! Really can't get over how nice it makes the whole tank with no horrible green tubes in there. Just broke down my...

Actually really love the growth. recently brought Amano's Nature Aquarium: Complete Works and this really reminds me of some of his in my opinion, earlier, great 'scapes. Love the shadow the stems are creating.

Been a busy boy today. Got 20mm outer diameter clear acrylic tubing, a heat gun, pipe bender and sand. Created this after plugging the end and blowing. 20mm pipe is bigger than the hose to my filter so I heated the end and stretch it over. So here it is. Not the greatest of lily pipes, but...

Well chuffed at this mate. Something a little different to the usual overly sculpted iwagumi. Love the almost scruffy foreground, moving bak to the "weeds" crypts by the rock work. Really amazing. True Nature Aquarium. Congratulations.

Re: 60*30*40 Green Paradise Easy mate. Great formation of hardscape, healthy plants and all over beauty makes it happen. Love how the 2 shoals of fish help add to the distant perspective! :)

Well that's what I've done today. Plant list that i planted half hour ago... 2 x bacopa Australis for the dark corners 2 x rotala sp. Green Polygonum sp. Pogostemon erectus And something else I just can't remember. :(

It only looks like that. The filter outflow is actually aimed at the back glass flowing to the Koralia. So there is constant left to right flow. I did have a spraybar and Koralia all aimed at one end of the tank but Co2 wasn't getting to all of the tank. I've had this configuration in a prvious...

Not too bad mate. But not spotless unfortunately. I was hoping to keep it as just the two stems I have now, but I think I'm gonna have to just throw an absolute ton in there and let them soak up a load of nutrients to help balance it all out. Then I can 'scape how I want it. Got a little bit of...

Well, less than 2 weeks in and it's still fairly pretty. Wish I had time to set up my camera for some proper shots but I'm a super busy boy nowadays. I'm having to do everything via my iPhone. Anyway... This is how it looks as of tonight. gradually lowering my light as I'm a sucker for good...

Re: 120 x 55 x 55 'Ruby' The bits you cant see (pics)@ 4 da Definitely. With a good gang of Rhombocellatus.(sp?)

Re: 120 x 55 x 55 'Ruby' The bits you cant see (pics)@ 4 da Don't know where you're looking mate. But there is obviously a few different species of barb in there. :)

Re: 120 x 55 x 55 'Ruby' Run out of superglue! Really beautiful. Nothing over the top, just a great layout making good use of the depth. How exactly are you getting co2 into the tank Mark? And what's the filtration and flow?

Yeah I figured the lighting wasn't close enough for the pearling. But I'd rather keep it where it is an get steady growth than have it lower and have less margin for any errors in co2 or dosing. Going to spot dose a couple of areas tonight after a WC I think. I have seen the HC Cuba starting to...

Ok. So I've got a 7 hour photoperiod with 2 x 54W T5's at just over a foot off the water surface. Co2 at about 3-4 bubbles per second 24/7 with minimal surface agitation. Dozing about 15-20ml easy carbo and 30ml TPN+ every day. Half a tank of water is removed every 3 days.... Still no sign of...

Re: New 4ft journal The Island 2 New Pics 15/07/2011 Nothing to do with me mate. But with your set up you could grow anything you like I reckon. Something With fine small leaves?

Re: 60cm iwagumi scape Beautiful rock arrangement there mate. Much prefer that style of smaller stones as it tends to create a better perspective with the usual iwagumi plant choices. Love the sand/cove area on the right. Well done! Can't wait for this to grow. Nice fish choice too!

Re: New 4ft journal The Island 2 New Pics 15/07/2011 150!? Wow. Bet they shoal amazing if startled. That foreground is so nice. What moss is it? Shame about te Rotala. I always have trouble growing it too. :oops: you consider maybe a couple of different stems?

Re: 120cm. Nearly given up. Thanks very much, and yes I plan to keep this one for a very long time. Really happy with the hardscape. Just need to het my plant growing back on track. :oops: My fish have never had a problem with it either. Except for a malfunctioning regulator which gassed all...

Re: 120cm. Nearly given up. My Co2 is on 24/7. No solenoid I'm afraid. That's my next purchase though as it ploughshare through gas that's not needed. Do you think this constant co2 and obviously high levels at lights out is triggering algae?

Re: 120cm. Nearly given up. Well here it is getting a 50% WC after getting some new planting. HC "Cuba" dotted around front and on the rear middle hill, Rotala rotundifolia behind the larger leaved myrophilliam(sp?). Some crypt varieties around the wood and weeping moss stuffed in a few nooks...

Re: 120cm. Nearly given up. Half a tank 2-3 times a week? Doesn't that make the Co2 concentration fluctuate?

Re: 120cm. Nearly given up. Well I've just got some HC Cuba and Rotala. Probably add some crypts from my othe tank. Yeah the water changes or lack of has always been a problem for me and I know they do wonders. I will give the easycarbo overdosing a go along with 20ml TPN+. 1/2 tank waterchamge...

Re: 120cm. Nearly given up. 48L x 15W x 18H. Inches obviously. The staghorn hasn't been too bad lately, but the beard algae was tufting around EVERYWHERE!! Wood was covered. So just yanked it out and scrubbed it with a metal plumbers brush. Also, Ive been noticing that my plants stop pearling...

Re: 120cm. Nearly given up. Woah! That's a lot of easycarbo. Does it not affect the inhabitants at all? I've got green neons, checkerboard cichlids and amano shrimp. In terms of algae, it's the same usual culprits. Staghorn. BGA, anything related to poor/fluctuating Co2 levels.

Re: 120cm. Nearly given up. Yeah I've increased the bubbles to around that this morning and last night I was reading a post from ceg about the one flow direction so I moved the hardware around. Like this? Dosed 6ml easy carbo. 20ml TPN+ drop checker is lime green/yellow. It's low near the...

Re: 120 x 55 x 55 'Ruby' Tank and cabinet arrive! Looking great. And yes!! Keep that middle back open. Nice low lying plants to create a nice hill through a forest opening look to it. Each side? Do what you like mate. Good amount of tight stems I reckon... And get some red in there.

Re: 120cm. Nearly given up. I was doing 20ml but still getting algae. I dropped it down over last couple days after rearranging it since there is such a low plant mass. Sorry, should been more specific. The lighting is 2 x 54w Osram t5's. Raised about 2 foot above the tank. Co2 is about 2-3...

Hey everyone! Been a while since I've shown any of my tanks but thought I'd show this one as id like some feedback and advice on it since I've been having a nightmare with algae issues and plants not growing. Basically, it was like this up until a couple of days ago.. Dirty, murky, algae...

I have kept these. truly beautiful barbs. Not usually a shoaling species but I'm sure they only shoaled when scared. Once settled in they patrol the tank looking for food, or having a bit of a fight with eachother. Unlike tiger barbs, they are really peaceful with other fish if kept in a good...

Re: 60cm Nature Aquarium. Moss report Lovely as usual mate. Glad to see you doing a nice Nature Aquarium style. lots of slow gowers, nice aged forest look. Looks like theres moss growth already! Ive recently just re-scaped my 80cm with a whole lot of moss no growth though. What do you think it...

Some great perception of depth to that path. Is a little artificial for my taste, like a garden path made on Ground Force. But if that's the look youre going for with planting also, then it's fine! Just wondering how great it could be with your layout ability and some more natural stone work...

I completely understand the idea of catering for a favoured selection of fish rather than having the usual standard shoal of one species. Its much more fun as a fish keeper to watch the interactions between different species. Although, for a full tank shot for competition... can you imagine a...

Re: Live aquascapes at a London art gallery This sound superb, and a great move for the hobby! I'll definitley be there at some point I'm sure. Going to seem strange going into Shoreditch and not getting hammered :D

Stunning tank. It's become everything I imagined it could be and more! A bit more growing and 'scaping and this would definitely make some waves in any aquascaping competion.

Re: [IWAGUMI] Project Scree This has turned out really beautifully. Clinical but soft. Hard to explain but I'm sure everyone understands. Throw in a couple of Riccia stones and I can imagine Amano going all giddy and saying how it reminds him of a Japanese waterway. Don't do it though :D Tank...

By the way you've arranged the wood, I'm guessing you're going for triangular layout from the left, leading to a meadow style front and right side? Think zig has it right with the two main branches. Separate and angle away. The three branches at the back seem like they may get lost in the...

Oh ok. Yeah anything smaller than a rummynose would definitly be in the knifefish. Good stocking though.

Really natural. A great idea done well!! What's the plans for stocking? Are you done now or will you be adding anything else? Can imagine a good shoal of tetras weaving through the roots.

I love the idea of a Shoal of Siamese algae eaters. Need a good amount to stop any aggression, but you have the space. Any sort of torpedo shape fish will work well here.

Re: Bobtastic's Iwagumi Scape Balansae really is a more jungle scape plant, although I've sen Amano use it in an iwagumi to awesome effect in Nature Book 1. With river stones.

Re: Bobtastic's Iwagumi Scape Really nice original stones. Like the original layout, maybe bring the two main stones together? And even swapped them so the largest is near the middle of the tank. Just to see how it'll look.

I've got them with green neons at the moment. Really purdy fish, always shoaling.

Rummynose, rummynose, more rummynose, for those rummynose tetras that you should put in there. Looking nice a full already Mark. Good planting.

The images of the entries on that site are not usually the finished 'scape that was sent in for the competion.

It's brilliant for me. Hate the idea of always having to buy new fire extinguishers and having empty useless bottles around, because there is nowhere around me that refills them. Not for less than £30 anyway. Plus BOC give you 24 hour service helpline. And Nectar points!! :lol:

Found a great place who supply trade gas cylinders. BOC Gas & Gear They have a yard in north Wembley, which is so convenient for me. But I think they have other locations around the country. Found in Yellow pages. A 14lb Co2 cylinder with the same connection as FE. Open a cash account with...

Really amazing sense of scale. Personally, I really don't see a problem with the right side hardscape. Regarding the hairgrass? Perhaps adding echinodorus tenelus(sp?) to it would help fill it out more. Would also add to the general look of the 'scape, more in keeping with the natural, jungle...

Oh. Simple as that. Thanks very much.

Hey people, I might have the chance to buy a cheap 150W metal halide luminaire for my 125ltr tank. But I'm really not well educated on halide lighting. Can the marine bulbs be used ok for a planted aquarium, or would I need to get a new bulb? Can different bulbs be replaced? It's an Aqua Medic...

Thanks all for the comments. I love that 'scape. This actually started out as a bit of a carbon copy of that Jurassic tank once i added the wood and i gradually added the path and tweaked it a little.The planting should end up being pretty similar. Thank you George. The 'tree' pieces were a...

Ha! Thank you Sir. But it's all mine! I think I am just going to go for it. It's a good size that if I decide to change the rocks around a bit, a couple of water changes will sort out any possible algae issues I may be worried about. Glad some of you like it, it's my first real, asian style...

Great finds. Thats the sort of ideas i was going for, but with a CAU, ADA cleanliness to it... hopefully.

HA! yeah i'd like to, but i know the layout can be better. The Largest stone on the left is bugging me a little. The wood cross section just to the right of it is going to be the focus point, but the stone is distracting from it. Sure i could probably tone it down with the planting but would...

Changed a small detail of it earlier today... The right side rock mound. Honestly guys, would like your opinions on how to better this. Know there is a wealth of knowledge and ideas here.

Look at that for a before and after. Just shows you can get a great 'scape with baby steps. Rather than the planting overload thats recommended from the outset. Congrats!

Well i've got some ideas flowing for a 2ft tank i've had laying around. Pics taken on iphone so don't expect too much. The look im going to go for is a dense forest with a lovely insanely clean sand path running down the off-centre. Plants im thinking is mosses and low level planting, some...

Thanks very much. Good to have time for my fave hobby again and to discuss with you fine peoples. Got a new tank on the go soon so i may be pillaging this tank for foliage... maybe.

Re: Saintly's 120cm' Fraggle rock' @ 3 weeks Those gourami's just show how drab some fish can look in a shop compared to how they can look in optimal conditions. Really great choice there Mark. So impressed with this tank... Its a great example of how the hobby can go in so many new directions...

Its the new hygrophilia from Tropica. Cant quite remember the name im afraid. Really beautiful and seems easy to grow even in my low light, liquid carbon tank.

Well its been a while since an update... basically there's not been much going on. Slow growth an all. Couple of new plants thrown in. Little bit of melt on the crypts i took from my nano. Some of the hygo coming along. You can see some blyxa japonica just behind that i planted. Not doing too...

Re: Saintly's 120cm' Fraggle rock' A good shoal of Arnoldichthys spilopterus the african red eye tetra. Get about 6cm and look stunning.

Liking the idea of a plantless tank for a while now. Especially after seeing the Jeff Senske Altum tank. Bare wood, bleached sand, good filtration and a collection of great fish that you've always wanted to keep. :D

Re: Saintly's 120cm' Fraggle rock' I love these simple river rock style layouts. Easy to plant up too. Often looked at George's white cloud tank and imagined how easily it could be changed to a planted tank. Really very simple too, moss stones, some tennelus maybe, and hairgrass.

Thank you. Having to hide pipework is always a bit of a pain. Putting balansae there sounds good, lovely plant. Really looking forward to watching this tank mature. Started it every well, better than the usual look of a big ol' tank. I just keep looking at it! :lol: Imagining the layout in a...

Wow. Finally a large tank that has some great 'scaping. The tree stumps look amazing, and in really good position. Would be good to resist the urge to fill the sides with too many stems, think that would ruin the centre mound layout. Keep thinking this tank needs moss... and lots of it! :D...

Couldn't believe what i was seeing. It has got only 2 bulbs though. BUT, i only ever use 2 for photo-period anyway. This size tank could really do with more light but i haven't got any other lighting... only the 4 ft Arcadia that's' stashed away. Swallow Aquatics in Colchester... that's where i...

Thanks man. Know what you mean about the OT series. Mine isn't actually an Arcadia though, its VERY similar though. Same styling, but cost me only £20 a couple of years ago in Essex. Cant remember the name of the store though.

These are all straight from the camera. My Photoshop AND Lightroom are playing up. Well enough moaning... Little shot of my two favourite tetras at the moment... Always seem to shoal together. Hopefully will continue when the columbians grow. Thanks very much for your comments guys.

Ok, so this is how the tank looks today after being rescaped less than 2 weeks ago from the pictures above. Apologies for the state of the pictures, i just couldnt get rid of the reflections... blazing sunlight There's actually a mass of tetras in there but they're all hiding after the...

Re: sams 60cm 'Pinnatifida Peak' (1 week) Cant wait to see that HC cascade over the partition. Going to make it look like a really healthy, thick mound.

Re: New 80cm Thank you. I'm afraid there are no other full tank pictures of this scape. Its been rescaped now. Have a couple of the barbs. Yes I have got many shrimps in this tank. Amano and a large amount of breeding cherry shrimp. These barbs, although looking similar to tiger barbs, really...

Really nice. good use lava rock, which isn't used very often. The long plant at the back, what is it?

Well its been a while since i posted any evidence of aquascaping. Had a 4ft tank a while ago which you can see here: http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=2956 and here: http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=4195 The 120cm tank went a little wrong with a co2 related mass murder...

great hardscape. larger rocks? cardinals, rummies, earth eaters and angels will set it off a treat.

Hello people, I've just seen and collected some moss from some guttering, it looks just like fissidens! Could I get that spreading on some decor like the usual java/Xmas moss? I'm thinking probably not, as the differing temps and it not being true aquatic. But I was thinking if after a...

check your Co2 levels. Maybe turn it up a notch, be careful with this as you dont want to kill the livestock. Then you just got to keep the levels constant. Staghorn is the result of fluctuating Co2 in the water column. Beautiful scape by the way.

Not really a true ultimate shoaling fish... all tetras and rasboras shoal great!!!... for the first 2 weeks. then, in a tank environment, each individual fish will go about their own business most of the time. The best ive seen in tetras on a long term basis were rummies (GO RUMMIES)!! hehe and...

Your photography always makes everything seem as though its a true landscape... the lighting is incredible. And give me those rasboras!!! :lol: beautiful.

Yeh i figured it would be a pain to wash. its just ive had some laying around since i did my patio and it been pelted down from rain for months and looks great with the stones. just like a river bed. Really dont like the look of play sand in a nature aquarium.... too fine. Just did'nt want to...

Hey people, Sure i have read about not using sharp sand in an aquarium before, but only if there are sand sifting fauna in the tank (corydoras etc) If it were washed, could it be used in an aquarium as a foreground?

Re: Tonsers 200L Optiwhite ... now ft. stable hardscape :) That space just under the root with bolbitis? Anything going there? thinking a rock with some java narrow poking out from under it.

Its looking wild, but great. Reminds me of this wayne sham number How are you liking the neons in there? They look all over the place now, like most "shoaling" fish in a tank after a while. :)

Re: Tonsers 200L Optiwhite (now featuring hardscape !) That hardscape really is, sexy!! really nice placement of the wood. Good stuff

Was on course to enter but last week my regulator messed up big time, killed all my fish and now im growing some superb examples of algae. :roll: Good luck to those who enter.

Just whats happened to me :x Reckon ADA is out the window for me, but with a it of luck, AGA will feature a jay tank. I've found that cranking up the co2 helps get rid of spirogyra in quick time. Good luck fella.

Vary clever. Bet Oliver Knott is kicking himself now :P

Thanks guys. The tank was coming along nicely until last week when i changed my FE and the co2 levels have been up and down like a tarts knickers and i've got algae everywhere. :x :x I have managed to keep it fairly steady over the last couple of days at a higher level and carried on with the...

Lesson learned, thanks Clive. I've just done my weekly 50% W/C and looking at my tank pearling and fish loving the new water, i reckon it wont hurt to take half hour out of my schedule every week for it (my back wont mind). Thanks for the info.