Ben C
Member
So, this is my latest aquascape and one that has taken 10 years to get to!
On my recent 10 year work anniversary, my company gave me £500 to spend on anything I like, so I took the opportunity to indulge my hobby a little. I spent £300 on the two Kessil A80 Tuna Sun LED lights, ADA substrate and a decent selection of plants. The tank has been running for around three weeks now and all is going well. I thought I'd just begin a journal to show how the scape is evolving.
Specs:
TMC Signature Optiwhite tank 60cm x 45 cm x 30cm (54l)
Eheim Professionel III filter with 50% medium.
CO2 injection(more details below), 1.5bps
2x Kessil A80 Tuna Sun LED lamps, 6hrs/day
EI ferts
ADA Special S power sand
ADA Amazonia substrate normal & powder types
Redmoor wood
These photos are just taken with an iPhone - apologies for the quality. I hope they are clear enough to show what is going on.
5th March 2017
Getting started...
Adding the ADA Power Sand
And the ADA Amazonia (Normal type. 1x 9l bag was plenty)
Adding seiyru stone and red moor wood
I want an almost industrial contrast between the lush green of the plants and the hardscape, so opted for a foreground of Dennerle Baikal substrate (from AquaEssentials)... (bear with me on this one!). Our lounge is predominantly grey and white with the odd house plant here and there. This scape is designed to complement that.
Just before adding water, I added a layer of ADA Amazonia Powder to the parts I would be planting HC into - the first time I have used it - highly recommended for HC and hair grass. Made planting a doddle.
The tank was then cycled, without lights for two weeks before planting as recommended by ADA to avoid an ammonia spike. The filter media is mature, from a previous scape, so the two things combined should help in the initial few weeks of the new tank.
TWO WEEKS LATER - 25th March 2017
These are taken immediately after planting, so the water is still a little cloudy.
Since these photos were taken, I have added a number of small Anubias plants and Fissidens fontanus to the wood. Pics to follow.
Plant list:
Foreground:
Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba'
Eleocharis acicularis 'mini'
Riccardia chamedryfolia
Mid ground:
Staurogyne repens
Hydrocotyle verticillata
Rotala 'bonsai'
Blyxa japonica
Background:
Microsorum pteropus 'trident'
Cyperus Helferi
Rotala rotundifolia
Nymphaea stellata (red)
On wood: (not in these pics - update to follow)
Fissidens fontanus
Anubias sp. bonsai
Anubias sp. petite
The idea is the the foreground becomes a lush green carpet of the HC and hair grass, the Staurogyne fills the spaces between the wood and the rocks and the background becomes a contrast of red Rotala and the green of the Cyperus heiferi. These incidentally, move beautifully in the outflow.
Livestock:
I have a group of 25 or so Cardinals from my previous tank and a couple of Otos which I will add after the HC has had time to take root. I will add some Amano shrimp in a couple of weeks't time, only because I cannot get to the fish shop before then. I fancy owning cherry reds again as well - they should contrast the greens and greys of the tank nicely.
On my recent 10 year work anniversary, my company gave me £500 to spend on anything I like, so I took the opportunity to indulge my hobby a little. I spent £300 on the two Kessil A80 Tuna Sun LED lights, ADA substrate and a decent selection of plants. The tank has been running for around three weeks now and all is going well. I thought I'd just begin a journal to show how the scape is evolving.
Specs:
TMC Signature Optiwhite tank 60cm x 45 cm x 30cm (54l)
Eheim Professionel III filter with 50% medium.
CO2 injection(more details below), 1.5bps
2x Kessil A80 Tuna Sun LED lamps, 6hrs/day
EI ferts
ADA Special S power sand
ADA Amazonia substrate normal & powder types
Redmoor wood
These photos are just taken with an iPhone - apologies for the quality. I hope they are clear enough to show what is going on.
5th March 2017
Getting started...
Adding the ADA Power Sand
And the ADA Amazonia (Normal type. 1x 9l bag was plenty)
Adding seiyru stone and red moor wood
I want an almost industrial contrast between the lush green of the plants and the hardscape, so opted for a foreground of Dennerle Baikal substrate (from AquaEssentials)... (bear with me on this one!). Our lounge is predominantly grey and white with the odd house plant here and there. This scape is designed to complement that.
Just before adding water, I added a layer of ADA Amazonia Powder to the parts I would be planting HC into - the first time I have used it - highly recommended for HC and hair grass. Made planting a doddle.
The tank was then cycled, without lights for two weeks before planting as recommended by ADA to avoid an ammonia spike. The filter media is mature, from a previous scape, so the two things combined should help in the initial few weeks of the new tank.
TWO WEEKS LATER - 25th March 2017
These are taken immediately after planting, so the water is still a little cloudy.
Since these photos were taken, I have added a number of small Anubias plants and Fissidens fontanus to the wood. Pics to follow.
Plant list:
Foreground:
Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba'
Eleocharis acicularis 'mini'
Riccardia chamedryfolia
Mid ground:
Staurogyne repens
Hydrocotyle verticillata
Rotala 'bonsai'
Blyxa japonica
Background:
Microsorum pteropus 'trident'
Cyperus Helferi
Rotala rotundifolia
Nymphaea stellata (red)
On wood: (not in these pics - update to follow)
Fissidens fontanus
Anubias sp. bonsai
Anubias sp. petite
The idea is the the foreground becomes a lush green carpet of the HC and hair grass, the Staurogyne fills the spaces between the wood and the rocks and the background becomes a contrast of red Rotala and the green of the Cyperus heiferi. These incidentally, move beautifully in the outflow.
Livestock:
I have a group of 25 or so Cardinals from my previous tank and a couple of Otos which I will add after the HC has had time to take root. I will add some Amano shrimp in a couple of weeks't time, only because I cannot get to the fish shop before then. I fancy owning cherry reds again as well - they should contrast the greens and greys of the tank nicely.
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This also, strangely, feels safer as you seem to have more control over the gas, with a great tap on top, which you can open at arm's length 
.
