Julian
Member
- Joined
- 20 Jul 2013
- Messages
- 688
Hi guys, just wanted to share a few pictures, I've been in this hobby about 2 years and I feel like I'm starting to make some proper progress now that I understand things a lot better.
I've always felt that the best aquascapes are the ones that look like someone has dug out a chunk of river bank and dropped it in a tank, and it's the look I've always wanted to achieve my self. It's still work in progress but I finally feel like I'm getting there!
It all started with this little guy, who taught me my first lesson; Turtles like to eat plants, and shrimp. Especially shrimp. Very naive!
After re-homing Blackbeard the Turtle and down sizing my tank, I bought my Nano tank and learnt another lesson about over stocking:
Notice the 4 tenants above are no longer present (also re-homed):
The tank finally grew in really well, but then I had to move house. Tried draining the tank and moving it with everything still inside, but the rocks fell over and it never quite looked the same, so I started again with some wood and lights brighter than the sun:
After nuking my lovely carpet of HC, and turning the lights way, way down, I decided to try some Glosso this time (also cut the back out of the tank and got an external filter):
Finally with my lights sorted, it was just a case of tweaking the CO2, but something still didnt look right. I still didn't feel like I had that chunk of river in my tank. I spent ages trying to figure out what it was. Then, while watching Scarface, it came to me; SAND!
And this is where we are this evening. It took 3 hours, but I managed to dig out most of the ADA Amazonia and replace it with sand without having to drain the tank. It got a bit cloudy in there but things settle pretty quickly. I'll be re-planting the Glosso tomorrow, hopefully in a few weeks the carpet will be back to where it was and the Ludwigia at the back will be standing a bit more up-right...
I'm really glad I added the sand, it brings out the colour of the fish so much more where the light is bouncing off the sand onto their bellies!
More pictures in a week or 2!
I've always felt that the best aquascapes are the ones that look like someone has dug out a chunk of river bank and dropped it in a tank, and it's the look I've always wanted to achieve my self. It's still work in progress but I finally feel like I'm getting there!
It all started with this little guy, who taught me my first lesson; Turtles like to eat plants, and shrimp. Especially shrimp. Very naive!
After re-homing Blackbeard the Turtle and down sizing my tank, I bought my Nano tank and learnt another lesson about over stocking:
Notice the 4 tenants above are no longer present (also re-homed):
The tank finally grew in really well, but then I had to move house. Tried draining the tank and moving it with everything still inside, but the rocks fell over and it never quite looked the same, so I started again with some wood and lights brighter than the sun:
After nuking my lovely carpet of HC, and turning the lights way, way down, I decided to try some Glosso this time (also cut the back out of the tank and got an external filter):
Finally with my lights sorted, it was just a case of tweaking the CO2, but something still didnt look right. I still didn't feel like I had that chunk of river in my tank. I spent ages trying to figure out what it was. Then, while watching Scarface, it came to me; SAND!
And this is where we are this evening. It took 3 hours, but I managed to dig out most of the ADA Amazonia and replace it with sand without having to drain the tank. It got a bit cloudy in there but things settle pretty quickly. I'll be re-planting the Glosso tomorrow, hopefully in a few weeks the carpet will be back to where it was and the Ludwigia at the back will be standing a bit more up-right...
I'm really glad I added the sand, it brings out the colour of the fish so much more where the light is bouncing off the sand onto their bellies!
More pictures in a week or 2!
