90cm/150litre - "Patience"

[Steve Smith]

If you're contemplating pencils then I'd look at the Rocket Pencils (Nannostomus eques). I have 13 in my Rio and they are amazing things that hover in the open water at 45 degree angles. In an Iwagumi they'd look amazing IMHO. I'll try and take some pictures later and update my journal to show them off.

Sounds good Ed. Would be interested to see them. Looking online, they look interesting!

 

[Mark Evans]

wheres the pics steve?...we wana see it 😀

 

[Steve Smith]

Ok. Finally finished planting about 2 hours ago. Been fidling with my photo eediting software on an old laptop, so the following pics might not look so hot! Looong post alert 😉

Anyhow, the essentials (UKAPS branded of course!):

I got the HC and P. Helferi planted first. The HC is planted stem-by-stem mostly, with some larger clumps here and there. I think I developed my own style - break it into individual stem groups, similar to how you do with moss (only shorter):

If breaking HC down into individual stems wasn't bad enough, untangling a mass of E. Acicularis continued to test my patience (such an apt name for the scape ) The first of 3 trays worth:

You can just make out the E. Acicularis in the back ground. Just Staurogyne and Blyxa to go...

Staurogyne I pilfered from my little shrimp tank. Just about enough:

And then I was done. I started Friday evening, dissassembling HC and then planting it, a tray at a time. Not sure how many trays loads I got through, but I think about 6 or 8 (about 2 or 3 trays per pot of HC). I used 3 pots of HC in the end! Still fot 3 left 🙂 The one thing I wish I had is another 4 or 5 stems of is Blyxa, but hopefully it will fill out, the small gap in the corner is below where I plant to have one or two of my filter inlets.

And so to the fully planted shots:

Top angle:

Right side looking left (kinda how I see it sitting on my sofa):

And the full frontal:

Whew. Long post 🙂 Now I have to get the equipment all hooked up!

 

[Mark Evans]

looks brilliant steve. 😀

 

[Steve Smith]

Thanks mate!

I just need to switch the lights off and leave it now. Start the short photo period and all. About to start messing with filters etc!

Not my favourite part 🙄

 

[billy boy]

Looking really sweet 😀 I bet you cant wait to see it growing in.

 

[George Farmer]

Really nice, Steve. I can imagine it in a couple of months looking pretty special.

Good job on the HC. It will be interesting to note any difference in growth, single stems vs. clumps. I'm a single stem guy myself and took 6 hours to plant a 60x30cm footprint, so I can empathise why you did some clumps...

One tip with the HC is that it may grow vertically at first, especially the single stems. Let them establish a root structure, then trim them back, re-planting the cuttings if required. It should then carpet pretty quickly.

 

[JamesM]

Looks great, Steve 🙂

Don't tell me that E. Acicularis is the same stuff you had last year? That was by far the best E. Acicularis I've ever had 8)

 

[Vito]

Great start so far mate, I love the layout and the plant selection, I personally don't have the patince to do the stem by stem planting on the HC, fair play. Ill look forward do the growth.

All the best!
Vito

 

[Steve Smith]

Really nice, Steve. I can imagine it in a couple of months looking pretty special.

Thanks George. I had one last flick through the ADA catalogues last night for inspiration before commiting to planting the E. acicularis. I'm looking forwards to a few months down the line too.

Good job on the HC. It will be interesting to note any difference in growth, single stems vs. clumps. I'm a single stem guy myself and took 6 hours to plant a 60x30cm footprint, so I can empathise why you did some clumps...

One tip with the HC is that it may grow vertically at first, especially the single stems. Let them establish a root structure, then trim them back, re-planting the cuttings if required. It should then carpet pretty quickly.

I've not heard that before, so thanks for that 🙂

Looks great, Steve 🙂

Don't tell me that E. Acicularis is the same stuff you had last year? That was by far the best E. Acicularis I've ever had 8)

Yeah, it's from the same 10cm x 10cm tub I bought last year sometime. Sadly the stuff I had in the shrimp tank previously died off when I let the moss over run the tank. This stuff has been sitting in a tub in the back garden since then. I was going to use it last year but a freak accident meant I thought it was a gonner. Basically an almost empty bottle of washing up liquid blew out of the upstairs flat kitchen window and landed in the tub. I didn't notice for several days. By the time I did it was looking pretty sorry for itself (and bubble ). I gave it a good rinse and left it in the garden again and forgot about it.

Thankfully it made a come back! Still got a little bit left 🙂

 

[JamesM]

Yeah, it's from the same 10cm x 10cm tub I bought last year sometime. Sadly the stuff I had in the shrimp tank previously died off when I let the moss over run the tank. This stuff has been sitting in a tub in the back garden since then. I was going to use it last year but a freak accident meant I thought it was a gonner. Basically an almost empty bottle of washing up liquid blew out of the upstairs flat kitchen window and landed in the tub. I didn't notice for several days. By the time I did it was looking pretty sorry for itself (and bubble ). I gave it a good rinse and left it in the garden again and forgot about it.

Thankfully it made a come back! Still got a little bit left 🙂

That's nuts!

iDunno what effect washing up liquid has on aquatic plants, but house plants love the stuff 😀

Can't believe its lasted so long outside 😀

 

[Steve Smith]

All through the winter! The tub had a healthy coating of ice many times!

 

[Steve Smith]

Got the filters installed, I'm going to have to play with flow direction in the next few days.

I'm planning to do water changes on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday for the next few weeks. Lighting is set 12pm - 6pm which should give me maybe 30 mins of viewing time after work. I'm hoping that when I extend the lighting time it'll be more of a suprise seeing how the scape has progressed 🙂

The next problem is going to be CO2. I need to transplant it from my plant holding tank. I really need a second fire extinguisher, or to get one refilled. Oh well... Good thing I have lots of Easy Carbo 🙂

 

[Garuf]

I'd set it 6pm till 12. That way you have more time to observe and catch any problems that may have occurred.

 

[jay]

Looking nice, good plating.

Now we play the waiting game.

 

[Dan Crawford]

I popped in to Steve's on Friday to drop off some HC and got right in the way of him planting LOL

I've gotta say, the hardscape looks even better in the flesh and with that planting it should look sweet! Nice one Steve.

 

[Tony Swinney]

Well done on all that planting Steve - bet there were some aches the next day !

Looking good.

Tony

 

[Steve Smith]

Yeah, my back aches at the moment 🙄 All that twisting one way then the other while planting...

 

[Joecoral]

I likes that I does, should look great once it's all grown in too 😀

 

[Superman]

Looks good steve, look forward to seeing this grow in.
I'm sure the carpet will look ace squared.