Aquael Ultrascape 90

[Matt1994]

Hi all,

Welcome to my third Journal on here, this was may take a little longer than the others as trying to source the large piece of wood I want and just planning everything in my head and putting it into reality, I want some emersed plants.

So far I have assembled the cabinet and put on the green gradient background from Ada and also installed the chihiros light back ground.

Going to be a long journal.

Thanks for reading
Matt

 

[hydrophyte]

Tank looks really just like that empty. That background is really slick. Maybe you can start a new aquascaping style🤣🤣

 

[Matt1994]

Thanks Hydrophyte, it’s far too bright on full brightness ! It adds a lot of depth to the tank in person and lights the glass and silicone lines up lovely ! Going to get the vivid 2 hung above in the next couple of weeks and that’s one step closer just need to find the wood 🪵

 

[MichaelJ]

Thanks for reading

I love the W : H : D ratios of this tank! Is the background making it purposely greenish or that due the white balance of the shot? I assume the Iron content of the glass is not what's making it look green.

Good luck with the setup! Can't wait!

Cheers,
Michael

 

[Matt1994]

Hi Michael, they are great dimensions which gives so many options for scaping, it was an intention to make it green I think it slightly over Saturated on photos but it is green to look at with the eye, when dimmed right down it’s a lot more subtle but it definitely seems to add depth when viewing in person. I am taking inspiration from the Tank at Horizon Aquatics scaped by James and Ady which just draws me in every time I visit!


Thanks
Matt

 

[Matt1994]

Hi Michael, I am hoping to mount the chihiros vivid 2 above the tank in the next couple of weeks so will update with some more photos then see how it looks with light above as a pose to just coming from the background light.

Thanks
Matt

 

[Matt1994]

Hi all,

A work in progress at the minute. But have most of the hardscape in. Still some smaller stones to add to the open side on the left and cable ties to cut etc holding the light cable in place.
Hoping to have this planted towards the back end of the year.

Thanks
Matt

 

[Tim Harrison]

Nicely done 👍

 

[Matt1994]

Thanks Tim, much apppreciated.

Thanks
Matt

 

[bazz]

It will almost be a shame to put plants in there!

 

[Matt1994]

Hi all,

Few more detail pieces added tonight, just need to finish gluing them down. I feel I’ve achieved the wood/stump intertwined on the rock and emerging from it and an almost river bed feel.

I have used power sand and lava rock as the base at the back 2/3 and then 3 bags of Amazonia soil.

I am going for a more long term set up with this, will be running pressurised co2 and the vivid 2.

Hoping to plant toward the back end of the year.

Will start off by running the Oase Biomaster 600 thermo and
Then add the Biomaster 350 once it’s planted and the plants are established as this is currently running and will stay running on my water box that is currently home to 11 pentazona barbs and around 50 red onyx shrimp.

I still have a fair bit of room for planting and am planning on planting into the soil topped with gravel.

Thanks all
Matt

 

[PARAGUAY]

Nice root detail ,why not gnarl the cut uprights for a natural look

 

[hydrophyte]

Nice root detail ,why not gnarl the cut uprights for a natural look

No pics real handy, but I've found a round Dremel cutting tool to be real handy for shaping natural contours and textures into a sawn branch end....

https://www.digikey.com/en/products...lQrQPgD7Ss77mtrvsBwyTiCBz1jRbOh4aAuVfEALw_wcB

 

[Matt1994]

Hi all,

Hope everyone’s had a good weekend!

Not much to update on, other than all the little
Roots should now be glued to the rock, as well as gluing my fingers together. I got right into the zone had some music on and glued away 😂.

The Rio xingu is on top of the gravel and I plan on planting into it and having some gravel on show and some plants popping in and out of it.

Also attached is a photo collage of the 3 scaped I’ve done.

1. The aquascaper 600- manzanita wood and seriyu stone.

2. The waterbox 2420- corbo catfish and mileniim
Wood with an ADA la plata foreground

3. The Aqueal Ultrascape 90- Red moor stump wood and seriyu stone with Rio Xingu.


Planning on a trianglur composition with this one and had in my head a river bed (not sure if this has come through.

Going to running an Oase Biomaster 600 thermo and transfer over my Oase Biomaster 350 from the waterbox when planting.

Going to go for steel lily pipes

Will be running Co2 and have the Vivid 2 up top with the Chihiros Light background and the Ada green gradient film.

This will hopefully be getting planted at the back end of the year, planning on cycling with the Oase Biomaster 600 and once cycled and the plants have rooted will transfer the fish and shrimp over from the Waterbox with the Thermo 350.

Regards
Matt

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Roots should now be glued to the rock, as well as gluing my fingers together.

We may all have <"been there">.

cheers Darrel

 

[Matt1994]

Hi all,

We may all have <"been there">.

cheers Darrel

Hi Darrel,

Definitely part of scaping,

I am planning on having Threadfin rainbows would it be a problem starting a journal to build up more knowledge than I have from Google to ensure I give them all they need.

I am wanting to grow some plants out of the top of the tank with the roots emerged in the tank water. This will be my first time doing this has anyone got any tips for this ?


Regards
Matt

 

[Matt1994]

Hi all,

Hope everyone’s well.

This is still an ongoing project and has yet to be planted, my Lightscreen is being replaced as there was a fault with it and the green foil has temporarily been taken off until the new Lightscreen arrives. I am open to thoughts and opinions both negative and postitive, the large negative space has bothered me over the past few months and I felt I was relying to heavily on the plants creating the scape, I had a lovely visit to horizon aquatics this morning and purchased this large second piece of wood. This is only placed in position and as of yet not fixed. I feel it more and to me feels like an eruption where I can capture both life under the water and out of the water (above) which was my initial idea when I got this larger tank. I am finding it really hard to picture this with the light screen and green foil on. Does anyone other than myself
Think this had added to the original scape?

Regards
Matt

 

[JohnCooke]

Yes, looking good. Hope you can keep this going!

 

[DeadFish]

Big fan of that second piece of wood.

 

[Matt1994]

Hi all,

Hope everyone has had a lovely Christmas!!

The tank is now planted,

Below are some pictures of it after set up at 17:00 yesterday hopefully cleared a little more today and will get some pictures after the water change later today.

Thanks everyone for being so patient with this journal it’s been a long one


Thanks
Matt