'Blue Sky' Iwagumi ...overgrown

[Tom]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

That's a good point. How much room have you got at the back for planting? My mistake in the Mini M was too big a foreground, and only leaving enough room for 1 row of stems which doesn't allow much bushyness.

I want to get an adapter for my FD 135 2.8 to fit EOS, as it's a lovely lens. I'm starting to use the 70-200 around 135 for tank shots now, it's a great length.

 

[Mark Evans]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

How much room have you got at the back for planting?

Surprisingly loads. I usually make the same mistake, but I've chosen stones carefully to avoid the same mistake.

Stems can be planted real tight to the glass anyway, so you dont need that much space.

 

[Mark Evans]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

Adding the last 2 stones

 

[George Farmer]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

It takes me back to 'The Henge' days, which is real exciting...

My thoughts exactly mate.

In all honesty I think I prefer the very first layout in this journal (below), but as we know, the planting you plan is more suited to your latest layout (above).

 

[George Farmer]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

Love the background and video, by the way! 😀

 

[B7fec]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

Hi mate,

This looks great! Nice vid too.....loving the stone work, I cannot wait to see this scape with the plants in situ, am looking forward to see how your planting layout ideas materialise and how you pull the whole thing together. Another great journal in progress! Quality as always!

Just a quick question.....I struggle down my neck of the woods to get some quality stone, yet in all those test scapes the stones look great.....where do you get such materials from?

 

[Mark Evans]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

Love the background and video, by the way!

Cheers bud!

This looks great! Nice vid too.....loving the stone work, I cannot wait to see this scape with the plants in situ, am looking forward to see how your planting layout ideas materialise and how you pull the whole thing together. Another great journal in progress! Quality as always!

Thanks very muchly Ben 😀

yet in all those test scapes the stones look great.....where do you get such materials from?

It's taken time to get some half decent stones.In the past, From the odd trip to TGM i selected a few myself, and luckily for me, Aqua essentials sent me some good samples when i first started out.

My best stones, i sold when plantedbox was going...a big mistake 🙁

occasionally I'll come across somewhere that sells them, and I'll buy 1 bit maybe. I think it could be one of those 'life time' collection thingys.

I find mini landscape rock, a joy to work with, but I'd like to get my hands on some of the ADA stuff!

am looking forward to see how your planting layout ideas materialise and how you pull the whole thing together.

I've got the plant list finalised i reckon.

Tropica have kindly let me trial a new plant, which is currently not available, called Ranunculus inundatus. It's a smallish foreground plant which spreads on runners, and has 'star' shaped crown.

 

[B7fec]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

I find mini landscape rock, a joy to work with, but I'd like to get my hands on some of the ADA stuff!

And me!! I'm off to TGM on May 28th for a UKAPS meet that Andyh is organising so will see what I can lay my hands on then......

I think it could be one of those 'life time' collection thingys.

Definitely!! Just wish I had some good stockists round me! 🙁

Tropica have kindly let me trial a new plant, which is currently not available, called Ranunculus inundatus. It's a smallish foreground plant which spreads on runners, and has 'star' shaped crown.

Sounds nice! Can't wait to see it..... just did a Google search on it, got to say it looks very nice indeed!

 

[Mark Evans]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

It's always good to make a collection, and never get rid of any. I've either sold or given away some awesome hardscape.

The good stuff is like rocking horse doo doo.

I showed a pic of hydrocotyle sp. Japan...



here's a week on...



I wont use it in here though.

 

[B7fec]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

Great growth there Mark, how's this done? Substrates kept damp.... then plant goes in....then cling film?? also is it sprayed with ferts and water daily? might have ago at this myself....

could this be done for any plant?

 

[Mark Evans]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

Great growth there Mark, how's this done? Substrates kept damp.... then plant goes in....then cling film?? also is it sprayed with ferts and water daily? might have ago at this myself....

could this be done for any plant?

Hi Ben

I put substrate in a pot (flora base) fill like you would do to plant up in an aquarium, then plant the plants.

Cover with cling film. leave in window! job done.

I dont add ferts or anything. Maybe, open the cling film then cover again, to let the stale air free.

I've done it with rotala, HC (which flowered like mad, and HM. I'd like to get into some more, especially in the summer months. 😀

 

[B7fec]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

Great stuff, cheers mate,

'd like to get into some more, especially in the summer months.

Exactly what I was thinking, I'm going to try Tenellus and some Hydro.... it's a great way to grow excess plants from scapes on and of course reuse or send them out etc, totally algae free.

I saw your moss factory awesome stuff, I'm doing the similar with some tropica weeping moss but its taking an age to get going......

 

[FishBeast]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

seeing your journals always keeps my comming back to UKAPS. Always inspirational and motivational.

 

[Mark Evans]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

seeing your journals always keeps my comming back to UKAPS. Always inspirational and motivation.

awww, cheers mate If i can help folk, i will.

I saw your moss factory awesome stuff,

Just trying to keep going, what you gave me I also intend to grow it a bit better in the new 120, than i did in the 60cm...something wasnt right.

Moss, likes it plain and simple i think.

 

[John Starkey]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

The video links to you tube never seem to work for me on my macbook,but they work fine on my i-phone ,any idea,s why anybody,

cheers john.

 

[George Farmer]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

Moss, likes it plain and simple i think.

Can you elaborate on that please, Mark?

 

[Mark Evans]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

The video links to you tube never seem to work for me on my macbook,but they work fine on my i-phone ,any idea,s why anybody,

not sure mate. It should play, unless it's the type of player?...shouldn't be an issue though.

Mark Evans wrote:
Moss, likes it plain and simple i think.
Can you elaborate on that please, Mark?

sure, I've grown moss in low light tanks, with no co2, ferts or waterchanges. see below...



you cant really see, but the moss was everywhere, and really very healthy.

It grew so healthy, with no effort. In the 60cm, with high everything, it always seem to struggle a little, slight browning.

I then researched a little, and many expert moss users, often said that moss likes stability, and not too much of the good stuff.

Back to the Hydrocotyle, i planted this stuff last week, in a little peat bag. A single node, is now growing like wild fire. The last 2 days has seen the most growth, visible, even in the last few hours.

 

[George Farmer]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

I think you're right. Moss thrives on neglect.

Trouble is, how to balance that with the other plants you may be keeping?

 

[Mark Evans]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

Trouble is, how to balance that with the other plants you may be keeping?

mmm, good point. I'm slowly, coming around to the idea of low dosing, a little like Amano.

This is one of the reasons, I've chosen a substrate system that, in theory, should cover me for a leaner dosing regime.

It cant be a bad thing to at least try a lower dosing schedule.

 

[George Farmer]

Re: New journal, coming soon!

Trouble is, how to balance that with the other plants you may be keeping?

mmm, good point. I'm slowly, coming around to the idea of low dosing, a little like Amano.

This is one of the reasons, I've chosen a substrate system that, in theory, should cover me for a leaner dosing regime.

It cant be a bad thing to at least try a lower dosing schedule.

Try lower CO2 too, and low light, of course...