CmLaracy's 90P ADA

[Guest]

Thank you! People don't seem to appreciate Iwagumi like they used to, it seems it has fallen out of style.

Nice Iwagumi...I think that the style has changed a little over the years especially recently; it's perhaps more acceptable to include taller plants as well and for it to still be considered Iwagumi. This can add greater interest, give the fish a more natural environment and potentially fill out the negative space above. Personally, I've never been a big fan of the traditional style if only because I don't consider it to be very fish friendly, in that the lack of cover can be very stressful for critters. Below is a nice example with taller plants. By definition it's still an Iwagumi since rocks provide the backbone of the scape and still play a leading role.




I also think that Iwagumi, traditional or otherwise, look better in shallow tanks, or those with a wider aspect ratio, it's easier to fill the tank so there is less negative space above. I'd also like to see yours without the sandy path and fully grown over, I think that'd look good too, and perhaps a little more natural.

 

[Steve Buce]

Great looking tank, really like the rockwork layout

 

[Chris Laracy]

Thanks for the input everyone! I was planning on filling that vertical space more but the stone I planned on having more upright wouldn't safely stay up, so I laid it on it's side - the main stone on the left. I used substrate dams to get the sloping over 12" in the back to try and fill the negative space as much as possible with a less vertically oriented rock scape. Had to make this change on the fly after months of planning.

Here's some close-ups: