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Fusion

Justal

Justal

Member
Joined
7 Feb 2015
Messages
65
Location
Aberystwyth
It has begun, my first ever attempt at aquascaping and today was spent building the cabinet, positioning the tank and getting things in place.

Tank Specs.
  • Tank: Aquatlantis Fusion 102cm x 40cm x 60xm, 188 litres
  • Cabinet: Aquatlantis Cabinet
  • Light: Aquatlantis H2O LEDs 43w, 6800k, 3824 lumens
  • Backlights: RGB LEDs with remote control
  • Filter: Biobox 2 Internal Filter (650l/h - manufacturer quoted)
  • Heater: Tecatlantis 200w
  • Secondary Pump: EasyFlux 900 (810l/h - manufacturer quoted)
  • CO2: None yet, but may add later
  • Substrate: Florabase

I'm new to this so these specs may well change over time but I'll try to keep them up to date. The secondary pump pumps water up over the LED's in the hood which cools them, heats the water as it passes over them and increases flow in the tank.

Here's how things went today.



Not a huge amount of progress today, but it's a start, and I'm loving those LED's for backlighting effect, although they are somewhat drowned out by the main lights.
 
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We also headed first to the beach in front of our house and then into the hills behind our house to collect some rocks for the hardscape.

Rock-Collecting.jpg


Welsh-Stream.jpg
 
I agree, but it all comes down to funds at the moment I'm afraid.... Or lack of to be precise.

Too many other things that I need to pay for at the mo and I've already spent a fair bit on this. The new tank wasn't a planned expense either, so it's all been a little bit of an unexpected strain on the budget.

Al.
 
Yep, and maybe add a CO2 injection system too.

Going to spend the afternoon cleaning and scrubbing the rocks we collected yesterday now.

Again, would like to buy some more interesting rocks really, but when funds are tight and I'm surrounded by rock, buying some just seemed a little unessecary.

Al
 
You're lucky to live in such beautiful scenery, one only needs to just walk around to see such stream and all.

That's interesting about cooling your LEDs with water pump. Do you have any photos of the system? Is it manufactured ro DIY?
 
Hi Alexander,
It's manufactured by Aqautlantis: http://www.aquatlantis.com/index.php?id=400&tbl=registos

It's just a pump then transports water from one end of the tank, up over the top of the LED unit and back out into the other end of the tank. According to the manufacturers it increases the lifespan of the LED's as it cools them. The heat transfer into the water obviously heats the water as well, so requiring less in the way of aquarium heating too. It seemed like quite an elegant idea to me so I thought I'd try it out.

JPG_bc6a3e7d1197d2e8291b1c345df3e15d.jpg


Al.
 
Yes, the idea is not new but elegant indeed. Usually LED light produces a lot of heat, but that could be a problem at the summer, in case if you have hot summer, like me.
 
Hmmm, I live in North Wales which isn't exactly renowned for its hot summers, in fact it;s farily well known for not having a summer at all!

But as you said above, it is a lovely place to live with the beach on our doorstep and the mountains right behind us. I wouldn't say we were 'lucky' to live here though, it's more a case of lots of hard work and sacrifice to be able to do so. Well worht it all though. :)

Just spent an hour washing the rocks I collected yesterday and another hour playing with them in the tank. I'll post some photos of the result of my efforts in a mo.

Al.
 
Well, this hardscaping malarky is certainly quite an art form - one that I've yet to master. These materials aren't easy to work with.

But, for what its worth, here are my efforts from today.



I'm sure it leaves a lot to be desired and it isn't quite what I was aiming for, but the materials that I had dictated what I could do in the end. The filter box doesn't help matters either, but I can only make do with the things I have. Feel free to criticise, offer ideas and generally laugh at my efforts. I'm not sure how easy it will be to move anything around now, but it'll be good to hear peoples thoughts anyway.
I'd hoped to get more of a sweeping curve on the path as well, but somehow despite using a template of cardboard that I was happy with, it just didn't quite come out right.

Hardscaping.jpg


From Above...

From-Above.jpg


Thanks,
Al.
 
Justal said:
A little worried that the rocks will be completely obscured once I start planting, but thats where you guys come in... I shall be asking for some planting suggestions soon.
Click to expand...

Al, that's definitely is a problem. You'd better use low carpet plants. Or pull out some stones from the sand so they would be higher. You may try to use micrantemum monte carlo as carpet plant, probably it will grow even without CO2. Or you can try some dwarf hair grass. Another option is to use moss as carpet.
 
Yep, I'm hoping to go with a low carpet plant all over the left hand slope. I will use the same carpet plant between the gravel 'stream' and the sloping slabs on the right hand side and in the foreground on the right hand side. Monte carlo, dwarf hairgrass or maybe Echinodorus tenellus? Although as you say, using a moss as a carpet in these areas may work well, I'll have to research that.

Then something a little taller in the triangular area between the sloping slabs and the filter box. Maybe something like Echinodorus parviflorus?

Finally some taller stem plants on the right hand side to hide the filter box a little and probably something 'nice' emerging from behind the bottom right of the largest rock at the right hand side of the tank. I don't know what for this spot yet.

I'll be taking advice from people here on what will grow well based on my set up though, so any comments on my ideas, or suggestions are welcomed.

Al.
 
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Justal said:
Hi Alexander,
It's manufactured by Aqautlantis: http://www.aquatlantis.com/index.php?id=400&tbl=registos

It's just a pump then transports water from one end of the tank, up over the top of the LED unit and back out into the other end of the tank. According to the manufacturers it increases the lifespan of the LED's as it cools them. The heat transfer into the water obviously heats the water as well, so requiring less in the way of aquarium heating too. It seemed like quite an elegant idea to me so I thought I'd try it out.

JPG_bc6a3e7d1197d2e8291b1c345df3e15d.jpg


Al.
Click to expand...


nice find there , do update a video on this light
 
A few more tweak to the hardscape today. Added a few rocks at the back at the top of the 'stream' to hopefully create the effect of mountain stream emerging from a gorge.
Also add a few more stone to form boulders in the stream and help define the curve a little.

UBTxOg.jpg


And here's what it looks like at Sunrise!

tBW5Yq.jpg


Need to work on my photography though to eliminate reflections and such like.

Al.
 
And some more fiddling has resulted in this. Opinions and ideas please?

Hardscape.jpg


I think its an improvement and I'm fairly happy with it. I quite like the effect of the stream emerging from a mountain gorge and I'm happy that the stream sort of disappears behind the rock on its left hand side at the back of the tank. I've added a few more pebbles to the edge of the stream to help define the curve a little better, and I've added a few new rocks to the right hand side of the tank. I've also graded some of the gravel in the stream bed to aid with perspective.

Quite whether any of this will make a difference once it is planted I don't know, but I think I'm getting somewhere with it now.
Al.
 
Very nice hardscape. That's definitely the improvement.

I'd use eleocharis sp. mini for banks of the stream, or maybe something like java moss, crescend moss or peacock moss.
IIUC you want some stems at the corners (maybe Hemianthus micranthemoides, but that would grow better with CO2), maybe hottonia palustris would be better choice for non-CO2. in the midground you may want to use helantium tenellum or some shorter crypts.
You can check the page of Tropica for Easy plants section http://tropica.com/en/plants/?tabIndex=1&alias=Easy just for reference what could be used for non-CO2 tank.
 
Thanks Alexander... Taking a look at those plant recommendations and I think you've hit it spot on.

I might try Eleocharis sp. mini on the lower slopes, along maybe with a few 'tufts' of something else in amongst some of the pebbles to look like reeds along the stream edge.

Helanthium tenellus seems like the perfect choice for the mid ground too. Thanks, I hadn't looked at that before.

I'm not sure about the taller stem plants to help hide the filter box yet. I'm visiting family in Gloucestershire at the weekend so will take a trip to Aquajardin in Gloucester to see what they have.

I'd better start writing a shopping list! What else am I going to need?

Al.
 
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