• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Groundland - Shallow Aquascape

Dan Crawford

Founder
UKAPS Team
Joined
21 Jun 2007
Messages
3,265
Location
Daventry, Northants
Hi Folks, it's bout time you had a journal from me! Well, it's not much of a journal because the aquascape is almost finished but here's the journey so far…..

Last year I set up an awful lot of tanks and the lead up to Aquatics Live was a very busy time. Consequently after the show was over I decided to do a tank "just for me" so to speak. I wanted n pressure, just a nice challenge which I was comfortable with. So here goes….

The Spec:
Tank - 80 x 60 x 30cm Optiwhite
Filter - Fluval G6
Lighting - 80cm Fluval Plant LED
CO2 - 1.5bps using a Fire Extinguisher and Up 17mm inline diffuser
Substrate - Fluval Stratum
Fertilisation - 25ml Tropica Plant Growth Premium per day
Carbon - 10ml TNC Carbon per day
Plants - HC, New Ludwigia species Red, Bacopa species, New Eleocharis, Unknown Rorippa species, Unknown Carpeting species, Alteranthera species, Riccia, Blyxa alternifolia, Christmas Moss, eriocaulon Taiwan.
Fish - 50 Micro Rasbora
Shrimp - 7 million cherry shrimp, give or take a few.

The tank after a very long day at Aquatics Live, Ian Holdich is the model
photo1_zps0bfd84cf.jpg

The day of setup - 15/10/2012
photo_zps8585d09b.jpg

Here it is after after 6 weeks of growth
FTS1_zpsa6a0c422.jpg

The perils of owning a shallow tank LOL

Growth was good but the fish were not, they never suited the shape of the tank so I decided i'd swap them for some Micro Rasbora, i've got that wrong too IMO I'm looking to exchange them for some Pencil Fish I think.
The Big rock on the back left was to heavy for the 'scape so I thought i'd swap it our for a tree trunk kind of think and IMO it's a huge improvement….
FTS2_zpscfd82564.jpg

Heres a few detail shots. Note the delightful "unknown carpeting plant" I started out with 5 stems, it didn't take long to adapt to my tank and once it got going - it REALLY got going!
MontecarlovsHC_zpsd1dbbc7d.jpg

Two weeks later
Montecarlo_zps24506fce.jpg

Eriocaulon Taiwan getting smothered.
EriochaulonTiwan_zps78656799.jpg

I've filled the area behind the stones with substrate and laid a thin layer over the top of the stones in the hope that it'll do this, and it does :0)
HCMountain_zpsd8bc3507.jpg

A nice forest floor feel, my idea of what a carpet should look like
Carpet_zpsf42921ed.jpg

Here's the "Unknown Rorippa species". I love it, perfect for informal planting.
Rorippasp_zps99b08f59.jpg

And this is it at the minute, I've got too much riccia so if anyone wants any please let me know and I'll post it out. The massive ball of it on the left is weighted down with slate, at about 9pm every evening it lifts up and floats around the tank, finding it's self a new place to sleep overnight.

So, what's next? The carpet is seriously thick so i'm going to get really scissor happy over the next week or so, everything else is getting overgrown too so i'll do some damage and post a before and after photo.

Oh, I forgot to mention, I do a waterchange every 6 weeks! It's been the most trouble free tank i've ever owned. Is it down to the shape, filtration, ferts, lighting? Yes, yes, yes and yes - we always talk about finding that magical and sometime elusive "balance". Well this time I smashed the nail on the head, not through skill, just pure luck. I used the equipment I had and it just worked, a testament to what can be done with the right gear :0)
 
Thanks Nathaniel.
That carpet looks amazing, combined with the stump and random planting, it looks totally natural.
I'm glad you agree, i'm really chuffed with how i's turned out. Theres a fine line between natural and overgrown and i've got to stop myself from letting it get too overgrown!
 
Thanks Nathaniel.

I'm glad you agree, i'm really chuffed with how i's turned out. Theres a fine line between natural and overgrown and i've got to stop myself from letting it get too overgrown!

Hmm, I think I'd be partial to letting it go just beyond that line. I think It'd look really well, and quite refreshing in comparison to the neatly trimmed HC look of the great.

Either way, I love this.
 
Cheers Iain. It's just tap water, the conductivity on the G filter says it's around 800.

The tank is in an alcove so it's a nightmare to photograph but i'll try and get a birds eye view shot.
 
Interesting, i thought that erio's were super sensitive to EC and really only liked soft almost RO water yet yours goes on regardless even when being beaten up by all the other plants.

Now i look on a PC rather than my phone i can see so much more detail and the mixing of plants as Nath said it really does look so natural. Is the new carpet plant one tropica is looking to run or is it an Alan special? I love they way it looks like a creeper..
 
You turn out some great looking scapes Dan. This does not dissapoint and due to its shape of tank and unusual hardscape ( tree trunk ) really stands out. The fact that it appears to be relatively easy to live with makes it even more impressive.
Great stuff
Charlie
 
deffinately agree the tree stump looks better than the rock . fits much nicer .
 
Dan thats a beautifull set up.As others have already said the wood looks much better.Can't beleive that's only 6 weeks to get the carpet that thick, don't know what i'm doing wrong. A well deserved thumbs up :thumbup:
Cheers
Martin
 
Blimey guys, thanks for all the praise!

Yes, the low maintenance is great. I'm sure it's the shear amount if HC that's just hoovering up any nutriment that I throw in there. The 7 million shrimp also help, I recon.
 
Very nice Dan. I must say I'm honoured to be such an inspiration, that you post my modelling picture...lol

That plant is also a great little mystery. Is it elatine hydropiper?
 
That plant is also a great little mystery. Is it elatine hydropiper?
Got that in my tank also, growing great, I called it Hemianthus callitrichoides ''Gigantea'', cause its just a big version of HC! lol
 
Back
Top