Critique my hardscape I just can't do it...

[Doozer999]

Hey, long time lurker....always thoroughly inspired by yous. Simply, this aquascape malarky seems easy to some and a complete non-starter for me....so any advice... Be brutal, I can take it...

My 'parameters' are that it's a Jewel Rio 125, internal filter removed, but plenty of external filtering.

I have little money....so I have some complete substrate (15kg) and then a black sand cap... I only really have this bog wood (3 big pieces)....and stones seen in the pic.... I have plenty of Anubis and and crypts from an old tank...with about 5 pieces of Java fern and Christmas moss that I can add, as well as monte Carlo....

All advice welcome....

 

[alto]

Simply, this aquascape malarky seems easy to some and a complete non-starter for me....so any advice...

Practise practise practise

Jurijs mit JS gives some clear directives in his foreground - midground - background layers - begin with ~1/3 allotments for each, then have some pieces of wood and stone that cross these ‘divides’ , planting can be used to echo this structure (Jurijs also has some good plant planning videos, eg, plant in triangle shapes rather than rectangles, make sure there is enough room behind your hardscape for background plant )

(if you watch Green Aqua videos, the ADA team expands this to at least 5 layers)






note how the rocks form a structure and the wood extends from this, whereas your stone seems to be scattered around wood that has also been scattered

Try to create height with some of the wood - more difficult with this bogwood than some other wood types - and also the rocks
To creates higher substrate areas, you can use cheap coarse gravels etc in net bags (choose something that has good aeration, eg, not fine sand), then cover with your planting substrate
(I don't know what you mean by 15kg “complet substrate” )

 

[Doozer999]

Thank you for the reply and patient reply alto.... I'll have a look through all that you said...

"Tetra active substrate" is what I meant, as a planting medium....

Thank you!

 

[alto]

It’s been a long time since I’ve used this type of substrate, I much prefer the shaped/baked Aquarium Soils such as Tropica (which probably “compact” less than the Tetra product - I just read Tetra’s product page )

I’d suggest adding some nutrients - as shown quickly in Jurijs Scape with a Friend video - note the Tropica nutrition “beads” will not quickly dissolve in water (and don’t float) so if you look for a less expensive alternate, test for this before using in your aquarium

Obviously have your hardscape pretty much sorted before preparing the substrate layers/additives
Add your “capping sand” after the hardscape is in its final placement

Once you’ve what seems a decent hardscape, let it sit a couple days before planting so you’ve time to really look at it (unless they’ve changed that Tetra substrate, you don’t want to mess about with it too much once tank is flooded )

If you do happen to trigger clouding in the tank (re disturbing the substrate), perform 80- 90% water changes until water is clear

It sounds as if most of your plants are fairly slow growing, so I’d add some fast growing stems for start up - either ones you’d like to keep in the tank as background stems or something such as Tropica’s L sessiliflora

 

[Ady34]

Hi,
There is a good amount of rock and I’m sure you can utilise the mopani wood to create a striking aquascape.
I would try to create some height by clustering the wood together towards one end or the other about 1/3 of the way along the tank. Try to utilise the length of some of the pieces by positioning more upright to add height to your aquascape. I would then use the rock to naturalise the scape by adding them to the base points of the wood and also to lengthen the scape by trailing them along the substrate from the wood into a triangular composition.
Like alto said, practice until you are happy as ultimately that is the most important thing. Your plants should suit well also.
Good luck.

 

[alto]

Juwel has some well done set up videos that are worth watching

Services

Contact & Service JUWEL Aquarium

www.juwel-aquarium.de

This one uses large pieces of wood, and round cobbles


If you’re less keen on your wood appearance, it’s easily masked with moss and Anubias etc

 

[Doozer999]

thank you for your replies....I will certainly try to "do" as you suggest...

 

[Angelfishguy99]

I had the exact same problem, well i say had but in fact i still do which my poor attempts can be seen here Journal . I found the whole thing to be extremely frustrating as i am generally a very creative person but when it came to scaping i was/am atrocious and i just couldn't deal with a creative block. So in the end i just decided to focus on growing healthy plants first and then when i feel like i can manage that i will move back to trying my hand at a "proper" scape. I also found Alto to be a great help and he provided some very good videos.

 

[Doozer999]

I had the exact same problem, well i say had but in fact i still do which my poor attempts can be seen here Journal . I found the whole thing to be extremely frustrating as i am generally a very creative person but when it came to scaping i was/am atrocious and i just couldn't deal with a creative block. So in the end i just decided to focus on growing healthy plants first and then when i feel like i can manage that i will move back to trying my hand at a "proper" scape. I also found Alto to be a great help and he provided some very good videos.

well...poor you...but it is heartening for me to know I'm not alone!! I have looked through your journal and so feel your pain!! Thank you; you have still been an inspiration....so please take that as a positive! Good luck...I look forward to see how things develop!

 

[Doozer999]

I had the exact same problem, well i say had but in fact i still do which my poor attempts can be seen here Journal . I found the whole thing to be extremely frustrating as i am generally a very creative person but when it came to scaping i was/am atrocious and i just couldn't deal with a creative block. So in the end i just decided to focus on growing healthy plants first and then when i feel like i can manage that i will move back to trying my hand at a "proper" scape. I also found Alto to be a great help and he provided some very good videos.

You know...I do find it a little odd - and, as you say...MASSIVELY frustrating.... I was fairly active on here about 3-4 years ago, as I "found" aquascaping as a logical progression from just having an aquarium...I thought I "found my thing". These beautiful scapes etc...a whole new world - literally! I got very in to the technical side of CO2 injection - and was happy to. I got very eager on finding ingenious ways to make moss walls etc... But...my interest waned as I came to realise...that what I don't have....was the artistic talent. I am not artistic in general...I hadn't factored in the extreme need of an artistic ability (so it seems) to make beautiful 'scapes. And so I drifted away from it all...

After a few years in the wilderness I just want a nice to look at aquarium...nothing too fancy...a few fish, in a beautiful scape...a few shrimp. Some snails...just an interesting tank....I think, like so many things, I think it "looks" easy....but as others say, it is a lot of practise, but I also feel it is an art form.....I am undecided whether "being artistic" can be learnt, or is simply innate... I envy and respect those that can do it...

 

[Emil.]

All advice welcome....

I don't believe you're not artistic. I think the problem you're facing is not having enough scaping material to play with. You can always cut the wood to get more "detail" pieces but you might struggle to create good height as suggested by alto.

Your tank is very big and difficult to fill up. If I was you, I'd create a smaller sandbox to practice in. I bet you'd be able to create nice scapes in there without getting frustrated.

 

[Doozer999]

Thank you emil. And that's a really interesting point...

I didn't want to "blame my material" as I do accept that this needs to come "from me", but I did feel that having limited funds, and so limited material probably isn't helping.

Don't get me wrong, I am certain that Good scapers could create great scapes with limited resources...but I do wonder if beginners are restricted by quantity...

All the videos and how to s are great, but are often sponsored with seemingly bags and bags of stuff...

I did consider perhaps buying "lots of wood" to play with then return what I don't use... At least I'll have the variety and scope "to play"....

I'm not making excuses, I promise... But I am aware that all i have is all I showed you...having more may make it easier.

I may just get this tank underway, mainly just planted, as others have said....learn the craft of growing healthy plants...

I do also have a dennerle 30, as I used to keep shrimp. Maybe I should use that as a practice tank for scaping? Is that what you mean...or make a 125 L dry practice tank?

Thank you though, for the reply!

 

[Emil.]

I do also have a dennerle 30, as I used to keep shrimp. Maybe I should use that as a practice tank for scaping? Is that what you mean...or make a 125 L dry practice tank?

Dennerle 30 is a brilliant idea. Take all the smallest rocks and see what you can come up with. Have fun!

 

[alto]

A dry scape box with tank dimensions is the most applicable scape-aid
Being able to go to a local shop with loads of hardscape materials (and getting staff assistance) is obviously a much faster, easier way forwards to developing an “artistic” scape

If you like the Diorama Style (far from my favourite) it’s a difficult style to master and requires lots of materials/lots of practise to create a hardscape that will be as aesthetically pleasing once flooded and planted (water alters perceptions significant, also light effects)
It also requires good plant knowledge and trimming techniques
AND the tank is developed for the camera version of it (which is significantly different than IRL human eye perception)

This is one of my favourite Filipe Oliveira tanks (in the staff cantine at Aquaflora) - there are several videos since it’s creation (I’ve just chosen first and most recent (I think))

 

[alto]

This is a gravel substrate aquarium from Tropica that has very little hardscape
(note that planting in various Aquarium Soils vs Gravel etc may work better “dry” “damp” or “wth a few cm’s of water” )

Layout 89 - Tropica - Tropica Aquarium Plants

Inspiration and ideas for your planted aquarium.

tropica.com

 

[Ray]

This is a gravel substrate aquarium from Tropica that has very little hardscape
(note that planting in various Aquarium Soils vs Gravel etc may work better “dry” “damp” or “wth a few cm’s of water” )

Layout 89 - Tropica - Tropica Aquarium Plants

Inspiration and ideas for your planted aquarium.

tropica.com

Absolutely - that Tropica tank is a good example - there is no need to do an awesome arrangement of hardscape. Your rocks and stones could just be places to grow ferns and mosses. The extreme case is to do a Dutch aquarium, check this example out:



As others said, adapt a cardboard box to be the size of your tank and mess about with your hard scape under a brainstorming flag - anything goes! Don’t be afraid to copy either - if you see several examples of a certain type you like then it’s fine to just try and do that yourself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jayefc1]

Some great vids and advice here for you and I know it can be difficult to create something you feel is right but what makes it so difficult is nature has it's own way of doing thing and when we try to recreate it it feels almost impossible you have to remember the pros in the vids have been doing this for 20 years and understand the way wood rocks light shadow plant growth will work in their favour so to start keep it simple play and have fun. frustration will make it harder and just going out and buying more hardscape can help but can frustrate even more as you have spent money and still cant get it perfect just practise with what you have play and enjoy dont set yourself unreal expectations. Look at diffrent ways to use the wood drill it to make a hole then zip tie it together look at screwing it to a peice of plastic or stone to get it to stand up what I have found in the last three years os sometimes it's more like modeling than scaping till you get what you want
Good luck and have fun

 

[Alex Papp]

Some great vids and advice here for you and I know it can be difficult to create something you feel is right but what makes it so difficult is nature has it's own way of doing thing and when we try to recreate it it feels almost impossible you have to remember the pros in the vids have been doing this for 20 years and understand the way wood rocks light shadow plant growth will work in their favour so to start keep it simple play and have fun. frustration will make it harder and just going out and buying more hardscape can help but can frustrate even more as you have spent money and still cant get it perfect just practise with what you have play and enjoy dont set yourself unreal expectations. Look at diffrent ways to use the wood drill it to make a hole then zip tie it together look at screwing it to a peice of plastic or stone to get it to stand up what I have found in the last three years os sometimes it's more like modeling than scaping till you get what you want
Good luck and have fun

I can't agree more with the construction side of things. If you have some wood and an idea of what you wanted it to look like (perhaps a sketch copying someone else's) then do what you need with the wood to make it look like that. I know it's annoying when you see George and others putting big pieces of "perfect" driftwood into a tank and then the Scape is done. But really just glue, manipulate and screw everything together to create what you want.
I'd also add that it's quite s big tank and lots of people (I think I would) might struggle when you get to that size, because you need multiple elements going on to make it look like a good hardscape. But like others have said you can just rely on the plants a bit more. Some bigger nice "aquascaping" rocks could help but it will make you better at scaping if you can use what you have.
All the best.

 

[Greeny]

Hi Doozer999,

I'd rather not conflict with anyones view as it may create more confusion for you and I would say if you could get something with what you have already then that would be amazing.

For me personally, the hardscape materials that you have in my view makes your job a lot harder, I don't view them as beginner hardscape materials. There are pieces of wood out there that are just the right kind of shape that you could make an impact straight away with just that. Like for instance a piece that has a nice focal point and naturally takes on the shape of a triangle which is a popular type of aquascape design. That then enables you to have something strong from the outset and then building around that would be easier. Either that or like you've said, A large father stone with great textures could be great to build around, keeping in mind the rule of thirds (the golden ratio) I think more textured stones are easier to work with too as a beginner, source stones with similar texture and colour, reducing in size as you go. Don't be ashamed to copy a design that you like.
I suspect it's all you have to work with and that's fair enough (I just read you have a 30ltr) but if you could then a smaller aquarium would be easier. It's a case of don't run before you can walk (I was told that from someone at The Green Machine some time ago) and I got his point! It did make me decide to focus on plant husbandry first however, at some point you just gotta go for it and if at first you don't succeed, try try again!

Anyway, all the best. Looking forward to updates.

 

[alto]

I tend to assume that everyone has seen the same videos

Filipe Oliveira Tree series, One Step Closer (March 2011 - August 2011)

First