Lava rock 90x45x50

[Radevski]

Good day!

I would like to present my new project with lava rock

Tank dimensions 90x45x50
Filtration Fluval 306
Light DIY Led light 39pcs x3w with dimmers
Substract Dennerle Scapers Soil

Till this day ive been keeping fish and plants for like 15 years but this is my very fist aquascape with complex hardscape.Like i said i am using lava rock and dennnerle scapers soil.
The scape is still on his early stage...changes will be done especialy with the left side of the scape...but i am in some overall creativity error haha
In this tank i plan to use monte carlo,mosses and some mini eleocharis.
Any critics,advices,reccomendation are welcomed


Thanks,
Radevski

 

[Nigel95]

Awesome hardscape so far especially RH

You could consider the yoghurt method for on your lava rocks. Works very good. Fissidens mini and riccardia chamedryfolia will be great for your scape and that method.

 

[Radevski]

Thanks buddy!
still a lot of work around the final hardscape,still a lot of work till i come to planiting. Yeah i was considering yoghurt method. Thanks for the link!

 

[Sweded]

Great looking hardscape but I would add some extra height to the left side for a more balanced layout. Just don't make both sides too alike. Yes riccardia growing on some of the stones and HC and Monte Carlo growing on the substrate and draping over some of the bare stones would look good. Maybe some anubias petite and some small buce thrown in there for variety.

 

[cookie.dou]

Great start!

 

[Christos Ioannou]

Hi, great start.

May I ask if you bought lava rock from your lfs or a plant nursery or a home depot? I can only get smaller chunks usually used in bbqs...
thanks

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[Radevski]

Thanks to all...i wasnt satisfied and ill start all over...
The teraces were kinda too small..and i dont know...i liked the structure but i was limited somehow...still big noob in this haha, i think time is needed to get sharper eye and the feeling.

Hey Christos, i am not fan of buying hardscape ) i prefer collecting from nature, the cost is smaller and i can get more creative, plus one more reason to use sundays outdoors.
I found old dead vulcano like 50km from my city and i pick them up from there.
My car is coupe so i was limited how much i can take...dont wonder who will go with truck over there next time ))

 

[Christos Ioannou]

good call! if only there was a place we could shovel some bags of ADA...

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[Radevski]

haha! well...ADA is nice but i think there are plenty choices on the market that can be good substitute.
Anyway...i think i saw some videos from Denis Wong and from David O'Bryant aka ADU Aquascaping on youtube. They explain on few videos how they glue hard materials..maybe you can glue smaller lava rocks with silicone? That might work.

 

[Christos Ioannou]

yep, that might be an option.

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[Cactusface]

Hi Rad,
Yes looks good, I would be very interested in you DIY LED lighting. I need to get some hight in my tank.... And the Yoghert meathod I was going to ask about, but see nigel put a link in, seems OK for a new set up but not for me. Unless at a later date I try it. My LED lighting so far as been very simple, Here's a picture or 2!

 

[Sweded]

Thanks to all...i wasnt satisfied and ill start all over...
The teraces were kinda too small..and i dont know...i liked the structure but i was limited somehow...still big noob in this haha, i think time is needed to get sharper eye and the feeling.

Hey Christos, i am not fan of buying hardscape ) i prefer collecting from nature, the cost is smaller and i can get more creative, plus one more reason to use sundays outdoors.
I found old dead vulcano like 50km from my city and i pick them up from there.
My car is coupe so i was limited how much i can take...dont wonder who will go with truck over there next time ))

Where do you live where you can collect lava rock like that?

 

[Radevski]

Hey Cactusface, ill make few photos of the LED later today and ill post it.

Hey Sweded, i am from Macedonia and i live in Skopje. I found the dead volcano in area named Mlado Negoricane near the city of Kumanovo. The whole area is with lava rock..but there is only few zones/places where picking up is legal coz the landscapes and stuff. On my luck i found old sheep farmer from that place and ive got nice brandy with me...so you can connect the things
For those who are nature enthusiasts i strongly recommend to google place named Kuklica. Its amazing place with many legends...one is like....there was wedding and all the guest got freezed )) haha old legends are cool thing right Jokes on side, the earth and the landscape are very old in that place.
Also you can google city named Kratovo its near (same zone) and its full with lava rock ))

For those who are lazy to google, Ill be good lad and ill post some photos

 

[Radevski]

Ah i found photos in my phone, no need to wait till later

Three chanels,three independent dimmers for overy chanel....39 led total..3w each....its combination of cold white,warm white,red,full spec....and like i said they are dimmable so....should be ok
In first place the plan was the light to stand on the aquarium side walls...but...in order to have better adjusment later and to get more on overlook elegance i decided to change that.
I made new light holder behind the aquarium stand....in form of necklace

The only bad thing is that i am idiot in electronics..i gave a try once years ago and i was suspended from school for a week so...haha i decide to pay for it ...i only chose the combination and the type of the leds....so the dude that put all this in box,put the batery in the same box...and coz that the box is kinda big..
If he was thinking creative he could make the box thiner by puting the batery outside the box.... and we could get on elegance...but not a bigge after all..its my first DIY led plus it looks like DJ gear from the 90s

 

[Radevski]

I have one question before i start building my scape again...
Coz i make really edgy hills i find it very hard to keep my soil not falling/coming to foreground....i saw Jurijs Jutjajevs on one video said that he used to put filter floss to keep the soil back...but he only said it...does someone have any detailed link about this technique?

Thanks!

 

[Cactusface]

Hi All,
I just brought 10Kg of Lava rock on eBay, it arrived today, it was only in 3 pieces one very large, but it was fairly easy to break up, it looked very gray and dusty, but a quick squib with an hose-pipe brought it to life and now I can see the colouring, etc. Going to have fun with this!! I nearly brought the 20Kg but that would be too much! I did wonder if I could sell it on to others.....

@Redevski I could perhaps help with LEDs I've just don't 2 simple ones, Take a look here: https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/led-strip-light-if-not-affordable-options-for-a-rack-suggestions-please.49540/

Mel.

 

[Radevski]

Little update on the things...
Like i said... the last try was not on my taste... the slopes were too small.. so i decided the try something else.. after few attempts i finished with this one. Every recommendation, critique or opinion is welcomed.
The idea behind this scape is to be in nature style with moss, microsorums, cryptocorynes, maybe some pinantifida and rotalas from the back... and in front helferi, anubias, monte carlo and some mini parvula.
Please excuse me about the rock on the wood... i was just trying to find the balance before sinking it.. in the final set up they will be removed.
The only limiting bad thing is that i dont have and more wood from this type and this color. I collected it from nature few months ago.. and i really dont have idea what it is, but i used it in other tank so its safe.


Thanks in advance,
Radevski

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[Sweded]

The balance of the wood is a bit off. With such an awkward shape I would cut of some branches and fix them in better angles.