Ian Holdich
Member
Looks superb Iain, this has turned into one cracking layout!
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NA 120cm - Asian Dreams-IAPLC # 251
- Thread starter Iain Sutherland
- Start date
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- Tags
- am1000 ambastaia sidthimunki aquascape asian barbs blyxa aubertii blyxa japonica brevibora dorsiocellata bucephalandra cyperus helferi giesemann futura hygrophilia pinnatifida moss natural aquario nature aquarium puntius puntius denisonii puntius rhomboocellatus snakeskin barb taxiphyllum barbieri
thanks viktor, your tanks have been a big inspiration over the last couple of years so very happy you like it.Looks very nice my friend
Its very generous of george and yourself to say so, in my eyes i still have a way to go before having a tank that qualifies for comparison with the likes of both of you.
What??!! you can tell i look at 'the complete works' a lot 😛
I do have cs6 mark but it confuses the hell out of me just like the camera does lol id be more than happy for you to post the image so i can see what it could of looked like.
i really just need to get a light back over the tank as growth is so slow and im starting to see some effects from the low light such as the moss browning a little in the shadows along with it reverting to its leggy low tech form. The pinna doesnt like it either and has dropped a fair few leaves.
thanks Mr H, im relatively pleased with it but still feel its missing something... just cant put my finger on it??
I will be adding some more invitro pinna as i have found that cuttings dont take well to wood and Ed suggested i try another texture to the right hand side which i will give a go. Also having the sides and rear of the islands blacked out may change the look a lot.
Like has already been said, the tank is looking superb and a credit to your vision. The quality is in its simplicity (no derogatory meaning), it doesnt try too hard, it isn't ostentatious and that works really well at creating something very natural and easy on the eye to me anyway. It draws you in and I could watch it for hours I bet. That is a difficult skill to master, less is more 🙂
Its very impressive mate as is the photography progression
I actually like the light shining through the wood towards the right but feel that something could be added to the very right edge to transition the moss to the taller grass at the rear, that will balance things up IMO.
More frequent updates when work settles down mate, too good to miss
Cheerio,
Ady.
Its very impressive mate as is the photography progression
i think all of these may be the answer, maybe your looking at needing to fill out the mid layers around the peripheries a little to loose the thinness shown from the bright light background. Perhaps hygrophila araguaia would work really nicely with the leaf shapes and tones and be about the right size to sit in those areas? Dont know how that fits your asian theme though being from brazil but it would work visually. Crypts are the obvious choice though 😉 but maybe too predictable? Maybe another nice buce species or if you dont want anything different just some more of the short (blyxa?) grass like in the centre....you could alternatively add another small piece of mossy wood there, but planting may be easier to achieve the right balance.
I actually like the light shining through the wood towards the right but feel that something could be added to the very right edge to transition the moss to the taller grass at the rear, that will balance things up IMO.
More frequent updates when work settles down mate, too good to miss
Cheerio,
Ady.
Nathaniel Whiteside
Member
I've just looked through this entire Journal Iain, from the very start to the finish, and must say, Your foresight with this is unbelievably on the money. I echo what the others have said in that this is probably one of the best aquascapes kicking about at the moment, as I've seen nothing like it before. Which I find very refreshing. Amano 'esk with the rocks covered in moss leading on to the pure 'white' sand which gives a stunning effect, with the added bonus of a bursting Buceph here and there.
Your photography SKILLS have come on from starting your Journal a lot, with the latter shots being up there with the top photographers on here.
Going to watch this mate.
How are you finding the NA setup as a whole?
Cheers,
Nathaniel
Your photography SKILLS have come on from starting your Journal a lot, with the latter shots being up there with the top photographers on here.
Going to watch this mate.
How are you finding the NA setup as a whole?
Cheers,
Nathaniel
thats very kind ady, its been a pleasure running it and as much as im planning the next scape already, as we always do, im really hoping i can get it to where i want it to be over the next 3-4 months.
I think a lot of the picture progression is down to the equipment as the camera still makes my head spin!! I bought stu's old 5D mkII and it really takes a nice image, coupled with the L series lens it makes me look way better than i am
funny, araguaia was on the list but was taken off for exactly that reason, its not asian. Now maybe its a little daft to rule out a plant that would likely fit the bill for that reason but aside from the otos it would be the only non asian and my OCD wont let me. Cypts were a possibility but i just dont have much love for them at the moment.
The idea in my head (maybe amanos head?!) is that the right side would have a canopy of bolbitus with shadows underneath but the bolbitus in that spot grows backwards... as in towards the back!! no matter how much i try to help it along it wont play the game. In all honesty the bolbitus throughout the tank isnt doing as desired and aside talking to it im out of ideas. I think the look i want needs more light than i had previously to keep a more compact form??? Same with the pinna i believe at the moment. I think i will get the ati unit so will be interesting to see what happens with 4 or 6 54w T5's over it...
I may take a visit to ed again in the coming weeks and if he has any more bogwood that may work im open to trying different things....
ill try buddy, really want to test out the movie function on the camera but will wait until i have more than one led unit running as 3200 iso is not ideal.
haha that couldnt have taken long pal
updates have been very elusive!! nice to see you back on the forum again nath and look forward to seeing what you do next.love it, no quibles at all. The steel pipes are the best thing ever, good flow and no brown glass especially when im busy like at the mo.
Its just a great package, so much so next year the 60 may mature into a 90
Really though guys im overwhelmed with the response to this last update, when you see a tank every day its easy to just spot the things you arent entirely happy with so really does give me a new appreciation for it and motivation to get more images up.
In that vain Mark kindly had a little fiddle with my erm.. pic and it really does look great. Im sure he wont mind me posting it and no doubt the rest of you will find it interesting to see the difference of when someone that knows what they are doing massages an image.
lain-3 by saintly's pics, on Flickr
So again been too long since updating so apologies but the silly season is here and while most of you enjoy your lead up to xmas my life goes to hell providing the best christmas parties in Cambridge 
that and the fact there isnt much to report. So while i wait for all the drunks to bugger off so i can clear up i thought id update the journals a little.
Tank is declining somewhat at the moment due to lack of light, one tmc tile over 4ft simply doesnt cut it lol
Moss is going well still but the pinna and blyxa is objecting, dropping leaves and generally dying back slowly.
With luck the Guisemann futura should arrive in the next week or two, but not holding my breath, then i will replace them for some new pots.
Ive also ordered a Twinstar, ive had very few issues with this tank so it may seem pointless but fancied trying one out and the next scape will be rock dominant so worth while then. I also like the idea of having higher co2 limits due to the dissolved o2, give the guisemann a chance to stretch its legs in time for a feb/march final shoot before tear down.
Anyway, i have a day free on wednesday to sort the tanks out as none of them have had a WC in over 3 weeks so ill try and get some images up then.
that and the fact there isnt much to report. So while i wait for all the drunks to bugger off so i can clear up i thought id update the journals a little.Tank is declining somewhat at the moment due to lack of light, one tmc tile over 4ft simply doesnt cut it lol
Moss is going well still but the pinna and blyxa is objecting, dropping leaves and generally dying back slowly.
With luck the Guisemann futura should arrive in the next week or two, but not holding my breath, then i will replace them for some new pots.
Ive also ordered a Twinstar, ive had very few issues with this tank so it may seem pointless but fancied trying one out and the next scape will be rock dominant so worth while then. I also like the idea of having higher co2 limits due to the dissolved o2, give the guisemann a chance to stretch its legs in time for a feb/march final shoot before tear down.
Anyway, i have a day free on wednesday to sort the tanks out as none of them have had a WC in over 3 weeks so ill try and get some images up then.
sanj
Member
Iain, it would be great if you could review the Futura when you get it. 🙂
Piece-of-fish
Member
'When you see a tank every day its easy to just spot the things you arent entirely happy with so really does give me a new appreciation for it and motivation to get more images up.' This is very true, we get used to seeing our tanks and the spark is lost a bit sometimes.
The rising start has rosen...
The rising start has rosen...
Just got an email saying the futura unit will be arriving next week 😀
If i wasnt so tired id be excited. Tried to get some pics the other night but just not enough light to get anything worth posting up. Guess that will change soon.
Also decided to add a school of Brevibora dorsiocellata, been considering it for a while but kept chickening out as i know if they are wrong ill never get them out again. Anyway my mind is made up and they should go in next week with luck.
over and out.
ill try sanj but ill think ill struggle to even get it set up before xmas so you may require a little patience.
If i wasnt so tired id be excited. Tried to get some pics the other night but just not enough light to get anything worth posting up. Guess that will change soon.
Also decided to add a school of Brevibora dorsiocellata, been considering it for a while but kept chickening out as i know if they are wrong ill never get them out again. Anyway my mind is made up and they should go in next week with luck.
over and out.
aliclarke86
Member
- Joined
- 21 Mar 2013
- Messages
- 1,488
How is it looking at the most with only 2 50% tiles? Has it caused any problems or just getting along slowly?
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Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
Alastair
Member
George is reviewing his with videos etc on his journal I think Sanj
sanj
Member
Yes he did say he will, it is always good to have different viewpoints.
Still no worries Iain, take your time. 🙂
few issues mostly with the pinna and blyxa lower in the tank in that they are dropping leaves and pinna getting leggy.
thanks darren, glad i could invigorate you. its not as lush at the moment but hopefully back on track soon.
i will be sanj as just had a call from them, they have sent a marine version instead of freshwater!! They are shipping another unit direct to me today, normally 3 days delivery but who knows with xmas etc....
frustrated !!🙁
Gary Nelson
Member
Hope you get it in time mate, I am looking forward to seeing that in action of that fantastic scape
Well, nothing good going on here. Im pretty sure that I have a duff bottle of ferts that contains more copper than is normal as I've lost nearly all 80 shrimp in the last 2 weeks. Same was happening in the 60 and only thing linking them is both use the same bottle of ferts that was new 2 weeks ago.
Being as I haven't been home when the lights are on during all this time I didn't see it happening, I had noticed the fish being very shy but was hoping it was just due to irregular feeding and general lack of maintenance. My thinking is now that the resulting ammonia/ nitrite is the cause.
Will now be doing a few water changes and getting some carbon in the filter to mop up. Obviously I've now switched to dry ferts for a while and will monitor.
If nothing changes then I'm at a loss for now....
Annoyed to say the least!!
Only positive with this tank is the futura should be here tomorrow.
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Being as I haven't been home when the lights are on during all this time I didn't see it happening, I had noticed the fish being very shy but was hoping it was just due to irregular feeding and general lack of maintenance. My thinking is now that the resulting ammonia/ nitrite is the cause.
Will now be doing a few water changes and getting some carbon in the filter to mop up. Obviously I've now switched to dry ferts for a while and will monitor.
If nothing changes then I'm at a loss for now....
Annoyed to say the least!!
Only positive with this tank is the futura should be here tomorrow.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Ian Holdich
Member
That's a shame mate! Hope things get sorted.
Get some pics of the light unit though!
Get some pics of the light unit though!
Nathaniel Whiteside
Member
Gutting mate.
Did you wind back the ferts when you dropped the lights? Could that be the reason for accumulation of fertilisers in the Water column?
I bet your very glad, that at long last, you can get back on track with the tank with the Futura. All the best mate, hope you've had a decent Christmas (other aforementioned issues!).
Cheers,
N
will do pal.
thanks nath, aside from working xmas day i had a really good christmas... was too much port xmas day night though
its not a build up of ferts, as that very hard to happen anyway, as after a water change yesterday all was fine... no shy fish, shrimp all swimming about, at which point i was scratching my head what the problem was, then added the ferts and within 15 minutes 5 shrimp lying on their backs.
had i not been so busy during december then i would have picked it up after a day or 2 but i havent touched the tank all december or seen it more than a couple of times with the lights on.
another water change today so will see what happens after...
