• 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

Critique my hardscape New Iwagumi Hardscape

Shoshi Scaping

Seedling
Joined
13 Mar 2021
Messages
17
Location
UK
Hey everyone! I'm new here so hope I'm doing this right haha... I'd love it if I could get some feedback on my first ever iwagumi hardscape!

This is 36cm tank so pretty small and will have the Chihiros WRGB light hanging above it. I hope to plant a Hemianthus Callitrichoides 'Cuba' carpet with some Eleocharis 'mini' mixed in and a slightly taller variety of Eleocharis in the background between the two rocks (I'm going to add some Tropica soil powder on top of the normal soil when the hardscape is final so that there's more of a slope to create more of a sense of depth). I'll also be using RODI water for the first time in order to be able to keep some Caridina shrimp (hopefully some golden bees) and will be using an Oase Filtosmart Thermo 100 with glass lily pipes so I won't need an ugly heater in the tank. I'm trying to go with an iwagumi that's as natural as possible and that follows the Japanese 'rock garden' rules. I'd appreciate any feedback, thanks so much :)

iwagumi hardscape.jpg
 
Hi, it is good choice to use Oase Filtosmart Thermo 100.
Your idea for Iwagumi looks very well. But I think you should use Hemianthus Callitrichoides 'Cuba' only.
I am going to observe this project for next steeps.
 
Hi, thank you so much for replying! I see what you mean about only using Hemianthus however I'm not sure if that would fit the style of this hardscape but I'll bear it in mind (I should hopefully be planting this scape in 1-2 weeks' time)
 
Looks good! Personally I'd move the main rock slightly towards the center as it is the focal point and at the moment is a bit "out of the way". It can work in a 180cm wide tank but that's not what you are working with here unfortunately :cool:
Other things to consider:
Do all rocks match in texture?
Any possibility to have the rocks propped higher up? From the photo it looks like there's quite a lot of space until the top of the tank.

Oh and by the way my vote goes to hc cuba and eleocharis mixed.
 
Looks good! Personally I'd move the main rock slightly towards the center as it is the focal point and at the moment is a bit "out of the way". It can work in a 180cm wide tank but that's not what you are working with here unfortunately :cool:
Other things to consider:
Do all rocks match in texture?
Any possibility to have the rocks propped higher up? From the photo it looks like there's quite a lot of space until the top of the tank.

Oh and by the way my vote goes to hc cuba and eleocharis mixed.
Thanks for the ideas! I may move the main rock a little more central and see what it looks like. It bothers me too that the rocks aren't high enough but I'm using rocks I already had instead of buying new ones so I just have to work with what I've got really. They're already raised a lot with lava rock and soil underneath, they do look a bit higher in person as opposed to a photo actually but this is another reason to have the slightly taller Eleocharis species in the background, it will hopefully grow just above the top of the main rock which should help with the height issue! I got this rock in one of those Superfish 5kg bags a while back so they should be roughly the same textures, I think it was called mountain rock and it sure does have some nice textures on it! I've tried to make the texture of the rocks on each side point in vaguely the same directions
 
Hi, it is good choice to use Oase Filtosmart Thermo 100.
Your idea for Iwagumi looks very well. But I think you should use Hemianthus Callitrichoides 'Cuba' only.
I am going to observe this project for next steeps.
I agree, i did a very similar thing with mine and the mini hair grass spreads every where, and its runners can run afew inches under the substrate so you cant really keep it contained or get rid of it once its taken foot.
 

Attachments

  • 1616251217236657192580930794640.jpg
    1616251217236657192580930794640.jpg
    4 MB · Views: 186
Back
Top