New pheonix 60x30x30 scape.

[TDI-line]

Good luck Gareth, i hope you get things sorted. 😉

 

[Tony Swinney]

Sleepless night Garuf ? Scaping til 5am, thats commitment for you

Looks good to me. Hope things get sorted for you and you can get it planted up.

Tony 😀

 

[rawr]

I like that last one too, the large rock underneath the wood is a bit distracting though.

 

[John Starkey]

Hi garuf,I love the last pic it looks nice I think low light plants would look cool,if I can help with cuttings I will Free,regards john.[/code]

 

[Garuf]

Good luck Gareth, i hope you get things sorted. 😉

Thanks, Dan. Me too. I'd found somewhere only for it to go in the time it took for me to get dressed and catch the bus to the estate agent... Typical.

Sleepless night Garuf ? Scaping til 5am, thats commitment for you

Looks good to me. Hope things get sorted for you and you can get it planted up.

Tony 😀

Thanks, Tony. Yeah couldn't sleep, started scaping at 9pm downed tools and got into bed at 6am, worth it though I reckon. Yeah, I hope I can get it planted up too. Not fancying the £70 plant bill that the tank took last time.

You've got some great hardscape positioning there. I like that last one too, the large rock underneath the wood is a bit distracting though.

Thanks Tom, I do see what you mean. When I was planning it I imagined the rocks being the riverbed and the wood becoming lodged while being tumbled down the river which I guess is why I tried to make it look lodged. it's also my "key stone" The scape from which I wanted my focal point and hardscape to stem from. I did swap it out but the scape suffered as a result.

Hi garuf,I love the last pic it looks nice I think low light plants would look cool,if I can help with cuttings I will Free,regards john.[/code]

Thank you, John. Very kind words and a very generous offer. Yeah, I'm fancying crypts in their, mosses and ferns too. I fancy lilinopsis and hairgrass too but I don't know. Four leaved clover is also something I'm considering.

From here I'm thinking of adding a scree slope to the middle "V" between the 2 largest rocks which I was saving for downoi but I think smaller shards of rocks in this place might work well, I tried it and liked it but I'm unsure, I don't want to lose too much of the planting to the hardscape and I'm note sure if it'll even be viable in terms of collecting mulm or working visually once the tank is wet. It does add good dynamics and more variation in textures and composition but I don't know, it worked so well in Dan's newest tank and in Zigs but I don't know if it'll add that something more that plants wouldn't.

 

[LondonDragon]

The last one looks good to me, all you need now is some plants and water!! Its too dry 😉

 

[samc]

could turn out to be awsome mate hope you get it planted soon

 

[John Starkey]

Hi garuf,this is not a dig at you just some advice the way I see it,as the scape looks now it just needs plants,the longer
you keep being unsure the more you will keep changing it,get it planted and stop changing
your mind. 😉
Regards john

 

[Garuf]

Haha, thank you, John. I'm glad you're always one to speak your mind. 🙂
Don't worry I'm happy with the scape as it sits, I just need to put in the leg work and find a full time job so I can afford plants I need a FE too... Once I've got those I'm set though. I'm still shocked at home many have been so generous as to offer support, it's incredibly humbling, a million thanks to you all. 😳

 

[Steve Smith]

List your wanted plants mate and let's see what we can all do

 

[John Starkey]

Hi garuf,I have a full fe for you free,(dan won't mind bless him),if you make it george demo day I will bring it for you,
Regards john.

 

[Garuf]

Thank you John, I'm not sure I can get transport to get there. If I can I'll be there though I really want to see the new tank. Thank you so much.

Plants wise, I really don't know what I need so I'm more than happy to listen to suggestions.
Scape wise, How do people see the background? I was considering a jason baliban style really low plants layout but I don't know.
Wall of stems anyone? Or a mound?
Hmmmm

 

[Garuf]

Wages in hand I tentatively add plants to my shopping basket, and here's what I'm planning on using anyone got any input before I commit to purchase?
3 pots Crypt Amicorum
4 pots Eleocharis Acicularis
3 pots Hemianthus callitrichoides
3 pots Pogostemon Helferi
3 pots Vallisneria nana **( might swap for rotalla rotundifolia var. red)
5 pots Rotala sp. ''Green'' ** (might swap for hm)
3 pots Lilaeopsis Novea-Zealandia** (might remove in favor of another couple of pots of crypts/hairgrass).
1 lillie** (possibly, I really want to give having just the surface leaves as a focal point a go but it's apparently far too big in this format?)
total of 24 pots, should be plenty to kick start the tank surely?
I've already got a fair bit of anubias nana petite and some christmas moss I plan to use, I'd prefer fissidens but beggars can't be choosers.
Anyone got any input?
Anyway, look forward to hearing your input and opinions.

 

[Mark Evans]

garuf, sorry for the no rely. i've been a busy buzzy bee mate

4 pots Eleocharis Acicularis

depends what effect your after. 4 pots would give you enough to fill the back in time.

3 pots Hemianthus callitrichoides

2 would do, george will tell you that.

3 pots Pogostemon Helferi

hate the stuff.

3 pots Vallisneria nana

you'll have fun keeping that in check

3 pots Lilaeopsis Novea-Zealandia

it's a tall mother. but then i suppose you'd put at the sides/rear?....

1 lillie** (possibly, I really want to give having just the surface leaves as a focal point a go but it's apparently far too big in this format?)

amano's used them in a 60 before 😉

dude, what the hell do i know?..... just go for it. 😀 what ever happens, happens. good luck and welcome to the working world.

 

[Garuf]

garuf, sorry for the no rely. i've been a busy buzzy bee mate

haha don't worry mate, I understand. Well I don't, I'm rarely busy these days, I wish I was! I seem to spend all my time looking for houses and the rest of it sitting about in my pants.

4 pots Eleocharis Acicularis

depends what effect your after. 4 pots would give you enough to fill the back in time.

I'm thinking a transitionary plant heading from the mid to the background at the sides. Something soft for the layout.

3 pots Hemianthus callitrichoides

2 would do, george will tell you that.

Yeah I hear you on that, but i figured the more the merrier. I'll knock a pot off the list and see how I go.

3 pots Pogostemon Helferi

hate the stuff.

Really?! I really like it, I only want it as a highlighting plant, front centre and right hand side. I did want starugauyne but that's not £3 a pot. You like riccia though so I'll call it evens.

3 pots Vallisneria nana

you'll have fun keeping that in check

Oh, so much for low maintenance lol. It shouldn't be that bad should it?

3 pots Lilaeopsis Novea-Zealandia

it's a tall mother. but then i suppose you'd put at the sides/rear?....

Yeah I wanted to put it in back behind the main rock on the left and behind the rockery on the right where I'd intended to put blyxa but decided I agreed with George and it's been used too often.

1 lillie** (possibly, I really want to give having just the surface leaves as a focal point a go but it's apparently far too big in this format?)

amano's used them in a 60 before 😉

That's enough justification for me 😉

dude, what the hell do i know?..... just go for it. 😀 what ever happens, happens. good luck and welcome to the working world.

[/quote]

 

[Mark Evans]

the vallis mate, when it takes hold it spreads at an alarming rate, well it did for me. the other thing is it's height. when it reaches it's height for your tank, you then have to do something about it. leaving your tank, at one point in its life looking not quite right at the back. thats my guess anyway. c heferi is a much better option, but much lighter in colour

 

[Garuf]

Yeah I did concider helfri I finally twigged how amano uses it after seeing this tank:

I don't know if it will be just too light though. I thought maybe juncus repens but I don't think that is as grassy as vallis?

 

[John Starkey]

Hi garuf,I am having a change round in my tank today and I have 2 pots of hm man they are the biggest pots I have ever seen,I can't see me useing both pots so if I don't you are welcome to it for free,
Regards john

 

[Garuf]

Thanks for the offer John, I'll let you know as soon as I can. hopefully people will give me some feedback on their preference.

 

[John Starkey]

Garuf,I get frustrated somtimes Reading your posts,don't wait to see what we all think get on and do it,then we tell you what we think,at the end of the day critques are welcome but ultimatley it's you who has to look at it every day.happy planting regards john.