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Paul's 200L, "Punishment of Luxury"

Joined
12 Nov 2008
Messages
426
Location
Kendal, Cumbria
Here we go:
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How did I do?
 
like the rock type!
i'm about as artistic as an ant, i know nothing about aquascaping, so take my opinion as worthless! :shifty:
but i think the rockwork would look better if it all sloped the same way. so each side would kinda compliment rather than oppose the other........
 
Hi Paul - well done with the pics :D

Youve got some nice rocks there - it might be nice to try to get a bit more height out of the main left hand one, by changing the angle of it, or increasing the substrate underneath it. Depending on your planting, it might get a bit lost amongst the foliage - what are your planting plans ?

I'd also try to alter the angle of the left and right hand clusters - they mirror each other at the moment. My preference is for the striations in the rocks to follow the same sort of angle throughout, but thats just my geometric OCD :lol:

What are your plans for the background of the tank ? Nothing against your wallpaper of course :D

Great start - welcome to many hours of 'scape-tweaking'

Tony
 
I've just realised I should have put this in Journals. I thought I'd do that once I'd nailed posting images - but overlooked the fact that as soon as I'd posted hardscape, people would respond to it! :thumbup:

Could a moderator move the tail-end of this thread - from the pictures onwards - to the Journals section? I'd hate to lose the very first feedback - which I'm carefully considering!

A name for the Journal?
Paul's 200L, "Punishment of Luxury". :woot:
 
OK, I've tried more upright and strata aligned:
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Planting: no clear plans but I'd like to use Glossostigma elatinoides and/or Hemianthus callitrichoides and/or Riccia fluitans in the foreground; Pogostemon helferi, Eleocharis parvula and Hydrocotyle verticillata in the midground. Background - I don't know, I would like to grow Nymphaea lotus sometime, but I don't think it would work with this hardscape. Vallisneria perhaps? Open to planting suggestions, really.

Instead of the wallpaper - I dunno...
 
What's going on, Paul?! :lol:

I expected you to have a pre-determined rock layout ready and waiting... ;)

The rocks look great - real character. That's the first and biggest hurdle conquered at the start. No excuses now mate...

Planting sounds good - classic/safe Iwagumi choices.

Vallisneria nana makes a nice background curtain effect, if you don't mind keeping it in check. Cyperus helferi is a slower grower giving a similar/if more ornamental feel.

One plant I've considered lately is the tall Lilaeopsis macloviana.

http://www.tropica.com/article.asp?type ... tic&id=608

With a potential height of over 50cm it would make a interesting addition breaking away from the stereotypical Iwagumi backgrounds.

I think Mr. Knott has used it, but apart from that it's pretty much unused as far as I know.
 
err... is it just me but this thread starts as "Paul's 200L, Punishment Of Luxuy" then Bubbas post next is "re :Does all this sound reasonable? Any equipment imbalances?" (another of Pauls threads) and the switches back to the original "Punishment" title with Georges post
 
squiggley said:
err... is it just me but this thread starts as "Paul's 200L, Punishment Of Luxuy" then Bubbas post next is "re :Does all this sound reasonable? Any equipment imbalances?" (another of Pauls threads) and the switches back to the original "Punishment" title with Georges post
My fault.

I split the thread from Paul's original "equipment imbalances" into this journal, hence the mixed titles. I'll correct it now....

Thanks.
 
Great stone, but I'd take it to town and break it up a bit so you have more to play with. I'd also think about another bag of substrate to get more height and depth. Don't be afraid the really slope that soil.
 
Thanks for all the feedback, guys!

Tony - thanks for the suggestions - I've tried them and I think they work!

TDI - glad you like the rock - so do I!

James - it may not be obvious in the pictures, but the substrate rises from 1" to 5" plus. The stone is seiryu stone. A couple of small spurs broke off in transit, and the revealed surfaces seem very different, as if the stone has a surface patina. So I'd be reluctant to break it up further. It may not be obvious but I've got five pieces, and they seem to sit together nicely, mimicking deeper fissures between individual rocks. so -

Baron von B - your messing with paintshop is outstanding, as you've created a sixth rock for me to play with! But in truth, you have made me consider opening up some of the gaps between the rocks - we'll see.

George - yes I did have a hardscape idea all ready to go, but even with TGM's vast selection I couldn't match my ideas to their rock reality. So I went with the flow instead. And thanks for the planting comments - safe is what I need to start with, so that's good. Oh, and thanks for bunging this in the Journals section.

Having put the Eheim pipework in, I can see why many loathe it - I'm finding it hard to resist the temptation of going straight for glassware, and hang the expense!

Also I chucked the idea of using two big Eheims and went for a single 2180 - just hope I don't wind up needing a powerhead to increase the flow. The money saved was blown on a better luminaire with MH and some rather pink T5s. I'll post pictures of the cabinet when I get home - I'm away for a few days right now.

Cheers all

Paul
 
That rock is so nice, the layout is going to be so important. Have you tried one long ridge with the strata pointing in the same direction? Looking foreward to see the finished article -Tom
 
Currently reflecting on this arrangement, with more steeply banked substrate - it's now 1" at front to 4-6" at rear:

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And i thought you might like to see my automated water change system:

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Themuleous said:
Haha :lol: Thats BRILIANT! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
I presume you mean the quality of my hardscaping? :text-imnewhere:

As always, spiffing criticism chaps.

Tony - I have thought about bringing the RH group forward, but I'm a bit wary of creating too much background planting space, when I'd like a big area of fore- and midground planting. If I've got lots of background space, don't I wind up with a dense mass of stems or an impenetrable forest of vallis-type background? In fact I've been toying with moving the RH group further BACK! (But your comments reinforce my sense that that really wouldn't be a good idea).

Superman - I know what you mean about no transition from foreground to the big LH group. But the intention is to have a big foreground carpet, with something like Pogostemon helferi along the front edge of that big group. That way there's some genuine transition, without reducing the impact of the big LH group. Perhaps you've been spoiled by all these clever-clogs with their graded gravel foregrounds( :thumbup: ), and you're expecting me to do something like that? :shifty: Nope, I'll keep that for when I know what the hell I'm doing - this should have zero substrate showing, which I guess means no cories (sob).
 
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