Saintly's 240L 'savannah dreaming' scape finished

[viktorlantos]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 5 weeks

ugh ok Mark, there's a cheat behind this growth i am sure 😀 come on tell me the trick 😉

your tank looks amazing. can't believe this much of growth in this short term.
can you remind me are you using tap or soft water?

ps: i am glad the ferts works in your tank

 

[Mark Evans]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 5 weeks

amazing. Your an inspiration. Thankyou

thanks you mate. I know i post way too many pics and probably annoy many on here, but if it helps others, then I'm all for it 😀

ugh ok Mark, there's a cheat behind this growth i am sure 😀 come on tell me the trick 😉

I must admit, this is the quickest growth i've had in a tank, but saying that 'autumn blush' was quick too.

my tap water is ph7 kh 9. once in the tank, it goes into the yellow region of about 5.5 and the KH initially is stripped but rises later on. TBH, what i've just written means nothing to me 😳

i'm loving the ferts viktor.

 

[Garuf]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 5 weeks

Looks magnificent Mark, is the error the crypts being smaller than the S sabulta? I had that in my last tank, the hairgrass ended up being loads bigger than the crypts.

Do you know if there are added chelators in the ferts mix? Are you planning on stocking it?
I need to order some more ferts thinking about it, I haven't a clue what I've got left...

 

[Mark Evans]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 5 weeks

thanks garuf.

is the error the crypts being smaller than the S sabulta?

thats the one mate. it's teres actually. I'm going to be real daring and level it. my guess is, it'll grow back like tenellus and come back shorter. Still, it's a learning curve. The crypts are starting to look real nice. The bullosa is stunning!

Do you know if there are added chelators in the ferts mix?

i'm not not sure. it was only a couple of weeks ago i dosed trace as usual, and it made my water cloudy. i persisted with it and everything is fine. It might of been coincidence, that i had a small bacterial bloom at the same time.

The tank has just entered that phase, where water quality is best and plants look radiant. again, my guess is the filter has cycled fully and working good.

The stems are recovering from their trim and some of the rotala is now going red.

i'm still unsure at how long his tank will last though. 😵

 

[Mark Evans]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 5 weeks

*I've just spent 5 minutes trimming the HC. I've cleared the left corner too, where the teres was beginning to take over. I've left the right side to spread a bit more.

Dan's also decided doctor who stickers look good on the tank too

 

[smik]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 5 weeks

Hi Mark,
won´t you learn himself czech language? 🙂
I should so many questions, but I can´t speak english. 🙁 I must learn it.
Very nice tank, very inspirative.

 

[oldwhitewood]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 5 weeks

Thanks man, I've been away for a long time but I'm getting back upto speed with things slowly.

well, IMVHO your NA style scapes were the best i've seen in the UK. so bring em on mate

Wow thanks all I've ever done though is try to imitate Mr Amano's work (rather badly I might add). Your layout here is up there with the best of them mate, really fresh and clean.

 

[Mark Evans]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 5 weeks

all I've ever done though is try to imitate Mr Amano's work

A great way of learning mate. it's what i try to do....badly.

Your layout here is up there with the best of them mate, really fresh and clean.

Thanks mate A long way to go though. I've just had a chat with George about the urges of wanting to just scape, scape and more scaping!

So, the tanks 6 weeks tomorrow, and all is good. The right side has recovered well after i've aloud more light to the area, moving powerheads etc. It's still in effect, 3 weeks behind the rest of the tank though.

Here's as things stand now.The stems don't show up all that well, as the new crowns are still developing and the light from the flash didn't reach the area. plus i used an ND grad filter...

In fact, I'd need more light when it comes to photograph the tank for real.

 

[Garuf]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 6 weeks

Mark, What's the brown crpyt in the middle/right? It looks really nice. I reckon you'll have this most of the way towards done for the ada comp, should you be that way inclined. 😉

 

[Kosh42-EFG]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 6 weeks

Stunning as ever...

 

[zig]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 6 weeks

Some nice scaping there Mark you make it look easy! What is the plan for the tank Mark, are you going to enter ADA competition this year or would the tank be ready in time?

 

[tel]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 6 weeks

Have to agree with Peter, you make it look a doddle.
Wonderful looking scape Mark, you should be well pleased
cheers, tel

 

[Mark Evans]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 6 weeks

What's the brown crpyt in the middle/right? It looks really nice.

it's wendetii 'tropica' from my P@H store. i took this pic monday night and after the lighting timer failed, the leaves went skywards when the lights eventually came on 4 hours late. they usually sprawl across the stones.

I reckon you'll have this most of the way towards done for the ada comp, should you be that way inclined. 😉

are you going to enter ADA competition this year or would the tank be ready in time?

on first looking i could put it in, but in reality, it's not even close.

things that are wrong...

HC not fully carpeted
right side behind rest of tank
stems not how i want them
vallis not creating the effect i want as yet
sagi teres too tall, needs trim
crypts not grown in

all these things will take at least another 8 weeks to put right. I don't see the point in entering for a judge to tell me something I reckon I already know. Plus, I'd get pounded by the competition...I'm in it to win it

Stunning as ever.

Wonderful looking scape Mark, you should be well pleased

cheers guys. I'm happy that progress is being made with regards to scaping techniques. The obsession with 'scaping' is like nothing i've ever had with any other hobby, and the 'need' to scape many tanks just drives me mental just to see, if the ideas in my head, would work in a tank.

if only i could create a NAG style gallery in my front room!

 

[LondonDragon]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 6 weeks

As usual Mark, one of the best here as expected from you 🙂 keep up the good work

 

[Mark Evans]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 6 weeks

too kind paulo.

I'm having a dilemma with fish choice.

There's a few neons in at the moment, which look great, but don't shoal to often and just 'play around'

i've been thinking, I'd like some colour in the tank.

Are cherry barbs good in a planted tank? do they munch on plants?. is this true?

cardinals is on my list also.

 

[Garuf]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 6 weeks

Cherrys will eat HC and are nippy. I've watched them shred a pot of hc in my LFS. Odessa's are much prettier and less nippy.

 

[chilled84]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 6 weeks

too kind paulo.

I'm having a dilemma with fish choice.

There's a few neons in at the moment, which look great, but don't shoal to often and just 'play around'

i've been thinking, I'd like some colour in the tank.

Are cherry barbs good in a planted tank? do they munch on plants?. is this true?

cardinals is on my list also.

I have rummy nose tetra on my list, If i cn get them cheaper than 2.90 ech! ggggggggggs its exspensive here. Neons are great for couler but are very shoddy shoalers lol. I have 8 ov them and i only ever see groups of 2 or less, Ver rarely a shoal of any size.

 

[Mark Evans]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 6 weeks

i've also see some dwarf rainbows which were real nice looking.

 

[Garuf]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 6 weeks

I had Preacox's, if you get them I very much doubt you'll regret it. They take a like while to settle in though, mine took 2-3 months before they started to really show their colours and come into breeding condition. Make sure you get more females than males at a 1:3 ratio, the males can be real brutes to each other.

 

[Mark Evans]

Re: Saintly's 'savannah dreaming' @ 6 weeks

garuf, just googled odessa. thats a stunning fish mate!