Morcs Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 Just starting my log here. No pics as of yet, picking up tank tomorrow morning. 1250Lx40Dx35H, Black silicone, tinted back and sides. should look rather good. Wanted rimless but was a no go, had to settle for a wee bit of bracing on the top including a section in the middle. Got pretty much everything ready to start as the silicone cures. Lighting is 2x39W T5HO Substrate is black grit. Nutrafin Co2 Liquid ferts and JBL Clayballs Running an Eheim 2224 I dont like jungle tanks, too messy, I like sparse tanks where less is more, but ive never been able to pull it off, going to try some elevation, ive never been able to pull that off either. Thought about an iwagumi style, but i hate dealing with glosso/riccia/hairgrass, or trying to carpet anything for that matter, Ill use a few rocks for hardscape, and minimal driftwood, make me own style plant selection is pretty much about 10 wendtii crypts that i want to be able to grow reasonably bushy, and ive got some balansae and my tiger lotus which ill chuck in till i decide what to do with it. Not fussed about the fish, will put 10 tiger barbs and a GBA in (girlfriend is rather fond of them) Pics coming tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Li@m Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Sounds like it'll be a great project. :spop: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Reading the title I was thinking you had hollowed out a fallen tree and filled it with water ...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepsnana Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Reading the title I was thinking you had hollowed out a fallen tree and filled it with water ...! There you go Graham, your next project :digH: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony law Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 :slfg: :spop: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Ive been slack with moving this along, giving the silicone more time to cure i guess. Will hopefully ceremoniously dump the gravel in tonight and start working on the landscape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Li@m Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Take your time with the silicon, you don't want it failing and then you have to empty it and start it all over again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Take your time with the silicon, you don't want it failing and then you have to empty it and start it all over again. Yeah I just wait for the smell at close range to disappear, in warm weather its usually about 4 days Wont be filling for a few more days, ill be misting it once its planted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Pics finally. Problem with tanks with tinted glass and dark substrate, very hard to photograph well :sage: So the stages: Using paving slabs for elevation change, also used a few pieces of slate under the substrate for slope support. Fill with 25kg substrate and spread around roughly. Placing of rocks. Main rock at highest point, focal point, with supporting rocks either side arranged to give a perception of depth - might tinker with this yet as im wondering wether to, or what to plant inbetween - id like lots of mini sag, impossible to get in large quantities, and not cheap commercially, and dont have the time or spare setup to cultivate it myself. Final touches to the substrate are to use a paint brush to brush the whole lot, like painting, works brilliantly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 :cofn: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony law Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 I really hope this tank works and lasts, has great potential Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 I really hope this tank works and lasts, has great potential Suggestions? I actually like the rockwork without greenery... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 I'd do a glosso/hairgrass foreground with longer hairgrass (if you can source it) at the back. Perhaps a mad bunch of Rotala rotundifolia in the back right corner even. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 I'd do a glosso/hairgrass foreground with longer hairgrass (if you can source it) at the back. Perhaps a mad bunch of Rotala rotundifolia in the back right corner even. All plants that I hate Im thinking individual wendtii plants scattered between the rocks, staying toward the back, they should grow quite compact given light and distance from but still hopoefully bush out to fill spaces between the rocks - in time. Or yeah can just do a big bush of them in the right corner, and even fill the left end. Working on getting some micro sagg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 All plants that I hate Im thinking individual wendtii plants scattered between the rocks, staying toward the back, they should grow quite compact given light and distance from but still hopoefully bush out to fill spaces between the rocks - in time. Or yeah can just do a big bush of them in the right corner, and even fill the left end. Working on getting some micro sagg. Let me know if you want some wendtii, I will have a heap for sale real soon. I am pulling apart my second to last existing planted crypt tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Let me know if you want some wendtii, I will have a heap for sale real soon. I am pulling apart my second to last existing planted crypt tank. Cheers, got about 10 of them at the moment, but small. How big are yours? Got some balansae too but i dont like the look of it, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Yeah, just what I'd do given my experience with such plants and how I've seen them in other people's tanks. Not sure what kind of look you're going for either, that international ADA look or a more local home-grown feel. I feel this scape is wasted with too many stems, defeats the purpose of the mound in the middle a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Yeah, just what I'd do given my experience with such plants and how I've seen them in other people's tanks. Not sure what kind of look you're going for either, that international ADA look or a more local home-grown feel. I feel this scape is wasted with too many stems, defeats the purpose of the mound in the middle a bit. Yep. No stem plants whatsoever, nothing with height. I dont have a set plan for planting, so im going to plant with some of what i have, and see how it grows in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Yeah good idea. One cool thing I've seen done (and I know you don't like hairgrass) is a large field of hairgrass, but I guess it could be any low/med ground plant, with Java Ferns or Swords coming out from it. Roots and base hidden in the ground cover but it looks wicked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirt Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 What about a dwarf sag carpet? Would grow pretty quick, and has that nice bright green look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 What about a dwarf sag carpet? Would grow pretty quick, and has that nice bright green look. Thats what im thinking with some slightly taller crypts at the back for depth. I need about 30 mini sag plants to start off, then should be able to spread it easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 Tank is filled. Took a while, was using a hose attachement that has shower mode etc.. to avoid disturbing the gravel, worked a threat. For a moment i thought gravity was going to get the better of the substrate and that my hill would fall downhill. Quite happy how its planted, looks quite sparse but should grow in nicely - will forego any ideas of a dwarf sag carpet. Pics monday when water is clear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 Water still murky, probably not going to get any better until i water change. Just started up the co2 as all the crypts leaves that were going to melt away seem to have done already. Some pics nonetheless. Damn its hard to photograph a tank with dark substrate and strong lighting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted February 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2012 Need input on the lighting please. Tank is only 35cm tall, with raised substrate in areas, with 2x39w T5HO sat directly on top of tank, i believe this is going to be too much light, already getting a bit of green algae on my rocks despite having co2 - which ive never experienced before. I could raise it, but id get light in my face when im in bed. Im using lids which will diffuse it a little, just a little. Other ideas I had were to remove a bulb and just run one, or find some diffusing material to sit directly underneath that wont catch fire. Ive cut my photoperiod down to about 9 hours with a half hour off in the middle (apparently it stuffs up photosynthesis for algae a bit), dosing liquid ferts, will be flourish, but currently getting rid of a bottle of leaf zone (which lacks a LOT) So a) do i have too much light b) any suggestions where to go from here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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