low tech 40x40x30 scape

[tim]

morning folks, i was planning to wait a while before starting a new scape in this tank but i wanted to keep my pygmy corries in the tank and when stripping the wood down i found a fair few buce plants i had nowhere else to rehome so thought i would crack on now as i have a week off so plenty of setup water changes can be done 😉.
specs 40x40x30 optiwhite tank
cristal profi 700 with gush lilly pipes
aquael leddy smart 6w
substrate old mix of colombo and generic shrimp soil
unipac senegal sand
dragonstone hardscape
tank quickly cleaned and yoga mat base to protect the glass
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Abauyu]Untitled by timyapp, on Flickr[/URL]
added in some pumice with a squeeze of filter mulm to kickstart the substrate
[url=https://flic.kr/p/AeqS8Z]Untitled by timyapp, on Flickr[/URL]
started the rockwork and substrate building
[url=https://flic.kr/p/AbavAu]Untitled by timyapp, on Flickr[/URL]
senegal sand in, gaps have been plugged with small lava rocks and slate pieces to stop aquasoil spill as much as possible
[url=https://flic.kr/p/zVRka3]Untitled by timyapp, on Flickr[/URL]
buces and mini java fern added all tied to moss covered lava stone or slate, filled up and run with ehiem skim for a while then mature filter went back on and fish went back in.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Achuhd]Untitled by timyapp, on Flickr[/URL]
order placed with aquarium gardens for the rest of the plants, will update once planted, not 100% happy with it but like most of my scapes will be a work in progress 🙂
cheers for looking.

 

[Guest]

Looks very promising tho', I like the rock work, and the senegal sand is a great contrast.

 

[tim]

Thanks Troi, I may well add some more moss in amongst the rock work to soften up the look a bit, planning ludwigia arcuata at the back, accicularis here and there, lilaeopsis novae zelandiae to the right with some hygro araguaia dotted amongst that and some Monte Carlo here and there just because it's been a bit of a fail safe plant for me low or high tech 😉

 

[parotet]

Nice rocks arrangement Tim.. Looking forward to seeing it completely planted.
This sand is great, love it, it looks very natural. Not sure why but it is impossible to find Unipac sands in Spain. They look awesome and I think they are fairly cheap, isn't it? Is there any other name for that brand?

Jordi

 

[tim]

Nice rocks arrangement Tim.. Looking forward to seeing it completely planted.
This sand is great, love it, it looks very natural. Not sure why but it is impossible to find Unipac sands in Spain. They look awesome and I think they are fairly cheap, isn't it? Is there any other name for that brand?

Jordi

Thanks jordi, I'm looking forward to getting the rest of the plants in, unipac is a company based in Northampton I'm not sure if they export their products, shame if they don't their sands and gravel ranges are exceptionally good for the money, though I have heard they are discontinuing some of the range Senegal sand seems to be unavailable most places at the moment, shame if its discontinued.

 

[Sk3lly]

Looking like a great start to me!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Smells Fishy]

I like it and it can only get better with time If you keep on top of it.

 

[tim]

Looking like a great start to me!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I like it and it can only get better with time If you keep on top of it.

Thanks a lot guys, returned home late yesterday evening and plants had arrived from aquarium gardens, super quality again
I decided to crack on and get them planted so here's a quick iphone pic edited with snapseed
Untitled by timyapp, on Flickr
plant list
eleocharis acicularis, ludwigia arcuata, lilaeopsis novae zelandiae, micrantehmum umbrosum, hygrophilia araguia, and i have a portion of monte carlo to find a space for or i may try and fashion some mini wabi kusa type balls to plant the MC in so i can dot it in and around the rockwork,
cheers for the likes and comments so far 🙂

 

[Guest]

Very nice...good sense of space and depth.

 

[Imorpher]

Looks great so far. I'm new to buce plants, what have you got in there currently? Thinking of picking some up myself as they look fantastic in pretty much any tank I see them in.

 

[tim]

Quick update on this one, so far so good lilaeopsis is having a little melt of its emersed leaves but seems to be putting out new leaves very slowly, ludwigia arcuata is adapting well, selectively trimming the longer stems as they hit the surface, couple of pics from today,
ludwigia corner
by timyapp, on Flickr
right hand side
by timyapp, on Flickr
full tank shot, need a lampshade to stop the glare for photos
Untitled by timyapp, on Flickr
Cheers for looking.

 

[tim]

Had a good cut back of the stems yesterday, will wait for them to reach the surface again before the next cut,
Low tech trimmed by timyapp, on Flickr
being low tech that could take a while starting to think the sand area is too large and could do with some greenery to break up the area maybe some riccia or moss, cheers for looking.

 

[Guest]

I don't know I kinda like it...it's like a drop off to a deeper zone, I think that's what gives it a great sense of perspective. But I suppose a few low lying plants here and there will add to a sense of naturalness...vegetative interdigitation.

 

[banthaman.jm]

Looking great Tim, like it as is.
Jim

 

[faizal]

Loving the look of the tank Tim.🙂 Looking forward to keeping up with this.

 

[tim]

I don't know I kinda like it...it's like a drop off to a deeper zone, I think that's what gives it a great sense of perspective. But I suppose a few low lying plants here and there will add to a sense of naturalness...vegetative interdigitation.

Looking great Tim, like it as is.
Jim

Thanks guys, your right the negative space of the sand does suit the scape especially when viewed from the side, it may just need some more moss added to the rock work, or it may well be that i am never happy 😉

Loving the look of the tank Tim.🙂 Looking forward to keeping up with this.

Hey Faizal, good to see you back around, do you still have your low tech running ?
quick pic of the tank as its mostly viewed as its at the top of the stairs
Taken with Cortex by timyapp, on Flickr
and the ludwigia showing a little colour something im yet to achieve in my high tech 🙄
Untitled by timyapp, on Flickr
as always cheers for looking 🙂

 

[faizal]

Hey Faizal, good to see you back around, do you still have your low tech running ?

Hey Tim..☺You have always been too kind mate. Unfortunately i have been neglecting the tank again. I am so sorry for being absent for such a long time again.....its just that i keep losing steam now and then...thank God its a non co2... I am so sorry for not posting any pics of it. Never meant to be so rude. Pls give me some time to clean it up...Trust me with the new pics...its not going to be the most viewed anymore

Your tank is looking absolutely lovely mate. I love the way the ludwigias are taking over the background. Any chance of getting a PAR reading on it please?

 

[tim]

Morning folks, couple of update pics with the phone
pre trim and waterchange
image by timyapp, on Flickr
post trim and waterchange
image by timyapp, on Flickr
ticking along nicely little staghorn here and there through lack of filter cleaning, been a little slack with dosing too with the busy holiday period, time to get it back on track in the new year,
cheers for looking.

 

[Joe Turner]

Fantastic results for a low-tech, really nice work!

How's it growing in now?

 

[tim]

Fantastic results for a low-tech, really nice work!

How's it growing in now?

Thanks joe, it's doing ok despite my very slack approach to dosing and maintenance, ludwigia growth has slowed right down probably due to over trimming by me for a low tech I'll try and get a few pics up over the weekend.