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My Jewel 240 l

Luke

Seedling
Joined
15 Aug 2013
Messages
8
Hi Folks,

Here is my planted and scaped tank:

IMAG0486.jpg


It's mainly planted with Crytocorine types with smaller types at the front and taller ones to the back. There is also a type with spotty leaves just left of centre. The branch has Java Fern on it, which got a bit dry the other week as I was moving the tank and looks really badly at the minute. It's tough stuff though so I'm sure it'll come back. There is also an Amazon Sword right at the back, again just left of centre. The hardscape is some TGM Blue Rock but I'm thinking of replacing it with some large pebbles,cobbles and smaller pebbles; I've finally found somewhere local that supplies them up to 18"!!!! I'll be taking a drive there on Monday. I wish I had thought about this before I get the TGM rock as it isn't cheap! Hey ho! I reckon the pebbles will look great and will match the substrate which I have mixed small aquarium gravel pebbles with to help the routes of the plants. I did have some dwarf hairgrass but it has all died off, shame as a carpet of that would have looked great.

The fish in it are as follows:

1 x 5" Red Tail Black Shark. Nearly five years since I bought this one!
2 X Botia Striata (Zebra Loach). I'd like about four more of these -they are beautiful fish.
10 X Chequer Barbs
5 x Otocinclus

And the following fish I intend to move out into an Amazon themed cube aquarium in the near future:

1 x Blue Ram -I had a pair but the female died so I'll buy him a new mate when the cube is sorted.
4 x Neon Tetra
3 x Black Tetra
1 x Peppered Cory -again the last of a set of three I had.

I want experiment with CO2 in this aquarium before I put the fish in it because I've had several bad experiences with it which puts me off using it but I really want to be able to get the lush carpets some of you guys get so I need to master it.

The main thing I want to gain from this site is inspiration and knowledge to plant and scape some beautiful aquariums in the near & distant future.

Any comments, question or constructive critisism will be greatly received.
 
Please ignore the bins & paint!

This is a mock up of the pebble idea with about three larger ones thrown in for good measure!
IMAG0487.jpg
 
Hello,
Your hardscape would look less one dimensional if they were covered with moss, ferns or the like.

Cheers,
 
I like the first 2 thirds on the left. The last 3rd on the right I would gradually decrease the size of the pebbles so it slopes gently to the substrate. That is just my opinion tho and yes it would look great with mosses and maybe some sagittaria around/ amongst the bigger rocks which you could merge into some lileopsis of some sort(I've had Mauritiana) which doesn't get clogged up the way hairgrass can. Personally I think the wood too straight.
Have fun with your rescape!
 
lovely size. IMHO - I realy would do a full re-escape your left side is "heavy" as hell compare to the right side. I could suggest to play with difderent levels placing the smaller rocks in front and bigger ones closer to the back wall. in this one it looks very flat and its hard to tell its 240l as it looks 3x smaller.
 
Ceg4048,

Thanks for your point; it has only been set up a month or so and I'm using slow growing plants with no permanent CO2. There are some Java ferns on the branches but they aren't doing very well atm, not sure why as i've never struggled with it before.

CO2 is something I want to master as I said before, I've got good lighting - 4 x 54 Watts on from 0700 - 0900 & then back on again from 1600 - 2200. With sunlight in between. I find this break helps with Algae, which I only have on the glass sides.

ldcgroomer,

I've taken your advice, and done a rehash of the pebbles. What do you reckon?

IMAG0499.jpg


The white line is the outline of the tank. I'll be scattering a few smaller ones around it too. The branch I'm using isactually in the tank so the straight one was just to give you a suggestion of what it will look like. The plants you have mentioned will all require CO2 will they?

Lauris,

I agree, it soon fills up and I think that the rocks I have in there atm are too big, or rather there is no middleto small sized rocks to fill the space between the large ones, I reckon the pebbles will go a long way to fix this as I have a plethora of sizes to choose from. I also want it to look like a well worn pebbley river bed.

Thanks for all your comments and I look forward to hearing back from you.
 
A bit of scaping later...
IMAG0508.jpg


I cut the java fern right back and have attached one to the end of each of the branches. I also think it needs a few of the taller Crypts moving to the back; particularly in the middle region.
 
Well the tank has matured somewhat and I'm quite chuffed with it. To be honest it has been neglected for about two months whilst we renovated the living room. It was thick with algae although it did seem to be dying down a bit - all the fish were very healthy and seem to be a little plump, must be all the algae! The RTBS has nearly doubled in size!

Also there is some red algae growing on top of the biggest pebbles but I like it,looks good.

IMAG0730.jpg

The Crypt's are doing amazing now & the Java Ferna are slowly starting to grow - hopefully they'll eventually begin to give the appearance of leaves on a tree. The tree being the branch. There is also some Vallisneria which I've re-planted in the back right corner to cover the heater and I also think it looks great blowing in the current from the 'fan' and my new filter which also came with a free UV filter. There is also this growing in here, anyone know what it is?

IMAG0726.jpg

Anyway after a good clear up and scrub down it looks like this:

IMAG0731.jpg

Sorry for the crappy pictures. There isn't room to get it square on.

Look forward to your comments etc.

Cheers for looking.

Luke
 
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