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Wabi-kusa projects

Re: Wabi-kusa project

I did a whole project around that T ando quote. It drove me mental. I really like you're wabi's. I can't help but wonder what one would look like if you had it in a tank on some white sand... Nudge nudge. ;)
 
Re: Wabi-kusa project

Yeah I was thinking of trying one with white sand in my little glass cube. In the mean time I pulled apart my pico scape due to boredom. I found this cute candle holder. So here is my lates addition to my WK collection "Cuba Libre" :lol: Anyone tried flame moss emergent (a1matt ?) I've got a good bunch which might be interesting in a WK.....

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Re: Wabi-kusa project

Funnily enough I have! It forms wirey short spikey growth, about half an inch long and dark green.
 
Re: Wabi-kusa project

My experimenting has continued, unfourtunatley I went a way for a week and my woodland-wabi and cuba libre had dried to a crisp :(

However my original project is still going, now in a glass box with proper electrical lighting. Much respect to people like Devin, I've found that keeping aquatic plants alive in air is a struggle. Some seem to adapt much better and adding HC to the ball was a successful move. Finally starting to get that wild look with the hair grass and lliliopsis.

Here's my efforts....

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Re: Wabi-kusa project

Hi Steve, yes it is Rotala rotundifolia, seems to adapt quickly to emergent conditions, I have one strand of Rotala green it seems much less tolerant of the change, The Rr is growing well sending up new shoots despite not having been trimmed, the Bacopa carolina looks quite healthy but has not grown as much. Surprisingly the moss and staurogynae have melt, I was expecting them to be among the best.
 
Re: Wabi-kusa project

Wow that looks really nice. I am surprised to see that crypt growing well right in the open air of the room--most that I have tried need very high humidity.

That Bacopa caroliniana looks happy. I have tried Rotala rotundifolia a couple of times in ripariums but it never takes.

You have a good eye for putting these together too.
 
Re: Wabi-kusa project

I grew a large crop of rotala outside in a shallow porcline trough, I found it exseptionally hardy, it really thrived in our summer, it soon died come october and the first frost though. Odd that you struggle :/
 
Re: Wabi-kusa project

Hey guys, yeah the Rotala r has been really tough and seems to grow despite the neglect. The idea to use it was that it always grows out of the top of my tank. The Rotala green for some reason seems to dry out really easy. The Crypt is wenditti green it is slowly putting out new leaves. I was really suprised that the Rotala walchii grew emergent, I've not been able to get it to do it since. I hope summer with better light rings the changes !

I'm trying to envisage how WK and riparium could be combined?
 
Re: Wabi-kusa project

Well the experiments continue. Seems I can add a couple more good plants to the riparium list Ludwigia repens and what is thought to be Myosotis scorpioides. I like the way they are boiling over the edge of the spherical glass container.
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Here is the next step. I set this little tank up to get the filter maturing and try and get some more plants emergent. My idea is to float or suspend the WK ball on-top of the drift wood and let the plants spread across the water's surface, I'm keen to try UG for this. I think some shrimp or shoal of pygmy cories would be nice in the submerged bit. Like Garuf I was inspired by Tom Barr's tank with the plants floating on the wood.
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Anyone think this will work?
 
Re: Wabi-kusa project

Hey Steve, it's a Wave box 30 (30 x 18 x 24) it's relativity tall, which is good for a riparium set up, it comes with a 9 W light and glass cover which helps maintain the humidity.

My Staurogyne sp. for the first time is not drying up in the air, I hope that this set up will let me try other humidity loving riparium plants, bolbitis might be cool tied to the emergent wood.
 
Ok it was a nice spring weekend, time for my next little project.

The WK were soaking up the sun......
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...... I was in the attic like a model train enthusiast. I've been toying with the idea of a floating Wabi-kusa and this is my attempt.

Firstly I found some suitable wood.
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I couldn't find a suitable platform so I bought one of those big mesh pots for pond plants and cut out the base of the container.
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Then I cut strips and glued them together to form the rim. I zip tied this around the outside and added some foam to aid buoyancy.
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I buried the Hydor nano heater under the substrate and then planted the platform. My first effeort was far to big, so I had to take it to pieces and down size. Here's what I ended up with, looks a bit rough but hopefully will improve as the plants grow in.
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Cheers, Tom
 
Re: Wabi-kusa project

Hey Tom. I'm on the fence a little with this one. I'm not sure the wood works for me in this sort of configuration, but I'm sure I'll be proved wrong! :lol: After all, you're proving yourself to be the WK master here :thumbup:

Great stuff :) Keep the WK's comming mate!
 
Re: Wabi-kusa project

Hi TBRO,

Funny enough I am also doing something similar, a floating Wabi-Kusa, but I didn't use any wood to keep it up, used closed cell floating pads.

I bought three 10cm thick pads, and carved a 15cm diameter wheel on it, then placed some Hydrocotyle verticillata, Hygrophila corymbosa, rotalas and mosses on it, tied it all up using fishermen line, and left it floating on the tank, will take some pics and post it here. :)

I have also attached the floating closed cell foam to a long piece of wood and attached Hygrophila Difformis to it, and some moss, funny enough the Hydro is rooting into the wood. :)

It is a fantastic concept.
 
Re: Wabi-kusa project

Hey, thanks for the comments. Glad it sparked some interest, I have to say Steve, I had some doubts about the way it looks and I think Luis' idea may be a better way of getting a floating island but I've resolved to see it through (Get some photos up Luis, I need to rip of your ideas :lol: ). If it grows into a nice green floating bush, I'll be happy.

Plants are a bit of a mix of what I had to hand, Jase. Staurgynae features I have some UG and Hydrocotle to add to it.

Hey, Paulo - the plants in the right hand one are Myosotis scorpioides, ludwigia repens and a terrestrial that looks very like hydrocotle v, the one on the left contains rotala rotundifolia, Bacopa caroliniana, emergent xmas moss, HC, liliopsis, hairgrass, Rotala Walchii..... I was in TGM today and saw a ADA journal dedicated to nano's, I'm now home and regretting not buying it as I fancy re doing my nano as well.
 
Re: Wabi-kusa project

TBRO said:
I had some doubts about the way it looks and I think Luis' idea may be a better way of getting a floating island but I've resolved to see it through (Get some photos up Luis, I need to rip of your ideas :lol: ). If it grows into a nice green floating bush, I'll be happy.

Plants are a bit of a mix of what I had to hand, Jase. Staurgynae features I have some UG and Hydrocotle to add to it.
Click to expand...

I think yours looks more natural than an arranged floating ball of plants, you just wouldn't see it, in my opinion. UG is something I want to use in my future emmerged project. Keep those pics coming :thumbup:
 
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