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My new scape named Variance.Sneaky pre-ADA peak.

Hello Graeme

Hi Graeme,

The tank is looking excellent, hope you had fun with it!

I am currently looking at Unipac stuff so I am very interested in any feedback you can give me on it. I spoke to Roy yesterday, he sounds a nice fella- very helpful.

The Madagascariensis should look stunning once it establishes and for such a beautiful plant I am surprised to find it is not as fashionable as it once was- keep us posted and it may just become so again!

I got hold of those Sawbwa Resplendens and they are filling out and colouring up nicely. With a little TLC they should look stunning in a week or so.

Anyway once again good to see the continuing high standards, take care and happy planting,

Jim & Mark
The Green Machine
 
There was a thread a while ago on unipac stuff after a meeting with the guy. The feedback was very positive but it still seems difficult to get hold and the catalogue doesn't do it justice. I don't think there's a web site for any of it either.

If unipac could get their marketing together a bit I think they'd really take off.
 
beeky said:
There was a thread a while ago on unipac stuff after a meeting with the guy. The feedback was very positive but it still seems difficult to get hold and the catalogue doesn't do it justice. I don't think there's a web site for any of it either.

If unipac could get their marketing together a bit I think they'd really take off.

UniPac stuff is in almost every MA and most World of Waters :p
They don't have a website per say because they don't sell to the end user. ;)
 
I know this might sound stupid graeme but how did you keep your substrate level like that? I find that no matter how i level my substrate they will eventually turn out flat. Did you put something underneath the substrate to keep them in place?
 
Hi Daniel,
I think the mojor condition is the amount of gravel you use. I have at least a 4 inch depth at the hightest and a 1 inch depth at the lowest. Thats a lot of gravel. You could be grading your gravel to steap compared to your tank dimensions. It could be that your fish ie; Corry's or other cats are spending thier evenings re-landscaping your tank for you. I have a green goby ( which has to be the coolest fish around ) and he likes to spend time making burrows under rocks or wood. As he is on his own, it isnt such a big isue for the overall look of the tank, but any way i like him a lot !
Carfull placement off rock and wood, and also layering as you scape will help you keep your mounds. We can chatt about it at TGM on the 5th, i can give you a better idea with the use of the odd rock etc.

UPDATE.

Ive had some unsightly brown thread/hair algae in the tank. Proberbly due to a relatively small bio mass, to quick on stocking the fish and a filter that is trying to catch up. Im going to remove as much as possible manualy. Ive added 6 Amano shrimp and 3 Flying fox. I have to get it sorted, i cant have a tonne of members visiting my house and my tanks looking in bad order, no way!!!

Cheers.
 
I will like to add some siamese algae eater to my tank too but then I want my tank to be just for my CRS. Not sure if they will snack on the shrimplets.

Yeah I understand the amount of gravel is essential. I started off mine with 2 inches on one end and 5 inches on the other and now it's 3 inches in most of the places.

I'm setting up a new tank with akadama as substrate and it will probably be an iwagumi style tank. Hopefully everything is going to stay in place.Can't wait till I speak to everyone on the 5th!
 
Re: My new nameless scape!

I must of missing this one previously, this is along the lines of what I'm looking to do - obviously not copy it but that style!

That rock and substrate look superb and might just have to find some for myself. How much weight in those rocks would you say you've used?

I seem to have trouble finding UniPac stuff online, so any tips would be appreciated.
 
Re: My new nameless scape!

Unipac products arnt that hard to find, its the good Unipca products that are. Roy the director is always open to opinions and we have informed him about how good and bad some of his products are. The problem we have as the costumer is that we rely on the retailer to stock what we want, and the retailer rely on what the wholesaler has. The problem Unipac have is that the wholesaler are only supplying the bread and butter products such as the florescent gravel and fake woods etc. As a costumer, you need to be aware of what you want, then make you local retailer aware of what it is you want, eventually, you would hope that this would feed back to the wholesaler, who will supply the retailer the goods your after. Obviously, the retailer needs to feel that its in enough demand to pay out for new stock. So here we are Ukaps, doing just that. If you keep asking, thou shall get. I honestly think that this Zambezi sand will take off. Its so natural and a lovely mixed tone. I can only liken it to ADA's Bright sand, but better value for money.It is totally inert and does not need one bit of washing, its brilliant.

Superman, I would say I had around 20K of rocks in there. If you can, buy as much as you can afford, you will have more choice of rocks to scape with.

Some new photos will be going up later this evening, after a water change etc.

Hope that answerers your questions guys.

Cheers.
 
Re: My new nameless scape!

Thanks Graeme,

I appreciate what you mean re the distribution system.

20kgs, wow that seems a lot but expect that the rocks are heavy anyway.

The only online distributor of that rock is the online aquarium store and I've had a bad experience with them recently, so won't be buying anything off them in a hurray. Might see if my LFS can order some in. If not the Zebra rock at AE looks similar.
 
Re: My new nameless scape!

Bit of delay on the new pictures, sorry about that.
These have been taken very quickly, so I apologies for the poor quality guys, but you get the gist.
Things are running fine. I have a small issue with thread algae and some algae on the rocks. This is probably due to the slow growth nature of the plants in there,and the low bio mass. Ive cranked up the Co2 and have been adding a product by SERA called Marina. Its like a black water tonic. The idea being that it cuts out a particular color or wavelengths that triggers algae. Well thats the theory any way, but I have no conclusive evidence that it works in that way. Worth a go though, and its totally natural, which i like a lot. Chemicals have very little space in my cabinet.

Plants are growing well. I cut the Philipene fern and Bolbitos right back, so there is a bit of a gap in the middle of the wood. I hope it looks good when you all visit. Im praying it does lol





Cheers.
 
Re: My new nameless scape!

Really nice Graeme, I really like the foreground planting mixing the Riccia and Eleocharis together rather than large clumps of each, looks very natural. Good work.
 
Re: My new nameless scape!

woo hoo! That rock man. Very "Edwards" with atention to detail being second to none. Your vision is incredible pal I'm blown away with how this has progressed, love your work.
 
Re: My new nameless scape!

Looking good Graeme! That red looks almost like L glandulosa in the middle. Solid.

By the way, that Sera Morena is just peat extract and just makes the water dimmer. Morena is Spanish for "brown". You could have the same or better algae fighting effect by turning off the lights an hour earlier. I totally with you on the chemical issue but Excel would have been a better buy mate. :wideyed:

Cheers,
 
Re: My new nameless scape!

Thanks every one, your all to kind!

Clive: I thought thats what it was. I went on recommendation, but i thought, its totally natural, it cant do it any harm. The fish seem to reveal in it. I have some easy life carbon, maybe I should dose a bit of that.
Lighting is only on for 7 hours at the moment. I could knock it down to 6 and see how it goes.

I have now named this scape call " variance ". It means a lot to me at the moment, with many changes in my personal situation.But it can also apply to the world of aquascaping and in particular my design.

Variance:
1. the state, quality, or fact of being variable, divergent, different, or anomalous.
2. an instance of varying; difference; discrepancy.
3. a difference between conflicting facts or claims or opinions; "a growing divergence of opinion"
4. the quality of being subject to variation [syn: variability] [ant: invariability]
5. Change.


Cheers.
 
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