Paul's 200L, "Punishment of Luxury"

[paul.in.kendal]

What is that rock you guys use? I have nothing like it here.

Hi Fishbeast, it's Seiryu Stone from ADA. Not cheap, but very nice.

 

[aaronnorth]

personally, i would move the large rock(s) from the back left corner more towards the centre (1/3rd from the edge going by the golden ratio), unless you are planning on a triangular composition?

nice selction of rocks too

 

[paul.in.kendal]

Hi Aaron, thanks for the helpful feedback

The tank is towards one corner of the room, so will be viewed more from the right hand side than straight-on. That's why I went for the major grouping on the left. I'm going to try splitting the RH pair of rocks and moving the taller of the two to the centre, to create a more obvious downwards slope from left to right. We'll see!

 

[paul.in.kendal]

OK, so here's a right to left transition. Not sure I like it as much as the two groupings - the single stones look as if they've just been plonked in randomly. And a picture of the cabinet setup (unfinished). Thinking about the planting now.

 

[oswoldy]

Hiya,
Tank looks really nice!

Quick question, what co2 canisters are they and where did you get them if you don't mind me asking?

Regards
Mike

 

[paul.in.kendal]

Hiya,
Tank looks really nice!

Quick question, what co2 canisters are they and where did you get them if you don't mind me asking?

Regards
Mike

Thanks Mike. They're 3kg canisters from The Green Machine.

 

[Graeme Edwards]

Hi Paul, im really glad you have not rushed your hard scape. This is a very important stage...

My best advice I can give you with out telling you what to do is this......

Think odd numbers, triangles, flowing lines, transitional stages, rules of thirds and where the mains stones point, or what direction the majority of stones take and how their neighbors compliment them, but in all.... all stones are cohesive.

With that in mind, I think your best bet would be to position your hard scape off center and use all the stones together in one arrangement. Then work with the above.

Think about where or what will be the main focus of interests, one stone? The shape of them all, or a plant? Think how you can make an area stand out as a focal point or point of interest.

I hope im making sense and im helping,

Cheers.

 

[hydrophyte]

That looks nice. You have a beautiful cabinet there. Did you build it?

 

[paul.in.kendal]

That looks nice. You have a beautiful cabinet there. Did you build it?

It's from Aquariums Ltd - and you're right, it IS very nice! Aquariums Ltd supplied the optiwhite tank too. I went to see their impressive factory to pick them up - the cabinets are CNC machined, so accuracy and finish is top-notch. Aquariums Ltd is the preferred supplier for The Green Machine.

 

[paul.in.kendal]

I hope im making sense and im helping,

Cheers.

Of course you're making sense, Graeme - measured, considered advice as always

Probably the hardest thing for me is judging the hardscape with no previous firsthand experience of the impact of planting on hardscape. The other thing is that, as I continue to fiddle with it, the Powersand is now starting to surface, mucking up my smooth and uniform Aquasoil!

I'm moving towards bringing all the rockwork together on the left, leaving a large planting area to the right. I'm realising that the defining shapes of the scape will be as dependent on what I plant there as on what I do with the Seiryu stone.

I got the Tropica planting tips and tricks DVD a while back, and it's reassuring to see on that how the planting impacts on the hardscape - and how heavy planting with broad swathes of a single species really adds impact. I'm starting to get revved up for planting schemes, which suggests to me that the hardscaping is nearing completion - we'll see!

 

[paul.in.kendal]

OK. I've brought the two groups closer together, making it more of a single unit, and creating a triangle from high left to low right (bearing in mind viewing in the room will tend to be more from the right across towards the left corner, if you get me).

I've also drawn in some suggested plants. Not at all sure about these, but they help to define the overall shape. Any alternative suggestions gratefully considered.

My tapwater is very soft - PH7, GH2 and KH2. GH and KH may be even less, as they barely register on the Sera test kits. I guess this may mean I should avoid hardwater-loving plants - or is this more a matter of some aquatic plants being lime-tolerant, rather than lime-dependent?

Here we go:

...and with plants:

 

[paul.in.kendal]

OK. I've brought the two groups closer together, making it more of a single unit, and creating a triangle from high left to low right (bearing in mind viewing in the room will tend to be more from the right across towards the left corner, if you get me).

I've also drawn in some suggested plants. Not at all sure about these, but they help to define the overall shape. Any alternative suggestions gratefully considered.

My tapwater is very soft - PH7, GH2 and KH2. GH and KH may be even less, as they barely register on the Sera test kits. I guess this may mean I should avoid hardwater-loving plants - or is this more a matter of some aquatic plants being lime-tolerant, rather than lime-dependent?

Here we go:

...and with plants:

Spot the mistake:

 

[TBRO]

Some really great plants in your selection but I would probably limit the carpeting plants (HC, PH, Parvula, Hydrocot, Staug) too, one or two species. Like wise for your stems/tall plants. I think the simple but striking hard-scape demands large patches of only a few species IMO As far as I'm aware all your plants should thrive in soft water apart from maybe vallis.

Looking foreward to seeing it planted - T

 

[R9naldo]

it is ok .. my opinion is to remove the Vallisneria !or replace whit cyperus helferi is more nicely plant for this layout ! but it whill realy look nice only whith small plants ! your whater quality is very good if it is low in Gh ! make a lot of whater changes to keep algae away ! i hope you make the best decison in plants blyxa japonica is an option !

 

[Stu Worrall]

proposed setup loks really good paul. THe only thing for me is with the left to right idea of the rock to fit the room the vallis then goes in the opposite direction. This could look really good planted and youd have something different to the norm. Have you thought about any other plants instead of the valis if you want it to go across the surface? ive alway loved crytp balansae (spelling?) for this and I did have it in an old tank.

 

[Dan Crawford]

I'd go for Vallis nana myself, Cyperus would also be great. The rest of the plans look sweet, along with the hardscape!

 

[paul.in.kendal]

Thanks for the useful comments, guys. I do like the suggestion of Cyperus Helferi - might go for that instead of a vallis. I notice I'm now a Hornwort Handful (woop,woop!) - does this mean my stem choice should be Ceratophyllum? Any thoughts about what stem to go for? I'd like something I can trim to frame the outline of the rockwork. What about Bolbitis (not a stem I know, but please bear with me).

 

[Dan Crawford]

What about rotala rotundafolia? I think the red would work really well and add the the "landscape" effect.

 

[paul.in.kendal]

What about rotala rotundafolia? I think the red would work really well and add the the "landscape" effect.

Interesting. I was thinking about something feathery, like myriophyllum or diplidis, but I can see that working. Would the leaf shape contrast strongly enough with the Staurogyne? I'm also wondering whether hairgrass and vallis/cyperus would be too similar in leaf shape...

 

[George Farmer]

Hi Paul

Plans are coming along nicely!

Would the leaf shape contrast strongly enough with the Staurogyne? I'm also wondering whether hairgrass and vallis/cyperus would be too similar in leaf shape...

Consider that plants do not have to contrast all the time... One of my own favourite 'scapes from 2005 was "Mother Microsorium" that had complimenting textures in the fern and Sagittaria leaves. Note the glosso and Anubias textures too.



Just a thought mate.

Looking forward to seeing what you decide!