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Ray's 90cm Rescape

Ray

Member
Joined
31 Oct 2007
Messages
676
Location
Switzerland
Some of you may be familiar with my previous scape (here), well its time for a redesign.

So, the Iwagumi idea isn't going so well. First off I went to the local stream to see what I could find. Lots of rocks but the problem is that a rock that has been sitting in a stream all day is covered in algae on one site and has calcite deposits on the other. I'm wondering if they would I could scrub them clean using a wire brush, and maybe some acid, anyone any experience of this?

So I set off to the local fish shops but no luck there. I mad a real pain of myself laying out all the stock on the floor and dipping in water to see the colour wet, but ultimately I wasn't that happy, the rocks were just too small. There is one possibility with some brown petrified wood stone, and it would blend with my Malaya Aqua Soil - but I was really planning on brown.

Speaking of brown - does anyone see a problem using brown Aquasoil with a grey rock Iwagumi?

Tank is 90 long, 45 deep, 50 high. I'm figuring that the largest stone needs to be about 25cm long, does this seem about right?

Suggestions, comments, everyone please!
 
Hi Ray and welcome back! I think it's been a while? :D

I don't see an issue with ADA Aqua Soil Malaya and grey rocks. It's your choice and taste that really matters.

I've used Amazonia with Seiryu Stone aka Mini Landscape Rock, which is a darker brown, but as mentioned it became invisible after a full carpet was grown.

Also consider that Malaya has been known to crumble and cloud the water column if disturbed, so Amazonia may be another viable option.

Ray said:
I'm wondering about ordering by post also - roughly how many kg of rock would I need for a 90lx50hx45d tank iwagumi?
I think you'd need around 25Kg, depending on the style of 'scape. It's best to order more than you need anyway, as this gives you more choice. Rarely will you find exactly the rocks you need when ordering the exact qty, unless you see them first, of course.

Good luck anyway. I hope to see a journal!
 
Thanks George, yes the forum got as neglected as my tank, but its good to see a lot of the old crew still here!

Since I have a tank full of Malaya I intend to re-use it. I have a spare 3kg sack in the cellar which I hope is enough to replace the sand I currently use in the foreground.

25kg is doable, shipping to Switzerland is only about 60 quid according to the Aqua Essentials website. Would I really have enough decent sized pieces for that price? I'm figuring the largest rocks should be what, 25cm long?
 
George Farmer said:
Ray said:
Would I really have enough decent sized pieces for that price? I'm figuring the largest rocks should be what, 25cm long?
Ask the supplier mate. A few of our other sponsors also stock it, so it maybe worth contacting them too.

Not sure how far are you from the "The Green Machine" shop, but if you are looking a specific rock then that is the place to go.

I went to the shop some months ago, all the way from London, and it is the only shop I recommend to visit if you are looking for something specific. :)

The staff is very friendly too, you walk in and you feel like you have been going to the shop for years. They do not make shops like this anymore.
 
George Farmer said:
ghostsword said:
Not sure how far are you from the "The Green Machine" shop, but if you are looking a specific rock then that is the place to go.
Switzerland may be a bit of a trek!

For the TGM it may be worth it.. :)

At least once..

But on Switzerland there are lots of rocks about, right? Seiryu is nothing more than basalt, there has to be some in there.
 
ghostsword said:
But on Switzerland there are lots of rocks about, right? Seiryu is nothing more than basalt, there has to be some in there.
Sure, for example how about these ones:

IMG00017-20100721-1522.jpg


Problem is, they are at 2400m. I can't think of anywhere I can get them without hiking some distance, and to be honest I doubt I could carry enough for a 90cm Iwagumi scape in one trip. 15kg = just, 25kg = no.

A tempting alternative is to call the Green Machine and order a ready made Iwagumi, but I am still a little apprehensive how heavy it will be and what the shipping will be...
 
Hey Ray. here's a few pics to maybe gauge what you could pull off in a 90cm

This layout is in the same dimension tank. I did it @ my local MA

thatsit.jpg


I got slated by a few saying the stones were not to the rule of thirds etc. nows my chance to show you something :D

I did my layout before even finding this following scape from amano.I was amazed at how close they were :wideyed: lucky me! i've put the 2 images on one page.

comparison.jpg


here's another 90cm layout I did.

ma2.jpg


which looked something like this...

current.jpg


here's another but in a 120cm

120LAYOUT-1.jpg


hope this helps Ray. most of the stones in the above scapes are all the same ones. just rotated into different scapes.
 
Hi Saintly. That is very inspirational. I do like the tension in your "two stone gateway" scapes. I'd also pretty much decided that having plants right up to the front is going to be very annoying. So I was going to get some grey pebbles and stones and sand for the foreground.

For those considering Iwagumi style, Amono has a lovely guide here (I'm sure many have seen this link before) on Aquajournal.net which I find very helpful. Saintly obviously likes the Style II Sanzon type, and I must say I do too. Of course, Saintly was a big influence on the early members of UKAPS in their formative years and many hours admiring his journals must have shaped our perceptions...

So when I was rejecting stones at my local reseller (I feel bad, I had them all over the floor and was dunking them in his plant tank to see how they looked wet) I was rejecting stuff that would have made an excellent Style I scape, since he had petrified wood. I was also rejecting stuff that would have made an excellent style IV.

Curiously I can't think of anyone who made a Style III scape - it would be really fun but I expect the long stones are really hard to find. If someone can point me to a journal where it was done...

So its Style II "Sanzon" look for me :)
 
So, thanks to PlantedBox the following rocks are on their way to me for a very reasonable price:

ray.jpg


And here is my first idea what I'm gonna do:

Sketch2010-07-2416_16_48.png


The idea is that outside the rock circle there will be grey gravel and sand, inside will be the Aquasoil from my existing scape. Plants will be only in the planted area.

Everywhere:
Eleocharis Parvula

Behind the rocks, in the planted area, just a small amount of:
A pretty red stem (Alternanthera reineckii?)
A pretty green stem (Ludwigia or Bacopia?)
A low round leafed plant (Hydrocotyle, or Marsilea?)

Will that work? Thoughts, comments, reactions?

Now, there is a tip of the cap here to George and Mark's current minimalist style because I'm trying to keep it simple, low maintenance and cater to my wife who requested a scape "without any plants".
 
Ray, your drawing looks great. Even from this, i can see which way you'd like to go with the scape.

hydracotle and acicularis would be nice mixed together. Hm or umbrosum would be nice in small amounts for the small green leaved plant.

personally, i don't think Alternanthera reineckii would work. how about a lilly coming from behind? mine are looking wonderful what with their reds and pinks :thumbup:
 
saintly said:
Ray, your drawing looks great. Even from this, i can see which way you'd like to go with the scape.

Thank you Saintly, its made things a lot clearer in my head too.

saintly said:
hydracotle and acicularis would be nice mixed together. Hm or umbrosum would be nice in small amounts for the small green leaved plant.

Having discovered Tonser's Jurassic Hollow journal I am quite taken with H. Maritima, just mix a pot of that in amonst the E. Pavula.

saintly said:
personally, i don't think Alternanthera reineckii would work. how about a lilly coming from behind? mine are looking wonderful what with their reds and pinks :thumbup:

Interesting, why don't you think it will work? Is it the flash of red or the use of A. reineckii you don't like? Other options could be Didiplis Diandra or Ludwigia arcuata?

I'm quite anti lilly - I think the lilly is nice in theory but a pain in practice - it will be a huge maintenance overhead once it gets going. Of course, the special one PJAN used to win AGA 2005 is wonderful, but I doubt my tank is big enough for this:

271.jpg


See, he has a flash of red at the back and its nice!
 
thats a nice tank.

I'm for the flash of red. but maybe arcuata or something similar. I think the red of A. reineckii is 'dirty' and for me, it's not graceful. quite harsh. subtle pinks would suit just fine.

Ray said:
it will be a huge maintenance overhead once it gets going.

mine's taken off. even in low light it's producing many leaves. I cant wait to see it a few months down the road :D
 
saintly said:
I'm for the flash of red. but maybe arcuata or something similar. I think the red of A. reineckii is 'dirty' and for me, it's not graceful. quite harsh. subtle pinks would suit just fine.
Thanks saintly, your experience is invaluable, I'm just going by an old Tropica catalogue I have here :D . So, here is my proposed planting list. I have to get an order into the LFS by 10am tomorrow for thursday delivery. He will give me straight from the box so they will still be emersed.

8 pots of Eleocharis parvula
2 pots of Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides (martitima)
1 pot of Ludwiga arcuata
1 pot of Bacopa caroliniana
1 pot of Didiplis diandra

This doesn't seem like a lot, but I think I'm planting more like this:

2010-07-2512_07_550200.png


Or like this:

2010-07-2512_06_250200.png


Rather than like this:

2010-07-2512_06_190200.png


I'd apreciate absolutely anyones comments on all of the above :)
 
the second or the 3rd for me. The first could rob you of much needed depth. stems, if used in the rear, should planted tight to the back wall ray.

have you considered a sand foreground? you could create a massive illusion of depth, with sand, stone, mixed with grass, then rear plants?
 
saintly said:
have you considered a sand foreground? you could create a massive illusion of depth, with sand, stone, mixed with grass, then rear plants?

Yes, that's exactly the plan:

2010-07-2509_10_310200.png


saintly said:
Ray, ask a mod to move this to the 'journals' section. you'll get more of a response I reckon...hopefully.

Could the first moderator to read this please do the honours? :thumbup:
 
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