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Scaping a 60cm tank with Mini Landscape Rock and Amazonia II

Archie

Archie

Seedling
Joined
28 Dec 2010
Messages
14
Location
Tunbridge Wells
What do you think to this layout? The cardboard sandpit is a touch smaller than the tank I'm awaiting (60x30x30) so I think I could spread them out a little more. Any thoughts would be welcome. Particularly on how to give a greater impression of depth.

bestrocklayout.jpg


Plant wise, here's what I have in mind:

Hemianthus Callitrichoides (Cuba)
Blyxa japonica
Eleocharis parvula (Dwarf hairgrass)
Eleocharis vivipara (Tall hairgrass)
Hydrocotyle Verticillata (American Pennywort)
Alternanthera Reineckii

Hopefully my idea for placement of each will be evident from this:

bestrocklayoutwitplants3.jpg


These are to be grown under 2 x 24 watt T5s in Amazonia II substrate initially with DIY CO2, Easycarbo and Plant Nutrition+. Quite likely moving to pressurized later on.

Also, the Alternanthera Reineckii was just the first attractive red leafed plant I came across on the plant site I plan to order from - is there something which would be better for this setup?

Any recommendations will be much appreciated.
 
Re: Scaping a 60cm tank with Mini Landscape Rock and Amazoni

I'm not so sure about the reckinii. I'd also consider leaving the planting until you've got pressurised co2 :geek:
 
Re: Scaping a 60cm tank with Mini Landscape Rock and Amazoni

Love the lay out :).

Im also not sure on the reckinii. I would also suggest Pogostemon stellatus.
Pogostemon stellatus leafs will also turn red under the right conditions, if my memory servers me right. Don't quote me on this.
 
Re: Scaping a 60cm tank with Mini Landscape Rock and Amazoni

Thanks for the feedback!

I'm pretty happy with the layout too. I plan to space the rocks out a little more in the proper set up but I suppose it'll depend on how they look submersed.

On the red plant, thanks for the recommendations. I looked up Pogostemon stellatus and Nesaea crassicaulis and like the look of both but I see they both appear in the 'very difficult' categories everywhere. As I'm inexperienced with plants I think the HC will be enough of a challenge (based on what I've read elsewhere here)! So actually I think I'll start with a simpler colour pallete of greens only to begin with. If everything else grows then I'll reconsider introducing red.

Also, point taken on the CO2 Mark. I'm still reading up on it to work out what I'll use. Got a little while before the tank arrives to decide but currently looking at the fire extinguisher method.
 
Re: Scaping a 60cm tank with Mini Landscape Rock and Amazoni

Like it alot, rock and substrate look very good :)
 
Re: Scaping a 60cm tank with Mini Landscape Rock and Amazoni

Rock positioning looks great.
Its better if you get co2 before planting as Mark says. Your planting plan is nice as well. Same advice, no reinekii as its leaves are too big. I am a bit concerned about vivipara as well as your tank is only 30 high. I'd make a higher slope of substrate to the back and replaced vivipara with acicularis. Acicularis grows quite tall as well.
 
Re: Scaping a 60cm tank with Mini Landscape Rock and Amazoni

Looking good, but I would not use Amazonia II, I tried it and what a disaster it was, after 6-7 months it started turning to dust. Have a look at my shrimp journal in the signature. Half way through it I change to Oliver Knott Soil and never had any problems since, since you have no water yet, just get the standard Amazonia instead.
 
Re: Scaping a 60cm tank with Mini Landscape Rock and Amazoni

London Dragon, I wish I'd seen your thread on Amazonia 2 earlier as I'd toyed with getting the Oliver Knott stuff. Unfortunately it's too late though as I've already set up. As it is, the tank will have to be relocated in a few months anyway (from kitchen to livingroom) so if it's started to break down by then I'll substitute it.

As it is filled up:
photo.jpg


Also, Piece-of-fish - thanks for the advice. I've ordered the plants and actually left out any sort of red foliage plant. I had wanted to add colour but I think there should be enough interest in there with the other plants in terms of texture and shape, along with the fish selection of course.

Anyway, hoping the plants will arrive in the next few days. Any suggestions welcome.
 
Re: Scaping a 60cm tank with Mini Landscape Rock and Amazoni

Just don't disturb the substrate too much, Oliver Knott would not suite the scape either its too light and any heavy flow just "blows" it away, I would recommend either Colombo Flora Base which is very similar to Oli's stuff or standard Amazonia.
 
Re: Scaping a 60cm tank with Mini Landscape Rock and Amazoni

Just a quick update on the scaping. This photo (sorry, just a phone camera) was taken about a week after planting, and that was now a couple of weeks ago.

IMG_0438.jpg



Since then, the HC is doing okay, spreading slowly, the hairgrass is pretty rampant; but the dwarf hairgrass showing no signs of growth at all; the blyxa is melting but at the same time showing fresh growth in parts – enough to keep me optimistic.

The American pennywort I didn’t even plant – it was huge! I was expecting some dainty little thing but instead it was the same height as the tank. I chucked the plants in a dish on a (north facing) windowsill and in spite of my neglect they each launched new plants with roots and these I’ve planted, aware that I’ll probably be taking them out fairly soon when they grow too large.

There’s another plant at the back either side of the main rock that came from my local fish shop and I have no idea what it is but it’s doing okay. Probably too early to say I suppose though - same goes for the others.

There is some algae in there but not an alarming amount (fingers crossed it stays that way). A regulator and fire extinguisher arrived this week so this weekend I’ll hopefully go pressurised and that will help with plant growth and in keeping the algae at bay.

If I can get around to it I’m going to create a new thread under Journals to record the progress of everything as I've really got the bug for it now.
 
Re: Scaping a 60cm tank with Mini Landscape Rock and Amazoni

Looking great so far, only thing I would change is the spray bar to the middle of the tank, it would give you a better flow overall, the plants on the left hand side might start struggling otherwise, good job :)
 
Re: Scaping a 60cm tank with Mini Landscape Rock and Amazoni

Thanks London Dragon. I would make that adjustment but some beautiful lily pipes came through in the post:

Tank28Feb2011.jpg


Which as you can imagine I'm chuffed about!

At the same time, I'm having a bit of a nightmare setting up the pressurized CO2 as explained here: http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=14949
 
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