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1st iwagumi attempt....

terry82517

Member
Joined
18 Jan 2013
Messages
217
After a year playing with easy growing plants in a rio 180, the time has come for my first iwagumi tank...

Asking a few questions and reading (a lot) in the forums taught me a lot and by the time I shut down that tank I had it full with healthy java fern, valis, swords and and big riccia carpet thanks to the rite lighting, EI dosing, good flow and good co2, all learnt from reading this site, so thankyou very much :)

After droling over all the scapes on here over the last year I just HAD to have a go. so after much saving and slowy accumulating equipment I have decided on a iwagumi scape with just HC Cuba and hair grass.

Tank: 90 x 45 x 45 opti white
Filter: tetratec ex1200
Substrate: ada Amazonia x3 9l bags
Lighting 2x39w aps unit
Mini landscape rock

Would really love some advice/suggestions on the rock layout I have so far, really struggling to get it rite and to make it feel natural, this is what I have so far and i have 3 small rocks left over, so please feel free to rip it apart ;)

bcjOXYH.jpg

DD1iCi0.jpg
 
personally i dont like the big rock on the right, but its a nice scape in my opinion cant wait to see it planted
 
Yea mike that's the rock that's bugging me the most too, it's quite square and just won't 'go' anywhere!
Ah yea Thomas didn't notice tht, il point a few to the right, hopefully that will 'natural' it up a bit!!
Keep it coming :)
 
its in the golden ratio as well, which is a little off putting as your eyes naturally drawn to it. i dont know what to suggest :L there's always 1 rock which is a pain and slightly off
 
m2uiZgc.jpg


I quite like the left side now, I've pointed a few in the other direction, think that really help. Yea it's a shame cos it's got lovely deep crevices ;) in it that look awesome. Anyway I've shifted it around abit now...
 
looks good, I recently set up my 1st iwagumi, google how to layout iwagumi theres a few guides and tips. one shows how the tank is broken up into 3rds, and the ratio. then how to put the stones, 1st is the biggest, then the next two either side are the next biggest etc. and also works better if you use an odd number. took me a day of fiddling and placing and replacing rocks, walked away a few times and went and did something else around the house. easier to get them set how you like it now than when its full. another good bit of advice i read was leave it for a few days and see if you still like it.
 
Yes I did Andy, got 3 of the HC and 1 hair grass. He spelt Hemianthus callitrichoides without the 'es' on the end so that's why I've never spotted it before! Good find mate!!

You got a link to that m_attt? I do remember reading something like that a few months ago but can't seem to find it now!
Iam thinking of adding the 3 small rocks I have leftover and putting them all closer together and trying that for a few hours! I will defo be leaving it for a few days whatever I rest on, just in case!!
 
Hey Terry, just keep fiddling until your happy, why not try putting the big stone on the right a lot closer to the left main one and then fiddle with the smaller ones to support them and try to create a flow so it's easy one they eyes as right now there seems to be two main arrangements which may cause the eye to switch left to right or just decrease the height of the rocks on the right. Hope this helps you :)
 
Ideal m_attt, I haven't seen the top link befor, very helpful

Didn't realise but was reading m_atttt journal yesterday, really hope I can get my rocks (and plants) to look that good!

Vito, have been following your journal for some time too, very impressed!! Your rite, it defo does look like two different scapes, all comments are noted and will try some new layouts tomo eve!
 
Second attempt, tried to take note of advice. Again I like the left side!! Whatcha think?

RicW75P.jpg

wDpSYQS.jpg
 
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