• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

The Shed Tank

#Layout
I’m not a natural artist. So I need a bit of help getting things nice. And for me that means taking photos and applying various ‘grids’ over the top to make sure I’ve got things properly lined up. And then leaving it a few days, coming back to it and making some adjustments. Bigger stones can be ‘faked’ by piling up a few smaller ones.

Can see that for a more artistic type, this might seem a bit odd. But I find the whole process sort of a satisfying in itself.

The starting rule here with sediment is: put in a much bigger slope of sediment than seems in any way plausible. For one, it will flatten, whatever you do. For two, it gives a real sense of perspective and depth to the tank. Also, make sure that the stones are sloping in a natural way, and give a sense of direction that gives depth too. Pointing straight up is bad. Pointing straight across is bad too.

The hardscape rules that seem to work for me are the standard, history of art, renaissance paintings, aesthetics ones: rule of thirds, diagonals and triangles, golden spirals.

Here’s one of my favourite ever layouts analysed in this way:

15820912455_cb992093bb_b.jpgSlide2 by greenink@ukaps, on Flickr

You can see how the hardscape is almost perfectly aligned to all of these lines.

Here’s a few early layouts that didn’t cut it.

15797228616_70499fb26c_b.jpgIMG_5518 by greenink@ukaps, on Flickr

15822452012_044836ba4d_b.jpgIMG_5586 by greenink@ukaps, on Flickr

15822452652_56acd7d682_b.jpgIMG_5587 by greenink@ukaps, on Flickr

With this tank, though, for the first time ever, I really took my time with layouts. And after quite a while, I got somewhere I’m pleased with… will post it up later.
 
Last edited:
#Final hardscape
So here’s what I went with in the end. Feel pretty pleased with this.

15203041663_6c3889b4ed_b.jpg1 July 2014 copy by greenink@ukaps, on Flickr

And for the technically minded, here’s how it hits the major rules. It’s pretty easy to imagine how I can fill the curves of the golden spirals with decent planting.

15201470233_e820fa15f0_b.jpg#ShedTank hardscape by greenink@ukaps, on Flickr

(Yes, it’s a bit paint by numbers, and not hugely original. But I like it.)

Here’s another of my favourite ever tanks analysed in the same way.

15822465002_6ac39cec4a_b.jpgSlide3 by greenink@ukaps, on Flickr
 
Awesome...Your grids obviously work.- I can kinda instinctively relate to them, but what exactly aligns with what to make a scape so aesthetically appealing? Maybe a detailed tutorial would be a good idea...fibonacci sequence an' all.
 
I can finally see the photo's on the first couple of posts :)

But greenink... That hardscape looks amazing! I can't wait to see how this progresses.
 
Maybe a detailed tutorial would be a good idea...fibonacci sequence an' all.

I guess it's about making sure that the grid lines act as a boundary between two areas. That can be empty space and full space, or stone and planting, or two different kinds of plants.

What I've got a bit better at now is imagining how plants will grow in to a space. But that's just a result of too many hours staring at aquariums!
 
You are really stretching the definition of "shed". Love it.:D

shed
noun: shed; plural noun: sheds

a simple roofed structure used for garden storage, to shelter animals, or as a workshop. Example : "a bicycle shed", "a fish shed".
 
#Initial planting
It’s done! The basic idea is lilaeopsis carpet all over, hemianthus at the back to give height and fill in the golden spiral, and other planting to give a feeling of natural vegetation and mixing.

Hemianthus planted in small bunches about 5cm apart. Lilleopsis in individual plantlets, cutting the root runners between each plantlet, which takes a hell of a long time. Other plants popped in round about.

15636054950_eb46b5953d_b.jpgDay 1 by greenink@ukaps, on Flickr

Filled in slowly with a hose and bit of floating bubble wrap to stop distortion...

15797232726_353c9554de_b.jpgIMG_5336 by greenink@ukaps, on Flickr

Plan is water changes every few days. CO2 ridiculously high - permanently yellow drop checker. No fish or shrimp until the plants are properly established. Just pond snails and the odd ramshorn that has made the long journey from my old tank.

Lights on 6 hours a day at 60%, 2 minutes ramp up and down at the start and end. CO2 on two hours before lights on and lights off.
 
First few weeks
So it’s taking off, slowly but surely. First bunch of photos is going to be pretty poor quality, as couldn’t be bothered to do them properly. Promise they’ll be nicer soon...

Day 15 - pretty limited growth, but starting to send out runners. Stones still pretty clean.

15635725567_002bb35813_b.jpgDay 15 by greenink@ukaps, on Flickr

Day 75 - starting to get there. Too much algae on rocks though.

15635091469_2b9e56a4e6_b.jpgDay 75 by greenink@ukaps, on Flickr

Day 82 - getting a bit faster on growth

15822461142_5af46c88ac_b.jpgDay 82 by greenink@ukaps, on Flickr

Day 105 - Now nearly there and ready for livestock. The algae on the rocks is pretty bad, but have had nothing else problematic at all.

15819020781_b37207cf42_b.jpgDay 105 by greenink@ukaps, on Flickr
 
#Fish and shrimps
Think it’s going well enough to turn down the CO2. So over the past week or so have added in the fish and shrimps.

10 cherry shrimp
10 neon tetras
30 harlequins
7 ottos
7 amano shrimp
2 siamese algae eaters (there’s a bit of BBA around the rocks)

All looking pretty happy so far.

Day 117

15201469443_4a1fe8fc0c_b.jpgDay 117 by greenink@ukaps, on Flickr

Will do some proper photos with decent lighting soon. These have all been done with just 60% on the TMC tiles and nothing else.
 
#Day 133

So here it is a few days later, with some proper lighting

15203125603_9e9ba9afae_b.jpgDay 133 by greenink@ukaps, on Flickr

Bit disappointed the siamese algae eaters haven’t done a better job on the BBA, but otherwise looking good. Will do the first proper trim soon, and apply some Gluteraldehyde solution to the rocks with a syringe as I do the water change to clean them up.

(This journal is nearly up to date with reality now!)
 
River bed rocks or Stream/Burn rocks/boulders.......... aren't perfectly clean!
Most have weed/algae/moss on them even in the UK!
Adds to the aesthetics in eyes.
hoggie
 
Back
Top