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Still aquascaping...

Ady34

Ady34

Global Moderator
UKAPS Team
Joined
27 Jul 2011
Messages
5,101
Location
Co. Durham
Hi,
Although I havnt been so active on the forum lately, I'm still running a tank :)
I decided to take a slightly less intensive/expensive approach to fishkeeping temporarily and have reduced my tank numbers to one.....although it is a slightly bigger one :)
Natural Jurassic and my marine tank have been stripped down and I now have a hardscape only 120cm (which one day will be planted). I decided to have the tank as a semi room divider set up so scaped it to be viewable from three sides. I wanted ease of maintenance also so the wood is kept very central and rock work to a minimum to facilitate easy substrate siphoning and glass cleaning etc. In my quest for simplicity I chose a single g6 filter and glass lily pipe combo with the external hydor heater to keep visual equipment to a minimum. I still, even without plants, get an oily surface film so I had to utilise the eheim skimmer, and due to some fish choices am now running two g6 filters to keep things clean
Although I miss the greenery I'm enjoying the tank and some fish which I wouldn't necessarily have chosen for a planted tank. The only leaves in here are cattappa.....but one day I'll green it up as I have a few ideas I'd like to try!
Anyway, just to keep my toe in the door I thought I'd shamelessly share a couple of videos, and can just about get away with posting a plantless scape here in the aquascaping section





Cheerio,
Ady.
 
That's just lovely. Really clean healthy looking tank. I'd be really happy with a tank like that for sure.
 
Welcome back, Ady - good to see you on here again.
Tank looks great. I've always wondered though, how hard is it to keep a tank like that algae-free. What's the technique?
Some Cyperus helferi or similar blowing in the current around the wood would look amazing - looking forward to the plants sneaking themselves back in!
 
Ben C said:
Tank looks great. I've always wondered though, how hard is it to keep a tank like that algae-free. What's the technique?
Click to expand...

I'm second to ask this question. Your tank reminds me some ADG hardscape-only works. Zen tank, I'd say. Nothing to remove.
 
Ben C said:
I've always wondered though, how hard is it to keep a tank like that algae-free. What's the technique?
Click to expand...
Well, touch wood, the tank has remained algae free, a little on the glass - more of a biofilm - which gets removed weekly, but nothing too untoward yet :nailbiting: Ive kept the lighting very low, only using the rgb leds of the arcadia unit which amounts to around 40w in total but thats split into two photoperiods so no more than 30w maximum at any given time. I run a 2hr period first thing on a morning which has about 10w i think, and the other is a 6hr evening viewing period which has the 30 ish watts of power. Both photoperiods include a ramp up/ramp down phase so not a lot of light. Keeping up with water changes and tank maintenance keeps the water clean too so low light and no waste seems to be keeping the dreaded algae at bay. I think its mostly down to the lighting, i think if you only had the lights on when you were viewing the tank, and kept the intensity low then you would get no algae. I prefer to have some continuity for the fish though, and i like watching them continually from the sofa :couchpotato: so have set periods for morning feeding and evening viewing :watching:
The sand has remained spotless, but again i vaccuum every water change to prevent any detrius build up.
Since adding some wood eating plecs and some bristle nose to help remove any algae/biofilm/fungus from the wood ive had to increase the filtration as they are dirty little fish :p They like to destroy the cattappa leaves also which was leaving more suspended matter in the water column which i didnt want. Another g6 sorted that issue though.


Alexander Belchenko said:
Your tank reminds me some ADG hardscape-only works. Zen tank, I'd say. Nothing to remove.
Click to expand...
Thanks, thats really where the inspiration came from :thumbup: I love some of their tanks, especially the Senske discus tank.
Having open space and limited hardscape certainly makes maintainence easier.
Without continual change though i dont know if i may become a little bored of the tank, so far so good but i know ill want plants back one day!
Ben C said:
Some Cyperus helferi or similar blowing in the current around the wood would look amazing
Click to expand...
yeah, i saw a load of blyxa on facebook the other day and the thought did cross my mind.......i do have a grass scape in mind for one day though :D


flygja said:
Oh some angel fish or discus will not go amiss in that beauty!
Click to expand...
I thought about discus originally, but i wanted to keep the tank light on hardscape and i think i would have needed some heavier weightier pieces of wood to balance with their size. I wanted thinner branches so i could see easily through the tank to keep the room quite open.......and keep an eye on the kids ;)
I do have four angelfish, they're smoke angels, and are still relitively small so not too obvious on the videos but angels are a fish i've wanted to keep again for a long time, there's just something about angelfish :D The four work well together in the space provided and although there is a pair, they have sorted a heirarchy and squabbles are minimal and non contact :rage:





Thanks for the feedback.
Cheerio,
Ady.

EDIT: edited lighting wattages, i underestimated originally :oops:
 
Last edited:
That looks amazing. I wish i had your restraint. I'd have java fern all over that wood before you could blink.
 
Brian Murphy said:
Just having another look at your scape and with my new 120 on its way, it has given me some inspiration :)
Click to expand...
has it arrived yet Brian?

ldcgroomer said:
That looks amazing. I wish i had your restraint. I'd have java fern all over that wood before you could blink.
Click to expand...
luckily i sold it all before setting this up or i may have been a little tempted too, unsure about restraint though, im already considering a small planted set up in the old aqua nano 40.....mmm......i must resist :D
 
Its really beautiful. One to keep for a very long time. Although in my opinion the rummy noses take away a bit of the calmness in the tank. But maybe you like that.:rolleyes:
 
Simple clean and very easy on the eye, well done indeed
 
Still going......

 
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