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Low-Energy Dirt Tank

Tim Harrison

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UKAPS Team
Joined
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Leicestershire
The writing has been of the wall for Cryptic Haven http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/cryptic-haven-low-energy-update-pics.28695/ for some time now. A change in tank location meant it needed to be viewable from 3 sides so a convex layout was the best option, but very challenging especially since I've never done one before.

I've not had time to strip it down and start again until recently. I was going to rescape and carry on with the same journal since I've reused the hardscape and most of the plants with one or two additions - not least the manzi.

However, the end result was so different I decided a new journal was perhaps more appropriate. Curiously, it only took an hour or so to scape before I was happy with it (maybe that shows:rolleyes:). Anyway, I've got round to uploading a few pics of the hardscape so I thought I'd share...
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Hi thanks NC10, it's just good old Lake District slate 99p a rock from my local Frosts garden center...I chose the rocks with the most quartzite veins cause I thought they looked good.
 
Looks ace, Troi,and you've barely started!
I don't know how you had the courage to tear down Cryptic Haven, it was absolutely gorgeous and would've broken my heart to do so.
What are you going with as regarding planting?
PS, quick question reguarding Cryptic Haven, did you ever fertilise the tank, or did you rely soley on the dirt?
 
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Thanks Tim, and also wick...I didn't mind so much, the upside is that you get to create something else. As for plants I've transferred some and added L. brasiliensis and a bit of H. Japan to the foreground, and tied Christmas and java moss to the wood.
Yep I use TNC Complete, about 2mls once or twice a week, along with a weekly water change of about 40-50%.
 
Nice hardscape mate ;) I'm about to redo the Mini M and i'm very tempted to go scour my local garden centre for slate on the back of your pics, it looks mint! :)
 
Cheers Rob, it's amazing what you can find cut price if you take the bother to look in the landscaping department every now and then...as soon as it becomes earmarked for aquascaping the prices seem to go through the roof.
 
Hi Michael, thanks, I'll try to post some pics over the weekend...Life's a bit hectic at the mo'.
Hi Alexander, the tank is a modified Fluval Roma 90, the angel fish where no bigger than 20p pieces when they went in, when they got too big I gave them to someone who really appreciated them.
 
Well done on the hard scape, very we'll executed!
If it where mine I'd moss the wood up with weeping, cover the rest of the substrate with glosso carpet, big ol' needle at the back :)

*EDIT* actually I'd be pretty stuck on the back haha. I know for sure I couldn't not moss all that wood and have a glosso carpet all round though!
 
Looks very nice Troi... Subscribed!
What about the wood and the substrate, with this thread title my guess is that they are also cheap options, aren't they?

Jordi
 
Thanks nayr88. If it was high-energy I'd probably be doing that way. However, the tank isn't fuel injected and is low-light with min fertz, so glosso wouldn't do very well. But the wood has some moss;)
Thanks Jordi...the substrate is Unipac Limpopo Black Sand and the wood is manzi...not so cheap options:)
 
Hey :)..i am just going to repeat what everyone else has already said in here...I love your hardscape :). Amazing Troi...you are getting better and better. So how is this coming along now?
 
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