Hanging Rock - 45p Iwagumi

[doylecolmdoyle]

Starting to plan another scape for my little apartment, this will be the 5th aquarium in a 70sqm apartment.

Tank - 45p Fire-Aqua 45x27x30cm
Filter - Ista External Mini Canister Filter 360lph
Heater - ?
Co2 - via UP Aqua In-Line Atomizer 12/16mm
Light - 45cm Chihiros A-Series Plus
Substrate - Cal Aqua Green Base and Cal Aqua Black Earth
Ferts - Cal Aqua Green, Red and Chrome

Plants - Carpet only I am thinking... Glosso, MC, HC, hairgrass mix? Various moss attached to the rocks. Probably Mini Pellia and Fissidens Fontanus, tho I have some flame, spiky and weeping moss, but dont think they will suit.

Picked up a big 9kg seiyru stone, which will be the main feature. I have started to play around with the layout and I think I am fairly decided on the last picture below, probably will have a lot of height and some of the stone emersed.

Decided on something like this... hard to balance the big rock without any substrate so the angle may be improved a bit.

I will have sand on the left under the hanging rock and bank Cal Aqua Black Earth up on the right, the rocks will be lifted and tilted a bit to create more overhand, below is a ruff idea of planting

 

[Dominik_K]

Wow, i like that hardscape. I would add some slightly bigger stones to make a cleaner transition but just a bit bigger, maybe about 20% of the main one.

 

[Mikeba]

Very nice main rock!

I agree with Dominik_K, you need some supporting stones to make a nice transition. Maybe 2 more stones 50% and 20% of the main one.

I also like the rubble you have in the last picture. Good job so far!

 

[doylecolmdoyle]

Cheers for the feedback, will hopefully start scaping this in the tank this weekend, will add a few more transitional rocks.

 

[doylecolmdoyle]

Got the big rock into the small tank, I like the look, the contrast in angle of the soil to the rock, I also like the idea of just using the one rock, no decorative rocks. But now I am undecided on if I should use sand on the left side, considering the soil is a land slide waiting to happen I think keeping the white sand clean will be a pain in the ass! So now I am thinking carpet all over. Here is the hardscape as it sits now. There is room at the back to plant stems if I dont want to keep this carpet plants only, not to sure about that tho.


IMG_9621 by Colm Doyle, on Flickr

 

[Juraj C.]

I think adding few small rocks would more natural. Something like pic 4 or 5 in your first post.
Also the substrate and the rock end are alligned which looks odd to me.
But hey, if you like it like this go for it.

 

[doylecolmdoyle]

I think adding few small rocks would more natural. Something like pic 4 or 5 in your first post.
Also the substrate and the rock end are alligned which looks odd to me.
But hey, if you like it like this go for it.

Perhaps I will add more small rocks, that is easy enough... I am mindful that little rocks just get swamped by carpet plants once they start growing nicely and become a pain when cutting the carpet, also I like the overhand effect without having small rocks close to the base of the big rock.

Decided to add more soil, sand would just be a pain, may as well carpet the whole thing.


IMG_9622 by Colm Doyle, on Flickr

For plants I am thinking

Foreground:
- Glosso front right
- MC under the rock (due to being shaded, I think MC will grow well there)
- HC front left all the way to back left
Hoping its all could mix together over time and look natural

Background:

- Limnophila sp Mini "Vietnam" behind the rock and back right
Other considerations for the background are HM and or HU (they look pretty much the same to me but different shaped leaves?)

On the rock I will add mini pellia

 

[Cor]

looks promising

 

[Juraj C.]

That looks much better already.

 

[Tim Harrison]

That's a bold statement if ever there was one...that is visually.
The addition of smaller rocks maybe an idea worth trying; now's the time to do it.
If you don't like them they can be removed easily enough. Better that than changing your mind once it's planted and flooded.
I think they may help to add a bit of harmony and perhaps juxtaposition tension to the scape.

 

[doylecolmdoyle]

That's a bold statement if ever there was one...that is visually.
The addition of smaller rocks maybe an idea worth trying; now's the time to do it.
If you don't like them they can be removed easily enough. Better that than changing your mind once it's planted and flooded.
I think they may help to add a bit of harmony and perhaps juxtaposition tension to the scape.

Cheers I did try a few small rocks but didnt really like it, I will try again and photograph, initially when doing the out of tank mockups I really liked the small scattered stones but when I finally got the big rock counter balanced I liked the look of it jutting out on a bold angle

 

[Gonçalo Silva]

I agree with Doyle that the smaller rocks is just for the hardscape pic. Then after a month it's just a hole in the carpet. I would put some medium stones instead.

 

[alto]

I vote for it as the Lone Rock
- looks best as it is ... drama ... tension ... why lessen that with rubble

 

[Mikeba]

I would only use small rocks in sand areas and medium rocks in carpet areas.

But it's looking great!

 

[karel.brits]

I vote for it as the Lone Rock
- looks best as it is ... drama ... tension ... why lessen that with rubble

The simplicity is the strength of this scape, in my opinion. I wouldn't add any smaller ones either. This is pleasing to the eye already.

Verstuurd vanaf mijn ONEPLUS A3003 met Tapatalk

 

[Silviu Man]

Hi!
Nice ideea. In my opinion, having in mind the shape of the rock, any other small rock will "bite" from the originality of it.
It remind me of a Lion King scene.

 

[doylecolmdoyle]

I vote for it as the Lone Rock
- looks best as it is ... drama ... tension ... why lessen that with rubble

The simplicity is the strength of this scape, in my opinion. I wouldn't add any smaller ones either. This is pleasing to the eye already.

Verstuurd vanaf mijn ONEPLUS A3003 met Tapatalk

Hi!
Nice ideea. In my opinion, having in mind the shape of the rock, any other small rock will "bite" from the originality of it.
It remind me of a Lion King scene.

Thanks guys, yes I think I will just run with the one rock, you all have convinced me I am hoping to grow a wild and interesting mixed carpet which think will add to the contrast against the lone rock

 

[Silviu Man]

Regarding the plants : I would keep the shaded place free of any plant, leaving HC to cover, as much as it can, that place.

 

[doylecolmdoyle]

Thinking about plants (which I have already ordered but could use in my other tanks if needed) here is my plan, obviously the plants will all mix together somewhat, which is what I would like to achieve... perviously I had not thought about using UG but managed to buy a small portion, perhaps there isnt enough room long the front right for both glosso and UG. Thoughts?

 

[Silviu Man]

Looks OK, having in mind the requirements of the plants. I still think you should be careful with 02. Maybe, in first 2-3 weeks, you can "help" it with a lamp that will give extra-light from the left side. Is very important to generate, very fast, the roots. Be aware that 03 is very difficult to be planted in that kind of substrate; it comes "in vitro" and it "leaves" the substrate very easy. Plant it in small pieces and push it well in the substrate. I have it in a Wabi Kusa and in a nano but ... it gave me some extra white hair!