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Nigel's Forest scape 128L

Nigel95

Member
Joined
5 May 2017
Messages
756
Location
The Netherlands
Got bored of my Iwagumi and wanted to do something with spiderwood. Decided to make my own forest.

Have a look at my Youtube channel :)
>> www.youtube.com/nigelaquascaping
<<

Final video


My tank with black background in the room.

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nigel aquascaping enchanted forest black background by Nigel Aquascaping, on Flickr


Recent pictures
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detail shot forest scape by nigel aquascaping by Nigel H, on Flickr

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forest 8 by Nigel Aquascaping, on Flickr
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forest detail 128l nigel aquascaping by Nigel Aquascaping, on Flickr


Specs planted tank aquarium
Tank
80x40x40 cm / 31x15x15" opticwhite 8mm
34 gallon / 128 litre

Lighting
Aquatlantis easy led 742 but soon chihiros rgb 60

Hardscape
Lava rock
Spiderwood

Substrate
ADA Aqua Soil

Shrimp
50+ Red cherry shrimp

Fish

20 green neon tetra

Snails
10 Clithon sp.

Plants
hydrocotyle tripartita
cryptocoryne parva
fissidens fontanus
fissidens mini
solenostoma tetragonum
Bucephalandra (soon before flooding)

Co2
Pressurized CO2 with a diffusor
Co2 checker edge (20 ppm)

Heater
Hydor eth 200 temperature 25 celcius

Filter
Eheim experience 350 (2426) with stainless steel lily pipes

Background
Frosted glass spray

Day 1 Hardscape & DSM


forest_scape_day_1_dsm.jpg



Yoghurt method moss dsm


Day 36

forest_aquascape_day_36.jpg


Day 60
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forest scape 128l day 60 p3 by Nigel H, on Flickr

Day 75


Day 95
More details
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day 95 forest aquascape by nigel aquascaping by Nigel H, on Flickr

Day 115



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details growth by nigel by Nigel H, on Flickr

Tank 80x40x40 cm - 34g / 128L
Bestand_09_05_17_15_53_28.jpg

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Yoghurt method experiment

Got some fissidens fontanus from someone. Trying out the yoghurt blender method to attach mosses on my lava rocks.
Bestand_05_07_17_21_51_09.jpg

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Waterlogging all pieces hopefully they will not dry completely out during my dry start to attach mosses to hardscape.
Bestand_05_07_17_21_51_37.jpg

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To be more safe to avoid floating spiderwood I zip tied spiderwood pieces to a piece of slate. These will be buried in the substrate. So far it seems promising as pieces sink immediately in a bucket.
Bestand_05_07_17_21_49_23.jpg

image uploader

Plants
Planning to use the following plants:
- Fissidens fontanus and mini
- Solenostoma Tetragonum
- Cryptocoryne parva
- Hydrocotyle tripartita
- Some small bucephalandra
 

Attachments

  • hardscape_forest_scape_v8.jpg
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Do you have an link to this yoghurt method? I'm very interested to see this.

That hardscape looks really promising, that forest look is already in there. Im looking forward to your next update.

Verstuurd vanaf mijn Moto G (4) met Tapatalk
 
Do you have an link to this yoghurt method? I'm very interested to see this.

That hardscape looks really promising, that forest look is already in there. Im looking forward to your next update.

Verstuurd vanaf mijn Moto G (4) met Tapatalk

Thank you

Here is the link of the yoghurt mehod
http://bolbiaquarium.blogspot.nl/2016/02/attaching-moss-to-hardscape-yoghurt.html

Be aware if you have a strong flow it is possible that the mosses will blow off if you only dry start two weeks.
 
I'm curious about this method, seems awesome for delicate mosses like riccardia or fissidens.

Nice hardscape too, I Wish to see more height in the Back though. Any sand path?
 
I'm curious about this method, seems awesome for delicate mosses like riccardia or fissidens.

Nice hardscape too, I Wish to see more height in the Back though. Any sand path?

Yeah great for plants like riccardia and fissidens. Other mosses are "better" with glue or thread.

Thanks. I could add more height in the back got plenty of soil from my Iwagumi This preview scape has 3,5cm in the front. 9 left/right back and 6 in the center. Not sure what will be the "perfect" height with lava rock and fissidens on top of that. No plan for sand path it will be hard to clean through all the "roots".


Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met Tapatalk
 
I think if you removed the thicker branch from the front just left of the centre it would look better.
Open the view more.

True but the big tree helps to set up the path on the right focal point.


Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met Tapatalk
 
Hi,
Very nice plan! What will be the focal point?

Thanks, the black lines on the back of the cardboard are the focal point lines.

The path on the right will be the 'focal point'. The big tree on the left is slightly next to the left focal point something like the golden ratio spiral. Not sure if it will be to busy as it is only a 80cm tank. Someone told me to do 2 focal points when the tank is >90 cm.
 
Rough sketch of the planting. Critique please :D

WM = weeping moss
CP = cryptocoryne parva
FF / RC = fissidens fontanus / riccardia chamedry folia

Some anubias petite and bucephalandra mini needle leaf random in the scape. Should I put them in crevices or glue them?

The 'path' isn't really planted because if I do all the roots will become hidden by plants.

Maybe I will put some trees more diagonal to prevent the scape from being to static,

Planning to raise the substrate more at the back as I have enough soil from my Iwagumi to create more depth. Something like 4 cm front, left back 13 cm, center 8 cm and right back 10 cm.

forest_scape_planting_v1.jpg

free image hosting
 
Ordered a chihiros rgb. Hopefully I will like the 8000k cold view.

New plant list due low par with just 1 light unit (~36 par.)
So I skipped the riccardia chamedryfolia as it requires at least 50 par.

Decided to add a little bit of
hydrocotyle tripartita. Riccardia chamedryfolia will be replaced with solenostoma tetragonum.

Plant list
hydrocotyle tripartita
Crypt parva
Weeping moss
solenostoma tetragonum
Fissidens mini and fontanus
Bucephalandra kedagang mini.



Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met Tapatalk
 
Hardscape so far in tank. Still need to glue the roots together.
final_hardscape_v2_crop.jpg


Tested some lava rocks in water that has been in dsm for four weeks and the amano shrimps are pulling everything off. The moss was applied with the yoghurt method. So I guess I can't have amano shrimp at the start in the tank. What would be a good algae eaters that will not blow the delicate moss off? Maybe RCS? Not sure if they will keep algae under control.
 
It is normal to experience moulding, in such situation. You can try to spray it with a solution of salicylic acid (you can use aspirin).
I remember I saw somewhere a similar isue that has been solved this way. Moulds are senzitive to soft acids, mostly to volatile acids
like acetic, propionic and formic acids. The best would be propionic acid but I cannot say from where you can get it. Anyway, take
care of the plants if you choose to use acids. There are also anti-mould products, that contain such active substances, in buffered form.
Maybe if you give a search, you can find some. I remember I used some time ago a product from Bison. Maybe this can help.
 
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