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Critique my hardscape Newbie Setup

Joined
29 Jul 2017
Messages
94
Location
South West London
I've been playing around with some rocks for my first real go at aquascaping. I also placed some epiphytes on the rock and will also eventually add moss. The aquarium is 60 by 30 by 35cm lwh and I plan on having a beach of sand from the far right to the nearest rocks. I'm looking for some (gentle) feedback on the arrangement of rocks and placement of plants and where I could put moss and also were I should slope the soil or bury the rocks. Thanks for your time and knowledge. Pls note that the aquarium is mapped out by the tape measure and rug and the supporting rock isn't going to be included in the final scape.
 

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Will the rug be part of the final scape as well?

Joking aside...

I like the rocks, so me personally I wouldn’t want them covered by too much stuff as I’d want them to be a feature in there own right. I would put the Anubias between the rocks. There roots and Rhyzome can become unslightly so I wouldn’t want that appearing over the rock. Where as I think if you saw the odd root creeping from a rock crevice it would look more natural.

For some reason I have no luck with mosses. Java fern, is supposed to be immortal but mine died within a week. So I best not comment :)

I can’t comment on rocks because I don’t use rocks myself, but it looks decent. It’s really something only you can decide as you have an image of the ‘final’ tank in your mind. Plus it’s your tank.
 
Thanks for the feedback.
It's a shame that you've not had a great experience with moss. Mine seems to be doing fine not sure it's growing fast but it's good enough for me. Perhaps it helps getting moss grown emersed as it may more readily adapt to extreme water conditions like hard water as my pH is at least 8 and I've read they tend to do better in softer water. It's odd as some three of your low CO2 tanks look amazing and I guess I'm just as clueless as you are as to why they won't survive. Anyway best of wishes.
 
FishLifeLondon

I'm looking for some (gentle) feedback on the arrangement of rocks

Well that eliminates me as I will explain to you what I see and how to improve your hardscape. In other words I will only tell you what I see not what the poster wants to read.

All I can say is you have a good selection various sized rocks which are all well sculptured.

Keith:wave::wave:
 
Any update on this set-up? The main thing that stands out for me is that everything is a bit spaced out. You may want to bring things closer to have a feeling of "continuity".
 
Thanks for your replies everyone.
I agree that the rocks feel a bit spaced out so will moving them a little closer and filling in with little stones -currently being used as support- create more of a sense of continuity. I would also like to know what you think about the placement of plants and where I should put some moss. I currently think that the Buce on the back right should move leaving that rock bare and I think I'll put moss in areas where rocks meet to blend it in and maybe on top of the large stone at the back but I'm less sure about this. Keith, go with it and let loose. I was only being a bit jokey with 'gentle feedback' as I'm new to all of this, but constructive criticism can't hurt can it?
Thanks again.
 
FishLifeLondon

OK no punches pulled I have been very interested in design work for over 60 years now yes Sixty Years. Over that time I have done many design courses and taught furniture design for 13 years to cabinet making apprentices. Aquarium Aquascape is rather new about 20 years now that is in various Forums.

Lets start
First step make a mock tank using either your substrate or cheap sand as a base.
0A%20A%20Box%20Aquascape%20mock%20Tank%20_edited-1.jpg


The front is a piece of clear plastic so we can see the Substrate level. I started using this method many years ago and if any one explain a better method please show me.

Keith:wave::wave:
 
Keith,
I can't tell you a better method, but I can think of an easier and lazier method; you simply do it in the glass box.
My situation is: I have 2 tanks, 1 is setup with fish, snails, shrimp, and plants floating around before I plant them. The scape I'm planning, is for that tank. I'm going to get the new tank ready for fish and put them in there with plants as well. I'll take filter media to help the cycle and do daily water changes as my cycle in my main tank was jeopardised when my canister filter flooded and then my family overfed an unfiltered tank. Meanwhile I'll hardscape the now drained tank allowing for maybe 2 days of deciding and feedback and then plant with more feedback. I'll see how long it takes for a new cycle to start and allow for any ammonia from the aqua soil to be released (I've already left it leaching for some weeks now but I think I need another bag). I think it will a better use of your time when the hardscape is in the aquarium with a substrate.
Thank you for all your help so far.
 
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I have finally got my act together (being a lazy teen) and went to get some more aqua-soil yesterday and I have played around with aquascaping today, which I'm fairly happy with, but I hope that with your input i will be able to make it better. At first i tried all the rocks form the previous pictures, but it was to cluttered and I thought less is more so removed the front pieces. To try and get some more depth I brought the two rocks on the left forward and pushed the one on the right back. I'll also have a sandy beach for some Corydoras which will be bare of plants and probably rock. I'm sort of going for a triangular composition (I think) with some Java Fern giving some more height to the right side.

Planting wise I'm planing to use Java Fern 'Trident' on the rock on the left perhaps with some Bicephalandra and Anubias in front of it with moss hidning the roots and the flat rock face. The middle rock will have some Bucephalandra on it and a little moss. The third rock will either be bare or have some small Bucephalandra on it. Then I'll have some Cryptocorynes behind the Java Fern or maybe a stem plant, some Dwarf Sagittaria or some Dwarf Hairgrass in the back right hand side and through the pathway. And finally for the foreground I'll have some Hydrocotyle Tripartia 'Japan' by the light side rock's base and a mixed carpet of Monte Carlo and a Marsilea species to see what works. The carpet and background plants aren't set in stone yet so suggestions on what will do best in Lower light levels with LCO2 would be appreciated along with all aquascaping advice.
Thank you all.
 

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The third stone the one on the right bothers me, it's almost like it needs flipping over to match the striations in your main stone on the left.
 
it's hard to place it right as you havent got all the substrate in, but the line that runs through the middle of the rock needs to match the line on the 1st big rock, so as it is now, just tilt the stone to the left.
 
image.jpg
Is this closer?
I haven't got all the substrate in as I'm making a beach with sand and it will be more easy not to mix them when the hardscape is done and I've got some sort of barrier.
 
That is much closer to what i envisioned yeah :) matching the natural features of the rocks is very important.
 
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