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Cloudy sky

Everyone is entitled to their view and I do appreciate honest opinions - if someone thinks it looks naff I'd rather they just told me.
I said before I started the wall I thought it could end up looking very model train set which is not what I want.
There is a fine line between something looking good and completely naff; I think the photos you put up have crossed that line and do look naff in my opinion.
I guess I will see how the next stages pan out and see if the look is for me or not.

There was another scape on here that I was looking through last night. Similar in a way that it had 2 quadrants of rock with a path inbetween. Lots of people talking about how it looked and my subconcious was thinking "Planting will either make or break this." That was with similar sized rocks but of course not identical.

Yours has an almost uniform look to it. I like it but then I like lines and symmetry. However the more uniform it is then the more the pressure is on for the plants to work with it. Like the other scape with the walled terraces above in this thread. Most people on here wouldn't do it, but then it would be very boring if we all did the same thing.

I would do something like you have but I am far too lazy to keep on top of it. I suspect it would need quite a bit of manicuring to keep the plant / wall effect looking good and I'm not one for that :)

I wouldn't worry too much about algae on the wall. Walls get moss and lichens and all sorts else growing within their cracks. Wouldn't need major cleaning to get it spick and span as a little green here and there would make it look more natural.
 
There was another scape on here that I was looking through last night. Similar in a way that it had 2 quadrants of rock with a path inbetween. Lots of people talking about how it looked and my subconcious was thinking "Planting will either make or break this." That was with similar sized rocks but of course not identical.

Yours has an almost uniform look to it. I like it but then I like lines and symmetry. However the more uniform it is then the more the pressure is on for the plants to work with it. Like the other scape with the walled terraces above in this thread. Most people on here wouldn't do it, but then it would be very boring if we all did the same thing.

I would do something like you have but I am far too lazy to keep on top of it. I suspect it would need quite a bit of manicuring to keep the plant / wall effect looking good and I'm not one for that :)

I wouldn't worry too much about algae on the wall. Walls get moss and lichens and all sorts else growing within their cracks. Wouldn't need major cleaning to get it spick and span as a little green here and there would make it look more natural.

Can you remember what the thread was you were looking at for me to have a look through?

I'm trying to break the uniform look up with the coping stones with the fallen branch damage and the tree trunk might disrupt some stones too but I will see.
Do the coping stones break the uniformity up at all in your opinion?
The big problem when trying to replicate something with a similar look to a dry stone wall is it's an art form in itself in full size; let alone scaled right down.
A dry stone wall varies so much throughout the country, also with age and the mason who built it.
I'm not a model builder or aquascaper so am just trying to find a happy medium and achieve a look I find enjoyable to view.

You say you're too lazy to keep on top of it; aside from a large carpet to trim I don't see this as any different from an iwagumi style layout or have I got my blinkers on?!
The wall idea was carried forward with the idea it would keep plants separate from each other and possibly make maintenance easier in that respect. :nailbiting:
 
I say get out and take a photo
I think having a photograph backing or not is a very fine line indeed, has anyone seen any real success stories here?
I know there have been some in competitions but mine is more for wanting something a little more interesting than a black background if it will look right and a cloudy sky is the only option I see.
A background is needed to hide a menagerie of pipes etc.
I wound not use the wall as a retaining wall for the soil behind it that’s just not what stone walls in the country do
There are many around my part of the country that do and it's more just a slight elevation in soil level so the plants immediately behind don't look lost.
What plans do you have for a clean up crew ?
Probably dwarf ottos, Amano and maybe some CRS - nothing out of the ordinary.
Here’s the last scape I did
It's a bit different to the look I'm going for. ;)
 
Can you remember what the thread was you were looking at for me to have a look through?

I'm trying to break the uniform look up with the coping stones with the fallen branch damage and the tree trunk might disrupt some stones too but I will see.
Do the coping stones break the uniformity up at all in your opinion?
The big problem when trying to replicate something with a similar look to a dry stone wall is it's an art form in itself in full size; let alone scaled right down.
A dry stone wall varies so much throughout the country, also with age and the mason who built it.
I'm not a model builder or aquascaper so am just trying to find a happy medium and achieve a look I find enjoyable to view.

You say you're too lazy to keep on top of it; aside from a large carpet to trim I don't see this as any different from an iwagumi style layout or have I got my blinkers on?!
The wall idea was carried forward with the idea it would keep plants separate from each other and possibly make maintenance easier in that respect. :nailbiting:

The Uniformity is the style of the design. It looks like a dry wall. It goes in an smooth arch. That is the uniformity. It isn't "habhazard" rocks that landed where the glaciers dumped them.

Lazy as in trimming shapes of plants. Trimming a carpet is pretty easy. half an hour every 2 weeks, chop chop chop. Shaping plants or pruning parts to let another plant through in certain areas or adversely to stop "mingling" in certain areas is much more what I am on about. Plants will grow through other plants. Then you get mixes. Still planted separately but in some areas that is cool, others you might want to trim one plant back hard on one side to let another bloom into that area.

This is the journal I was talking about. As soon as I saw the new hardscape of 2 quadrants I thought (this will be made or broken by the planting.) Purely because without plants it looks pretty clinical and un-natural. Plants can make it look more natural............or make it look like an ornamental garden (which some might like.)
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/new-year-new-scape.56501/

Do you mean RCS or CRS? Cherry Shrimp or Crystals?
 
The Uniformity is the style of the design. It looks like a dry wall. It goes in an smooth arch. That is the uniformity. It isn't "habhazard" rocks that landed where the glaciers dumped them.
I'm with you now; the idea is it looks like a dry stone wall and not a natural scene.
I didn't plan on the wall finishing that central but it's where it's ended up.
Lazy as in trimming shapes of plants. Trimming a carpet is pretty easy. half an hour every 2 weeks, chop chop chop. Shaping plants or pruning parts to let another plant through in certain areas or adversely to stop "mingling" in certain areas is much more what I am on about. Plants will grow through other plants. Then you get mixes. Still planted separately but in some areas that is cool, others you might want to trim one plant back hard on one side to let another bloom into that area.
The idea is to keep this simple by separating the majority of different species with the wall(s) and the ones mixed in to be ones easier to isolate like Rotala Bonsai and maybe some buces in/around the stone.
IF the above goes to plan then it should be just 'chop chop chop' as you say but we all know what happens to plans!
 
I'm with you now; the idea is it looks like a dry stone wall and not a natural scene.
I didn't plan on the wall finishing that central but it's where it's ended up.

The idea is to keep this simple by separating the majority of different species with the wall(s) and the ones mixed in to be ones easier to isolate like Rotala Bonsai and maybe some buces in/around the stone.
IF the above goes to plan then it should be just 'chop chop chop' as you say but we all know what happens to plans!

I think if you look at a scape like Felipe Oliveira's "Syrah" - pic below - you could imagine how in the UK your wall could work with the "lonely tree" although his is a smaller tank. Let me know what you think ;)

As an Englishman I can quite envisage a wall running alongside the path that treeside. Something I see quite a lot of the time in Lincolnshire. There isn't too much management here in terms of holding plants back from other but the total image<---- is powerful. And I mean image as in at the point this photo is taken. It beats so many scapes that have had a vast amount more effort. The only difference with your "hardscape" is you wall is away from the front. I'm not saying it should be at the glass where it would be very noticeable but if you could "veer" that wall closer to the front with some "grass" in front of it then it would be there, prominent BUT be shielded from being glaring in front of the picture. This is where planting becomes key. If you can "naturalise" that closer to the glass wall and not make it not a focal point then you have a chance of getting the scape to work. If that "front visual" blends then you have a bit more freedom behind.

The trick with the wall is pretty simple. You need people to not really notice the wall. It is there but they are looking past the wall. If people say "hey a wall" you have lost. In that you set yourself a pretty hard task.......but something that if you succeed you are instantly into the "better scapers" category ;)

p.s I wouldn't be able to do it. I would be so focused on the wall because I like lines.

p.s. Take look at all of Filipe's aquascapes. He has quite a theme of scapes with "Lonely trees" and thus you could take aspects of each to suit your scape.

b8ce8a0102daa67b5704d94c6c8dea83.jpg
 
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I think the background definitely lets it down
Imagine it with some distant hills and a few clouds in a blue sky

If you’re any good with photo shop put up a green paper background and then you can add in your chosen photo to see what it would look like



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I think the background definitely lets it down
Imagine it with some distant hills and a few clouds in a blue sky

If you’re any good with photo shop put up a green paper background and then you can add in your chosen photo to see what it would look like



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The Filipe Oliveira scape was from 2007 and in the very early days of clear backgrounds!! Most scapes in this era were all black backgrounds.

Since then (not from Filipe's influence I should add) clear/frosted backgrounds have become very "in" and backlighting etc. Something I would suggest George Farmer (and others) have excelled at.

The clear background is something that is excellent for "photo shoots" because you can insert any background you want for the photo. Or just use light background for everyday use and light it up :)
 
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Take look at all of Filipe's aquascapes. He has quite a theme of scapes with "Lonely trees" and thus you could take aspects of each to suit your scape.
have started to have a look through and there are quite a few; beyond what I will achieve or have the energy to keep on top of.

I think if you look at a scape like Felipe Oliveira's "Syrah" - pic below - you could imagine how in the UK your wall could work with the "lonely tree" although his is a smaller tank. Let me know what you think ;)

As an Englishman I can quite envisage a wall running alongside the path that treeside. Something I see quite a lot of the time in Lincolnshire. There isn't too much management here in terms of holding plants back from other but the total image<---- is powerful. And I mean image as in at the point this photo is taken. It beats so many scapes that have had a vast amount more effort. The only difference with your "hardscape" is you wall is away from the front. I'm not saying it should be at the glass where it would be very noticeable but if you could "veer" that wall closer to the front with some "grass" in front of it then it would be there, prominent BUT be shielded from being glaring in front of the picture. This is where planting becomes key. If you can "naturalise" that closer to the glass wall and not make it not a focal point then you have a chance of getting the scape to work. If that "front visual" blends then you have a bit more freedom behind.

The trick with the wall is pretty simple. You need people to not really notice the wall. It is there but they are looking past the wall. If people say "hey a wall" you have lost. In that you set yourself a pretty hard task.......but something that if you succeed you are instantly into the "better scapers" category ;)

p.s I wouldn't be able to do it. I would be so focused on the wall because I like lines.

p.s. Take look at all of Filipe's aquascapes. He has quite a theme of scapes with "Lonely trees" and thus you could take aspects of each to suit your scape.
The problem I have is there are 2 different viewing angles I get in my room and the only way I found for me to 'optimise' this is to have the soil laid out in a similar style to what I have it with the 2 opposing back corners being sloped upwards.
I do think where one end of the wall has fallen is too central; allowing it to go through the tree would have been better and allowed it to fall where I originally planned but this just wasn't happening.
Lincolnshire is a place like no other in the UK; you can be in Market Rasen and it's that flat you can see Lincoln yet you go a couple of miles in the opposite direction and you're in the Lincolnshire wolds.
The problem with a path treeside for me as I have things is it would not be seen. The photo from Filipe is also intended to be looked at from that front viewing angle and nothing much more.
I'd try to leave enough space in front of the wall for getting to trim the carpet as I know how awkward it can be from past experience - I'm even going to build the wall damage on a piece of plastic to lift out when it's time to mow.
I'll never be in the better scapers category; I'm needing to sort something that suits me practically but I enjoy looking at - something maybe I'll never achieve but I want to stop short of a bubbling pirate chest.
I also very hard to look past lines as it's what I've always worked with, artistic freedom is something I have none of.

I know regardless of what I do with the wall something else is also needed in the aquarium; quite what I'm unsure!
 
I think I'll withdraw the invite of suggestions or ideas on account my aim is to make this not look like a model railway scene or simply stupid.

If you think the wall looks like this then please just say.
 
Like most hobbies, there will be traditionalists who don’t want to wonder far from the standard Matrix!
You design will be well outside the box for many people but don’t let that put you off , it is your idea , your tank, your home and your pleasure.
 
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