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Silver Lining - Alex's 96l (Planted)

Re: Alex's 96l low light Iwagumi

fish.com1 said:
DSC03436.jpg

I have to say I am really drawn to this layout, it kinda reminds me of a fantasy mountian, with the right planting I would say it could be a real success.
 
Re: Alex's 96l low light Iwagumi

I prefer the first layout too, with clever planting you could do miracles with that! I love the stones, so unusual.
 
Re: Alex's 96l low light Iwagumi

Wow. Cheers everyone for the great posts and nice comments. Thanks for posting those unusual scenes up Paul :)

I have changed the rocks :rolleyes: , but I have tried to keep the unusual/original feel to it.

DSC03459.jpg


DSC03457.jpg


I have also tried to position the main stone a little higher than before so it looks more in proportion with the tank size. The smaller rocks are pretty much unchanged with just a few minor tweaks.

Comments again please :D

Cheers
Alex
 
Re: Alex's 96l low light Iwagumi

i'd say go for what you like personally,for every person who likes it i bet theres one who doesnt,at the end of the day your the ones who's going to be looking at it,changing water,trimming plants etc so your the one who's got to be happy with it.

i personally like bogwood scapes rather than iwagumi's but thats just me personally,to me planted tanks are all about individuality there are no rules as to what should be put where in a planted tank,its one of the few things in life that we can decide 100% on.

sorry im not being helpfull with your rock placement.

cheers dave
 
Re: Alex's 96l low light Iwagumi

it's too spread out now, the first one you did in this style was on the money you just need more substrate.
 
Re: Alex's 96l low light Iwagumi

Hi Alex
I reckon you've got two options: follow George's advice:
Personally, when I'm using rocks I try to make them look as natural as possible. Like they're coming out of the ground and they've been there for thousands of years. This is what nature teaches us, but it's not a rule that you have to follow, of course.

However, with this in mind, I consider the left hand large rock to be a little unnatural looking and at odds with the more natural rocks to the right.

The profile of the left rock does not seem to balance well with others. Do you see what I mean?

You could try and move the large rock around i.e. turn it upside down, back to front etc. etc. Try all conceivable angles.

The largest rock is the most important in Iwagumi, so it's worth spending some time (I know you done so already - sorry!) to get it right.

The the smaller rocks will follow.

I hope that helps and hasn't put too much of a downer on things.
Alternatively, you could follow George's advice...
If you want to go for a truly original Iwagumi then stick with what you've got.

Keep up the good work!
!!!! The decision is clearly yours, and no-one would be so uncharitable as to suggest you'd got it 'wrong' - there IS no 'wrong'!

Personally, I've got to say I really like the artifice and drama of that high, curling stone - there's a dominance that contrasts with the recumbent second stone, creating a strong contrast and tension. It's got energy.

But you've got to live with it - perhaps you'll have nightmares with that cobra waiting to strike in the corner of your bedroom!
 
Re: Alex's 96l low light Iwagumi

Cheers Dave and Gareth. I have more naturesoil, but want to get the rocks right before I put it in, because with too much in it landslides over the barrier onto the sand :rolleyes:

paul.in.kendal said:
Hi Alex
I reckon you've got two options: follow George's advice:
Personally, when I'm using rocks I try to make them look as natural as possible. Like they're coming out of the ground and they've been there for thousands of years. This is what nature teaches us, but it's not a rule that you have to follow, of course.

However, with this in mind, I consider the left hand large rock to be a little unnatural looking and at odds with the more natural rocks to the right.

The profile of the left rock does not seem to balance well with others. Do you see what I mean?

You could try and move the large rock around i.e. turn it upside down, back to front etc. etc. Try all conceivable angles.

The largest rock is the most important in Iwagumi, so it's worth spending some time (I know you done so already - sorry!) to get it right.

The the smaller rocks will follow.

I hope that helps and hasn't put too much of a downer on things.
Alternatively, you could follow George's advice...
If you want to go for a truly original Iwagumi then stick with what you've got.

Keep up the good work!
!!!! The decision is clearly yours, and no-one would be so uncharitable as to suggest you'd got it 'wrong' - there IS no 'wrong'!

Personally, I've got to say I really like the artifice and drama of that high, curling stone - there's a dominance that contrasts with the recumbent second stone, creating a strong contrast and tension. It's got energy.

But you've got to live with it - perhaps you'll have nightmares with that cobra waiting to strike in the corner of your bedroom!

:lol:

Thanks Paul again, which layout were you talking about then?

I know I am the one has to live with it every day but I also love to have other peoples opinions to think about.
 
Re: Alex's 96l low light Iwagumi

I did like your original, but I also like this tweaked version, with the two main groupings a bit further apart
DSC03459.jpg

If it was my tank, I'd experiment with shifting both groupings to the left, so that the gap between them (which creates all the positive tension) is not smack bang in the middle of the aquarium.

If you want some surreal images that show how taking the natural world just a few steps beyond normal can work, try looking at the work of Hokusai:
http://visipix.dynalias.com/cgi-bin/vie ... &l=en&n=39
You can search this site for "Hokusai mountains" or "Hokusai Rocks" - well worth it.

But a BIG word of warning - I've never had an aquarium in my life! (I've ordered my very first one from TGM). So mine is probably the very LAST advice you should be taking!
 
Re: Alex's 96l low light Iwagumi

Love it. Like the ratio. Is it gonna be 1-1.6 with a triangle planted shape?
 
Re: Alex's 96l low light Iwagumi

paul.in.kendal said:
I did like your original, but I also like this tweaked version, with the two main groupings a bit further apart
DSC03459.jpg

If it was my tank, I'd experiment with shifting both groupings to the left, so that the gap between them (which creates all the positive tension) is not smack bang in the middle of the aquarium.

If you want some surreal images that show how taking the natural world just a few steps beyond normal can work, try looking at the work of Hokusai:
http://visipix.dynalias.com/cgi-bin/vie ... &l=en&n=39
You can search this site for "Hokusai mountains" or "Hokusai Rocks" - well worth it.

But a BIG word of warning - I've never had an aquarium in my life! (I've ordered my very first one from TGM). So mine is probably the very LAST advice you should be taking!

:lol:

I bet you can't wait for the tank, looking forward to a journal ;)

I don't fancy moving the groupings left really, because then there will be very little sand left at the the laft side, and it may look daft with loads on the right. Thanks anyway :)

FishBeast said:
Love it. Like the ratio. Is it gonna be 1-1.6 with a triangle planted shape?
Thanks :)

I'm not sure what ou mean by the ratio :oops: , sorry.
 
Re: Alex's 96l low light Iwagumi

I don't fancy moving the groupings left really, because then there will be very little sand left at the the laft side, and it may look daft with loads on the right. Thanks anyway :)
You see?! YOUR tank, YOUR decision! Go for it - I'm sure it'll be great whatever you do.

I bet you can't wait for the tank, looking forward to a journal ;)
I'm itching all over...:lol:
 
Re: Alex's 96l low light Iwagumi

Well, it's been a busy week, sorting out the tank, and revising for an RE and maths exam... I'm pooped :lol:
I t was worth it though, as I now have a layout which I am happy with...

First of all, I had to sort out the sand, as my barrier, wasn't too effective when the rocks were displacing the substrate :rolleyes:

DSC03465.jpg


So after around 2 hours, I had picked out most of the naturesoil, and was left with all this

DSC03466.jpg


Oh by the way Lisa, what were you saying about a tidy room :lol:

DSC03470.jpg


After learning from my earlier mistake, and not wanting to spend another 2 hours picking naturesoil out of sand, I came up with a simple plan, to keep the sand clean...

DSC03480.jpg


Kitchen roll :)
The idea being, that any displaced naturesoil, would sit on top of the kitchen roll, and allow me to, carefully take out the messy kitchen roll leaving clean sand

DSC03477.jpg


Anyway, after all the preperation here is the finished layout...

DSC03551.jpg


DSC03553.jpg


DSC03556.jpg


DSC03562.jpg


This is how the layout is going to stay( :rolleyes: ), so now I can start thinking about plants. My initial thoughts are
Fissidens Fontanus
Marsilea Hirsuta
However if i decide on something a little more demanding, I have a backup plan :)

DSC03533.jpg


DSC03536.jpg


I have two 11w arcpods, so one for each hood flap, if need be 8)
Thanks for looking
Alex
 
Re: Alex's 96l low light Iwagumi

This is how the layout is going to stay( :rolleyes:

:oops:

DSC03586.jpg


DSC03585.jpg


DSC03575.jpg


DSC03574.jpg


I would appreciatte some critique on this, especially from people who have experience with iwagumi style layouts, as I have no experience whatsoever.

Cheers
Alex
 
Re: Alex's 96l low light Iwagumi

Sorry if i'm boring everyone to death all the different layouts :lol: , but I would be very grateful to hear what people think :)
 
Re: Alex's 96l low light Iwagumi

It's a really different looking rock layout Alex :) I like it, but I think it's just missing something. The main pillar of rock has a lot of tension, giving the feeling that it's teetering on the edge and could fall at any moment 8)

Perhaps a smaller stone to the left of it, asif almost supporting it?

I think with the right plants this could be a little gem though! I see tall hair grass around the tall pillar, almost masking part of it, and shorter hair grass around the base, mixed in with maybe glosso or HC, and maybe something like Staurogyne around the base of the rocks too.

Just how I see it :D
 
Re: Alex's 96l low light Iwagumi

SteveUK said:
It's a really different looking rock layout Alex :) I like it, but I think it's just missing something. The main pillar of rock has a lot of tension, giving the feeling that it's teetering on the edge and could fall at any moment 8)

Perhaps a smaller stone to the left of it, asif almost supporting it?

I think with the right plants this could be a little gem though! I see tall hair grass around the tall pillar, almost masking part of it, and shorter hair grass around the base, mixed in with maybe glosso or HC, and maybe something like Staurogyne around the base of the rocks too.

Just how I see it :D

It has already fallen steve, and made two little scratches in the glass :(

I am going to smash the spare stones I have, into smaller pieces and then place them around the plants when planting.

Thanks for the advice on the planting, I have been thinking about using hairgrass, but don't want to go for the typical style planting of iwagumi's. However I am thinking of using hairgrass still, to cover the hole in the left side of the tall rock, and to plant around the other rocks.

Thanks for the advice :)
 
Re: Alex's 96l low light Iwagumi

Ouch! Not good :(

Something else it reminds me of, is a concrete lighthouse, out in the north sea somewhere. It conjours some pretty dramatic pics in my mind :D

Hmn, if you're looking to steer away from the norm I'm not sure what plants to suggest. Maybe crypts? Parva would make a nice smaller crypt, and maybe one or two of the odd crypts from Aquafleur? Or perhaps some Hydrocotyle verticilata. That looks amazing if it's done right! (something I'm trying to do at the moment)...

Struggling to offer any other suggestions on the plants! Perhaps some Pogostemon Helferi? Doesn't get used in iwagumi/rock layouts as often as it should! (I have it in my 90cm!)
 
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