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Just truly stunning. I bet you spent hours out there enjoying it. An incredible creation, you must be over the moon.

It’s made me consider using it in my next ‘rivergumi’ set up. Stripped the plants from my 600 last night ready to empty tonight for rescape. Going to be utilising some wild rhino stone and was considering a single species plant….maybe UG could be the one. Im going to utilise new Tropica soil so...

Fingers crossed Zeus.

Should be in the house 27th feb, but I need to get my thinking cap on about what I want to do with it. I’ve been that focused on taking down the 1500 and planning the ins and outs that I’ve kind of not thought any further forward than actually moving this tank out and getting the new tank in :lol:

I agree, it does have a lot of potential, it’s a great sized tank. I know I will want to utilise it again which is why I just can’t get rid of it and it’s going into storage, however what I have learned is that I really only have time for the one big tank or a few smaller much quicker to...

Thanks man, no real ideas for what’s next though. I’m sure something will come to me. Thanks Paul, when I saw it empty I thought about just scaping it again straight away, I’ve got some lovely big pieces of frodo stone 🤔 :lol: Thanks Gill, it took a while but it got there in the end :) Ahh...

Well, that is it..... I’d like to end this journal by saying a huge thanks to everyone on the forum who has contributed along the way. The input offered has certainly contributed to the success of this tank and for that, as with my first planted tank journal on UKAPS, I am always grateful...

Thank you. Thanks, I enjoy the journal process and it’s always there to refer back to if needed. Thanks Paulo. 7 years is an incredible length of time and a great achievement. Working a little harder with this tank again with 2x weekly maintenence sessions of sand siphoning and water changes...

2 years old today 🥳 This will be staying a little longer due to the current lockdown restrictions. No point in taking it down when I can’t get another tank set up in its place. In situ Last night...... Cheerio,

Thanks for the support :):cool:

Thanks Dean, your comments are very much appreciated. I haven’t got a clear idea of a scape yet but I’m sure once I have the tank I’ll get a feel for something. thanks Paulo, the 1500 will be put away for another day. The plan is to rotate between several smaller tanks or one big tank at a...

Hi, I haven’t really explained so I guess I should. Whilst I’ve loved this tank, and it has had ease of maintenence in mind from the outset, as @Siege suggests the maintenance is still considerable on a tank of this size. It is purely the length of time it takes to carry out the basics of sand...

Hi, reduced the lighting a few percent just to make things easier. Bba is mainly focused on the exposed branches, and although it is still present on the edges of the plants, it is not getting worse. The tank overall remains nice to look at but keeping the sand clean is near impossible with the...

Sat watching tv.....🤔🤥😂 Oh, check out the poll, what would you do? cheerio, Ady.

Rotala and ludwigia. Both originally from @hogan53. :)

Great skill involved but diorama are not really my cup of tea. cheerio, Ady.

First rule of hardscape collections is never to sell hardscape collections ;):lol: Thanks and no, not really, lots of ideas but no real definite concept. If it gets planted again it will likely be a full soil substrate and small fish with less variety. :)

Hi, things are improving and the bba is slowly subsiding. I am feeling a desire for change with this tank which usually means it’s time to move on..... I will run this until after Christmas to reach the two year milestone and then consider my options. Here’s a photo just after maintenance on...

Thank you. The tank has once again suffered an outbreak of bba and staghorn, blooming just a week after George’s visit. It is being stubborn to remedy and I’m wondering if perhaps the wood is now a major contributing factor. I’ve upped maintenence again, both filters have been fully cleaned and...

Ha I know, kind of further exaggerates the lack of sense of scale in here 🤪 Thanks Paul 🙌 Thanks man, yeah I got lucky with that shot, don’t really even know how it happened but looks a little more impactful with an Instagram filter 😬 cheerio,

Thanks Paulo 🆒

Thank you and yep, that’s right, bucephelandra are stunning plants 🌱 Thanks Vijay, much appreciated :) It was great to have @George Farmer in our home to photograph and film the tank for a feature on his channel and an upcoming PFK feature too :cool: here he is; and here I am; here’s a...

Managed to capture this image the other evening looking up at the tank. It looked so natural, like looking up through the water at the sky :cool: and a nice one of some buce..... cheerio,

Yep, I’d like to have seen it in the first hand to see how it looked from other angles as I suspect that would have altered it visually too. It is a proper photo oriented competition tank and it paid off. Fish choice is a bit odd too but he came 4th so what do I know :lol:

Ah, forgot to add this into the reply above. Thanks Thierry, I’m in no way trying to whine about the result, I was just hoping for a little more :) I appreciate the scapes limitations, there is always room for improvement. Before even entering I knew the detail was not there and for sure your...

Thanks so much Jay, I guess that’s the thing, the scaper gets enjoyment from developing his tank for different reasons. Competition tank makers get their enjoyment from that process, hobbyists an entirely different journey with different goals. Im pleased to have shared the tanks development...

Hi, quick post; IAPLC 2020 rank 1043. Whilst if I’m honest the result is a little disappointing, the tank was never intended as a competition scape and is more a lifestyle tank which fits within our home. I have already had over 18 months of enjoyment from the evolution of this scape and can’t...

Ha, first more serious trim of the slower growers, I have done the odd snip here and there over the last year and a half. Your tank is looking stunning, but I’m too lazy for hyperdrive :lol: I do have a 20cm cube dooa to put somewhere :crazy::woot: I was going to add it to the same unit as the...

Hi, The 1500 is status quo, I’ve done a bit of thinning of the plants as the buce, Fissidens and java fern mini we’re getting a bit too overgrown. The tank looks better for it but highlights the relative ease of upkeep of this slow growing tank as that’s the first major thinning of the buce and...

No need for a bigger house, just get smaller tanks :p

Completely unintentional ;)

That is it for me, no more spaces for actual aquariums.....one space left for a 20cm cube dooa though :D

Thanks, thought I had a plan for it but now I don’t, need to consider my options scape wise but definitely planted. Perhaps leaning more towards an iwagumi now but not set in stone. It fits the space nice but the radiator position is not ideal, I think it should be ok though. Yeah, 1500, 30c...

You know your reflections ;):) MTS has infected me once again 😬

What be in the reflection?.......

It is true, I do value my safety :-) ....I also utilise an old piece of carpet that I roll out over the living room carpet as seen here when the puppy was ‘helping’ me with maintenance..... Cheerio,

Little home decor rearrangement tonight...., Includes my awesome Father’s Day present back from the framers today :) cheerio,

Ha ha, I thought I had tension with the lower right wood going the opposite way.......I’d love a high resolution image too however limited to my phone camera :(

Thank you Paulo :)

Hi, The stems are simply pushed into the bolbitis and the fern and bucephelandra. No weights or any other means, the plants are quite dense so hold the stems well, and especially in regards the ludwigia, it grows roots quickly which anchor it very well. The ludwigia has the added advantage of...

Still ticking along nicely. Little bit of bba hanging around on the wood in areas, likely due to needing to up frequency of filter maintenence. That being said I did a full filter clean today and in two weeks will do the other. Fissidens needs a trim again and the rotala I got from @hogan53 (🙏)...

Centre of the tank shot.....

Ah, thanks Paulo, very nice of you to say. Thanks @Wookii, with the ludwigia I haven’t really found any downsides but it is a relitively easy stem. I’m not particularly experienced with stems to be honest so unsure if all or most would be able to be grown in this way but realistically I see no...

Here’s a Friday FTS and a bucephelandra tropica red..... Cheerio,

Hi, It is a ‘bulldog TMV3/TMV2 Combined valve’ It is rated at 35-48 degrees Celsius temperature range however I believe this is due to there intended use for hot water supplies (showers, baths, basins etc) and not due to their inability to supply water mixed at lower temperatures as I have no...

Pile in the pictures...... Evolution Aqua Aquascaper 1500 with raw concrete grey cabinet..... Cheerio,

I’m sure yours will look better mate, the colour contrasts, variety of textures and your ability to grow beautiful stems will make it a more stunning tank imo.

Doing maintenance today, involved pulling the ludwigia stems again and trimming. Replanting them by pushing the stems into the mass of bolbitis reminds me of my Mum flower arranging years ago pushing flowers into those floral foam blocks 💐 You can get just the right shape by pushing them in at...

Snippet of the iaplc shot.....

End shot taken during the iaplc shoot with equipment removed......

Yep, we have a great community here but they can’t make you do your filter clean :lol:

Thanks Jay, I agree, it gets an extra dimension without equipment. The stillness of water and lack of co2 bubbles let you view it in a pure way. It is by no means perfect, nor professional but it surprised me in a positive way. You are right, I think in regards to working on the tank more in the...

So, tonight I took the photo for iaplc. It was actually really cool to do again. My family were in the room and my two boys were interacting taking their own images and my eldest helping with prep. Everybody agreed the tank looked really nice with all equipment removed and lighting turned up...

Thanks Paulo.

Thanks Jay. Really looking forward to trying to get an image tomorrow night :lol::snaphappy::oops:

Ah thank you both. Yes I think you are right about the graded stones/gravel not having time to age. I think they would be too fussy for this heavy scape so will enter as is. My planned preparation for the tank hasn’t gone to plan as I got cellulitis in my knee last week so was a little...

Been posting on insta, thought I’d share them here too 📷........ aquascapes are cool :cool:

Today I decided that I would enter the tank into the IAPLC to increase uk participation. This is a bit late to prep the tank realistically, however I’ve got a week to try and organise the tank. To be honest it won’t look a hugely different to what it does now and I don’t expect it to place...

After a little maintenance yesterday. Needs a trim again to tidy it up, some pretty big bolbitis leaves appearing :what:

Sounds like you have several options there, probably the best one would be to position the tank and then go through the wall exactly where needed from the cupboard. The blue tape is a great idea of showing the scale. I did exactly the same with my 8ft tank in my old house to visualise the...

Go on then, while I’m here I may as well stick a few pics on :snaphappy:..... Cheerio,

Thanks Alan for the kind words and you won’t go far wrong visiting Aquarium Gardens and speaking with Dave or any of the staff there. The Aquascaper 1500 there will be a class above as it was aquascaped by Filipe Oliveira and AG look after it impeccably as they do with all their scapes. It is an...

Put this little pic together for my aquatic Instagram account (ady_myers_aqua) the other day, pretty cool to see the hardscape, planted to grown in pics altogether....

Me too mate, and thank you, that’s really nice to hear :happy:

Thanks Jayefc1, is your name Jay? I keep meaning to ask as I want to just write Jay all the time however don’t want to if that’s not your name :confused::) Yeah I have to say I was a little worried myself when the bba reared it’s ugly head. I knew my maintenance hadn’t been on point and some...

Whilst not working the tank is definitely getting more tlc, and I have more time for viewing. Thought I’d share again a typical weekly maintenance routine as I’m now actually carrying this out and it goes to show that you get out what you put in. The algae woes are behind me and the tank is...

Hi all, during the lockdown I’m finding myself really enjoying viewing the tank. I’ve been pinching out plants here and there to give better shape and lines to the scape and I am really appreciating the fish. The ludwigia needs another trim, this time I’m not going to remove the stems...

Thanks, although the photography is limited to my iPhone 8 and enhanced with instagram filters :oops: One day.....:facepalm: Thanks Gill, they are gold/platinum tetra, and they do have a very blue/green sheen and an obvious stripe. I’m still unsure of the exact species they are tbh, there was...

They are stunning, and that image is a picture of calm......however it’s not so calm when they are hunting shrimp, stealing the bottom feeder food and playing with it in the tank or chucking water at me, the walls and over the front of the tank at feeding time :mad::lol:

Cheers Jay, yeah it’s looking good again. No bba left at all.

Thanks Tim :lol::p straight on it :D tank is still going strong, I think I might recategorise it as an ‘fishtankquascape’...... few species in there, you can see most of them in this shot :eek:...... Gotta love a congo tetra, and a harlequin rasbora, and a buce, and a microsorum...

:D:p:D you got it. open the photo, there is a hidden message on the cabinet :wave::cigar: happy April fools day ;)

What’s next?.......

Thanks and that made me chuckle, I can’t un-hear that now :lol::lol:

Thanks Tim and Jayefc1, I’m really pleased with how the tank has changed in the last two weeks since implementing some basic changes. The water has never been clearer than the past two days, the plants, fish and shrimps all look so much more vibrant and im actually watching the tank again. Happy...

Nope, none :D

Hi, no it is simply pushed into the mass of bolbitis :thumbup:

@Tim Harrison has done a little video edit for the video which is much nicer than my rudimentary efforts. Thanks Tim :) cheerio.

Thanks chaps. One thing I’ve noticed over the years is how different bolbitis heudelotii grows in different tanks. The leaf formation varies hugely, sometimes very serrated leaves, other times less so. I’m guessing this is down to environmental factors rather than different sub species? Does...

Thanks and yes a metal fish sculpture :) thanks Matt :thumbup: cheers Jayefc1, they’ve certainly filled out in a year, only looking back at old pics and videos do you appreciate the gain in plant mass :eek: cheerio,

Maintenance day today, I’ve been slowly tweaking co2 up again also over the past few days to a point where I think I have a good balance. I think I’ve mentioned before that I’ve always struggled with the co2 balance, perhaps this is down to my plant choices, more often than not utilising slow...

No ADA systems set up yet but in the future they may do. They have literally only been open a few months and are slowly building up both stock and displays.

Yep, one just opened up literally on my doorstep :D

Thanks Jayefc1, should help with flow, although there are still areas that I could thin more in the java ferns and bolbitis. I still need to adjust up the co2 also as I only get to a darker rather than lighter green dc colour. I need to do it on a weekend really when I can monitor it properly...

Thanks for the info, good to hear it will go without intervention. I’m sure I saw some manufacturer with a tweezer for bba removal, I guess I could use a set of eyelash tweezers to manually remove any from the hardscape I see just to help things along Yes, I have been removing the worst...

Large amanos maybe safe but it’s finding them to buy. To be fair the cherry’s are maintaining a population but not booming to the numbers needed and I think there work ethic is effected by the large fish that do pick them off. I could add snails as I can source them locally. I had some before...

Well, more maintenance at the weekend including a thinning of the bolbitis and crypt balansae and trimming the ludwigia. The bba has gone red, but nothing is eating it so it still sits on the wood and leaf edges in places. Excel treatment has now stopped, however the water has a slight...

Yes it turned red within the first three days, just belt and braces now for the rest of the week.

Hi Wookii, Whole tank dosing @ 5ml flourish excel to every 40l for 2 days. Water change of 50%. Next day another dose @ 5ml for every 40l, then at 5ml per 80l for the second day, 50% water change and I’ll repeat this till Sunday when I will stop altogether as I hate adding chemicals :D Hopefully...

Bba..... red is dead??

Cheers Jayefc1, would really like to turn it back around and make it look the way it should.

After carrying out double filter strip downs, and substrate replacement all within a couple of days i think it is important to follow up with above average water changes to counteract any reduction in filter bacteria and the loss of natural bacteria within the substrate. I’ll be doing ^50% water...

As Tim said, it’s actually Talawa wood, with good tank maintenance and regular water changes it should not effect water quality. Yeah it does look a lot better but a photo filter helps too :snaphappy::lol: I think I am planning on running this for a lot longer. The thought of rescaping is so...

Hi, the floss does reduce the flow a little and I won’t be using it in this tank tbh as I need the flow and I don’t want to be cleaning every day. The sand was some used I had previously from my discus tank, I just rinsed it and added it. I threw the sand I removed from this tank out, it’s too...

Yeah, I let it go far too long. I used to clean the pre filter twice weekly, I got lazy and the fish load and plant load increased which has lead to my problems. I’m going to do twice weekly pre filter rinses as you said, it’s easy enough with a hose from the outside which is exactly how I do...

To be honest this tank has never been immaculate with incredible plant health, but now it is looking particularly poor. As promised, bba...... filter was filthy..... Second filter, pipes and glassware was cleaned last night. The fissidens was cut back hard too. Hoping to replace...

Ha, thanks, I know why it’s happened and it’s down to me...... Yeah, auto water changes would be a good addition as at least it would consistently get fresh water. I have just been particularly lazy with this tank though, eating ice cream and watching golf seems to have taken over, no excuses...

Hi, the bba in this tank is becoming a significant issue. My maintenance for a long while now has not been on point, neither has my attention to co2. Ive let this slip and I have known this for a long time without correction and now it’s biting me. The wood is decomposing at a rate now with...

I think it is quite normal. The tank is over a year old and previous wood such as manzanita and redmoor root I’ve used has deteriorated similarly. :lol: Yeah, I just like a scape to look like an aquarium and to be able to enjoy it. Different people find pleasure in many facets of the hobby but...