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280L 'Cangai Crossing'

nikko

Seedling
Joined
24 Apr 2008
Messages
10
Location
NSW, Australia
Hi everyone,
here's a pic of my 4ft tank which has been set up for just over 4 months. This is a couple of weeks after a major Glosso trim. I got the aquascaping bug a year ago and this is my second scape in this tank. I also have 3 nano tanks where I am trying out variuos ideas.

AfterfirstGlossotrim-Copy.jpg


Setup Date : April 08
Tank : 120 x 45 x 60 / 280 litres
Substrate : Aquasoil, powersand, ADA substrate additives
Filter : Eheim + glassware
CO2 : Pressurised
Lights : Metal Halide (8000k) and PC (6500k) combo
Ferts : Separate dosing of K, Trace and Macros

Flora : Glossostigma elationides, Eleocharis caespitosissima, Crassula sp.


Fauna : Currently I am removing copper from this tank following two nasty outbreaks of an
unwanted small ramshorn snail. The tank will eventually house a local species of Caridina
shrimp and a school of approx. thirty Iriatherina werneri.

Cheers
Nick
 
Is that Hakkai Stone? Its very blue looking in those pics (I am colourblind though :lol:), but I like it :)

Not sure if the stems are needed... but the scape is well nice and feels really balanced :)

Welcome to the mad house btw :)
 
Hi James and thanks for the welcome and the comments.

The stones were collected from the Mann River in NSW ( at Cangai Crossing :) ) as was the stem plant.

They are quite blue normally, but this time around the photo has certainly exaggerated the colour. I'm on a steep learning curve with the photography as well as the aquascaping, so I am not quite sure why. Perhaps I mucked up the white balance. Also I taped some blue card ccross the front gap between the lights and the top of the tank to stop the light from bleeding out into the room and maybe some of the blue has been reflected back into the tank.

It's an unexpected result, but one of those photo accidents that may be worth exploring.

I'm glad you like the overall balance as I feel this is especially critical in tanks with a minimal planting style.

I'm also not sure if the stem plants are needed. I'm collecting and experimenting with quite a few native plants at the moment so I thought I would try this Crassula and see how it grows out.

No doubt the scape would stand up without it.

I am trying out various styles in my nano tanks but at the moment I do lean towards the minimal 'restful' scapes. I am still in awe of the beauty of those Amano tanks with just the stones and the E. tenellus planting.

Cheers
Nick
 
Looks great, although I am not too keen on the colour of the stone, looks too unatural but you explained about the photos so maybe next time it will be different ;)
Welcome aboard :) and share those Nanos too ;)
 
Hi Guys

and thanks for the welcome and feedback. I will reshoot this again in a couple of weeks and try and get the 'purple rocks' more like their natural colour. :lol:

Aaron, I think you have a good point about the two stem groups - perhaps they make the scape a bit too symmetrical.

I will try removing the stems from the right side and use those plants to beef up the left side.

I'll post some pics of the nanos (30cm cubes) soon. I love these little tanks although keeping them balanced can be tricky.

The most complete nano has just had a trim so I would like to get some regrowth first. One of the others is temporarily housing a big bunch of shrimp and is pretty green with induced algae. The third one is very incomplete as I am trying out various native plants and am having mixed success.
 
I love it! Looks completely unnatural and heavily photoshopped (though I know it's not). It's a shame really that they're not like that normally! Reminds me of something Oliver Knott might do.

I'm quite tempted to do something "off the wall" with the excuse that I'm doing it for the kids :lol:. P@H have some crocodile skulls which look interesting.....
 
Hi Nikko and welcome!

I've been having a look around on aquariumlife.com.au and there are some fantastic native tanks! I'm looking forward to getting out there!

I'm loving the blue rock - I'm looking forward to seeing more pics where the colour comes up a bit more realistically
 
Hehehe

It's amazing what you can achieve with a camera when you don't really know what you're doing.

I was going to reshoot this before posting but I'm glad I didn't now :D

Hey beeky and nicky, come on over some time. We can fly up to the top end and get our own crocodile skulls! :lol:

I'm collecting a lot of my own plants now but I'm on the east coast (near Byron Bay). I have found some natives a bit tricky to grow. They can melt at the drop of a hat, but it's fun collecting and experimenting anyway ( I found some greenish rocks the other week at a rocky headland at Byron :) ).

Anyway here's a bit of realism for you. This is the hardscape of the tank, with different temp. lighting and a more orthodox colour rendering.
Not too boring I hope :p

4fttank_hardscapeday4300408300408.jpg
 
Thanks steve.

Just don't hold your breath waiting for me to get consistent photo results in the future :D

Cut her out of your will James!!! :lol: I have only been up to the top end once but now that I'm into this caper I would love to go again. Are there any restrictions with plant imports to the UK? It's very difficult to get plants into Australia legally.
 
Yeah, I've seen that customs program you have/had on ch. 7 I think. Man, strict stuff. Not sure about the uk, but it would be fantastic for the community to have another source for great plants :D
 
Hi Nikko, Nice tank :)

For me the transition from foreground to background could be a little less obvious. looks a little unatural how the two meet in a straight line right across the scape. The rounded rocks look like they could origionate from a fast flowing river, Eleocharis vivipara arching across the surface might help to add this element of flow to the scape.

Thanks for sharing.
 
Hi planter

Good point. I always saw the stones as the mid ground (transition) but I know what you're getting at. I've been tweezing the Hairgrass in places to astablish a more uneven line. Also the plan is to allow the Haigrass to come a bit more forward on the left hand side to establish more of a diagonal line across the tank.

I can't say I have come across E. viviparia here. Our plant import laws are pretty draconian and I am envious of the range of plants available to aquascapers overseas. I will have a good think about another possibility.

The stones do indeed come from the fast flowing Mann River. I'm planning another trip there soon and who knows I might find a suitable plant there. I would like to continue with a native plant and fish theme for this tank so that restricts my choices a bit.

Cheers and thanks

Nick
 
if theres one thing ive learnt from some of the asian scapers, they tend to bring the rocks closer to the front. it seems yours are right at the back. more midground.

BTW i actualy quite like that arrangment ;)
 
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