• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Cube Re-scape "Behold! A nugget of purest green!"

pepedopolous

pepedopolous

Member
Joined
22 May 2011
Messages
678
Location
Prague, Czech Republic
Hi everyone. As it says in the title please wade in! Photos are my usual 'quality' but any criticism is welcome.

I've got a week till the plants arrive so I've pretty much thrown-in the stones and root and this is what I have arrived at. Yeah, I guess the rocks don't have that mystical 'flow' yet. But individually they sure are pretty! The substrate is Amazonia and Congo Sand separated by some plastic sheet: -
IMG_2562.JPG


A view from above: -
IMG_2568.JPG


I'm using this scape, (mirrored) as an inspiration: -
IMG_6817Mirrored.jpg


Here are the 'gut's. I'm chuffed that I've squeezed it all in much better this time: -
IMG_2569.JPG


So this is my second go with this set-up. Last time was a steep learning curve and I didn't really keep up a journal- unlike this awesomeness. Anyway, I'll see what else I can do with these rocks...


P
 
Re: Cube Re-scape - please feel free to advise/criticise

Hi mate, I think with a little playing (with the rocks as you already stated) that can look really great. I have once concern though, and it has nothing to do with the scape. The bend in your pipe between the heater and the filter head has created a serious kink that will restrict flow and potentially damage the equipment its connected to like that. Is that the "final resting place" ? I believe Eheim sell plastic bends which although they will reduce flow a bit, they will maintain an open diameter. Worth checking as that bend could actually tighten too :)
 
Re: Cube Re-scape - please feel free to advise/criticise

Hi there,

Thanks very much for the tip. This is just why I'm happy to leave it a week or so before planting. I've tweaked the rocks about a million times since that photo. I'm maybe about a bit happier with the current layout so I'll post something later...

What do you think about just making that piece of tube even shorter, so that there's just an inch or so between the two connectors? Why do Hydors have to be so big?!

P
 
Re: Cube Re-scape - please feel free to advise/criticise

Shorter could work, having the heater coming in at less of an angle. Thats the only setback with the JBL hose adaptor, I personally think their taps should come out at a higher angle.
 
Re: Cube Re-scape - please feel free to advise/criticise

Hi there. This is better I think.
IMG_2591.JPG

I rotated the regulator 90 degrees to make more room.
 
Re: Cube Re-scape - please feel free to advise/criticise

Hello again!

Well, here's a revised layout.

IMG_2602.JPG


I'm going to soak the wood now for a week. Hopefully that'll be enough and maybe by the time it's done I will have acquired miraculous Feng Shui power!

I wonder if it's OK to just leave the Aquasoil there? Are there any potential pitfalls from it drying out a bit?
 
Re: Cube Re-scape - please feel free to advise/criticise

No mate its fine to leave it in there. I find its good to keep the lid on though (or use clingfilm) while you are playing with hardscapes as otherwise u get a lot of dust... not a problem but just makes it a bit more dirty when you first fill.
 
Re: Cube Re-scape - please feel free to advise/criticise

Hello folks. I planted the aquarium last night and things are going OK...
The sloped soil on the back left was KO'd when the root took off!
IMG_2668.jpg

Now thanks to a small rock it's behaving but I might try and recreate the slope later. I think I'll leave things alone though until trimming is due.

I've deliberately uploaded a shrunken photo to try and hide the ineptitude of my planting skills but you get the idea!
IMG_2692.jpg



Plant list:
Rotala sp. 'green'
Hygrophila pinnatifida
Hydrocotyle tripartita
Pogostemon erectus
Hemianthus micranthemoides
Staurogyne repens
Marsilea hirsuta
Hemianthus callitrichoides
Cryptocoryne parva
Taxiphyllum sp. 'Spiky'
 
A pic-heavy update a week after planting. Plants are growing OK. Just some diatom algae in places and weird white stuff on the root.

IMG_2754.JPG

Quite a battle going on with different species in the foreground. I underestimated just how much you get with 1-2-Grow pots (Staurogyne repens and Marsilea hirsuta). Had to thin out the Staurogyne quite a bit to get it in the soil rather than wedged in above it. Couldn't bear to throw any away so that's why it's in a few other random places...

IMG_2752.JPG

IMG_2751.JPG

IMG_2762.JPG

Marsilea was not in a great state (quite brown) when planting but now it's OK. Check out my macro skills :?
IMG_2763.JPG

I'll tidy the moss later...
 
That first shot is absolutely stunning, I don't think I'd change anything :)
 
A belated update before I do a trim of the Marsilea hirsuta and Hydrocotyle tripartita. Really struggled with 'brown stuff'. Everything was brown or yellow and I was doing water changes every other day. After 4 weeks I cleaned the filter and have never seen it so dirty- almost black inside- sponges, Purigen and Matrix. Not sure that it was just diatoms but something from the wood too.

After waiting 3 weeks for my LFS to get some Amano shrimps, I added 10 and they cleaned and polished all surfaces- leaves, rock and wood overnight! However, the Hemianthus callitrichoides remains quite thin and the Hemianthus micranthemoides almost completely died. Now it is slowly coming back. The aquarium is 38cm2 which is the maximum light spread of the LED. I am slowly increasing the output and it's now at 80%.

A few photos from tonight. The fish are 10 Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi.

IMG_3111.JPG

IMG_3113.JPG

IMG_3116.JPG
 
Great looking nano. How much CO2 are you getting through on a tank that size?
 
Cheers! Thanks for the comments! Will do a proper update later on...

D1gg3r- I use an Up! bubble counter that I got from tankscape.co.uk and have set the needle valve to about 2 bubbles per second. CO2 is on 8 hours a day. The drop checker is yellow by the evening but the fish are fine. I guess I lose a lot of CO2 because there is quite a lot of rippling on the surface.

I have a 2kg CO2 bottle and it's lasted about a year so far. This is the second scape that I've done with this tank but I think I was more conservative with CO2 first time round (it was for about 8 months). I thought it had run out at one time but it was just a duff check valve!

P
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top