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dusting off the old Fluval Studio aquarium.....

Ady34

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UKAPS Team
Joined
27 Jul 2011
Messages
5,097
Location
Co. Durham
Hi,
bit of an absence but i have finally got sufficiently itchy to have a bash at a planted scape again :)
Dusted off the old Fluval studio aquarium that i set my first aquascape 'Dragons crypt' up in.
The tank is basically a 90x45x45 (give or take) with 2x 39w t5 lighting unit. Its drilled base which can be capped, but for simplicity and budget I've decided to use the in tank fittings. Not conducive to clean, minimalist aquascaping, but utilising the equipment i have as all my glassware is on my plantless 120cm optiwhite. C02 injection method is still to be decided, however I'm considering using an aqua medic 1000 reactor for the first time, but may end up with inline...... Im using a Fluval G6 filter and may add a small circulation pump if i feel its necessary to improve circulation in specific areas.
Im not heating the tank, but am guessing it will be around 72 - 75 farenheit with room temperature so plenty warm enough for selected livestock.
Fertiliser will be Tropica premium and specialised.

I still have a few decisions to make on equipment and plants, but i wanted a rock scape. I had a Sanzon Iwagumi in mind, however the Seiryu rocks i had in stock didn't lend themselves well to 3 stone scaping, and so it evolved into something a little more full. Overall I'm quite happy with the balance of the layout and with some detailing foreground rocks it should work. Im thinking 3 plant species; Micranthemum monte carlo, eleocharis ecicularis/parvula and perhaps crypt balansae. This is not set in stone as i also like e. tennellus, and could go all grass throughout.

Heres where we stand after the majority of the hardscaping is complete. I have a unipac Maui sand foreground and only the rear will be planted. I was going to go all sand substrate but have decided it will be money well spent to invest in some more aquasoil for the planted section. I have some old soil and will add another bag or two. I will drain the tank and add this when it arrives, refill and run for a week before planting just to eradicate the worst of the ammonia leach from the soil, hopefully this will give me time to finalise the plant list :confused:

P1150337_zpss9agdrut.jpg


P1150338_zpsymdtri5j.jpg


Anyway, i hope everyone is well and ill look forward to picking your brains again.
Cheerio,
Ady.
 
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Great rock scape and glad to see you back also ady nice to see some old faces


Thanks Dean
Thanks Dean, happy to see your still active too. It feels like I'm starting all over again, I'm sure there's many things I've forgotten but the ukaps is the best place to be reminded :thumbup:

Superb hardscape ady, great to see you back on here mate.
Cheers Tim, can't see any links in your signature, are you running any tanks currently?

Don't change the rock layout, it's perfect as it is.
Thanks, not perfect but I'm quite happy.....just need to be able to grow the plants now :nailbiting:

Cheerio,
Ady.
 
Nice to see you back and with a great layout. Scratching an itch can be very rewarding! Or leave you with a nasty rash....

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
 
Nice to see you back and with a great layout. Scratching an itch can be very rewarding! Or leave you with a nasty rash....

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
:lol: It could go either way, we shall see.....
 
Superb hardscape! Subscribed...

Jordi
Thanks

Please making if extreme shrimpy like your Aquanano40 CRShrimp tank, which has to one of my favourite tanks here.

http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/aquanano40-crshrimp-tank-journal-closed.21455/
pleased you liked it, i loved that little tank too, but only Amano shrimp going in here to try and keep the algae at bay with a limited plant mass.....

How much space do you have left behind those rocks?...just wondering.
Hi Martin, not a huge amount of space as the rocks are quite wide, however plenty for the planting i have in mind. It varies also, some points having more room than others. Ill take an image when my soil arrives to show the available planting space :thumbup:

Thanks for the positive comments.
Ady
 
How much space do you have left behind those rocks?...just wondering.
as promised heres a few shots of the space available and Aquasoil area;

P1150345_zpsfdoniyqn.jpg


P1150349_zps5zhe6hdf.jpg


Adding Powersand special:
P1150350_zpspnun3fyb.jpg


Also added some more foreground detailing rocks:
P1150355_zpsmprd6ohj.jpg


And the aqua soil amazonia:
P1150365_zpswkpqaxrf.jpg


Filled and plumbed, slightly unsure about the substrate line, but the plants will change it and its all part of the learning curve.....
P1150380_zpsdyoquudd.jpg


Ill leave it a week to settle and leach most of the ammonia from the aquasoil before planting. Ill do a few water changes, if at least to allow me to drain the Aqua Medic c02 reactor again and add different media to help with gas dissolution. Currently I've tried the supplied media balls which are hard plastic and make a horrendous noise, and no media which allows bypass of some gas into the tank. Ill get some bath scrunchies and try them, being soft hopefully they will be quiet and effective.....

Cheerio,
Ady.
 
Beautiful finishing touches. Looks so natural considering it is a pile of rock in an aquarium. Well done.

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Are those a few large rocks or is it rock art with silicon?
Fish will appreciate those rock caves :)
 
Are those a few large rocks or is it rock art with silicon?
Fish will appreciate those rock caves :)
Hi, it is a few large rocks with some smaller ones added. There are 4 main rocks all placed directly on the aquarium base, smaller packing rocks to sure up the gaps, no silicon or glue just good old fashioned wall building :)

Lindy, thanks, I do think the little rocks add to the look also in making it feel a little more natural.

Dantrasy, I see where you're coming from......Serenity would make a good scape name also :thumbup:

Cheerio
Ady
 
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