Fallen branch; regrowth.

[Ady34]

Hello scapers
I thought I would create another journal after missing out my last scape.
A few months ago we made the decision to take down my sons aquariums as they unfortunately were showing little interest in maintaining them themselves and it was left to me.
So with two tanks down upstairs I got slightly itchy to have another for myself, and after a visit from George Farmer who publically suggested another, I got the go ahead from the Mrs.

The tank is an ADA 45p and fits in a nice little space at the base of my stairs in the hallway.
Due to space limitations I opted for the slightly narrower dimensions of the Ada tank, and chose an open fronted ‘woody’ cabinet from wio. This allows easy access and has no doors that need opening into the narrow hallway space.
The aesthetic of the woody cabinet also fits well in the hallway, although a coat of stain was required to colour suit it.

The raw wio woody cabinet:

Stained with the tank added:

Recently I have been inspired by fallen trees and branches so the scape was to be based loosely around this theme…..

Cheerio for now,
Ady.

 

[shangman]

Looking forward to seeing how it develops! All your tanks are really gorgeous, especially LOVED the one you scaped for Horizon Aquatics so can't wait to see what you do with this one

 

[Garuf]

I think I preferred the stand before stain but I have notoriously bad taste.

My next scape is around the same theme so I’m waiting with anticipation to see where you go.

 

[Wolf6]

Looking forward to seeing it, in name and description at least we seem to have similar inspirations

 

[Ady34]

Looking forward to seeing how it develops! All your tanks are really gorgeous, especially LOVED the one you scaped for Horizon Aquatics so can't wait to see what you do with this one

Thanks, yeah another scape with the same inspiration, I have a few scapes in mind as a series.
That scape at @Horizon Aquatics i named ‘the fallen branch’. I had already purchased the hardscape a while ago from @Scaped Nature to rescape my 1500 in the future with ‘the fallen tree’ and this little scape is ‘the fallen branch; regrowth’.

Horizon scape:

Here’s a link to the video build of ‘the fallen branch’ at Horizon Aquatics:



I feel privileged to have been offered the opportunity to create scapes in their gallery. I did a ryoboku one a while ago also in a 45p with hornwood which has matured nicely:

I think I preferred the stand before stain but I have notoriously bad taste.

My next scape is around the same theme so I’m waiting with anticipation to see where you go.

That’s the beauty of those cabinets, you can leave them or stain to suit.
They are nice raw and are treated but I felt it was too light compared to the surroundings.

Looking forward to seeing it, in name and description at least we seem to have similar inspirations

Awesome, I took it walking the dog. Some fallen branches over a stream that then sprouted new growth.

With this in mind I purchased a rather uninspiring but correctly shaped piece of Talawa wood, some nano detailing wood and some ice age stone to weigh it all down and set to epoxying a bespoke hardscape piece……

Cheerio,

 

[Ady34]

I wanted to make the hardscape for this tank as finding a single wood piece which would offer the look I wanted would have been impossible. Building the more complicated hardscape I wanted in a small tank would also make maintenance difficult so I wanted to ensure everything was solid and would stand up to a few knocks from hands in the tank.

To construct the hardscape I first bonded the largest ice age stone to the Talawa wood. This will hold the whole construction down in the initial stages before the wood is waterlogged.
The Talawa wood has large areas still covered in bark. To make bonding more successful I scored and removed any bark from these areas…

I added a couple of pieces each night over the course of three nights. This was to ensure full curing of the epoxy so I could add the hardscape to the tank and check where I wanted to add the next pieces without knocking them off. I also used small amounts of faster drying superglue to hold the branches in place while the slower epoxy cured.
I crumbled little pieces of detailing roots and shavings over any visible joins to give a more natural look.

I added detailing roots once all the nano wood was attached to finish it off….

I eventually ended up with this single piece hardscape:

And in the tank:

Next was choosing lighting and equipment and finalising a plant list and substrate choice. I had an initial vision of how I wanted the scape but there seemed to be a lot of potential options with this one…..

 

[Ady34]

Lighting was the next big decision.
I wanted a different aesthetic to what I have on my other tanks. This alongside protruding wood and limited access lead me down a hanging unit. This had the benefit of fitting the surroundings also with the vertical element from the staircase balustrade behind the tank.
I wanted something that was a little subtle also so opted for the Aqua Illumination prime freshwater in white. It is a small hanging unit which blends into the space nicely but plenty powerful enough for this tank.

I used a plum line and the tank centre point to ensure I hung the light in the correct place:

Once the light was sorted I could think more about planting and substrates as it gave me a better idea of shadowing.

I did have an initial plan for substrate but I have umm’d and ahhh’d about it for a while.
This layout lends itself to so many styles so I’ve been backwards and forwards between full soil and sand and shale and back again.
I was unsure whether to keep the ‘bridge’ formation or not 🤷🏼‍♂️ There is a ‘look through’ with the wood so that maintains an interest in that respect.
In the end I went with my original plan of a little sand with a heavy shale look and separate foreground and background areas for ease of construction. The tank hardscape lends itself to a hands out of the tank approach so I stuck with that philosophy 😃
The substrates used are:
Active: Tropica soil (normal topped with powder) over ADA power sand with additional supplements of tourmaline bc, Bacter 100 and clear super - magic powders to mature and stabilise the substrate - not necessary but I have them and feel they do help.
Inactive: Ada Colorado sand, dennerle plantahunter rio xingu, river, and Ada aqua gravel.

Adding the sand, one shot at a time….a perfect tool for small tanks or limited access….

Power sand added to the rear, keeping away from the visible edges of the tank:

Adding the supplements:

And all substrate added.

This is now the journal up to date, I added substrate last night and am finalising plant choices.
I do enjoy the hardscaping phase and don’t mind taking time to enjoy the scape in its empty state.

Cheerio,

 

[CooKieS]

Loving it Ady!

May I ask which brand is your lightscreen? Thanks! 😊

 

[Ady34]

Loving it Ady!

May I ask which brand is your lightscreen? Thanks! 😊

Thanks Thierry, it is a lightground.

 

[Deano3]

Looking forward to this one i was at horizon yesterday admiring your scapes, i was actually going to PM you and ask what stones you used around the bottom of the frodo on the fallen branch, i also seen the wio stand at horizon and they look great but looks even better stained to match your interior decor.

Cant wait to see planted 👍

 

[Ady34]

Looking forward to this one i was at horizon yesterday admiring your scapes, i was actually going to PM you and ask what stones you used around the bottom of the frodo on the fallen branch, i also seen the wio stand at horizon and they look great but looks even better stained to match your interior decor.

Cant wait to see planted 👍

Cheers Dean, the new one at horizon is going through the ‘ugly duckling’ phase at the moment but is showing signs of life now so won’t be long until it blossoms into a swan
The graded gravel is dennerle plantahunter rio xingu, same as what I’ve used in this little 45p.
The wio stands are basic but fit in certain situations perfectly. I really like it but have now removed the two lower shelves to allow space for the superjet filter and co2 bottle
With the open stand it seemed fitting to utilise an Ada filter again as it looks so nice

Cheerio,

 

[Deano3]

Very nice 👌 and thanks for that I was looking but could match up and James and Nicole wernt there to ask so will get some of that 😁 also filter looks great in there perfect or open cabinet

 

[Ady34]

Very nice 👌 and thanks for that I was looking but could match up and James and Nicole wernt there to ask so will get some of that 😁 also filter looks great in there perfect or open cabinet

There is none of that particular type of graded gravel left at horizon currently

 

[Deano3]

Thanks mate will keep eye out and get when they stock back up 😁

 

[Ady34]

Update.
Once all plants became available again I began planting.
I split into two phases, firstly the substrate planted part, and then the epiphytes over the course of a couple of nights. This was more down to available time but it’s just worth noting that we don’t have to plant all in one sitting. Simply soak your plants and substrate, cover the tank with cling film and that will maintain sufficient moisture to prevent the plants from drying out
The plants used are:
Bucephelandra kedegang
Bucephelandra mini needle leaf
Bucephelandra serimbu brown
Anubias nana pongolino
Taxiphyllum barbieri
Riccardia chamedryfolia
Marsilea hirsuta
Marsilea crenata
Eleocharis acicularis mini
Cryptocoryne albida brown
Cryptocoryne parva
Cryptocoryne lutea ‘hobbit’

I think I will add some red root floaters also.

The plants are intentionally mainly slower growing which won’t need massively regular trimming sessions. I wanted this style as space is limited with the complex hardscape so keeping the hands out is a good thing for longevity
Subsequently lighting intensity will be kept modest through the AI prime light unit.

The substrate planting was completed in dry soil as I find this easier:

My new favourite plant, cryptocoryne lutea’hobbit’…..hopefully it doesn’t melt

Cling filmed over ready for round two the next day….

The second phase was the epiphytes…..

During this phase I noticed an imbalance of hardscape on the far right hand side towards the foreground.
The scape appeared to end prematurely so I decided to add an extra piece of Talawa wood. I broke a small branch from a larger piece and glued it to some small stones to keep it from floating. I then added more buce mini needle leaf to fit with the existing planting. The final result just finishes the scape off as I intended.

I cling filmed the tank over again ready to fill and install running gear the next day.

Here is the scape filled and operational:

I filled the tank with about 1/3 ‘old’ water from my 30c cube scape ‘Twenty Seven Thousand’ and also added some mature bio media from the filter on that tank to hopefully cycle this tank faster. I will carry out large daily water changes for at least a week, potentially longer, whilst the tank balances.
Lighting is set to a relatively low intensity using about 13w of power.
I’m hoping not to experience melt however I have suffered this a lot in recent scapes so do fear the worst. In a tank like this where it is more reliant upon crypts and the buce for plant mass I really don’t want them to fail…..🤞

Cheerio,

 

[Garuf]

I really need to try me one of these all details tanks. It’s a stunner.
Crypts have always had the rep for melting so I’ve always planted them as just the core rosette - no pretty but most successful.

 

[Wolf6]

Amazing scape, love it!

 

[Wookii]

I’m hoping not to experience melt however I have suffered this a lot in recent scapes so do fear the worst. In a tank like this where it is more reliant upon crypts and the buce for plant mass I really don’t want them to fail…..🤞

The scape looks great Ady! If you need to add lots of plant mass that grows rapidly to help stabilise the tank while the slow growers get established, add loads of floaters in - if you need any let me know, I chuck away a litre or two of them every week!

 

[bazz]

My new favourite plant, cryptocoryne lutea’hobbit’…..hopefully it doesn’t melt

Mine didn't melt overnight but all the original leaves slowly deteriorated as they were replaced with new growth which is a brown/red colour.
The thing with Crypts is though, they don't always do what it says on the tin.
Cheers!

 

[noodlesuk]

Update.
Once all plants became available again I began planting.
I split into two phases, firstly the substrate planted part, and then the epiphytes over the course of a couple of nights. This was more down to available time but it’s just worth noting that we don’t have to plant all in one sitting. Simply soak your plants and substrate, cover the tank with cling film and that will maintain sufficient moisture to prevent the plants from drying out
The plants used are:
Bucephelandra kedegang
Bucephelandra mini needle leaf
Bucephelandra serimbu brown
Anubias nana pongolino
Taxiphyllum barbieri
Riccardia chamedryfolia
Marsilea hirsuta
Marsilea crenata
Eleocharis acicularis mini
Cryptocoryne albida brown
Cryptocoryne parva
Cryptocoryne lutea ‘hobbit’

I think I will add some red root floaters also.

The plants are intentionally mainly slower growing which won’t need massively regular trimming sessions. I wanted this style as space is limited with the complex hardscape so keeping the hands out is a good thing for longevity
Subsequently lighting intensity will be kept modest through the AI prime light unit.

The substrate planting was completed in dry soil as I find this easier:
View attachment 175917

View attachment 175916

View attachment 175918
My new favourite plant, cryptocoryne lutea’hobbit’…..hopefully it doesn’t melt
View attachment 175933
View attachment 175919

View attachment 175920

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View attachment 175923

Cling filmed over ready for round two the next day….
View attachment 175935

The second phase was the epiphytes…..
View attachment 175924

View attachment 175926

During this phase I noticed an imbalance of hardscape on the far right hand side towards the foreground.
The scape appeared to end prematurely so I decided to add an extra piece of Talawa wood. I broke a small branch from a larger piece and glued it to some small stones to keep it from floating. I then added more buce mini needle leaf to fit with the existing planting. The final result just finishes the scape off as I intended.
View attachment 175930
View attachment 175927
View attachment 175928
View attachment 175929

I cling filmed the tank over again ready to fill and install running gear the next day.
View attachment 175925

Here is the scape filled and operational:
View attachment 175931

View attachment 175932

I filled the tank with about 1/3 ‘old’ water from my 30c cube scape ‘Twenty Seven Thousand’ and also added some mature bio media from the filter on that tank to hopefully cycle this tank faster. I will carry out large daily water changes for at least a week, potentially longer, whilst the tank balances.
Lighting is set to a relatively low intensity using about 13w of power.
I’m hoping not to experience melt however I have suffered this a lot in recent scapes so do fear the worst. In a tank like this where it is more reliant upon crypts and the buce for plant mass I really don’t want them to fail…..🤞

Cheerio,

Really nice scape, love the little details, like the smaller pebbles at the bottom. Stunning.