Fingers crossed, 40l Journal

[verchap]

After struggling with a pair of mainly stem filled tanks this year and fighting every form of algae imaginable, I’ve decided to try something completely different. The aim is to have a relatively low maintenance tank, which won’t fall apart if I’m away from the tank for a few weeks. How realistic this is remains to be seen, but there’s only one way to find out, so here goes…

Tank: 45 x 30 x 30: 40 litres (18 x 12 x 12: 8.9 Gallons), I need to fix a white background to it.
Filter: Azoo hob filter from previous tank, to be replaced with Eheim Ecco Pro 2034, 500l/h when it arrives.
Lighting: 22W (11W Arc pod x 2)
CO2: Liquid carbon
Substrate: Seachem Flourite mixed with some Tetra Complete, Pettex speckled sand foreground with rock chippings.
Hardscape: About 8 litres of rock (I think its basalt) and little driftwood twigs
Plants: Hemianthus Calinitrodes, Eleocharis Parvulus, Hydrocotyle Verticillata, Echinodorus Tenellus, Cryptocoryne Becketti ‘Petchii’, Cryptocoryne Parva, Anubias Barteri Nana ‘Petite’, Vesicularia Ferriei.

Here’s the tank at the moment, awaiting delivery of some plants to arrive, a good clean, and for all the substrate to be put in.

(Sorry about the scruffy photo and the incredibly green carpeting plant/moss wall in there, its just to protect the glass.)

I’m already in two minds over the possibility that the hardscape is too big for the tank and will disrupt the flow too much. Would a spraybar sort that out? On the other hand I like the way the taller rocks can provide areas of shade and calm.

I’ve got a list of precedents I’ve been thinking about for the planting and overall inspiration – one thing I like in particular is the way some of you proper aquascaping brains delicately mix different types of plants together in a very organic way. The planting plan/aerial shows a bit of this, but I’ll have to work on it.

As for growing conditions, I’ve got a third Arcpod, and one of those dodgy tetra CO2 green tube things if they’re required, but I had reasonable success with just the two lights, liquid carbon and dosing with AE premixed solutions. I’ve got all the required chemicals for EI, but not certain of the best fertilisation method to use for this tank… any ideas?

Hope that wasn’t too boring for you, thanks for reading and please critique anything you think I’ve done right or wrong, I’d really appreciate the help to try and avoid making mistakes.

Thanks, Ollie

 

[Tom]

I quite like your rocks and the layout, however I'm not sure on the wood. The pieces just look a little straight to me. I certainly don't think the hardscape is too big. The planting also looks good to me, but I would just worry that you won't see the E. tenellus behind the large rock unless you really pile up the substrate at the back. A single Anubias nana petite also might look a bit odd on the extreme right of the tank unless you balance it somewhere around where you have the becketti or the parva - maybe in between the two and forward a bit?

But that's just my thoughts - looking forward to seeing it planted.

Tom

 

[verchap]

Nice one Tom, thanks for the advice. I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for some better sticks, especially for the longest one on the left hand side, but haven’t come across anything great yet. I’ll use your idea of counterbalancing the anubias with a couple of plants beside the left-leaning rock between the crypts, maybe on top of that contentious wood too (if it stays) so that the straightness is broken up a bit. I’ll try combining anubias and weeping moss as well so that it won’t stick out so much.

Thanks for your help, Ollie

 

[viktorlantos]

This stone looks like the river stone what ADA sells, Hakkai.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJdMXgW0 ... _embedded#!



-1 on the wood.

 

[verchap]

Ha ha not quite as nice or coveted, but thanks for the link and your opinion Victor. The rock actually came from Ventnor, Isle of Wight. It looks as if the wood’s days are numbered…

 

[sanj]

Hi,

nice rockwork, but i think the wood will just be lost when plant growth sets in. I do like wood with stone work though. See if you can get hold of somthing larger maybe.

 

[verchap]

Thanks for your advice Sanj. I do quite like the combo too, and think I like the contrast between the delicate wood and the big rocks. I’ve twigged that rather than branching out for much larger pieces of wood (sorry... :? ), I’m going to stay vigilant for more twisty bits.

Substate piled up - I actually added a fair bit more as I was fitting the rocks in.

The substrate and hardscape (minus sticks) are in now, had a minor issue with keeping a divide between the sand and the fluorite when I added water foolishly to high points rather than the foreground first. I resorted to neatening it with my girlfiriend’s comb and a pair of tweezers, and siphoning out any remaining mess.

Thanks again, Ollie

 

[sanj]

Yes I think you are right. I didnt explain my self well. Just looking at the existing wood it looks like it could easily disappear in the scape when plants grow in. Twisty could work because it should stand out more.

 

[verchap]

Quick update, planted some parva and tenellus as they had waited in a plastic tub long enough to look a bit funky. Hopefully the plants will start to make a come back now that they're in the tank.

Not too happy with the right side at the moment, and maybe the biggest rock is at too shallow of an angle too... I'll have to reorganise things a little.

 

[Dan Crawford]

Hi, I really like your use of unusual stones, well done for looking outside of the box. The fairly large stone in the middle of the tank should be replaced for a smaller one IMO. The rest of the stones look great but as soon as you look at the tank - BANG, you're hit by a big rock at the front of the tank. A group of smaller stones in it's place and around the base of the main stone would create a pleasing transition i think.

I hope that constructive criticism helps.

 

[verchap]

...create a pleasing transition

Thanks Dan, sound advice, I'll have a look at the stones I have left over and try to fix the layout. I do wonder if its the height of that front/middle rock, or the blankness of the right hand side of that stone. I'd quite like to see it with moss down the face of it, to try to tie it back.

As you say though, it does arrest your eyes immediately in the foreground and ruins the depth a bit, its doubtful a bit of moss could fix that completely.


Thanks for your guidance, Ollie

 

[NeilW]

Maybe worth trying just laying that front stone down so it doesn't block the view to the main stone so much? Great potential though, really nice stones

I'm liking the way you've done the planting diagrams too, just done on PS?

 

[verchap]

Thanks neil, done with a bit of illustrator and photoshop.

 

[verchap]

Who knew hitting rocks with a hammer listening to Mastodon, and narrowly avoiding being blinded with stone shrapnel could be so fun? Now there’s two interesting fragments where there was before only one (and a possible name for the tank, but it’s far too early to be contemplating that, as it may never live up to the standard that a real name would demand).

I’m uncertain whether it’s all that good or bad, but I’ve started to warm to it after initial odium, and rotating the front stone. Should that front stone be removed? I need to neaten up the gravel and sand again and amend the planting plan a little bit.