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Critique my aquascape First attempt - rock and wood

D

Danielm

Member
Joined
15 Mar 2018
Messages
55
Location
London/essex
Been some weeks in the planning but finally managed to get some stuff into the glass box.

I wanted the scape to look natural and i wanted it to provide depth and dimension from two viewing angles. Straight on and from the right hand side....

I like the result and and pretty chuffed with my first ever attempt at an aquascaped freshwater tank.

I may banked the back left corner up some more and add some more soil, but hopefully can get this wet next week

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Danielm said:
Been some weeks in the planning but finally managed to get some stuff into the glass box.

I wanted the scape to look natural and i wanted it to provide depth and dimension from two viewing angles. Straight on and from the right hand side....

I like the result and and pretty chuffed with my first ever attempt at an aquascaped freshwater tank.

I may banked the back left corner up some more and add some more soil, but hopefully can get this wet next week

e29f67acfa4f057ca1c8b5400a0bfc33.jpg02ccb54a8634426d536de8bcc2e65663.jpge3d1a97206c0a33ff44582fecf23785c.jpgcf2e2be0c66070744161a0224a2f50ea.jpg
Click to expand...

Looking good matey



Ashley..
Aqua oak tanks 4'x2'x2' & 5'x2'x2' both freshwater set up on apex Neptune systems.
Mortgage & Protection Adviser Full Time, Peace ️
 
Zeus. said:
Think the rocks would look more natural if they was more random, they look too straight 'man made' just like a wall.
Click to expand...
I think if they were brought in closer and arranged in a semi-circular way then softened by planting it could work. 🙂 and slope the substrate up to the left more and barricade it in with the rock wall, it would create more triangular composition and it would look less like a wall, needs more negative space in the front right in my opinion.
 
Too square in my opinion, but I am not expert 🙁

perhaps something like two borders of stones like in the pic? http://i64.tinypic.com/2ahhzzc.jpg
I don't know how to upload a pic...
GbWpCMW
 
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Hi
Love the choice of Maple leaf stone.One of my favourite and often wander why is not used more often.
As far as I get your idea you are using the stones to separate the sand and the soil.My advice will be to break some of them up as they are very similar size and do look a bit like a wall.Try pushing some deeper if U can so U get a bit more natural look. It looks odd with stones just lined up on top of the substrate..U can use some small bits of stone scattered here and there in front ,add moss and even some buces or anubias petite attached to small stones to soften the transition from sand high stones U have atm.
Your focal point is a bit too far in the corner there too.Try to move it a little forward and towards the center and try to connect it in a way with the front barrier stones .U can always fill stems in the back after that
If U want the corner to be your highest point.
Regards Konsa
 
Try to make the front glass sand nice and level for a start maybe a few rocks in and around the root to lift it a little and bring out the contrasting textures of smooth and rough.i would bring the root forward too as konsa says any smallish foreground plants are going to be lost behind the stone wall the stone draw ur eye and for some reason that seems to me don't make it flow feels like nothing else draws ur eyes round the tank
 
Thanks for all of the feedback guys - few things I will be doing...

Getting some more rock - I tried to do this with what I brought initially, but clearly can do with/need some more!

Make the ‘wall’ less uniform... will add more rock and also add to the gravel area to the front to remove the straight lines (more of a rock ‘fall’ than rock wall)

Add more soil - have another 9 litre bag so this can go in and it will be better banked.

I think I knew that I did not have enough rock half way through yesterday, but my impatience to get it done led me to continue...
 
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Second attempt.... I think I took something from every comment and came up with this new scape.....even to my untrained eyes this is so much better so thanks to all who commented!!

Planting commences tomorrow!!!

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Danielm,

4e688d7e3a5bfe413814114511db7e6d.jpg

Yes it a great improvement but there is still room for improvement particularly the RH side.

Starting at the front center with the first rock after the narrow gap.

From that rock to the back RH corner it looks like a very carefully planned circular line, making the RH side look totally out of place compared to the excellent LH side.

Keith:wave::wave:
 
Danielm

Here is a suggestion for you it's very difficult when you only have a one dimension photo to work with.

I lifted the back RH corner to give you some height. as it was rather flat and uninteresting.

The rocks are now more open this will open up the RH end completely.

Placed a rock front RH corner to reduce slippage.

Took the black substrate to the front about one third in from the RH end, reason the white was like a line that divided the tank into two sections.

Keith:wave::wave:
 
Thanks for all the feedback guys.

Love the picture Keith and thank you. The reason I deliberately did not ‘bank’ the right and side of the tank is because that is one of the main viewing angles and preference was not to look at a wall of soil.

That said, I did open it up a little more to create a more open RHS, based on feedback and think it works. Little bit of playing still to do with main wood as I got move a lot on planting, and still not just so...

Tank has been planted a week, going through the fungus on wood stage, and added 6 ottos yesterday....

Might start a journal!

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Danieman

There is still plenty of room for improvement.

I am referring to eye flow, once my eyes get over that big rock wall that encloses every part of your Aquascape it starts to become very interesting.

What can be done to give you a far better eye flow and therefore give you an even better Aquascape.

Less rocks, replace a few with smaller rocks and more plants.

Suggestions to follow :wave::wave:
 
Danieman

I have numbered all the rocks except the LH end which are looking OK
damielm%201%20%2016.9.18_edited-1.jpg

1 OK blends in with general area.
6 Grouping excellent.
7 Grouping could be improved, uninteresting reason all about the same size and very carefully located.
3, 4, & 5 all about the same size and it looks like a big high wall for my eyes to get over rather than a smooth view from the front RH corner.

Suggestions a few basic adjustments and it "Should solve most of the concerns"

Remove all these rocks 3, 4, 5, &, 7.

Relocate 2 where 3 was this will open up the area between 1 & 2 now.

Where 2 was the rock behind it now breaks up the straight line giving it a more natural appeal.

The large area where 3, 4, 5, &, 7 were and up to area 6 scatter rocks all sized but no bigger than 2.

Leave plenty of gaps and fill with substrate for small low plants. Now you have a lead in and out via the front RH corner.

After that is area is perfected there is all that bare area across the front up to the RH corner area.

Keith:wave::wave:
 
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