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First Attempt!

It seems that I'm having problems deciding on rock placement, i just visualise what i want. So i could do with a few tips if anyone would be so kind. After trying for most of the day this is all i could come up with:
010-2.jpg
 
Too many rocks too spread out.
Take 5 rocks one really big and the rest smaller and cluster them on one corner the biggest forming the key the rest then "flowing" towards it. Now repeat on the opposing side but ensure the Key stone is smaller than the opposite sides.
I'll post a picture explaining what I mean in a second.
 
Get what I mean?
The arrows indicate the "flow" and the valley becomes the focal point.
The green lines give an idea of how you could plant it.
rockscapeps5.png
 
Garuf said:
Get what I mean?
The arrows indicate the "flow" and the valley becomes the focal point.
The green lines give an idea of how you could plant it.
rockscapeps5.png

Totally get what you mean now mate, I think i need to get my head round the idea that ' less is more ' and just because i have xx amount of rocks it dont mean I've gotta use em all :rolleyes: .
 
It took me ages to get that too, when I first set up my 60x30x30 I tried to use all the rocks I had, in the end I only ended up using 4...

You'll find that the less there is of something the bigger the statement it makes, especially with Iwagumi which can quickly become swamped.
 
With the rocks I've got the obvious style to go for would be Iwagumi but I'm not that sure thats the style i wanna go with.
I dont know whether to go with a heavily planted jungle first so i can get used to growing plants properly, or, jump straight in the deep end and go for Iwagumi.......but then again i have got spare 60cm tank that i could use to experiment with :?
 
Big tank jungle, little tank Iwagumi, that's my input. Have a browse of CAU and the ADA galleries and get a good idea of what you want, when I saw your tank I initially saw a wood tangle, you know the kind, roots coming forward sand foreground ferns and moss, grasses. Then you went Iwagumi. The thing is that with the rocks you have you could do absolutely anything, the best scapes mix wood and rock in my experiance. But then if Iwagumi I what you like then go for it! :lol:
 
I think i know what I'm gonna do now(maybe :lol: ) I'm gonna wipe the slate clean and start afresh :? Thanks to our very own John Starkey 8) I'm going to The Green Machine tomorrow - where better to get inspiration and advice, right ? (apart from UKAPS obviously :D ). So hopefully when i get home i'll have a much clearer picture of what i want ( and an empty wallet :lol: :lol: :lol: )
 
Haha, Johns a really nice guy too you'll have a good laugh.
Make sure you get some redmoor wood, I actually love that stuff it's such nice stuff to play about with, but then wood layouts are my favourite type of scape.
 
Garuf said:
Haha, Johns a really nice guy too you'll have a good laugh.
Make sure you get some redmoor wood, I actually love that stuff it's such nice stuff to play about with, but then wood layouts are my favourite type of scape.


I've actually got a piece of redmoor that i bought from my lfs for my community tank but i dont think it would suit the tank I'm using now, the wood is really long and i think a taller piece would suit this tank better.
 
Break bits off, the redmore in my cube started life as 2 peices of wood I chopped and snapped and zip tied back together until I got something I was happy with. Scaping is more fun with more materials than you need and don't be scared to break bits or add to things if you need its all part of the fun. I love scaping but mess it all up when I add the plants lol.
 
Scaping is more fun with more materials than you need and don't be scared to break bits or add to things if you need its all part of the fun.

With me it's not a case of being scared of breaking things, with my clumsy ogre paws it's a case of ' how much I'm gonna break it and will there be anything use-able once I'm finished :lol: :lol:
 
Garuf said:
Get what I mean?
The arrows indicate the "flow" and the valley becomes the focal point.
The green lines give an idea of how you could plant it.
rockscapeps5.png

Garuf, that took you 6 minutes - quite brilliant, truely the trainee architect! What software do you use to knock your little sketches up - its almost as though you have a tablet and some fancy software?

Anyway, I've resolved that tomorrow I will photograph my new tank and start a thread for some advice, I know roughly what I want to do but the devil is in the detail.

cichlidsrgr8 - looking forward to the post green machine posts! While you are there look at the 2008 ADA catalogue - some Amano tips on placing rocks too.

Cheers,

Ray
 
Lol, thank you but its nothing special at all. I use Ms paint and a "graphic's quality" Kensington mouse. I did do a tuturial on how I do the little sketches, I'll see if I can find it out because it proves you don't need high end software if you know one or 2 tricks.
 
It's ms paint, you know the paint that comes on EVERY windows pc.
 
I've been having another play with the layout today, I think I'm getting better :? and getting closer to what I want it to turn out like. I need to get another bag of AS to coz I dont think the depth at the back is deep enough.
This is my latest offering:
001-3.jpg

002-4.jpg

003-3.jpg

004-3.jpg

005-1.jpg

006-1.jpg

007-1.jpg


Please feel free to comment on what's good and what's naff.

Wayne,
 
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