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That is fantastic, George! We really needed a visualization of the photo shoot setup! Great job and great pictures!
 
beautiful george, the pictures are really quite lovely. Im with Ian, should place really well in IAPLC.
Can i ask where you got the background from George?
Thanks mate. :)

The background was given to me a while back by Mark Evans. Unfortunately it's not a matt-finish, but with continual lighting (rather than studio flash), I don't think it's an issue.
 
That is fantastic, George! We really needed a visualization of the photo shoot setup! Great job and great pictures!
Thanks mate. :)

I really enjoy experimenting with lighting to get the different effects. When I get to the stage of doing the final photo shoot at least I have a good idea now - so hopefully the outcome can be even better for the IAPLC submission!
 
Love the fts. Not sure how you bullied the neons into ranks of 3 but it worked. I personally love the background, its like looking up on a summers day. Good luck in the IAPLC.
Charle
 
Love the fts. Not sure how you bullied the neons into ranks of 3 but it worked. I personally love the background, its like looking up on a summers day. Good luck in the IAPLC.
Charle
Thanks, Charlie.

The trick with capturing fish is to wave a broom at each end of the tank to get them to shoal. It's taken me years of practice to hone the technique! :)

Here's another in-situ shot with the tank and cabinet moved away from the wall, giving the back light effect. I really like it.

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in-situ 20-4-13 by George Farmer, on Flickr
 
Nothing much else to report. Growth is great, and the stems will be due another trim soon. The Ludwigia is annoying me; it's texture is too big and ruins the otherwise fine sense of scale I have.

If I get time this weekend I may do a practice photo shoot using backlighting and shed loads of T5.

I'm gob-smacked this journal has almost 40,000 views in 3 months. No pressure then.

You might try something like the mini butterfly rotala.
I think it would do fine. I can send some to Alan in London, he can grow it out and share.

R. wallichii will grow too fast and become a PITA.

R. mini butterfly really have a nice feel and pearling and it responds well to pruning.
Well, at least for me. It grows a bit more even together than many other species.
 
Thanks guys. :)

Done another prune of the stems, and they're growing back nice and dense. Also keeping on top of the grasses as they try to take over the whole tank! Might also tidy up some of the Riccardia growth as it's looking a bit unruly.

I'll try to get some more shots soon. :)

As a side; I looked through the Top 100 in last year's IAPLC and 66 of them have cosmetic sand/gravel. Food for thought...
 
Hi all,

The missus has gone out for the evening so I figured I'd get the camera out and update my journal. :)

I've decided to remove the Cyperus. Nothing wrong with it in terms of health but I felt the scape would look better with more Rotala to the right.

Lighting has increased significantly by simply lowering the LEDs nearer the tank. PAR is around 100 at the substrate now. I've increased CO2 and ferts accordingly, and will be performing more frequent water changes (60%, 3x per week). The pearling is incredible.

I've also added some Ammania 'bonsai' to the left of the Ludwigia. Third time lucky, I hope.

There's just over 4 weeks until the IAPLC so hopefully I can really nail the layout and get a decent photo before then. A neighbour/friend happens to own a Canon 5D Mk3 so I'll be using that, hopefully.

Anyway, some pics...

8693186643_830d86b862_o.jpg
shoal neons embers by George Farmer, on Flickr

8693187221_aa3b5247f0_o.jpg
right neons by George Farmer, on Flickr

8694305892_83e8c30a47_o.jpg
shrimp riccardia by George Farmer, on Flickr

8694307708_c8b88d67cd_o.jpg
shrimp fissidens by George Farmer, on Flickr

8693189491_48a728ef5d_o.jpg
angle above right by George Farmer, on Flickr

8693190275_392f7e11b0_o.jpg
left angle by George Farmer, on Flickr

8694308758_c7f6100638_o.jpg
pearling fissidens by George Farmer, on Flickr

8694309098_8e94aaeef4_o.jpg
pearling fiss ricc by George Farmer, on Flickr

8694309414_277463f659_o.jpg
pearling lindernia by George Farmer, on Flickr

8694307880_bc9bf905d2_o.jpg
in-situ 29-4-13 by George Farmer, on Flickr
 
I think we call this an aquascaping masterclass!
 
Marvellous! How do you keep it so darned algae-free? It's like I've been trying to achieve some sorta balance between lighting/CO2/ferts and for years and I still haven't achieved it yet.
 
Hi George

Great scape! What are you using for CO2 distribution?

Cheers
Gilles
Hi Gilles

I'm using an Up Aqua inline diffuser on the outlet of my Fluval G3, with gUSH glassware. CO2 is about 1 BPS using Fluval bubble counter. It comes on a few hours before the photoperiod. The plants pearl within about 20mins, but my lighting levels are very high at the moment. The moss looks like Riccia with all the oxygen bubbles!

Another water change tonight and I'm going to replant the Rotala because it is still in its pots and I want better coverage.

Thanks for all of the comments and 'likes'. It's really appreciated. :)

4 weeks until the IAPLC deadline. I've never taken so much care and attention over an aquascape so I hope my hard work will be rewarded with a PB rank. My highest so far is 169 with this... 120cm - The Crypt Eternal - final tank shot | UK Aquatic Plant Society which I don't think is my strongest scape by a long shot.
 
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