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Help please questions posted - The Angel Garden Rio 240 Jour

Re: The Angel Garden - NEW PICS ADDED 25TH MAY, PG2

Just a quick update.... apologies for the quicke and dirty pics!

On set up:

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Well....

It's filling out slowly! Swords, crypts and valis is flying... everything else going slowly... some green algae but nothing major.

The internal filter isn't cutting it mechancally... the parameters check out fine, but there's fine particulate matter in the water (it's not milky, or a 'bloom', you can see the tiny particles up close)... it was clear so i guess that it's just not keeping pace once it starts to clog. Might have to add a canister back in...

Anyway....

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The angels are growing nicely... they are fairly stroppy with each other, but the aggression seems well spread.

That's all for now.
 
Re: The Angel Garden - latest pics 23/06 page 3

As this is a journal, I wanted to share my inspiration in planted aquaria... for many, this is going to be someone like takashi amano, tom barr, our very own george farmer (hai george!) or even diana walstead.

However, my inspiration was none of these... it was an uncelebrated private hobbiest called koah fong. I came across his page a few years ago... about the time amano was making big waves and there was quiet noise about the whole concept of planted aquaria.

His tanks are not manicured in the way many modern aquascapes are, but more like jungles that grew in their own fashion.

He was also using many techniques that are commonplace today.... Rich base layers, DIY C02, regular liquid ferts, and reflectors / high intensity light ---- of course, i'm not suggesting this guy pioneered any of this stuff, just that when i came across his pagei was stunned by his tanks and the methodology made a BIG impact on me.

Here's a time series of one of his tanks over several years

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Since then I've been wowed by amano and intrigued by walstead, but Mr Fongs quiet little private listing of beautiful aquaria has a very special place in my heart!

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His webpage.... with detailed spec of each and every tank....

http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/home/kfloh/mytank.htm



I'm wondering.... who / what inspired your own interest in planted aquaria???

(POST PICS PLEASE... all inspiration helps! :D )
 
Re: The Angel Garden - latest pics 23/06 page 3

made a few changes to the tank tonight... wasn't happy with the layout.... too 'bitty' in terms of planting and the large sword in the centre was overpowering the display. I deliberately placed the redmoorland root just off centre, but the sword drew the eye to the middle of the tank.

I've therefore taken the central sword out, ditched the hygro on the far left, removed the slate pieces and added some more plants...

There's now a 'bank' of crypt willisi on the right hand side and i've infilled all of the 'blank spaces' where the stones were with e tenellus. I have added more vallis at the rear I've tried to make much bigger blocks of planting...

Not much to see atm as the lights are out... new pics inbound
 
Re: The Angel Garden - latest pics 23/06 page 3

JamieH said:
As this is a journal, I wanted to share my inspiration in planted aquaria... for many, this is going to be someone like takashi amano, tom barr, our very own george farmer (hai george!) or even diana walstead.

Thanks! But I'm not up there by a long shot. :oops:

Mr Amano was my biggest inspiration, without a doubt. I'll never forget first laying eyes on Nature Aquarium World Book One. Life changing stuff.

I have to mention Tom Barr too. EI changed my whole approach to growing plants, after relying on the Dennerle principles (stripping NP, heater cables etc.)

I still learn something new every day. The day I stop, is the day I give up, and that aint going to happen any time soon...

Nice journal BTW. Keep it up.
 
Re: The Angel Garden - latest pics 23/06 page 3

George Farmer said:
JamieH said:
As this is a journal, I wanted to share my inspiration in planted aquaria... for many, this is going to be someone like takashi amano, tom barr, our very own george farmer (hai george!) or even diana walstead.

Thanks! But I'm not up there by a long shot. :oops:

Mr Amano was my biggest inspiration, without a doubt. I'll never forget first laying eyes on Nature Aquarium World Book One. Life changing stuff.

I have to mention Tom Barr too. EI changed my whole approach to growing plants, after relying on the Dennerle principles (stripping NP, heater cables etc.)

I still learn something new every day. The day I stop, is the day I give up, and that aint going to happen any time soon...

Nice journal BTW. Keep it up.

Too modest!!!

Here's just a single example of why;

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Re: The Angel Garden - redone layout!

Ok... I need some help!


1 - My water is perpetually hazy. It's driving me mad. I've upgraded the filter significantly... and used a 'polishing' agent which makes the water cleaer for about a day and then the haze returns... from the deep brown gunk on the filter wool (much darker than mulm) on the filter wool it appears my soil layer is being leached into the water. Is there any way to prevent this? Or is my 'cheap and cheerful' substrate coming home to haunt me? I'm really not happy about the haze... It's noticable and obviously impacts of the amount of light penetrating the water.

Any ideas?

2 - I posted this in the aquascaping forum but got no replies:

:wideyed:

So... My tank. It's BORING. I feel like i need to add some drama of some sort.

I recently simplified the layout a bit... but it's gone from overstuffed to just dull.


Here's a picture today.... really poor quality, sorry

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What can i do to add some impact... i'm thinking of thinning out the vallis and adding some crinun thaianum...

Any input / ideas gratefully received!!!
 
Been checking this journal out for a while now and very impressed by it.

I understand why YOU would feel the scape is boring, but you're really too harsh (as everyone is on their own work) :)

Think maybe if you added a big(ish) bush of something just in front of the vallis in the left corner as you look at it.
Some stem plant maybe, hacked back as it grows nice and compact.

I'm loving the definite line of crypt wendtii brown(?) Giving me ideas.
 
jay said:
Been checking this journal out for a while now and very impressed by it.

I understand why YOU would feel the scape is boring, but you're really too harsh (as everyone is on their own work) :)

Think maybe if you added a big(ish) bush of something just in front of the vallis in the left corner as you look at it.
Some stem plant maybe, hacked back as it grows nice and compact.

I'm loving the definite line of crypt wendtii brown(?) Giving me ideas.

It's crypt wendtii brown and becketii brown as you get further right.


I think one of the issues is that i planted up for the hardscape without considering how big some of the plants would get... and so the balance is off... and, since i removed the slate the wendtii brown is too far forward... the thought of uprooting the crypts and the soil though... :rolleyes:
 
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