• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

My real ADA 60pxd, Scapers tank 55 and UNS60f hobby return.

image.jpg

Removed around 1l or 2 tennis balls worth of mini Christmas (if anyone in/near Copenhagen wants it,pm me). It looks drastic but mini Christmas layers on itself so thinning reallllly hard is the best way to give it back it’s form and stimulate it to crawl.
 
Hard trim and thinned the successful tanks.
As planned I chopped and topped the rotala’ greens. The periya that was in there has been swamped out by the green which is a stronger plant. Shame because it’s much prettier.
There’s still some plant health issues I need to address but they are better than they were so we’re going the right way.

I’ve given up on the 45f - it’s replacement has arrived and investing anything in it is good money after bad.
 

Attachments

  • CFBFA100-89B8-4533-B3DC-87F54F54B583.jpeg
    CFBFA100-89B8-4533-B3DC-87F54F54B583.jpeg
    4 MB · Views: 138
  • 2C587FD9-6FF4-46EB-9D7D-9633D5DE948E.jpeg
    2C587FD9-6FF4-46EB-9D7D-9633D5DE948E.jpeg
    1.9 MB · Views: 153
  • 882E8FF4-F65B-497F-B2DF-28C156AFDD21.jpeg
    882E8FF4-F65B-497F-B2DF-28C156AFDD21.jpeg
    1.9 MB · Views: 156
Well.
For Christmas this year I treated myself to 4 days in bed with the plague.
And as with all prolonged periods spent in one location you start to be less satisfied with its decor.

Looking at the tanks, for 2 weeks with no water changes and only minor algae here and there. Glass needs cleaning etc. The window for trimming of the elantine was missed and it’s floated but not much to be done there.

The 45p is looking more and more overgrown and I think it’s either time for a very hard trim, almost a pseudo rescape, or a whole new scape.
If I do go for option a, it will mainly be to get the sense of scale back and to simplify the stem planting. I like the rotala Ceylon, it’s a very blousy, pretty plant but it doesn’t do topiary very well. I have ‘standard’ rotala rotundifolia in the cube, that will probably take its place.
I’m actually tempted to take all but the orange juice out and replant the back with only hm, orange juice and waynard.
If option b, the tank is earmarked for an iwagumi, my 55scapers tank is going to be stem heavy so I’ll go for grasses/grass like planting.

Other observations - the celestials have spawned and I often see fry. I also see the fry predated on, I have never seen on bigger than a mouth.
Spending time with the tanks the celestials are real predators, shrimp safe they ain’t.

The cube keeps on keeping’ on. Still haven’t gotten to the bottom of the necrosis, I’m starting to think it’s actually snail damage.

I missed the window to trim the elantine on this one too and my amanos helpfully buried it as they want to do.

I planted some polygonum but it’s done nothing.

The prospinca is just too damn big a plant for such a small tank but as it’s a farm and not an aquascape it ain’t such a thing. But long term it’s going to get pulled and I’ll move onto something else…

I started to pull down the 45f before the pestilence with the intention of having the Christmas break to swap to the 55, so nothing to report there, ug can suck it.

The 55 I shouldn’t need to buy plants for, the plan is to replicate the transition from the cube, steal buces and rotalas from everywhere and see what comes out the other side with a bowl type aquascape. I think that will get bumped to February now but let’s see. I need more wood and rocks.
 

Attachments

  • 9A9BEB80-C8A1-4796-99B8-22FE682BB6C7.jpeg
    9A9BEB80-C8A1-4796-99B8-22FE682BB6C7.jpeg
    1.8 MB · Views: 136
  • C2743151-A00F-4935-9EF6-C527BF81CC66.jpeg
    C2743151-A00F-4935-9EF6-C527BF81CC66.jpeg
    2.2 MB · Views: 130
Some small detailing to do with the wood and some more soil which will come out of the 45f to add and then Saturday “we” plant it up.

Rock seems extremely large but will become less dominant once there is moss and ferns planted on it.
 
A4B189CE-6985-411D-9532-5E44DED19E15.jpeg

Starting the dreaded gluing it together phase. From now on there’s no real going back, not easily anyway. Some tiny twigs will get added to lengthen some branches, some small stone work to plug holes but this is the skeleton on which it will all build.

Feedback is most welcome, I often think that because I talk to myself so much that the scape is hard to read.
 
7D286B76-BC9D-4441-870E-D8F206132569.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • B7B1E6E0-2975-49CF-BFDF-DB786A60DE6B.jpeg
    B7B1E6E0-2975-49CF-BFDF-DB786A60DE6B.jpeg
    1.6 MB · Views: 100
Done for the day. Still a good amount of detail work to mess about with but it’s getting there.

I wish I could take a good photo of the damn thing :(
 
That negative space in the middle is just lovely. Makes me think that valley is being hugged, like a little secret dell….and really nice depth in a small space.
Can’t wait to see it planted. 😊
 
That negative space in the middle is just lovely. Makes me think that valley is being hugged, like a little secret dell….and really nice depth in a small space.
Can’t wait to see it planted. 😊
Exactly right! The phrase I had in mind was “through the gloom of the woods to the sparkling sea”. I was trying to create a tunnel to a low bright area in the rear that was the focal point with the bowl a dark acting as a volume to suggest a larger space than just planting or a scree alone could.
 
Last edited:
image.jpg

And now we’re ready for the plants to go in. Big day tomorrow 😌
 
34DC5F51-6EB5-4BDE-BB51-9BF00C68474C.jpeg

The hidden foreground/midground is already much more successful on this scape which is a nice proof of concept for myself. Tank is now at 5 days and no changes but often in the first weeks, no news is good news. Some small tweaks I know I want to change before livestock goes in. Namely a couple more twigs, some larger gravel and if I can get them next time I’m at “the shop” M.Guyana and P.erectus to add texture to the mid and back ground where it could be lacking.
 
Back
Top