Nature's Corner 'naturalis' Trigon 190 (now closed)

[Gary Nelson]

Well, I thought that I best start my new journal Nature's Corner 'naturalis' - this was first started about 2 weeks ago now and the first photo shows how the set-up stands as today, followed by photos from the very beginning.
The tank is my original 'Trigon 190' from my last scape, with the G6 filter and an added TMC 400 tile to the rear panel.

Anyway, a few photos so far.... as the tank is of today, 9th April 2013

DSC_0916 by DigitalDream3, on Flickr

From the very start then - All emptied and cleaned, already to start the new scape...

DSC_0824 by DigitalDream3, on Flickr

A temporary home for the fish...

DSC_0819 by DigitalDream3, on Flickr

All the hard scape cleaned up, along with plants in storage...

DSC_0818 by DigitalDream3, on Flickr


DSC_0823 by DigitalDream3, on Flickr

I thought I would try an idea out that I had to keep the back of the raised gravel in place and to stop it from gradually slopping forward over time. I decided to use several cheap water bottles with the tops cut off and removed. I perforated the bottles and filled them with gravel and clumped several together...

DSC_0829 by DigitalDream3, on Flickr


DSC_0831 by DigitalDream3, on Flickr


DSC_0834 by DigitalDream3, on Flickr

This was then all covered with further gravel to give the scape a raise of about 7 inches at the rear and to leave it nice and solid around the hard scape of Redmoor wood & rock.
This was the hard scape in place, give or take a few tweaks and most of the gravel and sand spread about. I have used about 12 different pieces of wood and around 9 rocks here.

DSC_0839 by DigitalDream3, on Flickr

On the plant choice, I decided to go with my favourite of the moss on parts of the wood with some Bolbitus heudelotii & Cyperus helferi in the centre of the scape and very close to the wood, then the 'Anubias nana bonsai' that I had from my last scape placed around the rocks - then coming further forward and out of the hard scape, some Ammania sp, Hemianthus 'Cuba' and Echinodorus tenellus... these were from the 1-2-grow range. There are also different Crypts dotted about too.

DSC_0843 by DigitalDream3, on Flickr

DSC_0842 by DigitalDream3, on Flickr

Partly planted...

DSC_0911 by DigitalDream3, on Flickr

A few fish shots...

DSC_0884 by DigitalDream3, on Flickr

DSC_0913 by DigitalDream3, on Flickr

DSC_0915 by DigitalDream3, on Flickr

My two most important critics!...

DSC_0851 by DigitalDream3, on Flickr

DSC_0905 by DigitalDream3, on Flickr

This still has allot of growing in to do, but it all seems to be ticking away nicely so far, so hopefully it will carry on this way as it matures. (famous last words)

DSC_0917 by DigitalDream3, on Flickr

 

[Ian Holdich]

This will be a beaut when grown in mate! Well, it's a beaut now...

How many cardinals are in there?

 

[Gary Nelson]

This will be a beaut when grown in mate! Well, it's a beaut now...

How many cardinals are in there?

Cheers Ian, there are around 40 green neons in here - I've had them about 8 months now... Lovely little fellows.

 

[Dave Pierce]

Now that's how to do a corner tank! Absolutely love this mate. The wood, rock and plants mix wonderfully!

And those Tetras in that tank really set it a-light !

 

[fish fodder]

Any co2?

 

[Gary Nelson]

Now that's how to do a corner tank! Absolutely love this mate. The wood, rock and plants mix wonderfully!

And those Tetras in that tank really set it a-light !

Cheers Dave 🙂 thanks for the nice comments.

 

[Gary Nelson]

Any co2?

Yes, I'm running at about 1 BPS, fairly low really for this size tank, but I have found that the praecox rainbows are not that keen on higher co2 levels - the amount of co2 going in and the EI dosing seem to be keeping things ok so far.

 

[martinmjr62]

Gary,lovely looking tank.Love the wood and the open look of the gravel in the foreground

Cheers
Martin

 

[jimwalsh]

gary you are setting the bar very very high with this rescape

looks amazing now will look even better when the carpet has grown in!

 

[Gary Nelson]

Gary,lovely looking tank.Love the wood and the open look of the gravel in the foreground

Cheers
Martin

Cheers Martin, thank you for your nice comments 🙂

 

[sdlra]

cant wait to see more

 

[Gary Nelson]

gary you are setting the bar very very high with this rescape

looks amazing now will look even better when the carpet has grown in!

Thanks Jim, as you know corner scapes can be a little tricky - I'm aiming for a carpet mixed with HC & E tenellus

 

[sa80mark]

I loved your last scape and so far this one looks like it will top that one. Very good idea with the bottles to help create hight and the wood looks superb.

 

[Ady34]

Well Gary, I was pretty fond of your high tech blue drum, I think it went well with the living room decor and showed off your G6 perfectly!

In all seriousness though mate, this is another exceptional layout, but to be honest we'd expect nothing less of you now. You have a great eye for scaping and are the undisputed corner tank master!
What I'm liking about the corner tank, especially when scaped and planted so well, is the large area of swimming room for the fish at the forefront of the tank....just where you want them. You still manage to give the illusion of a very densely planted backdrop and because of the tank dimensions and rock placement you get great depth which will only be enhanced by the vast foreground carpet when it matures. The tenellus will just add that little bit of texture and height needed to draw the eye upwards to the plants at the rear....although it does look a little more like lilaeopsis NZ at the moment.
Quality.
Cheerio,
Ady.

 

[Iain Sutherland]

Looks set to be another top scape gary. Did you use anything under the gravel as a base layer?
Will be watching with interest.

 

[Gary Nelson]

I loved your last scape and so far this one looks like it will top that one. Very good idea with the bottles to help create hight and the wood looks superb.

Thank you for your nice comments

Well Gary, I was pretty fond of your high tech blue drum, I think it went well with the living room decor and showed off your G6 perfectly!

In all seriousness though mate, this is another exceptional layout, but to be honest we'd expect nothing less of you now. You have a great eye for scaping and are the undisputed corner tank master!
What I'm liking about the corner tank, especially when scaped and planted so well, is the large area of swimming room for the fish at the forefront of the tank....just where you want them. You still manage to give the illusion of a very densely planted backdrop and because of the tank dimensions and rock placement you get great depth which will only be enhanced by the vast foreground carpet when it matures. The tenellus will just add that little bit of texture and height needed to draw the eye upwards to the plants at the rear....although it does look a little more like lilaeopsis NZ at the moment.
Quality.
Cheerio,
Ady.

Ha ha, yes I was tempted to keep the blue drum, I just need the blue pipes to match on the filter 🙂
Thanks for your great comments though Ady - You are totally correct on the grass being lilaeopsis NZ, so very well spotted - I do have some tenellus in but only a tiny bit of the 1-2-grow - I have another 3 pots on back order so I will get some more photos up as soon as thats in.

Looks set to be another top scape gary. Did you use anything under the gravel as a base layer?
Will be watching with interest.

Cheers Iain, The back of the scape has some of my eco complete in and the front part is mainly just unipac fiji course sand - the HC seems to be responding well so far though as last night I spotted quite allot of new runners creeping out, so hopefully it should take off

 

[Steve Smith]

Excellent work Gary. Looking forward to this maturing. It'll be a stunner!

 

[Gary Nelson]

Excellent work Gary. Looking forward to this maturing. It'll be a stunner!

Cheers Steve, I think it will look allot better when the carpet spreads out.

 

[Alastair]

This is stunning already gary and its not even grown in yet. I too will look forward to seeing this fill in

 

[Gary Nelson]

This is stunning already gary and its not even grown in yet. I too will look forward to seeing this fill in

Cheers Alastair 🙂 I should be getting my 1-2- grow tenellus next week so that will be in and with the HC that's already in I should get a decent coverage going! that's the plan anyway, all being well.