• 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

New Member and new Scaper/fishkeeper

Dominik K

Member
Joined
14 Jun 2021
Messages
80
Location
Southampton
Hello All

Im Dom and I'm taking my first steps into the fishkeeping/ Aquascaping hobby.
I have got myself a copy of the "Ecology of planted aquarium" and have been digesting it over the last few months on and off.
I've wanted to get into fishkeeping for the longest time and I have now finally taken the leap with a purchase of 60*30*36 Rimless aquarium and a bunch of substrate.

I think this is a reasonable sized tank to start off with but sufficiently ambitious to offer a healthy degree of challange.
This tank will be planted and scaped mostly in the Iwagumi style. I will be asking all of the questions so forgive me :)
 
Hi all,
Welcome to UKAPS,
I have got myself a copy of the "Ecology of planted aquarium" and have been digesting it over the last few months on and off.
It is a <"fantastic book">. It was the under-pinning to the <"Duckweed Index"> and is just an amazing resource.

She slightly revised her opinion, after it was published, by advocating <"some water changes and water movement">.
......... ambitious to offer a healthy degree of challange. This tank will be planted and scaped mostly in the Iwagumi style.......
I'm not an aquascaper, and I am also a <"pretty lazy and shoddy aquarist">, but I wouldn't start with an Iwagumi, I think it offers a lot of challenge, mainly due to the small plant mass.

<"Jungles" are a lot easier">, we don't exactly know why, but <"I'd definitely start there">.

I'll cc. @shangman and @Geoffrey Rea, as they can both offer much more useful advice.

cheers Darrel
 
Last edited:
Hi @Dominik K ! Welcome to UKAPS :) I started last year with a tank the same size as you, I'd say it's the perfect beginners size - not too big to be overwhelming, big enough that you can fill it with loads of lovely plants and a good range of fantastic fish too.

It's a great idea to <start a journal here> to show your progress and ask for advice (or not ask for it but get it anyway when an eagle-eyed user notices something you haven't yet), we are always here to help whenever you need it! Don't worry about not being fancy enough yet or showing the warts and all, it's all part of the process, and it makes achieving that fantastic tank all the more satisfying!.You can see some of the best journals here which have all sorts of styles in the <featured journals section> which makes for great inspiration.

What's your plan for the set up? I'm intrigued as the Diana Walstad method and Iwagumi aesthetic are not usually paired together, though of course fishkeeping is all about experimenting!
 
Thanks for the replies everyone :)


Hi @Dominik K ! Welcome to UKAPS :) I started last year with a tank the same size as you, I'd say it's the perfect beginners size - not too big to be overwhelming, big enough that you can fill it with loads of lovely plants and a good range of fantastic fish too.

It's a great idea to <start a journal here> to show your progress and ask for advice (or not ask for it but get it anyway when an eagle-eyed user notices something you haven't yet), we are always here to help whenever you need it! Don't worry about not being fancy enough yet or showing the warts and all, it's all part of the process, and it makes achieving that fantastic tank all the more satisfying!.You can see some of the best journals here which have all sorts of styles in the <featured journals section> which makes for great inspiration.

What's your plan for the set up? I'm intrigued as the Diana Walstad method and Iwagumi aesthetic are not usually paired together, though of course fishkeeping is all about experimenting!

Thank you for the tip I will certainly start a diary/blog for this.
I referenced the book as a general background reading I've done. I agree I'm not sure how much of the method applies, but some basic technical things like water chemistry etc. are kind of universal.
It gets recommended a lot so thought id say I've already got it. :)

What do you mean by the set up ? As in if I'm going to dry start it+ what filtration? Or general?

In general I'm going to use a bunch of hard scape rocks ive accumulated and plant my carpeting plants very very densely in the spaces available.
I'm considering doing like a bonsai style tree thing as well if I can find the right piece of wood and ma rocks.

I will see about livestock down the line. Depending on what I ultimately end up doing in terms of scaping.
Will certainly start with some inverts first and then maybe add a school of some easy going fish.
 
Thank you for the tip I will certainly start a diary/blog for this.
I referenced the book as a general background reading I've done. I agree I'm not sure how much of the method applies, but some basic technical things like water chemistry etc. are kind of universal.
It gets recommended a lot so thought id say I've already got it. :)

What do you mean by the set up ? As in if I'm going to dry start it+ what filtration? Or general?

In general I'm going to use a bunch of hard scape rocks ive accumulated and plant my carpeting plants very very densely in the spaces available.
I'm considering doing like a bonsai style tree thing as well if I can find the right piece of wood and ma rocks.

I will see about livestock down the line. Depending on what I ultimately end up doing in terms of scaping.
Will certainly start with some inverts first and then maybe add a school of some easy going fish.
Yeha it is a great read! It's so good to understand the background info before starting up, makes the practical side clearer too :)

Your plan sounds great :) It's good to start with some shrimps and snails and see how that goes, they don't affect the bioload much at all so it's less high stakes, which is great when you're beginning.

Yes! For setup I meant like what your intentions were (as you said), what your equpiment is and how many waterchanges you would try at the start. A dry start is a really good idea if you want a carpet, if you let your carpet grow for a month in a dry start it'll be waaayyy thicker and better when you flood. If you find a good bonsai-style tree, you can also dry start with mosses on that, which can help you get a really natural effect, here are some good links:
Carpet DSM - , Moss DSM - You can do both techniques at the same time.
 
Back
Top