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Parent Aquascape

Aqua360

Aqua360

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Joined
15 Feb 2016
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UK
Well, I convinced my parents to let me aquascape their Aquaone 980, approximately 215 litres tank, which existed in a quasi state of darkness, Anubias, and a variety of odd fish!

Emptied everything, and recreated with a low tech theme with lots of Java fern.

It's a bit too bright, but is stocked with discus, sterbai corydoras and cardinal tetra, hoping to add some floating plants to help with things!

Pics are before, emptied and after!

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Aqua360

I like it very much but it would have been even better if you did not have the DW so central.
The glary white Substrate will be very difficult to keep clean also it's far to flat and not interesting to look at.
If you are not grow low carpet plants I would remove all the white around the edges and replace it with a natural multi coloured 1-3 natural river gravel with a good slope from the back RH corner. I you are having a planted carpet I would use a quality soil substrate.

Keith:wave::wave:
 
Keith GH said:
Aqua360

I like it very much but it would have been even better if you did not have the DW so central.
The glary white Substrate will be very difficult to keep clean also it's far to flat and not interesting to look at.
If you are not grow low carpet plants I would remove all the white around the edges and replace it with a natural multi coloured 1-3 natural river gravel with a good slope from the back RH corner. I you are having a planted carpet I would use a quality soil substrate.

Keith:wave::wave:
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback! On the points raised, agreed from that angle it looks very central, if I could I would move it more the right, though in front facing angles its approximately 60% to the right, could maybe have benefitted from 70%.

Interesting point on it being flat. My initial aim was to build up with rock and existing wood into the island scape, unfortunately being limited by budget lol. Not being interesting to look at is again a good point, I'd welcome other opinions as to whether that's the consensus, so I can improve next time :)

No carpet plants, my parents are totally oblivious to plants in general hence the java, but the sand itself is play sand believe it or not lol, very finely layered to make for easy maintenance. This has been set-up for over a month now and is going well!

The only bug bear I have is the lack of shadow for the discus, but I was very limited as to my options in this regard, and had to make do :(

Other than that, the visible equipment which detracts from the visuals I'd preferably do without, but the Aquaone is a stock tank, and using existing equipment not totally designed for us purists lol.
 
It would be perfect if you could plant some Amazon Swords at the background. But these are heavy root feeders and would require aquasoil for best results. Perhaps you can plant them in the sand and use root tabs, that could work?
 
chuck in some Trident fern as well. It will grow in well for this scape.
 
Looking really good and plenty of scope for more plants, I have the older version3 t8 lights and the overhead filtration is great for low tech, It can be converted with overhead lighting, external filtration if you decide on CO2,asI did, the hood as it is needs removing for maintenance a bit of a chore I found.
 
Yep looks much better, but I'd definitely chuck some Amazon Swords in and also some vallis. Both are dirt cheap and will provide shade and cover for discus, and give your scape much needed height.
 
azawaza said:
It would be perfect if you could plant some Amazon Swords at the background. But these are heavy root feeders and would require aquasoil for best results. Perhaps you can plant them in the sand and use root tabs, that could work?
Click to expand...

I wanted to originally, but eventually decided just the thin layer of sand was best to avoid trapped organic matter and make it easier for those looking after it :)
 
rebel said:
chuck in some Trident fern as well. It will grow in well for this scape.
Click to expand...

I've added some to the front and back, just hasn't grown in yet lol. I see this as still mostly unfinished, it'll be better once the plant mass has doubled.

I switched off one of the powerheads and added water sprite last night to create some shadow in the tank.
 
alto said:
Looks a huge improvement :cool:

And a prettty major job cleaning etc
Well done :)
Click to expand...

Thanks!

The tank and my design most certainly has its misgivings, but it's a work in progress and we do what we can with the means given lol
 
Tim Harrison said:
Yep looks much better, but I'd definitely chuck some Amazon Swords in and also some vallis. Both are dirt cheap and will provide shade and cover for discus, and give your scape much needed height.
Click to expand...

I think I might end up doing that, even if it means adding sand to the back again. I've got them dosing liquid ferts so hopefully despite being an inert sand substrate, the plants will deal with nutrients from the water column eventually
 
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