• 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

Portinho da Arrábida - uma vista de Troia

BigTom said:
I do like the overall rockscape there Andy. My only comment would be that it feels a little bit like it's leaning backwards, perhaps angling the main rock and one or two of the smaller ones so they're pointing a touch more forwards might work? I'm bloody terrible at hardscaping though so feel free to ignore!
Click to expand...

I think you are right but if you look at the fence and the rulers they are the panes of my tank. lol So I can't lean it forward or it'll be touching the glass.

I'll have a play tomorrow and swp the large rock with the one behind it and see if I can lean it forward from the rear. Maybe that will remove the 'sydney opera house' resemblance :) I think in those pictures it looks like a bookshelf where the one on the left has fall over and the other lean on it.

AC
 
LondonDragon said:
Place them in the tank with substrate then take the photos, will look completely different when you do that, also test the rocks under water, sometimes you get a few surprises with colour!!
Click to expand...

I'm gonna get a cheapy little tank to put my spare fern, anubias and Bolbitus in this weekend. I'll empty the plants form this tank into that and then try placing some rocks in the tank. No light above it though. the tank is sat in the kitchen with 12 hours of sun drenching it at the mo. Also the substrate is flat because of the Corys levelling it (sand) but should give some idea.

Actually I'll stick some holes in the ceiling and hang the LED up in there. Just need a little plaster to patch them up after it returns to the lounge. lol

Then for the next week I'll put the filter for the new cheapy in this tank to get some bacteria in it. (Purigen is removed and bleaching at the mo so all ammonia is free)

Andy
 
Certainly a great place for inspiration Andy. Among the best landscapes you can find in Portugal. Nice diving spots as well. The only problem is that water is freezing cold :D

SuperColey1 said:
... this one is taken from Palmela castle (The Sera da Arrabida) is behind me as I take this picture) and looks out over the Tagus flood plain...
Click to expand...

Just a small correction. That would be Sado not Tagus.

cheers, G
 
Nope.

The Sado is one side of the Serra da Arrabida, the other side of them are the plains stretching from the south of the Tagus to the foot of the Serra. I assume being the other side they are the Tagus floodplains.

However I guess if there is flooding both rivers will spill into the same place with the Sado flooding Setubal on its way into the plain :)

Yep the water is cold. I walk in up to my, toes and then walk out again. lol

Andy
 
I've played around with the hardscape a little here. What do you think? I think it looks much better like this.

hardscape%20sketch.JPG


DSCF2291.JPG



Regards
Andy
 
Garuf said:
Nothing but moss?
Go on, you know you want to.
Click to expand...

Nope. Must have the Needle in there ;)

Thre'll be nothing in front. Just flame moss peeking through the 'joins' between each rock and fissidens fontanus growing over the rocks in patches. This will take a long time to mature and I'll probably stick some Java Ferns on rocks in the corner to add to the plant mass while it matures. They will be removable easily though

Staying away from the Crypts in this one Luis ;) The tank is 80cm long and 46cm tall. Its a standard Fluval Duo Deep 800 from years ago.

Glad you like it guys :)

Andy
 
With hardscape arranged in several ways outside of the tank I decided to try my favourite in the tank. This tank has just had plants attached to rock in it for the last 3 months (mosses, ferns, anubias) while I got ready for the new scape.

They were pulled out, the hardscape added and then I put a few of them back in just to have some fern in there so ignore the brown stones. they will not be there in the final setup.

This is just a test/trial to see if I want to alter the hardscape in any way. The fish are still in there as are the shrimps.

I think it is pretty close to how I will set it up for real so in 2 weeks I will remove the rocks, put the tank back in the lounge and then start from scratch with new substrate and plants attached to the final hardscape.

You do however have to visualise how it may look in a year's time. A lot of the rock (not all) will have Fissidens Fontanus growing on it. The intersections and patches around the sides/front will have flame moss growing out of it and the Ferns will grow from behind.

I am tinkering with the idea of Bolbitus as I have a huge bush of it and not used it in a scape yet. I am pretty wary of using it though as it may ruin the subtlety of using just one large growing species. I may end up selling a load of Bolbitus as it is filling up a 23 litre tank at the moment. lol

Some pictures. This is the boldest hardscape I have ever done. It is incredibly powerful from any viewing angle, maybe it is a little overpowering but I like the way the tank frames the rock. I think it fits the space perfectly and because the hardscape is so visually powerful I will have to be careful with the planting so that I don't take away this effect.

DSCF2317.JPG

DSCF2318.JPG

DSCF2319.JPG

DSCF2320.JPG

DSCF2321.JPG

DSCF2322.JPG

DSCF2323.JPG

DSCF2324.JPG


I meant to take these pictures last night when it was dark but I fell asleep. lol Looks incredible solely under the white LED light.


The LED luminaire is 80cm above the tank. This is because the cables are cut to suit it's position in the lounge where it hangs from the underside of a shelf and not from the ceiling. Doesn't seem to matter though. Does a great job even at that height.

For the LED fan boys ;) The DIY luminaire (electrics) are still untouched 2 and a half years after they were built. It has had a fresh outer (box) though when I redesigned it, however no LEDs failed or replaced in 2 and a half years.

DSCF2316.JPG

DSCF2325.JPG



Regards
Andy
 
That luminaire is insanely high up! If I'm not mistaken, they're 3W LEDs running at 700mA? The light peneration would be unbelieveable.
 
Indeed they are 3W @ 700ma. Not putting the full juice into them though. They are getting 3.5V each which I am told equates to something like 2.45W. They have 45degree lenses on them.

So they are underpowered, 80cm high and still awesome lighting. I'm going to take some pics tonight after it gets dark and you'll see what I mean :)

Andy
 
Just a pointer on how the tank was doing non CO2, non water change, whilst in between scapes. I pulled this Bolbitus Heudelotii out and am now selling the lot. thats anough to fill a 30 litre tank wall to wall . lol:

DSCF2328.JPG

DSCF2329.JPG


Selling here if anyone is interested:
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=16736&p=172662#p172662

Andy
 
Tonight I took some pictures after the sun had gone down just to show how powerful this LED setup is. Remember this is just 1.12WPG but is at present 80cm above the water surface.

Ignore the tree and moses on slate in there. I have just put some plants straight in from the scape before still attached to rocks.. that way I can easily remove them if necessary. Once I do the actual rescape the flame moss on the slates plus 2x more will be glued to the hardscape as will the Fissidens Fontanus which is currently in my 23ltr shrimp tank.

I've also taken some close ups just to show how beautiful this rock is. I particularly like the last one where the green Needle contrasts beautifully with the grey/white of the rocks. They also show the multilayering of these rocks with blue, plum and green slate veined with what looks like quartz.

DSCF2330.JPG

DSCF2332.JPG

DSCF2334.JPG

DSCF2335.JPG

DSCF2336.JPG

DSCF2337.JPG

DSCF2338.JPG

DSCF2339.JPG

DSCF2340.JPG


I think you can tell from the number of photos I am taking that I am enjoying this one. I am sitting down in front and just watching all the time.

Regards
Andy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top