• 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

Just to add a little update.

Everything is now ready apart from substrate. Will be buying that on Thursday.

Will be painting the skirting boards Wednesday/Thursday, varnishing Friday.

Then the wife is off to stay with her sister on Saturday overnight (Mother in law arrives from Portugal on Friday) so I will be doing the 'real' scape on Saturday night.....probably through the night as I normally do :)

Then I can take some piccies of it in situ which should kind of explain my comments r.e. scaping to suit the decor in the aquascaping sub-forum :)

All excited now

Andy
 
Please remind me, what are the optics you used on your LEDs? Are they clear or diffused ones? I've got mine hung 60cm from the substrate with 60deg optics and my hairgrass carpet is still doing well.

Also... substrate? You've already got everything in there. Are you gonna take everything out again?
 
flygja said:
Please remind me, what are the optics you used on your LEDs? Are they clear or diffused ones? I've got mine hung 60cm from the substrate with 60deg optics and my hairgrass carpet is still doing well.
Click to expand...

The optics are clear 45 degree:
CIMG4769.jpg


Also... substrate? You've already got everything in there. Are you gonna take everything out again?
Click to expand...

Unlike others I cannot trial things in an empty tank. I have one main tank and the inhabitants go from scape to scape. Fish are first scape is built around them. So what you see in the pics prior is me trialling the hardscape in the tank as it stands at the moment.

The substrate in those pics is Tropica capped with sand which I put in there in September 2007. This will be replaced with gravel. I want to slope but with Corys there is no possibility of sloping with sand as they level it very quickly.

My plan is to keep the foregound as a sand and then use gravel for the rest so I can slope it :)

Short answer: Yes it's all coming out. need to attach mosses and needles etc then back in with CO2 added, lighting lowered et al ;)

Tom said:
Those rocks are really nice Andy
Click to expand...

Glad you like them Tom

Andy
 
The day arrives and I finally put this scape into reality. I washed the gravel and sand first because I don't want to have to clean the dust out of my filter.

DSCF2359.JPG


The bottom layer is 5mm of Leonardite and 10mm sphagnum moss peat. This is just in the corners. I don't want it under the foregound sand nor in the cavity between the central rocks as this is where the Corys tend to congregate,

I baked the old Tropica for 4 hours in the oven and then crumbled it up and layered that in the corners.

DSCF2360.JPG


At this point I put some cardboard dividers in to stop the foreground getting mixed with the rest of the substrate and in went the sand.

DSCF2362.JPG


followed by a nice slope of the gravel behind it.

DSCF2364.JPG


And then I took the dividers out:

DSCF2365.JPG


I first put the main rocks into the tank

DSCF2372.JPG


which then had Fissidens Fontanus and Needle Fern glued to them.

DSCF2373.JPG


Next step I added the perimeter smaller rocks and glued some Flame moss in areas to blend the space between adjoining rocks.

DSCF2375.JPG


Finally I added the smaller shards and started filling it up. I think it looks wicked.

DSCF2377.JPG

DSCF2378.JPG


Then I filled her up:
DSCF2379.JPG


And this is how she looks (water level is low because fish are going back in so need the 10 litres for the bucket to float in :):
DSCF2382.JPG

DSCF2383.JPG

DSCF2384.JPG


Ignore the cabinet. The doors are off at the moment because I am painting it to match the new lounge decor. Therefore I will have to trim the doors once I've done the cabinet then it will be back to looking sweet :)

DSCF2385.JPG


Regards
Andy
 
Surprised no-one asked why I made a 'path' then put rocks on top of it ;)

I've got 10 portions of Bolbitus on rocks in there to add plantmass when I'm not taking photos :) I didn't sell them in the end.

Andy
 
corys + cave = unseen fish ;) Sand is better under there if the Corys are gonna 'shelter' (more like hide) there :)

Andy
 
The frosted background I've put on may be making them look brighter but they are bright anyway. Was hard to get shots without it just being a white box so I took many with daylight/room lights on.

Andy
 
Quick update. Pictures later.

I saw some Boraras Merah (Phoenix Rasbora) in the Aquarium, Lincoln the other day (LFS near me) and immediately decided I was going to get 20.

So I rehomed the Espei and Platinums to a TFF member on Sunday.

Today I got the Merah, and of course best laid plans and all that :) I bought 30. Just acclimitising them now.

On a sour note, one of my black corys is looking worse for wear. Was one with a deformed back and has been in decline for the past month or so. All the others are fine :(

I'll update with some pics later once they've settled in.

Andy
 
30 hard to find fish for £21 so couldn't resist :) 70p each....bargain

I've put the Cory out of it's misery. Was covered in shrimp and better for it to be quick than eaten alive.

Andy
 
Some pictures:

The Boraras Merah being acclimitised:
DSCF2388.JPG


Exploring the 'mountain tops'
DSCF2398.JPG


A shot from the distance showing the 'temporary' plant mass
DSCF2404.JPG


Loving fighting against the 2000lph waver 2000
DSCF2410.JPG


The return journey over the 'mountain tops'
DSCF2413.JPG


No idea why that chair is there. lol. This is my viewing station.
DSCF2416.JPG


Andy
 
Nice find! I've never seen these for sale, and to get them at such a good price as well!

Tank is looking good
 
At the moment I think I have a mixture. Some have the definite neon ring around the black dot, some don't, some are paler etc. They are really really young with sunken bellies so may take some fattening up and growing on to get full colours before it becomes clear :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top