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Rate My HardScape

D

dkm

Member
Joined
7 Jun 2009
Messages
208
Hi,

Looking for some constructive advice. This is my first planted tank since changing from marine.

Not sure of the scaping. The rock is ADA seryu stone on a ADA AquaSoil Amazonia soil.

The tank is made out of acrylic and is 150L x 50W x 60H (cm)

What does everyone think to my first attempt at placing the rock. The aquarium will hopefully be densely packed.

Well here goes:

rock.jpg


281020093232.jpg


28102009322.jpg


28102009321.jpg


28102009320.jpg


Thanks in advance for advice

Dave
 
i can tell you have had marine before :D you have that piled up rock thing going on there. the rocks are a good choice :thumbup: rock placement in a planted tank are something i would recommend on taking some time on else you may want to change them half way through. have a look on google for iwagumi, its a type of aquarium where rocks are the key feature. here is something that may interest you http://www.slipperylittlesuckers.com/article_Iwagumi.htm thats a quick description of how an iwagumi works.

this is your first try right? you have done a much better job than i did on my first try :D
 
Hi,

Thanks for the advice. Honest advice is valuable. I am still trying to get marine techniques out of my head. It was my first attempt the other night.

Will be giving it another move round tonight. Will post up some more pictures when it is done. had a look at the iwagumi style. may try and replicate that style of scaping.

cheers guys,

dave
 
dkm said:
Hi,

Thanks for the advice. Honest advice is valuable. I am still trying to get marine techniques out of my head. It was my first attempt the other night.

Will be giving it another move round tonight. Will post up some more pictures when it is done. had a look at the iwagumi style. may try and replicate that style of scaping.

cheers guys,

dave
Click to expand...
iwagumi is a nice way to get a scape looking nice. althou there can be alot of planning and thinking about placement to get a iwagumi looking right. if your not carefull it can sometimes look flat and without depth, to me the key is to never keep the substrate flat in any area. I tend to make the substrate sweep all over with key rock placement. Rocks on top of substrate, Half buried rock, Cracks in rocks for fish to hide, and for plants to grow in, Its all down to you in the end of the day, individual people will have individual ways of doing things, and sometimes its best to exsperiment and find your own way of doing things, Make your own style if you like, sometimes its best to break off from the sheep, so to speak. You will that way come up with a unique scape. Im going to be watching this journal as you enter the world of planted tank, a down grade, But a rather large leep from marine with alot of habits to break along the way. Ps sorry about spelling. Yours Chilled84 :D
 
dkm said:
Hi,

Thanks for the advice. Honest advice is valuable. I am still trying to get marine techniques out of my head. It was my first attempt the other night.

Will be giving it another move round tonight. Will post up some more pictures when it is done. had a look at the iwagumi style. may try and replicate that style of scaping.

cheers guys,

dave
Click to expand...
iwagumi is a nice way to get a scape looking nice. althou there can be alot of planning and thinking about placement to get a iwagumi looking right. if your not carefull it can sometimes look flat and without depth, to me the key is to never keep the substrate flat in any area. I tend to make the substrate sweep all over with key rock placement. Rocks on top of substrate, Half buried rock, Cracks in rocks for fish to hide, and for plants to grow in, Its all down to you in the end of the day, individual people will have individual ways of doing things, and sometimes its best to exsperiment and find your own way of doing things, Make your own style if you like, sometimes its best to break off from the sheep, so to speak. You will that way come up with a unique scape. Im going to be watching this journal as you enter the world of planted tank, a down grade, But a rather large leep from marine with alot of habits to break along the way. Ps sorry about spelling. Yours Chilled84 :D
 
Hi Dave

You've picked some nice stones there, if I may make a few suggestions.
Perhaps try to seat the rocks deeper in the substrate, and try to Contour the substrate around the rocks in a natural manner, also If using piles of rocks try to match their strata and shapes so they appear as one formation.
I look forward to seeing some more photos as the scape develops.

Cheers,
James
 
All really good advice. At the moment I think I will start by increasing the level of substrate on the left hand side with rocks set into this mound until the soil levels off in the middle. i will see what this looks like then move onto the right hand side of the aquarium which I am guessing will be more level. But not completely.

And will refrain from piling them up on each other.

Habits are starting to be broken.

Watch this space

Cheers

dave
 
dkm said:
All really good advice. At the moment I think I will start by increasing the level of substrate on the left hand side with rocks set into this mound until the soil levels off in the middle. i will see what this looks like then move onto the right hand side of the aquarium which I am guessing will be more level. But not completely.

And will refrain from piling them up on each other.

Habits are starting to be broken.

Watch this space

Cheers

dave
Click to expand...
i feel proud that my advice has been taken. yippee. i think i am right about this one.
 
Well here we go:

New scape. Not final just getting ideas.

What do you think?

29102009332.jpg


29102009324.jpg


29102009325.jpg


29102009326.jpg


29102009326.jpg


29102009330.jpg


29102009331.jpg


29102009332.jpg


Sorry for quality of pics.

Dave
 
I understand.

Still playing with slopes. Will update pictures again tomorrow.

Cheers

Dave
 
Latest attempt.

Bearing in mind it will be heavily planted.

30102009333.jpg


dave
 
In that last picture there is approx 35kg. Still have a couple of pieces that I have not used yet.

Why?

Dave
 
Hi dkm

You have a nice set up with some great looking rocks!

When most of us design a rock-based layout, or Iwagumi, we try to replicate nature. Think about the rocks strata, so that the rocks compliment one another and 'flow' naturally.

At the moment the design looks a little too artificial, in particular the most vertical rock around two thirds across from the left.

All this said it is you that lives with the tank, so if you like it then that's more important, of course.

You say heavily planted. What plants are you using? This is an important consideration. Your rocks are actually quite small in relation to the height of the tank and may become 'drowned' in plants. So the rock layout becomes less important.

Finally, please re-size future images to 800 pixels along the longest edge before posting.
 
Hi George,

Thank you for the advice. Yes I am anticipating due to planting that some rocks will become slightly obscured. That is what is making it difficult for me to make my mind up with rock positioning. I dont normally follow set rules/layouts. I like to be slightly different. So this aquarium I would like a cross between dutch, jungle with plenty of rocks and a nice carpet of Utricularia graminifolia. But varying the height of the plants from end to end. Might end up looking like a pigs ear but want to give it a go. Only time will tell if it is going to work!

Thanks also for the advice on image size. Here you go, resized (800x599).

30102009333.jpg


Still not final layout yet!!!


Dave
 
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