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Some advice on my 15 gallon layout

nry

Member
Joined
23 Oct 2007
Messages
1,225
Location
Cumbria, UK
Hi all,

Long time no see! The tank has been muddling through new babies and sleepless nights for a good while now but it is still going if a bit neglected!

I did a big strip of the foreground around a month or so back as it was getting really overgrown, the lilaeopsis brasiliensis had pretty much overtaken the substrate and for now I've left a big patch of it to the rear-right, however it does need a good trim too. I had a few issues recently with the seal on the CO2 cannister hence a bit of algae took hold but it's on it's way out now again :) The joys of EI!

Anyhow, here's the tank as it stands tonight:

tank090409.jpg


I've been thinking of changing it a fair bit but am torn between keeping the wood or going for some 'knife-rock' from AE...unsure yet but thoughts welcome. The crypt to the rear-right snuck in, I did not plant it ever yet it started growing about 2 months into the scape...confuses me that as I never bought any never mind planted any in this layout which was done from scratch!

I want to bring the windelov down off the wood and bring it a little forward, left and on a rock on the substrate level. From there, add in some height at either the rear-right or perhaps along the whole rear of the tank. Some thoughts on using stem plants or perhaps going for some vallis mini twister. If I go for some rocks then I am tempted to put vallis all along the rear of the tank, then some windelov, crypts and perhaps anubias nana around the rock bases...

If I keep the wood I get a bit stuck on the mid-ground/height planting, so if anyone has any ideas please suggest them!
 
Good to see you again mate! Hope all is well :)

That's a really nice lump of windelov mate! Sounds like a good plan, though I'm not sure about vallis all along the back. Maybe at the back left, and grade everything down to the right, giving a nice triangle composition?
 
The vallis would work better all along the back with some of the rocks I am thinking of, akin to the George Farmer scape he did in a larger tank. The triangle layout had crossed my mind, and might work well if the windelov was moved forward and to the right a bit, I'm just unsure on the plant I'd use at the rear right. Vallis MT may well work fine as the leaf shape might contrast well with the windelov.

The windelov is in dire need of thinning back though, it's almost choking itself as I'm always pulling blackened leaves from it.
 
Well the wood is staying. Plants ordered today (combination of AE and TGM):

* Rotala Wallichi (always loved this plant but never managed to get any decent stuff) for the rear mid/left
* Anubias bonsai for grouping around the base of the existing windelov which I will be moving forward, down and to the left a bit
* Crypt Wendtii green for the far left/a little to the right of the windelov

Might make some more use of 'pebbles' and I'm considering no carpet plants at all...or if nothing else I'll leave the current HC there as it's doing quite well now after a strip and re-plant a few months ago.

So, a kind of central mound ish type plan with some height (crypt) to the rear left...
 
It'll start later today once the tank lights are on - did some prep for the new plants I've ordered - looks a mess at the moment though :)
 
I'm determined to make a go of the scape this time around - I've never managed to get close to the perceived 'high quality' scapes I see elsewhere so this is a kind of a personal challenge :)
 
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