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The rocky uphill road to my first IAPLC entry....will I make it in time?

jarcher1390

Member
Joined
6 Aug 2012
Messages
127
Hi all,

So I have been dormant from making journals as I have been creating a scape for entering the 2017 IAPLC. I have never entered a scaping competition before so I decided to give it a shot. Anyways my thought is what's the worst that could happen? (I come dead last now that I think about it)

This tank is my 5 scape and also my largest scape so far of 250 litres. It would also require me to put into practice everything I have learned from my previous 4 scapes

My first proper scape was in an Arcadia arc tank where I messed about with a Rock wall. It was not the greatest scape but gave me the bug again to get back properly into scaping. Then I did my smallest nano tank which just did not work. This is where I met my arch nemesis Glossostigma where it just would not behave and eventually beat me!! My next scape The 3 peaks although did not end the way I wanted it to I learned a hell of a lot from it and eventually turned out pretty good. After this I knew I needed to push my hard scaping technique to the max so I created a cave hardscape. It did not work functionally as a tank and I never did get round to planting it properly but was a very fun project to do.

I don't expect to rank highly in fact I'd would be over the moon if I could get into the top 2000. This scape unlike my others has been made with the mind of entering IAPLC. And I think it is my strongest scape I've done to date.

Here is the hardscape before planting.
IMG_0501.JPG


To plant up, my good friend and fellow scaper @Joe Turner came over and provided me some plants and a extra pair of hands for planting
IMG_0513.JPG


The first couple of weeks went smoothly but my arch nemesis decided not to grow horizontally.

IMG_0782.JPG


At this point I decided to rip out most of the althernathra reckii mini and Lugwia pastralis red and opted to go for some other plants.

IMG_0873.JPG


This is where it's all gone tits up. Algae has settled in and even with my best efforts I cannot seem to shift it. My new plants are not doing well at all. Leaves are brown, yellow and are just dying off!!!

I have 10 weeks to get the above tank to IAPLC level......I'm hoping this is my only rock in the road but it could be the first of many

If anyone has any helpful tips for me right now I'd love to hear them!!

Hope you enjoy reading this thread

Regards

Jonny
 
Looking good Jonny, glad to have been involved!

Does your fert regime include liquid carbon? Seems like algae is getting a slight head start against the low biomass of plants you've got.. How much light have you got over it? Do you know how efficiently you're dissolving C02? After lights out is there a residue on the surface water?

That tripartita is going to look brilliant filled out!!
 
Well yes it does, but it's not the same as the other liquid carbon. Might pick up some Colombo liquid carbon later today.
I think I may have altered the bio load too soon in the tanks life. And didn't adjust my lights accordingly so the new in vitro plants didn't get off the the best start. Giving the pesky algae a little boost.
Nope I have no oily residue but that could be from a new bacterial supplement which has bacteria that specifically degrades the oily surface.

Yes the tripartita is going to look awesome and shouldn't take long to get there either!!
 
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