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Tonys 'Peacocks Crypt' - The End

Re: Tonsers 200L Optiwhite (now featuring hardscape !)

Stunning!! really really stunning!!
 
Re: Tonsers 200L Optiwhite (now featuring hardscape !)

Just read this from start to finish as well - absolutely fantastic.

Next you'll be saying it only took you a few hours and you were happy straight away.

Really though, first pic I saw, I thought - WOW
 
Re: Tonsers 200L Optiwhite (now featuring hardscape !)

Yes, we had fun playing about in the clay trough at TGM when Tony was picking out the wood! Good job he took a photo of what he'd decided... (Tony will know what I'm taking about here :lol: )
 
Re: Tonsers 200L Optiwhite (now featuring hardscape !)

George Farmer said:
I wouldn't be surprised. I saw Tony playing with these before he bought them...

You sure did ! Not sure what you were thinking back there though ..... :lol:

TGM19.jpg


There'll be an update from me later ;)

Tony
 
Re: Tonsers 200L Optiwhite (now featuring hardscape !)

I really like graded gravels these days and yours is one of the best I've seen. I'm in process of re-planning my foreground and yours will definitely be my inspiration. Like you said, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

It's lucky that you guys get such nice driftwoods over there. It's less interesting over here, not as twisty.
 
Re: Tonsers 200L Optiwhite (now featuring hardscape !)

When it comes to the hardscape, I have always found that it has been going around in my head a month or two before anything goes in the tank. Come the day when it goes in, it doesn`t take me long at all (less than 30 mins). This only because I have been mulling it over for a good while previously. Once it is in, barring a few tweaks, it doesn`t get altered and the plants go in.

For me, it is a bit like when you have completed an exam paper, but then go back and change an answer, always from the right answer to the wrong one. :?

Having said that, it only works for me when I am using hardscape that I am familiar with. It takes a bit longer if it is some new stuff I have bought.

Dave.
 
Re: Tonsers 200L Optiwhite (now ft. plants & a bag of gravel !)

paul.in.kendal said:
Tony, this is incredible hardscape. I've been kidding myself I'll be able to do a good job on my first try, but really, this is just so outstanding, I realise it'll take me an age to get to even an acceptable standard.

Hi Paul, you might be surprised :D Other than my little nano, this is my first 'scape, and is the first time I've used different substrates and gravels. I think if you study alot of other scapes and form a good plan in your mind of how you want it to look, thats half the battle. Most of the other half is finding the best materials you can to make your plan a reality. Once your actually putting it together its a case of patience, and walking away from the tank and coming back to it with 'fresh eyes' alot of times (for me anyway) :D

At this stage I'm quite happy to take from other peoples tank ideas (especially if those folks are of the scaping calibre of Messrs Farmer, Edwards and Moniz :lol: ) to make the scape I want in my home, but moving forward it would be great to come up with something new and push standards even higher - thats the really hard bit :D

oldwhitewood said:
I'm liking the layout a great deal
aaronnorth said:
after seeing your sig i was amazed at the hardscape layout
TDI-line said:
Brilliant Tony. :D
johnny70 said:
Stunning!! really really stunning!!
Thanks for your compliments oldwhitewood, aaron, Dan and Johnny :D

altaaffe said:
Next you'll be saying it only took you a few hours and you were happy straight away.
To be honest the redmoor fell into place fairly quickly. I had a strong idea of what I was after, inspired by Luis Moniz' tank, and it happened that George was also doing something similar at the TGM day. Jim had pre-soaked some nice redmoor pieces which turned out to be too big for the demo tank, so Steve and I played for a while in the trough at TGM and came up with the layout. The rocks on the other hand took a while - about 3 days on and off of playing around. It doesnt seem to matter how much you buy, you seem to need either a different bit, or another bit :lol:

Tony
 
Re: Tonsers 200L Optiwhite (now ft. plants & a bag of gravel !)

It looks outstanding - really looking forward to seeing it develop.
 
Re: Tonsers 200L Optiwhite (now ft. plants & a bag of gravel !)

Day 4 (since planting)

Well, I wasnt going to post this until a certain issue had been resolved, but what the heck - 'warts and all' and all that :D

The plants arrived last Thursday...

Optiwhite14_MUS1407.jpg


So I added enough water to cover the foreground substrate, and the planting began :D :D :D

I split 4 pots of Crypt Parva into 29 plantlets, and started with them in the foreground...

Optiwhite15_MUS1409.jpg


Optiwhite16_MUS1410.jpg


Then split 4 pots of Eleocharis Parvula into 99 plantlets, and positioned them around and behind the Parva...

Optiwhite17_MUS1411.jpg


Optiwhite18_MUS1414.jpg


Next was the Hygrophila Difformis, which makes up the midground behind the roots, and then the Cyperus Helferi at the back on the left ( 2 pots = 8 plants). I also stuffed the monosolenium tenerum (pelia) in the crevices and alcoves within the roots....

Optiwhite19_MUS1416.jpg


That was the substrate planted up, so I filled it up some more...

Optiwhite20_MUS1418.jpg


This is the point where it nearly went wrong :wideyed: The right hand piece of wood started to shift a little, and was just about to float up when I got my left hand on it to hold it down. I managed to grab a plant bag and fill it with gravel with my other hand and got that to weight the wood down without to much damage done.

So I now had an issue ! I didnt want to fill it any more incase the other woods started floating, but I had the substrate planted so I needed to get the filter running, temperature up, and CO2 in there. The lily pipes would not reach the water level, so i made up some inlet and outlets from some push-fit plumbing fittings that I had around so at least I could get the filter running. I also chose to add the mosses to the roots, and clingfilm the top of the tank so they wouldnt dry out. Looking good :lol: ...

Optiwhite21_MUS1421.jpg


Over the weekend, I kept spraying the moss, and gradually increasing the water level, whilst watching for floaters, and by this morning I got it filled completely :D The plumbing pipework has now gone, and the glassware is all installed, both filters are running along with the heater and the CO2 :D :D :D

Optiwhite22_MUS1424.jpg


Whilst doing this post, the bolbitis has arrived, so later on I'll be draining it down a bit and adding that :D I'll take some 'behind the scenes' shots for you cupboard-lovers :lol:

Cheers

Tony
 
Re: Tonsers 200L Optiwhite (now ft. plants & a bag of gravel !)

That is top class, Tony! I can't wait to see it grown in, and glad you managed to keep the wood sunk...that would have been a disaster.
 
Re: Tonsers 200L Optiwhite (now ft. plants & a bag of gravel !)

really nice setup youve done there now Tony, both hardscape and planting, and so clear once youve filled up! Its going to be a stunner for sure and even better once grown in :D The xmas moss shouol dbe in the post tonight, didnt have time to send it over the weekend sorry.
 
Re: Tonsers 200L Optiwhite (now ft. plants & a bag of gravel !)

You`ll be amazed at how mobile a wood scape can move around through slight movement of the water (and being knocked :oops: ). Take a photo of this in a month or two and the angles of all the wood will have changed as they find their equilibrium.

Dave.
 
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