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Mountain Range

Carpman
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This Hardscape has plenty of character and extremly easy to scan your eye and look at every detail.

An overall opinion on the last three very sorry to say extremely flat and totally uninteresting, even the rock placement looks very confusing.

Keith:wave::wave:
 
Cheers @Barbara Turner but that is a prime example of my problems space/width, oh the joys of dealing with a trigon tank and yes there are some great scapes out there done it a trigon but I want to do something different. That is the hard bit, I also have consider flow again just because of the shape.
 
I very nearly bought a second hand juwel 350 triangle shaped tank to scape, when I got there to buy it it was painted in matt grey emulsion and pretty beaten up. So I came home without it.
 
I very nearly bought a second hand juwel 350 triangle shaped tank to scape, when I got there to buy it it was painted in matt grey emulsion and pretty beaten up. So I came home without it.

Lucky you, I sometimes wish I had, I think they used to clean it with a scourer going by the scatches on the inside.
 
Carpman
20181105_204756.jpg


This Hardscape has plenty of character and extremly easy to scan your eye and look at every detail.

An overall opinion on the last three very sorry to say extremely flat and totally uninteresting, even the rock placement looks very confusing.

Keith:wave::wave:

+1

This scape With the right plants...perfect
 
:lol:

I prefer the scapes in the first post with more separated rock groupings & more rock action at the front of the tank - need some tweaking but still my favourite

I think the Green Aqua version will also work - but doesn’t show nearly as well in standard photos - just needs a bit more rock play
 
New version of the Mountain range. I have a left gap intentionally sort of, could not find a way to marry the 2 together without looking like crap, my intention now is to fill gap with some nice stems.

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This is where I find scape boxes limiting compared to the actual tank - aquarium lighting can dramatically alter perception of a scape

Given the care (& patience) you’ve demonstrated to date, I suggest filling the tank before determining final hardscape - then drain for planting
 
Carpman

I have not changed my mind at all, this is still the best one you have done, it has every thing going for it.

In the end its your tank in your home making it your decision.

Keith:wave::wave:

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aquarium lighting can dramatically alter the perception of a scape

Given the care (& patience) you’ve demonstrated to date, I suggest filling the tank before determining final hardscape - then drain for planting

I agree with your comments above. The reason I set up a mock tank was to save messing with wet soil and the rocks in the tank, I believe that would be different if I wasn't using soil.

:sorry:
but have you tried bringing the mountain “range” forward so there is space behind - this will allow for flow & glass etc cleaning - it should also increase the distance perspective (possibly more notable through water than air) especially if you add some backlighting

There is only really 2/3 spots that I can't get behind fully, the starting edge 2 stones and the large stone following it
I have not tried bringing the range forward for a few reasons, flow and dead space (can't really plant behind the range without disrupting the illusion of depth, They must be some huge plants to be seen over the top of a mountain range if you get what I mean). If I use my last scape I can have some medium stems (Limnophila / Hottonia / Vallisneria) in the left-hand gap and on a mound in the front right corner, I need to have another look to see if there is anything that looks tree-like. Hoping to cover most of the open area with a carpet of Eleocharis mini or MC, And dotting around in the gaps some Pogestemon, Alternanthera mini and Staurogyne repens.

But looking at scape, I'm not actually sure what could be done behind the stone at back/centre
 
What soil will you be using?
I assumed Tropica or similar

I’ve lost track of the details re what your actual tank is doing at this time :oops:


That first set of 3(?) stones at the left front bother me, the “mountain” looks upside down
- base appears narrower than top
- texture of the upper viewing surface of main stone appears “opposite” of the other mountain stone strata (perhaps this is flattening aspect of camera?)
 
@alto Yes you assume right, I'll be reusing ADA Amazonia.
You don't miss a trick do you lol, again you are right the stone in question is a lot smaller at the base of it, I'm hoping to be able to hide that fact with plant/ing, I didn't really have much choice in the orientation of this stone because it had been cut flat on what is now the bottom (so it's hidden)
The tank is empty and clean, well I say empty it has been setup with everything just waiting to be re-scaped and populated with its residents who are currently in a small hold tank.
 
What have you done to prep the ADA Amazonia?

What was in the first run with the soil
Power sand?
Tourmaline etc?
Time of previous scape?
Fertilizer details?

Try the stone the other way around - think about placing Flame or Spikey moss on top or HC/MC to grow downwards
 
What have you done to prep the ADA Amazonia?

What was in the first run with the soil
Power sand?
Tourmaline etc?
Time of the previous scape?
Fertilizer details?

First run was almost 2 yrs.
The substrate was Amozonia soil and powder + Maui sand just for the beach.
Ferts were Tnc Complete from whenever I started them. Not regular :nailbiting:, thats why I decided on auto dosing this time around.

Soil Prep work, Washed till clear (not clouding up in water) and currently drying out.

I would appreciate the opinions on soil re-use from the experienced and those that have done it.
 
At this point your Aquarium Soil may be relatively depleted - obviously this will depend on plant growth, water parameters, regular fertilizers use etc
Carpet plants definitely get “tired” as substrate ages (Green Aqua, Jurijs, Filipe Oliveira all mention this)

ADA also warns that Amazonia allowed to dry out is more likely to collapse and “mud”

If you decide to reuse your old soil, I’d definitely use bottom additives
- such as Tropica Nutrition Capsules: watch Jurijs mit JS Aquascaping Masterclass video for details - I don’t recall his recommended dose - scatter some (new soil), then opened capsules etc)
- ADA system of tourmaline etc (I used Power Sand once :mad: it kept resurfacing and drove me mad as it was all I saw every time I looked at the tank :wideyed: )
- you could also add a layer of Tropica Growth Substrate (1-2 cm) but if you like to adjust your scape frequently or occasionally - this will mud the water column so be ready with water changes, extra Prime etc

Even with the enriched bottom layer, I’d still mix in some new Amazonia (or whatever) ... maybe up to 30% new soil depending ...


I just replaced the aquarium soil in my 90cm & 60 cm tanks
I’d set up a new 60P with Tropica soil and the difference in plant root growth & leaf growth was significant, so decided I’d switch out my other tanks on the next rescapes (I like to change plants in running scapes, or even change hardscape etc)
Note I have very soft tap water with minimal nutrients so this definitely impacts substrate longevity

Of course I remembered that I meant to add Tropica Nutrition Capsules to the base layer once I’d gotten well into the planting stage :oops: ... next time I just might remember in a more timely fashion :rolleyes:
 
I still have new soil and powder left over from original setup so I will use in layers with old stuff, alfagrog to build up bank layer old soil, layer new powder, layer old soil then top off with new soil.
 
Some slight modifications to try and add some more depth, the mound on right will be right in the corner of tank obviously I couldn't do that in mock-up, that way I can get the fall away more towards the centre. The last pic I overexposed the soil deliberately because I'm debating whether to put a sand cap over the soil, I feel that the gap needs to have been created by something (river erosion).

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