Dave`s Pre Journal Journal

[Dave Spencer]

I finally managed to get off my big fat lazy one and step in to my backyard to look for some decent rocks (North Wales Clwydian Range). I started by grabbing what I thought would look good against the dark of the Aqua Soil, and came up with the following:

These are just random thoughts, but I am currently thinking of a carpet of HC with some Pogostemon Helferi interspersed to break it up a little. The slope on the left might be planted with bushes of Micranthemum Micranthemoides. There might be a little Eleocharis Parvulus dotted about the rocks.

Anyway, the rocks at the moment look a little small, so with a correct sense of scale I went and collected some larger ones. Hopefully, the next picture shows their texture:

What do you think? Does it need some larger, more dramatic rocks jutting up in to the open space above?

Here is the tank with a blue background:

Sorry about the flash, but the photos were a rushed job before I got ready for a night shift. I will try black and opaque backgrounds as well.

My 120l tank is on hold at the moment because I want to take the Hygrophilia out of it and use it in this tank to fight off any algae issues. I have an EQJ luminaire on its way, and have ordered a pressurised CO2 from Aquamas.

Cheers, Dave

 

[Graeme Edwards]

Just a quicky before i head home, after which i will coment on your rock placement!!

Where did you get your tank stand from?? I like it! The fact that its flush with the tank and very neat lines is appealing. Any info, brand, design name and where to get one??

Cheers dave, like i say ill look at your rocks later tonight.

 

[Dave Spencer]

Cheers for the comments Moody,

The cabinet is £25 from Argos. It`s not the sturdiest, but it should be OK. I am considering just adding a prop in the centre of the cabinet, CO2 equipment and filter permitting.

I look forward to your comments on the rocks because I think your scaping is first class.

Dave.

 

[kpintheshed]

looking good. are u going to put any wood in it?

 

[Dave Spencer]

The first pics of this journal show the wood I originally planned on using, but that is now likely to be going in to my 120l jungle. My thoughts for this one at the moment are for a rocky scape with low lying plants, leaving the upper 2/3 of the tank free, that I hope to fill with ashoal of some kind of nano fish.

Cheers, Dave.

 

[willtang3000]

i love the placement of rocks

and yeah are you going to be putting any of the wood that you prepared in it?

looking good. are u going to put any wood in it?

 

[Graeme Edwards]

Which section of argos was it in. Im looking online for it. Is it a tank stand or some other kind of ferniture??

 

[lljdma06]

I like the rocks Dave, you sure they're ok for aquariums? They look ok to me, but you never know.

Remember, HC with some Pogostemon Helferi is all nice and lovely and purdy, but it's Egeria densa, H. polysperma, and R. rotundifolia in large numbers that makes the tank pretty for Mr. HC and Miss Pogostemon. Don't be tempted to make this tank what you want from the beginning. We don't want Mr. Algae, now do we!?

Looking forward to the rest of the setup.

llj

 

[Dave Spencer]

I like the rocks Dave, you sure they're ok for aquariums? They look ok to me, but you never know.

I must admit that I am not 100% sure about the rocks being OK. I put one of them in some water with a little vinegar to see if there was any fizzing, but all seemed OK. Is there any other test I can do?

Remember, HC with some Pogostemon Helferi is all nice and lovely and purdy, but it's Egeria densa, H. polysperma, and R. rotundifolia in large numbers that makes the tank pretty for Mr. HC and Miss Pogostemon. Don't be tempted to make this tank what you want from the beginning. We don't want Mr. Algae, now do we!?

My Hygro. jungle is going to transferred from 120l across to this tank, and I have some Hydrocotyle Leucocephala sat in a bucket looking sorry for itself at the moment. I also intend to experiment with shorter lighting periods and a lean water column at the beginning.

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Dave Spencer]

Which section of argos was it in. Im looking online for it. Is it a tank stand or some other kind of ferniture??

I can`t find it on t`internet, so I`ll have a look in the catalogue tomorrow, I am at work at the moment.

Dave.

 

[sophos9]

Looking good so far, will be good to see it come together!

Good luck

 

[Themuleous]

Rock layout is looking quality mate, should make for an awesome scape.

Sam

 

[Dave Spencer]

Sam,

Being a person at one with Mother Nature, do you have any idea of how to make sure they are aquarium safe? I tried them in Vinegar, and they didn`t fizz.

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Graeme Edwards]

The rocks look good to me. Although i think it needs some bigger stones. I would say another three real biggies no actually one "mother"/"anchor" stone. Then another largish stone to balance the size difference of the anchor stone to the fill in stones.

If your in no rush to get this right can i suggest you buy ADA aqua Journal vol 34 English version. It goes deep into composition. Get them all if you have the cash, its worth it.

Don't forget the rule of thirds. So when you get an anchor stone use this as a guide to where it should rest. Then work in odd numbers and with the triadic rule.

Think about how a stone with lie, if its top heavy it would in nature topple so would look odd if propped up in an aquarium.

Think about using the sharp point of a rock to point to the opposite raised corner of the aquarium, this will subconsciously suggest to the viewer that the design is larger and evoke more space.

To give the rock some age, plant fine grass's or E.tennalus around the stones. This will give a feeling that the plants arrived after the stones and has had to grow around it.

In this picture Ive high lighted the points in your layout that stand out to me.
The two yellow lines show how your stones are too neat and orderly, we know nature isn't!
The stone to the top left, to me, would be eventually lost and have no real role here.
And the stone to the right is all alone lost in space.


Here Ive played around a little to show what i mean with working on odd numbers and in triangles. As i say you need more stone and and anchor stone, then go from there.


When you get more rocks, place 2 3rds of the rock to one side and 1 3rd to the other, this will make since when working with the golden rule etc.

Hope that helps Dave?

Regards,
Graeme.

 

[Themuleous]

Not sure Dave, although the whole fizz test I think is supposed to be done with hydrochloric acid as vinegar is not strong enough. I guess you could vomit on some, your stomach hydrochloric acid would probably be strong enough

Have you seen The-Wolfs rock article? That might help.

Sam