Java Island on Sagittaria Sea

[The ultimate_fish MaC dAddY]

hubba-da-hubba-da hubba......................thats a nice tank!

 

[bunjiweb]

Looks good, although i think more could be done to the right side, it does look superb! Maybe some bogwood with anubias would fit in well..

Ben

 

[SPLiSH]

Wow. Lovely tank gf!

I adore it how it is but if it was my tank I'd put a feature in the back right to balance it all out. Like a bubble-powered diver ornament!

Nah, but a piece of driftwood or such in that right corner would make it even nicer.

 

[Puffer_freak]

I like it, but I think that it's a bit too unoriginal, and classic.

You should think up something which sounds impossible, and then create it...

Like...a kind of forest made out of bogwood and plant growing out of the top of the bogwood...

So you could have a carpet of riccia and java moss and then have thin pieces of hollow driftwood sitcking up from from them, like trees, and coming up throught the driftwood could be other types of plants...

Yes...I know...crazy ideas...

 

[RYO]

Nice job m8 , but to be hyper critical, more accents are necessary imo )

 

[houndour]

hi george, I'm hardly an artist but one day I will have a tank that will show yours up! I don't know if you remember but I preferred your dutchy styled tank the best, but I believe you've been looking for a lower maintenance tank?

So is that it? You're going to enter a low maintenance tank?

I love the simpleness, but I don't think it would win. The choice of fish are fine, although they may comment on the fact that you have only 1 discus, but I'm sure I read that you plan to attempt to get a mate for him.

A lot of people seem to be saying it lacks some wood, a focal point. I think the problem is your focal point is really the java fern. It's HUGE. Maybe time to trim it back? I dunno. Just throwing out some ideas. You want critique, it's tough to give a planted guru like you critique!

Your right about needing a different carpeting plant. You gonna give the glosso a go?

Dunno what else to suggest.

 

[zig]

Personally i never liked the sag, although it does look good in the picture in this thread, should i have said this before? maybe, maybe not, a lot of people like your tank as it is.

Personally i think it made the overall effect to fussy, it gives the appearance that the leaves on the fern are similar to the sag.

I think the simplicity itself of the tank may also be its biggest fault, i think its a very difficult thing to achieve having a killer look with just one focal point, especially when the focal point has leaves so similar to the foreground.

I think the problem you have is that the fern is very large as Sam has pointed out, and you are trying to build the scape around this, you are prepared to ditch the sag, but the question is will you ditch the fern? or will you continue to be limited by its size and dominance in the tank, i think this may be the limiting factor, and although it is a beautiful specimen all your plans at the end of the day have to be built around it because of its sheer size.

I would still try and incorporate the fern but not have it so central, i would move it to the left hand side, i would remove the sag and make the substrate slope slightly from left to right making it sort of hilly as you go, i would plant a hairgrass type plant and perhaps incorperate some moss covered or riccia covered stones into the substrate and let the hairgrass grow around these (the sort of stones you would get on a beach largeish sort of mounds covered in the moss or riccia rather than jutting rocks) you could then use low accent plants plants on this side of the tank near where you place the stones, the fern would need some work, you would need to build a type of base around it with a different plant, or half way behind it to the right of it add a different plant that would only grow to about half its height to reinforce the slopeing idea.

Anyway those are just some thoughts or ideas, it is a hard one, it is funny though how most people here say put something on the right hand side to balance it up, i dont agree i think the Crinum needed to be moved.

Anyway just some thoughts or ideas, im sure you will work it out, lots of possibilities even with what you have allready.

 

[Adistar]

wow ur tank is amazing...

i would trim the big plant in the back a lil.... or alot.. lol its huge!

But other than that. your tank is amazing

 

[George Farmer]

Thank you very much to everyone who has taken the time and effort to provide me with their feedback, even if I don’t completely agree with some comments it is very interesting to hear your opinions and personal tastes.

It appears that the majority of you want to see another focal point on the right. I don’t want to do this as my tank is far too small at only 32” long. Generally only much longer tanks (60”+) can get away with having more than the one focal point.

I have plenty to think about anyway.

zig – you’ve nailed it regarding the fern, it’s a maker or breaker that’s for sure.

Keep the comments coming guys and girls, it’s fascinating to hear all your views.

 

[Jen]

First off, it's awesome.

I would want to add a tall plant on the right with a bit of colour to it. To me there is just too much of the same colour green. I know you like the all green look, but maybe something with a dark green colour to it. Maybe tucked in right behind the java fern.

I think houndour is right... I think the java needs a bit of a trim.

How about a section of substrate with no plants? Like a little gravel pool. Now that I think of it, That probably wouldn't work in a tank as small as yours.

Theres my 2 cents.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Awful. Your best bet would be to give it to me. I have a desk that it would look much better on .




Nice. I like it, but it does need something in the space.... Not sure what though.....

 

[annka5]

It's fantastic, but as you're looking for comments rather than compliments...

I think the back should be completely matt OR ultra glossy, e.g. using a board painted with Japanese-lacquer-effect paint.

I'd move the fern a LITTLE bit more to the left, also.

Also, I think the plants at the base are somehow not right -there's a little mini-hillock to the right of the main plant, and somehow that isn't quite right to me. perhaps the base planting needs to have a lowest point parallel to the middle of the large fern, rising up gently either side of it.

And, to reveal my lack of plant knowledge ) , what would be great is a few leaves of a wiry-leaved narrow twisty plant close to the fern - somethin that would look a bit like very long green pipecleaners twisted into corkscrews. Dunno if there is such a plant, though! Otherwise, maybe 5 - 7 stems very thin twisted willow twigs sticking up out of the substrate close to the fern would be good.

I'd leave the right hand side of the tank empty -I think another focal point will make it cluttered /confusing.

Also, if I had that tank, I would also feel very very smug and be unable to resist the temptation of showing it off to everyone who had the misfortune to walk past the house.

 

[jimbooo]

Well theres not a lot i can add mate. i LOVE the theory with the layout just not the choice of forground plant. it's too tall. (awesome quality though, top marks for lushness - if thats a word)

dont you dare touch the java fern - that is by far the best specimin i've ever seen. if it's too tall buy a bigger tank. seriously mate it's taken ages to grow to that size. would be like chopping the top off an oak. leave it be.
if you change the sag for something shorter (glosso's a good option) it'd put the fern back into perspective.

I have a vision of an english country medow, open grass land, neat from grazing cattle with a massive 500yr old oak tree in the corner.

you could recreate that image in miniture in your tank very easily. just replace the cows with fish.

Definatly need to move the crinium (i know i may be biased on that point but it's a bit busy wherever you put it.)

i'd leave the background as is, if you do get the glosso into a good heavy carpet it will draw your eye to the forground and the fern will sillouette (SP?) against the black wonderfully.

the problem at the moment is the sag's getting too tall. where you can see the gaps between the leaves your eye looses the continuity of a good carpet and the picture breaks down rather.

a bit like the english medow without the cows, grass gets out of control, turns to hay and gets overgrown.

the sags definatly the problem not the fern IMO. other than that awesome quality as usual, stunning colour in the sag, absolutly flawless. no spots, torn leaves, tiny hair algae strands, the odd holey leaf........ nothing. pure quality in a box

 

[JackDemp528]

I think it's gorgeous! I wouldn't touch it either. But man, gravel vacuuming must be a pain!

 

[Synirr]

All I can say is that that is one huge java fern!