Ngā Reo O Aotearoa (Voices Of Aotearoa)

[FishyWishie]

We'll after me and my other half had a discussion about how I never spend any money on myself I decided to lash out on some hardscape (yes i know this isn't plants bear with me lol) so after much umming and ahhhing I eventually ordered about £130 of manzanita wood and about £85 (30kgs) mini landscape rock (mini my #14### btw some of it its massive ;p) I've whack a few cripts in for now but I'm looking for suggestions on the actual plant side of things.

I have about 2.28 WPG if memory serves me correctly with FE C02 being difused via an aquamas external c02 reactor. (C02 isnt running atm as Im scared ill kill all my fish overnight so havent found the courage to actualy run it lol.

Lighting 2 x 54W 2 x 38W T5
Filtration 1 x Eheim Pro 3 2080 1x Eheim Classic 2217 (All sponge)

Substrate JBL Aquabasis capped with JBL Manado

I want to use plants that will work in tandem with the hardscape not overwhelm it as its to expensive to just overgrow lol hers a pic (ignore the particles in the water i cleaned out the filter and didnt get the pipe in the bucket quick enough so a little gunk shot out into the tank I'll sort that via a WC later.

All suggestions plant wise more than welcome I kinda like the hardscape how it is and I may cry man tears if I have to move it

 

[lljdma06]

That is some serious Manzanita...

Based on what I'm seeing arrangementwise, though, perhaps you may have to shed a few man tears... it just looks too spread out right now and my eye's going everywhere in this tank. You don't have a defined focal point.

Remember, Ian had to play with his wood quite a few times before he finally got it right.

 

[FishyWishie]

I might take the rocks out and photo them all im thinking maybe some kind of rock mountain as focal point may be better ..... something along the same lines as SuperColey did just with not quite as large stones.

I want to get the hardscape nailed down before i start the planting phase.

 

[angelfishguy]

i really like it as it is

 

[FishyWishie]

Just to clarify 2nd pic isnt mine ;p just an alternative idea I do like how it is but its needs a focal point and although i still have a good amount of rock left im at a loss as to how to achieve one.

 

[FishyWishie]

Playing with my wood some more

Now as well as the big rock still in the tank I also have the following lovely pieces of Seriyu stone available (some was in the tank already so is wet in the images and some wasn't) in reality the colour of each piece is pretty much the same save the natural striations in the rock.

 

[ian]

don't get rid of that Seriyu stone just yet!

That hardscape looks so much better like that, you're gonna get a nice triangle scape going on there. The one thing i would do is, place some of that Seriyu around the bottom of the triangle...trying to make it look as natural as possible.

here's a thread to have a look at

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/328059-basics-in-aquascaping/

It wood be good to get some large java fern and mosses on the wood, preferably around the bottom of the manzy wood. There's soooo much you could do with this scape, i'm jealous!

 

[ian]

i will just add on the pic with the shape and the black being the stone...the stone need to look as natural as possible, you may need to take a step back from the tank and admire from afar to get it.

triangle

 

[SchottayB]

Love the wood! Will look great with the rocks in

 

[lljdma06]

Now that's a much better wood placement. Trust, Ian, he's good with his wood and his rocks.

 

[ian]

i'm changing my first name to wood.

 

[FishyWishie]

Still playing with my wood but this time I've tried playing with my stones at the same time Not sure if this works or not I'm just goiong to spend a week making up dif scapes on my table (which ive taped to tank size) and see what I end up going back to.

I've incoporated some cans of beans I call this style the 'Heinz' style of aquascaping (Or it could be there holding up the wood up at the back )

I did try flipping the wood round to fit in the triangle more height wise but im not sure its better this way ah well at least its on a rry table and not in the tank lol

 

[ian]

I personally think, the first one and go for an island style scape. So, the hardscape is in the center of the tank and then plant around it.

Are you finding the Manzie hard to scape with?, i found breaking a few of the awkward pieces in to 2 or 3 pieces helped a lot.

 

[FishyWishie]

It is a little tricky because its so long in twisty it's limiting in terms of its pretty much going left right or up lol off out in an hour to see the Red Hot Chilli Pipers (yes pipers ;p) I'll see if I can whack it into an island before I go ;p see how it looks laid out.

 

[KkAaNnEe]

But I suppose with the first one, which I prefer, the triangle can be heightened by putting plants behind it, so that 'bit' isnt sticking out so much

Or like Ian said, break that bit that is sticking out and glue it to another bit