Se Asian Biotope

[coldcazzie]

Wood arrived today, this is how I envisage it in the tank (sorry about the reflection & garage junk!)

Anyone got any bright ideas on how I can get the bits of glass across the front and back off? They're pretty well stuck....

Edited to add: just purchased this piece of redmoor too. Pictures to follow when it arrives

 

[StandbySetting]

Have you tried a hot knife to cut the silicone to remove the glass? Or a hot wire?

 

[lljdma06]

I've used HOB for years. I like them, but the Aquaclear brand is an excellent brand. Not certain about the one you linked to.

Love the wood. Both pieces are really nice.

 

[minnnt]

Looks good so far Caz, can't wait to see the finished article. Only thing i can suggest is heat it up with a har dryer then use wire to slip behind the glass.

Good luck!

 

[coldcazzie]

Will give the hot knife/wire a go. I'm sure I must be able to get them off.

I think I'm going to go for that HOB. The aps things are basically cheap knockoffs. I will look at other HOBs, around 700l/h which is theoretically 10x turnover. I kind of have an image in my head now of it all built up on the left, wood, plants, and a marginal plant, with sparse low plants, maybe a bit of moss on the right, and that being where the filter is, kind of like a stream? Although not sure it will work irl...

The price for this is shooting up so far, and I'm going to have to leave off for the time being. Gravel is no longer for sale so now looking at black sand...

to do/shopping:
Stand.
Filter.
Dark substrate.
Remove glass bits.
Play with wood. (lmao )
Write final plant list.

Can I grow Barclaya under low light? (think I know the answer but I'm just checking! )

 

[Ps3Steveo]

App the red leaf version requires the most light but then from what I've read both types do. Then again I've read so many things about HC needing high light and that's defo not true.

P.S. Anubias and Ludwigia on their way

 

[coldcazzie]

Thanks Steve!

wood arrived this morning, definitely need to have a play!

 

[coldcazzie]

Ok, this one is picture heavy so apologies in advance about that!

Photos of the wood when I took it out of the box, from various angles:

And then this is me having a bit of a play with both pieces. Found it quite difficult because of the extra glass bits on the front and back, but that won't be a problem when I take them off. Also had quite a lot of glare from the garage door being wide open, so I tried to hold our pop-up tent up behind the camera and get the right balance of garage light and no flash... anyways, apologies for the not fantastic quality of the pictures! Got a few different poses, obviously this is without taking a saw to the wood, but I will do that if necessary, there's a couple of small bits that may need chopping...

#1: not sure about that big flat bit at the front where it's been sawn, but that could probably be softened with moss or a big chunk of java fern. Not sure I like how the bottom piece sticks up into the tank though...

#2: if it were placed central... I might be convinced by this, but so far it's definitely not my favourite.

#3: this is more what I had in mind when I bought the big piece.

#4: same layout as #3 but angled upwards more, don't think I like this as much.

#5: again, this is more what I had in mind when I bought the big piece.

#6: big piece very similar, little piece turned round into a different position

So far, I think it's between #6 and #3 for me, if I could have the bottom piece like #6 and the top piece like #3 then I think I would be a happy bunny, but that may require the saw to come out lol

What do you guys think?

 

[hanny93]

I prefer number 3, just because it flows more, if you get me, like with number 6, the sawn off bit just sort of cuts off the wood (sorry i cant word it better than that) and doesnt create the softy, stream like feel i get from number three.

And it dwindles down to a point at the end, and with it just being one branch going from the main bit to the other side of the tank, it draws the eye across.

I also like the height you get from the smaller, twiggy piece, not too much like in 1 and 4, but not too little like in number 2.

I also think you have the placing of it right, central just looks way too artificial.

Looking good!!

 

[Ps3Steveo]

I think pic 3 looks best I can see it with substrate built up around it looking good.

 

[StandbySetting]

Number 5 does it for me, and will be good in terms of plant placement too, if you could angle the long piece of wood so that it sticks up a bit more it would be perfect for putting moss on the end.

 

[coldcazzie]

So far, I think it's between #6 and #3 for me, if I could have the bottom piece like #6 and the top piece like #3 then I think I would be a happy bunny, but that may require the saw to come out lol

Re-read and realised I wrote this the wrong way round! s'what you get for trying to finish an update with three kids badgering you for lunch! Tsk. I meant bottom piece like 3 and top like 6.

Either way, it will be different once I've got substrate in there, the pieces will be lifted up by an inch or two, I was planning to bank it towards the back left corner, maybe just towards the left. Still can't decide what to do about the substrate. I think some phone calls to various lfs might be in order! whatever I do will have to wait until next month though, I've spent a good £130 on fish stuff in the past 2-3 weeks... need to let the bank balance recover a bit

 

[coldcazzie]

Slight change of plans which should make things easier, tank will now be going in our bedroom instead of the living room. Have rearranged the furniture, thrown stuff out, etc, and made a space for it.

Currently the wood is soaking, its been there almost a week and is still as buoyant as ever. Might have to resort to a couple of lots of boiling water, but for the moment I'm happy to wait. Going to give it at least another two weeks before I start getting impatient.

Question: do I definitely need a sand/gravel cap over compost, or could I manage without. Just considering options here.

Next question: HOBs. Are they noisy? Ie, is it going to drive us batty with the sound? If there's any chance, then that may be the tip over into complete Walstad style. I might purchase a wavemaker instead, or even not bother. I have no doubt we'd get used to a quiet hum, but trickling water or loud noise would be a different ball game...

 

[KkAaNnEe]

If your gonna use compost, then yes you really do need to cap it. I think it floats somewhat, you really need gravel too, im not sure sand is gonna do the job, unless you put a really thick layer down. Plus if you muck around with your plants like most of us do and havent capped it enough the compost will sit on the top of gravel or sand. It can be kinda frustrating, so make sure its really planned out! Lol

Hobs do trickle, lol, its unavoidable, whether you can get used to it is up to you really. I think it would annoy me a bit in a bedroom, you can always add a sponge to it, to quieten it, but you lose flow... But you could also add more plastic to it, almost like a slide, to soften the water hitting the surface.

Lol ^ all that on an iphone keyboard, feels like its taken ages

 

[coldcazzie]

Haha well done! I regularly type essays on my HTC keyboard (I'm on it now).

I thought I'd got everything sussed now I've thrown a spanner in the works by changing the location. If I want to filter now I'm going to have to buy an external, and I'm trying to keep costs down. Not having an internal... Filter-free is looking very appealing! But then the stock will have to change... I'll need lower stocking levels for a filter-free tank. Will 14 harlequins, a group of sparkling gourami and some cardinal shrimp be too much?

I could do gravel... I'm eyeing up some smooth stones and small pebbles (already have some), thinking some rock from AE, buy black gravel and mix with the pea gravel I already have. I'm pretty sure sand is fine though...Tom has a play sand cap over his compost in his bucket of mud...

And I've no problem with leaving it: I'll be ordering all the plants together and planting, leave it for a month, add some stock, leave it some more... etc. The whole point (aside from creating a specialised environment) was to not fiddle, and take care of that part of me that just cba phaffing and just wants to look at summat pretty!

Ps, my essay was longer than yours lol