# 22 Gallon ADA style tank - New scape - New pics 9/30 (56k)



## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

This is the second tank I started this weekend. The journal for the first one can be found here and the DIY process for the tank and stands is located here.

The filter has already been matured by "fishless" technique using Fritz zyme and household ammonia so I am ready to add fishes as well. But I could not find any cardinals or amano shrimps in my LFS so I will just start with a hand ful of cardinals I have in my old tank.

I am trying to portray a lush summer in the Swiss Alps.

The setup process was simple. Apart from fixing the Co2 equipment, filter inlet and outlets, I tried to capture the scaping portion as shown below. 

First some power sand at the bottom









And Aqua Soil Amazonia - powder on top of it. A rough 2 inches flat on which I will place the main rocks.









After the rocks are placed, the contours are made by additional aquasoil. These contours are not final yet.









I will be using only HC and christmas moss for my scape. Got 4 bundles of HC on small rocks from my LFS. They are embedded in the soil towards the back of the tank so that they can spread to the front as they root out. 

The main character of the scape (apart from the rocks) will be produced by a christmas moss "pine forest". This is the tedious portion. First I have to break bamboo skewers into necessary sizes. Then I need to tie the moss on the skewers. TThe picture below shows the first 10 skewers I made. 100s more to go. This will take a few days so I will put my next set of photos after I have placed all the "trees" in place and fine tuned the contours.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Awesome diy! I look forward to seeing this tank mature as well! I always wanted to do the forest look, though, you should place the moss sticks farther apart, or the moss will all grow together into one huge mass


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

clwatkins10 said:


> Awesome diy! I look forward to seeing this tank mature as well! I always wanted to do the forest look, though, you should place the moss sticks farther apart, or the moss will all grow together into one huge mass


Thank you. Good point on the moss placement. The first set is just placed for the time being. They will be re arranged. I plan to give 1" space between the sticks (front to back) and the place them diagonally sidewise so that from the front they look close and bushy. Some thing like below (how they will look from top)

- - - -
- - -
- -
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-


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## fishboy87 (Feb 19, 2008)

I remember seeing an ADA pine forest aquarium. . .i just went on one of their sites in the gallery and this is it. . .









Is this what your going for. It'll most likely require constant trimming to keep it like this. I will be watching this one. Great job on the hardscape so far!


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## dthb4438 (Nov 12, 2007)

I really like the moss on the stick idea. I think that I will try that. I have lots of moss to try with.


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## Phoenix-cry (Dec 25, 2008)

Nice hardscape, very mountain like!


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Definitely want to see this develop.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

fishboy87 said:


> I remember seeing an ADA pine forest aquarium. . .i just went on one of their sites in the gallery and this is it. . .
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you.

I have seen this one too and it's awesome. My scape layout is different in the sense, that it does not portray the forest from so close, so the "tree" sizes will be smaller. But yes, as far as the pine tree structure is concerned, this is the shape I want to achieve. Not too worried about the trimming frequency. Once the moss starts to flourish, a trim every 2-3 weeks should keep them in shape. 

What I am not sure of is whether I will be able to get this kind of shape with christmas moss or not. I have thought of using flame moss as well, but since I had christmas moss in hand, let me see how it goes with them before I decide on flame moss.

Any ideas are welcome.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

dthb4438 said:


> I really like the moss on the stick idea. I think that I will try that. I have lots of moss to try with.


Great. I would be particularly interested to know the outcomes. What kind of moss are you planning to use. If possible, keep me posted on your journal when ever you create one


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Phoenix-cry said:


> Nice hardscape, very mountain like!


Thank you. Had a tough time erecting the tallest piece trying to support it one one of the shorter edges. Even now it worries me that if that tilts, it might knock of the rear pane :eek5:


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Phew!! Finally finished all the moss "sticking". 105 in total. It's going to be a real PITA to keep them in shape but right now my enthusiasm level is high and hopefully it will remain that way long enough to make this a successful scape.

This is the picture after all the trees are placed and fresh HC planted. This is end of week 1. More to come next week. The water is still murky with the dust from aquasoil. Hopefully better pictures next week.









There was only one sad incident. I bought 5 cardina japonicas yesterday. This morning I found them all dead on my carpet. Never knew that they jump. Any ideas...are they known to jump or am I doing someting wrong?

Some pictures of both my tanks together


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Wow, that looks like some work. I actually am not a huge fan of "terrestrial" scapes that are very dissimilar to anything i could ever picture underwater but this is just soo damn cool. Nice work, you have alot of work ahead lol.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

WOW. I cant wait for this to grow out. Its going to look sweeeett.


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## mizu-chan (May 13, 2008)

Both of your tanks are AWESOME! I really can't wait for these both to grow out. subscribed to both! :thumbsup:


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

It looks awesome right now, but when the moss starts to grow.....


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## SearunSimpson (Jun 5, 2007)

I'm not sure how far apart the set up of the tank was and when the Japonica's were added, but if the tank wasn't quite finished it's cycle, they shrimps may have tried to escape. 
I've found shrimp chips on my carpet on a couple occasions where I thought the tank was finished it's cycle but the shrimp crisps on the carpet told me otherwise.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Thank you all for your responses and appreciation


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

SearunSimpson said:


> I'm not sure how far apart the set up of the tank was and when the Japonica's were added, but if the tank wasn't quite finished it's cycle, they shrimps may have tried to escape.
> I've found shrimp chips on my carpet on a couple occasions where I thought the tank was finished it's cycle but the shrimp crisps on the carpet told me otherwise.


Thank you for sharing the information. I think that's what happened in my case as well. I did fishless cycling and when the cycle completed, I started adding the plants and fishes. But that slightly increased the ammonia and nitrite. Day before yesterday ammonia was 1 and nitrite was 0.5, yesterday both were 0.5. I already had cardinals in it which might have increased the ammonia, but since the cardinals were not showing any signs of stress and both ammonia and nitrite started to fall, I added the shrimp with the hope that they will clean up the bottom and reduce some of the un eaten food (with open aquasoil, I cannot vacuum or disturb the substrate). But it was probably too much for them.

Good that ammonia and nitrite are still downhill. I guess I'll just reduce my feeding frequency and wait till both are eliminated before adding any more fauna.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

clwatkins10 said:


> It looks awesome right now, but when the moss starts to grow.....


Well that's the catch 22. Without the moss growing, the sticks will show and it won't look like a true pine forest. On the other hand I have to diligently keep them in shape to maintain the "pine" look or it will be a total mess.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

I noticed some white stringy things on one bunch of the HC I planted? What is this...algae? Any idea what I should be doing about it?


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

It's normal, happened to me. I don't know what type off the top of my head but most people just say remove it manually and it won't come back. You are definitely not the first.


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

malaybiswas said:


> There was only one sad incident. I bought 5 cardina japonicas yesterday. This morning I found them all dead on my carpet. Never knew that they jump. Any ideas...are they known to jump or am I doing someting wrong?


Nice tank! And I love the moss tree idea

Amano Shrimp can climb on anything leading out of the tank (filter tubes, power cords, etc.). Fortunately, mine haven't (and I have a bunch of stuff leading out of my tank):hihi:


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

this scape is going to be awesome  it looks like a real mountain side.


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## mickitaz (Oct 7, 2008)

Awesome! I am subscribed as well. 

Was there any special way that you attached the moss to the sticks? For example, did you put more at the bottom than the top? What kind of moss did you use?

I also like the "ghosting" affect of the large rock in the background.. Looks almost like it is out of the tank. And the cloudy water right now makes is look more like a misty mountainside.

Well done!


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

Hey hey, another side by side setup! I have two 60P tanks, although I wish I had your setup. That extra bit of depth would help tremendously in creating more depth to the scape. 

I love the rock setup, very mountain-like. Are the rocks any special type?

I hope you have a plan for those moss trees.. Love the idea but most moss goes nuts and will quickly out grow that look. If it becomes a problem maybe you can try fissidens fontanus trees? Apparently fissidens grows much slower, and has a maximum "reach" from the object it's growing on. Seems like it'd be more controllable for tree shapes.

Good luck!


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

talontsiawd said:


> It's normal, happened to me. I don't know what type off the top of my head but most people just say remove it manually and it won't come back. You are definitely not the first.


Great. Thanks a lot for the information. I tried to clean it up as much as possible. Let's see how it goes


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

ZooTycoonMaster said:


> Nice tank! And I love the moss tree idea
> 
> Amano Shrimp can climb on anything leading out of the tank (filter tubes, power cords, etc.). Fortunately, mine haven't (and I have a bunch of stuff leading out of my tank):hihi:


Hmm...I have to check with my the ADA guys in the shop next time I buy some more. May be a cover would be a good idea. Thank you for sharing.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

mickitaz said:


> Awesome! I am subscribed as well.
> 
> Was there any special way that you attached the moss to the sticks? For example, did you put more at the bottom than the top? What kind of moss did you use?
> 
> ...


I took 2 strands of moss per stick and placed them with their tips facing the top of the stick. Then I sandwiched the stick in them and tied with moss cotton. Since the tips have minimum mature growth at any point of time, bottoms look thicker than the tops. 

The cloudy water has settled quite a bit, but the misty effect is still present due to the backdrop. Here is a recent photo.


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Oooh I just realized you're in Fremont:hihi:


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

prototyp3 said:


> Hey hey, another side by side setup! I have two 60P tanks, although I wish I had your setup. That extra bit of depth would help tremendously in creating more depth to the scape.
> 
> I love the rock setup, very mountain-like. Are the rocks any special type?
> 
> ...


Thank you. The rocks are local. I collected them from the hills nearby and tested them before using. No idea what they are called.

Yes, moss maintenance will be a PITA. There is a special type of scissors for trimming moss and I got a pair of those. So over the course of time there will be frequent "A" shaped trims and re-tie-up of moss (stick by stick at a time ).

Thanks for your fissidens idea. I'll study on it and consider using them if these go out of control.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

ZooTycoonMaster said:


> Oooh I just realized you're in Fremont:hihi:


Yup. I noticed too that you are from Santa Clara and a SFBAAPS member. Do you attend their meetings? I am a recent member and have not yet attended one, but plan to do sometimes. But I am a regular at Aqua Forest Aquarium.


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Nope, haven't gone to one of their meeting yet

And I've only been to AFA once, cause (1) I'm all the way down here and (2) I'm only 13 so I have to beg my parents to drive there which rarely happens.


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## chadly (May 17, 2005)

cool lookin tank! love the stones. I wonder if there are too many moss sticks too close together? Could limit the shaping of the trees you will be doing. Otherwise, it looks flippin awesome!


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

chadly said:


> cool lookin tank! love the stones. I wonder if there are too many moss sticks too close together? Could limit the shaping of the trees you will be doing. Otherwise, it looks flippin awesome!


Thanks a lot. 

The moss sticks are not actually as close to each other as they seem from the front. They are placed diagonally to cover the visual space.

What did you mean by "limit the shaping"? This is experimental so any suggestions are welcome.


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## rwong2k (Dec 24, 2004)

great looking tank and love the idea, can't wait to see it's progress!


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

New pics.

Dawn/Dusk effect with backlights


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

malaybiswas said:


> I noticed some white stringy things on one bunch of the HC I planted? What is this...algae? Any idea what I should be doing about it?


Figured what this guy is. Its called Rhizoclonium and normally happens in new setups and in sufficient CO2. Those melted away in a few days after I notched up my CO2 a bit.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

malaybiswas said:


> Figured what this guy is. Its called Rhizoclonium and normally happens in new setups and in sufficient CO2. Those melted away in a few days after I notched up my CO2 a bit.


What's odd is it happened in my 29 gallon with DIY co2 but not in my 10 gallon with no co2. The 10 gallon is much lower light too (and it's growing in faster). I don't get it. It's not a problem, i removed it and it didn't come back, i just thought it was odd.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

talontsiawd said:


> What's odd is it happened in my 29 gallon with DIY co2 but not in my 10 gallon with no co2. The 10 gallon is much lower light too (and it's growing in faster). I don't get it. It's not a problem, i removed it and it didn't come back, i just thought it was odd.


They can happen for different reasons other than co2. I found this link helpful http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm


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## cah925 (May 18, 2007)

I just came across this journal and I have to say that this is a very interesting idea. My only concern is how close you planted the "trees" to each other. As the moss grows out, it may be hard to distinguish one tree from another. Other than that, I say kudos on the ingenuity and dedication for putting that many trees together.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

malaybiswas said:


> They can happen for different reasons other than co2. I found this link helpful http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm


Thanks, sorry to get into your thread. You need updates, i got to see this man.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

cah925 said:


> I just came across this journal and I have to say that this is a very interesting idea. My only concern is how close you planted the "trees" to each other. As the moss grows out, it may be hard to distinguish one tree from another. Other than that, I say kudos on the ingenuity and dedication for putting that many trees together.


They are spaced roughly half an inch diagonally and one inch front-to-back (or side wise). I would still want them to be bushier than now where the bottoms can blend into each over. However the tops should not tangle up into on big moss-mess. So they will still need trim jobs to maintain their identities. The HC so far has been pretty slow to spread out. So the moss will grow without any maintenance for another month or so till the HC covers up most of the substrate (hopefully) or a clean up of moss leftovers over open substrate will be a disaster.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Added 15 more cardinals yesterday. These are smaller than what I already had in the tank so far. Need to check on parameters next few days to handle any spikes


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## cah925 (May 18, 2007)

I just took another real long look, that is a far out design. I didn't notice the rolling hills before. The HC is going to look amazing once it fills in. I certainly hope the trees fill in as planned for you.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

I love this tank!


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

cah925 said:


> I just took another real long look, that is a far out design. I didn't notice the rolling hills before. The HC is going to look amazing once it fills in. I certainly hope the trees fill in as planned for you.


Yeah, I am a big fan of the iwagumi style so when I planned for this tank, I wanted to setup something following iwagumi principles but not the classic iwagumi look and feel. My addiction to lush hills and mountains (love trekking) provided with the rest of the idea.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Fixed the CO2 distribution problem. Tank is healthy and moss is growing moderately. However the HC is yet to catch hold. Did not see enough progress that I expected by now although they have started to spread out a little. Lookwise nothing really changed much from the snap so I'll hold onto newer shots for later.

Meanwhile I need to play around with my SLR a bit. The exposure seems to be a bit off, so the shots are not coming overexposed and hazier (if that's a word)


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

moss on sticks growing pretty good. Will probably need their first trim in 2-3 weeks for now. HC is started spreading too but growth is rather slow till date. Boosted CO2 rate a little bit. Will have to see if that helps quicken the growth of HC.


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## twychopen (Dec 17, 2008)

I love this layout, I just think that the rightmost rock you have looks out of place. Maybe it will look right to me when the plants grow in though. Just my opinion.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

twychopen said:


> I love this layout, I just think that the rightmost rock you have looks out of place. Maybe it will look right to me when the plants grow in though. Just my opinion.


Thanks for your feedback twychopen. It did not catch my eye before, but now that you said, I see what you mean. Good, something to think about instead of waiting and watching.

Any placement ideas?


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## twychopen (Dec 17, 2008)

haha i am re-thinking my name for this forum. Its just my first initial and last name. I use it for everything. Bummer! Anyway, I would either remove it totally or make it stand straight up. Maybe burry it a little in the substrate. It is just at a weird angle.


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## helgymatt (Dec 7, 2007)

This is an interesting idea! I think once it matures it is going to look very unique. Once comment....the placement of the "tress" seems to be too regular, and not natural. They are all placed the same distance apart. To give the "forest" a random appearance try to break up the tree line. For example, bring a few out into the open areas. Leave other areas with wider gaps in between trees etc. Have some trees higher and lower than others. Just a suggestion. It should help once they grow in a little more too.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

twychopen said:


> haha i am re-thinking my name for this forum. Its just my first initial and last name. I use it for everything. Bummer! Anyway, I would either remove it totally or make it stand straight up. Maybe burry it a little in the substrate. It is just at a weird angle.


Burying anymore is not possible. May be taking it out would make more sense. I have another project coming up where I can possibly use it. Anyways thanks for the suggestions.


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## twychopen (Dec 17, 2008)

I think once the trees grow in that you will be able to trim to make it random, but you can always move the sticks later right?


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

helgymatt said:


> This is an interesting idea! I think once it matures it is going to look very unique. Once comment....the placement of the "tress" seems to be too regular, and not natural. They are all placed the same distance apart. To give the "forest" a random appearance try to break up the tree line. For example, bring a few out into the open areas. Leave other areas with wider gaps in between trees etc. Have some trees higher and lower than others. Just a suggestion. It should help once they grow in a little more too.


I had tried having a few in the open when I was placing them first, but they did not look well and was hiding some real estates in a way not so pleasing. Besides as twychopen mentioned, once they are thicker, trimming will be easier on the bunch to give a forest look than to trim and maintain isolated trees.

That said, this is not necessarily the final scape. I keep playing around with the placement every now and then so it will evolve over time. I am particularly not too happy with the trees on the rear. They are too tall for the far out scape I have in mind. They will surely need to be shortened, but after making 100+ "trees" a few weeks back, I am resting now


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

twychopen said:


> I think once the trees grow in that you will be able to trim to make it random, but you can always move the sticks later right?


Yes, I can move them. I just have to keep an eye moss growth and trim them. They should not tangle so much that removing individual sticks becomes a problem later on.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

you've gone to switzerland? i love it there


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

fishman9809 said:


> you've gone to switzerland? i love it there


No I have not, although I definitely want to visit there sometime. In general I like mountains and forests. This scape was inspired from a picture that one of my friends sent me from his visit there.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

You should, it's very nice there in summer and surprisngly hot


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## itstony (Jan 11, 2009)

the tank is incrediblee


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Thank you itstony, but right now it is not. Just like my other tank, this baby got green water too, although not as severe before I started acting on it.

So no good pictures this week. Just wanted to share the front and side views of the "trees" to show how the front view does not catch the space between them. Sorry about the picture quality










Side view










That's all this week. Hopefully reduced photo period, algone and alternate day water changes will bring back happy days by end of this week (touch wood).

Meanwhile, moss have started to spread out quite nicely. Nice enough for them to get their first haircut in 2 weeks. HC growth is frustating though...they just won't spread!!!!


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

fishman9809 said:


> You should, it's very nice there in summer and surprisngly hot


Hot! even better.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

For those of you who previously showed interest in the moss on stick idea before, it might not be such a good idea after all (at least with bamboo skewers). 

The moss is growing but does not seem to attach to the skewers. The ties on some of the sticks have loosened a bit due to growth and I can see that the moss is pretty detached.

I'll probably give it a month's time more. If it still does not work I have to rethink my planting scheme for the "trees". Any advance ideas are welcome.


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## twychopen (Dec 17, 2008)

Maybe popsicle sticks with notches cut out (like a rigid saw blade) to tie into and give the moss something to grab hold of.


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## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

I think it's more of a texture thing, maybe the skewers are to smooth for the moss to attach to?


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## twychopen (Dec 17, 2008)

> I think it's more of a texture thing, maybe the skewers are to smooth for the moss to attach to?


That would be the reason to cut notches into the popsicle sticks. The moss would have something to grow around. You would also be able to tie the string to an actual object. insted of a round surface.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Dollface said:


> I think it's more of a texture thing, maybe the skewers are to smooth for the moss to attach to?


I think that's the case. Initially I thought that the fibrous texture of bamboo would help the moss to attach onto


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Use a netting around the moss and tie it really tight or use a small black zip tie to hold it tight.

Also HC spread much faster if planted as individual stems. Check out my Nano thread. in 15 days my HC has tripled in size.

Craig


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

twychopen said:


> That would be the reason to cut notches into the popsicle sticks. The moss would have something to grow around. You would also be able to tie the string to an actual object. insted of a round surface.


I have around 100 sticks now. I have to cut notches in 100 popsicle sticks. Not that I mind, but since both are processed wood product I am not sure if cutting ridges would make a textural difference. Besides most of the wood/paper products are recyclable so they may rot after a while under water. Maybe I'll try with one first.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Craigthor said:


> Use a netting around the moss and tie it really tight or use a small black zip tie to hold it tight.
> 
> Also HC spread much faster if planted as individual stems. Check out my Nano thread. in 15 days my HC has tripled in size.
> 
> Craig


Netting is a good idea. Where can I get fine net? Don't recall seeing in HD/Lowes.

My HC is not doing good either. And shrimps making it worse. I'll check your thread and might have a few questions too on HC.

Thanks for both the tips.


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

I'm going to say the moss just needs more time. I've had moss grow fairly well attached to glass before.


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Here is where to start in my thread: 

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-nano-tanks/77966-start-nano-project-7.html#post764940

The netting is actually from a body sponge that I got at the dollar store. 

One of these: http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/pro...=3432233&cp=3161131.3462308&parentPage=family but at the dollar store they are only a dollar. I have a good link to info here: http://www.projectaquarium.com/plantedAquariumArticles_SecureDwarfRiccia.aspx

Same basis jsut using on regular rocks.

Craig


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Craigthor said:


> Here is where to start in my thread:
> 
> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-nano-tanks/77966-start-nano-project-7.html#post764940
> 
> ...


Yup, dollar store it is. Or Walgreens. No bath and body products for securing moss in this economy :hihi:. Hair net can also be another option.

And thanks for the HC planting idea.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

eyebeatbadgers said:


> I'm going to say the moss just needs more time. I've had moss grow fairly well attached to glass before.


Completely agree. And I am not sure yet if what I saw is true for every single strand. Some will of course come off. So I am anyways going to wait for some more time before I undo/redo anything.

However I do like Craigs netting idea. It would not harm anything but will definitely help keeping the moss in place (specially with the cardinas constant pecking on them).


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Got some Rotala sp Nanjeshan and Tonina Sp Belem today. They will be the new "trees" if the moss does not do the job. Sure they would not give the "pine forest" look, but would be a good alternative for a "foresty" farout scape.

Also got some fresh HC and planted them in small bunches following Craigs suggestions.

Lastly got some hair nets from a dollar store for securing the moss. They are too slippery though to work with small sticks. This is going to be a slow process.


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## mickitaz (Oct 7, 2008)

I would think the bamboo skewers would be coated with something to prevent food from sticking on them. That may be your problem, there. 

Another problem I thought you may encounter...when and if the moss fills out, how are you planning on keeping the skewers from toppling over from the weight?


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

How did you make the trees?


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

mickitaz said:


> I would think the bamboo skewers would be coated with something to prevent food from sticking on them. That may be your problem, there.
> 
> Another problem I thought you may encounter...when and if the moss fills out, how are you planning on keeping the skewers from toppling over from the weight?


I believe so. The skewers are too polished.

When the moss grows, they would be trimmed anyways for a pine look and feel. So they would not be top heavy. Besides what you see on top of the substrate is only 1/2 to 1/3 of the whole stick. Rest of it is embedded in substrate for support


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Hilde said:


> How did you make the trees?


christmas moss wrapped around bamboo skewers.


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## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

You may try sanding the skewers with a really rough sandpaper, that should give enough texture for the moss to grab onto


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Dollface said:


> You may try sanding the skewers with a really rough sandpaper, that should give enough texture for the moss to grab onto


I had tried that initially but sanding a thin skewer was not easy, so I broke them from the middle (not a smooth cut) and ripped some of the fibers that came out hoping the open areas will allow some texture to hold onto.

I am trying wrapping one with hairnet right now. I will try another one with sanded surface. Whichever works can be replicated to the others.

Thanks for all the ideas coming in.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

This is the new look of the tank. Removed most of the moss trees to the moss only tank for now where they are wrapped in hairnet. About 30 still maintaining the pine look on the rear right. These are relatively well grown and attached to the sticks.

On the left rear (behind the rocks) is a new bunch of rotala nanjeshan. Just in front of the rocks is Torina Belem. Haven't really finalized on their placements. They will just grow hear now and I will spread them from cut outs as new stems grow. That will start filling a lot of the empty space.

Also new and old HC spread move evenly in smaller bunches


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

malaybiswas said:


> Netting is a good idea. Where can I get fine net? Don't recall seeing in HD/Lowes.


How about hair nets or stockings for netting. Some stockings are like nets.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Hilde said:


> How about hair nets or stockings for netting. Some stockings are like nets.


Yeah I got some hair net from dollar store


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Is that HC in the foreground? I think it'll look great when its filled inroud:


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

ZooTycoonMaster said:


> Is that HC in the foreground? I think it'll look great when its filled inroud:


yes that is HC. Unfortunately it has not cooperated so far with growth


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## twychopen (Dec 17, 2008)

Hey malaybiswas, what is the background in back of your tank? I like the look of light to dark. How did you do it?


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

twychopen said:


> Hey malaybiswas, what is the background in back of your tank? I like the look of light to dark. How did you do it?


Simple. White styrofoam board from Michaels fixed verticallys about 3" behind the tank. The light reflection from the effect gives the light and shade effect.


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## twychopen (Dec 17, 2008)

*Hope this helps*

My water is not as clear as it was when it first was filled. It is not deep green like your pictures though. Is it the Aquasoil that does that? 

Is your tank still filled with green water?

Is the HC growing? My HC is spreading like crazy and it has been 1 week! I have high nitrates, nitrites, ammonia and the PH is 6.5, temp is 76-78F. I have 6 t-5 lights 4 6700K and 2 10000K on for about 9.5 hrs. I am not sure why your HC is not growing but wish it was!


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

twychopen said:


> My water is not as clear as it was when it first was filled. It is not deep green like your pictures though. Is it the Aquasoil that does that?
> 
> Is your tank still filled with green water?
> 
> Is the HC growing? My HC is spreading like crazy and it has been 1 week! I have high nitrates, nitrites, ammonia and the PH is 6.5, temp is 76-78F. I have 6 t-5 lights 4 6700K and 2 10000K on for about 9.5 hrs. I am not sure why your HC is not growing but wish it was!


The green water is a result of algae bloom. I am doing (and still doing) about 20% water change everyday to clean it up. It is improving. Aquasoil has nitrates in it, which leaches and spikes the nitrate concentration in the water for the first few weeks/months (my earlier tank had a constant nitrate of 40 ppm for the first 2 months  before and after cycling).

I did not have excess nutrients in the water so I think it was excess light that caused the bloom. I had 2 65w 10000 t5 per tank. That is approx 6wpg (I don't know why I never noticed it in the first place). I have reduced it to 1 65 w t5/tank for 10 hrs a day coupled with 20% water change everyday.

As for the HC, I am not sure but this whole water quality, water change thing is probably affecting its growth. I also had some cardina japonicas which were constantly disturbing/uprooting the HC. They are moved to my moss only tank for now. Hopefully with green water clearing, HC growth will catch up soon. 

My tanks are completely cycled though with both NH3 & NO2 = 0 ppm, NO3 = 15 ppm. PH 6.8, GH 4, KH 3


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

twychopen said:


> My water is not as clear as it was when it first was filled. It is not deep green like your pictures though. Is it the Aquasoil that does that?
> 
> Is your tank still filled with green water?
> 
> Is the HC growing? My HC is spreading like crazy and it has been 1 week! I have high nitrates, nitrites, ammonia and the PH is 6.5, temp is 76-78F. I have 6 t-5 lights 4 6700K and 2 10000K on for about 9.5 hrs. I am not sure why your HC is not growing but wish it was!



BTW, the last picture is actually greener than it looks in live. I have been playing with my camera settings recently. Might be the new settings affecting the color and hue.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

I am planning to replace my T5s with LEDs and completely DIY it. I am pathetic with electrical or light engineering so this is going to be very experimental but hopefully interesting and informational for all.

This Galileo LED fixture (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+10704+18689&pcatid=18689) is what I liked but it is way too expensive (even more since I need 2 of those babies). So that is what I will compapre my DIY with in terms of performance, quality (of course mine won't have nice housing like it) and price.

I will start a new DIY thread after I finish my initial planning and design.


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## nellis (Oct 27, 2005)

In my experience, HC takes a little longer than most to settle in and feel comfortable, but when it does it spreads rather quickly.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

nellis said:


> In my experience, HC takes a little longer than most to settle in and feel comfortable, but when it does it spreads rather quickly.


I have had the same experience with glosso so I am just waiting. I removed the shrimps though since they were constantly disturbing the HC which probably could lead to longer settling time for the plants. They will re introduced when the HC starts to spread out.


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

malaybiswas said:


> I have had the same experience with glosso so I am just waiting. I removed the shrimps though since they were constantly disturbing the HC which probably could lead to longer settling time for the plants. They will re introduced when the HC starts to spread out.


Shrimp don't intentionally tear out hte HC but do to there cleanign habits it comes loose. Can't wait to soo your HC take off.

You can check out my nano tank I just posted new pictures of HC growth at 23 days. The planting 1 stems at a time method is surely the best so far. 

Craig


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Craigthor said:


> Shrimp don't intentionally tear out hte HC but do to there cleanign habits it comes loose. Can't wait to soo your HC take off.
> 
> You can check out my nano tank I just posted new pictures of HC growth at 23 days. The planting 1 stems at a time method is surely the best so far.
> 
> Craig



Yeah I am subscribed to your thread so I keep checking on your progress. I know that any carpet plant does best when planted individually in terms of setting their root system and so they start spreading faster as well. I had started in same way with the HC, but it takes awfully long time and I was breaking a lot of the shoots so I instead planted them in smaller bunches. It will take longer but that's ok. No hurry


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

How's the tank? As well as the other one


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

ZooTycoonMaster said:


> How's the tank? As well as the other one


+1...You haven't posted pictures in a while.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

ZooTycoonMaster said:


> How's the tank? As well as the other one





ddtran46 said:


> +1...You haven't posted pictures in a while.


Sorry guys, have really been busy last few weeks to spend some time for photo shots. I will have some uploaded over this weekend.

Both tanks are doing fine. The green water situation has been controlled. The HC is yet to spread. I am patient and I think it was because of the reduced photo period I had to maintain for the green water, but it got to start spreading now!!!!


Meanwhile, I am making my own LED light fixture to replace the T5. Here is the thread for the DIY project.


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## iantan05 (Aug 24, 2008)

This is a unique tank. Hope it fills in as planned. I was wondering where did u make ur light stand. Please share with me the detail instructions on builting one.

Thanks


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

Neat tank. I've seen the bamboo chopsticks and moss done a few times before with good results.

Another option is aluminum mesh for protecting gutters from HD or Lowes You could cut thin strips and fold them to make a sandwich more or less, then trim the moss to the desired shape. The thing is, you give your moss enough time it will attach especially X-mass moss. I've had a bunch grow on the side of a tank for me and on heaters and stuff...

-Andrew


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

iantan05 said:


> This is a unique tank. Hope it fills in as planned. I was wondering where did u make ur light stand. Please share with me the detail instructions on builting one.
> 
> Thanks


It is quite simple. The details of the DIY are in this link


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

*Back from the dead*

Last 1 month was really busy at office (good for me in these times) so I could not keep up with maintaining my journal.

Besides, there were 2 projects I was fighting on
1. algae war
2. diy light led fixture. This is on a pause right now since I am waiting for the leds to arrive.

The algae war was interesting. I originally tried to reduce the photo period and do regular wc and it seemed to work. But the HC was being deprived of light and they were stunted as usual. So when it seemed that the algae cleared, I increased the photo period. Guess what!! algae back, green water, reduced light on the substrate = stunted HC.

All this on this tank while my other tank stabilized after the initial algae breakout. So last weekend I experimented by taking some rotala indicas from the other tank and planting them here hoping that they will grow fast (as in the other tank), deprive the algae of nutrients and control the situation without requiring as many water changes and reduced photo period. And within 4 days I can see the results. It's working.

But that brought up another question. With the rotalas, my swiss theme is screwed up. Once they start growing, I am not sure the moss trees and rotalas will keep upto the original theme I wanted. Also not much luck with HC yet. They are not dying but not spreading as well. Thinking....

Finally, I replaced the cardinals(many of which perished in the algae war) with mountain minnows.

Some photos taken today


















If no more algae breakout till next weekend, the rocks will need a good scrub. Excuse all the hanging equipment in the tank. Part of the maintenance which are not ready yet to be organized, not until the scape is back in shape









HC, both individual strands and bunches melted original leaves and sprouted new ones but no spreadout. Hopefully the clearer water now will help.









Moved the rotala nanjeshans from back to front. Back is now occupied by rotala indicas


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Finally I decided to rescape because of this















I think I gave enough time for the HC to grow with no luck. It's getting broing staring at the same tank for weeks so I decided it is time to change. I like my rock layout so that will not change. But planting scheme will be overhauled.

So got these plants
Glossostigma 
Micranthemum umbrosum
limnophila aromatica
Pink hippo grass (Scrophulariaceae)









And this is the new planting scheme
- Limnophila covers majority of the background. Hippo grass in smaller accent areas. Rotala Indica's from my other tank mixed with the limnophila to give a forest like feel. Rotala nanjeshan remains at the base of the hills.

Micranthemum umbrosum in the mid-ground to give a bushy feel. Glossostigma is the new foreground cover. Some in singles and some in bunches. I still left the HC in place. Till the glosso does no overcome it, it deserves a fair chance.








Looks kind of messy now, but much brighter


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

New plants have started to grow. The glosso is gradually spreading. I'll let it do its own job till the weekend and then help in fixing the runners more evenly for a uniform spread.

Some new shots of the tank

























Can't give up trying my skills on adding effects


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow it looks awesome!

but I'm sad to see the moss trees go


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

ZooTycoonMaster said:


> Wow it looks awesome!


 Thank you ZooTycoonMaster



ZooTycoonMaster said:


> but I'm sad to see the moss trees go


Me too, but they are not gone completely. I have to figure out how to incorporate them in this or the other (or a brand new) scape. future project


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

I just replaced my T5 with a DIY LED fixture. It took 2 months to plan, consult, buy and build and I am really happy how it turned out at the end. The details are in this thread.

Now some updates on the tank.
- Move the giant baby tears to the right.
- Pruned and replanted the limnophilas on the right (looks messy now)
- Tidied up the stemy glossos and left only those strands that are growing on the substrate.

Clearly the glosso is taking over and spreading fast, even though the HC is still there.

Comments, critics, suggestions welcome.

Before









After









new fixtures









Misc


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

I got bored with the old layout. Both my tanks have a jungle feeling and that was not my feeling, so I decided to change this to an open meadow scape again.

So moved all the limnophila aromatica and HC to the other tank. Added cabomba furcata, didiplis diandra along with the rotala nanjeshan and created a center piece.

For hardscape, I place 5 large to medium yama stones in some from triangular fashion (base in the back and peak in the front) and covered almost all of the rocks in aquasoil. 

Planted glosso all over the aquasoil with the hope that they will grow around and over the rocks (thick layer of aquasoil on the rocks to ensure rooting depth is available).


This is how it turned out


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

And some more try at the artistic skills. Feel free to judge 

Glowlight tetra

















Perching otto









My heavenly corner









Mountain minnow's enjoying the flow from the filter outlet









Loner









Playing tag!!??


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

end of week 1 under LED. trimmed the cabomba furcatas since they almost touched the brim. 

Some of the glosso melted, but most of them have started to spread runners.


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## triazole (Aug 26, 2008)

good slopework!! (not sloppy at all)...has a king-of-the-hill, or castle-on-a-hill feeling to it...
mid-ground seems a bit bare at this point...glosso won't grow high enough to ease the transition...maybe downoi?? or something short and bushy?? (just a thought)...


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

triazole said:


> good slopework!! (not sloppy at all)...has a king-of-the-hill, or castle-on-a-hill feeling to it...
> mid-ground seems a bit bare at this point...glosso won't grow high enough to ease the transition...maybe downoi?? or something short and bushy?? (just a thought)...


king-of-the-hill  never thought of it but a good one. From the day I set this up the only comparison I had in mind was an erupting volcano.

Using downoi or some other mid ground plant is definitely an option, but I really want the glosso to grow all over the rocks. If I use any mid-ground plants, that will reduce mid-ground space for glosso to spread over, so for now I will probably not introduce any more plants in this mix and see how it shapes up.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

all my ottos (5 of them) died this week. None of them showed any signs of stress, but 3 days in a row 1-2 died over night. Totally perplexed. No signs of any kind of disease, none of the other fish showing any signs of stress, no ammonia or nitrite. Too bad.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

nice work. i really like your light fixtures. i have meant to go read through that thread, but it's so long. the exposed-everything appearance is very cool. you ought to sell 'em.

i don't know if it's the LED's, or the natural sunlight or your white balance, but your aquascapes have pleasing subdued warm hues--like watercolor paintings.

sorry to hear about your ottos. they are so cute but it seems like they are susceptible to just dying ofr mysterious reasons.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

hydrophyte said:


> nice work. i really like your light fixtures. i have meant to go read through that thread, but it's so long. the exposed-everything appearance is very cool. you ought to sell 'em.


Thank you. They look good but for sale quality they are not right there yet. Plus the open top may be safety hazard if not installed securely (i don't want to be sued ). I am doing a behind the scene design improvement to fix the issues I have found, make it more customizable, safe and sleeker. May be then...



hydrophyte said:


> i don't know if it's the LED's, or the natural sunlight or your white balance, but your aquascapes have pleasing subdued warm hues--like watercolor paintings.


it is probably the LEDs and the shade from the backdrop. none of the aquariums get any direct sunlight


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## Bastian (May 2, 2009)

Looks really promosing! =)
Where did you get the (copper?) frame for your lighting?

Greets,


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Bastian said:


> Looks really promosing! =)
> Where did you get the (copper?) frame for your lighting?
> 
> Greets,


Thanks. Those are regular copper plumbing pipes from Lowes


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## Bastian (May 2, 2009)

Oké thanks!


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## demosthenes (Aug 23, 2008)

man, i love the new scape! the rocks look great with that sort of sloping, it reminds me of spain or something, whoever said it had a castle/king of the hill feeling was totally right. 

i also agree about the midground though. i think that some downoi, or ludwigia arcuata bushes, or maybe even some HM in the midground would look really good. Actually, you could use some anubias barteri in there maybe. I like anubias used in a midground garden.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

time for the weekly picture update. I have trimmed and replanted almost all of the overgrown stem plants. The glosso is propagating at decent speed right now, so I removed all the melted stems to clean the ground for new growth.

fts









closeup of the island









corner view









side view of the island


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## demosthenes (Aug 23, 2008)

wow, its really beautiful. love the green stem plants. are they rotalas or pogostemon?

[edit: wow stupid question, you said a few posts ago that its rotala najenshan. nvm! haha]

also, dont you think that glosso will get out of hand if you have that much? glosso will just TAKE OFF and if you leave it without cutting it for more than, like, a week, then it can just explode and take over everything. i have just a tiny bit in my 10g tank, and it's already annoying me.

If i were you, i'd use something other than glosso. maybe UG, microswords, or elatines of some sort?


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

demosthenes said:


> wow, its really beautiful. love the green stem plants. are they rotalas or pogostemon?
> 
> [edit: wow stupid question, you said a few posts ago that its rotala najenshan. nvm! haha]
> 
> ...


Thank you demosthenes.

I don't think glosso is any different than any other carpet plant. I have grown it before, and once the carpet is full, it can be trimmed to keep under control.

My choice was HC at first but it refused to grow under my supervision so I moved to glosso. The reason I don't want to use "grassy" carpet plants in this scape is 'cos they will be out of proportion compared to the stem plants. I want to create a "far away" look so stem plants resemble trees and the ground cover should be as close to ground as possible to maintain that.

That said, I already have plans for my next scape once this scape matures and I intend to use UG in there.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

new pics from today

Everything including the algae in the lily pipe is blooming except the didiplis diandra. They are hanging in there but hasn't grown as good as the other yet. The dark spot. Noticed a couple of spot of BGA on the soil. That is ominous and unexpected since I have being dosing my ferts religiously and measuring nutrients every week to adjust the dosage. For now I manually removed them. Let's see if they still invade.

FTS









close up of the right side









closeup of the center









sorry about the picture quality, these were quick snaps. critic pls.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

once again, nice work and great picture-taking. i need to come back and read some more of your update descriptions.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

thank you Hydrophyte. noticed you are a blogger too! nice job, I have to go and read those sometimes.

I used to blog before, but now I am working on setting up my own website.


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## Vladdy (May 6, 2008)

It looks like Russian mountains to me  . I am Russian.


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## Vladdy (May 6, 2008)

You can use hornwort to make little pines


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

malaybiswas said:


> thank you Hydrophyte. noticed you are a blogger too! nice job, I have to go and read those sometimes.
> 
> I used to blog before, but now I am working on setting up my own website.


i don't update that blog like i would like. i really need to get my information out, and it's easier to reach an audience with these online forums. (thank you TPT and APC!) probably more people end up at my blog than it seems, but maybe they are just less inclined to post comments than in a community forum like this one.

still, it is fun to post to the blog from time to time. i like that it is all of my stuff all together. perhaps someday it might have a real following. the pictures are the most valuable element.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

hey, once again, like i said before, i really like the light in your photographs.

there is a great deal to be explored with novel lighting + photography + planted aquariums--a good task for more skilled photographers than me. 

have you ever seen Gregory Crewdson's work? here's a link to an online gallery.

Luhring Augustine, Gregory Crewdson

he has done some really nutty work with stuffed animals in dioramas. look at this picture.

http://www.kultureflash.net/archive/122/images/header_clean.jpg


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Vladdy said:


> It looks like Russian mountains to me


Thank you Vladdy. Honestly I have no clue what you mean as "Russian Mountains" and that was not my inspiration for this layout. Maybe you can share some nice pictures from where I can draw inspiration for one of my future scapes.



Vladdy said:


> You can use hornwort to make little pines


I am not intending for a pine look in this scape like I started this tank originally. I still want to do the pine tree look with moss, but that is currently in experimental state in my "reservoir". Once that comes along clean....

Thank you for sharing the idea though.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

hydrophyte said:


> hey, once again, like i said before, i really like the light in your photographs.


Thank you. These light effects are not original though. I took ideas from some other hobbyists and then tried to customize it according to my setup.



hydrophyte said:


> there is a great deal to be explored with novel lighting + photography + planted aquariums--a good task for more skilled photographers than me.
> 
> have you ever seen Gregory Crewdson's work? here's a link to an online gallery.
> 
> ...



Wow. This is cool. I am a painter myself but not a professional. I love pictures with lights and shades. These are awesome. Thank you for sharing.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

*Off subject - checkout these links. Moss lovers' paradise*

http://www.aquarminy.yoyo.pl/ang/start.html

http://www.shrimpnow.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3677


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

you probably saw this one already(?).

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/?p=vB60449


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

i did not see it before. beautiful!


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## Tex Gal (Mar 28, 2008)

I like your tank. I think it's gonna look great when it's filled in.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Thank you Tex Gal. I love your tanks too, especially the shrimp tank.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

malaybiswas said:


> Everything including the algae in the lily pipe is blooming except the didiplis diandra. They are hanging in there but hasn't grown as good as the other yet.


Lovely theme!! Fantastic execution of the theme!:thumbsup:

Are you dosing potassium? If so perhaps some more potassium would help since plants seem to need a lot. Have you checked your KNO3? Perhaps a little more would help.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

thank you Hilde.

yes I am dosing potassium. I also dose nitrate and phosphate according to present concentration (checked weekly). Right now nitrate is around 20 ppm so I am not dosing it, will check back again on the weekend. I have been doing EI dosing for the last month or so and the nutrient levels are at desired levels (cannot check K though but I dose it regularly). For some reason the didiplis diandra is slower although it has some signs of growth.


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## DvanK (Feb 27, 2009)

~PICS PICS PICS~ How are the leds doing? Are you loosing brightness? Not that it shows.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

PICs...shortly over the weekend.

Loosing brightness?? They are too bright to look at them straight  Infact I had to cut down on light (did not want to blackout totally) after prunings to control algae. 

Good that I had a combination of 1w and 2w LEDs and each set broken down to 2 connections. Allows me to adjust brightness efficiently. This tank is running on full lights now after the algae was controlled. The other one still has lingering GW problems so that one is running on 1w LEDs right now.


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## vtkid (Jan 5, 2009)

I love the rotala N., it is such a nice green.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

They are one of my favorites as well. Infact so far I have not found a rotala that I don't like :smile:


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## vtkid (Jan 5, 2009)

It seems like most of them are pretty easy growing, how does this one do?


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

they are in my experience except for mcrandra and magenta which never really turned out bright red for me. This one is green so the color is maintained. Grows pretty easily and medium fast. A good water flow helps keep the fine leaves debris free.


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## vtkid (Jan 5, 2009)

have you grown rotala wallichi?


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

not knowingly but I got this plant with some other ones and left them in there. They might be wallichii but I am not sure. It would be helpful if anybody can id them though


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

malaybiswas said:


> yes I am dosing potassium. I also dose nitrate and phosphate according to present concentration (checked weekly). I have been doing EI dosing for the last month or so and the nutrient levels are at desired levels.


There are variables in ever ecosystem that would be to expensive to test for, thus don't understand why an exact regimen of dosing should be expected to create axact amount of growth. Thus I think dosing a little more potassium would help.


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## aledr2004 (Mar 8, 2009)

Just picked up this thread. I've got to say your tanks look pretty awesome. Real shame though that the swiss mountain theme never paid off. 

I hope you re-attempt it with more success some time. It reminded me of a painting by Bob Ross. You remember him? the white guy with the Afro that used to paint on TV !


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Hilde said:


> There are variables in ever ecosystem that would be to expensive to test for, thus don't understand why an exact regimen of dosing should be expected to create axact amount of growth. Thus I think dosing a little more potassium would help.


By "desired limit" I did not mean an exact amount :smile:. I normally keep the target a little higher than recommended levels anyways. But point taken.

I am already trying altering potassium dosing. That is probably safest to play around without the potential ill effects of N and P if those concentrations go high.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

aledr2004 said:


> Just picked up this thread. I've got to say your tanks look pretty awesome. Real shame though that the swiss mountain theme never paid off.
> 
> I hope you re-attempt it with more success some time. It reminded me of a painting by Bob Ross. You remember him? the white guy with the Afro that used to paint on TV !


Yes I know Bob Ross but I can't compare my work with his at all 

Currently I have 4-5 types of moss growing on stick. Will help me choose which one makes sense to use. Probably after the current scape has matured, i'll break it down and try the swiss scape once again.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

I moved the glow light tetras to the other tank and added neon tetras in this one (traded them with the rainbows in the other tank that were going too boisterous)










Old members still at home









FTS - Although the didiplis diandra are still not visible, they are growing now so hopefully by next week, some of the tips should start showing at the top


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

that _Marsilea_ looks cool the way that you can still see the runners. when it fills in its overall shape will be obscured.

you have remarkably clear water. you can really see this in that first picture form latest post. it looks like you take care cleaning your glass too.


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## sunfire99 (Apr 8, 2009)

Just an awesome scape!! To me you really pulled off the mountain. I like it!!


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

That is glosso not marselia. It's been about a month since they were planted. If they continue like they are doing now they should form a thick carpet by end of June.


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## demosthenes (Aug 23, 2008)

lookin good! hydrophyte, i'm pretty sure that is glosso. and x2 that you have really clear water, that makes the whole tank have a really clean, pure feeling. like if you took nature and made it _ideal._ not at all in an unnatural way, but its like the next life, better-place kind of feel.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

thanks, i have never really seen glosso except for the sad-looking stuff in the pet store.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

sunfire99 said:


> Just an awesome scape!! To me you really pulled off the mountain. I like it!!


Thank you sunfire99. Once the glosso fills in I have to trim them well to keep the rock edges exposed. They have already started spreading over the rock but I don't want to restrict the growth yet.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

demosthenes said:


> lookin good! hydrophyte, i'm pretty sure that is glosso. and x2 that you have really clear water, that makes the whole tank have a really clean, pure feeling. like if you took nature and made it _ideal._ not at all in an unnatural way, but its like the next life, better-place kind of feel.


Thank you demosthenes. I really wanted to get the pristine clean water you see in AF and after 5 months of trial and error I finally believe I found out what it takes to keep it crystal clear naturally.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

This scape just completed 2 months now. The stem plants were all upto the brink, so I had to trim them a bit. I had lowered my light panel to increase the light intensity. That was last week. And I can already see the color difference, especially in the cabomba and didiplis (still a bunch of shorties at the rear and not visible yet). Also, the glosso mat started to cover up some of the rocks so trimmed some runners to keep the rocks visible.

Enjoy the new pictures. Thanks for looking




























I planted a few of the Rotala Wallichiis (probably) from the trims, to the left side as an accent.









center piece


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

i don't have anything intelligent to remark--all i can say is that it looks very nice. thanks for the update.


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## Nate McFin (Mar 19, 2009)

Great thread and some unreal scaping. You have pulled off 2 amazing scapes in the time it took me to get rid of an Ich breakout and grow some BGA. NICE!


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Thank you hydrophyte and Nate.

I had my own shares of problem with disease and algae . I just own the last battle with GW but the war is still on and will be on.


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## vtkid (Jan 5, 2009)

your right your glosso really is going crazy, I like the scape.


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Very cool looking scape man. Clean tank indeed. Once that glosso fills it's gonna look awesome. Have you tried using a black bg to see how the tank looks? Or maybe even a sky blue bg would look nice for that scape. That's just me though.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

thank you vtkid & speedie.

I chose white as my everyday background 'cause I plan to change the scapes overtime and white would probably be the safest neutral background that'll go with most. However if these turn out to my liking I'll send them in next years ADA contest and at that time I'll try different backgrounds. Not sure about black but skyblue for sure.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

I don't know if it is NTD or not but my neon tetras keep dying one a day and in about 10 days I lost half of them already. They don't show any distress the whole day but in the morning one shows up dead. 

Let's see how long the rest hang on but I won't replenish them. Will go with cardinals or something else.


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

You don't have a cat do you? seriously haha Neons are hard to kill IME.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

haha no I don't. Since this started last week, I checked various sources and found differing accounts with some doing great and some having cases like mine. Bad fortune I guess


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Happy Independence Day guys.

My tank has matured as much as possible so I was feeling bored just to upkeep it and finally decided that I needed to make a new scape.

These are the final pictures of my old scape (demolished yesterday).





































There are a ton of plants to sell off, so I will be posting in S&S today. Link to my S&S post

But first I need finish my new layout. Lots of work ahead today.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

My new setup is all driftwood. I chose mainly malayasian dw and a couple of pieces of mopani that I felt really went well with the layout.

Plants are mainly low light/low maintenance leafy plants. There are are few that needs high light/co2 though. The complete list is
- Java fern
- Windolev fern
- Bolbitis
- Some kind of fern I got from AF that they have not named yet. They just call it "special fern". I took a chance for the looks and after 2 months it is growing shoots under water so I am happy.
- Flame moss
- Weeping moss
- Fissidens fontanus
- phoenix moss
- Sagittaria platyphylla
- Blyxa auberti
- Cryptocoryne wendtii 'red'
- Cryptocoryne wendtii 'green'
- Cryptocoryne walkeri 'lutea'
- Pogostemon helferi 
- dwarf chain sword
- a few UG

All green stuff except for the crypt that would add a slight dash of color. After 3 hours of setup it is completed with the fish back in.

At the startup..
With the driftwood with mosses and fern and the background plants planted.









Filled up with water... and foreground plants planted. The dust just settled in and I added the fish at this point, but there is plenty of debris still floating around and settling on the substrate and hardscape.









Closeup of the plants. These pictures were taken before a second round of cleanup and pictures are quite hazy.

Windolev. It has been in my hospital tank for a while and already spawing plantlets









Bolbitis. Majority of the leaves are old but new shoots are coming out. You can see the amount of debris on the plants and dw.









Java fern. I had trimmed all the old leaves baring a couple. All the leaves right now are new ones and I trimmed the couple of older ones before I added it in this tank









Weeping moss. These is the worst of the lot. Most of the original shoots died off but new shoots are coming out. It will need a good trim once the new ones have grown sufficiently









flame moss. needs a trim but has to wait









phoenix moss









Crypts









Blyxa auberti and gaint sag









This is the special fern. Bad picture but beautiful plant. It is kind of hidden from the front view. I will probably need to replace it next week.









daonoi (downoi)









dwarf chain sword and a few bits of UG










After a good clean of the glass and floating debris, added some duckweed. It still needs a good vacuum but enough for the day. I'll let the fauna and flora take a break till next week.









Please comment.


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

very nice scape! i love the wood!
maybe u should add a little more slope? idk maybe its jsut me but that wood is incredible


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

i like where it is going.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Thank you trigun and marko.

There is a gradient of about 25 degrees. That is pretty much the max that is possible for the wood to stand on its own. I had slightly more slope but had to reduce it once I started placing the woods.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Love it!


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## rountreesj (Jun 12, 2007)

what kind of photoperiod are you running. you will have algae in about two weeks if you are going over 6 hours.


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

You're adding Neon Tetras this soon? Is the tank cycled yet?


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

rountreesj said:


> what kind of photoperiod are you running. you will have algae in about two weeks if you are going over 6 hours.


I am doing standard 10 hours. I have had a lot of algae issues in the past and eliminated them as well. Don't believe any algae issue can be restricted by reducing photo period. They will occur in whatever situation it is and there are ways to keep them in check without reducing photo period that retards plant growth as well.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

ZooTycoonMaster said:


> You're adding Neon Tetras this soon? Is the tank cycled yet?


I just rescaped the tank, the filter and everything else are still the same as in the previous tank so it is cycled already.

I have been off the forum for a few weeks. How are your tanks doing?


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Ugly Genius said:


> Love it!


Thank you UG


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

malaybiswas said:


> I have been off the forum for a few weeks. How are your tanks doing?


Good...although the Rotala isn't in good shape so I think I'll replace it with a new batch


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## rountreesj (Jun 12, 2007)

well just saying...I have not had any algae at all and i have a split 7 hour photo period. and I had major algae before with a 8 hour photoperiod at 4 wpg.


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## rountreesj (Jun 12, 2007)

you have good growth, so that is what matters.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

by split do you mean off in the middle of the day?
i tried that once. i didnt really see much of a difference.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

rountreesj said:


> well just saying...I have not had any algae at all and i have a split 7 hour photo period. and I had major algae before with a 8 hour photoperiod at 4 wpg.


i have had all kinds of algae, GW, dust algae, hair algae, spot algae, BGA, BBA...name it  You can even see some of the GW pictures in my other thread, it was nasty

I had treated one at a time, and except GW, almost none are truely affected by photo period reduction. Most needs to be controlled by CO2 and fertilizer regulation. In addition frequent water changes for GW. That's pretty much what helped me control outbreaks.

This link (http://www.aquariumalgae.blogspot.com/) has helped me a lot.

Above all I have seen it happen and the effect of certain measures, so I am pretty convinced that photo period is the least of the causes for most algae issues. Blackout method (never tried) might be helpful, for GW but it is stressing your plants too. Tackle the root cause and you'll not have to resort to measures that will stress/harm your flora & fauna.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

wrong post. erased. should be some way to delete posts or I have not figured it out yet.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Hey all. It has been 3 weeks since the new layout was setup and there has been some significant changes till now so I figured this is a good time to log the progress so far.

Couple of FTS to begin with


















So what are the major changes?
1. Took out the dw with flame moss, it was hiding too much of the background.
2. Turned around the driftwood with bolbitis. Now the bolbitis and fissidens is clearly visible

















The "spidery" hanging stuff is a loose fern that I had tied. Its been a pain to keep in place.

Also moved the windolev behind the bolbitis since it was blocking the center piece to be (java fern). 









3. Moved some of the crypts in the front and added some blyxa japonica in the background right corner









So that was re-arrangements. Other than that I added 4 balloon rams. Wanted them to be the glory of the tank but they are too shy of me. It took me over an hour to get the next few shots (and lots of wasted shots). It felt like I was doing a Animal Planet section  but it was worth.



























Finally a better close up a a young shoot of the unknown fern. At least I am happy that it is growing nicely under water









Please comment.


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## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i can't wait to what it looks like once all that moss and foreground have grown in.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

thank you oldpunk. I am excited too to see how it looks. Will all the moss and different textures, I hope it looks like the bottom of a tropical rain forest.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

really nice. i like that driftwood arrangement--it has movement. i hope that that will be prominent show when it grows in.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

thank you hydrophyte. At this point what I am worried about is the blyxa aubertii on the right. It does not really have much space to grow without getting crushed on the glass. I am yet to find out a proper place for it.

Thought about moving it to the center between the woods and behind the java fern, but the greens will all mix up without a proper distinction when all the plants grow up.

Any ideas?


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## vtkid (Jan 5, 2009)

malaybiswas said:


>





malaybiswas said:


>


 it filled in great in that short amount of time... i was gone for two weeks and came back looking for how this was doing and you went and rescaped it:hihi: very nice.
oh and that 80 gallon is in-freakin-credible why didnt you make a thread for it on TPT.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

I guess I was getting bored with that look :hihi:

The 80 gal was nice considering it was my first planted tank ever. But there were few problems; acrylic was getting scratched. Tank was too big so for a nice scape I needed big wood/rock, but the access area on the top was not big enough. It also had a built in overflow that hindered the look. Just ol' first timer planning and choice issues.


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## vtkid (Jan 5, 2009)

wow first tank, that is a sweet first tank


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## Digsy (Mar 4, 2006)

This is filling in nicely! The rams are really striking. Out of curiosity, how much fissidens did you need to cover your driftwood?


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

vtkid said:


> wow first tank, that is a sweet first tank


Thank you vkid.



Digsy said:


> This is filling in nicely! The rams are really striking. Out of curiosity, how much fissidens did you need to cover your driftwood?


I started with one golfball size. Like most of my other moss, the introduced batch pretty much died except a few from which the new growth emerged.

The tank is filling in nicely. The blyxa aubertii has grown so big that I have to move it for a better look. I'll also need to move the dw a little bit (more closer to each other). Will be posting pictures this weekend.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

This is the re-organized scape. Based on some feedback I moved the arching dw in the front to the back. Hoping that the weeping moss will cover some of the dw and create a nice "drape" behind the java fern.

Also pushed all the dw a little closer to each other.

The blyxa aubertii has really grown big so I moved it to the left to accentuate that side instead of creating 2 "center"pieces.

Among the new plants are blyxa japonica and chinodorus latifolius on the right and cardamine lyrata on the left.

fts









diagonally









side view









Some close ups










Taiwan moss









blyxa japonica and chinodorus latifolius




































cardamine lyrata









blyxa aubertii


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## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

That's looking pretty nice. I can't wait for the mosses to fill in completely


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

what is that little tiny crypt? how big is it looks pretty.

Craig


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

that's crypt wendtii 'Mi Oya'


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Nice LMK if it ever tosses a couple daughters out will you?


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

The one in the picture is a daughter. There is one more and the mother plant in there.


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## triazole (Aug 26, 2008)

I think it's still too early to tell how the tank will turn out, but the diagonal shot says that it's going to be a beauty...
Personally, I felt more tension in your last arrangement..:icon_wink...though it was a bit centered...but still, the classic U-shape with angled branches on both of the arms was attractive...In the new one, the frontal shot somehow gives me a feeling as if the wood are afraid, very afraid, so they are huddling close to each other...(hehe...:icon_biggwatching too many scary movies??)...But the moss should grow and provide character...


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

LOL....nice one. Actually I watched Orphan this weekend. Maybe that's what influenced it 

The center piece should be more broken up if the java fern grow big and lush and if the downoi makes a nice bush. At least that's what I am hoping for.


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## vtkid (Jan 5, 2009)

having that moss how it is gives the DW an aged look.


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## Hobbes1911 (Mar 2, 2009)

any updates?


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Soon. I know I have been off for a while. I was remodelling my led fixture and rearranging this layout. Both are pretty much at the final stage so I'll have updates this weekend.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Seems like a decade since I posted here. Was busy working on my LED fixture revamp and re doing the layout. Tank's just out of a GW mess right now and I did not have the time or energy to clean it up yet as before so these are not as nice as before but still some updates on where it is now.

The crypts were melting down so I replaced them. Sold off the blyxa aubertii since it was overpowering the layout. Added some rotala macrandra and rotala wallichii instead to add some color.

The hairgrass was starting to shadow over the downoi so I moved them back and added eleocharis belem as the foreground (haven't taken off yet). Also to highlight the downoi (and hoping they mae a nice thicket soon) placed some flame moss on net behind the downoi and the rocks behind them. The flame moss is shaved right now, but once they grow back it should be a nice contrast (at least hoping).

Also reduced some wood and allowed the blyxa to grow more. The taiwan and weeping moss are more of accents right now, but like most of the moss, they are all shaved or newly tied back, so will have to see how it looks when they grow back.

Finally got bored of the white background and added black for some depth.

Hope you enjoy!


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Nice! I really like that luscious _Blyxa_ growth.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Thanks. The blyxa will require thinning soon or it's gonna cover every thing


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## vtkid (Jan 5, 2009)

that blyxa is lookin hot..


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

I have been pretty lethargic off late to post on my own threads. Coupled with that was a bad GW I was fighting with for the last couple of weeks. Now that I got handle on the GW, I finally managed to get myself to take a few (very bad) shots of my tanks. Here you go.




























That said, this tank has been a continuous evolution on the scape. I simply cannot keep my hands off it and these picture will very surely change next time I post since I planned to take off the windelov out of the tank and move all java ferns from the DW on the right to the cluster on the right.

I have a few specs of UG in there that are not very happy yet. If they do, I might also replace all the HG with UG.


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