# Newbie's 20g Long Aquascape



## howgeneric (Apr 11, 2013)

Hello, I recently set up a 20 gallon long tank. I'm slowly developing an 'aquascape', here are some pictures:

My first try--









Some adjustments made to driftwood, and planted glosso--









Another perspective--









I am hoping the glosso will eventually grow in and start carpeting much closer to the substrate. The plants in there are java fern, java moss, anubias, dwarf pennywort, crypt wendtii, glossostigma, bacopa carolina, and one more I can't remember the name of.

I also am thinking about getting more ecocomplete substrate to create more of a slope in the back.

Suggestions welcome!


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## Big O (Jun 28, 2011)

*nice*

i like it, but the wood looks at of place


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## Farmer (Jan 30, 2013)

Hi,

You have the elements there for a great looking scape. At the moment they certainly could be set out a lot better though. What is the goal you want to achieve? Are you going high or low tech? 

As far as the scape goes you have done two things 'wrong'. The wood is smack in the centre of the tank. Usually it is better to have things off centre or not symmetrical. The rocks look very unnatural stood up like that. It's fine to have them standing up and not flat but most times they look better on an angle. Also they look a bit like products on a shelf as they are. Try placing them around about one third of the way along the tank and probably get rid of one of the two large ones. They are too similar to me.

I like that you want to add more substrate at the back. It should help you.

Linds


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## howgeneric (Apr 11, 2013)

I am using DIY CO2.

Redid my scape after receiving a shipment of manzanita wood. I think the 'focus' is closer to being around the first third of the tank.


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

Great tank. The way you scaped it makes it look bigger than a 20 gallon. I think the rescape made it look best.


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## Cthulhu (Dec 18, 2012)

You should not mix different types of wood or rocks


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

The new wood will darken with time so it will blend together like a branch with a really old gnarled base as you have planned!

Good job keeping the equipment out of the way! Not sure why having it all on the side works so much better to reduce visual clutter but it does. If the filter tube back there was absolutely vertical it might be even less obtrusive than it is right now and it isn't bad now.

The rocks on the left look a bit random. I try to keep points of interest out of dead center and from being squished against the walls of the tank. If I try really hard to keep things at the 1/3-2/5ths mark it helps a lot. Perhaps pile the rocks at 1/3 the way along the length of the tank, putting the new branch on one side and the old wood on the other like a tree broke when it fell across a rocky outcropping? Make a nice spot to plant the java fern too. Play with the rock arrangement, look at using them in the iwagumi way, a main stone with secondary one supporting it and the tertiary stones supporting the arrangement. Most of that careful work will disappear under plant growth but somehow it still matters.


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## Farmer (Jan 30, 2013)

howgeneric said:


> I am using DIY CO2.
> 
> Redid my scape after receiving a shipment of manzanita wood. I think the 'focus' is closer to being around the first third of the tank.


Wow!, heaps better. I'd still move those rocks from the left side though. If you have some darker ones they would be better. 

I'd put them in under the wood a bit. You could leave them out altogether if you like. or put them near the back just to the left of the java fern. I agree with Kathy on not putting things at the sides of the tank.

You can mix rocks and wood as long as they look good. But as a rule the less types the better. The thing is that if you are going for a natural look then there are often lots of different rocks together. 

Linds


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