# Adding Height to a Scape



## caffeinetherapy

I use a combination of 1) layers of eggcrate cut and stacked to resemble a slope, and 2) rocks to create cliffs and hold back substrate. The eggcrate is also useful for holding substrate in place.

How much height were you planning?

An extreme example of building height would be the "Altitude" scape by James Findley.

http://youtu.be/ad0pwwt17KU


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## fish_fasinated

Yes! That is just the sort of example I needed. A simply stunning setup. Though I wasn't thinking that high, though I hadn't thought you could go that high. 

One question I think of right away is, what could I use behind stones like this to build up before capping with something like florite.


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## caffeinetherapy

fish_fasinated said:


> One question I think of right away is, what could I use behind stones like this to build up before capping with something like florite.


Plastic water bottles (filled with water and capped) take up a good amount of space, are solid, and weigh less than gravel/soil.


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## jeepguy

May or may not be what you are referring to but I used fake logs and caves in the back to gain height and reduce weight, then local stones angled up and back with wood on top with similar orientation.
This is also a 65gallon.
Additionally I added crypt spiralis and balansae that once grown out should add a lot of height to the tank.


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## jmsaltfish797

caffeinetherapy said:


> I use a combination of 1) layers of eggcrate cut and stacked to resemble a slope, and 2) rocks to create cliffs and hold back substrate. The eggcrate is also useful for holding substrate in place.
> 
> How much height were you planning?
> 
> An extreme example of building height would be the "Altitude" scape by James Findley.
> 
> http://youtu.be/ad0pwwt17KU


This is an awesome video. Gave me some ideas for my tank after I move. Sorry to hijack the thread.


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## fish_fasinated

Hey, we are here to learn together. I posted this for myself as I have had my 65 for a while but there might be people here who have the tank and need ideas. I onow I've struggled with this for a while


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## caffeinetherapy

That's a great moss wall you've got back there. :thumbsup:



jeepguy said:


> May or may not be what you are referring to but I used fake logs and caves in the back to gain height and reduce weight, then local stones angled up and back with wood on top with similar orientation.
> This is also a 65gallon.
> Additionally I added crypt spiralis and balansae that once grown out should add a lot of height to the tank.


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## Freemananana

You have quite a bit more length and depth to your tank than mine (50% more on both), but ours are both 24" high. I think tall plants really help the height issue. I'm still trying to figure it out myself though.


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## jeepguy

caffeinetherapy said:


> That's a great moss wall you've got back there. :thumbsup:


thanks. Looks better from the side. Lol. But it is still quite sparse up close. Hate to pay for more cause I have so much but it is taking a long time to fill up a 36" X 24" wall, though I don't have anything for the bottom 10".


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## fish_fasinated

Watch the video caffinetherapy posted. Its a great way to add height if your feeling adventerous. Might try this a little myself, maybe not that high though


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## jeepguy

fish_fasinated said:


> Watch the video caffinetherapy posted. Its a great way to add height if your feeling adventerous. Might try this a little myself, maybe not that high though


It's a real good video and how to. I just wanted to leave caves and tunnels, and also have the additional water volume in my tank. To plant at higher levels with no substrate I am using bath caddies that I also use for my riparium plants with holes drilled throughout, filled with hydro clay balls, and topped it with sponge material crammed in to prevent the balls from floating away. I punched a hole in the sponge and stuck the stem plant in. 
If you look at my full tank shot on the left is a hygro that is actually only about 6" tall but it gains about 6" behind the rock from the bath caddie.


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## fish_fasinated

I'm thinking about this scape, to the point Kylie Minogue is popping into my head. 😁 I'm wondering if using lava rock to fill the voids and using standard "natural" gravel to fill the void, capping it off with florite. It mentioned in the video that lava rock was used because it is porous allowing beneficial bacteria to colonize the rock preventing nitrogenous bubbles building up. So, could my thoughts be accurate? What are all of your thoughts?


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## mot

fish_fasinated said:


> I'm thinking about this scape, to the point Kylie Minogue is popping into my head. 😁 I'm wondering if using lava rock to fill the voids and using standard "natural" gravel to fill the void, capping it off with florite. It mentioned in the video that lava rock was used because it is porous allowing beneficial bacteria to colonize the rock preventing nitrogenous bubbles building up. So, could my thoughts be accurate? What are all of your thoughts?


Yes this is a pretty common way to get height without spending a fortune on substrate. I have used lava rock as a filler in a few of my aquascapes without issue. I do find it a pain sometime planting as the substrate on top of the lava rock is not thick enough.


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