# Oqsy's 55 gallon journal...*Updated 06/22/07*



## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

I'm doing the same with my 55G (taking the good stuff from my 1st planted tank to make a better one)  

The wood lay-out looks cool, but I wouldn't do it all evenly through out the tank. Have it kinda pushed to one side so you can have an open space in the tank for some fish :fish: Just an idea...


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## eds (Feb 12, 2003)

Might be easier to comment if you could include some photos of the wood as well, just to give an idea of the 3D look.

I see the 2 "money" pieces as the 2d and 3d in from the left. And I see the choice between using the 2 pieces together as a single focal point - probably approx 1/3 of the way in from one side or the other, or placing them on opposite ends of the tank. The remaining 3 could be used well to complement the focal point(s). Make sure you check out how each piece looks from every angle, as well as the possibility of piling more than one piece together.

Another concern is whether you intend your tank to have a "flow" from one side to the other. 55s are long and narrow, and if you have plants like vals, and/or a strong current, that can cause the scape to have a sense of a left-to-right or right-to-left appearance. 

Sorry if I provided more questions than answers!


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

I've placed the wood pretty much as pictured above (not because it looks good, but because i didn't want any of it to dry out and float). my camera(s) are awful for tank pics, but here's a wide shot of the whole tank right now.


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## eds (Feb 12, 2003)

By any chance, is the photo the reverse of the drawing?
Because in the drawing, the tallest piece is to the left of the centermost branchy piece, while in your tank, there appears to be a tall vertical piece to the right of the branchy piece in the center.

The center piece looks like a really nice piece of wood.
Can't really make out the tall piece on the right - or any of the 3 smaller pieces.
But I guess my initial personal inclination would be to showcase the two larger pieces, and either ditch the 3 smaller ones, or use them in a supporting role - either to create caves or to anchor plants.
I would look for ways to have those 2 larger pieces work together, or relate to each other - rather than just appearing to be stuck into the substrate next to each other. Maybe try the tall one behind the branchy one - might suggest depth, but also might appear cramped in your 55g.

The question I'll ask now is, what role(s) do you want the wood to play in your tank?
Do you want the wood itself to be exposed as a visible element of your scape?
Do you want it primarily to be something to attach plants to?
If so, will the wood itself be largely invisible, other than creating different "levels" above the substrate?
Do you want it to create caves for your fauna?
All are legit ways to use wood - and I undoubtedly missed a couple.
But your answers to these questions influence where you place them in your tank.


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

to answer your placement question...

I reversed #'s 2 and 3. the big branchy one is to the lft of the taller one. the smaller pieces are hidden around and behind the others, except the anubias covered one which is in the left midground just like above. 

to answer the purpose question... all of the above, perhaps. 

I have plecos and cichlids that enjoy caves.
I have ferns, anubias, and mosses that look great on wood.
I have a fondness for the look of bare wood in a tank.

so there we are... no more info than before this post. 

thanks a million for your posts so far, eds. I have about 8 anubias nana plants, 2 types of moss, and some small sprigs of narrow leaf java fern that I'd *like* to work into the setup, but at the same time, I fear that I'm probably trying to do too much in one tank. the most attractive aquascape I've had so far was the one with 3 species of plants (crypts, moss, and chain sword), whereas my 55 as it stands right now has about 9-10. I'm going to shuffle things around a bit and see how it looks. Expect more pics at the end of the week.

Oqsy


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## eds (Feb 12, 2003)

Glad my responses are helping you think through this.
Eager to hear what others have to say.
One of the greatest things about this hobby is that once you have the hardware you can try something and - if you don't like how it turns out - you have another day of playing in the water as you tear it down and try something new.

I'm not sure about the specifics of placement, proportion, etc. But I think that some who knows more than me might suggest that your current placement is inconsistent with the "golden ratio." As I look at it, the current focal point is somewhere between the 2 largest pieces of wood, about 1/3 of the way in from the R side. This is emphasized by the fact that you have the 2 pieces angling away from each other. 

Unless you are trying to do something daring like have the focal point be negative space - like a valley, it strikes me as a little confusing to have the 2 really nice looking pieces positioned in a way that my eye doesn't know what to concentrate on. If you want that "valley" to be the focal point, you might want to stick some bright red plant in the back right between the 2 pieces. Just a thought.

One easy thing to try might be to turn both pieces around 180, so they flow towards each other and draw the eye to the point between them - if that makes any sense. Another thought is to turn one or the other 180, so they both tend to flow in the same direction. 

You can accomplish all of your goals. The easy way is to use the smaller pieces to grow plants on, and pile them around the bigger pieces to create your caves. Then leave the most interesting parts of the bigger pieces bare - tho you can selectively attach a few smaller plants higher up to emphasize that dimension.

Final thought, until someone else chimes in - think about emphasizing the wood from rear to front. If you plant the back parts and have bare parts coming out towards the front glass, it can give the impression of depth.

Heck, if I go on like this I might almost convince myself that I know something about what I'm talking about! Suffice it to say I most definitely can talk the talk better than I walk the walk!


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

pics as of today:

left:

center:

right:


full tank:


hardscape is pretty much unchanged, but I have lots of new plants, and all is algae free this far (knocking on wood desk).

Oqsy


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Looking good roud: I like the placement of reds, can't wait till it fills in. Keep us updated.


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

will do. the alternanthera (left red plant)is courtesy of none other than toofazt, and the glandulosa (far right red plant) is courtesy of oceanaqua on apc's forum. now I'm starting to develop collectoritis, as I'm too attached to some of the the green plants even though they were placed in there as temporary plant mass until I acquired the red plants I was after. I'm nowhere near enough plant mass to start pulling stuff anyway, so i'll just see what happens in a few weeks. right now the plant list consists of:

ludwigia glandulosa
ludwigia brevipes
ludwigia palustris
ludwigia repens
ludwigia inclinata
lysimachia nummularia
micranthemum micranthemoides
e. tenellus
alternanthera (can't remember which sp, from toofazt, VERY reddish pink)
anubias nana
java fern
xmas moss
najas grass
bronze crypt wendtii
bacopa monnieri
hydrocotyle verticillata

and an unkown plant in the right foreground between the bacopa and the glandulosa. any help id'ing that dude is quite welcome.

Oqsy


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

oops, forgot to mention hyrdocotyle verticillata (floating right now since there's nowhere to plant it  )

i guess i could list the fauna while I'm here...

keyhole cichlids
african butterfly cichlids (a. thomasi)
kribensis
glow light tetras
SAE
pearl gouramis
lone cory
otocinclus
bristlenose pleco
clown plecos
golden wonder killie
lone wild male guppy
lone cherry barb

the tank is stocked pretty heavily right now, but definitely not dangerously so... lots of odds and ends fish leftover from combining a 20H and 29G that won't be replaced as they disappear. kribs have fry and guard them VERY aggressively, leaving wounds on the SAE and keyholes most often. they chase the others, but never hurt them.

Oqsy


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

*Update: 1-20-06*

things have grown in well... it's time to expand the moss wall, but i'm too lazy to pull the mesh out and make more. driftwood is moved a bit again, and ludwigias are taking off... everything else is doing well, too.

Oqsy


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## cprroy73 (Nov 10, 2004)

I like it so far, I can imagine the entire back wall with the moss. Is it java moss? Your plants look very healthy too.:thumbsup:


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

cprroy73 said:


> I like it so far, I can imagine the entire back wall with the moss. Is it java moss?


its xmas moss. it's looking pretty wild right now and could really use a haircut.



cprroy73 said:


> Your plants look very healthy too.


Thanks! EI, increased CO2, and a UV sterilizer seem to have made all the difference in the world. 

Oqsy


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

Oh, I have some e. tenellus that I just pulled... it's enough to fill a 10 gallon tank front to back, if anyone is interested (it's actually filling a 10 gallon grow-out right now). I'm thinking about $7 plus shipping. PM me for details.

Oqsy


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## eds (Feb 12, 2003)

Looking good!
With the dark substrate and background, the plants shine like jewels!
I also like the sense of left to right flow, from the combined shape of the plants and the wood.


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## scolley (Apr 4, 2004)

Looks good Oqsy. That e. tenellus in particular looks really happy. Must be doing something right!:icon_wink


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

thanks steve. i was just heading to your kahuna thread to see if you've posted any pics recently. I must say that your sunfish are gorgeous.

Oqsy


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## sarahbobarah (May 20, 2005)

WOW! Where the heck is your filter outlet???


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

black pvc spraybar in the top left corner suction-cupped to the left side of the tank just below the water surface... in that pic you *might* be able to make out the cork that plugs the end pressing against the top left corner of the front glass.

Oqsy


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## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

Lookin really good! Isn't it great how some low foreground plants can really tie a tank together! Keep it up, oqsy


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

progress! ludwigias are reddening up, new species tucked in a few places, including some d. diandra, dwarf hairgrass, blyxa japonica (turned pinkish tan after 3 days in tank), ludwigia "cuba", among others... I've hit my stride with dosing: backed down NO3 to bring out reds, upped PO4 and traces to spur new growth, and doubled iron dosing to give the glandulosa a kick in the pants. 

Oqsy


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

well... thanks for the comments, folks! 
 :angryfire :frown: :icon_conf :icon_redf

seriously, anyone with feedback of any kind, as long as its constructive, have at it. 

Oqsy


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## observant_imp (Jun 30, 2004)

I like the mix of stems on the left--it puts me a little in mind of the edge of a forest and a meadow. 

Even though they are different plants, I'm seeing too much symmetry with the 2, green, small, round-leaved plants in the background. What about moving the plant with the small, round leaves that is just to the right of the anubias to the far left of the tank and then either leaving that space open or using something with big leaves like a lilly or a sword? Or maybe just swapping it with the smaller stems to the right. That plant just seems to strong with the relatively open space just to the right.

You've got a good mix of colors and leaf shapes going. It will nice to see this fill in.


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

great ideas, imp... thanks for the suggestions.

the plant on the right is bacopa, and i'm planning on letting it fill out some more, then using it from the back right corner, and tapering down in height to the middle, like I'm trying to do on the left. The idea is the way overdone "bowl" shape. the other "similar" plant to the bacopa is lysimachia, and while it is probably a little too similar to bacopa, I'm really enjoying the way it's weaving around the driftwood... the color and texture are really nice too.. I just wish I could come up with a way to keep it in the same place without tossing the bacopa (it's growing better than anything else in the tank besides the ludwigia repens and the chain sword.

plans for the immediate future:

chain sword is being replaced by blyxa japonica and dwarf hairgrass. stargrass on the right is already replaced with d. diandra (fine pink leaves in front of the green round ones helps take the edge off the bacopa). I also have some ludwigia inclinana "cuba", a single stem of macandra, and some aromatica that are almost imperceivable in that pic that will grow in and find homes somewhere in the scape (right now they're just out front where they're not shaded by the taller plants, so they can grow uninhibited). my ludwigia brevipes and ludwigia glandulosa are coloring up even more since the photo was taken, and will be trimmed and repositioned in a more pleasing setup soon, too. i have to jump on the bandwagon with the method of cutting nitrates, boosting iron and traces, and upping P a bit for reddish plants. They look like totally different species now that I'm giving them what they want. 

Oqsy


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## cookfromscratch (Aug 10, 2005)

I don't scan the photo album as much as I should. I've now subscribed to this thread. 

I love the growth. Looked great before, but even nicer now! Love the use of color, and the brancy driftwood. Can't wait to get my hands on that piece you are saving for me! 

Great job!


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

alright, time for an updated pic. current plant list from left to right:
ludwigia repens, ludwigia brevipes, ludwigia glandulosa, blyxa japonica, anubias nana, hottonia palustris, (small rotala macandra), proserpinaca palustris, and ludwigia sp. cuba. there are a couple of patches of dwarf hairgrass, but I don't expect them to hang around much longer. this is definitely my favorite layout so far. growth is phenomenal now.

Oqsy


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

well poop. i just clicked on the picture, and it sure looks a lot darker than it did in photoshop. I'll have to import it from the camera again and use a lot less exposure correction this time around  my apologies for the dim photo.

Oqsy


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## agdavis (Jun 23, 2006)

great tank


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

thanks a lot


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

here's an updated shot with at least the new direction of the tank visible.. a simple triangle with l. cuba, l. brevipes, driftwood, ammania bonsai, and l. cardinalis making the outline. other plants include glosso (filling in), hottonia palustris, and some ferns on coconut shells on far left (for krib breeding, will be removed eventually as they totally ruin the flow of the scape). this pic WAS retouched using photoshop to remove glare from lights, edges of tank, and equipment, but all aspects of the scape are as they appear. a school of 25 neons now inhabit the tank, which is a vast improvement over the mish-mash of schooling tetras that were in the first lineup for this tank. the goal is for the lobelia cardinalis to fill in around the driftwood on the left, glosso to cover all visible substrate, the l. brevipes to fill in better on the left side of the big dw, and the ammania bonsai to go nuts. we'll see how it all works out. oh, if you look closely, you can see the edge of a brick used to anchor the big driftwood. once the bonsai and brevipes get full, that should no longer be visible. i know this scape isn't anything new or dramatic, but I thought it was worth an update.

Oqsy


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## Y0uH0 (Dec 19, 2005)

The shot isn't that clear but from what i can make out,it looks good=). great job on the triangular layout as well.


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## scolley (Apr 4, 2004)

Oqsy said:


> i know this scape isn't anything new or dramatic, but I thought it was worth an update.


I've got to disagree Oqsy. I've not seen pics of your tank with this new driftwood arrangement, and IMO it IS pretty dramatic! I really like how you are incorporating the plants in with the piece on the right. And I'm anxious to see how you are going to fully incorporate the piece on the left. Or will it remain a dramatic vertical visual element, as it is now?


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

kribs cruising around for snacks...

steve: thanks for your input  now you can see what I was talking about in my "nature aquarium vs. dutch" thread. i've got some great wood, but I keep leaning towards dutch ordered plantings... i think i'll let this one grow in a while and then see what lessons I can learn from it. I've never had what I considered a "successful" aquascape, but this one might get me there with some more time and work (even if it isn't the style I'm most interested in).

Oqsy


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

oh yeah... i picked up that piece of driftwood simply because it reminded me of the weight and proportions of your cypress tank  (RIP Alien Buddha)


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## scolley (Apr 4, 2004)

Hmm... maybe that's why I like it. But I really DO like the piece on the right, and how you are working the plants in. The piece on the left though is going to present some challenges, at least in that vertical orientation.


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

yeah, i'm still working on that one... it's actually 2 pieces, one lying flat on its side in front of the other which is standing up. the one on its side is being used to help make a "terrace" for the lobeliaso that maintaining the triangle is easier and more seamless. I've considered just taking out the other driftwood, but I'm going to try a few more configurations first. that piece is totally hollow and I hate to evict my plecos that consider it home. i'll keep working on it.

Oqsy


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

two more pics, neither of them spectacular, but the glosso is finally starting to grow... (a little) I wish I could get a good macro of a keyhole. Beautiful fish, but hard to capture on film.





Oqsy


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## Y0uH0 (Dec 19, 2005)

I simple love the right side of the tank, as well as how the blue in the fishes actually compliment the scape.


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## Lil Pun (Oct 6, 2006)

Wow, that looks better than the previous pics I have seen. Hopefully when I set my new tank up it can look this good.


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

Ogsy...looking good!!!
I love the color contrast and composition. Very artistic. How happy are those kribs!


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

*new pic*

new pic


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

Ok, been really busy but have added quite a bit of wood to the tank, angels and discus are best friends, and i have about 80 billion baby platies. will post pic of progress soon


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