# Critique My Aquascape Please...



## xmas_one (Feb 5, 2010)

I'd skip the path and do a central grouping with the five largest stones. See the aquajournal article on iwagumi layouts.


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## Fiftymeatballs (Mar 30, 2011)

Did you support that rock on the slope with anything underneath? Egg crate? 
If not that it will flatten with time, the soil is going to landslide onto your white path.

It helped in my tank to use smaller rocks along the path to hold back the black. Even still it makes it way onto the path and mixes in.



Also, I did use egg crate and the hills still sank a lot over time. It's very hard to keep a steep slope with heavy rocks.


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## bigian (Jul 12, 2009)

Fiftymeatballs said:


> Also, I did use egg crate and the hills still sank a lot over time. It's very hard to keep a steep slope with heavy rocks.


ok, I'll nix the rock on that hill. Would the plant roots keep it up? Is it fine without that rock? I love your tank, I like that look of mixing the substrate.


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## Fiftymeatballs (Mar 30, 2011)

The only difference between your tank and mine is that I am using aqua soil. It's very buoyant when wet. I think eco-complete is a bit more dense, but don't quote me. Maybe someone else can share their experience with eco complete slopes before I trigger you to make any changes. 

You can always just redo the scape with egg crate for support, it def will help long term. Also you can use rocks built up and buried underneath, but when you pay an arm and leg for these types of rocks you don't want to cover them up. I think people use slate successfully for support, then the seriyu stone etc for hardscape.


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## bigian (Jul 12, 2009)

I just added egg crate and built up a ledge where the dark and light substrate meet. 

Here's a pic of the crate placement...



it's hard to tell by these photos but there's a 1.5" hill up from the light sand. 





and a top down



I can't wait for that larger seiryu rock so I can build around it with the remainder of my rock...


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## urbach (Apr 16, 2009)

I believe your left Hill going collapse in matter of time. Too high. Actually with your tank size and the stones available, you should set up iwagumi tank.


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## Fiftymeatballs (Mar 30, 2011)

The crate is going to help a lot, good idea buying black as well. The white can pop through if the soil moves around. Although the plants tend to hide it anyway. 
Speaking of which, what plants are you going to use? 

That big rock in the photo your waiting on looks awesome. I'm jealous. 

Keep in mind that when you place the rocks on both sides you can use them to create more depth on your path. My issue initially was that my path went straight front to back. I see yours has some bend but it still has an abrupt end. Obviously the tank is only so big. 
You can have the point of the rocks maybe jut out over the path towards the back. Creating a cave, or use plants to block the back of the tank so it looks like the path never ends. That is the one thing I wish I thought about when I constructed my tank, luckily with enough plants I was able hide it.


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## kcoscia (Jul 24, 2013)

I feel like that is A LOT of substrate


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## bigian (Jul 12, 2009)

urbach said:


> I believe your left Hill going collapse in matter of time. Too high.


The big rock pictured above will go in front of the hill, at least so far in my mind. Hopefully between the egg crate, plants and the rock it'll stay up. 



Fiftymeatballs said:


> Speaking of which, what plants are you going to use?
> 
> That big rock in the photo your waiting on looks awesome. I'm jealous.


I have these coming this week...

40 nodes marsilia minuta 
5 blyxa plants 
1 Anubias Barteri 
5 Lindernia sp. 'India' 
5 Myriophyllum Mattogrossense 
5 Rotala 'Pearl' Mini Type 1 
3 Syngonanthus sp. 'Belem' 
5 ludiwgia red

that rock is amazing, right? So many crevices to grow plants from 

As far as the substrate, there is a lot but looking at it right now in person, I'm happy. I see it shaping up to be pretty sweet. I'll post pix as I go


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## kevreh (Feb 4, 2014)

xmas_one said:


> I'd skip the path and do a central grouping with the five largest stones. See the aquajournal article on iwagumi layouts.


New here....where's that article? thx


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## bigian (Jul 12, 2009)

Here's what I got, I'm really happy with it, now I just need the plants to GROW! Especially the ones along the back behind the big rock and the ground cover ...


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