# Temperate Rainforest



## Kudaria (Jan 7, 2013)

I think I may have messed up using the slate for this instead of a rounder stone...

Anyway I want to keep the flat piece of driftwood as a focal point of the tank and then add in plants around it to suggest an actual sized slice of rainforest. Crypts come to mind for fern like plants, and I may need to take out the myrio as I'm not sure it will fit in with my idea.

Suggestions for plants or other things I might add to emphasize the rainforest theme?


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## Kudaria (Jan 7, 2013)

Well I found a scene of the type that I would like to recreate, now I'm just trying to think of what plants would work.


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## TECKSPEED (Jan 2, 2013)

I would say use some moss to cover your slate, may be difficult to get the moss to attach, then maybe some java fern. 


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## Kudaria (Jan 7, 2013)

I did cover two pieces of slate with the moss. One of them is in the front left of the tank. I was thinking now that I would bury those pieces into the substrate so that they appear to be flat pieces of moss covered ground.

I picked up a stump like piece of driftwood today that I'm planning on taking a saw to so that it will fit in the back left corner of the tank. As soon as I get some more moss I'll go ahead and cover it with moss too.

I also picked up some moss balls which I think will work rather well with the scape. I'm not sure whether or not to just leave them in their ball form or open them up and use them to cover some rounded stone.


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## I3raven (Jan 30, 2013)

Kudaria said:


> I did cover two pieces of slate with the moss. One of them is in the front left of the tank. I was thinking now that I would bury those pieces into the substrate so that they appear to be flat pieces of moss covered ground.
> 
> I picked up a stump like piece of driftwood today that I'm planning on taking a saw to so that it will fit in the back left corner of the tank. As soon as I get some more moss I'll go ahead and cover it with moss too.
> 
> I also picked up some moss balls which I think will work rather well with the scape. I'm not sure whether or not to just leave them in their ball form or open them up and use them to cover some rounded stone.


You should try buying oval/round shaped stones and attach fissidens fonatanus. It should help recreate the look you want.


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## Kai808 (Jul 19, 2011)

I would add a slope to substrate. It looks a little flat for a scape.


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## Kudaria (Jan 7, 2013)

Kai808 said:


> I would add a slope to substrate. It looks a little flat for a scape.


I agree, which I why I ordered another bag of substrate. It should be here Wed. and I'll add it to the tank to create more of a slope. That's what I get for trying to do it with a tad bit less than two bags.


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## Kudaria (Jan 7, 2013)

I3raven said:


> You should try buying oval/round shaped stones and attach fissidens fonatanus. It should help recreate the look you want.


Oh wow, that's a beautiful moss and it sounds like it will cling to the stones by itself after awhile. I'll definitely add that to my list of mosses and keep an eye out for it. 

I'm starting to think, that like in the picture, a few different types of mosses will add some visual interest to the scape. My question is how many different types? I've already got christmass moss and marino algae balls and now I'll likely add the fissidens to the mix. Should I stop there or go with yet another type of moss for four different looks.


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## Kai808 (Jul 19, 2011)

Mini pellia and mini fissidens, are also nice but very slow growers.


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## Farmer (Jan 30, 2013)

I certainly agree that you need to slope the substrate. I also think you need to be adding a lot more height with your rocks (or wood). Once your moss grows you will find it hard to see you even have rocks there.

I agree with I3raven. But you ought to be able to find suitable rocks without buying them. Even in a city. 

Linds


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## pirayaman (Mar 30, 2008)

first get round stones they are called river rock around here. landscape supply place or a river. then deff moss fissens would look great but get a couple others for a dash here and there


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

It might work to mix some riccia in also and some bolbitis for that ferny look.


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## Kudaria (Jan 7, 2013)

Jeff5614 said:


> It might work to mix some riccia in also and some bolbitis for that ferny look.


I'll have to keep an eye out for that bolbitis, it does look like a fern. Right now I've got some Green Gecko's and a Blyxa Japonica along with the mini pelia moss coming in the mail along with some fissidens.

By the end of the weekend I should have some new pics up with whats been done so far.


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## Kehy (Feb 5, 2012)

Reminds me a bit of the Hoh Rainforest. Gotta love having both rainforest and desert in the same state, hahaha. Not nearly enough moss though.


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## Kudaria (Jan 7, 2013)

Alright I did a bit of work on this tank tonight. Everything for it hasn't come in yet but a few things did, namely the fissidens and bacopa australis. I'm expecting in a few more plants - Blyxa Japonica, Crypt Green Gecko, Hygrophila 'Tiger', Limnophila Aromatica, and a small bit of mini pellia and notocyphus lutescens mosses.

What I'm trying to figure out now is what to do with the marimo balls...can you cut those and place them upon a rock?


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## I3raven (Jan 30, 2013)

Kudaria said:


> Alright I did a bit of work on this tank tonight. Everything for it hasn't come in yet but a few things did, namely the fissidens and bacopa australis. I'm expecting in a few more plants - Blyxa Japonica, Crypt Green Gecko, Hygrophila 'Tiger', Limnophila Aromatica, and a small bit of mini pellia and notocyphus lutescens mosses.
> 
> What I'm trying to figure out now is what to do with the marimo balls...can you cut those and place them upon a rock?


If you are recreating a temperate forest, focus on low growing plants. You can successfully recreate an aquascape without any tall background plants, which you can see in many Iwagumi scapes. I think a minimum for a species of plant in a tank is around 4-5. In nature, you see plants in large groups with the same species, instead of numerous species of plants jumbled together. The picture I have posted is a tree in a temperate forest environment. I think you should place your Blyxa Japonica right next to the "roots" of your driftwood to replicate a fern in a temperate forest. And I would surround and attach low growing mosses and plants to the driftwood.

My changes I would make-
I think you should buy a more darker wood, such as Malaysian driftwood, which is available in almost all lfs. The wood you bought just seems to light in comparison to your slate, plants, and rocks.


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## Kudaria (Jan 7, 2013)

Interestingly enough I believe both pieces are mopani wood, the one on the ground is just all burly heartwood. If you look very closely its the same color as the protruding root from the stump. That said I agree its light colored but cost is getting to be a factor. I've spent almost 150 on plants already and am not that interested in purchasing much more for the tank. Instead I think I'll wait and as I can move more moss over to the stump until its almost fully covered.

As for your suggestion of where to put the Blyxa Japonica is a good one even if I do have to replant some.


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## I3raven (Jan 30, 2013)

Kudaria said:


> Interestingly enough I believe both pieces are mopani wood, the one on the ground is just all burly heartwood. If you look very closely its the same color as the protruding root from the stump. That said I agree its light colored but cost is getting to be a factor. I've spent almost 150 on plants already and am not that interested in purchasing much more for the tank. Instead I think I'll wait and as I can move more moss over to the stump until its almost fully covered.
> 
> As for your suggestion of where to put the Blyxa Japonica is a good one even if I do have to replant some.


I have 2 pieces of Malaysian dirftwood I'm willing to give for free if you pay for shipping. You can pick one out of the photos I've posted. I'm not sure of the shipping fees as I have never really packaged and sold items and I'm pretty busy at the moment.


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## Kudaria (Jan 7, 2013)

While the last piece of driftwood you offered looks nice and I really appreciate the thought and kind gesture I think I'll have to pass on the offer. The moss on the stump is superglued on so it's not coming off and as I mentioned my plan was to eventually almost completely cover that stump. The other reason is my significant other likes the lighter color in the tank and doesn't want to get rid of it 

For now my thoughts about this tank revolve around creating a space where I can have 18 or so very small fish like chili rasoba and microdevario kubotai, and provide places for young shrimp to stay out of their sight until they get big enough for the fish to leave them alone.

I'm planning on feeding the fish Repashy foods so they will be used to grazing feeding thats always available. I'm hoping that will deter some predatory behavior, but I'm not anticipating it taking care of all of it. I have two cats, one male one female, the male would probably leave the fish alone if I accidentally left the lid up...the female would promptly turn into a serial fish killer. Both are certainly not hungry.


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## Green_Flash (Apr 15, 2012)

moss grown all over the stump would look great.


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## Knotyoureality (Aug 3, 2012)

Mopani and manzanita, unless they come seasoned from an existing tank, will look very light at first, but both will darken significantly overtime. 

The piece in my 3g pico started out as bright as yours, but six months down the road it's almost as dark as the malaysian wood in my other tanks.


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## Kudaria (Jan 7, 2013)

Knotyoureality said:


> Mopani and manzanita, unless they come seasoned from an existing tank, will look very light at first, but both will darken significantly overtime.
> 
> The piece in my 3g pico started out as bright as yours, but six months down the road it's almost as dark as the malaysian wood in my other tanks.


LOL considering that she likes the lightness of it I suspect I just wont mention that roud: Its good to know however that it will darken over time.

Anyway I got in most of the plants that I ordered and put them in the tank.










Hopefully the mosses will lighten up a bit over time? I'm seeing alot less variation in greens than I had hoped. And yes I cut the marimo balls in half...which was an interesting experience. I had thought they might be hollow but it was algae all the way though it. How the algae in the middle stays green and healthy I have no idea.


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## Kudaria (Jan 7, 2013)

Oh this is the current list of plants in the tank:

Mosses: Christmas Moss; Fissidens fontanus; Mini Pellia; Notocyphus lutescens; (expecting Subwassertang today)

Stem and Crypts: Bacopa australis; Blyxa Japonica; Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Green Gecko'; Hygrophila 'Tiger'; Limnophila Aromatica

Of course at this point I'm trying to figure out what to do with the subwassertang...maybe I'll put it on the stump or I'll take some fissidens off one rock and use it on the stump and put the subwassertang on the rock...


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## evilhorde (Feb 3, 2012)

If you have the time, you can grow your own moss from dried and bagged peat moss.
I have a tank with a peatmoss and sand substrate that rises out of the water. after a month or so I have new moss sprouting all over the place.


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