# Building different levels when aquascaping



## daz9730 (Apr 11, 2010)

Hi everyone,

Just trying to get some ideas on aquascaping. I was wondering when aquascaping how do you build different levels with in the tank. I dont mean with plants but with actual structure.
For example if i wanted to build it up at one end, would i build some kind if structure under neath the substrate. If so what.

Im not knew to fish keeing and had several planted tanks in the past, however, they were just planted in no particular order. I now want to try something different.
I would pop into a local aquarium shop, but here in the UK, they are very small and limited in product and advise.:icon_frow

Any help/ideas much appreciated

dazz


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## jmowbray (Dec 20, 2009)

I used a couple on inverted small terracotta pots.


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## steak (Sep 3, 2007)

*plexiglass dividers*

The effect I got from my experiment was one deep terrace, and one shallow terrace: I bought 30cm x 30cm sheets of plexiglass, and a little hand saw. I cut out equal width strips of the plastic, and stood them up in the bear, empty aquarium. After doing so, I added some substrate in order to allow me to readjust the plexiglass dividers. To finish it off I just tossed the desired amount of substrate on the lower terrace, and enough in the upper terrace to reach the top of the dividers.
To make this approach better, I could have used aquarium silicone to secure the divders. This would have ensured that the dividers did not move, but the flexiblilty afforded by not using adhesive was helpful. On the downside, the dividers move when you're filling them, and pressure from the substrate causes them to seperate allowing conjugation of the two terraces. Despite the downfalls, this is the current method I'm using, and it works pretty well.
I've also wondered if small, glued plexiglass box/square cups filled with substrate would adhere to the glass. This would enable me to make terraces along any wall of the tank, and create little "pots" above ground level. It might end up looking awkward though. 
Hope that gives you some ideas. Good luck. 

BY THE WAY, I got the plexiglass and hand saw at a hardware store. Shouldn't cost more than $10-$15. (I don't know the euro conversion, but it's bound to be cheaper.)


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## daz9730 (Apr 11, 2010)

steak said:


> The effect I got from my experiment was one deep terrace, and one shallow terrace: I bought 30cm x 30cm sheets of plexiglass, and a little hand saw. I cut out equal width strips of the plastic, and stood them up in the bear, empty aquarium. After doing so, I added some substrate in order to allow me to readjust the plexiglass dividers. To finish it off I just tossed the desired amount of substrate on the lower terrace, and enough in the upper terrace to reach the top of the dividers.
> To make this approach better, I could have used aquarium silicone to secure the divders. This would have ensured that the dividers did not move, but the flexiblilty afforded by not using adhesive was helpful. On the downside, the dividers move when you're filling them, and pressure from the substrate causes them to seperate allowing conjugation of the two terraces. Despite the downfalls, this is the current method I'm using, and it works pretty well.
> I've also wondered if small, glued plexiglass box/square cups filled with substrate would adhere to the glass. This would enable me to make terraces along any wall of the tank, and create little "pots" above ground level. It might end up looking awkward though.
> Hope that gives you some ideas. Good luck.
> ...


Thanks for that idea, to clarify if i want for example a 8 inch terrace in a corner and a 6 inch below it i would have to fill the back terrace with 8 inch of substrate.?

I have been informed that overly deep substrate can cause issues in the tank, as well as my wallett:icon_smil

How did you hide the plexiglass? do you have any pictures?

many thanks

dazz


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## steak (Sep 3, 2007)

daz9730 said:


> Thanks for that idea, to clarify if i want for example a 8 inch terrace in a corner and a 6 inch below it i would have to fill the back terrace with 8 inch of substrate.?





daz9730 said:


> I have been informed that overly deep substrate can cause issues in the tank, as well as my wallett
> 
> How did you hide the plexiglass? do you have any pictures?
> 
> ...



















(Full tank picture is not referred to in post, but serves as a full view of how I’ve used the dividers in the past. However, that configuration was prepared in pretty much the same way. The close-up is what I will be talking about.)


Your example is correct. An 8 inch terrace is 8 inch deep with substrate.

I’ve never heard any good or bad about having deep substrate, and I didn’t try to hide the plexiglass. Why? I had super-limited funds, and nearly no plants. The tank started as an ICU for the plants I had; none could be lost, and aesthetics were ancillary. Plants are the only things I’ve thought of to hide the dividers.


SUBSTRATE: More than adequate substrate doesn’t have to cost $30+ per bag (Ecocomplete). I found quality, quantity, and affordability, four years ago, when I mixed Schultz’s aquatic plant soil (see link/ may be referred to as “rock” hereafter), and Miracle-Gro sphagnum peat moss (see link). Miracle-Gro laces their peat moss with NPK, but it’s never given me algae blooms. 

In the empty tank, I set up the Plexiglass dividers how I wanted, and added a layer of peat (not more than .4 inches). I then added Schultz’s throughout the tank to the level that my front, short terrace would reach. I placed two boulders at seams (meeting places of plexiglass strips) to secure the dividers and prevent erosion into the lower terrace after/during addition of the first Schultz’s layer. One boulder is apparent in the bottom right of the picture. Next, I added a layer of peat over the Schultz’s of the back, raised terrace. Finally, I topped off the back, raised terrace with rock. A good rule of thumb is a layer of peat for every 3 inches of substrate. 


CONS OF THE SUBSTRATE: When you first prepare to add the rock, you could rinse it 5000 times, and still not remove all the dust. It normally takes about two full days for the water to clear up, totally. When planting, the sphagnum can surface and add debris to your water, but it settles fast --I usually turn off the filtration until the big stuff settles. The rock only comes in red, also. Other than those cons, it’s worked perfectly.


PLEXIGLASS DIVIDERS: In the picture, you can see the level of the back terrace has fallen below the plexiglass’s level. I attribute this to erosion at the divider seams into the lower terrace. Use of aquarium silicone could have prevented this, but would have hindered the versatility of the dividers. Also, the snails I have are burrowers (can be seen on boulders). The black boulder with snails sits atop a piece of plexiglass bent at a 90 degree angle (bend slowly, or it will snap). This property of the plexiglass enabled me to make a shaded area for my pleco.


I don’t know how else to do terracing.

LINKS:
http://www.amazon.com/Schultz-Company-20510-SCHULTZ-AQUATIC/dp/B00025YW34
http://www.amazon.com/Scotts-Organics-75278300-Miracle-Gro-Sphagnum/dp/B000PXZRE6


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