# Aquascape No. 3 - ADA 90P - Moss Canyon - Final Photo on 1st page



## mot




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## alexei

It really has filled in beautifully... great job.


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## assasin6547

That's awesome!


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## xmas_one

Impressive!


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## hisxlency

well done mate!


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## lamiskool

Love it! Great job.


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## Wolf19

Very well done!


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## orchidman

WOW! This is fantastic!! I love the way it has progressed! What plants did you use?! What equipment and such?


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## GMYukonon24s

Sweet! What kind of fish or plants do you have in there?


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## orchidman

Also, did you do a dry start with this one?


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## Mumford

*Aquascape No. 3 - ADA 90P - Moss Canyon*

Those rocks are sweet!

Are they just stacked slate? 


- Mumford


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## IWANNAGOFAST

really nice!


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## h4n

very nice!

but we need details!!!!


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## gnod

details pleaseee. 

the jump from your 5th to your last photo is remarkable. i'm curious as to your progression - challenges and successes? 

great tank!


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## beedee

#drooling!!!

wow, that is an incredible scape, the pictures showing the progression are phenomenal!


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## sarazorz

ohmahgod i LOVE this- the hardscape is awesome! Kinda wish I could see more of it, but whatever you did an excellent job. Jealous.


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## Green_Flash

That is awesome, curious for more details that have been asked.


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## sjb1987

Love the progression shots...turned out very nice


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## chew

*Aquascape No. 3 - ADA 90P - Moss Canyon*

Saw the first pic with the wood and I thought eh why is that there. Then it filled in and looked amazing nice.


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## sepulvd

*Aquascape No. 3 - ADA 90P - Moss Canyon*

incredible scape


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## CTet

*Aquascape No. 3 - ADA 90P - Moss Canyon*

Absolutely beautiful.


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## Dietz

Easily one of the coolest tanks I've seen. Bravo!


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## Scouty

Awesome! Really like how it turned out


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## All your base

The strong horizontal lines in the rocks are a great feature. IMHO it is very challenging to have that not look artificial, which is probably why you don't see it often. Great job.


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## mot

Thanks All. I appreciate the feedback and also entered it in the Big Als contest they are currently running just to get a feel of where this stands currently. I have a lot of work still to do on the tank and want to enter it in the IAPLC contest coming up. Need to trim things back and get my sand area back for sure.

Ill answer some of the questions asked here shortly.

Another photo where the tank wasn't doing as well. Cotton Candy anyone?


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## orchidman

Info info info


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## Mumford

*Aquascape No. 3 - ADA 90P - Moss Canyon*

What the heck is that pink stuff??


- Mumford


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## h4n

*Re: Aquascape No. 3 - ADA 90P - Moss Canyon*



Mumford said:


> What the heck is that pink stuff??
> 
> 
> - Mumford


+1!!!

-Sent from my Samsung Note, a "Phablet"


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## aluka

I want to know too.. is that a PINK MOSS??!!


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## junglefowl

*Aquascape No. 3 - ADA 90P - Moss Canyon*

Fill in really well!!! We're waiting on details of the tank. Please, what kind of rocks, moss, plants...
Very wonderful scape you created!!!


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## Green_Flash

mumford said:


> what the heck is that pink stuff??
> 
> 
> - mumford





h4n said:


> +1!!!
> 
> -sent from my samsung note, a "phablet"


+2??


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## mot

The pink stuff is a new plant Ive been working on called pink coral moss. Its been mutated by injecting a color enhancing gene into the dna strand....

Not really....The pink stuff is dying black brush algae. I spot treated with hydrogen peroxide and excel. This kills the algae without harming the moss if done right as you see in the picture. The day after it turns an amazing bright pink then dulls to grey and then melts. The coloring is quite spectacular and really is that pink in real life.


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## Conrad283

One of the best looking tanks I've ever seen. Very well done


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## mot




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## mot

Some photos of the fish in this tank. The pygmy corys really enjoy this tank. I have a cave in the back of the rock wall on the right that they love. I wish I could view the tank from all sides as the back of it is just as cool.


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## houseofcards

That's a well-thought out setup. Not only does it look good it has a lot of interesting areas that can hold one's attention. I think you have a chance to do well in ADA Contest. We can use some more Americans in there.


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## orchidman

Can we get more information on your tank please?! Lighting, co2, etc etc. And especially if you did a dry start! kAY, THANKS!


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## mot

Here is some info on the tank as alot of you have requested.

*Equipment*
Aquarium: ADA 90P 36"x18"x18" ~47 Gallons
Stand: Custom made table
Lighting: 4 x 39w T5HO - 2 on for 10 hours, 2 on for 4 hours overlapping in midday - suspended about 9" from surface and 25" from substrate
Bulbs: Geissman (2 x Aquaflora and 2 x 6500k)
Filtration: Eheim 2217 and Eheim 2213 with a fluidized purigen reactor attached
CO2: 20 pound tank injected into return of 2217 using an inline GLA atomizer

*Aquascape*
180 pounds of stone from local rock place - I need to look up what this was but want to say Tennessee Sandstone
5 pounds of decorative sand
1 bag of ADA Aquasoil Amazonia
3 pieces of tanglewood

*Flora*
Mini Pellia
Mini Rose Moss
HC
Narrowleaf Java fern
Rose Moss
Fissidens Nobilis
Fissidens Geppi
Anubias Nana Petite
Notycephus lutescens
Crypt Wendtii
Peacock Moss
micro swords (2 varietys)
And the following hitchhikers:
Riccia
Subwassertang

*Fauna*
Ember Tetras
Pygmy Cores
Otos
RCS
OEBT

Fertilization: modified EI
Water Changes: Every other week 70%

Let me know if you have any other questions.


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## orchidman

Thanks for the info! Which plant is the carpet and which is the one on top of the rocks?


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## mot

This was a dry start. Ill post some more info on this as it was critical to the build.


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## orchidman

I'm excited for more info on that!!


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## mot

The carpet is a combination but predominantly mini pellia. It also has HC, rose moss and micro swords. The predominant moss throughout the entire scape is mini pellia as well. The other mosses give the interest and texture changes. Especially the Rose and mini rose mosses. They get much longer and bushy looking. Ill take some close ups and post them during next photo shoot. Its pretty cool how the different moss patches grew together.


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## gnod

i love details, and seems like you got ton. subscribed!


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## andrewss

omg im glad I didnt miss this tank - it is sooooooo well done


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## dindin

Wow. I'm like somebody else said, at first i didn't get the layout, then it turned absolutely gorgeous!


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## sayurasem

This tank is too awesome!

Btw what is that white powder on the dry start?


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## caliherp

dindin said:


> Wow. I'm like somebody else said, at first i didn't get the layout, then it turned absolutely gorgeous!


I was thinking the same thing. Actually before any plants were planted I thought the scape looked odd. This tank is truly incredible, very well done.


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## Rbp917

This is Amazing, thanks for posting.


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## salmon

beautiful tank/scape! very well done


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## mot

The white stuff is actually a blend of moss, water and yogurt. I then "painted" the mixture on the rocks.


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## acitydweller

excellent progression!


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## mot

Couple of photos during the dry start.


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## alexei

How long did you wait to flood and how long has it been up since the great flood?


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## lamiskool

in the last dry start photo was that the yogurt blender method??? Ive wanted to try that lol


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## OKnights112

Great looking tank. You should do really well in the IAPLC. Can't wait to see more pictures of it.


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## PeterN1986

This is one goergeous freakin tank. Geismann bulbs are really good, I think they give out the right spectrum for plants to thrive.

What is this "yogurt" you are using? Is it regular Yoplait or Greek yogurt or something? What is its purpose?


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## Mantis992

Where did you get your wood and what kind is it exactly? I really like the look of the wood and the scape as a whole.


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## wakewalking

Incredible.


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## jimmytruong87

did you use super clue for stick moss on that rock ?


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## hydrophyte

This is such a great layout. Well done!



mot said:


>


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## jimmytruong87

hydrophyte said:


> This is such a great layout. Well done!


Yes , it's amazing , but I do not see filter in that fish tank 
No filter ???


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## UDGags

jimmytruong87 said:


> Yes , it's amazing , but I do not see filter in that fish tank
> No filter ???


Most people take out the filter, heater, wavemakers, etc. when taking pictures to make it look better


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## lamiskool

UDGags said:


> Most people take out the filter, heater, wavemakers, etc. when taking pictures to make it look better


yup was just going to say that. but yea I love this tank!


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## Vepr

Gorgeous tank. Envious.


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## A.D.D.i.c.t.

*Re: Aquascape No. 3 - ADA 90P - Moss Canyon*

Ridunkulous! The evolution of your build is amazing, it looks f'ing awesome!

the addiction continues...


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## mot

BEFORE TRIM










AFTER TRIM

I did a huge trimming in the tank around the center. The difference in real life is pretty dramatic but the pictures look almost the same. I removed about 2 softball sized moss balls from to reveal the sandy areas. Ill have to play with the angles next time to see if I can get the sandy areas to show up. 

I think the micro swords in the front right corner have to be removed/thinned as well. What do you think?


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## CTet

Your tank is freaking amazing. 



mot said:


> BEFORE TRIM
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> AFTER TRIM
> 
> I did a huge trimming in the tank around the center. The difference in real life is pretty dramatic but the pictures look almost the same. I removed about 2 softball sized moss balls from to reveal the sandy areas. Ill have to play with the angles next time to see if I can get the sandy areas to show up.
> 
> I think the micro swords in the front right corner have to be removed/thinned as well. What do you think?


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## mot

I've had a few pm's requesting details of the tank setup and thought I would share with everyone my response to the latest.

On the mini pellia and other mosses. I started with chopping it up into small bits and then mixing it with plain non fat yogurt and water. (My wife must never find out I used our Magic Bullet blender). I made a thin paste out of it and then used a paint brush to put it on the rocks where I wanted it. I followed the same procedure for all the other mosses I used. The yogurt technique was an experiment based on moss graffiti...google that to see what I mean. Its really cool. Im not sure if the yogurt technique helped the grow out but it was fun trying something new and a cool side effect was being able to see what was painted already so I could keep the mosses separated.

I then dry started it for several weeks just misting it with a spray bottle filled with dechlorinated tap water mixed with a small dose of ferts. I usually only misted twice a day. The aquarium was covered with plastic with a corner gap on one side of about an inch. I aired out the aquarium really well when I misted. I think that was really important to exchange the air completely as the yogurt mixture gets pretty funky during the first couple weeks (and yes my Wife thought I finally lost it and needed "help").

The first two weeks was really slow growth as the moss was in such small bits. The yogurt went through phases from white, to yellow to red splotches to clear sticky ooze and then gone in those two weeks. The moss started noticeably growing in weeks 3 and 4 and also attached really well to the rocks and substrate. I let it grow for several more days until I was certain the flood would not dislodge everything. I was relieved when I first turned on the filter and almost everything stayed in place.

On the dry start method: I used the dry start method for one reason only on this tank. I felt this was the only way I could get the different mosses to be where I wanted them. So now I have all these different areas on the rocks and substrate that are solid patches of a single type of moss which is what I feel gives this tank a unique feel.

The other thing I wanted to achieve was a natural looking aquascape with depth. Most aquascapes have a fore, mid and background. I tried to achieve 5 or 6 different levels of depth. To do this I really worked the vertical aspect of the tank. The rocks I chose allowed me to really get the structure built up without making the resulting aquascape to artificial looking. My thoughts during the build were to envision the tank at a year old versus what it was when first built.

While I'm quite pleased so far, I'm still looking at making this tank better and open to suggestions.


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## MrAlmostWrong

When I saw the layout without the driftwood I thought it was brilliant, but then you added the driftwood and I thought it was a mistake. Then the plants grew in and I honestly can't see this layout without the driftwood bringing it all together. 

It really comes across a miniature faraway land. The amount of details put into this is ridiculous.


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## OKnights112

Once again beautiful tank, how do you take such amazing photos of your tank. I love the Embers!!!


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## mot

A few pictures of the embers. These guys do not like to pose.


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## mot

Spent about 3 hours today doing a large trim and tweaks on the hardscape as well as a cleaning. Took this photo a little bit after a water change. Ill be refreshing the sand in a couple weeks for some final contest photos. Still have a lot of detailing to do.

The right side rock work is showing up as just a black spot because it is shaded. Not sure if I want to trim the moss back there to reveal the rock work or maybe work on directing light there with a flash.

Could use some input if this is a distracting area that needs work or looks fine as is?


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## ChadRamsey

absolutely amazing Mot!

you have quite the aquatic green thoumb!


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## junglefowl

*Aquascape No. 3 - ADA 90P - Moss Canyon - Update page 5*

I would leave the shade because it looks like a cave and it is beautiful.


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## fplata

*Aquascape No. 3 - ADA 90P - Moss Canyon - Update page 5*

I am in love


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## xiaoxiy

Absolutely breathtaking.


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## Green_Flash

Very impressive!


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## assasin6547

Totally jelly.


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## Jeff5614

Love it. One of the better scapes I've seen on the forum in a while. I really like that old dark forest look.


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## hedge_fund

I can grow moss like nobody's business...I've always wanted to do a moss tank. This amazing scape in this thread is really motivating me to do so.

Keep up the great work.


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## MABJ

*Aquascape No. 3 - ADA 90P - Moss Canyon - Update page 5*

Solid scape. Quite inspiring. Keep up the great work.


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## EngineChauffer

Just whoa...so nice. I could just stare for a very long time at a tank like this. In awe.


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## FlyingHellFish

Can someone please buy this man a stand?


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## njmomie

Absolutely stunning tank. Let us know when you win the award!


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## Archstone

Awesome! It went from a canyon to a rain forest.


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## mot

that's funny flyinghellfish. The stand was actually custom made for the tank through a local fish store. I tried to get one of the ADA stands but couldn't get my hands on one at the time. I wish I was as handy as some of the folks who have built their own.


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## fplata

*Aquascape No. 3 - ADA 90P - Moss Canyon - Update page 5*

I dig the stand


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## maximusprime

This is a fantastic build! Good to see another aquascaper in Atlanta.


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## Saxtonhill

I like the 'scape lay0put, the rimless tank and the wooden stand...all go together very nicely. Really like the textures


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## chew

I like the stand it gives it a more foresty feel than an ADA stand would


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## shrimpnmoss

Your tank just gets more and more amazing with each update. That's some skills right there!


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## DennisSingh

Wow! in awe!


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## depech

wow! very nice. I actually prefer when rocks are more visible instead of completely covered by moss.


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## Green_Flash

I have a question, the thread title is aquascape No.3, what were the first two?


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## mot

GreenFlash - Here are the first two aquascapes I did with this tank.










*Aquascape No. 1 - ADA 90P - No Name*​ 









*Aquascape No. 2 - ADA 90P - Piercing Night Sky*​


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## mot

depech said:


> wow! very nice. I actually prefer when rocks are more visible instead of completely covered by moss.


Thanks for the feedback. I agree. I want to trim back some of the moss to reveal some of the hardscape for the final photo.


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## h4n

Piercing Night Sky
wow~!!!!


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## fplata

*Aquascape No. 3 - ADA 90P - Moss Canyon - Update page 5*

you got the gift man


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## MABJ

*Aquascape No. 3 - ADA 90P - Moss Canyon - Update page 5*

Wow these are definitely amazing scapes. What made you get rid of night sky?


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## mot

MABJ said:


> Wow these are definitely amazing scapes. What made you get rid of night sky?


While i liked the scape, i really enjoy the process more. So once i feel the scape has reached its potential its time to break down and try the next idea. Keeps away the MTS.


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## MABJ

*Aquascape No. 3 - ADA 90P - Moss Canyon - Update page 5*

Very true.


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## mot

Well 7 days left to IAPLC and I've got the tank ready for the final photo shoot. Been working a lot lately on getting the lighting right and have done 5 test shoots. Thought I had my finals this morning and hadn't noticed an electrical cord from one of the lights was dangling in the background. Ruined all the photos. On the plus side they looked great and would have been keepers.

The tank itself won the Big Al's contest recently and since then I think I've improved it drastically. So fingers crossed.


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## chris.rivera3

Pictures??


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## MABJ

*Aquascape No. 3 - ADA 90P - Moss Canyon - Update page 5*

Is it against the rules to just shop out the chord?


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## mot

Yea, I think its against the rules to photoshop the pic. It takes about an hour to setup all the lighting and get the tank ready to shoot so not that big of deal to do it over to get the pics just right.

Also won't be any more pics for awhile. I was looking through the rules and thought I saw something about it or maybe its just frowned upon. I believe the submitted contest photos say that copyright goes to ADA.

Would love to hear from some Photography pros their take on that.


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## MABJ

*Aquascape No. 3 - ADA 90P - Moss Canyon - Update page 5*

Yuck. I submit zero of my photos to anybody who says in the rules they own my photo after. That's just WRONG. I take photos professionally for news, and I sometimes sign over copyright when I get paid for stills, almost always for videos. But I'm OK with that, because I make sure I have extra photos. 

I just don't like that they COULD claim those photos as theirs.


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## mot

That's a wrap. I shot about 300 photos this morning and I have it down to 6 photos for the IAPLC entry. Just need to pick the one. Its definitely my best work to date and I'm really pleased with the finals. 

Time to start thinking about the next scape. What to do next?


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## tylergvolk

You should be pleased. Nice work!


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## mot

Definitely going to break this scape down shortly as I haven't kept up with trimming in the last few weeks due to being busy with work. Its growing so well that its just about filled the tank solid.










Feeding Time.


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## maximusprime

Mot, do you order your plants on line or is there a local source?


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## mot

Yes almost everything I have is from online or members here. Unfortunately I haven't found a solid local source for planted tanks in the Atlanta area. There are a couple ok stores. Atlanta market is all aimed at Reef Geeks in my experience. This coming from a converted reef geek.


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## hedge_fund

mot said:


> *Equipment*
> 
> Lighting: 4 x 39w T5HO - 2 on for 10 hours, 2 on for 4 hours overlapping in midday - suspended about 9" from surface and 25" from substrate
> Bulbs: Geissman (2 x Aquaflora and 2 x 6500k)


Hey. Great tank, I've been following this for some time since eventually I will be converting one of my tanks into something similar.

In terms of your lights, do you run each one at 100% or do you dim them to a certain percentage? My lights are the ATI 4x24 but I run them on different percentages throughout the day.

Thanks.


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## mot

My lighting is a catalina 36" 4-39watt t5ho fixture. I have 2 lights on for 10 hours and all 4 on for 4 hours. No dimmer. I just got a par meter from Hoppy and was shocked at how low the par values were. Right under thelights im at 200. The top of the plants was 100. Middle was down to 50. Bottom was between 1 and 30. While these sound normal the part that surprised me was the back of the tank is like 10 at the top and like 0 at the bottom. I looked at the fixture and see that sure enough the reflector sends no light to the back.

So I purchased LEDs. Should get here wednesday. I should have an even distribution of light across the whole width of the tank.


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## hedge_fund

Thanks for answering. Too bad you tore the scape down. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## thebuddha

you should post the photo from the IAPLC !

EDIT: Just saw this...


mot said:


> Also won't be any more pics for awhile. I was looking through the rules and thought I saw something about it or maybe its just frowned upon. I believe the submitted contest photos say that copyright goes to ADA.


Its your tank though, so you should be able to post any pics you want! a FTS would be awesome lol


i probably missed this- are the rocks just resting on each other, or are they glued/tied together?


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## maximusprime

Hey Mot, I just got a small square of Mini Pellia, and I was thinking of using your yogurt shake dry start method to turn it into a larger amount for a new scape I am preparing for. Good idea? Any tips?


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## mot

Hey Maximus, with a small amount I wouldn't bother with the mix. I would give it a rough chop and just press it on.


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## mot

thebuddha said:


> you should post the photo from the IAPLC !
> 
> EDIT: Just saw this...
> 
> Its your tank though, so you should be able to post any pics you want! a FTS would be awesome lol
> 
> 
> i probably missed this- are the rocks just resting on each other, or are they glued/tied together?


 
Thanks I will try to remember to post back here another shot from the same photo shoot that are very similar after the IAPLC results are announced.


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## Joe_G_Davis

Very nice!


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## maximusprime

mot said:


> Hey Maximus, with a small amount I wouldn't bother with the mix. I would give it a rough chop and just press it on.


Thanks!

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk 2


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## jkpedrita

Jaw dropping beautiful! Eager to see what it looked like for the contest.


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## jchase79

Wow... Love your aquascape - beautiful!


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## C kram

You sir have an amazing tank! The scape is absolutely beautiful!


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## Psiorian

Amazing tank, best of luck! Looking forward to see a final picture after the contest.


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## du3ce

any updates?


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## whitepapagold

Really really nice! Just the initial layout of the rocks showed it was gonna be a good one!


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## AnotherHobby

du3ce said:


> any updates?


He tore down the tank and is starting a new project: Aquascape No. 4 - ADA 90P - The Start


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## mot

Nice the results came in today. This tank landed 278th out of 2160 some, not to shabby.

Cant wait to see the other tanks!


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## mot

This will be my last post on this journal. The scape is taken down and the next can be seen here Aquascape No. 4 - ADA 90P. I wanted to thank everyone for their kind words!


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## Psiorian

mot said:


> Nice the results came in today. This tank landed 278th out of 2160 some, not to shabby.
> 
> Cant wait to see the other tanks!


Congrats! This is easily one of my favorites.


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## fishyface

thebuddha said:


> i probably missed this- are the rocks just resting on each other, or are they glued/tied together?


I'm also interested in knowing the answer to this question.


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## mot

fishyface said:


> I'm also interested in knowing the answer to this question.


Yes the rocks were loose stacked. No glue. I used thin chips of the same rock to level them and keep everything level as i built the stack up. The stacks were about 5 to 8 high.


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## izabella87

waw super nice


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## natiedean24

Amazing scape! I don't think I've seen a more simple, even dainty stand. I guess it shows how over built most DIY efforts are.


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## jkpedrita

Congrats!


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## peachii

Oh wow, i can't believe i missed this thread, Outstanding work.

All of them, can't wait to see what you do with the 4th.

When I grow up, i want to be able to do this


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## thebuddha

mot said:


> Nice the results came in today. This tank landed 278th out of 2160 some, not to shabby.
> 
> Cant wait to see the other tanks!


wow, awesome! good job man


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## parrottbay

WOW this is an amazing tank!


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## burr740

Absolutely stunning tank. Thanks for sharing it


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## mot

I noticed this scape popped up in a blog recently and the photo wasn't the final. So here is the final photo. Enjoy.


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## IiScaPeJuNkiEiI

Any way you can take a hi res photo of this? 2k would be great! Love using tanks as wallpapers on my pc/lappy/tablet/LG G3.. Thanks.


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## Powerclown

I hope your antik tank stand can handle the weight,and keep 1 eye on the artwork underneath  but hands down,best aquascape ever,respect.


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## umarnasir335

What an inspiration! I'd be sad for a tank like this to go


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## Dugsul808

mot said:


> I noticed this scape popped up in a blog recently and the photo wasn't the final. So here is the final photo. Enjoy.


WOW, unbelievable. This scape is flawless! keep up the good work brother.


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## ibebian

mot said:


> The white stuff is actually a blend of moss, water and yogurt. I then "painted" the mixture on the rocks.


Hey Mot, can you share your recipe/ratios? How much water to yogurt did you use, and what kind of yogurt (Lactobacillus acidophilus?). 

Thanks a ton!


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## Tomatoandegg

Love this scape so much


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## StevieD

Nicely done indeed!


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## SKYE.__.HIGH

mot said:


> I noticed this scape popped up in a blog recently and the photo wasn't the final. So here is the final photo. Enjoy.




Hey man, you don't happen to have a plant list laying around for this scape? 

Thanks a lot, skye


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