# Riverside Tank, Dragon Bones



## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

I've finally decided to AQUASCAPE a tank. All these years I've been raising jungle grow out tanks, no aquascaping to speak of.

The inspiration for this tank is from my fishing trips in rivers and lakes around Cincinnati. A couple of the plants in this tank are actually from the local area.










I'm going emersed right now. I'll add fish that will definitely tear up the hair grass so I want to give them a change to establish. And the established roots will hold the slopes together too.

tank: 75G
lights: 3 t5 HO, 2 rosettes, 1 daylight
substrate: flourite, mineralize soil, paver's sand
hardscape: black soap stones... The ph isn't affected but the GH will probably go up but what stone won't.
plant: dwarf hairgrass, giant hairgrass, ludwigia sp.


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## metageologist (Jan 10, 2008)

nice hard scape cant wait to see this tank develop


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## kali (May 8, 2009)

metageologist said:


> nice hard scape cant wait to see this tank develop


+1 i really like the rock work ..


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

That's cool, and different. Can't wait to see this develop.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

things are going ok, emersed. As expected, the hairgrass will take some time to transition. The old growth is dying off and new growth coming in. The ludwigia is doing good.










but I have no patience, so I planted what I have in my 5G tank. Yes, enough to fill in a 75G!. And filled in the tank.








The new additions are rotala green, c. wendtii bronze or red, and dwarf chain sword.
I'm waiting for the plants to grow in and watch the chain sword since they'll take over the tank and kill off the dwarf hairgrass.

Also, I'm experimenting with putting the outtake low in the tank to give the plants plenty of CO2.


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## Church (Sep 14, 2004)

Wow I really like those rocks!


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## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

That is a sick rockscape! I can't wait for this to grow in


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## billb (May 29, 2009)

I love the soap stone and how you stacked them. It looks like a natural formation. I saw you plan to add giant hair grass (GHG). I added mine to a dry start and it did well. Only thing I would recommend: If you want the GHG to stay localized, you should think of putting a barrier in the substrate - like a pot. They send out a lot of runners and they can travel a long way! I wish I had.

Bill


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

billb said:


> I love the soap stone and how you stacked them. It looks like a natural formation. I saw you plan to add giant hair grass (GHG). I added mine to a dry start and it did well. Only thing I would recommend: If you want the GHG to stay localized, you should think of putting a barrier in the substrate - like a pot. They send out a lot of runners and they can travel a long way! I wish I had.
> 
> Bill


Oh, I know what you mean.. I have it growing in my garden and it's taking over.. I'll just have to do some aggressive pruning.
I'm hoping the GHG will mix well with the crypt. I'm following the ideas of flower arranging. Mixing plants are important and is rarely done in aquascaping. The key is to have a dominant plant and the mixed in plant acts as an accent.


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## billb (May 29, 2009)

Cool - is that what you are doing with the Ludwigia and the dwarf Hairgrass? I like how you spaced/ placed it. Looking forward to seeing this develop.

Bill


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## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

I was contemplating doing and iwagumi similar to this one a while back, with stacked sheets of sharp rock, if you can understand that. 

Also, so happy you're using DHG and not somthing like HC or Glosso. I hope you stick with it untill it's a full carpet. There arn't nearly enough iwagumis that use DHG (that I've seen anyway).

SO BASICALLY, I hope you don't mind me living vicariously through your tank.


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## chonhzilla (Apr 22, 2008)

Love the rock formation!


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Dude... I love your tank man. Looks freakn sweet with those rocks. Skillz! Can't wait to see it progress to maturity.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

update.
Plants are growing slowly. There's no algae issues so I guess things are going fine. I'm adding dry ferts too but I'm not measuring, a pinch here, a pinch there. There's plenty of CO2. The crypt is melting and growing new leaves.

oh, and added the fish that was in my 29G
7 r. espei
1 rummy nose
1 cherry barb
2 b. histrionica (digger)
1 rubber lip pleco (digger)
1 flying fox

The diggers are problematic in a mineralize soil tank for sure. However, they've only dug in their caves so the damage is minimal.
And I really dislike the flying fox but I'll have to live with it.


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## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

BEAUTIFUL! I love those rocks... wish they were mine.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

That is coming along. I look forward to seeing it a little more grown in. Why don't you like the flying fox? I have never had one but they seem so cute.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

yeah, it's coming along. That's a month's growth. I'm afraid the light levels are too low but the rotala behind the big rock cropping is growing sideways so I'm thinking that's good enough.

As for the flying fox, don't get them. They are a terror. You can't have more than one in a tank. The dominant one will harass the weaker one and will attack almost any fish in its territory. It plays nice with the botia though, not sure why.

Even though it's cute, it hides most of the time.


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## Harsh (Jan 14, 2007)

GREAT looking scape!


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## mountaindew (Dec 10, 2008)

Very nice, the low angle rocks look very natural! 
This will be another nice tank to follow along as it matures.
md!


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Those rocks are amazing. Did you collect them locally, too?


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

I got lucky with the rocks. I visited a few local landscaping rock shops and found these rocks.


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## frdfandc (Aug 15, 2009)

That tank is going to look really good once it fills in. The rock formation looks like a mountain range.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

update on this tank.
I've added fish.
Stock List:
7 danio sp. Burma/TW02 (1 got his eyeball sucked out, gruesome but alive)
6 r. hengeli
6 DANIO Species "Northern Glowlight"
3 d. choperae
6 Puntius shalynius (not sure what it is really. Maybe I have all females)
5 botia histrionica
1 flying fox
2 rubber lip pleco
1 cherry barb
1 rummy nose tetra

They're not colorful fish by any mean but most are schoolers and stay together.

























this is where all of the bigger fish spend the day. They come out when the lights are off. And they are not friendly to the hair grass if you can see.


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## EdTheEdge (Jan 25, 2007)

Awesome!!!!


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

I love everything about it except the two cords in the middle. It takes away from the wicked hardscape. Just an opinion. Feel free to ignore me, mistergreen.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

sewingalot said:


> I love everything about it except the two cords in the middle. It takes away from the wicked hardscape. Just an opinion. Feel free to ignore me, mistergreen.


oh I agree... when this has grown in the way I want it, I'll remove all the junk and take a picture of it. But in the meanwhile, they're there for the sake of function.


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## paulrw (Apr 14, 2009)

really peaceful layout! it's flow is great. but i agree with sewingalot! and the heater! but all in all sick tank


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

That's looking great--what a cool fish picture. 

I can't remember is that _Echinodorus quadricostatus_? It looks like it. I have some of that and it is my new favorite low-tech plant.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Function over form is the most important when it comes to fish health. Just had to rib you a bit. :hihi:


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## jinsei888 (Apr 20, 2009)

this scape is rediculously awesome!


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## vtkid (Jan 5, 2009)

this scape is very cool i cant wait to see it flourish. which im sure it will


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## Ariel301 (Sep 7, 2009)

Great looking tank. I love the rocks.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

hydrophyte said:


> That's looking great--what a cool fish picture.
> 
> I can't remember is that _Echinodorus quadricostatus_? It looks like it. I have some of that and it is my new favorite low-tech plant.


yes, that's a drawf chain sword. 
I also have a ludwigia sp. which I found locally floating in the tank. It refuses to be planted. The stem melts and the plant floats away. I might as well stop trying to plant it.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

When do we get a picture with the Roselines? Or are you quarantining them?


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

quarantined the roselines and they all died in quarantine. 

I'm running into another issue too. I'm getting algae on older growth and it's a sign of low CO2, so I cranked up the CO2. The loaches and pleco were not happy. Everybody else seemed fine. I found the pleco upside down, barely breathing (comatose)... I picked him up and threw him in the quarantine tank and he came around within a few minutes. The loaches stay hidden all day.

So, I'm going to raise my lights up a few inches, and lower the CO2. ANd also do some serious trimming to get rid of the algae. I guess it's not going to be as high-tech as I'd like it too. No more pearling plants.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

That really sucks about the roselines. I am assuming your fish store won't cover there loss. And algae too. Ugh. At least you were able to rescue your pleco. How are the loaches doing?


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

I don't think the fish store will cover the loss but it doesn't hurt to ask. 

the loaches are moving and hiding which are good signs. I did a 50% water change. I tell you what, the plants grew like crazy with the extra CO2. I guess the fish are more important to me.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

wow. it's nice to see the loaches come out to play. Loach lovers know what I mean.

So it seems they're pretty sensitive. I'm going to have to bump down the CO2 to 2-3 bps in a 75G. The light are now 20 inches above the tank.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I'm interested to see an updated picture with plants grown in some more.

I like my loaches a lot too. I am pondering a new setup mostly for loaches.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

mistergreen said:


> I don't think the fish store will cover the loss but it doesn't hurt to ask.
> 
> the loaches are moving and hiding which are good signs. I did a 50% water change. I tell you what, the plants grew like crazy with the extra CO2. I guess the fish are more important to me.


I feel you. That is why I am going to my old method of growing plants in my 55. The fish are happier and that is the most important thing to me. Yeah, I love pearling - but what fun is it if the fish all die?

Have you thought about using Giant Danios now that you are back to fish selections? There are some interesting studies done on these and other danios. My favorite one is how they are ranked and the posturing they will do when coming across a higher ranking fish. They will actually "bow" to the more dominant fish. I was just reading this in a book I borrowed from the library. If you are interested, I'll send you the excerpt.


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## BichirAddict (Aug 19, 2008)

update?


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Finally an quick update. 
I rescaped a bit; removed 2 large rocks to add more plants.

new plants in the tank
• c. undulata
• anubias nana
• Hygrophila corymbosa Kompakt
• Hygrophila corymbosa siemensis
• Anubias nana narrow leaf
• Ludwigia ovalis


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

Looks fantastic.


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## kyle3 (May 26, 2005)

I also love the tank! looking great!

cheers-k


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## 2jackedLUNGS (Mar 11, 2009)

very nice scape!


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

simple i like it


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## sliver (Dec 31, 2009)

like many of us here says, indeed very nice hardscape and hope I can find rocks like that! i love it!


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## Fat Guy (Nov 19, 2003)

looks great. I really liked it with the rocks and the low laying plants in the beginning. regardless, looks like a lot of fun!! nice work


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

yeah, the dwarf hair grass is slowly thinning. The loaches are not grass friendly. The anubias and the kompakt is a good transition I think. Instead of the harsh grass to rock, it's now, grass, bush, then rock. It's a better transition, I think.

Oh, the the grass is collect mulm too. And then the algae grows on the mulm. So, it's not the easiest thing to take care of.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

if my rotala decides to grow like I want it to, I'd like the tank to look like this.
(photoshop)


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

It would look great like that! I like it already, though. How are the algae woes going?


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

I think the algae is under control as much as algae can be controlled. A week of excel and correcting the nutrients helped. The otos helped too but 2 of them died, as expected I guess.

I think my tank is overstocked too maybe but not too much.


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## Fishfarmer Randy (Sep 25, 2010)

That looks amazing! What variety of anubias is that, and do the leaves stay that small?


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

yes, it's anubias nana.


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## The_Finglonger (Jun 21, 2010)

nice scapeage.


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## VadimShevchuk (Sep 19, 2009)

Everything looks awesome. Why don't you just get rid of the loaches?


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## DANIELSON (Jul 15, 2010)

Really like the hardscape looks great.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

VadimShevchuk said:


> Everything looks awesome. Why don't you just get rid of the loaches?


It's like saying why don't you get rid of your kids 
They're a pain but they let me pet them while I do my water change. THe hairgrass is now gone and the H. compakt has taken over and I just planted Staurogyne sp. 'Porto Velho'. They're staying so that's a good sign.

So nothing much to look at in this tank.. I got the case of BBA.

















I'm doing excel right now.

On a good note.
The emersed Hygrophila corymbosa 'angustifolia' is flowering.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

So you are actually going for the Excel, huh? I am wondering how many people that are 'algae free' also use a product like Excel. Would be an interesting study. The emersed growth is fantastic, are you going to give us a full tank shot or is this all we get, mistergreen?  As strange as this sounds, BBA is very pretty in its own evil sort of way.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Everybody's tanks look so good lately, so I feel a bit envious.

The BBA has been defeated.










This tank is now running a UV 24/7. My tank can't go without it without getting taken over by brown and that black diatom algae that's not BBA. I'm not sure but growth is better ever since the BBA is gone, all parameters being the same, coincidence?


Full tank.









The dragon bones (rocks) are showing through. I'm playing this a smaller plant, Staurogyne sp. 'Porto Velho' on the front right. Hopefully they'll take off for me. Is Staurogyne repens another species from this?

The idea on making this design unified is the use of plants whose leaves are the variations on the spear shape. Forgive the Java Fern stuck on the rock. I'm growing it for my sister.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Maybe because you were adding the excel, the extra carbon source was what improved the health of the plants? I am not sure, but that is interesting if it is continuing and you are no longer adding excel. Maybe BBA is a major nutrient sucker? I like the tank, and I am glad you are moving out the java fern. I was going to tell you it was a little out of place.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Ok, update time,
I'm managing the BBA, one day at a time.










The foreground plant has grown in but the rocks are engulfed. I'll have to do some trimming.


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## limz_777 (Jun 29, 2005)

nice lush growth


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

I trim out handfuls of dead, algae covered leaves every week. I'm not afraid to trim in this tank.


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

mistergreen said:


> I trim out handfuls of dead, algae covered leaves every week. I'm not afraid to trim in this tank.


IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE YOU ARE!

That tank is overgrown! You need to give it a trim back so we can see those wonderful rocks of yours!


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## nonconductive (Jan 29, 2010)

looks nice!


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## studentZ (Sep 22, 2010)

Plants are looking great. But I have to agree with an above post; more trimming! I really loved the original hardscape and would love to see more of it come through. Looking great though!


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Mistergreen, your dragon got too fat this winter. :flick: I can't see his bones anymore. I like it even though the hardscape is engulfed.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

All I have to say is these tanks do take away the winter blues. The light and plants trigger something in your brain.

Oh, I'll have to take pictures of the *fishes*. They're characters.


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## MoeBetta (Feb 5, 2011)

It's been a month.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

I'll do a major trimming on the weekend and will take pictures.


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## MoeBetta (Feb 5, 2011)

Fibber.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Honest, will take some pictures tomorrow.


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## akpoly (Aug 23, 2011)

wow your stones are amazing. where did you find those at?


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## charms (Jan 8, 2012)

Just found this thread ~ Loved the 'Dragon Bones'!! 

I second the request for new pics!!

Sent from my SGH-T959V using Tapatalk


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## BlazednSleepy (Aug 21, 2010)

Really great plant growth. My only problem with the scape is that the plants took over and theres nothing unique about it now. The very first picture in this thread is so awesome and I was expecting just grassy type plants surrounding the rocks. 

But that's where I would have taken it. It does look nice now but I still would have preferred the rocks as more of the center piece.


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## Chlorophile (Aug 2, 2011)

BlazednSleepy said:


> Really great plant growth. My only problem with the scape is that the plants took over and theres nothing unique about it now. The very first picture in this thread is so awesome and I was expecting just grassy type plants surrounding the rocks.
> 
> But that's where I would have taken it. It does look nice now but I still would have preferred the rocks as more of the center piece.


I agree =[ 

This









Looks so much better than this








It turned into a jungle grow out tank.. 
How about pulling out all the... tall stuff and just doing whatever your foreground is (or something else entirely, maybe microsword or lilaeopsis mauritiana or brasilensis) and something like Blyxa as background plants?
Just my personal opinion. roud:

Or at the least maybe put the tall plants only on the sides of the tank, leave the middle open.


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## sundragon (Jan 10, 2011)

The hardscape is beautiful! If I were to make a second tank, this is exactly what I'd go for. Just without the jungle - can you have too much of a "green thumb?"


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## xenxes (Dec 22, 2011)

That hardscape is very dramatic! Shame the plants covered it up -- but it is good for fauna. 

You could strip it down and grow HC, and dwarf varieties various plants. Or just give it a trim? Especially the left side lol.


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## inareverie85 (Jul 26, 2008)

I second the use of Blyxa.  Love that plant!

Very nice job on the new hardscape


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

akpoly said:


> wow your stones are amazing. where did you find those at?


At the local landscaping shop/lot. It think it's a magnesium soap stone.

Ok, update


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## Chlorophile (Aug 2, 2011)

mistergreen said:


> At the local landscaping shop/lot. It think it's a magnesium soap stone.
> 
> Ok, update


Much better... Still feel like all the foreground plants should be background plants for this setup though!
Did all the rocks on the left side come out?


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

That is really nice. I like the gouramis.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

It's due for a rescaping. I'm not planning to tear the tank down but only to trim, add sand, wood, and new plants.

I'm growing some plants (glosso, HC, DHG) right now to add into the tank. The plants are grown in wabi-kusa balls of sand and osmecote; no dirt to keep down the mess.
I was planning to transplant the whole wabikusa into the tank rather than each plant individually where the fishes might rip them up.


Start: 7/29/12









update: 8/4/12









As you can see, plants grow amazingly well in this setup. This is outside btw.


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## MoeBetta (Feb 5, 2011)

Very nice.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Thanks. I stretched $15 worth of plants to $60


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## BS87 (Apr 9, 2012)

If you want to display the rock work, you could always transplant the larger plants behind it, keeping the foreground the same. You'd still have the nice tall foliage, but it would highlight the rocks in front of it.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

I lied. I might take out these rocks. I found cooler looking rock at a local rock shop, Buschelman's (for Cincinnatians). There were some gorgeous rocks, like ADA, rock garden type rocks but they have to be a least a ton. I wish I can take a chisel and hammer to them. I can only grab what I can out of a bin which was pretty darn hard (fingers not smashed). I managed to grab 100lbs of rocks. Not sure what type they are.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

here are the rocks.
There's 3 different types. I'm still planning on what is best. Mixing the 3 type might be too much in terms of harmony, maybe 2 type will work depending on size/quantity. I'll go back to the rock shop to get more of whatever I decide on.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Had a little set back. I found a cattepillar in the glosso. The glosso was its salad bowl.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Ok, finally made the change. I still need to replant and distribute the sand better but it's almost there. The driftwood is from a dead weeping willow tree. The wood is gnarl like mazanita. It's a strange wood, some parts are hard, some parts are soft. Well, the loaches seems to love the new setup.


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## Only One Haze (Nov 10, 2011)

Love it! That wood is great


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Thanks. It was a lucky find. I was strolling in Michigan and found the dead tree. I don't see too many weeping willows down here in Cincinnati. I hear they like to grow around a body of water.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Awesome scaping green! The wood is über nice too.


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## Meganne (Sep 3, 2012)

goodness you took that in a compleatly different direction!
I like it both ways ut agree the rock scape "look" got lost


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## Daisy Mae (Jun 21, 2015)

Hello *mistergreen*,

Browsing through the journals and found this. 

Is this tank still going?


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