# Aquascape No.4 - ADA 45P



## mot (Sep 17, 2011)

So here is the new aquascape I setup yesterday. I wanted something simple as most of my time is going into the ADA 90P right now. Its only partially planted with the UG from the previous scape. Need to get some plants...thinking some blyxa for the background.

First Photo:









Final Photo:


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## sushant (Mar 3, 2007)

this is super cool.


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## mot (Sep 17, 2011)

Finally got my hands on some blyxa.


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## natebuchholz (Sep 28, 2013)

Beautiful tank. If you don't mind me asking; what are you using for a background?


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## frrok (May 22, 2011)

Wow... Love your journals. Super inspiring. Thank you


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## mot (Sep 17, 2011)

natebuchholz said:


> Beautiful tank. If you don't mind me asking; what are you using for a background?


Its a frosted window film.

Bump:


frrok said:


> Wow... Love your journals. Super inspiring. Thank you


Thanks frrok. I appreciate the compliment.


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## natebuchholz (Sep 28, 2013)

Im really impressed that you can't see anything through it, maybe its your photography skills. It gives the whole tank an ethereal quality.


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## mot (Sep 17, 2011)

natebuchholz said:


> Im really impressed that you can't see anything through it, maybe its your photography skills. It gives the whole tank an ethereal quality.


Yea a lot of the look is the photography. I am using a Canon 60D with a 17mm lens and off camera flash above the tank with a strobe backlight. Here is a iphone picture I just took to show you the difference.










Here is the tank in its environment next to my office desk.


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## natebuchholz (Sep 28, 2013)

The magic is ruined!!!!! Ha ha, thank you for sharing.


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## mot (Sep 17, 2011)

An update on this tank.










This tank has been great for low maintenance. Just change the water once a week. Only one trim so far of the UG about a week ago.


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## kimchilee (Mar 2, 2015)

impressive! plan to add some livestock?


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## Nooob (Oct 25, 2009)

Really good looking tank! 
I second that question^ _microdevario kubotai_ would look great in there imo


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## thump421 (Nov 29, 2014)

I have ug in a dry start and im curious. Do you dose anything? Water column or substrate? I've read ug isn't as dependant on Ferts in the water column as other plants.


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## mot (Sep 17, 2011)

Nooob said:


> Really good looking tank!
> I second that question^ _microdevario kubotai_ would look great in there imo


Thanks you all. Yes I do plan on livestock and that is exactly the fish I'm after. Im waiting on them to be available at Msjinkzd...hoping very soon!

Bump:


thump421 said:


> I have ug in a dry start and im curious. Do you dose anything? Water column or substrate? I've read ug isn't as dependant on Ferts in the water column as other plants.


Thats my understanding as well. I use EI though in my tanks and have no issue with UG growth. Ive found UG growth pretty slow in emersed environment. I think it needs it to be fairly wet....much more than the typical emersed tanks I have.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

oh man this tank is so well done... great job!


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## mot (Sep 17, 2011)

Four Month Update:

Tank still looks good but getting a bit overgrown. Need to clean up the blyxa and UG and give it more shape and uncover some of the hardscape. With all my effort going into the IAPLC 2015 entry and the new GLA 120p build this tank has been on autopilot. Just EI fertilization and weekly water change. Id guess less than 30 minutes a week on this tank.


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## kimchilee (Mar 2, 2015)

mot said:


> Four Month Update:
> 
> Tank still looks good but getting a bit overgrown. Need to clean up the blyxa and UG and give it more shape and uncover some of the hardscape. With all my effort going into the IAPLC 2015 entry and the new GLA 120p build this tank has been on autopilot. Just EI fertilization and weekly water change. Id guess less than 30 minutes a week on this tank.


hey mot, any advice on how to trim/clean up blyxa japonica? nice simple scape, less is more! still no fauna in this tank?


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## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

kimchilee said:


> hey mot, any advice on how to trim/clean up blyxa japonica? nice simple scape, less is more! still no fauna in this tank?


I'm curious too. I've always just ripped it out and replanted some of the tops. 

Btw, I love the simplicity here. Tanks that require a lot of maintaining aren't as much fun for me. I can't wait to watch the 120cm tank grow in.


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## MPdesign (May 17, 2015)

What a beautiful tank & landscape !


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## geekdad (Aug 7, 2014)

Simple and elegant. Well done!


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## mot (Sep 17, 2011)

I just trim the blyxa like any stem plant just wack it with the scissors and also pinch off larger side shoots i dont want.

Ill post back in a few weeks when its grown back in.


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## dru (Mar 9, 2013)

Love your tanks mot


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## mot (Sep 17, 2011)

Final Photo:










Hope you all enjoyed this journal.


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## ThatGuyWithTheFish (Apr 29, 2012)

How did you take the photos?


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## mot (Sep 17, 2011)

ThatGuyWithTheFish said:


> How did you take the photos?


I use a Canon 60D tripod mounted near the tank with a wide angle lens (17mm) so that I can get the whole tank in the picture without the metal shelf piping. I use remote flashes as well. The main flash is held above the tank and I use a slave flash down below the back of the shelf pointing up. I then have a remote trigger to snap the picture. In these pics I blew on the surface to break up the reflection which does not look very good on this aquascape.

Hope that helps.


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## ThatGuyWithTheFish (Apr 29, 2012)

mot said:


> I use a Canon 60D tripod mounted near the tank with a wide angle lens (17mm) so that I can get the whole tank in the picture without the metal shelf piping. I use remote flashes as well. The main flash is held above the tank and I use a slave flash down below the back of the shelf pointing up. I then have a remote trigger to snap the picture. In these pics I blew on the surface to break up the reflection which does not look very good on this aquascape.
> 
> Hope that helps.


Is that the standard way to get the surface distortion in photos? I always wondered how they did that without filter pipes.


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## Mikeygmzmg (Mar 19, 2015)

Nice work JP. Great sense of scale and it looks like a site you'd see in real life.


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## Xenaph (Dec 9, 2013)

What is your tip for the UG don't melt ?


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## mot (Sep 17, 2011)

ThatGuyWithTheFish said:


> Is that the standard way to get the surface distortion in photos? I always wondered how they did that without filter pipes.


I dont know about standard or what is typical as most aquascapers don't seem to post their photography methods.

I can tell you for me that I find it better just to blow on the surface as I take the photo. However on my 90cm and 120cm tank this doesn't work for numerous reasons and I use a hairdryer suspended to the side. I've seen a few posts in the past with the hairdryer to ripple the surface for contest photo shots.

Bump:


Mikeygmzmg said:


> Nice work JP. Great sense of scale and it looks like a site you'd see in real life.


Thanks. Im glad you liked it.


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## mot (Sep 17, 2011)

Xenaph said:


> What is your tip for the UG don't melt ?


Im not sure what you mean by melting? Do you mean going from emersed to submersed? I haven't had any problems with it melting. It grows really fast and thick and responds well to trimming.


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## ExplicitTyro (Jun 30, 2015)

WOW I actually thought there was no water in it...


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## Xenaph (Dec 9, 2013)

I tried one time the ug from tropica culture and in 1 month all plant melting and died.

If it cause by emersed to submersed, have you tips ? Do you use particular fert ?


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