# A bit help with aquascaping



## mr one (Apr 20, 2014)

tried today to do something that i had in mind. It was a some sort of cliff and on top of it theres going to be a plants and along that cliff im planing to use a sand. I have only a brown lava rock pieces and had no luck almost for a 3 hours to make something looking like a cliff... Maybe someone could help a bit or throw some ideas?  also this is a pictures what it looks now


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## drondy (Apr 8, 2014)

Looks good to me. If anything, I would make it a little taller.


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## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

You're off to a very good start. If you have more branch wood, add that to the top of the hill. Also, make the substrate more like a hill, not flat like you have now. To increase fore-aft perspective, move the rocks on the left side closer to the front of the glass.

Attach moss to the rocks.


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## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

Here's my interpretation. You'll need lots of branch wood.
Plants include:
Anubias (small leaf variety such as "petite" or "bonsai")
Java ferns (narrow leaf) and/or Bolbitis heudelotii
Various stem plants, particularly Rotala's
Mosses such as Weeping, X-mas, Singapore, Taiwan, Java. No flame moss, peacock, or spiky, Fissidens fontanus. Add the mosses to both the rocks and the wood.


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## mr one (Apr 20, 2014)

Solcielo lawrencia said:


> You're off to a very good start. If you have more branch wood, add that to the top of the hill. Also, make the substrate more like a hill, not flat like you have now. To increase fore-aft perspective, move the rocks on the left side closer to the front of the glass.
> 
> Attach moss to the rocks.


At this time i have no more branch wood  as for a hill ill try to do it with a manado substrate i think from my old tank maybe it helps a bit to kickstart a new tank


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## mr one (Apr 20, 2014)

drondy said:


> Looks good to me. If anything, I would make it a little taller.


As for a taller i think ill try but i have only a 30 cm in height


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## mr one (Apr 20, 2014)

Solcielo lawrencia said:


> Here's my interpretation. You'll need lots of branch wood.
> Plants include:
> Anubias (small leaf variety such as "petite" or "bonsai")
> Java ferns (narrow leaf) and/or Bolbitis heudelotii
> ...


That was a really great advice, In stock i have some of anubias like nana and usual one with big leaves, As for a java ferns i could try to get some and mybe there would be a room for a cryptocoryna nana  And moss, this is particulary only in stock a java moss 

Also thank you all


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## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

mr one said:


> That was a really great advice, In stock i have some of anubias like nana and usual one with big leaves, As for a java ferns i could try to get some and mybe there would be a room for a cryptocoryna nana  And moss, this is particulary only in stock a java moss
> 
> Also thank you all


I can think of an alternative that doesn't require wood, but it's just not as effective and you'll have to remove the semi-circle island and make a wall with the rocks instead. The wood allows you to keep the island arrangement and makes it look a lot more beautiful. Also, plant selection plays an even bigger role in the final outcome. You should spend even more time and effort choosing the best combination of plants because no matter how great the hardscape arrangement, it can't make up for poor plant selection and planting. Kind of like an attractive woman who doesn't know how to put on makeup.








I'm sure she's attractive, but I'm just thinking, "WTF?!?"


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## mr one (Apr 20, 2014)

Solcielo lawrencia said:


> I can think of an alternative that doesn't require wood, but it's just not as effective and you'll have to remove the semi-circle island and make a wall with the rocks instead. The wood allows you to keep the island arrangement and makes it look a lot more beautiful. Also, plant selection plays an even bigger role in the final outcome. You should spend even more time and effort choosing the best combination of plants because no matter how great the hardscape arrangement, it can't make up for poor plant selection and planting. Kind of like an attractive woman who doesn't know how to put on makeup.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That post with picture So you say i need to get some smaller or bigger branches?


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## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

mr one said:


> That post with picture So you say i need to get some smaller or bigger branches?


You mean the thickness of the branches? They should be about the same as the stick you currently have but they should vary in size, too.


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## mr one (Apr 20, 2014)

Solcielo lawrencia said:


> You mean the thickness of the branches? They should be about the same as the stick you currently have but they should vary in size, too.


Ok ill try, maybe ill find something when my friend comes back from polland, she gets there often for some aquatic goodies


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## Steve002 (Feb 7, 2014)

I've heard of using a vacuum to clean the aquarium but never a hoe. Let us know how that works for you as I may get one myself.


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## mr one (Apr 20, 2014)

Steve002 said:


> I've heard of using a vacuum to clean the aquarium but never a hoe. Let us know how that works for you as I may get one myself.


whaat?

Ok got some java fern but its a small bunch, going to try at another city aquarium lovers club  also this is the pic with 4 kilos of sand added  and i have a spare 2 kg to add later because sand have a bad tendency with water and it bancrupts a lot  Also got some floaters with fuzzy leaves, i dont know how it is callled in latin but they look sooooo good that i could not resist to not have them, and also got some a kinda bigbush of crypt with red leaves


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## mr one (Apr 20, 2014)

So got some wood and after work ill post some pics for a criticism


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## mr one (Apr 20, 2014)

Ok so got time to play around, what do you guys think?


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## mr one (Apr 20, 2014)

Or ill stick with?


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

I'd go with the first scape from today's meddling personally. Really like the look of a scape the continues above the waterline. I'd end up cramming a lot of emersed/riparium plants up and behind there but that's just because I love riparium setups now ^^


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

The texture of the wood in the last couple of pictures looks all wrong to me.
That texture which we see in the first three pictures looks good.


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## mr one (Apr 20, 2014)

AquaAurora said:


> I'd go with the first scape from today's meddling personally. Really like the look of a scape the continues above the waterline. I'd end up cramming a lot of emersed/riparium plants up and behind there but that's just because I love riparium setups now ^^


Yeah i was stuck at first one also but wanted to play around a bit  riparium setups are awesome but had not so much luck to find some plants to have them like in riparium setups is oftenly used  and also second time i had luck to fool a eyes, posted theese photos and also my old aquarium at one club and they thought it was a 400 l aquarium


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

mr one said:


> Yeah i was stuck at first one also but wanted to play around a bit  riparium setups are awesome but had not so much luck to find some plants to have them like in riparium setups is oftenly used  and also second time i had luck to fool a eyes, posted theese photos and also my old aquarium at one club and they thought it was a 400 l aquarium


THere are a lot of plants that can be grown in a riparium (roots submerged permanently). Pt member hydrophyte sells some very common easy riparium plants, as well as planter baskets and floating rafts for riparium plants. You can also use house plants, Pothos is the most full proof one to start with and easiest to find, often sold at home depot and lows as just some unlabeled house plant. It will tolerate its leaves being wet more than other house plants which will get melted leaves if submerged. I've also successfully added:
Fittonia albivenis (sometimes called "mosaic plant" or " pink angle" if you get the pink veined variety)
Tradescantia zebrine (aka wondering jew and grows as fast as pothos)
Dwarf Palm Neanthe Bella
Syngonium
Creeping Jenny (usually 'garden plant' rather than 'house plant' but can grow submerged or emersed just fine (may melt a bit from transition from wet to dry or vise versa but will grow newly adapted leaves).


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## mr one (Apr 20, 2014)

AquaAurora said:


> THere are a lot of plants that can be grown in a riparium (roots submerged permanently). Pt member hydrophyte sells some very common easy riparium plants, as well as planter baskets and floating rafts for riparium plants. You can also use house plants, Pothos is the most full proof one to start with and easiest to find, often sold at home depot and lows as just some unlabeled house plant. It will tolerate its leaves being wet more than other house plants which will get melted leaves if submerged. I've also successfully added:
> Fittonia albivenis (sometimes called "mosaic plant" or " pink angle" if you get the pink veined variety)
> Tradescantia zebrine (aka wondering jew and grows as fast as pothos)
> Dwarf Palm Neanthe Bella
> ...


Im from europe so i think it makes a bit difficulties to get them


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

mr one said:


> Im from europe so i think it makes a bit difficulties to get them


Oh silly me didn't look at location..pt member Mirv has a riparium setup, they are in Italy, you can see the tank [here]. Don't know where you are and if simular plants are available to you. 
I recal someone with a riparium in the UK (can't remember username) that grew maidenhair fern successfully in the riparium style setup. I tried that fern and it half died.. I think I was way to rough on its roots trying to get the soil off and shocked it. 
I think many ferns can be adapted to riparium setups, I'd suspect they'd be somewhat available in europe?


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## mr one (Apr 20, 2014)

AquaAurora said:


> Oh silly me didn't look at location..pt member Mirv has a riparium setup, they are in Italy, you can see the tank [here]. Don't know where you are and if simular plants are available to you.
> I recal someone with a riparium in the UK (can't remember username) that grew maidenhair fern successfully in the riparium style setup. I tried that fern and it half died.. I think I was way to rough on its roots trying to get the soil off and shocked it.


Thank you  Ok tried to go back on first placement and had a bit of bad luck but it looks almost like in first time  filling up another two buckets to let a substrate to bancrupt and to soak wood


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

wow. It was good with just the rocks, but the dw adds a whole other dimension. i wouldn't go with the dw straight up, looks unnatural. off to one side is better, follow the flow of the rocks. 

only thing I'm not sure about is the sub. white gives off a bit of a glare.


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## mr one (Apr 20, 2014)

Dantrasy said:


> wow. It was good with just the rocks, but the dw adds a whole other dimension. i wouldn't go with the dw straight up, looks unnatural. off to one side is better, follow the flow of the rocks.
> 
> only thing I'm not sure about is the sub. white gives off a bit of a glare.


sand gives some brightnes and at some point i was thinking maybe to change it for a bigger fraction size sand than this


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## ROYWS3 (Feb 1, 2014)

I like the vertical orientation in post 16. I like how the wood extends above the water line + it allows space in the entire back left corner to plant. I also like the different colors and textures of the hardscape and the two different substrates. JMO

Good luck with it


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## mr one (Apr 20, 2014)

ROYWS3 said:


> I like the vertical orientation in post 16. I like how the wood extends above the water line + it allows space in the entire back left corner to plant. I also like the different colors and textures of the hardscape and the two different substrates. JMO
> 
> Good luck with it


Thanks  So just got sooo much blyxa that i dont have so much space, so thinking maybe put all leftovers to my first 45 l tank till i chop it  so photo as it is now, thank you all guys you all helped me a lot


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