Aquascaper 600

[Essjay]

I had albino cherry barbs a few years ago and they came from Maidenhead Aq. With yellow females and orange males, they do add a splash of colour - if you can cope with the red eyes. The staff when I bought them said those red eyes put a lot of people off.

 

[Wills]

I had albino cherry barbs a few years ago and they came from Maidenhead Aq. With yellow females and orange males, they do add a splash of colour - if you can cope with the red eyes. The staff when I bought them said those red eyes put a lot of people off.

Sounds like they will go with my Red Eye Puffers!

Urgh mid way through all this now why do we do it to ourselves, been going since about 10 am and I'm just about to start putting the wood in.

Wills

 

[Wills]

Right limiting my post here because all I want to do is swear haha!! The tank is full of water again, the plants are all in, hardscape is all in, substrate and I've got the fish just warming up a bit as inexplicably the buckets I've had them in are a bit cooler than the tank which is room temperature... the problem is that the tank is currently about 25c maybe larger volume of water is more stable temp?

Here is a pic I got of the hardscape which is from the angle I sit at with the background. Its been a really really long day I've quite enjoyed it but it has been very very stressful...

 

[WhistlingBadger]

That's going to look great. How much cooler are your buckets? I usually figure if it's within a few degrees it's close enough...

 

[Wills]

That's going to look great. How much cooler are your buckets? I usually figure if it's within a few degrees it's close enough...

Buckets were reading 21c tank was at 25c too about 20 mins to get close enough and in they went.

I think it was GaryE that said about fish swimming up and down in water bodies and I’ve felt stupid for ages haha. Once it got to about 23/24 I let them in.

Laid in bed now stressing I’ve forgotten something or done something wrong… how the hell do Aquascapers on YouTube do tanks in seemingly a few hours….

 

[Colin_T]

Laid in bed now stressing I’ve forgotten something or done something wrong… how the hell do Aquascapers on YouTube do tanks in seemingly a few hours….

Some are good at aquascaping but most don't do it in a few hours. They might take several days to do the job and have it look perfect, and they simply edit the video.

 

[powerdyne6]

Hi Wills

The first post in this thread.. what were all the small plants throughout the tank?

Thanks

 

[Wills]

Hi Wills

The first post in this thread.. what were all the small plants throughout the tank?

Thanks

I think the one you mean is called Monte Carlo - low growing foreground plant that carpets over time. Can be grown in low tech tanks but usually needs Co2.

 

[Wills]

Well here are the fruits of my labour - still a few things to sort the sand at the front needs a bit of a level and I need to add my pothos and new bamboo in as well but over all think I'm happy with this, quite a 'normal' scape but think I'm headed in the right direction. Plants have a bit of growing in and I may need to move some around over time but we will see, I might get some more Limnophila to fill some gaps and I may add some more sand to the front so I can add some planting in the front area too.

The hard bit about yesterday was mainly stripping down the tank and going straight into building the new one - reflecting on my plans to rescape or rehome I'm wondering if I should have rehomed but it looks like all ok today. I think when I questioned how aquascapers on youtube do it, they often either start with an empty tank because they've rehomed the fish or have other tanks to move them to. Things were so tight on time as they were but a few hiccups along the way didnt help such as the backing on the window film taking literally half an hour to peel off - though just as I thought 'at least I get a sit down' for the second bit, it just fell off straight away haha.

Quite impressed with the Eonion substrate, its quite rough so I capped it with some sand and I might add some more once the plants have started to grow, I'm not sure if the sand will just mix in over time or not? The background does look quite light at the moment but once I start to get some plant growth I don't think it will be an issue - it also looks lighter in the photos than real life too.

Overall quite happy with it though think it might evolve over time in terms of the planting but hoping the new substrate helps me get going more. Really like all the anubias in this tank, trying some moss in here, not had much luck in the past so will be interesting! I did remove 95% of the duck weed but some is still there (which I expected and don't mind to much) so will have full coverage again soon haha! I do want to figure out a better lid system at some point as the jump guard make it hard to get into but thats something for an other day.

Let me know what you think I don't have any friends into aquariums so really rely on you guys for validation haha.

Wills

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

You've done a marvellous job here Wills, I really love your assortment of rocks and the wood composition is so attractive. I can't wait to see how the plants fill in

 

[Wills]

You've done a marvellous job here Wills, I really love your assortment of rocks and the wood composition is so attractive. I can't wait to see how the plants fill in

Thanks I'm looking forward to it growing - you cant see in the picture but at the back there are quite a few Crypt Balansae right at the back so hopefully over time that will grow up and over the wood, the Penny Wort is also quite short in here at the moment but once that gets going hoping it will make some nice coverage

I did try and record the process to make a video but it really wasnt good... might try and make a video of this tank as it develops but also might just put the time into enjoying the tank...

Wills

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Very, very nice! And it's going to upgrade from "Very nice" to "amazing" once it grows in.

I've never had the patience to make process videos, either. I enjoy building far too much to stop and take videos of it.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Crypts are annoying slow growing so the Balansae will take its sweet time, but no doubt will be worth the wait to see it in all its glory

 

[Wills]

Thanks guys I'll make sure I keep updating

 

[AilyNC]

It's gorgeous! You've done so many beautiful scapes so looking forward to see this grow in