This is my first proper attempt at a planted tank. I have been into freshwater for 11 years but only dabbled in plants never truly researching the components to put together a large aquascape / art piece. So lets dig in:
Idea
I have for years loved my kuhli loaches and the way they remain almost unseen in a tank then suddenly reappear clumped behind the filter or a plant. So I want this aquascape to extenuate this. Yes I am crazy as I am going to spend money, time and effort to help my fish hide. However, I think it will add to the dynamic with the characters appearing from random places within the tank. I am going to achieve this through using PVC pipes to allow tunnels and caves through the substrate. To prevent the tunnels from becoming stagnant I will use 40mm diameter PVC and every month use a pump to clean out the tunnel from any detritus. I have also taken inspiration from a stream or creek running down a gentle gradient with the fish sleeping in caves within the soft banks to provide a rest bite from the flow of the stream.
Flora
Idea
I have for years loved my kuhli loaches and the way they remain almost unseen in a tank then suddenly reappear clumped behind the filter or a plant. So I want this aquascape to extenuate this. Yes I am crazy as I am going to spend money, time and effort to help my fish hide. However, I think it will add to the dynamic with the characters appearing from random places within the tank. I am going to achieve this through using PVC pipes to allow tunnels and caves through the substrate. To prevent the tunnels from becoming stagnant I will use 40mm diameter PVC and every month use a pump to clean out the tunnel from any detritus. I have also taken inspiration from a stream or creek running down a gentle gradient with the fish sleeping in caves within the soft banks to provide a rest bite from the flow of the stream.
Flora
- Foreground - Staurogyne Repens
- Midground - E. Tennellus, E.Bleheri, E. Aquartica, E. Red flamed, E. Vesuvias,
- Background - Nymphaea stellata, Nymphoides aquatica
- Moss accents - Christmas Moss (Vesicularia montagnei)
- Kuhli Loaches x 6
- Dwarf Corydoras x 5 (or another small bottom dweller)
- Ceylon/Werners Killifish x 3
- Lyretail Killifish x 3
- Inverts - Cherry shrimp, MTS, Assassin Snails, Ramshorn snails and horned Nerite snail
- Tank: 105Ltrs painted black on 2 sides
- Lighting: T8 20Wx2 installed in a white hood
- Prefilter: DIY Hagen Matten Eck Filter
- Filter: Eheim 2217 wet/dry
- Substrate: Tropica Complete
- Sand cap: Caribsea Tahitan moon black
- Heater: Eheim Jager 150W at 26C
- Misc: Eheim installation kits 1&2, PVC pipes and angles 40mm, PVC pipe 100mm, silicone, Digital thermometer, Planting tools
So progress so far:
Pipe caves (Click to enlarge).
(Click to enlarge)
I tried to use as little silicone as possible so that I can disassemble in the future if I need to and so that no air gets trapped in the pipes. I used solvent weld joints (but didn't solvent weld) as these form a 1" cuff for the join so its tight and won't leak substrate and not truly sealed just a compression fit. I used a pair of my better half's old tights cut into bags and filled with gravel to form my base for my substrate. This is for two reasons - 1. Too reduce the chance of an anaerobic pocket associated with deep substrate 2. Because substrate is expensive and old tights filled with gravel is free. The big piece of pipe forming the main cave I sealed with a couple of pieces of old slate either end so it doesn't get filled in. There are also 2mm holes drilled in to the top of it so that the air can escape on filling.
Substrate added basic shape formed
(Click to enlarge)
(Click to enlarge)
I tried to layer my substrate nicely with the tropica complete first only on the banks either side and then capping with the sand and filling the centre well with purely sand. I didn't like the look as it was too strict and regimented giving an unnatural tone. So I sprinkled some tropica complete over the top. To be honest the left side came out better than the right as its a lot subtler however once its mixed there is little I could do to separate them and start over. I really like the aesthetic of the tank and the Hagen Matten Eck Filter (HMEF) blends perfectly into the corner to hide my inflow pipe, heater and thermometer sensor. The right side is left unpainted however due to the viewing angle and refraction through the water/glass its highly reflective and appears the same as the opposite side.
Main Cave
(Click to enlarge)
(Click to enlarge)
I used some silicone over the top of my port holes so that it would form a mantle to prevent the pipe filling with sand. The first picture is the general view and the second shows a sneaky look inside the cave with a torch, hopefully to find fish and shrimp sleeping in the future.
