Oldwhitewoods 200l Nature Aquarium Journal

[NAL]

Hey Neil! Sounds like you went through the mill with the sand-you've fired me up for it at the front now though-am hoping to re-do the 125 next weekend, assuming I can get the plants. Had to chuckle about you emptying that tank-reminds me of trying to capture the Discus when I emptied the 180. Will post something on the re-do of the 125 now that we are almost ready to rumble down here in Reading with the old Aquasoil(at last). Got your mail-will drop you a line tomorrow.

Cheers,
Nick

 

[oldwhitewood]

I've enjoyed reading this journel, your tank is blooming gorgeous.. I can only wish to be able to achieve something like that in the future.

Don't be daft anyone can achieve what I have done here. You know more and more I am convinced the key to it is finding good hardscaping materials. If you get some wood like I found and get moss growing on it it will look good just thrown in basically! It's all in the wood, that is basically it, the aquascape is really basic and simple. Keeping a tank going with different species of plants and sculpting the whole thing, that is a real art and it's something I am nowhere near.

I loved it before, love it now

EDIT - I too am very envious of the wood, just cant seem to find anything like that

If my LFS ever get more in I'll let you know and get you some pieces if you like, it costs £6.99 per piece though and you can easilily buy 5 pieces. You need to soak it for several decades though to get the tannis out

Hey Neil! Sounds like you went through the mill with the sand-you've fired me up for it at the front now though-am hoping to re-do the 125 next weekend, assuming I can get the plants. Had to chuckle about you emptying that tank-reminds me of trying to capture the Discus when I emptied the 180. Will post something on the re-do of the 125 now that we are almost ready to rumble down here in Reading with the old Aquasoil(at last). Got your mail-will drop you a line tomorrow.

Cheers,
Nick

Sounds good dude.

I know what you mean, it's a case of you dont want to be too rough with the fish as you dont want to hurt them, but also you're getting more and more wound up because you can't catch the buggers!

 

[oldwhitewood]

I have done a bit more on the tank so far. In the right corner I have added 5 pots of rotala sp green, this I hope will fill out the tank. To the left side I have trimmed down the rotala to stagger it, this should make it go bushy. I have also taken some spare moss and tied it to small pieces of slate, I think this should grow ok and add a kind of mossy foreground. Additionally some pieces of bogwood have been removed as I thought they were simply in the layout for the sake of it and weren't contributing to the actual design at all.

This is the tank from the front, again photography is crap I hate this digital camera I have.

And from the side so you can see the moss foreground thing I've done.

Next step is to keep trimming the rotala to make it bush out. One thing I have learnt is that if you are going to have the split substrate/sand foreground you need to bridge the gap with some kind of stone or wood, otherwise the shrimp and fish disturb the substrate and flip it forward onto the bare sand, you can see the effects of this in the photos.

 

[WayneVT08]

Nice journal and tank! But I would like to see this "amano's tank"

 

[Themuleous]

Yeh think you need to tame the rotala its getting quite out of hand! Want are your long term aims? My only comment would be that it looks very much like a wall of wood with plants on it. Now thats great if that want you're going for, but to my eye it needs something along to the front at the foot of the wood. But thats just me otherwise I think it looks pretty darn great

 

[Luke_e]

otherwise the shrimp and fish disturb the substrate and flip it forward onto the bare sand, you can see the effects of this in the photos.

How long has it taken to become apparant. You would think shrimp would have the strength but i've seen mie pick up little pieces of gravel .

Your tank is still looking amazing, i look forward to future updates.

 

[craynerd]

great tank mate, where did you get your wood from! Its fantastic!

I am also in the Manchester area so if you could be specific! I am really struggling!

Chris

 

[oldwhitewood]

World of Water http/www.worldofwater.com/world-of-water-stores-01.html The timperley one

It sells out really quick though so you need to be in the right place in the right time.

Yeh think you need to tame the rotala its getting quite out of hand! Want are your long term aims? My only comment would be that it looks very much like a wall of wood with plants on it. Now thats great if that want you're going for, but to my eye it needs something along to the front at the foot of the wood. But thats just me otherwise I think it looks pretty darn great

The tank is based on the LOST series, basically the sand represents the beach, the wood and rotala the sort of dense jungle of the island. My long term plans are to add a polar bear, mysterious black clouds etc....

 

[Themuleous]

a polar bear would be crazy! How cool would that be! Dont get me wrong I do really like the tank, and now you mention it It does look very 'lost' like, you going to have a system of caves too? Looks impenitrable like the lost jungle too

 

[oldwhitewood]

Nice journal and tank! But I would like to see this "amano's tank"

Which tank are you on about?

a polar bear would be crazy! How cool would that be! Dont get me wrong I do really like the tank, and now you mention it It does look very 'lost' like, you going to have a system of caves too? Looks impenitrable like the lost jungle too

I was looking at it then and I just thought *shakes head* "it looks like the island from LOST" I must have sub-conciously created it!

 

[craynerd]

Going there for a trip out this afternoon!!

Chris

 

[oldwhitewood]

Good luck mate. Let me know if you get any decent wood there, they sell tropica plants too, although all plants in there take a battering over the weekend.

 

[oldwhitewood]

Another update of sorts simply showing rotala growth, after another few days I am going to start trimming this I reckon. Also once the general shape of it is established I'm going to add a red highlight plant, such as Ludwigia arcuata. I might move that piece of driftwood you see in the middle with the three pronged hand type of thing going on, it's a bit weird. The image of LOST is nearly complete

 

[Bloo]

Look great ! What are the pipes in the front left and top right ?

 

[Qays]

Amazing!

Its a wonderland!

Why not get a black background?