Going Dutch with Aquasoil
- Thread starter Pikez
- Start date
You really need to make that an article, and pin it!
almost fell out my seat from laughing at the fruit stand style bit lmao
Hi Vin.
I always envied you in the wrong ways. In all out honesty, do you feel robbed in the competition you entered?
Your knowledge of dutch is vast, and probably have the potential to be a dutch master if not already.
I thought of this so i wanted to ask you...
Regards,
Dennis
I always envied you in the wrong ways. In all out honesty, do you feel robbed in the competition you entered?
Your knowledge of dutch is vast, and probably have the potential to be a dutch master if not already.
I thought of this so i wanted to ask you...
Regards,
Dennis
Holy crap Vin!
I'm utterly speechless. This thread offered so much as it is, you have now taken to a completely different level.
Thank-you so much!!!
I'm utterly speechless. This thread offered so much as it is, you have now taken to a completely different level.
Thank-you so much!!!
Will do once I post a few more pictures.
No, Dennis, I did not feel robbed at all. My fert experiment took my Dutch scape sideways a couple of months before the AGA contest. By the time the contest rolled around, I did not have a viable entry. So, I selected 4 or 5 cell phone shots from the last 18 months and I sent them to Burr for his comments. We both agreed that I didn't have a standout picture without several serious issues. Regardless, I entered the favorite of the bunch, which was a casual shot I took with my phone one morning while waiting to take the kids to school. I hadn't cleaned the glass, done a water change or even moved the filter intakes - you can still see it. But I wanted to enter the contest to represent good ol' US of A. Didn't want to lurk. I wanted to participate.
And, uh...about that envy thing...I am going to Rio Vaupes very soon. I will find a vast meadow of Syngonanthus and then I will strip naked and frolic thru it singing Tiny Tim songs. LOL! Deal?
This is fantastic Vin, I have no words, thank you so much for taking the time to write all this down. A wonderful reference guide and definitively must be sticked somewhere as a full article/guide. Jason, can you help?
Kudos to you, you just made my 2018 present!
Kudos to you, you just made my 2018 present!
As soon as I'm on he desktop I'll make this an article for sure, after all it's a part of what's proberly the best thread on any forum! Thanks vin for the great read over 2 years.
as requested the dutch guide is now an article 
https://barrreport.com/articles/tips-and-tricks-for-dutch-style-aquascaping.47/
Thanks Vin
https://barrreport.com/articles/tips-and-tricks-for-dutch-style-aquascaping.47/
Thanks Vin
Great article, submit to the AGA's TAG
I use a slope to keep the front to back looking fuller.
Dutch style does not typically.
I pull the front edge of the gravel down to the nub in front, like the dutch style, no one wants to see gravel in the front of tank view.
Fruit stand style is just for color and contrast for that purpose, not to adhere to much else. Sometimes you can use a row.......I prefer triangles and irregular shapes and less on rows.
Still, even with this style, the Dutch idea about plant species number should be seriously considered. Neither looks good with too many species.
Wood divides the space in my tanks, but this was to fill the void between trims, but it's a contrast either way. And if you sell plants etc, gives some new room to grow so you can sell in a week or two after you trim again.
In the past, I'd use Cork as a background, then attach plants to that. So similar to Dutch style not wanting to see the background, I planted it, but was not interested in moss backgrounds so much. Messy generally. That does not blend well with neat and organized. But perhaps you want some chaos added, but not too much? Well, moss walls never seemed good to me for that issue.
For tank height, 20-24" is best, less than 20 " really places a lot of trimming burden on the aquascaper, and the stems often do not develop to their full glory without more added height.
The more depth you have front to back, the better.
I use a slope to keep the front to back looking fuller.
Dutch style does not typically.
I pull the front edge of the gravel down to the nub in front, like the dutch style, no one wants to see gravel in the front of tank view.
Fruit stand style is just for color and contrast for that purpose, not to adhere to much else. Sometimes you can use a row.......I prefer triangles and irregular shapes and less on rows.
Still, even with this style, the Dutch idea about plant species number should be seriously considered. Neither looks good with too many species.
Wood divides the space in my tanks, but this was to fill the void between trims, but it's a contrast either way. And if you sell plants etc, gives some new room to grow so you can sell in a week or two after you trim again.
In the past, I'd use Cork as a background, then attach plants to that. So similar to Dutch style not wanting to see the background, I planted it, but was not interested in moss backgrounds so much. Messy generally. That does not blend well with neat and organized. But perhaps you want some chaos added, but not too much? Well, moss walls never seemed good to me for that issue.
For tank height, 20-24" is best, less than 20 " really places a lot of trimming burden on the aquascaper, and the stems often do not develop to their full glory without more added height.
The more depth you have front to back, the better.
Moss walls become a lot less messy when you can just pop them off and trim outside the tank. Then give it a backwards rinse with the sink sprayer or hosepipe to get rid of fragments and debris before reinstalling it. That's the beauty of using plastic mesh.
Ive always wondered why front to back depth isnt factored in for the number of species. It doesnt seem right for a 120 gal with a 48"x24" footprint to have the same species limit as a standard 55...
Ive always wondered why front to back depth isnt factored in for the number of species. It doesnt seem right for a 120 gal with a 48"x24" footprint to have the same species limit as a standard 55...
Really good point on detachable moss walls. I know, I know, you've been on my case about adding the moss wall, even sending me fully assembled mesh and moss. One step short of physically coming over and installing it in my tank. LOL! I'm a bad person.
As for species count in 120 vs 55 gal tanks. Tanks with the narrow front-to-back footprint of our 55 gal tanks are virtually unheard of in traditional Dutch scaping. Almost all tanks are 2 feet deep, so that's an assumption. 6 ft x 2 ft x 2 ft is your typical Dutch size.
I suspect you could push to rules to 4 species per foot if you had 30 inches of front to back distance.
I have seen one decent 55 gallon planted tank, ever. It was Dutch style and adhered to most of this dutch discussion.
I had some decent 55 gallon scapes. more nature style however. 55 gallon tanks such for planted tanks as a rule.
A 48x30 footprint like my 120 will have more room than a 120 that's 48x18 footprint...........
But the shallow height means you cannot really should off the cascading front to back beauty.
Hence why I did not get Gerry's 220, it's 20" tall, and 36" front to back.
I need 24" tall.
I think most Dutch tanks are close to 24x 24 generally. Or 18x18, I prefer 24"
Front to back, I like more room. 30" is good, 36" you better be able to walk around to the other side, not many have 40" reach to get to the rear bottom corner.
32"-34 is about the max distance for reach in the 24x30 dimension.
Trimming is only once every 2 weeks for weedy species. You get good color development and trimming is less harsh on many of the more touchy species.
Shorter tanks, much less so.
I loved this thread! I also love your name at AGA. Maybe this will make them to erase that line in future because a "dutch tank need no name" indeed
Unfortunately I made also a mistake an I signed up my dutch tank on the wrong section of AGA! I think if you make a tank with the only target to win AGA you have the first chance!
Unfortunately I made also a mistake an I signed up my dutch tank on the wrong section of AGA! I think if you make a tank with the only target to win AGA you have the first chance!
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