In looking at the ADA examples and the one at AFA, as well as some ideas from Bonsai, the Unzan stone seems like a fun way to use the larger rock.
I will certainly be using this concept to do at least 2-3 scapes in the coming year.
From natural systems, the islands on Ha Long Bay
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/vietnam/northeast-vietnam/halong-bay/images/titop-island-halong-bay$22072-35
And Phang Nga Bay
http://www.phuket.com/island/phangnga.htm
Are representative of what many of the ideas I was thinking about, with the water as a foreground type plant.
The tops of the "islands" would poke out of the water with emergent growth and adding moss or drilling holes into the lava is fairly easy to do.
Given the nature of EI dosing to the water column, Crypts, and various other stem plants can be be roped onto these islands, think about WabiKusa, but larger and on a good sized or medium sized stone.
This makes a nice flooded forest look also.
One idea I was discussing with Gerry was using these in a depth perspective forest approach:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...ku5UfGmAunTiwK-qYHwDw&ved=0CDEQ9QEwAA&dur=405
The rocks are not nearly as narrow, but Gerry's tank has the larger dimension to toy with this concept.
Like my old 60p ADA emergent non CO2 tank, the joy and lower maintenance of emergent growth is a good goal for many.
As each island grows, it becomes lusher, but it is not overly difficult to trim, and you do not "uproot" the sediment.
I have some excellent Seiryu stone for my 60p ADA, but........I might try this at a small scale on my own tank.
I'd wanted the Seiryu stone and then manzy creeping over the rock with moss etc.
The other idea is to fuse the mazy wood like roots coming off the Unzan lava stone in the ADA 60p.
This tends to make the tank look smaller as it gives some tree like scale to the rock, but the tank is already small to begin with.
Gerry's tank is much larger, so this addition might be unwise. Also, Seiryu contrast well with the darker Manzy wood, but not so well with a dark rock like lava/unzan.
Still, the cardinals darting between such islands will offer a nice contrast.
Ohko stone will contrast well with Manzy, and can be used in a similar manner, as it is soft and you can drill into it and it has many natural holes already.
But......finding larger pieces is tough.
So, I did a quick hardscape with the lava today in the 60p ADa tank, I think I'll go with it.
2 stones, one taller and larger sticking out of the tank, another smaller, but with potential for the plants to become emergent.
The larger stone will hide the in/out flow pretty well. So this is a bit like the older non CO2 emergent growth, but with stones this time.
No heater for this tank also.
Not sure what foreground plant I might use.
Might use belem grass and HC mix.
I'll be using some H pinn and Bolbitus as emergent plants on the stone.
Then some smaller Hydrocotyle. Maybe some xmas moss and Mini pellia on the rock.
Some backgroudn stem plants might be added behind the stones and trimmed(topped)
No heater.
SSS CRS and then some smaller surface range fish.
One of the goals for this tank is no uprooting horticulture, 100% topping and pinching leaves here or there only.
I will certainly be using this concept to do at least 2-3 scapes in the coming year.
From natural systems, the islands on Ha Long Bay
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/vietnam/northeast-vietnam/halong-bay/images/titop-island-halong-bay$22072-35
And Phang Nga Bay
http://www.phuket.com/island/phangnga.htm
Are representative of what many of the ideas I was thinking about, with the water as a foreground type plant.
The tops of the "islands" would poke out of the water with emergent growth and adding moss or drilling holes into the lava is fairly easy to do.
Given the nature of EI dosing to the water column, Crypts, and various other stem plants can be be roped onto these islands, think about WabiKusa, but larger and on a good sized or medium sized stone.
This makes a nice flooded forest look also.
One idea I was discussing with Gerry was using these in a depth perspective forest approach:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...ku5UfGmAunTiwK-qYHwDw&ved=0CDEQ9QEwAA&dur=405
The rocks are not nearly as narrow, but Gerry's tank has the larger dimension to toy with this concept.
Like my old 60p ADA emergent non CO2 tank, the joy and lower maintenance of emergent growth is a good goal for many.
As each island grows, it becomes lusher, but it is not overly difficult to trim, and you do not "uproot" the sediment.
I have some excellent Seiryu stone for my 60p ADA, but........I might try this at a small scale on my own tank.
I'd wanted the Seiryu stone and then manzy creeping over the rock with moss etc.
The other idea is to fuse the mazy wood like roots coming off the Unzan lava stone in the ADA 60p.
This tends to make the tank look smaller as it gives some tree like scale to the rock, but the tank is already small to begin with.
Gerry's tank is much larger, so this addition might be unwise. Also, Seiryu contrast well with the darker Manzy wood, but not so well with a dark rock like lava/unzan.
Still, the cardinals darting between such islands will offer a nice contrast.
Ohko stone will contrast well with Manzy, and can be used in a similar manner, as it is soft and you can drill into it and it has many natural holes already.
But......finding larger pieces is tough.
So, I did a quick hardscape with the lava today in the 60p ADa tank, I think I'll go with it.
2 stones, one taller and larger sticking out of the tank, another smaller, but with potential for the plants to become emergent.
The larger stone will hide the in/out flow pretty well. So this is a bit like the older non CO2 emergent growth, but with stones this time.
No heater for this tank also.
Not sure what foreground plant I might use.
Might use belem grass and HC mix.
I'll be using some H pinn and Bolbitus as emergent plants on the stone.
Then some smaller Hydrocotyle. Maybe some xmas moss and Mini pellia on the rock.
Some backgroudn stem plants might be added behind the stones and trimmed(topped)
No heater.
SSS CRS and then some smaller surface range fish.
One of the goals for this tank is no uprooting horticulture, 100% topping and pinching leaves here or there only.