My First High Tech Aquascape

thelordofthefish

Subscriber
Apr 22, 2017
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3
I've posted this in the planted tank forums as well. I hope that's alright. This is my first try at this high tech planted tank thing. I call it "The edge of the forrest". My plan is to go super thick planted on the left side of the pathway, tall stems behind the big wood. Something red to in the back-middle top to balance the composition which is a bit right side heavy. The right side will be a bit more light in terms of stems and will focus on grasses and smaller plants. Lots of tiny variants of anubias in the cracks and foreground. Maybe something red on the very top of the left wood. Basically the right side of the tank is the green lush meadow and the left is the entrance to the dark, giant forrest.

Anyway, any feedback welcome. I had to design the tank in a way where it is pleasing to the eye from the right side as well as that side faces the dining table. That's been a challenge and I'm a bit unhappy how it looks from the side.

Material is ADA Aquasoil Amazonia and some powder type on top. Below, ADA power sand, Bacter 100, Clear Super and Tourmaline BC. Ton of wood, I've got a lot more smaller pieces foe detail. Rocks are mainly Sansui stone and some lava stone under the soil to get the slope.

Should I worry about the left side behind the big wood? I plan to heavily plant it so I went easy on the hardscape.

Thanks for reading!

Frontal:

IMG_1010%202_zpszkiova5h.jpg



Frontal top down:

top%20down_zpsnezdqqs9.jpg



right side:
IMG_1012%202_zpsism77glx.jpg
 

burr740

Micros Spiller
Moderator
Feb 16, 2015
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Looks nice and your plan sounds good. Lots of great potential here.

But you're gonna need a stone or a log on the right side where the sand meets aquasoil. That'll soon be mixed all together unless you do something right there
 

thelordofthefish

Subscriber
Apr 22, 2017
18
3
3
Good point! I'll do that tonight.

For plants, I was thinking on the left back side:
Hemianthus micranthemoides
Bolbitis heudelotii

Hemianthus Glomeratus (Baby Tear)
Myriophyllum mattogrossense


Maybe Ludwigia palustris

Around that tree on the right in the FG:
Hydrocotyle tripartita
Maybe some Riccardia on the trees all around the tank and ludwigia sp red.



Foreground:

Cryptocoryne parva
array of anubias that go into smaller sizes as we go into the background. Anubias chilli, Micro, petite and pangolino. Should I be worried about light being too high for anubias? I'm running 2x satellite pro + but plan to run them at 50%. High CO2. I'm trying to find some other small foreground plants that aren't carpet plants.
Hygrophila pinnatifida is also nice.



Maybe hanging down from the big tree in the middle or over some rocks:

Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba'
And below in mid ground: Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini' with some other green plants.


On the right back side coming down past the rock to the foreground:
Utricularia graminifolia (undecided about this one)


As for mosses, I have very little experience with them. I'd want something that hangs down nicely from the rocks and wood but is relatively easy to maintain...if something like that exists! Any advice welcome.
 
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