Putting the finishing touches on a nano scape.

[reiverix]

This is a 2.5g I'd like feedback on. 3 x 13w PC light (3 Galaxy lights). Light Ei dosing. I've pulled the Guinea out several times and this picture is of it in between grow-in. The Guinea on the left size ends up taller and heavier than the right side, which is how I like it. Grown in, there is empty space between the right side of the first HC "cap" and the right side of the middle HC "cap". That seems to balance the scape out and help with the illusion of depth.

The HC is growing well. That's a 2 liter cap in the pic.

This tank needs a 3rd species to buffer the foreground into the background. I have no idea what I should use. I'm also not sure if the HC will eventually completely cover the rock.

Sorry about the photo. I'm terrible at taking photos. Anyway, any comments or thoughts on how to improve this nano would be appreciated.

 

[reiverix]

This is really nice Richard. It's a strong mid-scape, and nice plants. From an aquascaping perspective though, I honestly think you'd be better off with a different background plant. The ludwigia is really, really strong. The gentleness of the HC is somewhat lost. I think the scape, especially because it is so small, would do better with a smaller leaved, green background plant. Something that would contrast with HC-- crasula helmsi is the first plant of the size and shape that comes to mind for me. If you just gotta have some reds mixed in, I'd recommend trying a few stems of rotala magenta/indica/rotundifolia. The most common plants can often be the most useful. Currently, my opinion is that rarest are often . . . not.

 

[Tom Barr]

L. arcurata would look better than mermaid weed.

Mix siome M umbrosum together for a 3rd plant.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[uklau]

Planting HC technique

Hi Richard, mind teaching me how to plant HC, especially on the rock? Any good link on the internet? Thanks.

 

[reiverix]

In substrate, if you have lots of HC you can plant in small clumps. If you don't have a lot, you can plant in strands, pushing all the way down into the substrate and then pulling up slightly to expose the tip before releasing. Most important thing is complete and even coverage, planted as close together as you can so that it fills in evenly and quickly. I usually plant in strands and trim those strands if they start to grow upwards, this promotes vertical growth during the initial fill-in stage and also keeps the HC from "layering" over itself too early in the game. Note: I did not do this in the scape above but that scape eventually got so thick I had to replant it. I am using the early-trim method this time around and it's helping a lot.

For wood, I've tied it on using polyester or some other synthetic thread that will not dissolve. It's best to tie it to the underside of the branch, that way it will grow up and around the branch. If you only tie it to the top side of the branch, it'll grow from there up and leave the bottom and sides of the branch bare, unless you are looking to cascade it downward.

For rock, I've only planted it "in" the rock. I happened to use ohko stone which has lots of holes and crevices. I put a little Aquasoil in the holes and planted HC there. It eventually grew to cover the rock and cascade down to meet the substrate.

 

[Tom Barr]

This is a very nice nano!!

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[VaughnH]

Beautiful nano, even though Steven is probably right from an artistic point of view. It occurs to me that a nano is an excellent way to learn the basics of aquascaping - easy to set up and tear down and not too expensive when you goof up! Eventually I hope that my nano will become such a learning experience for me.

 

[reiverix]

Yes, GMF and Tom were right. I replaced all the guinea with umbrosum and the nano looked much better. The HC eventually got too thick, even after mowings, so I pulled it all up and started over. That's why I haven't updated the thread with new pics, I'm waiting for it to grow in. I also moved the rocks forward very slightly. After adding the umbrosum I realized that a tall background looked cramped so moving the rocks up to about midground will give the background room to bush without overshadowing the midground. From a frontal view you can't even tell the rocks have been moved. I'll be keeping on top of the HC from the start so that it doesn't get thick too quickly. Looking back on that old pic the HC looks very untamed compared to how it is now. I'm also using floating plants this time round to cut back on the light and give the nano biomass until the replantings grow in. Tossed in a drop checker to be sure the Co2 stays on target. All in all, the first time round was a good practice and the second attempt will hopefully get me the look I was wanting all along.

 

[uklau]

Thanks for sharing, Richard . You are the man!

 

[reiverix]

ok. I decided ANY stem was gonna be way too much work in a tank roughly 7 inches tall with Co2 running. I covered some stone with riccia and dropped it in the back. Here's the outcome. I think it's a good compromise between appearance and ease of maintenance.

Now I gotta get me some curved tip scissors so I can trim better in this little thing!

 

[Tom Barr]

So now there's not much of that rock left in the scape.

So what did you learn from that?
Do not be scared to use rock and wood etc, plants will swamp it later and it'll provide some permanence to the layout and slope.

In a small tank, these are real issues.

I think you'd like the Dwarf mini hygro or the U gramifolia grass.

I also have a red liverwort, actually a nice burgundy, somewhat weedy like /Riccia but does not pearl like that that attached fairly well, maybe like mini pellia but different leaf thallus pattern and color.

Nice job, you can still play around with the back ground. Rotlal green creeping over the rocks looks nice. Dwarf lobelia would not be too bad, Blyxa etc, hair grass etc

Once you get things grown in, reduce that light or use less light at some point to slow the growth down.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[reiverix]

I remember at some point talking to you about trying to arrange wood so that the unsightly parts would be hidden.

You said the plants would go a long way towards covering a hardscape and that the trick was arranging hardscapes so that the strong points remained exposed.

I'm beginning to understand that.

 

[reiverix]

I've been asking around for Utricularia graminifolia but so far everyone has been sold out. I'll get some sooner or later.

 

[Russ]

If you want a stem plant for this set up, try Ammania sp. 'Bonsai'.

BTW, I love this nano and I appreciate your instructions on planting HC.

-Russ

 

[George Farmer]

Super nano Richard! Well done so far indeed.

Not much I can add to what's been said I'm afraid, except I learnt a lot from my nano too.