Nature style low-tech 17 gallon aquascape

A nature style aquascape in the making:



First things first, a window screen.







Tank
Volume: 17 gallon / 65 liters ADA tank.
Footprint: 60 cm/24 inch x 30 cm/12 inch.
Height: 36cm/14 inch.

Substrate
Contrary to the conventional aqua soil - sand combination of nature style scapes, this tank will only have ADA La Plata sand.

Hardscape
The piece of spiderwood in the image. I will add a few separate pieces.
Elderly stones.

Water
Slightly soft to neutral, 20 C / 64 F.

Plants
My usual ferns, mosses, buces and crypts.

Technology
Twinstar B-line light unit, dimmed and time-controlled.
Eden 511 canister.

Animals
My usual Neocaridina's and Dario or perhaps CPD.

 

Added substrate, elderly stones and spider wood. Still on the lookout for a more fitting stone for the center back. The current one will do for now. Perhaps, when plants are added, I'm not bothered anymore.

Up next: more sand in the back and my favorite plant, java fern trident. Lots of trident.

 

Nice hardscape, reminds me of the daichi araki scape at green aqua

 

Not completely happy with it yet. Scape's center of gravity should be a bit lower. Even if it is just a few inches; it bugs me. Perhaps I can fix it this with just plants.

 

Managed to get the center of gravity down by at least an inch and created more room for plants around it. If the hardscape if good, the rest is peanuts. Time to move on.

 

That looks amazing!

 

Thought it would be nice to show a stage of ugliness as well.

I actually managed to get the woodscape even further down with a little twist 'n turn.

However, I filled 80% of the tank with water, which made the wood, which I never used in a scape before, starting to float a bit; despite the stones I added between the branches.

In case you wonder why I added water so soon; I'm not planting in aqua soil. I don't find planting crypts, which I'll place around the stones, in sand, to be a challenge.

Since the stones have been stored dry for a long time also, and most of the sand is recently bought, the tank has to go through a process called cycling . Perhaps I was inspired by this forum to start from scratch this time. I added for the time being an internal filter, a heater, two dead shrimp I could find in other tanks, and 3 days old artemia, to get things going. Will check the fridge today to see if I can add more ammonia sources.

It won't take long before mold starts to appear on the wood. I'm a big fan of mold....to a certain extent. The initial mold that feeds off the cellulose, on the other hand, is not a pretty sight.

So I'll leave the tank alone for a few weeks, before adding plants and removing the heater and stones that I placed between the branches.

 

a stage of ugliness

Does not compute. What ugliness?

Will check the fridge today to see if I can add more ammonia sources.

Check your backyard. Leaf litter and twigs.

 

Does not compute. What ugliness?

Check your backyard. Leaf litter and twigs.

Thought I'd dump in food that is past the expiration date

 

That's how you introduce Salmonella to a tank.

 

That's how you introduce Salmonella to a tank.

Hahaha, yes, you are right. I'll add a healthy but dead piece of table shrimp that is also on my plate tonight.

 

I’m not sure that’s a good idea with how processed all human food is. I would say stick to leaf litter and/ or bottle pure ammonia and/ or stuff from another healthy clean tank.

 

Why did I bring up cycling.

 

Spiderwood is getting its lovely brown tint. Heater and internal filter are removed as well as the stones that kept the wood in check. Diatoms living happily. Mold starting to show up. First copepods have been spotted. In other words: the tank is coming alive.

Up next is about 2 kg of new sand and a big bush of java fern trident. Should be in place later this week.




The tank is placed in one of my new racks. Should have used racks a long time ago! Such a space-saver.

Below the new aquascape is one of my Dario myanmar / indoor pond tanks. Nothing scaped; just very useful to store and propagate plants, as well as a breeding place for the Dario fish.

On the left is the second rack that has 3 shallow aquascapes.

 

Added the first mosses, buces and java fern trident.




It looks .....OK, but the scape should be stretched more to the right for more drama. I don't think adding more plants will achieve this. Time to pay a visit to the aquascaping shop for more stones and spiderwood.

 

Aquascaping shop? Is that your LFS is is it a real sure specific hobby store? If so I’m missing out!

 

There are dedicated aquascaping shops that sell hardscape, substrates, technology and perhaps plants. They can sell (small-sized) fish, but not all do. In aquascaping, fish are "just part" of the whole. Main focus is the hardscape and plants.

Two familiar ones in Europe are Aquarium Plants from Aquarium Gardens UK | Live Aquatic Tropical Tank Plants in the UK and Green Aqua Aquascaping Gallery and Store in Hungary. We have a few dedicated ones in the Netherlands.

I haven't visited an LFS myself in a long while.

 

Added another piece of spider wood to stretch the scape more to the right. Still missing is a rather flat rock to stretch the scape even further to the right. And some gravel needs to be added around the stones to give the scape a more natural look.

Also added some Rotala H'ra on the left and a few more buces. Next week, a large Bolbitis heudelotii will be added to the left of the tank.

This weekend the scape will be welcomed by 3 Dario fish; a male and two females. Hope they'll breed this summer; would be another excuse to create more scapes.

 

The 17 gallon low-tech nature aquascape is pretty much done. Perhaps I'll add a background light later this year. Then again, I have a borneo swamp and river scape on this year's agenda as well, so perhaps leave the tank for now as it is.



Initially I will change water once a month and add some micronutrients. Macronutrients will be added every other week. Dosing is very conservative.


Apart from neocaridina "snowball" shrimp, I added a pair of Dario myanmar fish. Below the male in slightly aroused colors. I feed the fish four times a week.

 

Looks great, one question: why the low water level?

 

Thanks. Well, if it was just for the picture, I would've raised the water level to the top (and get rid of the diatoms and hire a photographer, as I have no clue what I'm doing). But planted tanks, especially low-tech, benefit from lower water levels. Besides, it makes scaping and maintenance easier.

The tank pictured above is the only normal sized tank I have; all others are shallow tanks. #shallowtanksarethebest

 

His head is getting darker; he wants some...
(and it's barely over 18 C / 64 F)

 

Lovely build. I am not familiar with the Dario's, but I like him. Thanks for sharing your process.

 

There are dedicated aquascaping shops that sell hardscape, substrates, technology and perhaps plants. They can sell (small-sized) fish, but not all do. In aquascaping, fish are "just part" of the whole. Main focus is the hardscape and plants.

Two familiar ones in Europe are Aquarium Plants from Aquarium Gardens UK | Live Aquatic Tropical Tank Plants in the UK and Green Aqua Aquascaping Gallery and Store in Hungary. We have a few dedicated ones in the Netherlands.

I haven't visited an LFS myself in a long while.

I am jaelous....aquascape shop would be like the candystore....

 

Where do you find these roots!

 

Where do you find these roots!

which roots?

 

which roots?

The Hardscapes

 

The Hardscapes

Aquascaping stores for tanks, woods, substrates, stones, botanicals and technology.
Outside for other types of stones and botanicals.

My own tanks and sporadic purchase at garden centers for plants.
My own tanks and sporadic purchase from private breeders for fish.
My own tanks for shrimp and snails.

 

Voyage: I think asking people from other countries (and in this case continents) for shop recommendations isn't going to get you much useful info.

 

Voyage: I think asking people from other countries (and in this case continents) for shop recommendations isn't going to get you much useful info.

Yeah, probably...