Show tank - want to do it right

[Soil]

So, my history in serious aquascaping is short. I have however been rearranging my tanks alot, having used very hardy plants and big head pieces.

This time Im getting a new tank (tomarrow) and I've relized buying cheap stuff, one or two plants etc wont make me happy - thus Im buying whatever is needed for success! The tank is 150x50x50cm, black sides and background. It will sit alone in a quite big area with just a sofa infront of it.

Im thinking about using aquarium dragon stones, having some at home already.

I havent decided on the plants yet, but im thinking giant vals in the back. this is my initial sketch:



The left side is sort of a wall of stone. inside Ill base with pebbles, then soil, then sand. In the far back corner theres more build with pebbles and a main stone to rise from the plants.

The right side is an island, about 70% of a circle with another pile of rocks in the middle back to gain height and another planting area.

Does anyone have any thoughts? I have seen many picturs with people drawing green and red lines to mark the flow of the scape? Any input is appreciated. I want this to take time and end up great, not just ok

[ADJAquariums]

have you thought about medium sized (if that's a thing) carpeting type plants around th ebase of the rocks? like Dwarf sag?

[discuspaul]

Looks like you're already on the right track for building an eye-catching aquascape.
Why don't you set it up along the lines you've indicated with your drawing, then post some pics, and I'm sure there will be some folks here who can really help you tweak it to make it look superb.

[Soil]

I have never done a carpet, nor CO2 before, but I got a system ready to go so Ill try to carpet the whole thing! I bought some micro swords to try out for a start

I just so happend to get alot of driftwood almost for free, so I decided to skip the rock-idea which mean I can buy more plants instead!

Here is my first sketch. The left side is suposed to look overgrown, but keep the clearing visable, and the right side will be recuced to an open plain with the micro sword.

The big piece and the one behind it are hollow and will have plants growing from them, as well as a few minor holes in the lesser pieces.

[ADJAquariums]

I personally think that theres too much on the left, mabey spread it out a bit? what do you think?

[Kathyy]

I like it a lot. It would be nice and shadowy on the left and the other side can be more open. You might think about moving the wood just a couple inches to the right so there is some room on the left for some tall flowing plants like vals or C. balansae.

Terrific wood, you will have a show stopping tank with that nice hard scape material! I would probably want to play with it more to see what else happens. Al least it isn't super heavy or too many pieces.

[Soil]

I cant decide on if I like it or not.. so I think I should consider it a "I don't like it enough to let it sit and grow for a large period of time"-scape..

I do feel its a bit too clumped up to the left, but a shady part could make it interesting? I will have an axolotl in there so I will need to provide some shelter from the light. If not with wood Ill do it with plants.

All in all there is 8 pieces of wood, but Im thinking that the tank is too small for all of them..

Heres another go, this time trying to emphasize the thick driftwood to the right



from above:


Better like this?

[zico_aqua]

Hi,

I could relate to the first shot with the wood that you posted the most. I am uploading a pic which aims at providing a flow to the wood that you have. The red sprayed area is the direction of 'flow' and yellow markers are the individual wood pieces which I wish you move around to achieve it. Now I have taken the wood placed at the right (the small ones) as the flow reference point. Let me know if it's too complicated i'll try to break it down further. Hope this helps.

[zico_aqua]

btw..forgot to mention you need to elevate the main trunk in the scape over a couple of rocks further achieve the depth and flow of it. kindof giving a scene that the tree trunk has grown on the top and the roots have protruded out in the open over the soil. IMO that's a wicked sick look!

[Soil]

Originally Posted by zico_aqua

btw..forgot to mention you need to elevate the main trunk in the scape over a couple of rocks further achieve the depth and flow of it. kindof giving a scene that the tree trunk has grown on the top and the roots have protruded out in the open over the soil. IMO that's a wicked sick look!

The tree + protruding roots is exatcly what I was trying to do here! This scape was made without substrate, so I will have more angles to work with once the sand is in. Atm I'm just balancing the pieces.

Ok, so if I understand your lines correctly, your suggesting this, starting from the bottom arrow:

Move the arching piece in the back to the front left corner

Place the big piece to the far left middle

Move the smaller left piece to the right, making it into a "root"

Have the tall piece in the left back corner extend from the big piece



Ill go try this out while I wait for the explanation ;D

[Soil]

Ok, so I couldnt wait and put the sand in. This opend up alot, scape-wise and this is the substrate version of the first scape:



it dosent show well in the picture, but infront of the main piece theres a smaller "root" pointing slightly towars the front (the second one from the right in the first picture)


Im pretty happy with how this looks and I imagine that once it fills in with plants between the wood it will look fantastic! (Im a total noob at filling in tanks with plants tho, but thats the next step)

[zico_aqua]

okay we now have a bit of defined flow to the scape..but the wood infront on the left handside was my flow marker..at it;s present position the 3D layering effect is gone..and we have a super open space on the mid and right which is negating the left back, our goal is to display the left and create a balance on the right. IMO move the wood I mentioned about to flatened position in the same place, lift the main wood structure at the left back on top of a couple of rocks..if you have a smaller wood create a V shape to complement the wood that I asked you to lay horizontal towards the left side. And finally the rightmost wood needs to come closer to the previously placed vertical wood forming another V towards right..that'll give you an immense depth and the open negetive space on the right would then make sense.

[zico_aqua]

and yes..the two pointy wood structure needs to be grouped closer..there is a lot of void space in between there

[Farmer]

Originally Posted by Soil

Ok, so I couldnt wait and put the sand in. This opend up alot, scape-wise and this is the substrate version of the first scape:



it dosent show well in the picture, but infront of the main piece theres a smaller "root" pointing slightly towars the front (the second one from the right in the first picture)


Im pretty happy with how this looks and I imagine that once it fills in with plants between the wood it will look fantastic! (Im a total noob at filling in tanks with plants tho, but thats the next step)

I think if you can do what zico is saying it will look better. I also think you substrate needs work. But I know you have just put it in there and you can fix it when the wood is 'right'.

[Soil]

Ok, I put numbers on the pieces to make it easier ^^ This is what I could figure out, I think