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rainbuilder's 'Smooth Hillside' - NO CAP dirted 45 gal hex *FILLED* *UPDATE 12/16/12*

14K views 50 replies 20 participants last post by  cbachmann 
#1 · (Edited)
Background info:
This tank was given to me for free, and I couldn't pass it up. This tank size and dimension is really awesome, albeit hard to scape. Long story short, I have had this tank for over a year, and have never really been happy with it. I rescaped it today (10/6/2012) and it turned out really nice.

This is my first real scape.

Most current FTS:
Vertebrate Green Plant Water Pet supply

Plant Vertebrate Terrestrial plant Grass Groundcover

Water Plant Vertebrate Green Organism

Big mama enjoying the space. She's been laying once a week!
Pet supply Fin Water Fish supply Fish

I will put the most current shot on this post along with a new post.

Planned fauna:
Some kind of wild type shrimp colony
Breeding pair of angelfish
Otocinclus

Planned flora:
2 ruffled sword plants
Dwarf hairgrass belem
Cryptocoryne nurii/wendtii
Java fern windelov
Fissidens fontanus or maybe some fissidens I collected in oklahoma
Anubias coffeefolia [needed]
Hemianthus micranthemoides

Possibly some kind of bucephalandra, those are so cool

Now for the journaly part!

Expenses so far:
Filter, heater, and tank came free
~$20 for cfl lights
$1.49 for topsoil
$11.50 for rocks

I filled up some panty hose with some old aquarium gravel I had laying around and placed them in the tank to give my largest rocks a place to sit upon:
Gas Tortoise Rock Terrestrial animal Soil

Food Ingredient Cuisine Baked goods Dish


Then I found where I wanted my rocks to sit:
Helmet Glass Aquarium Artifact Rock

Artifact Gas Wood Circle Metal


And then filled it with dirt and voila!
Helmet Lighting Wall House Wood

Gas Personal protective equipment Recreation Metal Helmet


Critiques welcome. I'm pretty dang happy with the scape, so I probably won't move a lot around except for dirt. If you think dirt should be placed anywhere else please speak your mind. I'm not sure why but it seems a little off so suggestions welcome.

Let me know what you think!

ALSO:
Help me pick a wild type shrimp species! Something that can hide well enough from 2 angelfish. Maybe wild type cherries or green babaultis?
Hairgrass is coming in wednesday!
 
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#5 ·
Yes, but not too badly. It'll settle back kind of like in a lake. Luckily, this topsoil luckily settles really quickly. I'd just have to turn the filter off until it was clear enough. I am also doing a dry start method on this tank.
It'll get cloudy any time a fish gets near the bottom as well. Just be ready to do a lot of filter cleaning, this and fine particulate settling on plant leaves are my biggest gripes with soil tanks, and I've always done them with caps.
I am planning on dry start method to fix that problem. I will not have bottom feeder fish, only angelfish, otocinclus, and maybe some wild type shrimp in there. The particulate wont really get on the dwarf hairgrass I think, and if I have shrimp then it will be cleaned off by their activity.
 
#4 ·
It'll get cloudy any time a fish gets near the bottom as well. Just be ready to do a lot of filter cleaning, this and fine particulate settling on plant leaves are my biggest gripes with soil tanks, and I've always done them with caps.
 
#9 ·
Thanks! Hence the name 'Smooth Hillside' :) They're really awesome, I went to a rock store and got them cheap.
looks good
Thanks!
Interesting method. Never have seen a dirt tank without a cap. It will be good to see the results.
I've never done it before either, but I've heard of someone doing it with success and have been encouraged to try it so I decided I would :)

Still doing some small tweaks to the dirt, to make it more like a naturally eroded hill.
 
#13 ·
Cool hardscape, the triad of round stones is very relaxing and grounded. With the two fore stones being similarly sized, I would move one of them forward and the other further back and in to create a bit more asymmetry. I guess if the soil gets to be a pain you could always cap it but it will be interesting to see how it works for you.
 
#14 ·
Thanks for your compliments and input! They're not as the same as they look, and they are a pain to move. I think I may leave them, because the way I'm planting this tank it'll change the perspective of it. The rock on the right will have its front more covered up by plants (hairgrass) and will look further back. Here's a top view of it. Besides, they're a little more off center than they appear.
Circle Glass Recreation Ball Fashion accessory

My plants are going to be in thursday actually, I forgot about columbus day.

Also, should I try to dry start my windelov java fern? They will be superglued to the sides towards the base of the rocks. I'm not sure if I should or not so I'd like some input.
 
#15 ·
Day 5 Dry Start
Got my hairgrass in today! Got it planted, and added some windelov java ferns I had been growing emersed as well.
Plant Aquatic plant Pet supply Water Grass

Botany Sports equipment Organism Mammal Grass

Plant Grass Ball Terrestrial animal Sports equipment

Grass Sports equipment Recreation Yard globe Ball

For some reason my pictures have a really greenish color to them.
My wall color makes for a nice background.

I have two ruffled swords, where should I put them in this scape? I also have a few crypts that I was planning on putting in there as well, so where should I put them?
 
#24 ·
The tank is still going well. I've decided I'm going to leave the stones as they are. So far I have 6 unidentified crypts of the same species to put in there. They are dark brown-black and will compliment the scape nicely. I am also thinking about putting some regular java fern and adding fissidens as well, but I'm not sure they would go well with the scape. Suggestions?
 
#27 · (Edited)
Excuse the reflection in these pictures please
Plant Houseplant Botany Leaf Terrestrial plant

Plant Pet supply Terrestrial plant Aquatic plant Grass

Plant Vertebrate Green Organism Pet supply

Everything is looking good, but the only thing is that the soil has an awfully large amount of clay. It's pretty compact, but the plants have no problem growing in it. I don't currently have CO2 but the only problems I am having are utricularia gibba and some hair algae.
My paired angelfish are currently living in here and are pooping out eggs like you wouldn't believe. They've been laying like once a week.

Any tips for me? Hairgrass growing tips maybe?

Still wanting to add some anubias coffeefolia to the rocks, and probably some christmas moss too. If anyone has these at a decent price let me know.

Oh, and I might tie some narrow leaf java fern to the filter intake tube just to cover it up. Why not eh?
 
#30 ·
I might if the hairgrass decides to die on me! I like the variation though because it looks a little more natural to me. Thank for the compliments!
Impressed with the water clarity!
Will be even more impressed if you find any shrimp that will survive living with adult angelfish LOL! The amount of clay is likely why the soil isn't staying suspended when disturbed.

very cool to see it flooded.
Thanks! I think I'll take on that challenge when I get more growth for them to hide in :flick: Maybe green babaultis or some plain wild type cherry shrimp so that they could hide well.
 
#29 ·
Impressed with the water clarity!
Will be even more impressed if you find any shrimp that will survive living with adult angelfish LOL! The amount of clay is likely why the soil isn't staying suspended when disturbed.

very cool to see it flooded.
 
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