rocksmom's 12 Long - Grassy Valley

[rocksmom]

Forget take 2, I'm now on take eleventy billion. Here are the updated specs:

Equipment
Mr. Aqua 12 gallon long
Eheim ECCO 2232
Custom acrylic spray bar Stainless jet pipe and intake
36" FugeRay
GLA Atomic Paintball V2 co2 setup with inline diffuser

Hardscape
Up Aqua shrimp sand
Pa Hai stones

Fertilizers
Pfertz EI dry dosing, root tabs

Flora
Mixed carpet (DHG belem, Marsilea minuta, S. repens, accidental UG)
Various stems... will add names later

Fauna
Some kind of shrimp (red supremes? pumpkins? bv?)
Boraras maculatus

Current FTS:

[rocksmom]

I found this piece of wood at a LFS and knew I had to use it one of my 12 longs. Here it is in the empty tank the day I got it:



Finally got around to working on the tank today. First I put some "anchors" on the wood to stabilize and hopefully keep it from floating. I'll probably still have to weight it down for awhile. I'm kicking myself for not soaking since I bought it.

Had to cut a flat spot on the one end to attach the anchor.





Then I added a base layer of black sand and some egg crate to support the rocks and create the hill.



And here it is with the wood, rocks, and the rest of the sand in place.



For plants I'm planning on a moss carpet in between the rocks on the left and around where the wood touches on the right with and open area in the center. I have some stainless steel mesh coming from h4n for this, and a boatload of peacock moss in my current shrimp tank. I'm planning on training the hydrocotyle to grow on the wood and hopefully cover the emersed area as well. Just have to figure out the best way to attach it. I'm thinking fishing line since I haven't seen anyone use glue for stem plants. The rocks and maybe the wood will get some mini pellia and possibly fissidens as well.

I was thinking about adding something else poking up from from within the moss, but I'm not sure what. Some nice, large anubias nana would probably work, but all I have available right now is micro and it would get lost pretty quickly. I'm open to suggestions. Just something for a little height in the front right and back left corners.

[MABJ]

That driftwood is b e a utiful. Wow. That tank needs a carpet, some weeping moss on the DW and maybe some anubias nana petite on the rocks and it is beautiful for life.


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!

[nerdariostomp]

Oh wow! Love the scape

[tropicalmackdaddy]

*tosses out 60-P and places order for a 12L*
that driftwood is f'n sexy

[rocksmom]

Originally Posted by MABJ

That driftwood is b e a utiful. Wow. That tank needs a carpet, some weeping moss on the DW and maybe some anubias nana petite on the rocks and it is beautiful for life.


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!

Thanks, it was a great find. Not sure what kind of wood it is though, so hopefully it holds up well.

I thought about doing petite instead of moss on the rock side, but enough petite to look full would cost an arm and a leg. Or a kidney. I have probably 6 or so small ones, but not nearly enough.

Originally Posted by nerdariostomp

Oh wow! Love the scape

Thank you! This is definitely my favorite so far. We'll see how it turns out.

Originally Posted by tropicalmackdaddy

*tosses out 60-P and places order for a 12L*
that driftwood is f'n sexy

Ha, made me laugh.

[Jonnywhoop]

cant wait to see some moss grown on that DW!

[vesparados150]

WOW!!! stunning scape....the wood and the rocks...beautiful!!

[Only One Haze]

LOVE this! That DW is perfect for that tank! Cant wait to see it planted.

[CPD]

My jaw dropped when I saw the pic. Wow, just wow!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DogFish]

Current FTS:
[/QUOTE]

Very Nice!!! You has a true artistic touch.

Do fight the urge to use more than two sp. of plant. This 'Scape is so Zen, it would be a crime to make it complicated.

[MABJ]

Originally Posted by DogFish

Current FTS:

Very Nice!!! You has a true artistic touch.

Do fight the urge to use more than two sp. of plant. This 'Scape is so Zen, it would be a crime to make it complicated. [/QUOTE]

AGREED.


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!

[DogFish]

Sorry can't resist, maybe a few tall hair grass plants behind the driftwood on the slope like Eleocharis montevidensis? Then in front of the wood on the slope a small version of Hair grass Eleocharis parvula Moss covered wood? Just a few whips of Eleocharis parvula behind the driftwood on the right side to repeat the planting. leaving the middle open and clear for contrast.



I think I have Tank envy.

[Only One Haze]

Originally Posted by DogFish

I think I have Tank envy.

This.

[if_fishes_were_wishes]

Wow is that a swoopy piece of wood! It was made for that tank! That'll be a fun little bridge for shrimp