I want to get unnatural. 29g jungle

[jarberg27]

Hi everyone. I've learned so much from this forum, and I want to show some of the progress I've made. Obviously my little 29 gallon can't hold water next to most of the rest of the tanks on this site (ha! did you see what I did there? ZING! err, hmm...)

So I only started my tank a couple months ago, but I take a picture every day at the same time and turn them into time lapse movies. Is anyone else this compulsive? I recommend this...though. It gives me so much joy to watch the plants grow at such a phenomenal rate. Another bonus is the ability to *really* see how injected CO2 and proper lighting make an immediate difference in appearance and growth.

On to the pictures:

Day One: stock kit straight from petsmart. Including one 17W blue/pinkish bulb.




A week later. Some poor choices were made (story of my life). The too-big bone-shaped driftwood in the center is covered in foul smelling fuzz. Aside from the browning grasses and obligatory Anacharis you should notice my attempt to tie some Java Moss to the driftwood. I had been drinking a little, and because I didn't have any fishing line I tied the moss to the wood with dental floss. Unwaxed and minty flavored (true story). LOL.



Three weeks later. Now running 130W PC with pressurized CO2. That small Hygro from the previous picture is an insatiable animal, dominating the tank. Not fertilizing at all here---the lack of nutrients showed up fast as funky withered leaves and brown decay spots almost overnight.



The following pictures were taken this morning. Finally found some balance, although I picked up some BGA that I'm currently battling. The UG took about 3 weeks to acclimate and start putting out shoots (Thanks kotoeloncat!). Sorry about the overexposure, esp. on the riccia. Still working on the camera settings.

EI dosing like the dickens. My nitrates disappear as fast as I can add them---this may have something to do with the BGA fixing nitrogen. Or it may just be the growth. Slowly colonizing my driftwood with Riccia. Now used 5lb test line instead of mint dental floss.

The Ludwigia grows almost 2 inches a day. Ridiculous. I'm so happy.





As you can see I pretty much just stuck plants wherever and let them grow...I had trouble figuring out how to aquascape because each plant grows in differently, so I've been "getting to know the personalities". My favorite tank photos on this site are from imeridian...his tank makes me feel like I'm seeing beautifully controlled chaos. I have no interest in the Iwagami style. My next scape will hopefully reflect some foresight and planning though. I'm just effing ecstatic to watch things grow.

Unfortunately I have to break down my tank in a month or so, as I am moving back to Washington State. The title of this post refers to what I want, not what I currently have. I am interested in a non-natural aquascape, and was hoping someone could point out some success stories. I'm not talking about aquascaping with blue gravel and coke cans. I've always wanted to have a "ruins" tank. Old crumbling columns overgrown with lush green growth, etc. But I want it to look *somewhat* real. None of the chinsy crap you can buy at petsmart. Was thinking about making the columns and ruins myself. Anyone have experience with this? Is it paper mache? Picture Ankor Wat underwater...or if you're a fellow gamer, think Stage 3 of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, back on Sega Genesis. I'd like it to be a high contrast visual, with areas of bright light blasting through dense cover and areas of dark cave-like vegetation.

Thanks for reading all this, and please bash my silly aquascape/spelling.

Justin

[urban guerilla]

nice job

[GlassCat594]

looks great

[FrostyNYC]

Post the time-lapsed movie to youtube or something and post a link for us.

[CL]

Originally Posted by FrostyNYC

Post the time-lapsed movie to youtube or something and post a link for us.

[agree]

[jarberg27]

Hokay. Try this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX9rfHBfmvU

I made the video with Picasa which forces each frame to be 1/6 second or less. Trying to figure out better software so I can let each frame linger a bit longer. When I scroll through the pictures manually it looks better that way. Also, I didn't start the daily pictures until a few weeks in, so some of the earlier photos are spaced 3 to 4 days apart.

Still, you can see some growth punctuated by major pruning (butchering) and relocating sessions. If nothing else maybe this post will motivate some of you others to start taking daily photos. If you have a camera set up on a tripod it's no big deal.

Wake up when the tank lights come on at 530am (adjust accordingly).
Brush teeth.
Take tank photo.
Eat hearty breakfast.
Seize the day.

[CL]

that was pretty cool

[DataLifePlus]

Originally Posted by jarberg27

I had been drinking a little, and because I didn't have any fishing line I tied the moss to the wood with dental floss. Unwaxed and minty flavored (true story). LOL.

Nice, dude. I've been there as well, though luckily I was sober enough to steer clear of anything mint flavored.

The tank looks great by the way. It's coming along very nicely. Just make sure that heater is in good working order. I heard from some friends today you folks are still getting snow out there. Bummer.

[jarberg27]

Six inches of fresh powder this morning. But I have two sweaty dogs in here so the fish room stays toasty.

But really, I'd rather be surfing man.

[EDIT] Dogs don't sweat, do they? Well, they put out a lot of hot air anyway.

[sewingalot]

That video was awesome. Your avatar cracks me up so much I keep laughing every time I look at it. The tank has been transformed. What a difference in just a few short months!

[wkndracer]

Stabilize the framing and keep shooting its Emmy material in the making!
Liked the video.

[jarberg27]

Thanks for the comments everybody.

Sara:

1: Please don't laugh at my avatar---that's what I look like in real life.
2. I love your tank, but even more your photography. Great macro shots.

WeekendRacer:

The framing is tough. I mount my camera on a jojopod on the back of a rotating desk chair...so the POV shifts a little every day. I'll figure something out. But you're right about keeping it up. That video was just 60 days. Imagine a whole year's worth of shots!

Justin

[sewingalot]

Originally Posted by jarberg27

Thanks for the comments everybody.

Sara:

1: Please don't laugh at my avatar---that's what I look like in real life.
2. I love your tank, but even more your photography. Great macro shots.

WeekendRacer:

The framing is tough. I mount my camera on a jojopod on the back of a rotating desk chair...so the POV shifts a little every day. I'll figure something out. But you're right about keeping it up. That video was just 60 days. Imagine a whole year's worth of shots!

Justin

Now I am laughing even more. You have a great face for radio, lol. Thanks about the photography complements. I feel like I lack at taking good shots, but my new canon elph is great. For $148, can't beat it. By the way, what kind of hygro is that? I love it.

[jarberg27]

Originally Posted by sewingalot

Now I am laughing even more. You have a great face for radio, lol. Thanks about the photography complements. I feel like I lack at taking good shots, but my new canon elph is great. For $148, can't beat it. By the way, what kind of hygro is that? I love it.

Some kind of corymbosa I think. Maybe Siamese. I picked it up at the LFS. Plant was just like my last girlfriend. Started out nice and cute; good sense of humor and respectful of boundaries.

But then woah, differences. Dang thing went from gecko to Godzilla in 3 weeks. Suddenly everything was all about the Hygro. No compromises. Started getting tangled up in all the rest of my tank. In retrospect, we probably should have communicated more.

[imeridian]

Originally Posted by jarberg27

My favorite tank photos on this site are from imeridian...his tank makes me feel like I'm seeing beautifully controlled chaos.

Awww shucks, thanks man!