[Fergus]

I was trying for two banks of a river. Not very sustainable.

plants growing, not even scaped.

The first scape i've even been remotely satisfied with. Just planted everything.

How can I improve my scape? what do you think?

 

[HolyAngel]

umm well, it looks good! Looks like the back middle plants need to grow in a bit more to really fill out the look of the tank. The only two things i noticed that may kinda takeaway from the look you have going here is that white stuff on the substrate in the middle there, and whatever that stuff is in the front left corner. Maybe add some HC or something in the foreground/front area there, that would really set this tank off. I like the dutch look for the back plants though and the driftwood placement is fine IMO. I wouldn't change those.

 

[Centromochlus]

Move accordingly and you should be golden:

Also, try keeping the tank filled. Having the low water line is somewhat distracting.
Looks good though!

 

[2in10]

Nice looking tank I think either plant suggestion would be good. Or both might be better. The white gravel is distracting and I second keeping the tank filled.

 

[Fergus]

This is why I can't do anything about the water level in the tank. It's connected via siphon to my shrimp-breeding flora. There is an overflow box that drains the 10 gal into a 20 gal cooler/sump. The cooler is where i house the filtration and heater. Water is then pumped back up to the flora through another filter+powerhead.

I moved the nymphae zenkeri and planted as many sprigs of blyxa japonica as I could find floating in my other tanks. There are also a few tiny bunches of echinodorus sp, and even 2 lonely stalks of HC. All of these are the remains of prior failed attempts at cultivation. Hopefully they will grow in across the left and centre, and i'll get some actual bunches of hc for the front right corner.

Also, I hope to get some matt vinyl backing for both tanks. White or light blue grade to white for the left, and black for the right.

 

[Fergus]

About the substrate.

Currently there is a 5 X 5 X 1 mix of fluval stratum, sand and dirt.

would you guys recommend I pull flora, net the fauna and replace the substrate with pure netlea or fluval? I figure that eventually, the foreground plants will cover the white gravel, but in the end i would probably be happier, and the plants have more nutrition if i swapped out the substrate.

 

[Fergus]

update

 

[fishboy199413]

The tank is really looking good!!

 

[Fergus]

Thanks a lot.

 

[raven_wilde]

So lush!

 

[green_valley]

Wow, this is an amazing tank. How long have you had this tank? AMazing color too.

 

[Fergus]

The plants have been growing in since september. I've had the tank for about a year at this point. Made a lot of mistakes with it. All of the foreground plants were little dying bits i found floating in my other tanks.

I feel like i broke through my "i suck at growing plants" phase with this tank.

 

[Fergus]