[tobinkinz]

Hey all,

Just rescaped our 55. Overall I'm pretty happy with it, but not quite feeling the back middle section. Was looking for more reds, but I like the contrast between red and green also. Was thinking to take out the green round leaf plant (not sure if it's Bacopa sp or something else, water mint?), spread things out a little bit more, and add another red plant where the thin leafed Rotala is. Any thoughts?

FTS:

Right side:

Center:

Left side:

Looking forward to seeing what y'all think.

-Sabra

 

[dustin]

I had a 55 g about 4 years ago and i had the most trouble trying to aquascape it lol. But yours looks very nice. Their is alot of things i like about this tank, first is the gap in the middle personally i think it adds depth cause 55's arnt really that wide, and i also love the look of the plants in the front left corner and also i really like how every thing looks so naturally placed. Great job

 

[burr740]

I think the tall green one in the center would look better in the far left corner, in front of the heater and intake. Then move the fern(?) currently occupying that spot close to where the other plant was. Looks nice the way it is though!

 

[MCHRKiller]

I personally really like your tank. The only thing I may add would be to consider painting your Rena intake black...I totally get keeping plants away from the intake as it makes for easy maintenance and not having plants constantly stuck to it. I would however move your heater behind some of the tall plants. I also think the area in front of your driftwood needs something...perhaps some small river stones or a low growing plant. A carpet of Anubias petite would be pretty awesome.

 

[tobinkinz]

Wow, thank y'all for the positive feedback!

dustin - yeah, these tanks are a pain to scape, tall but no depth. We picked it up on craigslist a little over a year ago tho, so it was a good deal.

MCHRKiller - high praise coming from you! You have some seriously nice tanks and actually I've gotten quite a bit of inspiration from them.

I am thinking of moving the wood with the fern more toward the middle, and moving the hygro over to the left. Yes, the intake and filter was intentionally left open, but I'm thinking maybe the hygro would disguise it but not get constantly sucked up into the intake. Also, if I move the fern, I would have room to put the hygro more toward the middle-rear as far as depth, and keep it out of the return's water flow.

I'm already going to thin out the crypts on the right a bit, as they really dampen the flow and the upper left front corner is pretty dead as far as water movement.

I actually left the space in front of the driftwood open on purpose as well - I've got bristlenose plecos in there, and wanted a space to be able to drop veggies and wafers. I do have some crypt parva in the front right - hoping it will get enough light there.

Trying to work with some rather puny S. repens (was getting shadowed in another tank) right in the front where the big piece of wood is closer to the glass.

Well, I'll do some rearranging today before water changes, and post some updated pics later tonight. For fun, tho, here's some pics of what this tank started out looking like last year when we first set it up.

Initial set up, just added fish after a long fishless cycle:

Before the most recent rescape - algae mess. Was constantly fighting BBA, which is the main reason we decided to rescape:

 

[chocological]

Yeah, 55s are made to be fish tanks. That said, I am also scaping a 55, and will be using tall wood and banked substrate to make a root scape.

What fixture are you using? Good growth, algae or not.

 

[Aurie]

I think it looks Awesome! I'm going to be doing a 55 within the next 6 months.. I hope mine starts out half as good as yours!


On a side note -

Awwww that little angel grew up.. (s)he's so cuuuuttee!

 

[tobinkinz]

Hey all,

Chocological - yeah, my hubby wanted to take this over and make it a cichlid tank, but I told him we can't waste our co2 setup. I would rather get a bigger deeper (front to back) tank, but, alas, funds aren't there. We did have a fluorescent fixture - I can't remember the name off the top of my head, had 2 bulbs in it. Just recently upgraded to a buildmyled light. Hubby knows details - I can ask him to respond.

Aurie - thanks so much! I don't feel like I can scape at all, compared to some people on here...but I try. Yeah my little koi grew up pretty nice - I think it's a he.

So, moved a few things around, still not quite happy with it. I think I'm gonna have to take out the Cyperus helferi - I just can't get behind that log and trim it the way it needs to be trimmed. So I would need something lower maintenance, or something I could just mow....might move the crypts behind there. Or maybe a sword....altho there isn't much room front to back....damn 55s....

Maybe I could put a sword in the corner and move the crypts where the cyperus is now....decisions decisions.

Hacked the Rotala back and moved the hygro to the very left corner to hide filter intake and heater. Ended up putting a sponge on the filter intake, which I hate doing because it reduces flow so much. Topped the red ludwigia and replanted, spreading it out a bit more.

Still fighting a bit of an algae bloom - "new" tank syndrome. Trying to do more frequent water changes, but starting to notice some BBA on the cyperus leaves in particular - another reason to yank it, unfortunately. I wonder how much of the BBA issue is because my hubby insists on using a pH controller for co2 on this tank - his thought is that it should be keeping the co2 steady, but I wonder if it truly is.

Shot of the end of the tank with the hygro:

And a shot of baby bristlenose just for kicks

 

[Aquascape Depot]

Wow, what a difference from your first setup to now. I think this is why we all love doing rescapes. It's a challenge to make it even better and you succeeded tobinkinz.

Have you ever thought about just adding a few rocks in front right corner to hide the transition of the driftwood to substrate? I think you were talking about it's hard to trim (don't know if you speaking about behind the driftwood or infront) - but could solve your problems there.

If your light fixture has enough PAR, you might be able to add some fissiden fontanus to the top of the driftwood piece. I do believe you have some moss at the top of the piece but can't tell for sure.

anyways, it's a great aquascape nonetheless - those :fish:are in paradise now.

 

[Bolsen27]

Tobinkinz's husband here to answer some of the lighting questions.

The old fixed was a Current Nova Extreme SLR T5HO with Giesemann bulbs. 1 powerchrome midday bulb and one powerchrome aquaflora bulb.

The new fixture is a BuildmyLED fixture. It is their 10000K Planted fixture.

 

[chocological]

The new fixture is a BuildmyLED fixture. It is their 10000K Planted fixture.

I'm jealous. :fish:

 

[tobinkinz]

Wow, what a difference from your first setup to now. I think this is why we all love doing rescapes. It's a challenge to make it even better and you succeeded tobinkinz.

Wow, thanks for the compliment!

Have you ever thought about just adding a few rocks in front right corner to hide the transition of the driftwood to substrate? I think you were talking about it's hard to trim (don't know if you speaking about behind the driftwood or infront) - but could solve your problems there.

If your light fixture has enough PAR, you might be able to add some fissiden fontanus to the top of the driftwood piece. I do believe you have some moss at the top of the piece but can't tell for sure.

anyways, it's a great aquascape nonetheless - those :fish:are in paradise now.

Hard to trim on the right behind the driftwood - just not much room back there and I'm right handed too. I can get my hand down to the substrate but I can't see what I'm doing. I've got crypt parva in the front right corner.

Yes, I have Fissidens on the top right of the wood.

Still debating what to do behind the wood. Thought about moving the crypts - that's probably going to be the best choice, maintenance wise. Other thoughts were to put saggitaria back there - it doesn't require as much delicate trimming as the cyperus, but it is rather weedy and likes to take over. Also thought about putting a stem of some sort - either my rotala wallichii that I have over on the left or some other sort of stem. Couple of problems with that tho - still have to get behind the log to trim/replant, and the filter output is along the backside of the tank - means newly planted stuff becomes floaters very easily.

Anyway, hope y'all don't mind my "thinking" out loud - I'll get pics up after I change things around again.

 

[Mr. Krabs]

Hey Tobinkinz your 55 looks really wonderful!!

Check your PMs, I sent you one pretty recently and look forward to hearing from you

 

[Raymond S.]

I don't think there's enough light for Parva in that corner but have been wrong before.
Think this one looks even better than the first. Will be interesting to see it after the red fills in some more.
Was going to suggest you use the Rotala to hide the heater but this is just as good as it gets higher.

 

[dindin]

It's looking great. Nicely done.
I see a bare spot right behind the log, between the grass on the left and ? another plant to the right. I suggest putting some contrast color (or at least diff texture) stems right there.
I've been putting stems both behind and in front of a log and trimming them along the slope of it-- really liking that look and it keeps the tank from looking like a jungle with a lot of tall plants. My tank is a 90 gallon, it's all I can do to reach in even standing on a stool.
If you're needing sword plants, I have a ton. In fact I fed one to the apple snail today! I tend to put them in the back corners where I can't reach to trim.