[JasonBD77]

Hey all! I’m building this new tank slowly so that I can buy the products that I really want. I cut corners on my other two and the results show. I’m buying my hardscape early on so that I can really take my time. Anyway, it keeps me engaged with the tank between purchases. I have this wood that I really like but part of me wants to go with something that is visually heavier. Either way, I will be purchasing stones next. Don’t mind the light. I borrowed it from the shrimps. I will be going with pendant RGB. Tell me what ya think!

 

[brooklyntankster]

I really like this! I can't tell if it is one piece of wood or more but if you want it more dense, you could add additional pieces of the same wood. I don't think you need it though and I could see the rocks going at the base. I love that you got enough height on it to go over the top of the aquarium. I will be following.

 

[minorhero]

I like it as well. I find with wood that its easy to use too much. Starting with this piece you can add stone and really create an interesting hardscape.

 

[Savetheplants]

"Playing with my wood" tee-hee

 

[JasonBD77]

How is this looking? Too much wood?

 

[mourip]

How is this looking? Too much wood?

Looks very good but "too much " will depend upon how you plant. Most tanks seem to use wood as an armature for hanging plants which eventually cover the wood.

 

[NoahLikesFish]

"Playing with my wood" tee-hee

+1

 

[JasonBD77]

Looks very good but "too much " will depend upon how you plant. Most tanks seem to use wood as an armature for hanging plants which eventually cover the wood.

This will be my first high tech tank. I will be using lots of stems. My biggest concern about that is the possibility of plant maintenance becoming difficult with so much wood. Honestly, I’m considering scrapping the wood altogether and going with stone only. I love the wood but my first tank wasn’t planned with maintenance in mind and it really shows.

 

[mourip]

Actually it's the stem plants that will bring maintenance. You could use Buce and Anubias, which are slow growing, to attach to the wood and a modest amount of stems in the back to eat up the nitrates.

To me it is a very nice composition with the wood you have.

 

[JasonBD77]

Actually it's the stem plants that will bring maintenance. You could use Buce and Anubias, which are slow growing, to attach to the wood and a modest amount of stems in the back to eat up the nitrates.

To me it is a very nice composition with the wood you have.

I don’t mind the weekly trimming and the tank isn’t too terribly large. Getting in there with tools and keeping all of those nooks and crannies clean is where I think it could become problematic. I do plan to use a good amount of Buce, Anubias, and Java toward the front. Java is the reason I wanted the wood in the first place. I’m going to use moss SPARINGLY and only where I can get to it easily. I wound up with moss everywhere in my first tank. Everything about that tank is problematic.

 

[Plinkploop]

I don’t mind the weekly trimming and the tank isn’t too terribly large. Getting in there with tools and keeping all of those nooks and crannies clean is where I think it could become problematic. I do plan to use a good amount of Buce, Anubias, and Java toward the front. Java is the reason I wanted the wood in the first place. I’m going to use moss SPARINGLY and only where I can get to it easily. I wound up with moss everywhere in my first tank. Everything about that tank is problematic.

Bottle brushes!! You can bend them and cover more space than a toothbrush. Don't know if you use them one already, but they're one of my favorite cleaning items.

 

[JasonBD77]

I should start a journal. Need to pick up my stones and a little more driftwood for small details but I like it so far.

 

[Goodwood]

I should start a journal. Need to pick up my stones and a little more driftwood for small details but I like it so far. View attachment 1030749

I think this could look quite good with more stones tucked in there. I like the shadowing the wood creates. It took me like a thousand configurations and I ended up settling on something close to the first iteration. 🤷‍♂️ I cannot wait to see what you end up with. Looking good!

 

[mourip]

That is an excellent hardscape. You might consider attaching some plants to the spot in the upper right where the two large pieces will join, and the saw cuts show, in order to soften it a bit.

I wonder how it would look with an all sand and pebble bottom with mostly epiphytes, moss, and Buce on the hardscape and very few plants in the sand? Might be easy to maintain/clean and a very natural look?

 

[JasonBD77]

I think this could look quite good with more stones tucked in there. I like the shadowing the wood creates. It took me like a thousand configurations and I ended up settling on something close to the first iteration. 🤷‍♂️ I cannot wait to see what you end up with. Looking good!

Thanks! I’m picking up 40 pounds of Manten stone tomorrow. Hopefully my vision will play out inside the glass.

That is an excellent hardscape. You might consider attaching some plants to the spot in the upper right where the two large pieces will join, and the saw cuts show, in order to soften it a bit.

I wonder how it would look with an all sand and pebble bottom with mostly epiphytes, moss, and Buce on the hardscape and very few plants in the sand? Might be easy to maintain/clean and a very natural look?

Thank you! I’m planning on a good bit of sand. I’m building with dwarf corys in mind as they are my favorite fish. More stone. There will be plenty of epiphytes. Some variety of Java fern. Buces, Anubias, mosses, and likely hygrophila. Fortunately the bulkier piece up top is broken as opposed to clean cut. That helps but yes, there are clean cuts to cover still. I want to shore up substrate with stone in such a way that the area beneath the structure becomes a framed cave. Very dark. That gives me tons of options for planting. I just hope that I can do it without losing the lines that I have created. I will explain my concept in my journal when I start it.

 

[JasonBD77]

Picked up some Manten stone and more wood. I feel like I’m moving closer to the mood I envision.

 

[Plinkploop]

Wow!!!

 

[Asteroid]

That looks good! Just for housekeeping make sure you can easily get between the hardscape and the glass, because you will have to clean it and you don't want to have to move the wood/rock.

 

[JasonBD77]

I got a new piece of wood. A beautiful stump.
I’m liking these better.

 

[EmotionalFescue]

I dig it