[Ozymandias]

ok i need some help with place ments and would like to hear people thoughts on this. i got a metal rimed tank from a friend that i resield basicly know what im oning but un sure of the scape so far. this will be a low light anubias and crypts mostly with pressurized CO2 (ya i have a 20lb cylander filled that i'm not doing anything with). my idea is a central pile of rocks with anubias growing over it. this is what i have so far but not sure of placement yet. or that i'm satisfied with these rocks would really like some nice round gray stones but for now i'm working with what i have

 

[alym]

This may be a lot of weight on one place in the tank without any substrate...Also, I would consider the fact that fish may swim into the crevices and get stuck.

Aesthetically it looks pretty good, but it does look a little 'contrived' if you know what i mean...

 

[londonloco]

Try some egg crate on the bottom of the tank first, before you put the rocks down. You can find it in Home Depot, electrical department. It will save your tank bottom if the rocks take a tumble. Not sure about fish getting stuck in the crevices. I've had many cichlid rock set ups, never seen a fish get stuck. Not saying it can't happen, just in my experience, hasn't.

 

[Ozymandias]

that is slate on the botem not glass so it should give it a little big more flex ability that being said this is was just see the how the scape might look so i will be putting down egg crates and will be using flourite black sand as substrate.

alym: have to agree it does look a little contrived but i actually have seen rock formations like this on the bottom of lakes before. no i don't know if thay are natural or not but thay do exist.

 

[Dollface]

I think "contrived' is exactly it. The only time I've ever seen rocks piled up like that is when people have cleared their pastures and then piled the rocks up out of the way. While small collections of rocks are natural, I doubt such neat piles like that occur on their own.

 

[Francis Xavier]

My honest advice as an Iwagumi aquascaper is this: ditch the rock pile, I can understand the idea behind it, but what'll end up happening is you'll make it out, grow it a little then be like "this is pretty whateverish" and end up rescaping it pretty quickly anyway.

My advice is to take some time, play with the rocks a little and come up with a layout. Can read the article in my signature, even if you aren't making an Iwagumi, it has some good principles for rock layouts in general.

 

[Momotaro]

My honest advice as an Iwagumi aquascaper is this: ditch the rock pile, I can understand the idea behind it, but what'll end up happening is you'll make it out, grow it a little then be like "this is pretty whateverish" and end up rescaping it pretty quickly anyway.

This is not an Iwagumi. I think the Anubias and Crypts move it away from that style.

I think "contrived' is exactly it.

Exactly. I agree. This is all about contrivance.

My belief is to go with your gut. It seems you have a vision, some of us feel we have an inclination as to where it is going but only you have the sight.

The aquarium is small. Put your view in place. If it isn't what you want it should be easy to re-aquascape.

 

[Philosophos]

Lay down the egg crate (great stuff), and rebuild your pile. Use similar rocks rather than such a variance; getting unlike rocks to match is something that I've found takes a lot more effort. Not impossible, just harder.

Now, instead of leaving those gaps between the rocks, build layers and pack substrate inbetween. Aquasoil is what I use, though the fluorite black sand may work. From there lay down your favorite ground cover and pull a dry start so that it roots between the stones. I'm doing it right now in a tank, and I love how it's turning out.

A little spreading out of the pile with more aesthetic placement would help. I know we hammer the golden ratio to death in these forums so often, but it's a big help. Once you've gotten the rules through your head and applied them a bit, breaking them with good results isn't so hard.

-Philosophos

 

[FSM]

You don't need egg crate. It won't hurt anything though.

 

[Ozymandias]

well i am going to re scape it but keep the whole rock pile idea going i just need to find the right rocks i think (larger and more uniform defiantly). this may take me a while thank fully i have a bit of time (lights and substrate aren't coming till next week so no rush)

Philosophos: i like your idea of packing the cracks and crevices with substrate but i kind would like to leave them free so that thay are there (plan to have dwarf crays in here and hoping they will use it). i might use that idea for another set up in the future though.

 

[Francis Xavier]

I'm not suggesting that Ozymandias' aquascape is an Iwagumi - I'm merely reinforcing the point that Iwagumi is about rock layouts and thus Iwagumi design principles at a hardscape level of focus apply to any aquascape that relies heavily on stone work. You basically have nothing at all to lose by applying some basic Iwagumi principles.

Just for the record, I'm not insulting the aquascape or questioning anybody's taste here. I'm just merely saying that it isn't a bad idea to mess around with different scapes while you have the liberty to do so. I apologize if I came off as rude earlier - I was pretty tired and cranky at the time.

 

[mosasaur]

One man's opinion - I think it looks fine. Contrived? yes. But not unpleasing to the eye. And in any case, the person you should try to please is yourself.

One time, at a meeting of his Cabinet, Harry Truman asked the Cabinet members their opinion on a subject and they all had a negative opinion. Truman said,"that's 12 nays and one aye. The ayes have it". You are the one to decide what your tank should be.

 

[Dollface]

well i am going to re scape it but keep the whole rock pile idea going i just need to find the right rocks i think (larger and more uniform defiantly). this may take me a while thank fully i have a bit of time (lights and substrate aren't coming till next week so no rush)

I think more uniform rocks might make it look even MORE man made. I'm not saying you should scrap the idea completely, but if you just spread it out a little more randomly it would look a lot less like you, well, just stacked them in the pile.

 

[Ozymandias]

i really don't mind if it does come out looking more man made. to be honest the whole style that we use in scaping is man made, imitating nature yes but imitating it in a way that we see it not as it actually is (usually). the same idea is actually part of Japanese gardens (where some of our inspiration comes from some times) and gardening in general.

that being said i am planing on messing with it will i get what i want and i like the comments people have had so far thay have been pretty interesting.

 

[Momotaro]

Just for the record, I'm not insulting the aquascape or questioning anybody's taste here. I'm just merely saying that it isn't a bad idea to mess around with different scapes while you have the liberty to do so. I apologize if I came off as rude earlier - I was pretty tired and cranky at the time.

I don't think anyone thought you were ! roud: