[NoodleAquatics]

... and if slope, how to slope

20 gallon long, Amazon biotope, species only setup for corydoras eques.

Plants: vallisneria Americana, sag grass, Brazilian pennywort, and some tissue culture of echinodorus/Helenthium quadricostatus that wasn't faring well in a deeper tank. Planning to also maybe add in some s repens.

I am wondering, if it would look better with a slope in the rear right corner, lifting the driftwood slightly, or leave it flat?

Substrate is play sand. What would be the best method to slope it, and keep it sloped (cories digging will flatten it).

Or any other scape thoughts? Best placement for the s repens?
Pardon the glass its an old passed down freebie tank lol

Using scape it this is generally what I was eventually picturing once things fill in (pretend the tripartita on scape it is pennywort lol)

I am upgrading the weak fluorescent light, a new LED is coming tomorrow from Amazon lol

 

[MissCris]

That is the question...

I think slope, but rather than lift the driftwood, let the sand partially bury the low bits. That will add an aged feel to the scape, and the bits of wood below the sand will actually help keep it in place a bit.

Also, based on the principle of land erosion & prevention, I think if you heavily plant the area around the wood like your plans show, then it should stay more or less put once the roots take hold. The roots will sort of lock the surface, plus the tops of the plants will discourage the cories from digging as much there, especially since they'll have a nice open sand box area on the left.

 

[minorhero]

To slope and keep it sloped put rocks into the substrate (think making terraces). Plants will also help to hold the sand in place. Keep in mind not all plants have good root systems. The pennywort in particular forms almost no roots in substrate.

 

[NoodleAquatics]

To slope and keep it sloped put rocks into the substrate (think making terraces). Plants will also help to hold the sand in place. Keep in mind not all plants have good root systems. The pennywort in particular forms almost no roots in substrate.

Yeah I'm debating using fishing line to lightly secure the pennywort to the driftwood to have it grow over that, I find it does not like to be planted and protests lol

I think ill try a combo of sand and rocks then to slope the back corner.

 

[minorhero]

Yeah I'm debating using fishing line to lightly secure the pennywort to the driftwood to have it grow over that, I find it does not like to be planted and protests lol

I think ill try a combo of sand and rocks then to slope the back corner.

I wouldn't get too attached to any one stalk of the pennywort. The leaves wear out and the roots get nasty after a couple of months. Its no biggie though, you just break it further along the strand and discard the old piece.

To get it to stay on drift wood I've had good success place it on, wrapping around, going under etc. So long as your water isn't too turbulant it will not go far and might root into the driftwood (though usually not).

 

[NoodleAquatics]

I wouldn't get too attached to any one stalk of the pennywort. The leaves wear out and the roots get nasty after a couple of months. Its no biggie though, you just break it further along the strand and discard the old piece.

To get it to stay on drift wood I've had good success place it on, wrapping around, going under etc. So long as your water isn't too turbulant it will not go far and might root into the driftwood (though usually not).

Thats how I have it in my other tank, woven around the driftwood.

This tank the stems dont wrap all the way well, so may have to use fishing line to assist with that.

Sloped it, reduced tannins, and the new lighting is installed. Fixed the pennywort too.

When I get more sand I may make the slope slightly higher

 

[NoodleAquatics]

Sloped it higher with more sand, and added a young ozelot sword and some s repens

 

[MissCris]

That's going to look so good when it all grows in.

 

[FischAutoTechGarten]

I really like this thread. I have 20 gallon longs exclusively (well, sans my 2 quarantine tanks). Planted, high tech. But I'm terrible at aquascaping. I struggle because I like elements of the ADA, Dutch and Biotope (like yours) styles. I can't decide, so unforunately, I have no scape at all.. just 20+ plants in each 20 long... I always struggle with lots of sloping and terrain height variation because of the overall limited height of a 20 gallon long.

I have all of my tanks on a central system, so I'm a bit locked-in in terms of water chemistry. However, I have the ability to alter lighting, water flow, and of course scaping, flora and fauna. Originally I had imagined all 5 (soon 6) aquariums having a similar scape that was complimentary. Seeing yours, I might do this type of biotope arrangement on one or two of the aquariums....

Thanks for sharing.