[Steven_Chong]

I did wrap this up, and here are the finished photos:

Cherry Shrimp (Wild Form)

Whole tank shot:

I found photographing this aquarium very difficult. It's so small, and trying to capture the terrestrial and aquatic parts together is difficult. In the end, I ended up with 2 different types of full-tank shots. One that shows more of the emersed plants, and this one that shows under-water better.

 

[turbowagon]

Wow, that's beautiful. Seriously.

 

[Hoppy]

That really is spectacular. How would something like this last, given the pruning, water changes, etc. that would be needed? Or is it intended to be a short lived art form - like a flower arrangement?

 

[Steven_Chong]

turbo-- Thanks

Hoppy-- It's actually a lot easier than I'm making it out to be. I worked hard just because I knew I only had 1 month before coming back to school (this tank's been torn down already). If you had the time, you could just do what Amano does-- take a ball of weeds, put it on some sand with a light over it and see which ones pop out of the water. Let nature do the rest (with some ferts maybe). I'm guess CO2 is not needed as most of plants go emersed anyway.

 

[junco]

very cool. i think something like this would be perfect for my office. the problem with that is the weekends. i suppose i could put my desk lamp on a timer.

how do you think something like this would do under a 75w incandescent bulb? i just have a regular table top shade lamp here. perhaps that is too much light.

the other problem is getting a container like that. i havent looked around but i guess wal-mart or home depot would be a place to start.

how do you do water changes? looks like you could just take a pitcher or a cup and scoop out most of the water that way. do you find a need to vaccuum the substrate because there is no filter?

 

[|GTO|]

incredible job steve. another inspiring gem of an aquascape.

what kinds of plants did you use in your scape besides aquatic moss? ill assume those are all plants easily available in Tropical Hawaii :icon_mrgr

Too bad Pennsylvania isnt tropical hahaha.

Great job, I always look forward to your scapes.

cheers,

 

[defishfan]

Absolutely fantastic piece! Also, the photo of Ginkakkuji you have posted on deviantart is spectacular.

Wal-Mart, Micheal's, and Target are all great places to find good, cheap glass containers for projects like this. Sometimes thrift stores like Salvation Army or Goodwill will have interesting pieces, but not as often...

 

[Steven_Chong]

Junco-- depends on the plants but I'd get a screw-in flourescent. Water changes I do with a cup. Try and re-rake the sand before water changes to get out any fish poo. I bought this container in a department store in Japan. Don't know where to get one here.

Jdb-- I'm not real sure what the plants are to be honest. I know there's hydrocotyles and some watercrest in there, and I think the tall plant is Ammania. All of them just grow wild by the stream side.

Defish-- Thanks for checking out my gallery-- they'll be a lot more up there as soon as I finish editing photos from my winter vacation. Lots of Hawaii photos and some landscape painting.

 

[filipnoy85]

Very cool! I'm trying something like this too, but not as artistic. I'm just going to take the emmersed growth and throw it in the pond later. I hope to work up to something this nice though.

 

[AxolotlFarmer]

You really know how to make beautiful settings. I am sort-of jealous of your ability and creativity. Take that as a compliment. I am looking forward to seeing whatever you decide to create next! Keep up the amazing work! I am loving it all. Have you studied ideas and activities suck as ikebana, wabi-sabi, etc, and how much and what schools of thought and ideals help guide your work? You ideas stand out the most of the majority of planted tanks I come across. You plant your tank like an artist.

 

[sNApple]

Steve, when are you going to scape a big tank?

 

[Steven_Chong]

Axelot-- When it comes to Japanese gardening disciplines, I have done some reading and researching (and when I was in Japan I got to see a demonstration by an ikebana master). However, I'd say that my understanding of learning of them is elementary at best, and I'm mostly self-taught.

Snapple-- the ADA 60cm is the biggest I'll be going for a while. My dorm room has a 30gallon limit rule, and I don't want to spend more money on tank set-ups. BTW, I'll be setting up the new lay out in the 60cm soon.

 

[retoid]

Steven_Chong, very nice! I enjoy all of your creations and photos.

I was curious did you only use flourite in the soil for the potted plant?
Did you use any sort of fertilizers? Also, did you grab soil from the location you picked the plants from?

How long should these small wabi-kusa setups last? How often do you change the water for the one's containing fish? I know the plants act as a natural filter but with the amount of fish and shrimp you have in that one and with growth I would imagine you have to care for it more often, like water changes? Any additives?

 

[Betowess]

I see its an old post I missed...Totally cool Steven!

 

[FelixAvery]

Steven your WK ispired me greatly and for this i am very gratefull!
look out for my bonsai WK soon!

 

[sandiegoryu]

I've read a great deal on bonsai and one thing I've read is that they don't like wet soil 24/7. It'll rot their roots and that's a bad thing as I have read. Although I may be wrong.

I concluded bonsai were too hard for me though :-D.

 

[FelixAvery]

yeh i read that two
my ingenoius plan will involve pond liner to seperate wet earth and bonsai earth

 

[RESGuy]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: Amazing wabi-kusa scape Steven, your work is always so artistic and beautiful! You should become an aquarium designer

 

[FelixAvery]

he IS and aquarium designer hahahaha
steven do you mind if i use your photography for my WK website?

 

[RESGuy]

Ohh lol I didn't know that, I thought it was only a hobby.