Aquascaping Critique

[ChloroPhil]

This thread is where those of you interested in participating in one of the various aquascaping contests can post pictures for critique.

Discussion of the displayed aquascapes only please. Anything off topic will be deleted or moved as appropriate. Also, please remember this is a tool for improvement, not a place to slam others' work. Keep it constructive.

[Wahter]

Re:Aquascaping Critique

Sounds good, but would a requirement be a discus tank (including one being setup for the intention of adding discus at a later time?).

[ChloroPhil]

Re:Aquascaping Critique

Yes Walter, absolutely. Thanks for bringing that up.

Discus or Pre-Discus tanks only please.

[nornicle]

Re:Aquascaping Critique



This is a pre discus tank and has been set up for just under a month, discus (6 X red alenquers are going in tomorrow!

Details

Plants (from front right to back left, crypts first)

Cryptocoryne walkeri
Cryptocoryne becketii
Cryptocoryne balansae
Cryptocoryne wendtii 'mi oya'
Cryptocoryne lucens (sold as this but is actually C. willisii X 'lucens' a naturally occuring 'hybrid' plant according to Tropica, although I doubt that the plant I have is the true C. willisi X 'lucens'...)
Echinodorus sp. 'chain sword'
Vallisneria americana 'gigantae'
Vallisneria americana 'natans'
Ceratopteris thalictroides
Hygrophila polysperma
Bolbitis heudelotii
Jungle fern (not sure if its Microsorium or not)
Microsorium pteroptus 'windelov'
Echinodorus'rose' (E. horemanii ''rot'' X E. horizontalis according to Tropica)
Echinodorus 'red rubin' (E. horemanii ''rot'' X Echinodorus barthii according to Tropica)
Microsorium pteroptus
Vesicularia dubyana (although who knows what it REALLY is..)

Fish:
1 X Ancistrus hoplogenys Peppermint bristlenose (I was going to remove him for fear of chomping on my plants.. but for now he can stay - truly a fantastic looking fish)
7 X Congo tetras (I killed 5.... don't ask... :unsure: )
1 X guppy (again.. don't ask )
40+ X Rummy Nose tetras
3 X panda cories
5 X sterbai cories

Technical

Filter : Eheim 2217 (will be packed full of filter wool + carbon to draw tannins out of water) + 2215 (packed with filter wool and purigen, will act as a reactor for co2 attached to a Eheim surface skimmer)
Tank Size : 6x2.5x2.5
Lighting : 4 x Arcadia Marine White, 4 X Arcadia Tropical (2 of each in 4ft and 2ft)
Fertilisation : Tetra Hilena Initial Tabs, 'Crypto' Tabs, JBL 'The 7 Balls,' Aquamedic Terralit base, Seachem Flourish and Iron.
Co2: 4.5 kg cylinder with regulator and dupla bubble counter


Feel free to critique my tank, I want to add crinum to the left hand side where the hygrophila are, and the wysteria and hygro are temporary nitrate reductors... will add crypts/aponogetons/echinodorus sp. to take their spots once I'm done with them :P

[ChloroPhil]

Re:Aquascaping Critique

Noricle,

That's one of the better For-discus aquascapes I've seen in a while. You've got a good mix of plants and have placed them well. You've made excellent use of your space and look to have done well with leaf shape contrasts.

I even like the placement and use of the Hygrophila and Ceratopteris species and vote for them to stay. If kept well trimmed and not allowed to overgrow I think they'll make a nice long term contribution and will do a good job of sucking up nutrients. I just noticed though that you've got what looks to be C. balansae growing in front of the H. polysperma. That's not going to be a great combination when the Crypt gets bigger. You'd do better to reverse the placement and have the Hygro in front of the other plant.

The only critique I have right now is that your crypts in the back left may get blocked by the Java Fern. However, only time will tell how that will work out. They may just grow tall and stay seen. I also like what you've done with the chain sword in the foreground, just be careful to keep it from getting too dense for the fish to be able to get at food that drops to the bottom.

Your overall design is excellent as well. The sloping effect from right to left is going to get even better as the plants grow in. I would like to congratulate you on your use of almost entirely green plants. The red of your alenquers is going to be set off really well by the green of the plants and won't be competed against by too much/any red in the plants. It looks as though you'll have a very peaceful and subtle aquarium when it's mature.

Overall I'd give this:

10:10 for appropriateness of plant selection

9:10 for placement and use of plants
(The possible blocking problems as the plants grow up)

9:10 for aquascaping.
(Your foreground is fairly tall and may cause issues with the fishes' feeding later on. GREAT use and creation of space)

Best,
Phil

[RAWesolowski]

Re:Aquascaping Critique

Nornickle,

I am very impressed and somewhat depressed. After seeing the picture of your tank, I feel as if my tanks are poorly crafted ashtrays. Thanks for giving me something to shoot for in my next lifetime!

[Chris McMahon]

Re:Aquascaping Critique

[s]Anyone else getting a dead pic?[/s] Seems to have fixed itself.

[nornicle]

Re:Aquascaping Critique

Thank you for your critique Phil, I think you are being too kind with your scores I believe the tank is still 'too young' to really be viewed lol, most of the crypts still have 50% emmersed leaf!!

I am aware of the issue of the food issue, and may swap over to thin leaf dwarf swords later on for a darker look, I got the chain swords for free so who am I to complain :P

the back left of the tank actually looks like this
:

The only plants there are java moss, A. ulvaceous (not C. balansae) and the hygro, there is *alot* of space there to work with (i couldnt afford to plant it out... ) and I really want Crinum natans in the back left draping over the tank, or maybe a 'pillar' of wood to provide more shade with fern on it..

The C balansae is actually being 'grown out' from 5 very small plants in front of the val on the right, i didnt want anyone one to see it till they were more mature, they are hidden behind the wysteria..

Anyway, pre discus photos, now to the post discus photo, I got these today, 5 red alenquers and 1 red turquiose.





now I have 6 discus, I am so tempted to get more, but am scared it would ruin the composition, will probably remove the congos too...

[Serpae]

Re:Aquascaping Critique

Looking very nice, the contrast of the red discus amongst all the greenery is very effective as Phil suggested they would.

Post some more pictures once everything grows a little more.

[zenman]

Re:Aquascaping Critique

Feeding time at The Zen Gardens.......

[zenman]

Re:Aquascaping Critique

Full tank pic sorry for the poor lighting conditions should have gotton the Nikon lol. Dave

[ChloroPhil]

Re:Aquascaping Critique

Dave,

It's hard to see into the tank, could you get a closer full tank shot?

Thanks,
Phil

[gnatster]

Re:Aquascaping Critique

Please feel free to make comments and suggestions...

[hooha]

Re:Aquascaping Critique

hey this looks familiar i frequent plantedtank.net also

i like the flow of the tank, very nice growth as well

what is the bright green foreground plant on the left, and the bright green rosette plant in the middle?

if i had to make a suggestion, it would be the right background - with the 5 different types back there, it might look better taking 1 or 2 out (maybe moving to the left background?)

very nice setup (saw the equipment picks before on plantedtank.net)

[ChloroPhil]

Re:Aquascaping Critique

gnatster,

It looks like you've done a great job with that tank. The only thing I would be concerned about is the Vallisneria and its tendancy to spread. Your groupings look good and there's nice contrast between the plants. Especially noteworthy is the small, but effective piece of driftwood in there. No scratched fish for you.

I'd like to see it again in a few months,
Phil