# Planted Tanks > Aquascaping >  Sandy & Grassy Scape

## marle

Hi all,

Decided to do a sandy and grassy scape, hopefully something easy to do and not so hard to maintain.

Plants that i plan to use are hair grass, Hydrocotyle tripartite and mini fissiden. I haven't buy the fissiden yet but have already planted the HG and Hydrocotyle. Considered buceps but pricey so.. maybe later.

Just set up for a few days! Hopefully minimal algae this time.

Lightings is 2 * 24watt turned on for 3-4 hours daily. Photos taken with iPhone..

Hardscape: 



After adding HG, hydro and water:

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## Mystikboy

Wow nice tank! Planting the front? May I know your tank specs?

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## cherabin

Nice 60F.

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## marle

Hi mystikboy, the specs is 60cm length aka 2feet tank, but low profile height is 18cm

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## Danialavr

Nice scape! And thats the tank i want for my next upgrade hahah. Gonna keep corydoras?

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## limz_777

wont the hg will be cover up by the lava rocks ? planted Eleocharis Parvula ?

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## marle

> Nice scape! And thats the tank i want for my next upgrade hahah. Gonna keep corydoras?


thanks bro. keeping apisto..

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## marle

> wont the hg will be cover up by the lava rocks ? planted Eleocharis Parvula ?


planted the mini hair grass, not so sure if it will be cover up by lava rocks.. but i did add some soil between some of the rocks. wanted to grow some stem plants like MM behind but ultimately decided for HG..

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## whitedash

very nice setup!

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## Adrain

Wao doesn't even look like a 60cm tank! Looks very spacious and nice layout! 


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## limz_777

> Hi mystikboy, the specs is 60cm length aka 2feet tank, but low profile height is 18cm


the width is 30 cm ?

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## marle

ya width is 30cm, if you wish to purchase this type of tank, i think only two left at Fishy Business before they replenish stock which might take awhile.

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## ichise

Nice Marle ~ 
make me want to buy 60f  :Sad:  
got no stock when I want to start my setup , anymore new plants ?
I think some buceps will be perfect in there  :Evil:

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## limz_777

> ya width is 30cm, if you wish to purchase this type of tank, i think only two left at Fishy Business before they replenish stock which might take awhile.


too many tanks  :Opps:  , actually i have a custom 12 gal mr aqua replica with hardscape all in sitting on the shelf for months  :Laughing: , just waiting to be planted and fill up with water

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## marle

> Nice Marle ~ 
> make me want to buy 60f  
> got no stock when I want to start my setup , anymore new plants ?
> I think some buceps will be perfect in there



Yes bro, more new plants coming in, maybe MM or Rotala and considering monte carlo ! Need to find the supply.. No buceps for now.. Out of budget haha

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## marle

finally put some more plants in..

feel that i can do better with the scape and substrate though but will just leave it as that! letting it grow out now..

Have a question though, if my substrate is not nutrient rich, am i able to make up for it by dosing liquid fertilizer?

so far minimal or no algae thanks to tips from the pros.. :Grin:

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## ichise

Marle nice updates , look so nice now , ever consider dumping some ADA soil behind to grow the plants ?
which lucky apisto going in ?  :Grin:

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## situs-sk2

Nice set up with wild look

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## Vernonplim

wow  :Shocked:  killer tank! Absolutely stunningly gorgeous. Can you post more photos of the tank, like from the sides, front, close-ups from all angle?  :Grin:  I would love to setup something like that. Any Co2?

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## rc311

Bro, Nice setup. I am also going to build my next tank with apisto. So nice to have you journal as reference to me. I am camping here... Wait for your future updates... Cheers!

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## marle

> Marle nice updates , look so nice now , ever consider dumping some ADA soil behind to grow the plants ?
> which lucky apisto going in ?


Thanks ichise, actually itchy hand went to rescape abit..




> Nice set up with wild look


Thanks bro.





> wow  killer tank! Absolutely stunningly gorgeous. Can you post more photos of the tank, like from the sides, front, close-ups from all angle?  I would love to setup something like that. Any Co2?


thank you for the support.. will take some good pictures once i get to borrow a better camera from my friend. currently using iPhone. yes, have c02 injection..




> Bro, Nice setup. I am also going to build my next tank with apisto. So nice to have you journal as reference to me. I am camping here... Wait for your future updates... Cheers!


Thank you bro, you may want to try out low profile tanks, i find it easier to scape. but for apisto, must be careful, they might jump if tank is too bright and low height some more..

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## marle

Rescaped the tank, not the completed scape yet but doing a step at a time.. 

couldn't find a particular plant which i want to plant at the back left corner. front right corner also just planted some HM hoping to create a bushy effect.. my second time growing HC, first time was a major disaster. Hope this time has more success..

One comment though.. I think T5 lights still has an upper edge over LEDs in terms of better plant growth.. currently using the Up Aqua Z Series..



The lines below is something i want to add.. still thinking of plant choice.. open to suggestions! :Grin: 

Red Background
Blue Mid
Yellow Foreground

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## marle

Tank temperature is around 28-29 degrees.. using fan. Have seen HC grown in 25 degrees.. looks wonderful. Hopefully can make up for the higher temperature overtime by giving it more TLC.  :Laughing:

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## fireblade

maybe add some japonica as midground?

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## aquanick

The rescape looks way better! The lone rock on left will be hidden by the dw. I think this scape will look way better without the driftwood, or maybe smaller ones.
Plant suggestions:

Red : Rotala rotundifolia or Rotala Nanjenshan (i find nanjenshan to become bushy really thick and fast)
Blue : Limnophilla sp vietnam or E.Tennelus
Yellow : a bunch of pogostemon helferi

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## rc311

Wow outlook change quite a look, yeah I agreed the rescape looks better without the dw. But then it would become a Iwagumi feel. 

Are you still looking into keeping apisto with this tank? IMHO I would go away with HC carpet with apisto as it would be quite difficult not to disturb the water with frequent trimming of the HC. I also find your first sandy scape would be much natural to the apisto.

But anyway it still a good scape.

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## marle

bros, i agree, haha sometimes i look at it doesn't have the peaceful feeling, looks quite messy still.

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## marle

slight update.. rescaped the back portion by changing the plants used.. tank temperature is average about 29 degrees nowadays.. with fan..

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## Watcher

Nice progress! So at 29 degrees 'carpetting' is still possible?!

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## marle

> Nice progress! So at 29 degrees 'carpetting' is still possible?!


possible.. but the plant growth is not as beautiful compared to growing it in lower temperatures..

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## Watcher

Thanks for advice.. been trying to do carpetting but nvm been successful.. either not growing or 'melt'... will keep trying till I succeed though.

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## marle

slight update..

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## milk_vanilla

Lovely tank Marle

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## Vernonplim

Wow. Very nice. Mind telling us the maintenance details. Would like to know how u maintain such lush HC

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## apek19

Nice carpet! 👍😃

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## Ingen

Nice!!! Remember to trim those HC. I got lazy previously and my carpet started to die at the bottom section and had to decom the full carpet.

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## aquanick

Awesome! Nicely done

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## Urban Aquaria

Very nice clean scape.  :Well done: 

Just one more last thing the tank really needs to complete the look... glass lily pipes!  :Grin:

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## mUAr_cHEe

From sandy & grassy, it becomes now lushy.

Can you share the specifications of your current set up? I am very interested to do a similar set up in future.

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## sthh

Your tank is beautiful. Looks calm, peaceful, like a telly tubby land.

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## marle

> Lovely tank Marle


Thanks bro..




> Nice carpet! 👍😃
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


Thank you!




> Nice!!! Remember to trim those HC. I got lazy previously and my carpet started to die at the bottom section and had to decom the full carpet.


Sure! Advice noted and will do necessities!




> Awesome! Nicely done


Thanks man!




> Very nice clean scape. 
> 
> Just one more last thing the tank really needs to complete the look... glass lily pipes!


Haha Ya! thats in my shopping list.. I actually bought the Up Aqua Led thanks to your recommendation in your thread.




> Your tank is beautiful. Looks calm, peaceful, like a telly tubby land.


LOL. now that you mentioned it...

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## marle

> From sandy & grassy, it becomes now lushy.
> 
> Can you share the specifications of your current set up? I am very interested to do a similar set up in future.





> Wow. Very nice. Mind telling us the maintenance details. Would like to know how u maintain such lush HC



This is also my first mini success in HC.. the previous time i failed miserably. Most of the HC here are bought emmersed from East Ocean..

Lights: 2 x Up Aqua LED
Temperature: 29 Degrees Using Fan (Very tempted to get chiller, they say plants grown at 23-25 degrees will look amazing)
Filtration: Ehiem Ecco Pro
Fertilizer: ADA Step 1, ADA Special Lights, Seachem Potassium (All daily dose)
Substrate: ADA Amazonia Powder

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## marle

Dear all, some updates to my tank..

Theres the appearance of BBA and GBA. I am intending to remove the BBA but keep the GBA. Also, the right side of the tank require filling in of HC and HG which might take another month.

Tank is grown at 29 Degrees and i am pleasantly surprised that HC can in fact grow dense in such temperatures. My HM is suffering as i can see the browning of its leaves and stems. It might also be because my light is too strong? I will be reducing the lights to 1 LED stick instead to see if theres any difference in the growth of HM. 

Pictures taken a night so some of the plants and fishes are sleeping.. There is some shrimps in the tank, 5 crs in fact but could be hiding because of a nasty puffer fish which is tasked to clear out the snails population. 

Hope you enjoy and happy aquascaping..  :Laughing:

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## boonware

Very nice scape!  :Well done:

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## rc311

Nice but why do I see something not very right? Oh ya, the green pipe! Lol

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## Urban Aquaria

Looks great!  :Well done: 




> My HM is suffering as i can see the browning of its leaves and stems. It might also be because my light is too strong? I will be reducing the lights to 1 LED stick instead to see if theres any difference in the growth of HM.


I noticed for the HM in my own tanks, i have to periodically uproot them, trim away the old bottoms and replant the new healthy tops (i do that on a monthly basis, since they grow so fast to the water surface i have to chop them in half every week)... otherwise if only the tops are chopped off regularly but the same old stems and leaves at the bottom are still kept rooted for more than 2+ months, they'll start to become ratty-looking and melt away even with ideal conditions. So i guess its a plant where the stems and leaves grow fast, but they also don't last very long, hence needs to be regularly uprooted, topped and re-planted to keep it looking fresh.  :Very Happy:

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## milk_vanilla

From my observation, maximum trims that i managed to bring them in perfect healthy condition is 3-4 times, after that they start deteriorating. 

Like UA said, we still need to uproot, topped and re-planted. 

But some folks are lazy to do this, because it may change the overall layout or feel bored and prefer re-scape instead  :Grin:

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## LideBoi

Super like your tank simple and grown layout.

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## fireblade

nice carpet of HC!! makes me wanna try HC again... but my tank temp is 30 -32 degrees...  :Sad:

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## limyw

do you cover the tank to stop the "jumpers"?

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## boonware

My HC is also growing at around 28 to 30 degrees without fan and chiller.

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## furyprix

> My HC is also growing at around 28 to 30 degrees without fan and chiller.


Me too  :Smile:  but bro, no CO2?! your carpet is gorgeous! *jealous*

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## marle

> Very nice scape!


Thanks boon ware..




> Nice but why do I see something not very right? Oh ya, the green pipe! Lol


Haha.. yes, should have removed it when taking photo but got abit lazy.. quite abit of algae on the inlets and outlets too





> Looks great! 
> 
> 
> 
> I noticed for the HM in my own tanks, i have to periodically uproot them, trim away the old bottoms and replant the new healthy tops (i do that on a monthly basis, since they grow so fast to the water surface i have to chop them in half every week)... otherwise if only the tops are chopped off regularly but the same old stems and leaves at the bottom are still kept rooted for more than 2+ months, they'll start to become ratty-looking and melt away even with ideal conditions. So i guess its a plant where the stems and leaves grow fast, but they also don't last very long, hence needs to be regularly uprooted, topped and re-planted to keep it looking fresh.


Thanks UA. Yeah, these HM aren't easy to keep. I have seen really beautiful and healthy HM from top to bottom at their 2ft display tank in Fishy Business. My guess is because their place is of a lower temperature and thus the beautiful plants! Really beautiful HM growth. Their moss also power.





> From my observation, maximum trims that i managed to bring them in perfect healthy condition is 3-4 times, after that they start deteriorating. 
> 
> Like UA said, we still need to uproot, topped and re-planted. 
> 
> But some folks are lazy to do this, because it may change the overall layout or feel bored and prefer re-scape instead


I am also tempted to remove all the HM completely to change the choice of plant.. any recommendation?




> Super like your tank simple and grown layout.


Thanks LideBoi, looking forward to your tank.





> nice carpet of HC!! makes me wanna try HC again... but my tank temp is 30 -32 degrees...


Add a fan bro, will help things.. just top up water more often.  :Grin: 




> do you cover the tank to stop the "jumpers"?


Nope.. Regrettably i have my fair share of losses.. 





> My HC is also growing at around 28 to 30 degrees without fan and chiller.


Yes its possible! Maybe the growth is not as pretty compared to a 23 degree tank..




> Me too  but bro, no CO2?! your carpet is gorgeous! *jealous*


Thanks fury prix.. C02 is present, only turn on during photoperiod.. Hope to see your aquascape too..

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## Urban Aquaria

> I am also tempted to remove all the HM completely to change the choice of plant.. any recommendation?


Can try Blyxa Japonica... wouldn't grow too tall (the 10-15cm height nicely fits your low-profile tank) and no need to trim so often, plus it'll naturally grow into a nice dense bush on its own without needing to constantly shape it.  :Smile:

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## marle

should i decomm this tank and start new scape..? hmm...

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## aquanick

Have you achieved what you wanted with this tank?  :Very Happy: 
The tank looks superb!

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## fstyle28

Aquatic Nirvana

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## Vernonplim

> should i decomm this tank and start new scape..? hmm...


No no no no no.... It's a beautiful tank 


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