# Planted Tanks > Aquascaping >  My 3' tank

## jasonc

first time post in here, please c&c. Thanks!

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## PlAnTaNoOb

wow... looks very deep far back. What's the dimensions of your tank?

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## jasonc

> wow... looks very deep far back. What's the dimensions of your tank?


My tank dimension is L33" x D15" x H16" custom made clear glass tank

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## pleco4me

WOW. Your tank is amazing. Looks some much bigger than what it is.

I think you could improve by adding some Anubias to the foreground of the driftwood.

Very nice aquarium  :Smile:

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## David Moses Heng

nice!! I like your wood. would you be putting any faunas inside?

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## jasonc

> WOW. Your tank is amazing. Looks some much bigger than what it is.
> 
> I think you could improve by adding some Anubias to the foreground of the driftwood.
> 
> Very nice aquarium


Currently there are some anubias 'nana' in the tank, my aquatic tank just rescape, need some times to growth (HC & Spiky Moss) for the foreground plants. I will take note about your suggestion. Thanks!

Here is the link that what I planned: http://my-aquatic-world.blogspot.com...of-layout.html




> nice!! I like your wood. would you be putting any faunas inside?


I have some shrimps in the tank, but totally not allow fish in my tank. I kept fishes before, very hard for me to control the Nitrate level.

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## torque6

Tank seems to have a huge depth, looks real good.

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## jasonc

> Tank seems to have a huge depth, looks real good.


Thanks! Finally I did it.

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## jasonc

Any more comments on my tank? I wish I can improve it, in such a way of layout, plants or others, please do not feel hesitate pointing the bad of my tank, I like to hear more........thanks :Jump for joy:

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## Samuel2618

Wow.. I love your tank man.. Nice Driftwood, Low Maintainence plants.. Hopefully I will be able to set up a tank like yours in future with my 4ft.. Care to share where you buy all these nice driftwoods by the way?

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## jasonc

> Wow.. I love your tank man.. Nice Driftwood, Low Maintainence plants.. Hopefully I will be able to set up a tank like yours in future with my 4ft.. ?


Thanks for like my setup, but I am still want to improve it, feel that too bare......in actual fact, not a really low maintainance tank, trimming works is a must and need to add fert daily, I am playing around with the PMDD style dosing..... :Laughing: 




> Care to share where you buy all these nice driftwoods by the way?


I got the DW from my LFS in Pg, Malaysia, collected since year 2006... :Grin:

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## Jervis

Personally, I will replace some of the white medium size pebbles with brownish ones. Currently they look too white, slightly less natural. The overall feel is good. Getting ready for ADA 2008?

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## jasonc

> Personally, I will replace some of the white medium size pebbles with brownish ones. Currently they look too white, slightly less natural. The overall feel is good. Getting ready for ADA 2008?


Thanks, I will try to look for darker colour stone. I am not too sure my tank is ready or not, but I will try my best to submit before the last week of May, do hope that some of the moss will growing more to cover the both sides of foreground. these few days trim off some leaves that growth in wrong direction......wish me good luck.... :Angel:  :Smug:

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## leeruisheng

Woo.... love the arrangement and the green dust algae on some of those huge pebbles.

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## Jervis

> wish me good luck....


Good luck  :Well done:

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## jasonc

> Woo.... love the arrangement and the green dust algae on some of those huge pebbles.


A good news and a bad news!!! Noticed that my shrimps are eating the algae make some places cleaner, but at the same time my green algae also gone a bit, so worry about that.




> Good luck


Thanks, Jervis.....what about you, are you going to submit yours?

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## jasonc

Bought 3 Red Crystal Shrimps(RCS), and after a day they are moving around in the tank happily.

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## the_r0ck

I like the hardscape alot. Personally I would put the ferns more to the center rather than the side though.

Nevertheless this scape has very good potential, do keep us updated.

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## Kaidohishida

Looks abit spikey, the wood and the plants are all like sword shape.

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## Jervis

> Looks abit spikey, the wood and the plants are all like sword shape.


That's part of the style... I know it's hard to believe... getting those sharp spikey wood is not easy at all  :Smile:

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## jasonc

> I like the hardscape alot. Personally I would put the ferns more to the center rather than the side though.
> 
> Nevertheless this scape has very good potential, do keep us updated.


Thanks, The Rock! I studied ADA style, noticed that they put the fern to the side too, and my previous layout was in the middle http://my-aquatic-world.blogspot.com...and-style.html , now want to have a different layout. 

I will keep updating you all.

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## Panut

WOW. The wood must have cost, a BomB.  :Grin:

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## jasonc

> Looks abit spikey, the wood and the plants are all like sword shape.


Frankly speaking, I did study the photos of ADA style, the contest winners, and other forumers' hard work. Flip over 100 of photos to get new idea http://my-aquatic-world.blogspot.com...of-layout.html , and finalise the layout. Perhaps the plants still not that bushy yet, let it's growing.  :Razz: 




> That's part of the style... I know it's hard to believe... getting those sharp spikey wood is not easy at all


Jervis is right, DW needs time to collect.




> WOW. The wood must have cost, a BomB.


Mm......still consider affordable, luckly my tank is a 3' tank. If a bigger tank we have :Well done: , the bigger wood size we need :Shocked: , and a bigger pocket must have :Flame: ..... :Opps:

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## torque6

Sometimes, even if you have the money, the "right" dw doesnt quite pops up.

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## Verminator

Anubias. var nana would look good sparsely planted around the wood at front. Also i think carefully placed crypts inbetween some of the pebbles would form a subbtle break between all the small pebbles. Could look quite good. Even the smaller crypts like crypt. parva?

Your tank is a true inspiration for me to re-do mine. I have L40" x W16" x H19" and it looks 'tacky' compared to yours. Some serious re-scaping of mine is needed. Problem i have i have loads of fish in there atm =/ can prove awkward replanting with existing fish still in there =(

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## jasonc

> Sometimes, even if you have the money, the "right" dw doesnt quite pops up.


Yap! But before I saw people played with normal DW (straight), and form such a good layout/design......believe that is creative too. My comment is, choose carefully before purchase.




> Anubias. var nana would look good sparsely planted around the wood at front. Also i think carefully placed crypts inbetween some of the pebbles would form a subbtle break between all the small pebbles. Could look quite good. Even the smaller crypts like crypt. parva?
> 
> Your tank is a true inspiration for me to re-do mine. I have L40" x W16" x H19" and it looks 'tacky' compared to yours. Some serious re-scaping of mine is needed. Problem i have i have loads of fish in there atm =/ can prove awkward replanting with existing fish still in there =(


Thanks for your input, in fact I had moved the anubias to the front portion few days ago, also "accidentally"  :Grin:  added some plants. I think is more than enough plants in the tank.


And thanks for liking my setup, hope to see your new scape soon, please do inform me. Thanks!

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## Verminator

Only thing left for you to do is to update us on a pic so we can see  :Grin:

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## jasonc

> Only thing left for you to do is to update us on a pic so we can see


Sure I will, if want to read more....perhaps visit to my blog, may read more stories.

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## StanChung

Hi Jason,

Nice layout but I think you have experience enough to know narrow leave ferns take a very long time(6months?) to look good. Good of you to do homework before embarking on a project.

It's a good idea to buy more hardscape than you need. I always do. It's annoying to put it all together and realize some thing missing and having to mess up the substrate. The unused one can always be used for an emersed setup or recalled back to duty for new layout.  :Grin:

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## Cpark188

You are not just only an Interior Designer but an aquarium designer too. I like the way you layout your tank, simple and neat, there is a pleasing flow to the layout and the feeling of depth in the whole scene. The layout is fascinating and many interesting effects are achieved with this design, good try indeed. Well done. :Well done:

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## jasonc

> Hi Jason,
> 
> Nice layout but I think you have experience enough to know narrow leave ferns take a very long time(6months?) to look good. Good of you to do homework before embarking on a project.
> 
> It's a good idea to buy more hardscape than you need. I always do. It's annoying to put it all together and realize some thing missing and having to mess up the substrate. The unused one can always be used for an emersed setup or recalled back to duty for new layout.


Hi. Stan! I didn't know that you are the AQ's moderator...wow! BTW, thanks for your support from the old days until now. :Jump for joy: . Actually, I am not really like narrow leaf fern because of growing too fast and too long, so need to trim it every few days. In the beginning, it's really slow growth plant.... :Grin: . I don't keep too many hardscape(limited storage space), just only some extra stones & DW. Normally I was bought from lfs when needed. Well, is good to have some extra stuffs at home. :Well done:

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## jasonc

> You are not just only an Interior Designer but an aquarium designer too. I like the way you layout your tank, simple and neat, there is a pleasing flow to the layout and the feeling of depth in the whole scene. The layout is fascinating and many interesting effects are achieved with this design, good try indeed. Well done.


Thanks, Cpark! I am wondering that who are you? How do you know I am the ID? :Blah:  Aquatic Arts, is alot to learn and because related to our mother nature, that's why some peoples are in this hobby for more than 15~20 years. And I found that aquatic plants almost like fashion, is trendy, as we have seen from year 2004~2007, the layout, species we are keeing & design has a big different, from conservative style to the simplicity of the layout. I believe alot of peoples influence by the Japanese. Hope that one day each country has their own design on the aquatic arts........I think that is interesting.

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## Cpark188

Sometime when we admired at the aquascaping tank in the forum, it's naturally pleasing us just from our heart that this tank looks great. Surprising us by the beauty of the tank, certainly want to find out who is the owner of this tank and why his tank looks so difference, that's why I dig into your blogs and realize your are an ID. Keep it up. :Surprised:

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## jasonc

> Sometime when we admired at the aquascaping tank in the forum, it's naturally pleasing us just from our heart that this tank looks great. Surprising us by the beauty of the tank, certainly want to find out who is the owner of this tank and why his tank looks so difference, that's why I dig into your blogs and realize your are an ID. Keep it up.


Oh! Nearly forgot :Exasperated:  that my occupation showing in my blog...kekekeke :Grin: . Anyway, thanks for your support.

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## jasonc

It's about 2 weeks haven't updated my planted aquarium photo. Added some plants and the growth rates pretty good, had been trimmed for twice.

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## Verminator

Whats that plant in the back left corner? A large crypt?

Tank looks wonderfull, well done!

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## fugu_88

Hi Jasonc,
Is your shrimps surviving-rate high?
Cause i noticed you used many types of fertilizer, DIY CO2, about 30&#37; WC twice/week, tank temp around 26-28.5 degrees C....

Cause i started a 3ft shrimp tank, using GEX soil (plants & shrimps), DIY CO2, tank temp 28 deg C, no chemical added. 
Plants are java ferns, java moss, taiwan moss, glosso.
But it is a failure, about 40 cherries, now left 2.  :Sad:

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## StanChung

> It's about 2 weeks haven't updated my planted aquarium photo. Added some plants and the growth rates pretty good, had been trimmed for twice.


Hi Jason, looking good and the splash of colour does wonders. I like it, there's lots of nice detail. Little pebbles, anubias petite. Well done! I'd thicken up the _Rotala macrandra_? a bit. A bigger thicket.


For me narrow leaf fern is nice for big tanks and have very limited application. As you say the grow very big. [blame the fertilizers!]

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## sragor

Impressive! Your tank is turning out real great. Bet your fishes will love it down there.  :Laughing:

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## jasonc

> Whats that plant in the back left corner? A large crypt?
> 
> Tank looks wonderfull, well done!


Ya, that is crypt., normally grow up to 6" and above, is mid or background plants.

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## jasonc

> Hi Jasonc,
> Is your shrimps surviving-rate high?
> Cause i noticed you used many types of fertilizer, DIY CO2, about 30% WC twice/week, tank temp around 26-28.5 degrees C....
> 
> Cause i started a 3ft shrimp tank, using GEX soil (plants & shrimps), DIY CO2, tank temp 28 deg C, no chemical added. 
> Plants are java ferns, java moss, taiwan moss, glosso.
> But it is a failure, about 40 cherries, now left 2.


some of the shrimps died too, but not that often and just 1 in a month. And I am so sure about over dosing of dry fert will kill the shrimps, this is my passed experience. And, at night with aeration to prevent oxygen deficiency.

So far red cherry in my tank is producing its new generation, food(algae) is important. A friend of my taught to breed shrimps in low light & fert free condition. Most important is thick/bushy moss is a must, for the young fry to hide.

Shrimps in my tank stopped producing because of the moss spread/less thick. IMO, start with 5 shrimps in the tank until all are stable, then slowly increasing. To find a balance in between is pretty hard, but don't give up.  :Grin:

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## jasonc

> Hi Jason, looking good and the splash of colour does wonders. I like it, there's lots of nice detail. Little pebbles, anubias petite. Well done! I'd thicken up the _Rotala macrandra_? a bit. A bigger thicket.


I think those Micranthemum umbrosum is nice, just that need to trim it once in 3~4days. Rotala.....I am facing a difficulty on this plant, still trying very hard to get this plant truning into red.





> For me narrow leaf fern is nice for big tanks and have very limited application. As you say the grow very big. [blame the fertilizers!]


If notice the right background narrow leaf(that facing upward), I will replace it when get something suitable. Narrow fern leaf cannot expose to much to high light, will caught a lot of algae on the leaves surface and extend the lenght faster. :Evil:

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## jasonc

> Impressive! Your tank is turning out real great. Bet your fishes will love it down there.


 :Grin:  :Laughing: ......no fishes in there, except an otocinclus. :Well done:

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## jasonc

Hi! As promised every 2 weeks update photo of my planted tank, here it is!

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## ongtw

wow your tank is really awesome!

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## jasonc

> wow your tank is really awesome!


Thanks! I will keep it for 6~9 months, then will change to new design.

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## jasonc

Hi! I am back, I was left the tank behind for a month plus, just did some trimming and cleanned up the tank.

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## jwuog

Damn, it's gorgeous  :Well done:  :Well done:  :Well done:  :Well done:  :Well done:  :Well done:  :Well done:  :Well done:  :Well done:  :Well done:  :Well done:  :Well done:

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## pleco4me

Its looking amazing  :Grin:  Pity you missed out on the ADA comp - you couldve done well.

Love the downoi too  :Grin:  any tips for growing them?

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## Verminator

Diggin' the Downoi - stunning!

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## jasonc

> Its looking amazing  Pity you missed out on the ADA comp - you couldve done well.
> 
> Love the downoi too  any tips for growing them?


For Downoi, must put at bright area and dose fertilizer, the rest almost the same.

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## jasonc

Waving my hand to my tank soon, just got an new idea how to create the new aquascape.

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## Burnz

ooo.. I like your work Jasonc. Looking forward to your new tank setup.

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## lorba

> Hi! I am back, I was left the tank behind for a month plus, just did some trimming and cleanned up the tank.


Hi, nice tank there.

IMO, you can create better depth if you move the red stem leftware and compliment it with another smaller leaved plant. Less red, more yellow-green color to mark transition to the greens.

The downoi looks healthy but the size and position is making the entire picture more 2D then 3D.

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## Jervis

Actually I think the scape will look more harmony without the red stem plant.

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## CTVU

> Hi! I am back, I was left the tank behind for a month plus, just did some trimming and cleanned up the tank.


 wow your tank is really very nice

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## gcce

Hi Jason,
Very nice layout with fine detailing.
Your last thread in Aug 08 mentioned about creating a new aquascape. Any updates?

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## ljsg

gee.. i will miss this scape.. haha
but then again, its always nice to see new design
*thumbs up*

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## fishy80

wow. Superb layout. What are the lights used for this sort of set ups?

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