# Xmas gift 200lt - Rounded stones



## FAAO (Jun 1, 2005)

Hi,

Before all, I hope that you had a good Xmas and I wish you an Happy New Year, all the best!!!

This Xmas I offered a different gift to a friend... a new planted tank. 

Trying to do always something different, this time I used some big round rocks and plants with very thin leaves to break the round shape. 
I know that is a bit symmetric but I will try to solve that with time pass adding some plants or with the trimmings.

So&#8230; here it is the step by step of the layout from 2008.12.20 (yyyy-mm-dd):

The aquarium (100x45x50cm)


Placing the rounded rocks on the better place&#8230; I hope! It isn't easy to work with them, they are rounded and you need to fill the bottom with some soil and others small rocks to equilibrate them.


ELOS Terra Zero (2 packages) over the first layer of ELOS Terra.


ELOS Bottom Mineral (5lt) over Terra Zero from ELOS.




One test with white sand on the front of the layout, later I replaced it with black sand because it gives more contrast with the plants and it is homogeneous with small and big rocks. 


After planted, top view of the layout. I used the following plants: Cyperus helfery, Juncus repens, Echinodorus tenellus e Cryptocoryne parva.


View from the right.


View from the left.


Panoramic picture of the layout.


Another Picture, frontal top view.


Planted zone.


Start filling the aquarium with water, very slowly. 


Picture of the place where is the aquarium near of the Xmas tree. You can see at the right a banner of my last workshop there, local retailer.


The aquarium filled with water and a bit cloudy. 


Again the planted zone.


Panoramic picture.


And finally a general picture of the aquarium with me (at the right) and the owner of Orniex (local retailer) Joaquim Gomes. 


Some updated pictures from today 2009.01.16 (yyyy-mm-dd)









I hope that you like it and please feel welcome to comment and criticise!


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## Jeff.:P:. (Nov 20, 2007)

I love it, something different and very exciting. Congrats :clap2:


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## SOLOMON (Sep 24, 2006)

Another great scape! 

How is the ELOS substrate going so far?


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## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

As usual, Filipe, a masterpiece! Perhaps you can come up to St. Louis and gift me with a new scape! 

I think it is symetrical, but in this case, you can get away with it. You don't see this type of symmetry so cleanly and purposefully done, and it is (obviously) just a tad different on each side of the tank to lessen the mirror effect. Very well planted, clean....an accent plant of some sort would have been a nice effect, but unneccesary.

GOOD JOB!!!  Me gusta muchisimo!


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## rodrigaj (Aug 17, 2008)

Unique.

For some reason, it reminds me of Stonehenge.


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## gsparsan (Jan 9, 2009)

Really nice.

I am preparing a 35L betta tank for my Nephew's birthday as a gift and this is very inspiring.


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## Sunstar (Sep 17, 2008)

The way I will phrase this will sound bad, but it's not meant to be. The aquarium looks like an overgrown rock dump, like one you might find at a corner of a feild or someone's back yard. plants fill in and make it an attractive looking feature. 

It sort of resembles nature taking over. 
Someone said stone henge, I agree. Or stones from an old ruined castle in england, or a wall by an old farm or cemetry. 

I do like this very very much. Your aquariums have always been inspiring. keep it up!


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## jaidexl (Jan 20, 2007)

Wow, I wish you were _my_ friend! :clap2:

Sunstar, your comparison makes perfect sense to me. Filipe used only a few species which really creates the natural look you're talking about, when nature grows over our clutter.


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## Sunstar (Sep 17, 2008)

Yeah, good, someone got what I meant. If it were not for the fish, I would think it was taken outside.


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## FAAO (Jun 1, 2005)

Hi,

Thanks for the comments and kindly words! 



SOLOMON said:


> Another great scape!
> How is the ELOS substrate going so far?


I'm a bit suspect to talk about ELOS... But if you want MHO, I just say that is the best soil that you can find on the market! Quality, durability and very well balanced.
For your information, I use since 2005 the same soil on my 60lt aquarium. I only need to add some Bottom Mineral, or Terra Zero or Terra Uno on each setup to renew the soil and it will be brand new again...
In a few weeks I will share here in the forum my new 60lt setup, a full planted layout where I have used the same soil of "Pinheiro Manso" with 10 months old.



DonaldmBoyer said:


> As usual, Filipe, a masterpiece! Perhaps you can come up to St. Louis and gift me with a new scape!


Who knows some day! 



DonaldmBoyer said:


> I think it is symetrical, but in this case, you can get away with it. You don't see this type of symmetry so cleanly and purposefully done, and it is (obviously) just a tad different on each side of the tank to lessen the mirror effect. Very well planted, clean....an accent plant of some sort would have been a nice effect, but unneccesary.


It is very difficult to equilibrate those rocks as you can see on the step by step, I need to use some soil down the rocks to give them that shape, otherwise they fall.
I'm not worry about the symmetry, this is one thing that I can work and with some trimmings or adding some plants, I reduce a bit the size of the left stone. 



Sunstar said:


> Yeah, good, someone got what I meant. If it were not for the fish, I would think it was taken outside.


 Terrestrial, nature, aquatic&#8230; who cares?! 
Anyone can imagine whatever he wants! Your point of view is absolutely right.


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## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

I love this setup, it goes against conventions, but still works.

The stones are 'symmetrical', the stones are 'round', the scape is more 'centered', the plants are all very 'similar', yet it still looks good to me.

I think what makes it work is the sense of depth with the 'stream' of plants in the middle, and the way the scape flows together.

Great job! It takes alot of skill to make a non-conventional tank to work...


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## gravy9 (Aug 28, 2008)

Nice work, Filipe. Very natural appeal.


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## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

any updates on this tank?


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## FAAO (Jun 1, 2005)

Hi,

For now I only have this picture from February, but in a few days I intend to go there to trim and give the shape to the layout that I had in mind from the beginning.










The person that is taking care of this aquarium did a few trimmings but he doesn't know what I want to do with it; right now it is more symmetric than on the beginning  but I will change it, I will do some magic :twisted: !

I will update this thread as soon as possible


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## vtchef (Jan 27, 2009)

very clean looking.


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## FAAO (Jun 1, 2005)

Hi folks!

Here I'm with some fresh news! This layout has 3 months and after 1st trimming never had been trimmed again, so it means that you will have a great surprise!!! 

Take a look to the layout before trimming... it is very wild, isn't it?


So, after 1 hour trimming all plants and defining the layout, I think that it isn't so symmetric like before and when Juncus grow a little more above the left rock, it will be great to take some pictures.


And here it is a picture of the person how takes care of this aquarium, he is helping me on the pictures illuminating the background of aquarium when I did those pictures.


Please feel welcome to comment and criticise!

Ps. Click on the pictures no enlarge.


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## orlando (Feb 14, 2007)

As usual  Fantástico 


-Orlando


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## kimcadmus (Nov 23, 2008)

stunning! I agree that when the left gets a bit more growth it will balance nicely. I like the oppositional angle of the plants to the aproximately symmetrical stones. The tank is both sublte and dynamic.


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## 1aqumfish (Jul 28, 2008)

Beautiful work such artistry!


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## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

FAAO said:


> Hi folks!
> 
> Here I'm with some fresh news! This layout has 3 months and after 1st trimming never had been trimmed again, so it means that you will have a great surprise!!!
> 
> Take a look to the layout before trimming... it is very wild, isn't it?


lol, that looks alot like my hair when I wake up!

Keep us updated on how it progresses after the 'haricut'. I know a lot of newer hobbyists are reluctant to do such a major trim on a setup. It would be helpful to see how it fills in a recovers after a nice trim like that.


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## FAAO (Jun 1, 2005)

Hi,

Here is an update! Please feel free to criticize!


*Click on the picture to enlarge*


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## amphirion (Nov 13, 2008)

hahaha. what is there to criticize about? the execution is amazing! the grass has filled out any exposed soil to the point where it just looks like a grass mound. great use of contrast between the greenery and the dark rocks.


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