# 72G Controlled Fury



## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Haven't posted a setup in a while due to lack of time. With that in mind this setup contain no traditional stems that need constant pruning. It is mostly slow growers and plants that don't need regular trimming. The pic below is 4 months after setup. Any comments are appreciated.


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## macclellan (Feb 28, 2007)

very nice simplicity and peacefulness to it, but looks very flat, at least in the pic. 
maybe tilt the wood forward some to expose more to frontal view or add some val nana along the back for another layer? just some ideas.


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

nice!
I know from experience a 72 bf is not easy to plant and have any kind of depth.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

Its very typical of your work.........................................................................................................................................................MOST EXCELLENT/BEAUTIFUL/ARTISTIC/PROFESSIONAL.

How may different tanks are you running? It would be nice to see a pictue of each of them.


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## saintly (Mar 22, 2009)

stunning! plant health seems to be 100% perfect.


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## wicca27 (Oct 13, 2008)

very nice tank i really likke it


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## cah925 (Jun 23, 2007)

Beautiful tank!


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thank you very much for the comments. Kinda surprised by the depth comments since I actually think the tank has alot of depth for a 72g as vancat made reference to. Might also be the black background and blackened sides too that reduce look. Also waiting for the Cyperus to grow alittle more.

Newt this is my only scaped tank right now, but I do plan on starting another small one soon.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

houseofcards said:


> Newt this is my only scaped tank right now, but I do plan on starting another small one soon.


What! 
You dont have Petrified Valley anymore? I loved that set up.


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## wicca27 (Oct 13, 2008)

what all plants are used in that scape? to me it kinda ls like an island with a sand beach to me


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

very nice. the open area is well done.


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## Bunbuku (Feb 10, 2008)

houseofcards said:


> Thank you very much for the comments. Kinda surprised by the depth comments since I actually think the tank has alot of depth for a 72g as vancat made reference to. Might also be the black background and blackened sides too that reduce look. Also waiting for the Cyperus to grow alittle more.


I really like it at lot also but I can see where that comment comes from, perhaps is because the wood pieces significantly covered the bolbitis and the moss and/or the relatively homogeneous green color across the scape? Could be an artifact from the dark backgroud as you say.

Take my comments with a large grain of calcium carbonate.. if I could achieve what you did with tank with my own hands I would be estatic!


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## Fishtory (Jan 21, 2009)

The scape is gorgeous. Of course, I expected it would be before I clicked the thread. 


houseofcards said:


> Kinda surprised by the depth comments since I actually think the tank has alot of depth for a 72g as vancat made reference to. Might also be the black background and blackened sides too that reduce look. Also waiting for the Cyperus to grow alittle more.


I think photographs in general reduce the depth, I'm always surprised that my own tank looks flattish in photos but I feel there's good depth in reality.


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## travis (Oct 5, 2004)

Very nice. I think the perceived lack of depth may be due to the lighting/bowfront/photograph. I'll bet in person it has an impressive sense of depth. The plants are all in prime health, too. That's excellent.


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## macclellan (Feb 28, 2007)

houseofcards said:


> Also waiting for the Cyperus to grow alittle more.


That should help. I see it peeking out the back there. That fills the same 'niche' as the val nana I suggested. Post pics when it's grown in!


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks for all those great comments. Yeah 72g bowfront is only 12" on the sides. Here's a similiar shot without the blackened sides.


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## Bunbuku (Feb 10, 2008)

Like it a lot better! More of a 3 dimensional feel to it. Why the name?


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## cah925 (Jun 23, 2007)

The second pic gives me the illusion that the tank is bigger.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Updated Pic.

Not much change from list pic that was about 3 weeks ago. One reason I'm enjoying this tank is that there isn't much to do. No stems to really trim and all other plants are slow growers, although I'm surprised at how fast the java fern grows in good light/co2. The fact that the tank stays in control based on plant selection and the java fern still lending a furious look to it with it's long leaves trying to break out is what inspired the name.


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## StevenLeeds (Jul 21, 2007)

Your tank was what inspired me to setup my nano the way I did. I really like the way it looks.

I hope to have a large tank like that someday.


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## macclellan (Feb 28, 2007)

Custom stand?


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## Veloth (Jun 25, 2008)

I like the way the tank looks. The idea of no pruning and replanting sounds great.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I love your tank. I think the name fits so well!!


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Tex Gal and Veloth:

Thanks much for your comments!

Macclellan:

No custom stand. It actually sits on a 5 1/2 foot server in my kitchen


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

More current pic. This pic has better color and sharpness. Photography is so key in this hobby to communicate. This tank has a canopy so the only lighting used for the pic is the cf lighting used on the tank.


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## SniperLk (May 25, 2008)

houseofcards said:


> More current pic. This pic has better color and sharpness. Photography is so key in this hobby to communicate.


I totally agree. Focal Length for instance plays a (very) big part in rendering the tank size.. And the quality of the lens is also important to have a good amount of details and sharpness. 
A beautiful aquarium could just look "ok" if taken with a compact camera.

Anyway congratulations for your tank, you did a great job 

edit : Could you please tell us what's your fertilization routine ? Thanks !


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

StevenLeeds:
Thank you very much for that nice comment. Sorry didn't see your reply on the bottom of the other page at first. Good luck with you tank.

SniperLK:
Thanks for the comment. The tank has an Aquasoil II substrate and I think is about 5 monts old so I've only dosed Pottassium and Micros so far, but am moving toward an EI dosing routine.


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## Vadimshevchuk (Jul 5, 2009)

i wish my tank would look like tht


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## SniperLk (May 25, 2008)

houseofcards said:


> StevenLeeds:
> 
> SniperLK:
> Thanks for the comment. The tank has an Aquasoil II substrate and I think is about 5 monts old so I've only dosed Pottassium and Micros so far, but am moving toward an EI dosing routine.


OK, thanks 

And do you have any high res pictures of that tank ? I'd love to see all the details !


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Very nice tank, I like "green" tanks as well where there is little or no pruning. I have a question, is that Blyxa japonica attached to the hardscape (rock/driftwood)? Is it attached the same way as Java fern? Do the roots eventually grip the hardscape by themselves like Java fern?


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks Seattle. No Blyxa attached to driftwood. The Blyxa is growing on top of itself thus the height. I also have the substrate higher in the center back to give add'l height as well.


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## gf225 (Mar 26, 2005)

That's got to be the best aquascaped bowfront I've seen!

I'm a big fan of low-maintenance layouts and this has been executed brilliantly.

The textures work really well together, they're very natural, and the open sand foreground is a great contrast providing added interest.

I'd be more than happy with this in my living space!

Super photography too!

How are you finding the Blyxa? It's a weed in my experience! 

Oh, and I love the title. Very appropriate!


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

George thanks for those nice compliments and your analysis of the aquascape. I know you have some amazing low maintenance scapes in your beautiful book of work. 

The Blyxa grows well, but not 'weed-like' for me. I think this is due to the height of the tank and the CF lighting that I don't believe penerates as well as some of the newer lighting.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Couple of more pics:


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## Veloth (Jun 25, 2008)

This tank get better with every new post. This is what a bow front should look like! Fantastic job.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

This tank is awesome. It shows expert plant care and a really good eye for design. 

I wish that the top margin of the plant growth were less even--it looks a little too much like a trimmed hedge to my eye, but that's just me.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

I think its absolutley STRIKING in all aspects of planted aquaria.

Any HC in there House?

Some close ups would be nice to see, too.


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## tcy81 (Sep 12, 2004)

very nice tank, can you post a closer look of your tank ?


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks for those great comments! 

Newt:
No HC. Keeping it low maintenance. There was some Hygro sp. roraima, but it's been pretty much pulled out since it took away from the constrast that the java fern gave against the Bobitius and moss.

I'll try to get closer pic, up in near future.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Added some Congo tetras:


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

house that's a very nice addition to that tank!!! i like how they compliment the layout and will really give the tank the movement it was looking for.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Tanks!


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## mountaindew (Jul 22, 2007)

Sweet!
Very well presented with your own style and flair.
md!


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Those congos are perfect in there.


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## AQUAMX (Jan 24, 2005)

This is a very beautiful and clean aquarium.

Well done


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## Wire Fox Terror (Apr 7, 2006)

This looks really nice! What other fish do you have in the tank and also, how many congos did you add? I'm thinking of adding some to mine after seeing this.


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

Beautiful
Nice job photographing it too


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks for those comments.

There are seven Congo tetras in there right now, with around 8 gold tetras, a few cardinals and a few fancy guppies that were in there when I started the tank. I'll probably add a few more Congos and more cardinals and keep it at a two species setup. At first I thought the Congos would be too large and ruin the scale, etc,, but with the thicker branches and thicker leaves of the setup it seems to work. There are also about 6 or 7 large Amano shrimp in there.


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## orlando (Feb 14, 2007)

Very well done Nicely executed, and great choice of fish... 

Oh! and the photos are great 

-Orlando


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## Wire Fox Terror (Apr 7, 2006)

Thanks for the info house, I was debating whether to add a small school to my 58, which also has several smaller tetras and I'm glad to hear that they'll do ok with them.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Orlando - Thanks for those nice comments! 

WFT - I've only had them a few days, but so far I see no aggression toward the smaller fish even the male fancy guppies.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Congos have really colored up nice:


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

Well, seems as if you settled on a very nice Tetra choice.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Those are nice. They look like they're plugged in.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Yep, definitely like these guys. I think they're a good size for the flora and tank size. They also seem to work well with a black background.


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## Wire Fox Terror (Apr 7, 2006)

They look great! Any chance of getting a full tank shot?


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Update:

Tank still going strong about 10 months after setup. Very little maintenance other than clipping the ferns,thinning out the blyxa and refreshing the sand so tank has lived up to it's promise of being low maintenance. One curious think is that I'm starting to see a slight dusting of brown particles on the plants. I'm not sure if it's diatoms or the breakdown from long-term use of Aquasoil II. I'm leaning toward the former but curious if anyone else has experienced this.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

houseofcards said:


> Update:
> 
> Tank still going strong about 10 months after setup. Very little maintenance other than clipping the ferns,thinning out the blyxa and refreshing the sand so tank has lived up to it's promise of being low maintenance. One curious think is that I'm starting to see a slight dusting of brown particles on the plants. I'm not sure if it's diatoms or the breakdown from long-term use of Aquasoil II. I'm leaning toward the former but curious if anyone else has experienced this.


Hi Jeff,

The tank is still looking great, and I like the aquariums that you feature in your Blog as well. I have to agree with you, probably Diatoms. I have a 45 gallon with natural gravel where the plants grow great. It has been set up for about 15 months and Diatoms are starting to show up here and there in the last month or so. When this happened in a smaller tank, I just added a couple of extra Ottos and they took care of it in a few weeks. Let us know how it turns out!


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## GrandePippo (May 28, 2008)

It is the work of people like House of Cards that is my main inspiration. I kept on my desktop a picture of another one of his aquariums (a small one that resembles Central Park rocks) and this gentleman is becoming something of an example of how you should address aquascaping. 

Thank you for your work!


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Seattle,
Thanks for those comments. Yeah I agree I'll try a school of otos see what happens.

GrandPippo,
Wow, thanks for those words, I really appreciate it and glad you enjoy my scapes.


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## bosmahe1 (May 14, 2005)

houseofcards said:


> Update:
> 
> Tank still going strong about 10 months after setup. Very little maintenance other than clipping the ferns,thinning out the blyxa and refreshing the sand so tank has lived up to it's promise of being low maintenance. One curious think is that I'm starting to see a slight dusting of brown particles on the plants. I'm not sure if it's diatoms or the breakdown from long-term use of Aquasoil II. I'm leaning toward the former but curious if anyone else has experienced this.


Awesome tank! When I'm tired of trimming stems, I know who I'm going to copy.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Well I think I've diagnosed the small brown particles that have been appearing on some of the plants. This picture shows some rocks that form the border between the Aquasoil II and the sand. After 10 months the Aquasoil II has broken down into a powder and is now slipping between the cracks in the border as you can see in this picture. What I noticed next was really interesting. After the brown power (AS II) slipped through the cracks the Amano shrimp in the tank would start sifting through it for goodies. This lifted it up and allowed the flow from the filter to move the fine powder around the tank where it got trapped mainly in the moss. I have other tanks with Aquasoil I and have never had this issue.










First I thought it might be a diatom issue, but the other plants and stuff higher up are very pristine and don't show any issue.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

I can see that the tank has matured wonderfully, House.

Glad to hear you dont have a fungal issue or some other plant disease issue.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks Newt. Yes tank has matured and has really proven low maintenance, but the breakdown of the AS II has proven to be a bit of a problem for a long-term setup like this.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I really think AS II is a poor product. This happened in my tank, but much sooner. I'd never use it again.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Tex Gal said:


> I really think AS II is a poor product. This happened in my tank, but much sooner. I'd never use it again.


I would have to agree. Definitely not for a long-term scape and/or one that you will be uprooting, rearranging. Couple of new pics from tank. I'll put up a full tank shot once it do some trimming.


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## Chris Noto (Aug 10, 2005)

houseofcards said:


> Couple of new pics from tank. I'll put up a full tank shot once it do some trimming.


It's a beautiful aquascape, HC, and you have posted some great pics of it, nicely composed, and with well chosen exposure. I've been subscribed to this thread for some time, lurking, until now, and enjoying it greatly.

I hope you'll consider a couple of things for your next photo session. One would be the removal of hardware for the duration of the shoot. Many things can be easily photoshopped out, but, except for the most painstaking work, there are usually some artifacts of the process that remain behind. Secondly, it would be wonderful if you could post your images in a bit higher resolution format, something like 1024 wide, perhaps, so that we could enjoy the detail that's in the images that much better.

Thanks again for sharing your work with us here at APC.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

Absolutley beautiful.
I'm so jealous of your work and success.

Sorry to hear about the substrate issue. I havent used manmade substrate because of the short life span I keep reading about.


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

houseofcards said:


>


by far my favorite picture ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:cheer2: my new desktop pictures


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks for those comments! Glad you like the pics.

I usually use this size resolution in the forums since their more manageable and easier to look at. Funny thing 'bout the equipment. If you look at the first pic with the cardinals in it. You could see the intake in the upper left. That is actually going to an eheim 2215 which comes with green intakes (?). Since I have a black background the green looked bad, so I purchased the eheim intake kit and that is better but it's still not black more like smoke. I did this in an attempt to not take the equipment out everytime I take pics. So it proved very difficult to find a 1/2" intake so I finally just went to Home Depot and purchased 1/2" pvc and did a little DIY to get it to work, but the suction cups and strainer are still smoke color. I guess I have to change those as well, LOL.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Hard to believe this setup is a year old already. When I looked back I realized I added plants in Jan'09. Here are a few more pics 1 year in.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi houseofcards,

Like fine wine it seems to be getting better with age!


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

what is the moss in this tank?


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

Breath taking as usual.
You are gifted.
I really love the fish you chose for this tank.:cheer2:

Bratboy, I believe its Peacock Moss.


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

k clears that up lol


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks alot Seattle and Newt! 

Braty, Newt is correct. It's all Peacock Moss.


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## keviv (Feb 17, 2009)

Wow, thats a great bowfront!! Great work, House.
Vivek


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Beautiful!


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## flashbang009 (Aug 6, 2009)

One thing that sets this tank apart is how natural the plant locations look. It doesn't look as though they were placed there, but rather that they grew naturally. Job very well done. I'd be interested in seeing a picture of the initial hardscape before the plants were added.


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## fish dork (Dec 5, 2007)

Amazing! I like it a lot... so natural and I don't see any algae. Like someone else said, you are gifted.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks Keviv, Tex, Flash and Fish dork. I'll see about getting a pic up of just the hardscape, but I'm usually kinda shy about showing a bare tank in public.


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## flashbang009 (Aug 6, 2009)

Hahahah, it's ok, we've already seen the finished product  Look forward to seeing it.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

A few New pics:


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## doubleott05 (Jul 20, 2005)

very nice


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks Elliot!


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## chadly (Dec 19, 2005)

well, I would have to say I've never seen this tank before and it looks great! Good composition of plants. I am a sucker for green tanks. This style is one of my favorites..

What did you end up doing w/ the val nana? Is it in here?


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Chadly - Thanks for the comments. The Val is currently in a grow out tank as I decide how to use it. I was thinking of putting it in here, but the helferi is doing really well and I didn't want to mess with it.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Little update:

This tank is still setup, but I've reduced it to pretty much a giant java fern mountain. I'm slowing taking it down as I'll move to a bigger custom tank.


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## wet (Nov 24, 2008)

Still looks rad though.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

wet said:


> Still looks rad though.


Thanks Man!


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