# [Wet Thumb Forum]-show tanks from Tropica



## plantella (Feb 5, 2004)

For a inspire, I want to show you two tanks from the petfair Zoomark 2003 in April this year.

Install by Ole Pedersen from Tropica Danmark.
www.tropica.com

For me, he is one of the best aquarium designer in europe. Every year he makes a lot of aquarium special for fairs and every year he have new pretty ideas. He had a very depp knowledge about keeping and growing aquatic plants. Every time we come together he can tell me some new story about the aquatic plants.

I'll take my hat off, to you Ole































































Grettings

Oliver Knott
www.plantella.com


----------



## António Vitor1 (Feb 2, 2003)

lovely!!!
thanks fo the pics Oliver


----------



## Guest (May 4, 2003)

Beautiful indeed. I love the placement of the rocks in second tank. What kind of rock is it ?

Join as at www.njas.net


----------



## Jon Mulzer (Mar 9, 2003)

I too like the placement of the rocks. The way the long, narrow stone leads your eye to the right side of the tank into the patch of plants. Very nice. Wish I were capable of such wizardry.

Disclaimer: Any errors in spelling, tact, or fact are transmission errors.


----------



## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

It looks almost like some sort of sedimentary rock, we'll have to get Roger to look at it. 

with the smooth dark texture, my only other guess would be basalt.

Proverbs 3:7-8


----------



## plantella (Feb 5, 2004)

I ask Ole from Tropica via email what stones he use by this tank. When I have the answer I write a message.

Perhaps he use some local stones from Danmark ?


----------



## plantella (Feb 5, 2004)

I have find 3 pics more, from different layouts by Ole Pedersen from Tropica. Install last year for Interzoo 2002 (biggest petfair every 2 year in Nürnberg/Germany)at the Tropica booth.

The pics are a little bit small, but I hope youn can see something.

Ole Pedersen at work:









The tank from the first picture:
Pellia and Hemianthus at the front and the sides
and Hygrophila polysperma "rosanervig" in the middle around the stones.









Different Microsorum on wood and Pellia as carpet:









The CUBA tank.
Only new plants from Cuba using.
Proserpinaca palustris (right)
Ludwigia spec. "CUBA" (left)
Hemianthus callitrichoides (front):









I hope my description of the tanks a right, it is one year ago.









Copyright for the pictures by www.tropica.com Danmark.

Grettings

Oliver

www.plantella.com


----------



## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

It really shows how much influence Amano has had, now you are seeing it from what would normaly be traditional Dutch/German.

Robert
King admin
www.aquabotanic.com


----------



## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

Robert, your comment is really quite thought provoking. Europeans have been designing "Dutch style" aquarium for so long that this is a change from the norm. Most of the forum members seem to favour the Dutch style even though we ooh and ah at Amano's work. I think the Biotope is the other new frontier for aquarium design and Amano seemed to fashion one, at least it seems so by the picture in a recent thread posted here.

I wonder what the next generation of designers has in store for us? Could a retro tank using sunken ships be right around the corner? Maybe a slick multi-coloured tank using strange materials is on the horizon. Sponge Bob Square Pants tanks may be our next trend setter.

Regards,
Carlos

==============================
I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


----------



## 2la (Feb 3, 2003)

Carlos, have you seen this book before? One example of a suggested aquascape is to stick egg beaters in the gravel in a tank with zebra danios. Umm, riiiiiiiight...


----------



## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Yes, and what is strange is Amano has made some displays that look more Dutch than anything else. The world is topsie turvy!









Robert
King admin
www.aquabotanic.com


----------



## Birgit & Wolfgang (Feb 5, 2003)

Wow, Oliver,
thanks for the pics. They allow a great deal of new ideas.
Now what is that foreground plant in the first three pictures. Hemianthus callitrichoides? I don´t actually think so. Any more info?

Do you have experience with either pellia or h.c.? What about growth speed? I am looking for a new foreground plant, and I don´t want to buy a lot of pots from tropica (I guess you know why).

www.naturaquarium.at
view some of our pictures


----------



## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

LOL, Robert, I know what you mean. I just set up an Amano tank too!
















I've found it very interesting over the past few years to see the evolution of aquascaping. The internet has opened up so many avenues of communication. Seeing Ole Pederson doing a Nature Aquarium and Amano doing a Dutch-style aquascape and the rest of us doing something a little in-between makes a great study.

Carlos brought up a good point too. Art evolves in strange directions..what about those Hong Kong "landscape" aquascapes? Aquariums that look like little farms complete with ceramic livestock? Who knows? I just hope we all enjoy the ride.

Proverbs 3:7-8


----------



## plantella (Feb 5, 2004)

> quote:
> 
> Hemianthus callitrichoides? I don´t actually think so. Any more info?


Heminathus callitrichoides is the smallest plant for the foreground I know (till now).
The CUBA tank was the premiere tank with this plants. Mr.Holger Windelov (owner of Tropica) has collect this plants in Cuba.

The leaves from this plants are very, very small. I test this plants together with Eleocharis acicularis in one tank at the moment.
I must search for pictures where you can see details from the plants.
On this picture you can see the Hemianthus between the Eleocharis (as small green carpets), but the picture is not so good:










Many light and many CO² like the most small foreground plants they need. In the first week the are a little difficult, but when the first submers leaves come it is a very thankful plant.

I think H.calli can be a good foreground plant for you.

Pellia grows a little bit like Riccia, but not so fast. And they need not so much light like Riccia. Just as Riccia you must try to hold Pellia on the ground.

I don't have experience with Pellia in my tanks, but I see a wonderful tank with Pellia by Tropica in Danmark. And the tank was many months old. Perhaps I have some picture more from this tank:









www.plantella.com


----------



## Guest (May 6, 2003)

There's a nice brown algae that's one of the few browns that's native to the Pacific Northwest.

Heribaudiella fluvitalis is somewhat similar but a brown algae.Likes cold water though.
Not sure how'd it do.

There are a number of liverworts still to try out also along with many other plants if folks would go out and see what they have in their local regions.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


Regards, 
Tom Barr


----------



## IUnknown (Feb 24, 2004)

Couple more pictures of Heminathus callitrichoides. Anyone know where to get this plant?

























[This message was edited by IUnknown on Fri May 23 2003 at 09:02 PM.]


----------



## plantella (Feb 5, 2004)

I have find some pictures more from Hemi.calli. in a tank from me.

At the day of setting:









After 10 weeks the Eleocharis "over-growth" the Hemianthus:



























I only know that Tropica (Danmark) sell Heminathus callitrichoides in Europe, but in the USA in don't know. Sorry.

Greetings Oliver


----------



## SoCalSar (Feb 4, 2003)

Regarding the rocks in the tank at the top- they look like blue granite to me. I suspect you could find it "raw" at places that specialize in using rock as interior decorating material. Don't know where it's found in the wild but I've definitely seen it before.


----------



## Wheeler (Feb 8, 2004)

The proper name for "blue granite" is blue gneiss-- pronounced "nice". It's everywhere here in Delaware. In fact the local AA ball club is named the Wilmington Blue Rocks. It looks like doo-doo with plants, especially red ones.

That's not what is in that pic. I'm pretty sure it's some type of igneous rock or metamorphic rock of igneous origins if it was found in Denmark. It's probably just basalt. Look at the detail shot and you'll see. The grain size is far too small to be a gneiss, let alone a granite.

The rock in the Cuba tank is almost certainly Basalt.

Man alive those pics are stunning. I think the US is ready for Pellia. Shoot-- I just got Gratiola! I'm way behind. Pretty soon that stuff'll be in every tank and there'll be some other plant to lust after. At least this one's green









Best wishes,
John Wheeler


----------



## Guest (May 8, 2003)

John,

Do you have any pictures of blue granite ?. I might take a road trip from NJ.

Join as at www.njas.net


----------



## Wheeler (Feb 8, 2004)

Jay,

I can get you a pic tonight. I'll send one to your email if I can get that off of your profile-- I don't have a way to post one here unless someone wants to host it for me. Maybe you could do that?

They use blue rock in all of the drainage ditches here. It's basically the local quarry and so abundant that it's almost hhard to find other stuff. There's also some granite here that's almost pure orthoclase and hornblende. Pretty neat.

Best wishes,
John Wheeler


----------



## Guest (May 8, 2003)

John,

Send the picture to [email protected] and I will host it.

Let's see those rocks if they are worth the trip







. Do you have them in your tanks ?.

Join as at www.njas.net


----------



## Wheeler (Feb 8, 2004)

Jay,

No, I don't use them-- As I said in my first post, I don't think they look good with red plants. HOWEVER, I have not let them "mature" in a set-up. In other words, they may look great with a film of algae/bacteria on them, but I don't have that kind of patience.

The blue rock with green and yellow plants may be nice, though. The Tropica pics sure did have a blue cast to the rock and it looked great with greens....

I'll send a pic tonight-- I'm at school right now.

Best wishes,
John Wheeler


----------



## plantella (Feb 5, 2004)

Ole Pedersen from Tropica told me that he bought the stone from a wholesaler in Germany.

The wholesaler think it was the stone called "Mini Landscape" (!?) that Ole use in this tank with Pellia.

When you want to take a look to the hompage from the wholesaler: www.aquadeco.com (also in English)

In a Kopenhagen(Danmark)retailer shop they sell this stone as "Vietnam stones". The same stones ! But with this "name" you can demand more money









Thats buisness...


----------



## plantella (Feb 5, 2004)

I have find 2 pictures more from Pellia, in the Tropica Tank:


----------



## Guest (May 8, 2003)

I'm getting some Pellia from Scott Hieber next week. I just have to drive an hour to his house and pick it up. Karen Randall told me that she could send some for me when she comes back from Europe trip.

Let's spread this plant in US now so its available for others.

Join as at www.njas.net


----------



## Birgit & Wolfgang (Feb 5, 2003)

I had some similar stones once in my riccia setup.
I designed a wallpaper once with those stones. They were collected in Austria (near Kitzbühel) and they were for free







. Unfortunately they are very very heavy stones.

Here is the link: Wallpaper riccia setup (116k)

I guess I really need to get that pellia and callitrichoides. They will fit into the setup I am going for with wood (or stones) and java fern narrow leaf. Oh my good, I so much need to get those...

www.naturaquarium.at
view some of our pictures


----------



## plantella (Feb 5, 2004)

Hy Jay,

I have made one intersting experience with Pellia.

In new fresh tanks (first 3-4 weeks) without any pollution (I hope it is the right word







) or nutrients you must be very careful with Pellia. They don't like this and it is possible that the Pellia dies very quickly. They lost the colours and its than it is over.
It is a little bit peculiar.

I only see a phenomenon like this by salt water algae (Caulerpa), but this have other reasons.

Greetings and many success with growing Pellia.

Oliver Knott
www.plantella.com


----------



## Guest (May 8, 2003)

Oliver,

Do you mean that this plant is very sensitive in non-fertilized tanks, basically a high-tech plant ?

Join as at www.njas.net


----------



## plantella (Feb 5, 2004)

Jay,

very sensitive in non-fertilized tank, yes that can be possible, but it was only one experience from me. Perhaps it was only an accident in this tank. 
Pellia is a relative new plant, and we need more experience with this.

Here is a stone with Pellia, 3 weeks after setting the tank. Looks not good

















A other stone in the same tank likewise 3 weeks after setting. Looks good now, but 1 week after this picture this stone dies like the stone above:









X-file......

Oliver

www.plantella.com


----------



## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Pellia seems to be pretty popular with ramshorns snails. The stuff I got in a trade came in as mush and I just tossed it in the tank and gave up. A while later it started showing up as larger, healthier pieces. Some of it looked ragged on the edges so I took it out temporarily and removed a couple hundred ramshorns. SAEs wouldn't eat it, would they? I think that's the only other possibility. 

Probably just a few more snails to go at this point. Now I'll be trying to figure out how to attach it to driftwood.


----------



## Wheeler (Feb 8, 2004)

From where does Pellia hail, North America? 

Is it completely aquatic or will it grow emmerse?

Best wishes,
John Wheeler


----------



## plantella (Feb 5, 2004)

The Pellia endiviaefolia that Tropica sells is from Asia. But it seems that the scientifially name from this plant is wrong. I try to get more information.

In nature Pellia is growing over and under water. But in the greenhouse they grow this plant only emers.

Very difficult is it to plant it on driftwoods, because the small roots can't hold really the plant on the wood. I have try some Pellia on driftwood, but after few day they remove from the wood. You still must make it like the Ricca carpets.

Grettings

Oliver


----------



## Cipla (Apr 25, 2003)

Plantella, the shop that is selling those "Vietnamese decorationrocks" is "Planteimporten" (in english "The plant import"). I think they cost aprox. $2 per. kilo. 

The name that place got is kinda weird, because their plant selection is not very large.

- Lars


----------



## plantella (Feb 5, 2004)

Hy Lars,

very intersting and the price is really ok. In Germany I think you must pay more than 4 Euro per Kilo (by a retailer).

Mange hilsener og en smuk dag til dig !

Oliver
www.plantella.com


----------



## Cipla (Apr 25, 2003)

4 euro is not that bad, a regular price in DK for rocks.

Also.....

Viele Begrüßungen und ich hoffen, daß Sie einen guten Tag haben werden!

I dont know if it is spelled right, i've used the first online-translator i could find at google









- Glud


----------



## andrea dis (May 14, 2003)

H.Calli.

...anni ed anni a pensare un acquario come un contenitore di pesci 
e non come un pezzetto di natura incastonato tra i vetri.........


----------



## Cipla (Apr 25, 2003)

Oh boy, oh boy.... I've just got to get my hand on that plant! IMO it look better than glosso, probably because glosso is so common.

The downside is that the H. calli is almost _impossible_ to get here in Denmark.


----------



## imported_Svennovitch (Feb 1, 2003)

Glud,

how is that possible????
You are living right next door to Tropica


----------



## plantella (Feb 5, 2004)

Ciao Andrea,

I have seen your homepage, especially the

*Gli Acquari di - Takashi Amano - Home page*

is just one of the best I see














bella...
Very innovative !!! My compliment

Do you visit the 1° Simposio Nazionale Sull'Acquario Naturale with Takashi Amano in Bologna at April ?

Grettings 
Oliver
www.plantella.com


----------



## plantella (Feb 5, 2004)

Dear Glud,

I can't believe it too....is there no retailer who sell Tropica plants in your region ?

Last year I visit Tropica in September and I have seen fields of Hemian.calli.







wonderful


----------



## Guest (May 14, 2003)

Ciao Andrea,

I am speechless. Your website is unbelievable.

After looking at your vacation pictures from Greece I started to miss Europe. Born and raised in La Polonia









Ciao Bella









Join as at www.njas.net


----------



## Cipla (Apr 25, 2003)

Yeah, it's kinda weird that i cant get it anywhere. I googled after it, but only came up with one result, but from an old website. As Tropica only sell engro i cant buy it directly from them. I'm not even sure that my lfs (ZooCity) do carry it, despite their large plant selection.


----------



## plantella (Feb 5, 2004)

I am sure that the stuff in ZooCity can order you the H.calli from Tropica.
3 years ago I visit this shop (is the big shop near Kopenhagen?!)and I know that they sell Tropica plants.
Ask them.


----------



## Birgit & Wolfgang (Feb 5, 2003)

Andrea, dove avete ottenuto quella parte di legno per il vostro 132l! Ciò è stupefacente. Non posso trovare qualcosa di simile in Austria!

a proposito: il vostro website e le vostre immagini sono stupefacenti! Capite l'inglese? Sarà molto più facile da comunicare (questo messaggio è stato tradotto da un software)

www.naturaquarium.at
view some of our pictures


----------



## Maurizio (May 14, 2003)

Jay has moved my answer here...

Hi all, and thanks for compliments for web and photos.

Here some other information about Hemianthus callitrichoides. It wants a lot of light, and easily withers with few light. The roots are very small and, for my experience, they need water circolation.

Andrea used the Hemianthus as foreground's plant:










But he tested also to tie it to the woods, with success:










My best Wishes,
Maurizio Nicosia


----------



## Cipla (Apr 25, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> (is the big shop near Kopenhagen?!)


Yes, it's not very far from Copenhagen, it is in Rodore. Ive just contacted them to hear if they got it. Now, i'm actually pretty sure that i saw it the last time i went there


----------



## Birgit & Wolfgang (Feb 5, 2003)

Hahahahaha









www.naturaquarium.at
view some of our pictures


----------

