# A new scape with the old name: Hope for Rain 2



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

About one month ago, I've decided to rescape my old tank, which was my first attempt on ryouboku, but had some mistakes with driftwood formation. So now I've tried to create ryoboku style aquascape, but payed much more attention to driftwoods and composition.

Lightning: 6 x 23 w, Philips NDL Tornado energy savers-6500 K.

Filtration:Sump and Hang on filter with suface skimmer, total flow rate 2500 l/h.

CO2: DIY yeast and sugar, with also DIY diffuser. I have a pressurized CO2 bottle with manometers but I couldn't find a needle valve so I am a bit afraid to turn this ting without it.

Substrate: 2-5cm layer of peat with some clay, and 3-8 cm of gravel 1-3 mm granulation above.

Hardscape: vine grape driftwood covered with java moss, and some stones, which last week I covered with Riccia.

Plant used are: 
_Microsorum Windelow
Microsorum narrow
Bolbitis heudeloti
Anubias nana
Valisneria nana
Crynum thaianum
Vesicularia sp.
Monosolenium tennerum
Cryptocoryne becketi ver. petchi
Echinodorus tennelus
Rotalla sp. green
Rotala nanjenshan
Rotala rotundifolia
Hemianthus micranthemoides
Hydrocotyle dissecta
Glossostigma elatinoides
and Riccia sp._

So one month ago, it started like this.










Soon after the setup, I decided to cut old and long leaves of Valisneria nana, because it created to much shade for Rotalas. And two weeks ago I looked like this:



















Last week, I decided to ad one driftwood, to improve the appearance of the right side, and also I shif one driftwood more to the back. Also, I added some Riccia on the stones to smooth the transition from Glosso to Monosolenium. Valisneria nana, started to grow out behind Rotalas, which was the idea in the begging.

So now it looks like this:



















I did not have major algae issues, only some of green harry looking algae on mosses (maybe staghorn?), but I managed soon to put this in control, and they are reduced.

I ad 5 ml of Easy Life Easy Carbo daily (in the second week, when algae started to appeare I incresed the dosage on 10 ml daily, but now it is 5 ml again). In the second week I started dosing 0,5 ml Nutrafn NPK, 1 ml Easy Life Pro fito and 0,3 ml Easy Life Ferro every 3rd day, and gradually increased the dosage to 2ml of NPK, 2 ml of Pro fito and 0,5 ml of Ferro every second day.


----------



## waterfaller1 (Jul 12, 2006)

It's great! Are there fish?


----------



## xavierj123 (Aug 24, 2008)

It really looks nice. I am always looking at the stones/rocks in the aquascaping. What kind are they? Are they local or did you have to buy them?


----------



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

Thanks guys.

Fishes there are Hasemmania nana and Megalophodus megalopterus (15 specimens of each). 

Stones are local, I pick them in one mountain near my home town. The petrografic typology refers to them as amphibolits in late phase of distruction. So theye are not massive but in layers of plates.


----------



## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

You have a beautiful aquarium. I can already see it with the thick glosso carpet and a midground full of sparkling Riccia. You've done a great job of making transitions between plants and parts of the tank.


----------



## chagovatoloco (Nov 17, 2007)

I agree you have done a wonderful job here.


----------



## Blue_Dolphinvn (Nov 12, 2006)

Nice scape!
How about your lighting system? do you use the normal lamps? what's the parameter?


----------



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

Thanks guys. Lightning system is described above - 6 x 23 w, Philips energy savers (compact flour) - 6500 K. Photo period 8 - 10 hours.

Here are todays pictures, before the trim which I will do tomorrow.


----------



## Pinto (Mar 22, 2008)

nice scape, like the driftwood formation


----------



## bioch (Apr 8, 2006)

what size is that tank?


----------



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

Thank pinto. Bioch, the size is 100x50x50 cm.


----------



## greenjoe (Jan 14, 2006)

The scape has developed nicely! It looks wild, yet still controlled making it appear more natural.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Jul 26, 2008)

I like the center piece wood alot. It really pops.


----------



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

Thank guys.

Today I have put a white background, and seems to me much better (but maybe this is because of the change). Here are the pics. Does bright background fits better to this layout?




























And here are some details.


----------



## butacska (Mar 1, 2008)

The light background seems much better for me, I am loving it. beautiful tank. Congrats.


----------



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

thanks butacska. Here is a litle darker picture with the bright background








.


----------



## blue33 (Mar 17, 2008)

Do you have a close up of the lights. Does it get hot easily with this type of lighting. Amazing grow. :thumbsup:


----------



## 4f1hmi (Mar 29, 2008)

УДИВИТЕЛЬНЫЙ Aquascape! ХОРОШАЯ РАБОТА! GOT IT TRANSLATED


----------



## chagovatoloco (Nov 17, 2007)

good way do display the difference between the two back rounds. What did you use for the white? The lighter color sure dose brighten it up.


----------



## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

1 vote for the dark background. Nice work!


----------



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

Thanks everyone.

About the lightning, I will post pictures of lamps tomorrow (I forgot to photograph it today). I have used a custom lamp stand, and adjusted it for the Energy saver lamps, and it is not getting hot at all, since the lamps are only 23 w.

Here is an update. Rotundifolia and nanjenshan are getting reddish, and everything else is developing great.


----------



## blue33 (Mar 17, 2008)

This is getting more exciting on the lighting, i didn't realize energy saving lamp can be use on planted tank and the result shown is really fantastic. Thanks for sharing such a great info!  Are those just normal screw in lamp holder that can be easily bought?


----------



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

Yes, normal screw. I have just replaced a plastic screws that were in the table lamps, with a ceramic ones. Actually a price of theses table lamps was about 2 dollars ( made in China), I have replaced screws, cables and switches and that have cost me about 3 dollars per one lamp. And finally when you add energy savers (Philips Tornado, NDL, 965, 6500 K) which are 8 dollars, you get 13 USD in total, times 6. The whole lightning cost me about 80 dollars. and you can see the results whit such cheap lamps.

The same lightning I have on my iwagumi, and for the aquarium plants which I grow emersed in pots.

So they are cheap and effective!


----------



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

Here are the pictures.

So the adjusted table lamp looks like this.



















I remove the screw which was originally made of plastic and put a ceramic one, looking like this:



















Also I have changed the cable and put the switch and finally the energy saver.










The energy saver package looks like this:










and the light ball is this:










It is quite simple, and cheap.


----------



## blue33 (Mar 17, 2008)

Thanks for sharing such a detail lighting setup. Does the lamp inside comes with good reflector? How to tell the Philips lamp is 6500k, is it from the model NDL 965, the 65=6500k? You have just gave me an ideal to setup my new lighting for my tank. Thanks!


----------



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

Yes, and I made a mistake it is not NDL 965, but CDL 865. This CDL means cool day light and in 865, 65 means 6500 K, and 8 means something about the lamp efficiency.

Here is one link of these energy savers characteristics.

http://www.idealo.de/preisvergleich/Product/1155035.html


----------



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

There is another, more precise link. Just follow the marks of the lamp - CDL 865, because they also are produced as Warm White (about 3000 K), Day light (about 4000 K) and Neutral Day light (I think they are 5200 K).

http://www.prismaecat.lighting.philips.com/ecat/Light/ApplicationRouter.aspx?fh_secondid=929689837401_2&fh_reftheme=hu_HU_promo_75140920%2cseeall%2c%2f%2fprof%2fhu_HU%2fcategories%3c%7bfepplg%7d%2fcountries%3e%7bhu_HU%7d%2fstatus%3e%7bact%7d%2fcategories%3c%7bc_0002fepplg_75_ep01%7d%2fcategories%3c%7bc_0022fepplg_1155_ep01lcfi%7d%2fcategories%3c%7bc_0032fepplg_1182_ep01lsl%7d&fh_location=%2f%2fprof%2fhu_HU%2fcategories%3c%7bfepplg%7d%2fcountries%3e%7bhu_HU%7d%2fstatus%3e%7bact%7d%2fcategories%3c%7bc_0002fepplg_75_ep01%7d%2fcategories%3c%7bc_0022fepplg_1155_ep01lcfi%7d%2fcategories%3c%7bc_0032fepplg_1182_ep01lsl%7d%2fcategories%3c%7bf_0022fepplg_1182_phl_ctoresav%7d&fh_eds=%c3%9f&fh_refview=lister&tab=&family=&&left_nav=hu_hu&


----------



## blue33 (Mar 17, 2008)

Thanks! Do you have a pic of the reflector inside the lamp holder? Thanks.


----------



## cotranchau_vn (Nov 18, 2006)

Fantastic and unbelievable . How many light do you need for your tank? 
By the way Vojs, do you know what fern is it? I had the same one with you but I'm not sure the name of this. 


>


Thank you!


----------



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

blue33 I will take a picture of this detail.

Thanks cotranchau_vn, Lightning is 6x23 w, and specification are in the posts above.

The fern on the picture i Microsorum pterupos var. narrow


----------



## 954baby (Feb 8, 2008)

sick tank


----------



## hedson_25 (Sep 20, 2005)

hello, 
please do not take offense, i like your tank alot, but when i saw it the first impression was seems like a monster... 
i have to say very original.


----------



## gsmitchell (Feb 24, 2007)

The tank is beautiful. I love the texture change from foreground to midground. Your use of microsorum and bolbitus is excellent in the "island." My eye wanders around the tank, constantly finding more interesting features to focus on. The colors of the fish also complement the tank perfectly. The driftwood sticking up from the island provides the perfect transition to the stem plants in the background. 

I think that I might have liked the dark background better, it made the whole setup more mysterious, and made the tank seem deeper, at least in the pictures. Overall, an amazing tank.

Greg


----------



## Lucs (Jan 27, 2008)

Very nice tank!

Many people here in Brazil, like Rony Suzuki and me, often use these lamps, specially for nanos, since the lamps for planted aquariuns and T5s are very expensive here. But I had never seen anyone using those desk lamp supports, very creative!

See ya!


----------



## AQUADWELLER (Dec 16, 2008)

A beautiful setup! Are the dates correct that you had that much growth in two weeks then the final shot in a month? Just a personal preference I prefer a dark background.


----------



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

hedson_25 said:


> hello,
> please do not take offense, i like your tank alot, but when i saw it the first impression was seems like a monster...
> i have to say very original.


thanks hedson, in the begining it did seem like a monster.


----------



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

gsmitchell said:


> The tank is beautiful. I love the texture change from foreground to midground. Your use of microsorum and bolbitus is excellent in the "island." My eye wanders around the tank, constantly finding more interesting features to focus on. The colors of the fish also complement the tank perfectly. The driftwood sticking up from the island provides the perfect transition to the stem plants in the background.
> 
> I think that I might have liked the dark background better, it made the whole setup more mysterious, and made the tank seem deeper, at least in the pictures. Overall, an amazing tank.
> 
> Greg


Thanks Greg, for this very thorough critique. About dark background, I think pictures are much better with light one, and in person it seems better with dark background.


----------



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

Lucs said:


> Very nice tank!
> 
> Many people here in Brazil, like Rony Suzuki and me, often use these lamps, specially for nanos, since the lamps for planted aquariuns and T5s are very expensive here. But I had never seen anyone using those desk lamp supports, very creative!
> 
> See ya!


Thanks lucs,

Well I tried to get things done with lowest costs possible. Other problem here in Serbia, is that quality lightning is difficult to be found and it is always very expensive if shipped from abroad.


----------



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

AQUADWELLER said:


> A beautiful setup! Are the dates correct that you had that much growth in two weeks then the final shot in a month? Just a personal preference I prefer a dark background.


Yes dates are correct, the setup is made in the bigging of september and the last pictures here are from begging of december. However this was not a final shot.


----------



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

Well I was very, very busy lately, so I did not send updates often.

Any way to continue where I sopped.

November the 12th.










December the 7th



















And here are pics from today























































These can be considered as a final shots, but the settup will remain as it is, for a while, and maybe I ll shoot some better finals.

It is getting more wild and more nature like, every day. On the other side, it is very difficult for trimming and maintenance, so I am letting it to be wilder.


----------



## voultou (Jul 3, 2008)

Impressive...
The depth render is stunning, the plants are perfectly healthy !
Maybe one flaw : I have the impression (maybe false) that the roots are positionned on a same line.


----------



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

Thanks voultou.


----------



## soler (Jan 5, 2009)

Very impressive! I thought I saw (I could be mistaken) a window in one of the pictures... Does the tank get any ambient sunlight throughout the day?


----------



## Vojs (Apr 5, 2007)

Thanks soler. 

Yes window is behind the tank, but it receives only a little amount of direct sunlight in the morning, since the room faces East. And behind the tank there are few big Ficus benjaminas so they create some shade on it.


----------

