# 48l My new project



## Norbert Sabat (Jun 26, 2004)

Hi, it's me again .

This is my second tank in my "two tank project"

64x30x25cm (25"x12"x10" 12.7gal)
light: 2x18W philips TLD 965
filteration: AquaClear 150
CO2: 4.4kg 
plants: taiwan moss, rotala spec.green, lilaeopsis brasilensis
animals: shrimps, otos and two other fish










day2










day18










day30


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## antreasgr (Nov 28, 2004)

very nice tank.but i think the center rock is very big or its just me.


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## LukeG (Mar 8, 2005)

I like the center rock, it makes a nice focal point. I like the way you kept it simple without too many different types of plants, looks like the tank is growing out nicely.


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## tsunami (Jan 24, 2004)

That's one huge boulder, Norbert. Let's see how it works out once all the plants grow in and around it.

Carlos


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## pineapple (May 4, 2004)

A lovely river rock. Nicely water worn. If it was my aquarium design, I would omit the stem plants and stick with moss, Eleocharis, E. tennelus, Blyxa...

Andrew Cribb


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## Leopardess (Mar 14, 2004)

I like the rock; it is original. I can't think of many aquascapes that use such a rock, especially singularly. The smoothness of it just makes it fit well in a tank.

I like the rotala on the left, but I'm not sure how I feel about it on the right.


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

very unique boulder. what happened to the reds?


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## depthc (Mar 7, 2004)

Looking good. That boulder looks quiet nice i must say, unique looking so i must say good find. 

Andrew


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

I love the big rock! Beautiful 'scape!


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## david lim (Mar 30, 2004)

Awesome looking tank. Very well done with the large rock. I do feel like the right side could use some larger rocks to balance the hardscape too, but it still looks great. Good job!


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## fishfry (Apr 15, 2004)

I think the big rock looks great. Not many people use tall rocks like that, and I think the more the plants grow around it the smaller it will look.


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## Norbert Sabat (Jun 26, 2004)

Hi









Thanks for comments

It's true, that's one huge boulder . Sometimes i think its too big but sometimes i say "it's perfect". I'm just wonder have this scape will be look in future (next 3-4weeks).

Sorry for my bad english but maybe you're understand me  :



turtlehead said:


> what happened to the reds?


Well, this red plant (Myriophyllum tuberculatum) was only for few weeks. I dont have enough rotala so i must put some other fast grown plants. It will be tank with green only plants.



pineapple said:


> I would omit the stem plants and stick with moss, Eleocharis, E. tennelus, Blyxa...


Yes, i think about it too. Make something like "iwagumi" with moss and lilaeopsis. Now this is fast grown tank so maybe in april i tray do something with grass and this rock.



david lim said:


> I do feel like the right side could use some larger rocks to balance the hardscape


Maybe you are right but there is a problem ...i don't have smaller rocks like this (the same shape, colour) only bigger :/. This rock was one of three rocks (picture) that i was planning put in my 180l tank but my plans was changed and i sold my big tank.


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## david lim (Mar 30, 2004)

The tank still looks darn good, Norbert. Where are these rocks coming from?


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## pineapple (May 4, 2004)

The stones are beautiful. They certainly seem to me to be "stones" rather than "rocks."

They appear very solid. Have strong XYZ axes. Sort of similar to the ones used by the Grand Prize winner of ADA2004:










Andrew Cribb


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## travdawg (Mar 3, 2005)

I love the bold, strong look of the rock. I think its size & shape are great. The lack of sharp angles only make it more unique.


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## Norbert Sabat (Jun 26, 2004)

david lim said:


> Where are these rocks coming from?


I buy this stones in hmmm... "Garden rocks/stones center" . Well..it's kind of shop where you can buy rocks (very big rocks  ) for gardens ponds (?). This kind of shops are very cheap, for example: I buy 18kg stones for 2.5$ ...in aquatic shops the price is about 1-2$ for 1kg !!! 

This stones are from Polish mountains "Bieszczady"



pineapple said:


> They certainly seem to me to be "stones" rather than "rocks."


Yes, you're right. It's a river stones.


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## Norbert Sabat (Jun 26, 2004)

Update: Day 46

My CO2 bottle is empty so my "aqua day" from last monday is very short (2-3h) and as you're see rotala looks "long" (I don't know how this say in english  )


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Very nice... The plants are filling in nicely.

That is one big rock, however I'm liking it.


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## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

Hello Norbert.

I like your tank. It is becoming more complete as Rotala sp. fills in the background. It only needs more trimming to become more compact. I love the moss as it surrounds the big rock. I only think that the layout needs more naked little rocks dispersed around the big rock to simulate a rocky mountain and not give the impression that the rock just fall in that place. Besides that, the tank looks awsome. Keep us updated.

André


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## Norbert Sabat (Jun 26, 2004)

FazTeAoMar said:


> It only needs more trimming to become more compact.


Yes but rotala is still growning. Now it's ready to do something with it 



> I only think that the layout needs more naked little rocks dispersed around the big rock to simulate a rocky mountain and not give the impression that the rock just fall in that place.


Sometimes i think about it, but....well, i don't have small stones like that big one.

update: day 53 (before trimming) I must put there some fishes but i can't decide what i want


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## Mack (Jun 25, 2004)

The tank looks simply great. Day 53 photo - for me it's perfect.

Akwarium wygląda extra. Bardzo mi sie podoba a zdjęcie day 53 wypas. Moim zdaniem idealnie. Gratulacje. 

PS w razie potrzeby tłumaczenia wal śmiało bo mam więcej czasu.


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## Norbert Sabat (Jun 26, 2004)

Hi

Time for update

I was boring with this big stone so....i say "good bye" and i make more open space


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## david lim (Mar 30, 2004)

Looks good. I really like it. The open space gives the tank more depth IMO and the aquascape doesn't feel as "forced" as with the big stone. I liked the big stone though too :0).

I like the background effect you did in the first pic. Makes it look like a sunset. Any tips?

David


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## Urkevitz (Oct 26, 2004)

The smaller stones make the tank look much larger. I wouldn't have know it was the same tank.


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## Nymph (Apr 6, 2005)

Incredible work on the background for the first picture! Care to share how you did it?
Same background as per second picture? Lighting differences?


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## Norbert Sabat (Jun 26, 2004)

Thank for comments



david lim said:


> I like the background effect you did in the first pic. Makes it look like a sunset. Any tips?


I think this picture explaine everything 









I put 18W bulb behind tank but in front of background. Background is the same in both pictures (white PCV). I also put one 60W lamp above tank on the left side.
Normally tank looks like on second picture ("cloudy day"  )

This is another variation..."Strike of mad oranges"


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## Wheeler (Feb 8, 2004)

I don't normally care for background colors other than black or white, but that sunset picture is *really* awesome. Really nice job with this project; best tank I've seen posted in a long time.

I liked the big rock better, though. I'm sure I'm in the minority on that one...


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## Cichlid Junkie (Mar 25, 2005)

Your backgrounds are awesome. I love the sunset!


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

Very nice photography.


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## Nymph (Apr 6, 2005)

Pardon me, I still don't quite get it. If the background is the same, then I would think that you manipulated (changed/ altered) the lights to get different effects? How did you do that? Put cellophane above the lights? [-o<


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## Norbert Sabat (Jun 26, 2004)

Ok. Step by step 
Camera: Canon a80 manual
ISO 50-100 
1/15-1/25s 
F 3.2-5

1.Cloudy:
White background 12cm behind tank 
Basic tank lighting (2x18W/965)









2.Sunset:
White background 12cm behind tank 
Basic tank lighting (2x18W/965) 
Bonus light: 1x18W/827 behind tank and one 40-60W lamp over tank on the left site









3.Orange sky
Orange background 12cm behind tank 
Basic tank lighting (2x18W/965) 
Bonus light: 1x18W/827 behind tank









4.Sunrise 
White background 12cm behind tank 
Lighting: 1x18W/827 behind tank and one 75Wlamp over tank on the left site 









God's hand  ("impossible is nothing")


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

LOL! The pictures are well done! God's hand is great.


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## dmartin72 (Oct 9, 2004)

WOW! The tank looks bigger than it really is. Great job.


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## omega (Apr 1, 2004)

WOW Norbert! That tank definitely seems MUCH larger than I thought. Your hand and that heater really put the tank in perspective.

Where's the fish? Are they escaping from the hand of god by hiding in the bushes? Have they been grazing on the Tree of Knowledge? :axe:

But seriously, I would like to see some small bare rocks on either sides of the aquascape. That IMHO would make the foreground more balanced, instead of all the bare rocks concentrated in the middle of the tank. Also, you should consider adding some red plants like Rotala wallichii or some tall grassy plant behind the Rotala sp. 'Green' to add some depth to the tank to counter the overly long panoramic view.


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## Leopardess (Mar 14, 2004)

I adore the atmosphere series! Very cool idea, indeed! And yes, the tank has an appearance of being much, much larger. Great job.

The only thing that maybe throws me off a bit is that the line of the two rocks on the left are nearly perfectly parallel. They look like replicas of one another.


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## Norbert Sabat (Jun 26, 2004)

dmartin72 said:


> WOW! The tank looks bigger than it really is. Great job.


All secret is ratio 1:2.4-2.6 (High:Long). This ratio is characteristic for big tanks like 120x45x45 so you think that tank is much bigger than it really is 



omega said:


> Where's the fish?


I'm still waiting for fish (boraras brigittae). I'm patient (this is over 80days without fish in this tank, except otos and black molly  )












> But seriously, I would like to see some small bare rocks on either sides of the aquascape. That IMHO would make the foreground more balanced, instead of all the bare rocks concentrated in the middle of the tank. Also, you should consider adding some red plants like Rotala wallichii or some tall grassy plant behind the Rotala sp. 'Green' to add some depth to the tank to counter the overly long panoramic view.


My idea is concentrate rocks in the middle and make something like forest-wall in corners. IMHO Rotala is bad idea. I dont like "freaky, colorfull style", i made everything as simple as possible (but not simpler  ) and i prefere "green only layouts". As you see in this tank are only two plant species.
In Poland we have big problems with rocks, in this region there are only oval stones from ice-age 

Some latest picture


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## Nymph (Apr 6, 2005)

Norbert,
Incredible work you have there! Not to mention the pictures!
Thanks very much for the step by step, very very enlightening (pardon the pun) 
Love the way the mood is altered by a simple change in background. Nice!


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## Overfloater (Apr 2, 2004)

I really love this tank. I think your decision to go with the smaller rocks was a great idea. Considering how few plant species you used I think this is a great composition.


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## Jdinh04 (Oct 7, 2004)

This tank has made an atonishing growth, your tanks are beautiful.


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## mxpx4318 (Jun 4, 2005)

wow that is one amazing tank, I love how you change the background with the different lighting, once I get a respectable tank up and going I will definetly have to try something like that, amazing job!

Phillip


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

It is interesting to see how this tank developed. I really like the original photos, and was a bit disappointed when you changed it, but then it developed into something else that was uniquely yours. Still very origianal!


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## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

To me, this is an example of a Nature Aquarium that really left me with an impression of nature. The different background series is awesome. 

Norbert, it looks like you are religious about your trimming. How often do you find yourself with scissors in the aquarium?


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## Norbert Sabat (Jun 26, 2004)

Thank for comments (i almost forget about this topic  )

About trimming...I trim rotala once a 3weeks, its very easy, its take about 10-15min. I can't say the same about moss trimming...i'm really tired with this stuff. It's take about 40-50min but main problem are that little peaces of moss "dancing" around in whole tank. Its really peased me off. 

ps. I like working with scissors and pin(?)


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## Plattykins (Apr 3, 2005)

Big rock, small rock... look how much conversation it generated! :smile: Truthfully, I initially thought the big rock was resin. I especially like the very first photograph of the spotless, empty tank because of the potential it represents. Very nice photography and set up and an entertaining thread as well!


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