# Critique my hardscape



## Volenti (Oct 12, 2007)

Tank is 24'' x 15'' x 18'' The rocks are sedimentary with pockets of limestone which I dissolved away with hydrochloric acid.

Front;


















above;









side;









Under lights;









spare rocks;









I also have more gravel if need be.

I'm mainly aiming for a carpet of whatever ground cover plant I can manage to grow well with some larger background plants behind the rock formation.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

I'd go with an odd number of rocks and break it up a bit. Placing them in a straight line, from tallest to shortest really doesn't look natual. This is nice-looking stuff and it has lots of potential. Are you sure there won't be issues with residual limestone?


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## Left C (Jun 14, 2005)

I've read that you shouldn't use 4 of anything in the hardscape that's in a Japanese style aquascape.

The reason is that the word for "four," _yon_, can also be pronounced _shi_, which means "death." This is a very unlucky number in Japanese, and Japanese people tend to be very superstitious about it. Therefore _yon_ is used to make it more pleasant. This is also the reason why there are no Room 4's in Japanese hospitals, and why there are sometimes no 4th Floor buttons in Japanese elevators. Seems weird, but it's the superstition of many Asian cultures.

This is from: http://www.wsbwe.com/japanese101/unit2.html


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## Astral (Sep 24, 2004)

Didn't know about the unlucky 4.

Regardless, the rule of thumb is not to use even numbers - visually odd #'s are more appealing.

But then again rules are meant to be broken.

For me I'd think about not using the biggest rock for the small tank - also I'd soak those rocks and do a water test after to see if it is not affecting your water.

Try some re-arranging and show us some more pics 

Cheers


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## Volenti (Oct 12, 2007)

Thanks for the insight guys, I'll take out the large one and see what I can come up with.


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## spypet (Jul 27, 2007)

3 or 5 is a better number.
with 5 you should cluster 3 rocks close to each other so it forms it's own single rock,
then space apart the 2 other rocks from that 3-cluster, so it looks like a greater 3.


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## LordSul (Mar 17, 2006)

Great rocks, the colors should look awesome with HCs. But the scape looks more like an art piece rather than an aquascape. I think that is becuse the number of the rocks and the way you put them in a line like soldiers. Try giving it more depth. Another advice, they are too symetrical, in shape and also arrangement, try braking that symmetry.

Good luck!


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## Volenti (Oct 12, 2007)

After struggling with the rocks and not being really happy with any layout I decided to ditch the rocks and go with plan "B", driftwood.










hairgrass in the foreground, and some king of dwarf sword/sag? (can't remember name) in the background, toying with the idea of a moss "canopy" at the top of the "tree".


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## FryingPan (Oct 16, 2007)

Holy crap! Why was that spectacular piece of wood "Plan B!?!" 

Instead of a canopy, what about some giant hairgrass, or even moneywort or rotala backdropping the wood?


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## Missy B (Jul 8, 2007)

WOW! That piece of driftwood is amazing!!


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## Yoshi (Apr 7, 2007)

Seriously, that piece of wood should have been "Plan A" from the beginning!


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## Gilles (Oct 12, 2007)

w0w was my first reaction. Skip the rocks, go with the wood! Especially with some moss on it it will look really ****ing great (pardon my french)


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## Chuppy (Aug 5, 2007)

That's one hell of a great wood!


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## kwc1974 (Jan 4, 2006)

Let me get this right.
You had that piece of wood, and it was plan B 
Huge inprovement to the dinosaur spine effect the plan A made.


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## PapaLoc (Mar 5, 2006)

That wood really is spectacular! It looks like a miniature bonzai of a hundred year old rainforest tree of some kind, simply breathtaking! I like your idea with the moss canopy, good luck


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## Paul Munro (Aug 5, 2007)

I'm not a fan of that piece of wood - it's too bulky, and creepy.

Just my opinion


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## kwc1974 (Jan 4, 2006)

Paul Munro said:


> I'm not a fan of that piece of wood - it's too bulky, and creepy.
> 
> Just my opinion


I kind of understand what you mean. As an individual piece, yes it is bottom heavy and offsets the tank too much. But, with similar pieces or rock work that would complement, this could easily be the centerpiece of a hardscape.

Also my thought weould be to grow tall plants behind the wood, give it some depth. Any thing in front should be medium to medium low.


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## Volenti (Oct 12, 2007)

Update, The moss canopy had to be scrapped, was an algae magnet, I got a tiny piece of a stem plant in with some other plants, it's taken off rather well, looks like this now;


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

don't worry about the moss canopy. It has gotten cliche - ish.
The algae growing on the wood has given it nice patina.

if you still want to grow a canopy, you can try riccia. it's more suited for high light.
I'm assuming you're dosing & adding Co2.


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## zuker (Jan 3, 2005)

I have one question:

Where did you find a piece of wood like that???


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## lampeye (Oct 29, 2007)

zuker said:


> I have one question:
> 
> Where did you find a piece of wood like that???


Seconded.


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## Tentacles (Jun 25, 2006)

Mangrove swamp?

I bought two pieces like that the other day. Wondering what to do with them. I thought two would look more forest-like, than one set off to one side... strappy plants behind... that's as far as I've got with my planning tho.

I liked the amazing rocks too. I would've tumbled the largest onto it side and used it as a kind of bank face to hold back a little hillside.

There's only one thing for it: You have to do two tanks!


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## Volenti (Oct 12, 2007)

Yea the wood is from mangrove area on the coast, it's more of a salt tolerant marshy bush than a "classic" submerged-twice-a-day mangrove though ( I have yet to find a small enough one of them in suitable condition, the flying roots would look great).

This piece originally had a double trunk and was cut in half to fit up against the back wall of the tank, that's why it was "plan B", it had to be cut down considerably to fit in the tank, and I originally wasn't intending to do that.


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## messy_da_legend (Feb 18, 2006)

Love the wood! Personally I would ditch the stems and move the Crypts to the base of the "trunk" and maybe grow Riccia in with the Hairgrass. I want some of that wood!! 

Tom


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Any updates?


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