# [Wet Thumb Forum]-10 gallon revisited



## Roger Miller

Back at the AGA conference in Dallas I used a 10 gallon tank to illustrate how to use rocks to build relief in an aquarium. These are the most recent photos of that tank.









The 'scape is composed of three plants; riccia fluitans, a Lilaeopsis sp. and Rotala rotundifolia. The riccia is weighted in place with stainless steel cotter pins. The lilaeopsis owns the left foreground, but has intergrown with the riccia and shows through in a few places. The R. rotundifolia was planted mostly to hide the filter. Here's the left side close-up.









The left side get's all the attention. Is there something I could do for the right side that would balance things out? I keep thinking how cool it would be if there were such a thing as a red Hemianthus micranthemoides...

Here are a couple more photos of the center part of the tank showing some of the lilaeopsis coming through the riccia and right side. It seems like if I could put something between the two left rocks that it might balance things a little better.

Roger Miller

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_"The indispensible first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want" -- Ben Stein_


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## Roger Miller

Back at the AGA conference in Dallas I used a 10 gallon tank to illustrate how to use rocks to build relief in an aquarium. These are the most recent photos of that tank.









The 'scape is composed of three plants; riccia fluitans, a Lilaeopsis sp. and Rotala rotundifolia. The riccia is weighted in place with stainless steel cotter pins. The lilaeopsis owns the left foreground, but has intergrown with the riccia and shows through in a few places. The R. rotundifolia was planted mostly to hide the filter. Here's the left side close-up.









The left side get's all the attention. Is there something I could do for the right side that would balance things out? I keep thinking how cool it would be if there were such a thing as a red Hemianthus micranthemoides...

Here are a couple more photos of the center part of the tank showing some of the lilaeopsis coming through the riccia and right side. It seems like if I could put something between the two left rocks that it might balance things a little better.

Roger Miller

------------
_"The indispensible first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want" -- Ben Stein_


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## mm12463

Wow! That is all I have to say. That is a great tank Roger. Were do you get that much riccia? Do you have to keep grooming it to keep it looking like that?

Don't know about what to place on the right side. I can't scape my own tanks very well.
Mike
http://fish.silver-fox.us


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## Paul Higashikawa

Illustration accomplished........successfully! Once again, you inspired me greatly







Now I am tormented with myself as to whether I should redo my 10-gal or leave as it is

Paul


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## skylsdale

It seems like the left side is completely isolated from the rest of the tank. You need something in the center and right that ties the left side into it...and I think the spreading Lileopsis does that. I would continue to let it grow, but as it comes in, trim it into irregular bunches. Maybe a stem or to of the Rotala at the top of the scape, between the left and center rock...and try to trim it to keep it smaller than the main bunch?


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## Robert Hudson

OWWWW! Your aquascaping skills have really improved! Thats fantastic! Roger, you enter that in the AGA and I am willing to bet you will be a winner! You even have the Amano ripply water surface!

Robert
King admin
www.aquabotanic.com


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## Roger Miller

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by mm12463:
> Wow! That is all I have to say. That is a great tank Roger. Were do you get that much riccia?


Thanks. All you have to do to get that much riccia is start with a riccia molecule and let it go for a while. I bought a couple golf-ball size wads of riccia early last year and put them into my 150 when I set it up. The riccia got overrun with algae and utricularia (extras that I got with the riccia at no extra cost). I removed what I thought was every last scrap of the riccia. Six months later I found a small wad of it growing underneath some plants at the back of the tank. I took the wad out and floated it in another tank for a while and about a month later I had enough to start that aquascape. It originally had about half as much as the tank has now but it only took about 6 weeks to fill the available floor space. Since then I've been throwing it away.



> quote:
> 
> Do you have to keep grooming it to keep it looking like that?


Yes. I give it a hair cut every weekend then net the scraps off the water. Twice since I set it up (late October) I've had to pick it all up, thin it out and set it back in place. Really, it's one of my lowest-maintenance tanks.



> quote:
> 
> Don't know about what to place on the right side. I can't scape my own tanks very well.


That doesn't stop you from having ideas, does it? As far as aquascaping your own goes; practice, practice, practice.

Roger Miller

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_"The indispensible first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want" -- Ben Stein_


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## Phil Edwards

Roger,

I agree with Skylsdale, the left side seems out of place. I think the design impression would be best completed by letting the Riccia take over the whole tank. The straight vertical of the Rotala clashes greatly with the gentle green slope of the Riccia. Perhaps a few very well tended "bushes" of Rotala interspersed throughout the green would work better? They'd add an effect akin to dry gymnosperm scrub on the mountainside.

I like the little bits of Lilaeopsis peeking out of the Riccia in the foreground. You've got a very Amanoesque feel going on there. All it needs are a few shrimp and your journey towards the dark side will be complete.









This tank shows that "Sticking with what you know" works really well.

Best,
Phil

/masthead-refined-mini.jpg


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## Roger Miller

Phil, Skylsdale,

I agree, the left side does not go with the rest of the 'scape. If there is a saving grace then it's that the left side of the tank is all that's easily viewable. The left side is aesthetically successful -- certainly much more so than the previous arrangment, which was either the empty space or the unadorned equipment. I'm to the point of looking for ways to integrate the left side into the rest of the arrangement.

The aquascape was originally inspired by a view of some prominent cliffs in the mountains that loom over the east side of town. The layout was great for it's purpose, which was to provide an illustration for my talk, but it was incomplete and too limiting. I don't see any reason to limit myself by sticking strictly with that original concept.

Roger Miller

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_"The indispensible first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want" -- Ben Stein_


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## Leopardess

Beautiful tank









I think the rotala might seem a little out of place..perhaps if it got fuller, and then you curved it a *bit* in towards the center of the tank, like a skinny peninsula that would follow the line of where the riccia ends in your pic?

Or, because this tank reminds me of the ones that are completely green, you could think about replacing it with something greener?

I also think it'd be cool to replace the section of lilaeopsis with parvuls









When I look at the tank, I get a cool picture of some sort of taller grass planted at the far back right corner. Something that would slightly cascade at the surface. Its hard to explain lol.

Of course, none of these suggestions are necessary because its gorgeous as is









Click here to see my tanks!


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## ekim

Great tank Roger!
It looks spotless!

I find the different reflections off each side of the tank distracting!
If the background was black, both reflections would be the same and might hide your filter even better!

Although it is nice to see a background color other than black!

I guess I'm not much help!

Good job anyway!

Regards,
Mike Morrissey

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*Aquabay.ca*


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## Leopardess

I do like the lighter background though. Its almost exactly like the one amano uses in his tanks that look like "fields."









Click here to see my tanks!


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## Roger Miller

When I do a blue background again it will be with a still lighter blue. I think that background is too intense. Still, it does add an element that the tank wouldn't have with a black background.

Roger Miller

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_"The indispensible first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want" -- Ben Stein_


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## Robert Hudson

I like the left side, because of the sharp contrast. It looks natural to me. An isolated plant in a hilly field. I don't know, it just works for me

Robert
King admin
www.aquabotanic.com


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## Wheeler

Hey Roger!

The easiest solution would be to yank the Rotalas and just extend the Riccia into that space in that tank. Because the space in the left is rectangular (straight front to back), nothing else is going to look especially good there.

One thing that might work is to plant some Hemianthus (or similar bushy plant), and shape it into a bush, and allow it to invade the Riccia and vice versa.

Because the Riccia is "neat", you'll not want something haphazzard growing, I wouldn't think. If you want to clean up that area, you'll want to plant something which can be neatly trimmed.

No matter what you decide, the linear appearance of the rocks will never allow the tank the look "natural", IMO. It doesn't matter what you put in that side of the tank. You may want to bring some hard decor "relief" down towards the front glass. I'd ultimately suggest more rock work as that's what's interesting in these types of tanks.

HTH









Best wishes,
John Wheeler


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## ScottH.

Actually, I like how the rock is positioned. It gives it an overgrown cliff look to the portrait. The rocks are just peaks poking out to me. Maybe removing the Rotala to another tank temporarly will help aid you in a new idea for the tank because that is a major element of the focus of our eyes in the picture. 

I do, however, agree with Wheeler on the idea of using more rock. 
Tank looks great.!

My goal is a sea of green.


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## Leopardess

I think the rockwork looks perfectly natural. Looks just like a cliff outcroup to me.

Click here to see my tanks!


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## IUnknown

Great tank Roger. Looks like all your rock/aquascaping studying has payed off.

*Journal Database*


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## Roger Miller

After some thought I think I know what I'll do to get this a little more balanced. Within a few weeks I will need to pick up the riccia and comb the substrate back up the slope. When I do that I'll replace the riccia from between the two right stones and above the right-most stone with the thin-leaved, reddish variety of E. tenellus.

Roger Miller

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_"The indispensible first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want" -- Ben Stein_


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## jread

Awesome tank!

What equipment, etc. do you use on it?

------------------------------

The Dwarf Puffer Site

Beautiful Bettas


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## Roger Miller

There is a powerhead with Quickfilter and a heater behind the R. rotundifolia. You can just see the heater. The powerhead and filter are black so they fade into the shadow.

I would like to get or make a small canister filter and external heater so that all of the equipment can be taken out of the tank. In my imaginings the intake and outflow are clear glass.

Roger Miller

------------
_"The indispensible first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want" -- Ben Stein_


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## jread

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by Roger Miller:
> There is a powerhead with Quickfilter and a heater behind the R. rotundifolia. You can just see the heater. The powerhead and filter are black so they fade into the shadow.
> 
> I would like to get or make a small canister filter and external heater so that all of the equipment can be taken out of the tank. In my imaginings the intake and outflow are clear glass.
> 
> Roger Miller
> 
> ------------
> _"The indispensible first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want" -- Ben Stein_


Thanks









I was also wondering what lighting you use. What kind of CO2 (if any)?

------------------------------

The Dwarf Puffer Site

Beautiful Bettas


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## Roger Miller

Oh yeah. DIY CO2 fed into the bottom of the Quickfilter and often not kept very fresh. Lighting from 2X15 watt GE Chroma50 (5000K, 92 CRI) NO fluorescents in a homemade hood. Chroma50s are inefficient lamps. The light isn't blinding.

Roger Miller

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_"The indispensible first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want" -- Ben Stein_


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