# Mini S - The Bluff



## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

This is a new Mini I started about 3 weeks ago. Really a minimalist type setup with just some hairgrass and scattered HC.


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## pele (Mar 3, 2009)

i like your scapes! I will add your blog to mine


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## chadly (Dec 19, 2005)

that is really cool! Definitely reminds me of a beach


What equipment are you using.... fertz, etc?
Do you intend on the HC filling in or are you planning to keep it tame?


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## doubleott05 (Jul 20, 2005)

yessssss another one. i like the house's scapes


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks for the comments all.

Pele: really nice photos on your blog! 
Chadley: I'll probably keep the HC sparse and do some selective trimming of the Hairgrass, but I have a feeling the tank will go through a few 'looks' before I'm done with it.

Some Specs:

*Tank* - Mini S (3.5G)
*Filter* - Azoo Nano Filter
*Lighting* - Azoo 7W LED Light
*Co2* - Azoo Regulator / Pressurized / Nano Ceramic Diffuser
*Hardscape* - Pool Filter Sand / Moss Rock

Another Pic with Equipment:


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## bigstick120 (Mar 8, 2005)

I had thought of doing something like this, I dig it! Very different.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

bigstick120 said:


> I had thought of doing something like this, I dig it! Very different.


Thanks, Man


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## Big_Fish (Mar 10, 2010)

less is more.... very nicely done! 
the more I look the more Ideas I get....


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks!


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## wet (Nov 24, 2008)

Nice to watch talented aquascapers experiment like this. I think this might be my favorite of your tanks.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Wet,

Thanks for that very nice and insightful comment!


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Update Pic w/lighter background. I also moved some of the lower hairgrass around to give it a more natural feel with the bluff.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

New Pic:


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## doubleott05 (Jul 20, 2005)

what kinda light is that and where did you git it?

i know its an LED but what watts is it equevelant to?


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

doubleott05 said:


> what kinda light is that and where did you git it?
> 
> i know its an LED but what watts is it equevelant to?


The light is this one:

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+10704+20413&pcatid=20413

It has 24 LEDs with 6 being blue. I should've probably swapped out the blue ones, but everyone seems OK. The light isn't as bright as I thought it would be.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

When I read the thread title I thought it might be about a Cooper (Brit car) - seeing I'm into Brit cars. I wasnt disappointed even thou it wasnt a Cooper cuz its another great scape from HofC. I call it 'The Beach' because it reminds me of some Cape Cod areas.
Nicely done; but then all of your work is top notch. :whoo:
When are you going Pro?


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## pele (Mar 3, 2009)

exelent! I like too much!


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks for nice comments!

Newt, 

Appreciate that. Now that you asked I have scaped quite a few tanks in my spare time for clientele in New York City. 

BTW - Love the Mini two, but unforunately they are two mini for my family..... But nice to check out.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

See this is the type of thing that really needs to be done more. In nature you see these huge rocks and they look beautiful, but you always see plants growing on them or in them, stuck in the little cracks and on top where some leaves have accumulated and made a bit of soil. 

I think the reason we don't see and use rocks in our scapes more often is because its difficult to get plants to grow like this in our miniaturized versions of nature. We need to develop better techniques of getting plants to grow on rocks. Perhaps grinding out little pockets we can put substrate and planting them??

How did you get your plants and the substrate to stay like that?


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## PeterE (Feb 9, 2010)

That is a cool little tank! All your tanks look so natural. That is my favorite part about them. How much are you going to allow the hairgrass to grow? In my opinion, letting it grow thickly in the back right, a little to the left of the corner to the top of the rock, and then thinning it out towards the front and none or very little on the left side of the tank would look a lot like the dune grass I see on beaches. Leaving it sparse like it is looks really good too. 
I also agree with Zapins about needing better techniques for growing plants on rocks. Plants growing on rocks always help create a very natural and interesting aquarium, and I am also interested in how you did it in this tank. 
As usual, a wonderful aquarium.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Zapins,

Thanks for that very insightful comment. Glad you appreciate it at that level. There's actually alot of complexity under the sand as there are rocks under here and there and the main rock also has a depression in it, where I was able to provide additional nutrients, etc. 

PeterE,

Thanks, you might be right about the growth. I'm trying to figure it out myself as I go along, but your idea sounds good. On thing with this tank is it's very fragile with the slope so I have to be really careful with the trimming, etc, but again I guess any bluff is fragile.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Hey!

That's so nice!

I had a very similar idea few years ago and that's what I get for not doing anything about it - one day I see it done. And very nice at that!

Did you get an inspiration from pictures like these?

http://www.jeudiland.com/East Hampton Beach1.JPG
http://images.travelpod.com/users/1414kath/1.1211346060.the-dunes-at-hampton.jpg
http://www.eternalexposure.co.uk/image/cornwall grass.jpg
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/family-vacations-padre-island-national-seashore.jpg

Once again - nice!

I always imagined such an aquasape as a nano or close to a nano. But now, after looking at yours being so nice I think that it would have an especially strong impact if it was a large tank. I don't know if giant hairgrass could be used to keep the proportions, but I think it's worth trying a similar scape on a large scale.

--Nikolay


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks for the great comment Niko. I actually live on Long Island so the beaches/bluffs are all around me so it was natural to draw inspiration sort of like the pictures you showed. 

I have no doubt that a larger scale would work with this setup. You would need very good tank dynamics to pull it off, since any organic or algae shows up very easily.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

New Pic:


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

Ahhhh, 'The Beach'..............exquisite.


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## gf225 (Mar 26, 2005)

Very cool little 'scape! Excellent attention to detail and overall balance.










I do prefer the pale background over the black. For me the contrast is too harsh as it is and is in discord with the lovely bright and naturalistic appearance of the sand, rockwork and plants.

Currently it looks like a 'beach at night', but the actual aquascape content is too bright to give that illusion.

Just my $0.02.

Keep up the great work!


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## shark1505 (Jan 24, 2010)

Just my $0.02.



Haha, that's a creative way of saying that. Also house, great scape!


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## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

Love it!!

jB


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Newt 
One thing I love about this hobby is the ability to bring nature into any room of the house. Example: Beach on my dry bar. The possibilities are really endless.

George.
I agree. If I'm being true to what I'm trying to present the pale background works much better than the black. I get lazy alot since the black background allows me to shoot a 'clean image' easier. For example not removing light that is clipped on tank. I was going to say there was a full moon on the beach that night, thus the brightness, but I didn't think you would buy it. I'm going to take some better pics with a lighter background and more light. Thanks again for your thoughtful comment.

Shark1505,
Thanks much

Jason,
Thanks, I'm glad you appreciate my work.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

I'm hoping to learn some scaping techniques from your work. I can grow plants but I'm not too good at arranging them for a real dynamic, stuning and very natural look. I havent gotten to where I can pull all of those off at once. I also have some trouble attaching moss to wood so that it looks natural.

Ispiration comes in many forms.

I'd love to see some of your work you did for the NY office clients. Hopefully you can and will share those with us.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Newt said:


> I'm hoping to learn some scaping techniques from your work. I can grow plants but I'm not too good at arranging them for a real dynamic, stuning and very natural look. I havent gotten to where I can pull all of those off at once. I also have some trouble attaching moss to wood so that it looks natural.
> 
> Ispiration comes in many forms.
> 
> I'd love to see some of your work you did for the NY office clients. Hopefully you can and will share those with us.


Thanks Newt. Best thing to do is look at the some of the great scapes around and then try to do something similiar. If possible have a tank that you can play around with. You'll be able to see what works and what doesn't. Moss on wood. I usually use small zipties initially, after a while some of the moss will attach to wood crevices, etc and then it should look more natural once it grows out. Helps if you have a hi-tech, fast growth parameters.

I might be able to show some office stuff I've done. Most of my current clients I would not show on the Net. Very high-brow residential and private people, video survellance on premises, etc. I actually have a few clients that I've never met, I deal with a personal assistant. Also I don't do maintenance (no time, no interest) so most pics are from initial setup. I only do this in certain situations and very part time. Only because I enjoy it.


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## VenomR00 (Apr 30, 2010)

That is a beautiful little tank


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

VenomR00 said:


> That is a beautiful little tank


Thanks!


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## kingken (Apr 18, 2010)

Very simple, but also very pleasing to the eyes!


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Update,

My minimalist nano took 419 in IAPLC:


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## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

Congrats!! 

I always find it impossible to guess the outcome of that contest.

jB


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## Francis Xavier (Mar 7, 2009)

Congrats man!


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks guys! Yeah I guess you never know what's going to happen.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Another pic:


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## wet (Nov 24, 2008)

Congrats houseofcards! Is this the same tank as you Mile Marker last year? I had missed that one in your blog before now and it is nice to think of The Bluff as the continuation of that idea. That was a cool tank, too (not as cool as this one  ).


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks Wet.

Yes,'The Bluff' is the follow-uip to 'Mile Marker' with the same tank. Both feature something a little different and have very low maintenance. This tank definitely more natural, simple and easier on the eyes.


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