# 112L: New Setup



## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

Hello all!

After so long without coming to APC and even more without showing something new ( professional reasons), I would like to share my newest scape with the community. I am not going to enter in big details about this setup in this post as I already have made it in my Blog ( but will answer all your questions and comments, of course). You can see the Setup and all my thoughts about this tank in there, english version all the way and many more pictures. 
































































I hope you like it. Comments and critiques are always welcome.
Thanks for watching.

Regards,
André


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## kiwik (Apr 3, 2007)

wow. nice work with the wood AND the rocks. i wish i had access to wood like that without having to pay a load. how long has it been set up?


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## redstrat (Apr 3, 2006)

Wow what amazing photography, thanks for sharing, your shrimp and fish seem to think they’re heaven


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## cpark188 (Jul 25, 2008)

Nice piece of art work design for the fauna and it looks like the shrimps paradise, lovely. Keep up the good work.


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## WIgLeS (May 16, 2006)

Looks already very nice!


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## inareverie85 (May 5, 2008)

Looks nice and clean! That wood is simply wonderful!


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## figo (Dec 28, 2006)

When I first saw this tank i thought "This tank is so similar to one that I reallly liked on the past (A Piece of Sintra)" And for my surprise you are the same scaper.

SUPERB WORK!!!!!!!!

I really like the way that you set the tanks, the harmony between the rocks and the wood is delicious.

PLEASE!!!!! keep us with updates. The last time (Sintra) you abandoned the post and you left us wondering on how did the tank looked at the end.

Excellent size of the tank (I think that is the perfect size in order to obtain excellent results, not to small, not to big)

Are you expecting to cover al the branches with moss? or only a little bit? Also as you mentioned on your blog, I only see one species of stalk plant (Rotala Nanjenshan). Don't you think that maybe it would be plain green? Maybe a little bit of red somewhere.

Congrats!!!!


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## GmoAndres (Oct 18, 2004)

hi,
the hardscape is a great potential, very armonic design!
and your blog , excelent! the photos of your past aquariums are beatifull
congratulations for the "green hand"

Gmo
"saludos" from Chile


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## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

Hello!

Thanks for the comments! 

Kiwik, the tank is set up since 13th August. The pictures are updated.

figo, you still remember Sintra. Amazing! Yes, I kind of abandoned that topic since the last picture because I had do dismantle the tank ( unfortunately) so the picture you remember was in his ending days. Regarding this tank, it isn´t going anywhere. My goal is to maintain it for many months, reaching year(s) ( would be awsome). With this kind of Flora and display, I think its possible. The branches will be covered a little bit more with the Anubias growth. No moss on them this time. I want to keep the contrast between the brown driftwood and the blueish hue of the stones impressed in the background. I understand what you are saying about R. nanjenshan but this plant turns red with good light and fertilization. I have had this plant in the past very red so it is just a matter of time before the focal point stands out in the green. My problem with her is the high gH ( derived from the stones) that is stunning a little bit the healthy growth. But, measures have been taken care of to remedy the situation, as also mentioned in my Blog...


Thanks to all for the nice feedback and for the visit to my Blog.


Regards,
André


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## aquanut (Jun 26, 2007)

those photos are absolutely amazing, and the tank looks great as well.


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## jackh (Oct 9, 2007)

wow looks amazing and great photography


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## GmoAndres (Oct 18, 2004)

Hi again
mm in my experience, the higher gh is not a "problem" for many plants (only some exceptions)

About the Rotala sp "nanjenshan", i show you one picture when takes "orange" color  :









i love this plant! (and all the rotalas with narrow leaf)

and this is the tank (2007 photo...10 gallon garden)








In Santiago de Chile, the water is normaly hard (gh +- 20)

Saludos!!
Gmo


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## chagovatoloco (Nov 17, 2007)

FazTeAoMar- Your tank is truly a piece of art work, displaying a beautiful balance.


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## Joecoral (Feb 19, 2008)

I love the hardscape! your photography is very good also!


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## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

Hello folks!

Thanks to all for the feedback. I really appreciate it!

Gmo, thanks for the info. I have managed to lower the gH and, coincidence or not, the R. nanjenshan are becoming more luxurious and compact with healthy growth. All I need to do now is to potentiate the red/orange colour. 

Meanwhile, I took some pics today:



















As usual, all your comments/critiques are welcome. 

Regards,
André


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## Garuf (Mar 23, 2008)

I really like it but I can't help but think there needs to be moss on the woods and some kind of background planting. Maybe even some hc or moss in between the foreground rocks?


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## travis (Oct 5, 2004)

Bravo! Fantastic aquascape.


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## thief (Feb 20, 2008)

Wow this tank is Tremendously Amazing!

I feel a great balance in everything! The rock placement that you made really looks awesome as it builds into the wood placement. Also I love the curves and wiggles on the wood really shows this as a stream high up in the mountains type feeling. 

Can you take some closer pics though, maybe to show more details on your rock placement.

Great job man. Definitely worthy of placing in the top ADA finalist!


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## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

Hello again!

Garuf, thank you. What do you mean by " some kind of background planting"? More background planting than the R. nanjenshan? The ideia is not to overwhelm the layout but to keep it clean, simple and well defined. As to moss on the driftwood, I know it is too bare now but you have to think the layout development in the long run, not just look at it in a static way. Plants will grow and will invade but in a controlled kind of way so that the hardscape won´t be lost. The green of the plants tends to prevale with time but the goal is to find a balance between them and the hardscape. If I cover the driftwood with moss, I know that the balance I seek cannot be reached. The rocks do have moss between them and a liverwort ( mini-pellia) is also there to fill the dark substracte with a light green. Since these are all slow growing plants, you have to be patience in order to see results. With this hardscape, I could have filled the tank with plants, steam and foreground ones that would give the layout his last moments of progression in two or three months but, where is the fun of that? The lifetime expectancy of a scape is dictated by the scaper, in the plants he uses to compose the layout and the conditions he gives them to grow. Long goes the time when I would set up a tank to re-setup it again 3-4 months later. Now, I want things to grow slowly, I want the scape to take its time to mature and I want to enjoy it for as long as I can. 

Travis, thank you. 

thief, thank you. Well captured there. Yes, unfortunately, the pictures are quiet small to see the details because I host my pictures in Photobucket and they resize them to 800*600. But, you can go to my Blog ( just click in my signature) and see more photos in 1200*800 resolution mode, as well as some thoughts regarding this scape. 


Regards,
André


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## kiwik (Apr 3, 2007)

beautiful tank, i must say again. i have a question. how do you treat the rocks before you put them in your tank? i seem to have some fungus growing on some parts a rock where there isn't much water flow directed towards it.


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## thief (Feb 20, 2008)

Hey Faz,

Just a suggestion. Do you think adding more ELOS Terra small ( I believe this is what your substrate is?) would help maybe add more to your layout? I do understand how you want the stones to be the focal point and it seems like this Rocky bottom comes out of know where. Think adding maybe 3-5 cm would help support your layout more and still not take away to much from the rocks? Just a suggestion and something to think about as I saw the picture that was level with the tank and it just looked to flat from that angle.

Also I went to see larger pics very cool! I just noticed how towards the right side foreground that the rocks form a nice little V indent in the tank. Very powerful focal point with that plant in the middle of the V. lol I'm getting way too much into your tank. Sorry!:biggrin:


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