# Steve's 4gal fossilised wood scape



## DevUK (Sep 10, 2007)

After I moved house last month, I decided to re-do my very neglected opti-white nano. I went for a wood scape, using some redmoor and manzanite wood. Unfortunately, due to lack of certain hardware/CO2 it's already gone pearshaped :lol: Anyhow, I've decided to rip that down and do it again. I've just recieved a large portion of HC from the from a fellow UKAPS member, so wanted to give this a proper go.

Specs:

TGM Optiwhite Nano on ADA style cabinet (brilliant quality tank and stand!) - 35 x 22.7 x 25 cm
TGM Fossilised wood
ADA Aquasoil Amazonia 1 (powder)
Eheim 2213 Classic external filter
Pressurised CO2 via DO!Aqua music glass
18w Superfish light

Planting will be purely HC (and possibly some hairgrass of some sort, as it's mixed in with the HC I got of a fellow UKAPS member!)

I'm thinking this will be a shrimp tank. I'd really like to breed some RCS, and I think this might be the perfect tank for it  I'll probably start with cherries though.

I spent some time at the weekend playing around in a tray of sand figuring out a layout, and this is what I came up with:










I then spent some time last night getting the hardscape arranged in the tank. The final result being:










I need to sort out the equipment tonight and get everything plumbed in, and then hopefully plant it up tomorrow night


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## doubleott05 (Jul 20, 2005)

plant that sucker


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## chadly (Dec 19, 2005)

That's some cool petrified wood... I think the one in the front is too prominent and kind of distracting


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## DevUK (Sep 10, 2007)

chadly said:


> That's some cool petrified wood... I think the one in the front is too prominent and kind of distracting


Thanks for that, I can see what you mean. I've flattened it down a little, to try and make it less dominant. I didn't really want to move it too much though.

Spent a few hours teasing HC into shoots (from a 4" square mat of HC I bought off of another UKAPS member) and planting.

Filled up and everything (except heater at the moment) running:




























The Do!Aqua music glass diffuser is excellent!


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## msabat (Jun 7, 2009)

that is a cool setup for next to the dinner table! gonna get me one


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## chadly (Dec 19, 2005)

lookin good! just pushing that one rock down a tad made a big difference. I hope that HC pulls thru for ya.


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## DevUK (Sep 10, 2007)

Pics as of about an hour ago:



















Not much change yet!


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## DevUK (Sep 10, 2007)

Had issues with my HC so decided to re-plant with two pots of Tropica HC I bought at the weekend. I trimmed back all of the existing HC (some of which was OK, some quite melted and un-happy). I've also decided to try out some HM in the back right. I had some spare which I needed to either use or throw out so figured I'd give it a go 

As of tonight:


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## DevUK (Sep 10, 2007)

I finally managed to fix a Metal Halide light (had a corroded bulb socket needed replacing). It was a real ball ache to fix, so the first thing I did was suspend it over this little tank! :lol:

My favourite angle:









Halide suspended using a bike maintenance stand and a shower curtain rail (with shower curtain attached!)









I'm going to leave it on for an hour or so and see if any of the plants react to the stronger light.


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## Markw78 (May 6, 2004)

Beautiful. I have some nice stumps of it we got a few years ago, but I've been hesitant to use in a planted tank...

"Petrified wood is a fossilized wood. When CO2 is injected in the water where petrified wood is used, the calcium contained in the petrified wood leaches into the water and raises the total hardness of the water."
http://www.aquajournal.net/na/water/rocks.html

Thoughts after a month of running? Do you know what your hardness is? I'd love to use some of my petrified wood in a hardscape


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