Journal 22 gallon long bookshelf

HardeeParty

Active Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2023
Messages
363
Reaction score
902
Location
Port Saint Lucie, Florida
Time to start a new thread.

I’ll fill in some details later, but I’m working on the hardscape now. Any and all criticism is appreciated. The vision is nothing more, and nothing less, than something appealing to the eye.

90cm x 30cm x 30cm Lifegard Aquatics ultra clear bookshelf tank. Buce and anubias on the hardscape, stems towards the back and center, mid to front carpet with some changes in shade and texture down to a flat grade on the right side of the tank.

Lily pipe inlet and skimmer will be in the back left corner with the outflow in the front left to hopefully achieve circular flow. I’ll be running an in-line diffuser. Light will be the P600 Pro that I regrettably did not upside to 900. Oh well. I’ll mount it high and hopefully it’ll have enough spread.

I have some dragon stone and red lava rock rubble I’ll use at the base to blend into the substrate, as well as some stratum I may or may not cap with.

IMG_1824.jpeg


IMG_1874.jpeg

IMG_1877.jpeg
IMG_1876.jpeg

IMG_1875.jpeg
 
Thank you. I’ve been searching for inspiration for months. I knew I wanted the scape to incorporate spiderwood and dragonstone but had not landed on a look. I considered the stump look as well.

IMG_1851.jpeg

IMG_1835.jpeg

IMG_1296.jpeg

I think I’m going to just start with this, add some rubble and start planting. The other tanks can’t handle much more lol.

IMG_1882.jpeg

IMG_1879.jpeg
 
So I believe this is the final form. I added another end piece of driftwood to lengthen the overall shape, and removed the accent stones at the end. I was not really happy with the stones themselves, so I’ll probably crush them up with the red lava rock I have and use it for rubble.

I had to draw a line somewhere because I could do this for months and never wind up starting the tank. Added some aquasoil, and have another bag to top it with. I have a lengthy list of plants to pull from, more than I need, so I’ll have to edit it down. A friend drew out a landscape planting layout I like. Im thinking of buying some Ammania sennegalensis as a color and texture contrast. I’ve had a miserable time growing the ‘other’ ammania, but these seem more forgiving.

Plant options:
  • Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini'
  • Alternanthera reineckii 'Rosanervig’
  • Anubias ‘nana’
  • Eleocharis acicularis 'Mini'
  • Helanthium tenellum
  • Bacopa monnieri
  • Bacopa caroliniana
  • Hygrophila difformis
  • Hygrophila polysperma
  • Erio ‘Vietnam’
  • Limnophila hippuridoides
  • Limnophila sessiliflora
  • Lindernia rotundifolia
  • Lindernia dubia
  • Lindernia grandiflora
  • Ludwigia arculata
  • Ludwigia palustris 'Super Red mini’
  • Ludwigia repens
  • Lobelia cardinalis
  • Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba'
  • Micranthemum tweediei 'Monte Carlo'
  • Rotala rotundifolia ‘green’
  • Rotala rotundifolia
  • Rotala ramosior ‘Florida’
  • Rotala wallichii
  • Proserpinaca palustris
  • Pogostemon helfeiri
  • Staurogyne repens
  • Cryptocoryne wendtii ‘Bronze”’
  • Cryptocoryne albida
  • Buce 'Wavy Green'
  • Buce ‘Kapuas Brownie Ghost’
  • Buce ‘Brownie’
  • Bolbitis heteroclita
IMG_2343.jpeg

IMG_2345.jpeg

Layout:
IMG_2297.jpeg
 
Have you used wood like this before? Be prepared for some nasty looking fungus growth. It’s easy to manage, just siphon it away. Snails will help too. I don’t recommend scrubbing it too hard because it will essentially reinvigorate the process when fresh wood surface is exposed. Be mindful of any plants around the wood as well, the fungus can and will suffocate anything nearby.
 
Have you used wood like this before? Be prepared for some nasty looking fungus growth. It’s easy to manage, just siphon it away. Snails will help too. I don’t recommend scrubbing it too hard because it will essentially reinvigorate the process when fresh wood surface is exposed. Be mindful of any plants around the wood as well, the fungus can and will suffocate anything nearby.
Interesting. No, I’m new to this kind of hardscape. Good to know. I’ll keep an eye on it. I dumped a ton of ramshorns from the other thanks in there and they’re loving life.
 
Excellent that should help quite a bit. It’s a brief phase so just follow those tips and you’ll make it through 👍🏻
 
Back
Top