Aquascape Competition Practice: Update

[Lush_Aqua]

This is a continuation from my 20g Re-scape Thread regarding how to get more practice aquascaping outside of building yet another tank in my home.
Found here: Journal - 20g Long Nature Style: Rescape

I noticed that an aquatic store I've visited several times started putting up full setups/display tanks for sale. I reached out to ask if they would be willing to let me scape a tank at their store, and they agreed to let me build a tank using any of the material I could find in their store!

I got to use a UNS - 30A Dual AIO (7gal) tank for the project. There was a few challenges between finding hardscape to fit, a lack of experience with cube-shaped tanks, and a time-crunch to get it scaped & planted. This was my first time working with pacific driftwood, but I managed to assemble a few fragments to fit. I'm quite happy with the result, and have been welcomed back to build another! Much like the 20g long thread, I'd very much appreciate any feedback and adjustments to keep in mind for the next round.

P.S. I left additional room in the back of the scape to allow someone else to choose what to plant. If I could, I would have probably gone with a patch of Ludwigia Super-Red Mini. Majority of this tank is low-tech, so I held off from adding any carpet plants as well. Perhaps just small tufts of Fissidens Moss would have added a nice touch.

 

[*Ci*]

What a great opportunity (and nicely executed)!

 

[BigWave]

Aquascaping is a little like riding a bike. Once youve got that balance down you can jump on after years and years and not crash. It does take lots and lots of practice, learning how plants grow in, is my rock or wood to low once i add substrate, learning the fundimantals of design, etc. This is why many advocate building a Dojo. I have also learned with todays technology I place my digital camera so it records the scape. I then cast it to my big screen smart tv. This way I have a huge picture of what Im working with.

 

[Lush_Aqua]

Aquascaping is a little like riding a bike. Once youve got that balance down you can jump on after years and years and not crash. It does take lots and lots of practice, learning how plants grow in, is my rock or wood to low once i add substrate, learning the fundimantals of design, etc. This is why many advocate building a Dojo. I have also learned with todays technology I place my digital camera so it records the scape. I then cast it to my big screen smart tv. This way I have a huge picture of what Im working with.

The dojo is on the to-do list. My limitation with that is having all the spare hardscape to practice with.

Something I don't think the dojo can replicate in competition is what to do when driftwood and rock you planned to use ends up running out/getting taken by another competitor. I'm very comfortable with pieces I own and ways they would most likely showcased well, but there was that slight edge of nerve trying to sort through a limited box of unfamiliar material. I had to break rocks and driftwood just to make pieces feasible for the nano tank.

I had interesting chats with several aquascapers at Aquashella in New Jersey and they all claimed that they came with little to no preparation on what they intended to build! I would have imagined these people would have at least had a general plan or design they had been waiting to attempt to create. It's a rare occasion to be given nearly unlimited access to material, and having a plan would reduce the odds of getting overwhelmed by the amount of choices. My mind was racing through mock-ups with just a few pieces of driftwood in the store, so I can't imagine how I'd feel if I was building in a warehouse of material.