Green Gut & ScapeCrunch sticker

[Tim Harrison]

Hello fellow Crunches. I haven't posted in a while, been busy renovating my home and it's proven an all absorbing occupation. However, I've found some limited time to dedicate to the hobby, and set up a dry start scape. It's largely been neglected and left to its own devices, so it's been through the good, bad and ugly.

Recently Art @Art was kind enough to send me a ScapeCrunch sticker, and I promised to post a picture of it next to my scape. I have him to thank for the way the scape looks atm, since in order to keep the promise I've had ot tidy it up a bit. Btw it's still a work in progress and needs more plants, suggestions welcome.

Anyway, here's the promised shot



Prefer the ScapeCrunch sticker over the ADA logo any day

More to follow. . .

 

[Yugang]

A great start @Tim Harrison, looking forward to seeing how it develops.

What you see is what you get on ScapeCrunch, so we have no doubt that the adhesive keeps the sticker firmly and indefinitely in place

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

Ahh finally, some Tim action. I just saw this on UKAPS the other day and was skimming through the updates. I really like the hardscape hope the house renovations look just as good as this!

 

[Tim Harrison]

A great start @Tim Harrison, looking forward to seeing how it develops.

What you see is what you get on ScapeCrunch, so we have no doubt that the adhesive keeps the sticker firmly and indefinitely in place

Thanks @Yugang. The sticker is far too precious to be left on my aquarium. It's now inside one of my aquascaping books for safe keeping

Ahh finally, some Tim action. I just saw this on UKAPS the other day and was skimming through the updates. I really like the hardscape hope the house renovations look just as good as this!

Thanks @Mr.Shenanagins. The renovations are going well, just the occasional unwelcome surprise here and there, but that's only to be expected

Thought I'd follow up by posting a few before images. First the bare hardscape, and next, just planted.

 

[Tim Harrison]

I never explained why I decided to call the scape Green Gut. Short of it is, it reminded me of the eponymous climb I've done once or twice in the Dark Peak (in the Peak District National Park, UK). It doesn't get much sun and is pretty wet in winter, and if no one has gardened it, it becomes covered in algae, mosses and ferns.

I mentioned above, that the scape had been left to its own devices, and neglected. Somehow it morphed in to this without any help.

 

[Tim Harrison]

Moving on a few month of neglect later, the scape had become overtaken by rampant moss growth. I finally got fed up of looking at it and was forced to find the time to sort it out. What follows isn't all pretty, its warts 'n' all. . .

Before


During


After




Nearly up to date. UKAPS has its annual meeting at the store of one of its sponsors next Sunday 28 April. The store is called Aquarium Gardens. I'll be there helping to host and buying lots more plants to finish this scape.

 

[Tim Harrison]

Just realised I've posted this Journal in the wrong forum. Could it be moved to Member Tanks?
Should have known better

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

 

[Tim Harrison]

Decided I'd better plant those plants I bought from AG nearly 2 weeks ago at our annual meet up. Been too busy, but with the temp increase lately I didn't think it wise to leave them in their plastic bags any longer. I had a bit of a maintenance session and cut back the stems at the back of the tank to make room.

I tried to pull them out but they were in solid, and it would have destroyed the scape if I had. As it turns out it was probably the best move anyway. When they grow back they should provide a good contrast to the colour and form of the green grass like plants; the stems grow red under the Twinstar 45B II s.

I've added,
UG to the top of the wood in among the moss. Don't hold out much hope for it though, it felt decidedly slimy, usually a precursor to melting.
Cyperus helferi to the front LHS
Eleocharis montevidensis to the middle back
Eriocaulon sp. 'Vietnam' LHS front corner and a little to the middle foreground where the little cave is for contrast with the H. tenellum
Helanthium tenellum, a whole load more to the foreground to bulk up what was already there. I had been expecting the original plants to throw out runners and carpet, but they didn't. Conditions are probably too easy for them, so no urge to reproduce.

The idea has always been to use grass like species, but I got a bit sidetracked. Too many plants and not enough time or scapes. So it is now more or less how I envisaged it in the first place. The idea is to create a greater sense of scale and perspective by using coarse leaved plants at the front and fine leaved Eleocharis spp. at the back.







A couple of before and during shots

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

I like the added “wild” look to the left side, it compliments the open space to the right