Journal Long-winded ramblings about Dutch-style aquascaping

[GreggZ]

Great example of why color of light is so important.

 

[gjcarew]

Everything is leaning like crazy since i just moved it all around, but I cut down on the species count and got the eleocharis a little closer to the 1/3 point. I am a little concerned that the tank is too symmetrical.

No idea what I want for the back right corner. I have some limno hippuridoides there for now because I don't trust the Syngonanthus macrocaulon to behave itself yet, and I want a backup mid ground plant. I think I want a green plant for the back right, maybe some kind of myrio or limnophila aquatica.

The contrast is actually pretty good, lots of different greens and textures. Maybe it needs more color?

 

[gjcarew]

Looking for some feedback if anyone wants to offer some.
1. Wood on the left - good there or distracting? I put it there to help hide the side of the hygrophila difformis bush. Also, should it be bare wood or have monoselenium tenerum on it?

2. The street of hygrophila serpyllum is most likely going to be replaced with lobelia cardinalis, since I can't get the rear part to grow as high as I would like. But is the eleocharis montevidensis a good look, or is it awkward?

3. Does the hydrocotyle leucocephala Variegated look unhealthy at first glance? It's naturally a lighter color but someone told me it looks sickly.

4. Any thoughts on the bolbitis in that location?

General feedback is appreciated too. Looking at my own tank for so long prevents me from seeing flaws in it.

 

[Art]

OK so just some thoughts for you to consider. All my opinion only of course.

First, great work, man. Healthy looking tank with good depth and spacing!

1. Wood on the left - good there or distracting? I put it there to help hide the side of the hygrophila difformis bush. Also, should it be bare wood or have monoselenium tenerum on it?

At first I didn't notice it but once I saw it, it doesn't seem to go well there. It makes the aquascape too heavy on the left as opposed to balanced. I would move it right it to the 1/3 line. You should then try to weather it/emphasize it a little with moss or some other plant too make it look well seasoned.

2. The street of hygrophila serpyllum is most likely going to be replaced with lobelia cardinalis, since I can't get the rear part to grow as high as I would like. But is the eleocharis montevidensis a good look, or is it awkward?

You are not getting enough contrast with that street and the upper right corner. I think the change to Lobelia is a good one because of the contrast with the leaves. Should work well with the Rotala? in the back and the forefront carpet plant. The Rotala should either be colored up more or replaced with something that contrasts more with the Lobelia.

I like the Eleocharis structure, TBH. I like garden style what does allow for structures that clearly look man-made. It also sits on the right third line and is functioning as a focal point. Get the Rotala macrandra redder and fuller around it to further emphasize it.

3. Does the hydrocotyle leucocephala Variegated look unhealthy at first glance? It's naturally a lighter color but someone told me it looks sickly.

Always hard to tell in pictures. Does it look sickly to you? My gut tells me it could show more green but the internodes don't seem to be elongated. I think it just looks a bit sloppy. You may want to trim it to be more uniform in shape. I assume you're using as the right curtain plant.

4. Any thoughts on the bolbitis in that location?

I think the right back corner needs work. It may not have grown in yet but it is too empty. There seems to be a pantanal or meta behind it that may be what you're growing there.

General feedback is appreciated too. Looking at my own tank for so long prevents me from seeing flaws in it.

I think your tank is in the growing stage so still developing. At the moment, it seems to heavy on the left without enough balance on the right.

I would ask you the following:

• Where do you want the viewer's eyes to go first? What focal point do you want to emphasize?
  • Once you got that, work on that first and develop something cohesive like the eleocharis rising like a phoenix or volcano with the macrandra and a contrasting green plant behind it.
• I would then work the rest of the aquascape to balance the focal point but not overshadow it. What story are you trying to go for with this scape? You have a street and that's a good start. To me, it helps to have a theme in my head that I'm trying to capture. For example, "a bright, colorful garden on a spring day" or "a natural forest opening at dusk" or "wild flowers blossoming in the summer".
  • By keeping the theme (not diorama) in mind, I can feel whether my plants are telling that story. I may choose brighter colors for one but emphasize more shades of green for another.

As for the Dutch aspects, I will leave that to @Burr740, @GreggZ and @Vin who are the real experts.

 

[gjcarew]

OK so just some thoughts for you to consider. All my opinion only of course.

First, great work, man. Healthy looking tank with good depth and spacing!

1. Wood on the left - good there or distracting? I put it there to help hide the side of the hygrophila difformis bush. Also, should it be bare wood or have monoselenium tenerum on it?

At first I didn't notice it but once I saw it, it doesn't seem to go well there. It makes the aquascape too heavy on the left as opposed to balanced. I would move it right it to the 1/3 line. You should then try to weather it/emphasize it a little with moss or some other plant too make it look well seasoned.

2. The street of hygrophila serpyllum is most likely going to be replaced with lobelia cardinalis, since I can't get the rear part to grow as high as I would like. But is the eleocharis montevidensis a good look, or is it awkward?

You are not getting enough contrast with that street and the upper right corner. I think the change to Lobelia is a good one because of the contrast with the leaves. Should work well with the Rotala? in the back and the forefront carpet plant. The Rotala should either be colored up more or replaced with something that contrasts more with the Lobelia.

I like the Eleocharis structure, TBH. I like garden style what does allow for structures that clearly look man-made. It also sits on the right third line and is functioning as a focal point. Get the Rotala macrandra redder and fuller around it to further emphasize it.

3. Does the hydrocotyle leucocephala Variegated look unhealthy at first glance? It's naturally a lighter color but someone told me it looks sickly.

Always hard to tell in pictures. Does it look sickly to you? My gut tells me it could show more green but the internodes don't seem to be elongated. I think it just looks a bit sloppy. You may want to trim it to be more uniform in shape. I assume you're using as the right curtain plant.

4. Any thoughts on the bolbitis in that location?

I think the right back corner needs work. It may not have grown in yet but it is too empty. There seems to be a pantanal or meta behind it that may be what you're growing there.

General feedback is appreciated too. Looking at my own tank for so long prevents me from seeing flaws in it.

I think your tank is in the growing stage so still developing. At the moment, it seems to heavy on the left without enough balance on the right.

I would ask you the following:

• Where do you want the viewer's eyes to go first? What focal point do you want to emphasize?
  • Once you got that, work on that first and develop something cohesive like the eleocharis rising like a phoenix or volcano with the macrandra and a contrasting green plant behind it.
• I would then work the rest of the aquascape to balance the focal point but not overshadow it. What story are you trying to go for with this scape? You have a street and that's a good start. To me, it helps to have a theme in my head that I'm trying to capture. For example, "a bright, colorful garden on a spring day" or "a natural forest opening at dusk" or "wild flowers blossoming in the summer".
  • By keeping the theme (not diorama) in mind, I can feel whether my plants are telling that story. I may choose brighter colors for one but emphasize more shades of green for another.

As for the Dutch aspects, I will leave that to @Burr740, @GreggZ and @Vin who are the real experts.

Thank you, and you're right that the tank still needs to grow in some more.

I am trying to find the right plant for the back right corner. I'm currently growing some limnophila aromatica there but it's not growing particularly quickly.

That's a good point about starting from a storytelling point of view, then adjusting the layout to better serve that story. I think too often I think in terms of checking boxes for a Dutch tank and lose sight of the artistic nature of it.

 

[Unexpected]

I think too often I think in terms of checking boxes for a Dutch tank and lose sight of the artistic nature of it.

Well said.

 

[gjcarew]

I made a pretty big change and replaced the hygrophila serpyllum with lobelia cardinalis 'mini'. It's still very small though, hopefully it doesn't take too long to grow in. Otherwise I've just been practicing my trimming.

I also replaced the log with a rock so it wouldn't cut the hygrophila difformis bush in half.

I'm probably going to switch to EI soon to help the lagging groups fill in a little faster, then back off when I'm happy with the plant mass.

 

[gjcarew]

The last group that is really lagging is in the back right, limnophila aromatica varieties just don't seem to like this tank.

At present I'm thinking of replacing it with bacopa caroliniana, since I know that is an aggressive grower in this tank. It's getting to the point where I need to get it into competition shape soon, and I don't have time to wait for plants anymore.

The lobelia cardinalis 'mini' is growing in nicely though, should be good enough in 3 weeks or so.

 

[Art]

You looking to submit to AGA contest?

You seem to be getting good growth from the Rotala, curious why the limnophila aromatics isn't growing as quickly. Are you running low N?

 

[gjcarew]

You looking to submit to AGA contest?

You seem to be getting good growth from the Rotala, curious why the limnophila aromatics isn't growing as quickly. Are you running low N?

I was, recently bumped it up and the limnophila is doing a little better. Still not getting amazing growth though.

 

[gjcarew]

With less than a month left before the AGA there are still some significant weaknesses here. The fern in the middle does not stand out enough. I may move it to where the moss currently is, as that is just too small right now. I do like how wild the bolbitis looks.

Since the limno aromatica is more mid ground height, I'll move it to the center between the willow hygro and Ludwigia repens. Still planning on putting some bacopa in the back right, I just have to make it to the fish store.

Finally, I need to find a way to get the Brazilian pennywort to stick to the wall on the right. The lotus also needs to be bigger, but that's in God's hands at this point l. We'll see where it is in a month. I'll submit something regardless, but hopefully this will be grown in by then.

 

[Art]

I think it's progressing nicely. The colors and health of many of the plants is noticeably better.

I'm not a competitive aquascaper so am sharing something I heard previously. Someone that competes once told me their strategy is heavier dosing for a month or so to get the plants as healthy as possible (i.e., thicker, more colorful) and then going lean N for a few weeks to bring out reds.

Not sure if that helps you and I have no personal experience with it. Maybe @Vin and/or @Burr740 can chime in with some Dutch design advice for you.

 

[gjcarew]

About a week away from having to take a photo for the AGA if I want to enter, since I'll be in Ireland in early September. Things are going a bit pear shaped. Mostly it's just way overgrown and I have one chance to make it perfect with a really good trim. The pressure is on.

The bacopa didn't work out as I hoped, oh well. At least there is a lot of Brazilian pennywort on the right side to hide some gaps

 

[Art]

You may have already taken the picture by now but I think the tank is looking good. My recommendation would be to reduce the number of fish prior to the picture as they can detract from the aquascape.

 

[gjcarew]

Not much to update! I did run out of CO2 at some point this week, so I'm going to have to get a refill on Monday. The lotus is too long so I might have to just trim it down to the sand level to get it to the size I want.

I've gotten a lot of feedback that I have too many fish. I don't think the tank is overstocked but maybe I'm just too attached. I have 10 rhads, 12 melanotaenia trifasciata, 6 chilatherina sp. Upper Tor, 12 corydoras venezuelanus, and 3 Siamese algae eaters. Is that too much?

 

[FrankZ]

View attachment 3163
Not much to update! I did run out of CO2 at some point this week, so I'm going to have to get a refill on Monday. The lotus is too long so I might have to just trim it down to the sand level to get it to the size I want.

I've gotten a lot of feedback that I have too many fish. I don't think the tank is overstocked but maybe I'm just too attached. I have 10 rhads, 12 melanotaenia trifasciata, 6 chilatherina sp. Upper Tor, 12 corydoras venezuelanus, and 3 Siamese algae eaters. Is that too much?

I think hard core Dutch scapers view fish as an accent and when there are too many or the species are large it distracts from the plants. I saw similar comments from a few years ago on AGA about a discus Dutch tank. For competitions I think you need a compromise.

Personally, I like the fish you have. I view fish in a planted tank like Christmas lights. The proper amount and fish size really take the scape to another level. But I also lean heavily to the Clark Griswald style of Christmas lights.

 

[Unexpected]

I’m going to get dinged on fish population for my entry. It is what it is and it isn’t NBAT so….over populate

 

[Burr740]

That last rendition is pretty good

I agree on the fish but Im just a plant snob and think bows in general are way too big

 

[GreggZ]

I agree on the fish but Im just a plant snob and think bows in general are way too big

What? Blasphemy!

LOL come on Joe everyone knows Rainbows are the perfect compliment to a planted tank.

View attachment 3163
Not much to update! I did run out of CO2 at some point this week, so I'm going to have to get a refill on Monday. The lotus is too long so I might have to just trim it down to the sand level to get it to the size I want.

I've gotten a lot of feedback that I have too many fish. I don't think the tank is overstocked but maybe I'm just too attached. I have 10 rhads, 12 melanotaenia trifasciata, 6 chilatherina sp. Upper Tor, 12 corydoras venezuelanus, and 3 Siamese algae eaters. Is that too much?

For reference I have 16 Rainbows in my 120G. No clean up crew, nothing else, and I consider that pretty fully stocked.

Keep in mind those Tri's will get much longer and taller as they mature, and even the Upper Tor's will get to over 4" in time. Just saying with Bows you need to think ahead as they are slow growers. A year from now might look a bit crowded in there.

Did you get the Tor's from Marcel? He's one of the few breeding them. And are the Tri's Habgood River? If not curious what they are. Not many Tri's have blue in them. Maybe young Cato River?

 

[gjcarew]

I got the Tor's from Ryan Reamy, and the Tri's are habgood river. This was right after a water change and late at night, so everyone was a little spooked. I'll have to get some better pictures of the 'bows.

It sounds like it may be a good idea to thin out the stocking a bit. I feed a lot and haven't noticed any aggression, but it does seem like growth is not as quick as I'd expect.