Journal Long-winded ramblings about Dutch-style aquascaping

[gjcarew]

Just back from about two weeks away for the holidays. It's amazing what consistent CO2 will do, even with no other dosing.

I still need to address some algae and do a major trim, but when I have this much material to work with it's a good opportunity to start working on a competition photo. This could be "good enough" as soon as next week with a bit of elbow grease.

 

[gjcarew]

Congrats @OmidNiav on placing in the AGA! Here was my submission:


I think the color and leaf shape contrast is nice, but that lobelia street is pretty mediocre. I also didn't leave enough open space and room between plants. Overall I'm happy with it though!

As a bonus, here is the wabi kusa I submitted. I didn't take any fancy pics, just a phone camera picture:

 

[Unexpected]

Well done man. Considering all you went through with this tank, it's amazing!

 

[Koan]

the color and leaf shape contrast is nice

Beautiful!

Is that just wendtii bronze? I've sure never got it to look that good

 

[gjcarew]

Beautiful!

Is that just wendtii bronze? I've sure never got it to look that good

Crypt jacobsenii pink

 

[SkaleyAquatics]

I love that you branched out into the wabi kusa category. I have been a huge fan of them since I discovered them a few months back and look forward to making one in the near future.

 

[OmidNiav]

Congrats @OmidNiav on placing in the AGA! Here was my submission:
View attachment 6915

I think the color and leaf shape contrast is nice, but that lobelia street is pretty mediocre. I also didn't leave enough open space and room between plants. Overall I'm happy with it though!

As a bonus, here is the wabi kusa I submitted. I didn't take any fancy pics, just a phone camera picture:
View attachment 6916

Thanks man, you got a very nice tank there!

 

[gjcarew]

A few days late on an update here. Turns out this will not be ready by next week because I ended up severely trimming/ rearranging things. Classic

 

[gjcarew]

Just after a water change, so the plants are all over:

 

[gjcarew]

Well, this is gonna be unpopular.

I've been feeling a bit burnt out on Dutch stuff recently so I'm going back to a nature style aquarium.

I'm going for a downed log on the banks of a river, overgrown with grasses. Its gonna look bad for at least a few weeks here, but here is the tank just after planting:

The idea is to have progressively taller grass-like plants. So I have eleocharis pusilla in the front, blyxa japonica and crypt parva in the mid ground, and helanthium 'angustifolia' in the background.

My goal, until I get some motivation back, is to have something that needs minimal trimming. So I've gone with pretty slow, minimally invasive plants.

 

[Kwyet]

Dutch tanks really are a LOT of work! Better to go with something lower maintenance than burn out all together.

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

Don’t be discouraged, you can easily convert down the road to something more colorful, dutchy inspired. I like the concept. What did you do with all your stems? I’ve also noticed your buce was missing from your last Dutch photo?

 

[gjcarew]

Don’t be discouraged, you can easily convert down the road to something more colorful, dutchy inspired. I like the concept. What did you do with all your stems? I’ve also noticed your buce was missing from your last Dutch photo?

I wouldn't say I'm discouraged, I have no trouble making Dutch aquascapes. I just feel like switching it up. I've been doing nature aquariums for longer than I've been doing Dutch.

 

[gjcarew]

Not much going on here! But I suppose that was the point. I'll update once it's grown in, or if I change anything

 

[gjcarew]

Congrats @OmidNiav on placing in the AGA! Here was my submission:
View attachment 6915

I think the color and leaf shape contrast is nice, but that lobelia street is pretty mediocre. I also didn't leave enough open space and room between plants. Overall I'm happy with it though!

As a bonus, here is the wabi kusa I submitted. I didn't take any fancy pics, just a phone camera picture:
View attachment 6916

Feedback just came back from Vin Kutty:

"A very atractive glimpse of a tank. I wish the photo crop would let me see it all. From what I can see, there’s a lot that this tank gets right. Nice curtain plants, but both are overpowering. Presence of dark greens and browns are great. Use of reds is restrained. However, the midground is poorly developed, as a result, the foreground feels like it runs into a wall of tall background plants. Hygrophila seems unhappy. The Cryptocoryne nurii in the center isn’t serving a purpose. That space would have been better given to the Lobelia, which should ideally disappear behind the C. jacobsenii. Too many oversized fish."

I agree with pretty much everything he said, especially the part about it being attractive

I think my real success here was in the contrast in colors and textures. The layout and trimming were mediocre.

 

[gjcarew]

Also, I have been home for a grand total of four hours over the past month. I get home for good on Friday so I'll try to do an update this weekend.

 

[SkaleyAquatics]

Feedback just came back from Vin Kutty:

"A very atractive glimpse of a tank. I wish the photo crop would let me see it all. From what I can see, there’s a lot that this tank gets right. Nice curtain plants, but both are overpowering. Presence of dark greens and browns are great. Use of reds is restrained. However, the midground is poorly developed, as a result, the foreground feels like it runs into a wall of tall background plants. Hygrophila seems unhappy. The Cryptocoryne nurii in the center isn’t serving a purpose. That space would have been better given to the Lobelia, which should ideally disappear behind the C. jacobsenii. Too many oversized fish."

I agree with pretty much everything he said, especially the part about it being attractive

I think my real success here was in the contrast in colors and textures. The layout and trimming were mediocre.

Your entry was very striking. I did not really look to much into it when you posted it on here but now that its on tha agaiac page its easier to compare everyone's entries.

 

[gjcarew]

It's grown in, but I don't love it. Simultaneously too busy and kinda boring. Not sure if there's something I like I can salvage here, or if it was just a concept that was always gonna look better in my head.

 

[gjcarew]

Picture because why not, but no real changes here. Turns out there were a couple red tiger lotus bulbs hiding in the substrate, but I've been letting them grow because this tank desperately lacks both color and a midground.

In more exciting news I got the go ahead to get a "show" tank. This one is in our spare bedroom and nobody sees it 99% of the time, which makes it hard to remember things like maintenance and fertilization and feeding.

Tentative plan is to get a full UNS 120U for the basement. I've always wanted a tank with a lot of depth for dutch scaping.

I'm not going to count my chickens before they hatch but as things move forward I'll keep y'all updated.

 

[gjcarew]

I started gathering some midground plants to move back towards Dutch. I haven't started getting things into groups yet, and I'm traveling for work next week so I probably won't for a while.