Return of the Shallow

I recently found an awesome peace of DW; a eucalyptus root which I thought would be ideal for scaping.
I kind of envisioned the root embedded in rock, but it's a tricky manoeuvre to pull off so it looks convincingly natural.

Specs:

Tank: 60x40x25cm(h)
Stand: IKEA hacked Besta cabinet
Light: EcoTech Radion XR15 Freshwater LED
Filter: Eheim Ecco Pro 300 with Cal Aqua Labs lily pipes
CO2: Fire Extinguisher, Dual Stage Reg and UpAqua Inline Atomizer
Steriliser: TwinStar Nano II
Fertz: TNC Complete
Substrate: Amazonia
Rocks: Seiryu Stone
DW: Eucalyptus Root

 

Thanks Evelyn, interesting take on the scape. You've got me wondering now about that central rock
And I've already been playing around with the negative space on the right hand side, I'm in two minds about it.
At the moment I'm thinking it'll look better just planted, but that could change...it usually does

 

Haha...thanks Keith, that really does put things in to perspective.

As for planting I think a mixed carpet - Stauro, Monte Carlo, Hydrocotyle sp. Japan, and maybe a couple of others.
There are quite big planting pockets at the back where I'd like some colour so Rotala 'H’ra', Rotala wallichii, Rotala green.
On the rocks and DW a combination of small buces and mosses.
The top of the stump is hollow so some emergent growth as well, maybe small ferns, Crypts etc.

 

Thanks Keith, that's a good point. I'm not sure the hardscape is good enough to be the main feature of the finished scape though. It'll also be hard for me to resist the temptation to cover it in plants; which for me is usually the main feature. But I'll definitely keep your advice in mind.

I also tried Evelyn's suggestion of placing some rocks in the negative space on the right...I've tried several in different combos and they just seem to throw the scape out of balance.

I think I've identified the cause, the scape really wants to be a concave island scape (it's actually more of a triangular arrangement) especially when viewed from the front. However, I've built it to be viewed primarily from the right hand side, it's how the tanks sits in my study.

So overall I've come to the conclusion it's best left as is, if needs be I can add a bunch of slightly taller bushier plants to add contrasting juxtaposition to the rocky root outcrop...

 

Holidays are as good as over, so my attention has returned to the shallow.
I rejigged the right hand side of the scape a bit, and then got busy with the glue gun and added a bit more wood.
The carpet plants arrived today as well, along with some mini Christmas moss and Pelia, so I'll do some planting tomorrow.
I'm going to try the dry start method with this scape. The level substrate should lend itself to DSM pretty well

 

Hi Keith, that was a good suggestion but as you know by now I've already planted the carpet, and so far so good...






Strange though, I could have sworn I'd posted the above here already

 

Yes I posted all 4.

 

Haha...it happens to the best of us

 

The DSM (dry start method) seems to be working well...so far. The methodology has been:

1. Firstly, I added water to a level just below the surface of the substrate, and aim to keep it that way; spraying every day can raise the water level above the top of the substrate.
2. I've kept the tank sealed with clingfilm, but have let fresh air in for 5 minutes every day to replace the old stagnant air, hopefully this will prevent mould.
3. The plants have been sprayed on a daily basis with a dilute fertz solution, about 1ml TNC Complete per 0.33 of a litre; that's the capacity of my sprayer.

It's been around 10 days since the carpet was planted and I'm fairly pleased with the growth rate.
The moss has taken hold as well and appears to be growing; I was worried it wasn't getting enough moisture.
I've also pinched out the tops of the Staurogyne repens, hopefully this will encourage side shots and quicker coverage.

 

Hi Keith, the air stone is a great idea.
A level substrate means that the level of moisture is the same throughout, so it's easy to control without water logging the surface layers too much. With steeply banked substrate, for instance, the top would probably be too dry, whilst the bottom would be too wet.

 

I guess spraying more often could be a solution, but pulling back the clingfilm more frequently might be counter productive too. I suppose it's all a bit of a balancing act.