Colored leaves in the water in Japanese style

This work was inspired by Nakatsugawa Valley (Urabandai, Fukushima Prefecture) in late autumn. The trees colored by colored leaves and the rocks formed by the flow of water-The colorful aquatic plants and river stones are used to express the fusion of living and non-living objects. The deep reddish-colored fish look like scattered fall leaves. A lot of aquatic plants colored in red and yellow are used so that the planting of the stemmed plants looks like a colored autumn leaves. By putting a lot of dark red plants such as Ludwigia sp. ‘Super red’ in the bush on the left side, the center of gravity is made clearer. A clear color separation on the bright and gorgeous upper side and hues on the lower side created a color contrast in the layout and tightened the entire impression.

DATA
Shooting date: July 4th, 2019(ADA)
Creator: Naru Uchida
Aquarium: Cube Garden W90 x D45 x H45（cm）
Lighting: Solar RGB x 1, turned on for 8.5 hours per day
Filter:  Super Jet Filter ES-600(Bio Rio M)
Material: Hakkai Stone, Branch Wood
Substrate: Aqua Soil – Amazonia II, Aqua Gravel, Power Sand Advance M, Bacter 100, Clear Super, Tourmaline BC
CO₂: Pollen Glass Beetle 40Ø , 5 bubbles per second via Beetle Counter (using Tower)
Aeration: 15.5 hours after the light is turned off using Lily Pipe P-4
Additives: Brighty K, Green Brighty Mineral, Green Brighty Iron, Green Brighty Nitrogen, ECA Plus
Water change: 1/3 twice a week
Water quality: Temperature: 25ºC; pH: 6.4; TH: 20 mg/l

Plant
BIO Mizukusa No Mori Ludwigia sp. ‘Super red’
BIO Mizukusa No Mori Myriophyllum mattogrossense
BIO Mizukusa No Mori Ludwigia arcuata
BIO Mizukusa No Mori Rotala sp. Ceylon
BIO Mizukusa No Mori Rotala rotundifolia ‘Fujian’
BIO Mizukusa No Mori Rotala nanjean
BIO Mizukusa No Mori Rotala sp. ‘Vietnam’
BIO Mizukusa No Mori Riccardia chamedryfolia
Ludwigia brevipes
Myriophyllum sp. (from Roraima)
Fontinalis antipyretica

Fish
Puntius nigrofasciatus
Crossocheilus oblongus
Otocinclus sp.
Caridina multidentata

 

Expressing the autumnal valley with an aquascape
KEY POINTS for planting and management to make use of the color of stemmed plants

Autumnal valley expressed in aquascape
A concave composition aquascape with colorful and gorgeous stemmed plants in the image of an autumnal valley. The dark Hakkai Stone tightens the overall impression and enhances the body color of the fish.

Point of stemmed plants use
In the case of a concave composition, harmony is born when using the same stemmed plants on the left and right side. However, planting with the same type and amount as in mirror copy will result in symmetry, and the natural feeling will be diminished. Using the complementary color effect of red and green, the reddish Ludowigia sp. ‘Super red’ was planted in the area A.

Maintenance of stemmed plants
This time, we used Amazonia II, which has a moderate amount of nutrients for the substrate, so we weren’t bothered by algae such as Spyrogira. If you want to make the leaf color of stemmed plants darker and more vivid, it is effective to add Green Brighty Nitrogen to replenish nitrogen in several times during the day. The addition of Bottom Plus to the substrate has the same effect.