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NATURE IN THE GLASS ‘Old Trees and Sprouting’ Part 1

aquadesignamanoadmin
Expressing the magnificence of trees and the energy of new life
Aquascape with a feeling of eternity

Themes for this aquascape are the magnificence of old trees living in a forest for a long time and the energy of new life. Although old trees in a forest sometimes fall down in a long lapse of time, they still grow undulated branches and roots, and their surfaces are often covered with moss. Around those old trees, many new plants sprout up, and vines twine around the trees and stones. With images of those sights, deep green colored moss and bright colored aquatic plants are expressed in a color contrast. From the aspects of many plants living together in a lapse of time, unchanged old trees after a long lapse of time and new plants sprouting up express different strengths of vitality.
DATA
Shooting date: August 2nd, 2019(ADA)
Creator: Daisuke Inoue
Aquarium: Cube Garden W180×D60×H60(cm)
Lighting: Solar RGB x 3, turned on for 8.5 hours per day
Filter: Super Jet Filter ES-2400(Bio Rio L)
Material: Horn Wood, Sansui Stone, DOOA Tropical River Sand
Substrate: Aqua Soil Amazonia, Power Sand Advance L, Bacter 100, Clear Super, Tourmaline BC
CO2: 5 bubbles per second via Pollen Glass Beetle 50Ø (using Tower)
Aeration: 15.5 hours after the light is turned off using Lily Pipe P-6
Additives: Brighty K, Green Brighty Mineral, Green Brighty Iron, Green Brighty Nitrogen
Water change: 1/3 once a week
Water quality: Temperature: 25ºC; pH: 6.6; TH: 20 mg/l

Plant
Wabi-Kusa Hydrocotyle sp.
Bio Mizukusa No Mori Lilaeopsis ‘Novae zelandiae’
Bio Mizukusa No Mori Rotala macrandra
Bio Mizukusa No Mori Rotala macrandra ‘Green’
Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Vallisneria spiralis ‘Leopard’
Taxiphyllum barbieri

Fish
Devario malabaricus
Crossocheilus oblongus
Otocinclus sp.
Caridina multidentata

 

 

Primitive forest expressed with 2 different flows of time

Eternity
A primitive forest’s “An aspect of nature continuing to live since ancient times” was expressed with Taxiphyllum barbieri, Lilaeopsis ‘Novae zelandiae’ and Vallisneria spiralis ‘Leopard’. Because these aquatic plants are relatively deep green colored, they give a calm impression and a feeling of relaxed flow of time. In this aquascape, these aquatic plants and layout materials, driftwood and stones were used to create the eternal flow of time. By exposing some surface parts of the driftwood, the vitality of long living trees were expressed.
Place Sansui Stones around the pieces of driftwood
In order to create scenery of the forest ground covered with moss, place extra stones with moss attached around the pieces of driftwood. Because I wanted to make the entire composition structure in dark colors, Sansui Stones were selected.
Use of old driftwood
In order to express the texture of old trees’ surface, pieces of old driftwood which had been used many times for other layouts were used instead of using new ones. Old driftwood hardly makes waste component in the water, and the water condition can be easily maintained.
Expressing the eternal flow of time with moss
By winding Taxiphyllum barbieri in deep green color around the surface of the driftwood, the eternal flow of time was expressed in colors as well. Taxiphyllum barbieri in a Moss Bag was used here.
Sprouting
Newly sprouted plants
For “Newly sprouted plants” compared to the old trees, stemmed plants and Hydrocotyle leucocephala family were used. Both of them have vibrant colors showing fresh vitalities. And, for the types of the stemmed plants, plants with relatively round shaped leaves were selected as well as Hydrocotyle leucocephala family. By limiting not only the colors but also the shape of leaves, it is aiming to create the contrast with the deep green colored aquatic plants expressing the eternal flow of time, so that it is visually easy to recognize the contrast.
Expressing the explosive vitality with stemmed plants
By using bright and vibrant colored stemmed plants, the fresh vitalities of new sprouted plants were expressed in colors. It creates a contrast with the eternal time expressed using the deep green colored moss and the tape like aquatic plants.
Effective use of BIO Mizukusa No Mori
Rotala macrandra with distinctive vibrant red color are stemmed plants likely to be melted due to environmental changes after planting. But by using BIO Mizukusa No Mori, they have grown in a great condition without melting.
Expressing the vigorous vitality with Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Plant some Wabi-Kusa Hydrocotyle sp. between the Sansui Stones with moss attached. Runners from the Wabi-Kusa Hydrocotyle sp. grow spreading out, and the vigorous vitality can be felt as if they were vines that tangle on anything.
Devario malabaricus with a wild impression
Because the aquascape was inspired by an image of a primitive forest, fish with a wild impression was chosen. Devario malabaricus is quite impressive with irregular patterns on its body.

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