#1044 Against The Flow
About This Aquascape
This project was inspired by a wild tropical riverbank, where fallen wood, soft sand and dense vegetation naturally merge together. I wanted to create strong depth and movement, with the red plants and lotus contrasting against the fresh green growth. Maintenance includes weekly water changes, regular trimming, removal of old leaves, cleaning the glass and cosmetic sand, and periodic filter maintenance.
- Filter
- Aquael Ultramax 1500
- CO2 System
- Approx. 30 ppm CO₂, starts 2 hours before lights on and turns off 1 hour lights out.
- Lighting
- Chihiros WRGB 2 90 cm
- Substrate
- Yokuchi Ganban Power Base, Shōka Bacteria, Jiban Soil and WIO Heaven Sand.
- Hardscape Materials
- WIO Venom Stone, natural driftwood, WIO Heaven Sand.
- Background
- Led panel
Species
Otocinclus sp., Hyphessobrycon amandae, Caridina multidentata, Caridina logemanni.
Plant species
Fissidens sp. ‘Miroshaki’, Vesicularia montagnei ‘Mini Christmas’, Nymphaea lotus ‘Red Mini’, Vallisneria rubra, Eriocaulon sp. ‘Vietnam’, Eriocaulon sp. ‘Polaris’, Eriocaulon sp. ‘Feather Duster’, Micranthemum tweediei ‘Monte Carlo’, Cryptocoryne wendtii ‘Red’, Echinodorus ‘Red Diamond’, Hydrocotyle verticillata, Marsilea minuta, Bolbitis heudelotii.
Fertilization
Yokuchi gen x 6ml
Judges' Comments
This layout features a beautiful structural arrangement, highlighting an exceptional selection and placement of driftwood that creates a captivating focal point. The choice of flora is highly diverse, successfully incorporating Echinodorus, various Eriocaulon species, Nymphaea lotus, Cryptocoryne, ferns, and mosses, which collectively establish an intriguing natural atmosphere. The main observation for future development is that the ecosystem is still quite young. If given a bit more time to mature, allowing nature to grow and establish itself organically, the overall presentation will become significantly more complete and stunning. Over time, the moss on the driftwood will become denser, and plants such as Valisneria, Eriocaulon Feather Duster will sway and blend together with much greater harmony.
— Cheattha Sae Teaw
An excellent aquascape that blends beautiful hardscape work with vibrant reds. The aquascape also balances open space well - many aquascapes try to crowd in as much plants/hardscape as possible, leading to overcrowded compositions, and dispersed focus. The Vallisneria species and Eriocaulon feather duster give a sense of water movement and sense of wilderness without being too chaotic. Both hardscape and plants show a mixture of larger and finer textures that contrast well Great work.
— Dennis Wong
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