Dutch Aquascape!

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Welsh

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Jun 30, 2010
Messages
336
Location
South Wales, UK
My aquascapes always look rubbish, with the same species plants planted randomly all around the tank. Is it possible to do this type of aquascape with low light setups, no Co2 and little ferts?

Plants I have:

Anubias Barteri. var. Coffeefolia
Anubias Barteri. var. Nana
Anubia's Barteri. var Nana Petite.
Cryptocoryne Wendtii
Cryptocoryne Tropica - red
Hygrophilia Polysperma
Limnophila Heterophylla

Thanks :)
 
I think cabomba looks yucky in low light though- leggy, sparse, bleh. Med light is much better for it. And i think the hygro would be fine with low light, just keep it in a bright spot. The rest of course do fine in low light.

If you look up pictures of dutch aquascapes, you see they make a lot of use of several bunches of plants, each made of several stems. I've never seen a dutch style that uses the number of anubias you have because most dutch scapes are high light in order to use numerous stem plants.

But you can use a dutch style as an inspiration.

In any aquascape, what looks best is for you to place bunches if the same species. One stem here and one stem there looks terrible. Use odd numbers, incorporate triangles, go for asymmetry, place short stems in front, long stems in back. Short anubias do nicely in shadows or under driftwood to fill in gaps. Place plants with different leaf textures close together, for contrast. The brightest/reddest plants usually become the focal point. Focal point should be a little off center- golden ratio!

So in conclusion, I don't think you will get the same Dutch look you see at contests if you use low light and you use the species you have. However you can definitely use Dutch as a guide, and use just general aquascape techniques to plant your tanks.
 
That was a lot of help. I've been looking at pictures online of aquascapes for a few months, but everything I do just looks rubbish, then I came across the dutch aquascape and their stunning. I also want a foreground plant, but anubia's and crypts just don't seem to cut it.

Thanks again for your help :)
 
Welsh said:
That was a lot of help. I've been looking at pictures online of aquascapes for a few months, but everything I do just looks rubbish, then I came across the dutch aquascape and their stunning. I also want a foreground plant, but anubia's and crypts just don't seem to cut it.

Thanks again for your help :)

Foreground plants: try crypt wendtii or dwarf sag! Dwarf sag is grassy, and grows fine under very low light
 
I have crypt wendtii, it seems to grow leggy in low light and takes ages to get new leaves in higher light. I was actually going to look for dwarf sag on my next visit to the lfs, but I didn't think it would grow under low light, at least now I know it will :)

Well, I attempted to 're-scape' my 17litre tonight, it looks a bit of a mess but hopefully when things grow in it'll look a bit better lol. Feel free to suggest any plants, or if I should move anything. This is about 7wpg. Oh, and the filter isn't staying, I plan to get a smaller one lol.

Background - Limnophila Heterophylla
- Hygrophilia Polysperma

Midground - Tiger Lotus
- Anubias Barteri. var. Nana
- Crypt Wendtii

Foreground - Tiger Lotus
Anubias Barteri. var. Nana

Hopefully the photos work...
 

Attachments

  • P3030235.jpg
    P3030235.jpg
    261.3 KB · Views: 332
  • P3030234.jpg
    P3030234.jpg
    255.7 KB · Views: 306
That's a great start! Yes, when things fill in it will come together.

I agree, my crypt wendtii also gets leggy and spread out, so I consider it a midground plant most of the time. I do have some shorter ones that I use in a nice, big clump that is perfect for the foreground, so I guess it depends on your source for the crypt.

I have never scaped a tank this shape before, but plenty of folks do a fantastic job aquascaping fluval edges, so I think you have plenty of inspiration available to you.

I'm not sure what the focal point of this tank is supposed to be? My eyes are going to the crypt wendtii, which are right smack in the center. My eyes are also competing with the stones and tiger lotus in the front left corner, for the focal point. That makes me confused and dizzy ;) Perhaps move the stones to where you want the focal point to be? The stones are the brightest color and also the most constrasting color in the tank, so my eyes go to that very quickly.

Creating depth is a great way to make the tank appear larger, and more 3d. The placement of the wood in the forground, going horizontally, kind of cuts the tank or cuts my depth perception. I can't see what's behind it, and it makes the tank appear less deep. Placing the wood at an angle, with the tallest part behind and the lowest part in front, can add depth.... I have no idea if that makes sense (~_~)

The anubias are pretty spread out, I find my eyes wishing they were all in one group. In dutch aquascapes you see that plants are all in one clump if they are the same species. When the same leaf type/species/color are spread out, it doesn't look as tidy.

Also, be careful when burying the anubias in the substrate. As you know, don't bury the rhizome. Even so, my anubias always do poorly when buried! They do much better with the roots floating in the water, or against wood.

You have a lot of other plant options to fill in your tank. All of my tanks are either low light or SUPER low light, and all my tanks are full of plants.
I highly recommend you try java fern- it looks great, especially if the plant is big and healthy. It also has different leaf shape and color, so it will add a different spice to the soup, so to speak.

Wisteria is also an option- I have a ton. It does look weedy in low light, but it also has a very interesting, fingery leaf shape. If pruned often, it looks nice.
You may also want to try water sprite, I think it would grow without a problem in this amount of light.
Rotala indica is another.
Najas grass, left floating or rooted, is also fine in low light.
Vals also are great- since your tank is tall, vals are a good option. Choose a thinner-leaved val, like italian val, since your tank strikes me as small. Jungle val would be too wide-leaved, I think.
Various crypts, and various anubias are also options. Dwarf sag too, of course. And don't forget the moss! Now that I think of it, I'm surprised there is no moss in a this low light set up ;) Moss and low light go great together.
 
Woah...Soooo much writing!! lol


I hadn't even considered grouping my wendtii together; I’m just hoping they don’t ‘melt’ now I’ve moved them. They tend to grow like wildfire in my low light tank, maybe it’s the lack of Co2 in the 17litre that makes them grow slower, I don’t know.

I wasn’t even sure what the focal point in the tank was supposed to be, however, I have now moved my tiger lotus more centre, which seems to contrast quite nicely against the green of the polysperma. As for the lotus in the left corner, I’m leaving that there for the time being as I’m not quite sure where I want it, plus it has a fresh root tab which I don’t want to waste lol.
I think I understood where you were going with that explanation, it’s such an awkward, pointless piece of wood that I had no idea what to do with it. I’ve been looking around for a smaller, more interesting piece for months, but they all are too big for the tank.

I grouped all the anubia’s and tied them together on the driftwood then moved the big barteri.var. nana to the back left, I’m not sure whether I’m going to move it nearer the smaller bunch yet, as that’s right in the foreground.

Super low light, is that even possible? I’d love to see some pictures. I’ve never had any luck with Java Fern, it always tends to turn black and I dose with flourish comprehensive, so I shouldn’t really have a problem with it. I love the plant when I first have it, but it never stays like that for long. I actually found a tiny plantlet in the tank last week, so I’m going to see how that goes....it should be grown out by 2015 haha

I’ve had wisteria and it done reasonably well, but I can’t seem to find it anymore. As for, Water sprite, Rotala, Najas Grass, I haven’t come across any of those yet, and vals never survive in any of my tanks. I have been on the lookout for different anubia’s, but the stores over here are quite limited, they had to order in the Coffeefolia for me. I think I’ll have to take a trip to the shop and give them another list, this time with moss and Dwarf Sag. :)
 
My java ferns also turn black, and I also dose with flourish. I think they melt- the new leaves that grow in after they acclimate always look much better. They also like currents, so put it near the filter outflow!

Well, i have 29g tanks with only a 17watt light over them. Then I cover the surface with floating plants. So the light is quite low once it has reached the bottom of the tank. But I keep a lot of plants, and they all do fine.

I don't order plants locally because it is such a hassle, as a student I can't take the bus to the LFS easily. I order all my plants online and I'm much happier with it. I can depend on the plants looking wonderful, whereas at the LFS they can come in looking like crap.

I doubt moss and guppy grass are sold in LFSs. Better off asking around locally to see if anyone has some. Or order through other forum members.

One more plant you can use in the background is hornwort. It looks feathery and soft, I like it! But watch out for melting. QT first incase it melts.

If the wood doesn't work, you can always just remove it and use rocks instead. Dutch aquascapes usually don't use hardscape items anyway ;)

It'll come together don't worry.
 
Thankfully my student days are long over with lol.

Thankfully, the lfs' around me all have decent plants, all of which are a decent size too. I tried ordering offline when I first started the fish thing, and I didn't have much luck with them.

Are there any plants that don't 'melt' these days, its a pain lol.

I have removed it several times, but the tank just looks bare without it, plus I quite like using it for height...if that makes sense. :/

Anyway, I've spent the last half hour, or so moving, bunching and praying that my crypts don't melt, I'm not even sure if I like them where they are now lol, --this is in my 12 gallon. I think its safe to say, that my tank now looks very bare and in desperate need of some foreground plants lol. On the plus side, my anubia's look waaay better all in a cluster, I don't know why I didn't bunch them sooner lol.

Have you ever tried 'Cryptocoryne Balansae'? I seen some in an lfs before and I'm thinking about using it in the back corner of my 12 gallon, but I've heard it needs medium lighting and it grows extremely tall, hmm...

Also, I've been looking at 'carpet plants' and came across 'Dwarf baby tears - HC' I was just wondering how these would grow under low light.
 
Well, every single crypt melted after I had to move them last week, 4 massive bunches have now turned to mulch! :( It was heart wrenching waking up to discover them all.

Since I dose with flourish comprehensive every few days, I was wondering whether excel would make much of a difference in my tank? I have 1.2wpg under a 6500k, soon to be 7500k bulb and the lights are on for over 14 hours a day,no algae. I don't want the fuss of co2 but I do want my plants to get a move on and grow lol

Thanks :)
 
Are you adding root tabs ?
I have DIY gel caps with Osmocote Plus for my root feeders. I love my Crypts.

I have C balansae in my rimless 10g. I like it a lot :)

Some of my plants in my two 10gs

Crypt Nurii Pahang mutated
C. Wendti ( bronze, green and Mi Oya)
C. Balansae
C. Parva
C. lucens

Dwarf chain sword
Ludwigia repens
Myriophyllium mattagrossense
Bacopa monnieri
Dwarf tiger lotus lily
Lots of different mosses
Java Fern (reg, trident, and narrow leaf)
Anubias
 
Yup. I add a small dose of flourish comprehensive every other day and I also use tetra root tabs, which my tiger lotus seem to love! :)

I actually added, pygmy chain sword to my 17 litre this week and I'm already willing them to grow quicker lol.

I've been looking for trident java fern for absolute ages and came across it at my lfs this week, but when she priced it, it was £17 - it was a massive clump and on driftwood, I wish I'd got it now lol. I can never keep java fern from turning black though, so it would have been a waste of money.
 
Well, its not so much dutch, but this is what I came up with!! Feel free suggest any other plants, or positioning of the plants.

For some reason my Pygmy chain sword refuses to grow, I've had it for just over a week and cut the leaves down to the length they appear in the photo, but still no new growth.

Sorry about the terrible photography.

Plant's


Hygrophila Difformis
Limnophila Heterophylla
Java Fern Windelov - Driftwood
Java Moss - Driftwood
Anubia's Barteri var. Nana - Driftwood
Althernathera Rosaefolia Mini
Red Tiger Lotus
Cryptocoryne Wendtii
Pygmy Chain Sword

There's still a lot of planting room behind the java fern, but i'm not sure what to put behind there. I think I may let the heterophylla fill out, but I feel that section needs some colour so the java fern and background plants can stand out more. Also, I need to trim the Heterophylla, this week its just grown like wildfire.
 

Attachments

  • P3030243.jpg
    P3030243.jpg
    206.1 KB · Views: 172
  • aquarium.jpg
    aquarium.jpg
    263.5 KB · Views: 203
Looks great!

Maybe some Rotala behind the fern. I know they say it needs high to medium light, but mine is doing fine in less than 1 wpg. And with some extra iron dosing it will turn slightly red and give some color variation.
 
It's coming along great! It's so lush, everything looks really nice. A plant you can try to include would be something flat, long leaves, for contrast. Crypt balsanae or a small val maybe. Dwarf sag too. But it looks very nice, good job! What are your livestock ideas?
 
It's coming along great! It's so lush, everything looks really nice. A plant you can try to include would be something flat, long leaves, for contrast. Crypt balsanae or a small val maybe. Dwarf sag too. But it looks very nice, good job! What are your livestock ideas?

I actually have a betta and a tiny 1' bristlenose pleco, it doesn't seem to be growing so it will remain in the tank until its big enough for my community.

I was thinking about getting a balansae, but I've read they grow too high, and I've never had good experience with vals.

Another thing, my Windelov is turning brown at the tips, I knew it would but I'm not sure why. I dose with flourish once a week. Could it be acclimatising? I've never had great experience with Java fern, it always ends up turning black.

As for my other tank, the plants are growing well, but its missing colour. Not sure what plants to get that can stick low light but still maintain their red colour. Any ideas?
 
Looks great, I am going for the same look in my 100 gallon.
 
Back
Top Bottom