| Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 0
Plant Points: 3600 | 
I have a 20 H which has similar dimensions - almost as tall as it is wide, without much actual depth to work with.
No picts yet (sorry) but I've had/continue to have a difficult time with layout. It IS a hard shape to 'scape!
I've settled on two large slim rocks on end (but with broken edges, and wider in the middle, NOT flat shale like at all), one about 2/3 the height of the other, angled so they point to the 2 o'clock/8 o'clock positions, and placed on the left portion of the tank (golden ratio, squished vertically with the rocks to the farthest left and back fringe of the golden ratio). Also, they're staggered so one "sees" the space between. I've mimicked the angle and shape with smaller rocks & shards around the base. This way, I've put a small "bush" shape in the cup of the arrangement, and tall frill between, so it emerges from between them. This created more depth perception. In back of the larger one, I have a few large-lobed water sprite. Again, the leaf shape contract increases depth. Along the back on the right I have crystal vals, with some cardamine lyrata among/in front to break up the verticalness. Midground is a band of crypt wendii bronze, with two thin vertically growing swords (ridgidifolius I think) and along the right glass (not doing so well) is some bacopa, which I was hoping to trim into the steep angle towards the low center Russell mentioned.
Among the rock fragments and into the front is hairgrass, which is growing well, but keeps getting uprooted by my super-lively Yo Yo loaches.
Anyhow, the rocks are very vertical, but the staggering and plantings between, with the contrast in leaf shape between layers are to create depth. (mimicking a video production trick - add light in between layers of objects to create a perception of depth).
On the right side, the vertical background is broken by the cardamine (sparse, not a cluster) which softens the difference between the vals and the group of crypts, as they have flat, horizontally oriented leaves (like a small hydrocotle). They're sparse, not in a cluster, and are a bit thin, but it works. The vals/cardamin is only the back 2". The next forward 6" is the crypt patch. Using vertically oriented swords staggered between the crypts further breaks this up. Then there is the hairgrass in the front, with the trail of rock shards carried over from the left rock "structure". Again, interspersing the rock shards and hairgrass enhances depth.
Hmmm, its sounding far more glamorous than it actually looks, LOL! Its not gorgeous, but I think I've squeezed as much "depth perception" out of the 'scape as I possibly can.
I really thrashed with this tank shape for quite a while. First, thinking I had to work against the vertical orientation, I had too much (relatively) tall stuff in the midground, which made it look smaller... downright bucket-like, actually. Then I had too much tall stuff extending too far forward in the back, which gave a really flat & shallow appearance. I tried stuff on the sides, but that was even worse. I finally took everything out (fish in a bucket) and started playing with rocks and driftwood. None of the driftwood I had worked. I suppose a vertically oriented piece might have, but what I had was more horizontally oriented, and did NOT work in this shape. I was doubtful about the rocks - but two, with pieces around, worked OK. Just one rock, a single, did not work at all. It was counterintuitive to fill the space with the rather large rocks, but it worked. It brought to mind a friend who had a small living room, but made it seem luxurious by adding large to oversized furniture. Her former, small-scale furniture pointed out how small the room actually was.
OK, running on at the mouth here!
Hope this helps!
-Jane |
Linear Mode
