npnailer

I love my "Lake Michigan Special" driftwood(really cheap...as in, pried out of an iceberg in January...but just hope the burnt part does not freak out the PH too much!)..and I have a sentimental attachment to the large piece of fossilized wood...but not sure about the overall organization yet. The slate walls are sort of an ode to a trout stream, and I hope to have a "deep forest" look by the time it's done, with lots of moss on the wood, and a sort of "river bank" look either side of the slate walls...
Ideas, comments, suggestions? Sorry bout' the crappy photos, just moved and my better camera is still packed away.

PapaLoc

Bear in mind that im not an expert at all.

I really like the look of the tank, it already has murky look that gives it alot of feeling. I also really like the piece of wood, it shows great potentiel. The half buried slate pieces looks really good too, I hope you can keep them halfburied like that.

If I was you I would focus on the slate and the big piece of wood. It confuses me a bit that you have so many varieties of rock and the petrified wood. The three stones in front of the wood stands out a bit, so does the rock on top of the slate on the left. I think it would looke great with just the wood and the slate.

That is just my opinion, if you feel differently, go with that. It should make YOU happy, not the rest of the world

NatalieT

The wood points left and so does the rock in the middle. What are they pointing at? Some focal point that isn't there yet? Maybe a big, colorful plant? (It just looks to me like a bunch of fingers pointing at... nothing)

Natalie

evercl92

Kinda in agreement. Maybe plans for a nice centerpiece plant? Or maybe just stand the rock piece up, or slightly angled to the right. Otherwise, I think it has a lot of potential. I'm especially liking the terraced slate pieces.

What kind of substrate is that?

tfmcder

Agree! I follow the "arrows" to...an intake strainer? It certainly has potential and definitely needs a focal point where it leads you to. I really like the wood and slate look as well. Nice job on gathering your own driftwood. It will add to the personal attachment to the tank and serves as a nice little side story about it when people ask.

swub

I think it looks neat. The pointing to 1 side reminds me a current flowing in that direction.

nicely done.

DonaldmBoyer

You could switch the rock on the left with the rock in the center, and make that rock that was in the center point to the right.

I disagree with having a bright colorful plant in there! I would cram it full of java fern, anubias, moss, and some cryptocornes and leave it murky looking! I think it looks wonderful as it is, and would be great as a low light Lake Superior-looking trench. What type of fish do you plan to put in there? I would go with some sort of minnow or sunfish to keep the Great Lakes theme.

Very unique and terrific to see some people don't all go for an Amazonian or Malaysian look! I give you your due props! Keep us up-to-date......I'm very interested to see where this one goes!

npnailer

Thanks to everyone for your replies..but this last guy sort of nailed where I was going.
The wood, in my mind at least reminded me of some of the large, wind blown White pines that tower on the cliffs of Lake Superior..that you picked that cue up is amazing! I originaly wanted to go with all native flora and fauna, but I fear the native flora will be lacking...my intent was to almost exactly as you mentioned, to go with a "native" theme.
The angle of the wood was not an attempt to point in at anything, as I wanted the wood to be the focal point. It's too large to stand straight up..and besides, i just LIKE the "sweeping" look it has now. Again..the windblown shoreline/dark spruce forest aspect. The slate also was intended for that same aspect, the rocky shores of a far northern lake. I hope to get a good bunch of moss going on the wood, with a heavy low ground cover in front and on the far right " point" and have a "forest" look around and behind the wood. The mid will the the challenge here I think.
I may pull the 3 rocks, and possibly the large petrified wood...I love the petrified wood, but I cant' get it integrated into the layout to my liking yet. I may also try to find a more branch-type piece of wood to integrate into the "driftwood island" and perhaps break up the angular pointing aspect a bit..
Anyway...thanks again!
Oh, btw..the substrate is just plain ol' Lake Michigan littoral zone sand..complete with whatever critters were in residence when I harvested it! Approximately 75 lbs of dry weight sand.(I did let it dry out and then washed it a bit, to minimize die off). I actually had the sand and wood in before ever finding this place...so the idea of a commercial substrate was completly foreign to me!
I suspect I'll need to inoculate the sand or somehow get some nutrients into it..but the area I gathered it was heavily laden with emergent vegetation, so there must be some level of nutrients! I am both cheap, and fascinated with local "structure"..so would like to use as much hand gathered as I can.
As for fish..I'm torn. I want to use again, natives..so am considering a colony of stickleback, or a school of dace, or perhaps with some killies or central mudminnows(not sure yet..still need to study their habits), sculpins, or rainbow darters. Tank has a heater but it would not be needed for any of the above.
The fish will be added after the plants are established...so the first thing I need to do is decide those!

npnailer

Ok...I pulled the 3 rocks from the front of the stump, and out went the giant piece of petrified wood.
I moved ALL the slate to the side with the wood, to concentrate on that wall, and just did 3 pieces of granite on the far right "high spot." It's simpler, and will leave more room for the foreground and mid-ground flora.
Any advice on plants? I would like a good growth of moss on the stump, and a large area of heavy growth around it to create the "forest" as well as low growth to give a good area of "fish viewing" room, but really want to avoid the field in front of a wall issue...

DonaldmBoyer

Well, there is a lot of info that we need to know before we can suggest anything. How much lighting do you have? Are planning on using that heater, and what is the temperature range? Do you have CO2 injection?

I'm assuming that this will be a "low light tank" in which case, I would use java moss for the wood. Narrow leaf java fern tied to some of the granite would look very nice in this tank, I think. For the background, you could plant some vallensaria if you want some height. It might be cool of you to do some quick research and see what plants are endemic to your area....anachris? Could you use native underwater plants from around the Lake?

Just some ideas....but you should provide a tad more info, and literally draw a plan before you start planting. It will help you a ton!

KEEP IT MURKY LOOKING! This setup has a ton of potential!