Aquatic Plant Central - View Single Post - July 2007 Tank of the Month: Michaël Leroy

BryceM · 07-09-2007, 06:38 PM

July 2007 Tank of the Month
Nature is Bleeding
by Michaël Leroy

Introduction:
Hello, my name is Michaël Leroy (Kirua 666). I'm French and 19 years old. I live in Bruyères le Châtel, a little village about 40 kilometers from Paris. I am currently an Economics student and I spend Sundays working in an aquarium store. My first aquarium at the age of 15 was a 60 liter tank with classical "newbie" fish like guppies. My interest in planted tanks was quickly aroused when I first saw Dutch tanks, but the challenge appeared difficult at first, and it was two years before I finally tried a real planted aquarium.

My first attempt at a planted tank was a 240 liter setup inspired by the Dutch style but the result wasn't very good. I then learned of Takashi Amano. It was a real shock when I first saw his beautiful creations. At that moment I realized that I had discovered a real passion! I began my first Amano-inspired tank at my aquarium store as a display tank and other creations followed.

Nature is Bleeding

The Tank:
First of all, the title was selected to represent an exaggerated, choking red thicket with an obvious environmental connotation. I wanted to make this a simple presentation with an extraordinarily red thicket for a centerpiece. The white panel background helps to emphasize the incredible color of the Ludwigia and Nesaea.

The tank doesn't represent a true Nature Tank or a Dutch tank, but is a combination of the two styles. I had the idea to let the plants grow to the surface to accentuate the blood effect that I sought.

The second challenge was to find a way to create a sense of depth without wasting the impact of the red thicket. Finally, my last challenge was to create a relatively natural environment in spite of the dominant red color. I tried to achieve this with Microsorum pteropus, Sagittaria subulata, and the driftwood.

Tank Specs:
Dimensions: 125 liters (33 US gallons) - 80cm x 35cm x 45cm
Age: 8 months currently, but 3 months at the time of the photo
Lighting: 2x18W T8 (10,000K & 4,000K) + 2x24W T5 (4,000K) = 2.54 wpg
Substrate: Deponit mix Dennerele + Black quartz
Plants: Sagittaria subulata, Glossostigma elatinoides, Rotala sp 'Green', Cryptocroyne wendtii 'Brown', Microsorum pteropus, Rotala sp 'Nanjenshan', Ludwigia repens 'Rubin', and Nesaea crassicaulis.
Fish: Paracheirodon axelrodi (cardinal tetras), Sphaerichthys osphromenoides (chocolate gourami),
nannostomus eques (pencilfish), Otocinclus affinis, Crossocheilus siamensis, and Cardinia japonica.
Filtration: Eheim 2213
CO2: JBL Set Easy 2 - 500g bottle (1 bps)
Heating: 100W, substrate
Fertilizer: Dennerle S7 VitaMix + Dennerele V30 + Dennerele E15. Dosed once per week
Water Change: 20% per week

Other creations:

240 liter tank

cubique

Final Words:
I am very honored to have this tank chosen for the "Tank of the Month" series. I would like to thank Jean-Philippe for his help at the store, Nicolas and Pierre for their help with plants such as the Rotala species, and all of the French aquascaping community, including Dimitri Roger (November 2006 TOTM). Please refer to the website: http://www.paysages-aquatiques.com/inc.php. Thank you.

07-09-2007, 06:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
BryceM Administrator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: South Central Idaho, USA Posts: 4,262 iTrader Ratings: 42 iTrader Positive Rating: 100% Plant Points: 178534	July 2007 Tank of the Month: Michaël Leroy July 2007 Tank of the Month Nature is Bleeding by Michaël Leroy Introduction: Hello, my name is Michaël Leroy (Kirua 666). I'm French and 19 years old. I live in Bruyères le Châtel, a little village about 40 kilometers from Paris. I am currently an Economics student and I spend Sundays working in an aquarium store. My first aquarium at the age of 15 was a 60 liter tank with classical "newbie" fish like guppies. My interest in planted tanks was quickly aroused when I first saw Dutch tanks, but the challenge appeared difficult at first, and it was two years before I finally tried a real planted aquarium. My first attempt at a planted tank was a 240 liter setup inspired by the Dutch style but the result wasn't very good. I then learned of Takashi Amano. It was a real shock when I first saw his beautiful creations. At that moment I realized that I had discovered a real passion! I began my first Amano-inspired tank at my aquarium store as a display tank and other creations followed. Nature is Bleeding The Tank: First of all, the title was selected to represent an exaggerated, choking red thicket with an obvious environmental connotation. I wanted to make this a simple presentation with an extraordinarily red thicket for a centerpiece. The white panel background helps to emphasize the incredible color of the Ludwigia and Nesaea. The tank doesn't represent a true Nature Tank or a Dutch tank, but is a combination of the two styles. I had the idea to let the plants grow to the surface to accentuate the blood effect that I sought. The second challenge was to find a way to create a sense of depth without wasting the impact of the red thicket. Finally, my last challenge was to create a relatively natural environment in spite of the dominant red color. I tried to achieve this with Microsorum pteropus, Sagittaria subulata, and the driftwood. Tank Specs: Dimensions: 125 liters (33 US gallons) - 80cm x 35cm x 45cm Age: 8 months currently, but 3 months at the time of the photo Lighting: 2x18W T8 (10,000K & 4,000K) + 2x24W T5 (4,000K) = 2.54 wpg Substrate: Deponit mix Dennerele + Black quartz Plants: Sagittaria subulata, Glossostigma elatinoides, Rotala sp 'Green', Cryptocroyne wendtii 'Brown', Microsorum pteropus, Rotala sp 'Nanjenshan', Ludwigia repens 'Rubin', and Nesaea crassicaulis. Fish: Paracheirodon axelrodi (cardinal tetras), Sphaerichthys osphromenoides (chocolate gourami), nannostomus eques (pencilfish), Otocinclus affinis, Crossocheilus siamensis, and Cardinia japonica. Filtration: Eheim 2213 CO2: JBL Set Easy 2 - 500g bottle (1 bps) Heating: 100W, substrate Fertilizer: Dennerle S7 VitaMix + Dennerele V30 + Dennerele E15. Dosed once per week Water Change: 20% per week Other creations: 240 liter tank cubique Final Words: I am very honored to have this tank chosen for the "Tank of the Month" series. I would like to thank Jean-Philippe for his help at the store, Nicolas and Pierre for their help with plants such as the Rotala species, and all of the French aquascaping community, including Dimitri Roger (November 2006 TOTM). Please refer to the website: http://www.paysages-aquatiques.com/inc.php. Thank you. Last edited by BryceM : 07-09-2007 at 08:21 PM.