So if you use smaller plants in the front and slightly larger plants in the rear, this should create the illusion of the tank being bigger than it is correct?
Ask Ken, come & pick my mind.
Since the AGA contest I get many questions on the 10 gal and other. I decide to direct all question under this topic for all to share. For all that email me at [email protected] can post your questions here. I will try my best to answer all questions about anything you need to know. I'll even found you that perfect piece of driftwood needed for your tank.
Beside me, there are a few people on APC that has more experience then me so they can help out too.
So here I am, ask away...........
Thanks in advance for sharing your questions.
Ken
Beside me, there are a few people on APC that has more experience then me so they can help out too.
So here I am, ask away...........
Thanks in advance for sharing your questions.
Ken
21 - 27 of 27 Posts
Smaller plants, yes.
But the back ground plants should be thin also.
With a bold accent plant of small scale.
My avatar is my #3 - 10 gal tank.
The accent plant is two Java Ferns attached to a piece of wood protrouding from the rock mound.
CD
But the back ground plants should be thin also.
With a bold accent plant of small scale.
My avatar is my #3 - 10 gal tank.
The accent plant is two Java Ferns attached to a piece of wood protrouding from the rock mound.
CD
Ah okay. Thanks for the tips 
The idea of an accent plant is a little dated. There needs to be some sort of focal point, but it doesn't need to be a specimen plant of any sort. It can just as easily be an open space... Creating the illusion of size in a smaller tank, or any tank for that matter, can be acheived partly by using small plants.
To maximize this effect, you would use plants with larger leaves in the front and get smaller as you work towards the rear and toward the focal point. This is only one device that you could use.
To maximize this effect, you would use plants with larger leaves in the front and get smaller as you work towards the rear and toward the focal point. This is only one device that you could use.
The focal point is the moss hill in the center. Since the driftwood is alittle big for a 10. I had to draw the eye off the driftwood by covering it with moss to form a hill otherwise it's just a large piece of driftwood.ShaneSmith said:Ken, did you set up the tank deciding where the focal point should be? Or did you just figure things out as it went. Trying to get things back on track.
No, the plant selection was what I had available at the time. Plant selection played a small part in the success of this 10 gal.Do you feel that the a good deal of the "success" you have had with that fantastic aquascape is due to your plant selection?
Yes, he's a good friend of mines since our 9th & 10th place finish in 2003 ADA. We are trying brought plant aquascaping to the mainstream.Bartek Lipczynski
Again I apologize for the long pause. Here is one of the reasons why.
I'm still working on this 12 foot aquascape for a cafe in NYC and 2 other 150 gal. It's only 40% complete from the time I took this picture.
Check it out.
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That will look very good i think once it is all filled in. What are the stem plants forming a mound in the center slightly to the right.
Creating the illusion of depth
To start the topic on creating depth or fooling the eye.
1st off placement of rocks and driftwood is the beginning.
I position the driftwood in a slight angle from back to front to make it appear the left side disappears to the back left.
Also for a small tank a piece of driftwood or rock must have character and fine details to look the part. You need holes, cracks texture and colorations to help with the overall feel. I plain driftwood or rock will hurt the design.
A good piece of driftwood or rocks set the tone for the design to come together.
The position of your light also helps decide your placement. I will tie this in later on in the discussion.
Now I remove the driftwood to prepare it. First decide on what plants to attach onto the wood or rock. The main ones I use is moss, riccia, nana and ferns. Now I drill holes to tie on the fishing line. I use 6 lb fishing line, since I no longer do freshwater fishing.
The drill holes helps the line stay in position and not slip off later on.
2nd Overlapping is another part of fooling the eye in believing there is more behind that. Take the moss hill for example, the right side looks like it is continuing down to the right side of the tank and the left is somewhere behind the ludwigia cross. I try to continue that effect by placing moss tie onto coconut shells on the right corner to show the hill wraps around the trunk of the fern. It's hard to see the moss on the right side since the java fern blocked out the light. I try using a spotlight, but it doesn't look nature.
The big picture is to combine the 3 basic layouts that tsunami discuss so nicely in his topic in overlapping form to create depth.
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=42
Space between plants help with that illusion of depth by creating shadows.
3rd Now to the plants, again overlapping different color form the illusion of depth. All plants are planted in a triangle or round shape so it doesn't look flat. Not all plants selection is small growth. I just trim often to maintain the small leaves. So a lot of cutting and replanting.
It's very important to learn the growth rate of type of plant used to time the trimming period just right. I will get to that topic in the contest part of my new topic.
4th Background plays a big part in creating depth. A dark background like black or dark blue or even dark orange to black create depth.
Black works best for me when working with a narrow footprint so it's a safe bet.
5th Lighting is the last, but also one of the most important part in the final product. This is also a part of the contest topic. There are to positions to place a light source. One to grow your plants and the two to created shadows which create depth of feel. Foe the 10 gal moving the light to the front create overlapping shadow which create space and the illusion of a bigger tank.
I'm sure some of you don't care to entry in any contest, but check-out the spin off topic on preparing for a contest. There will be a few pointers that I will discuss in detail that will help in the overall design of your aquascape.
This topic will continue in a few days after follow up question that I will try to answer.
So start posting questions on what I cover so far.
Later
Ken
John hit it on the spot on some ideas I use to create depth.Wheeler said:The idea of an accent plant is a little dated. There needs to be some sort of focal point, but it doesn't need to be a specimen plant of any sort. It can just as easily be an open space... Creating the illusion of size in a smaller tank, or any tank for that matter, can be acheived partly by using small plants.
To maximize this effect, you would use plants with larger leaves in the front and get smaller as you work towards the rear and toward the focal point. This is only one device that you could use.
To start the topic on creating depth or fooling the eye.
1st off placement of rocks and driftwood is the beginning.
I position the driftwood in a slight angle from back to front to make it appear the left side disappears to the back left.
Also for a small tank a piece of driftwood or rock must have character and fine details to look the part. You need holes, cracks texture and colorations to help with the overall feel. I plain driftwood or rock will hurt the design.
A good piece of driftwood or rocks set the tone for the design to come together.
The position of your light also helps decide your placement. I will tie this in later on in the discussion.
Now I remove the driftwood to prepare it. First decide on what plants to attach onto the wood or rock. The main ones I use is moss, riccia, nana and ferns. Now I drill holes to tie on the fishing line. I use 6 lb fishing line, since I no longer do freshwater fishing.
The drill holes helps the line stay in position and not slip off later on.
2nd Overlapping is another part of fooling the eye in believing there is more behind that. Take the moss hill for example, the right side looks like it is continuing down to the right side of the tank and the left is somewhere behind the ludwigia cross. I try to continue that effect by placing moss tie onto coconut shells on the right corner to show the hill wraps around the trunk of the fern. It's hard to see the moss on the right side since the java fern blocked out the light. I try using a spotlight, but it doesn't look nature.
The big picture is to combine the 3 basic layouts that tsunami discuss so nicely in his topic in overlapping form to create depth.
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=42
Space between plants help with that illusion of depth by creating shadows.
3rd Now to the plants, again overlapping different color form the illusion of depth. All plants are planted in a triangle or round shape so it doesn't look flat. Not all plants selection is small growth. I just trim often to maintain the small leaves. So a lot of cutting and replanting.
It's very important to learn the growth rate of type of plant used to time the trimming period just right. I will get to that topic in the contest part of my new topic.
4th Background plays a big part in creating depth. A dark background like black or dark blue or even dark orange to black create depth.
Black works best for me when working with a narrow footprint so it's a safe bet.
5th Lighting is the last, but also one of the most important part in the final product. This is also a part of the contest topic. There are to positions to place a light source. One to grow your plants and the two to created shadows which create depth of feel. Foe the 10 gal moving the light to the front create overlapping shadow which create space and the illusion of a bigger tank.
I'm sure some of you don't care to entry in any contest, but check-out the spin off topic on preparing for a contest. There will be a few pointers that I will discuss in detail that will help in the overall design of your aquascape.
This topic will continue in a few days after follow up question that I will try to answer.
So start posting questions on what I cover so far.
Later
Ken
21 - 27 of 27 Posts
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