Aqualandscape

17/11/2020

Exciting times. Some late night hole excavations with SFN Lucas Dew and his wonderful digger.

Epic garden project finally underway. Snow forecast in 2 days though.

Typical. :)

08/11/2020

Hiya,

I love the river systems around my house here in the highlands but wonder what they would have been like before the human interventions to make the landscapes we see today.

It's amazing we still have things to discover in this modern world. Makes it even more important to safeguard what wildness we have left.

Best Regards,
John

The nocturnal, prehistoric Asprete has teetered on the brink of extinction for decades.

01/11/2020

Hi all,

Happy Samhain everyone. Just a quick update on current projects during lockdown and other buisness.

First of all I'm happy to announce I have opened up to do some more general maintenance visits (freshwater tanks and small ponds) over the last couple of months. Obviously with the approriate social distancing and covid-19 safety measures where needed.

Thankfully we are blessed to be in one of the lowest infected regions of the UK but it's always best to be on guard.

Please get in touch if you are in the Aberdeenshire, Moray or Highland regions and in need of any fish related help.

My main focus this summer has been this "little" garden project, which after a lot of workshop DIY should hopefully be taking place this coming weeks.

Sneak peek attached.

Over the next few weeks I'll update more regularly with this project and other bits and bobs that i'm working on at the moment. As well as finally processing and adding more photos to the "nothing endures" album of aquascaping inspiration from my beautiful surroundings here in the highlands of Scotland.

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

08/05/2020

From the land and scenery around us we take inspiration.

The secret places.

The special places.

The magical places...

24/03/2020

Hi all,

Unfortunately I am taking the hard decision to cease all maintenance & installation as well as plant sales (effectively trading entirely) due to the current outbreak of Covid-19.

The government restrictions on movement, coupled with my wife's underlying health condition meaning that we are a high risk household I am having to self isolate for the foreseeable future have created an impossible situation for keeping going as I have in the past.

I will endeavour to contact any remaining installations and work out some way of (safely) bringing them to conclusion.

I shall switch this page into being more of my own personal blog and project record as I try and develop other income streams that I can manage from isolation here in the foothills of the Cairngorm in Scotland.

Keep Safe People,

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

01/03/2020

31/05/2019

Hiya,

Apologies for the lack of updates, the good weather (& the wildfires it caused) and slow recovery from ill health had me working outside in the garden (yes there is a pond project) for a lot of the last months of two.

In the mean time I think it is entirely appropriate to share this wonderful story.

Be back with some new scapes and photos soon.

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

For a species as young and puny as humans, every ancient fossil is a most extraordinary gift from our planet's vast history. Even so, this 50-million-year-old bunch of dead fish might just be the coolest fossil we've ever seen.

15/03/2019

Hi,

I share a large number of photos of the area of Scotland where I live in this album.

Being inspired by nature is essential for aquascaping and I feel blessed to live in such a beautiful location.

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

Photos of some of the sights and natural beauty of the Finderne area.

14/03/2019

Hiya,

Just a little update on last nights progress (posting today due to facebook outage).

"I have a cascading moss plan for this tank and it all starts with this wood work.

Next step some further structure for planting areas on the wood and substrate.

For now i'm stopping for the night. I've just managed to superglue my lips to my tongue. :)"

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

06/03/2019

Stunning....

The power of aquatic plants....

https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p06yj4sj/-the-most-beautiful-river-in-the-world-

A river in Colombia turns different shades of colour in a natural display that happens nowhere else on Earth. Just east of the Andes, central Colombia’s Caño Cristales is a river like no other. Reaching 100km long and sometimes called the “Liquid Rainbow”, Caño Cristales runs during certain ...

01/03/2019

Hi Everyone,

Exciting new scapes planned for the coming weeks. One Iwagumi, a moss scape and a classic nature aquarium.

Slowly filling the gallery.

More photos to come soon.

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

28/02/2019

Hiya,

Freshly replanted Poaceae sp. "Purple Bamboo".

Ready to shoot up again. The new submerged leaves will start turning that lovely purple again very soon.

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

04/02/2019

Hiya,

Enjoying the snow this morning and my favourite floating aquatic plant.

Hygroryza Aristata aka Asian Watergrass.

It always reminds me of a butterfly. The fish love playing in the hanging roots. They also make a great natural spawning mop.

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

11/01/2019

Hello all and a happy new year!

Apologies for my lack of posting in the last couple of months. A succession of ill health kept me from updating as often as I would have liked.

Resolutions for 2019 include living healthy and, of course, scaping more!

So to kick off this new, exciting, year an update on what i'm currently referring too as the "Wabi-Sabi" tank. Mainly due to it's massively minimal layout.

I was originally intending to add in more wood but have gotten used to the space and contrast between the empty and fuller areas.

Fish wise I've been letting things settle in for a long time but I am about to add a shoal of Iriatherina werneri (Threadfin Rainbowfish) with their delicate blue adding to the overall effect of the scape.

D & I Tropicals once more facilitated my need for more obscure aquarium inhabitants and managed to source some quite brilliant Black Otocinclus (Hisonotus notatus) which love grazing biofilm and algae from the rocks.

The whole scape is really part of my continuous experimentation with Poaceae sp. "Purple Bamboo". Trying to work out optimal growing conditions to get the best out of this super rare plant. I've attached some photos of the colouration that happens on the tips with the air bubbles that coat the leaves. It is really a quite beautiful example of photosynthesis in action.

Latest tweaks will be to try and increase the light levels over the Purple Bamboo while not inducing too much algae onto the rockwork. Also I'm slowly lowering the GH, something that is quite easy to do in the gallery as all my water is from a spring with hardly any natural hardness.

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

19/11/2018

Delighted to be on board with such a great company as CO2Art - The Art of CO2 in Planted Aquarium as one of their CO2Artists.

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

06/11/2018

Hiya,

Today's task - trim the overgrown Rotala Rotundifolia..

It is one of the most rewarding things about aquascaping.

The ever changing nature of your aquariums.

I love the explosion of colour and form that the excess growth of the Rotala gives. But it will shade out the light loving Blyxa and other plants below in the long run so a trimming is well overdue.

This time will be a full replant of the tops as the lower sections have become a little unsightly from lack of light. In previous trims I had just pruned without replanting and let the Rotala bush up over time.

Knowledge of how to prune and tend for each plant is essential for long term aquascaping.

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

22/10/2018

Hi,

Disaster strikes! x3

The bane of many aquascapers - glassware cleaning!

Thankfully I had a few spares laying about just in case.

Plus a Caridina multidentata that decided to go for a walk across the gallery floor in the middle of the night.

Hopefully that will be all the drama for this week.

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

27/09/2018

Hi,

I can't believe it's already been 138 days on this scape.

Things are just so stable. Gradually growing in. Since the last photo this has had a full "mow" of the dwarf hairgrass (Eleocharis acicularis) and i've slowly been pruning back the Fissidens fontanus.

Next to reign back is the Blyxa Japonia at the rear which is currently overshadowing and crowding out the Rotala and a couple of pygmy Cryptocoryne.

I really should be adding in some fish soon. But cannot quite decide what will fit.

Currently musing over Harlequins (Trigonostigma espei) but could be convinced by something eye catching next visit to D & I Tropicals....

Stocking suggestions anyone?

Best Regards,
John

26/09/2018

Hiya,

The Poaceae sp. ‘Purple Bamboo’ is already shooting out the top of the new aquascape.

It breaks the water so easily then tends to arch down again at the edges of the thicket.

Something I aim to play with in this scape.

A cascade above and below....

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

19/09/2018

16/09/2018

Hi,

I'm slowly migrating and breaking down my personal tanks inside my house since the new gallery is up and running.

This 30cm cube is posing a little dilemma. Almost 4 years up and running now, no CO2, hardly any maintenance and I love it!

Recently added the Kessil A80 and its given everything a lovely ripple and glow.

What do you think?

Does it stay or does it go?

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

13/09/2018

Hi all,

Something a little bit different today. Very minimal and freshly filled.

Local highland rocks will be added to with local wood at a later date.

The main feature of this scape will be the tall and very rare plant - Poaceae sp. ‘Purple Bamboo’ that should quickly break the water line.

Hydrocotyle sp."Japan" has been planted towards the rear and should quicly fill out some of the whiter sandy area.

Looking forward to this one changing through time.

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

07/09/2018

Hiya,

A little bit of late night tank moving. Always a risk but everything went smoothly. The Kessil light is a big upgrade from it's previous unit.

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

12/07/2018

Hi,

Lights, Camera, Scaping?

Almost there. I've got a tank to fill one of the spots in the house. The centre also has a plan for it.

The last tank is still to be confirmed.

I'm open to suggestions?

Iwagumi? Tree scape?

Inspiration is everywhere up here in the highlands in Summer (photos to come).....

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

09/07/2018

Hiya,

New scapes coming hopefully later this week. In the mean time here is a little update on the first of the tanks set up in the aquascaping gallery.

Day 55

About to be cleaned and trimmed.

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

27/06/2018

Hi,

One of the few days in the north of Scotland where the aquascaping gallery will be cooler than the garden.

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

09/06/2018

Hi,

I'm delighted to have donated some plants to the newly founded Royal Burgh Aquarists for their first auction coming up this Sunday.

These clubs are a great thing to support as they focus the expertise of many great amateur and semi-professional fishkeepers and breeders. A constant reminder that although I know a fair bit about a certain aspect of aquarium keeping, there is always something new to learn.....

Unfortunately I'm unable to attend myself due to other commitments but I hear there will be some very special fish lots from some of the best breeders in Scotland.

Look forward to seeing you all at the next one.

Best Regards,
John

Aqualandscape

---------------------

Plants Donated

Bolbitis Heudelotii - African Water Fern
Microsorum pteropus 'Trident' - Trident Java Fern

--------------------

10th June 2018
Royal Burgh Aquarists Auction
Newton Community Education Centre
26 Duddingston Cresent
Newton
Livingston
West Lothian
EH52 6QG