Aquascaping: Hardscape and the Flora

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Now that the tank is in place, the hardscaping can now begin.

Here is the list of materials I will be using:

  • bonsai driftwood sculpture
  • rocks (lava and some basalt like stones I picked up along the road)
  • 8 liters aqua soil
I put the driftwood in first and position it using the golden ratio. I then poured the soil around the driftwood. The usual setup is a higher level at the back and lower level at the front to give depth. Lastly, I put in the rocks and contoured the landscape to imitate a gradual hilly slope.

For the flora(plants), there will be 3 types I'm going to use.
  1. hemianthus callitrichoides(aka. dwarf baby tears) - this will be for carpet as it grows and spreads along the substrate. It has small leaves that makes it a good foreground plant. I got it for Php 150 from an online seller for a 2"x4" plastic container. I still  have some leftovers and plan on propagating them.
  2. eleocharis parvula (dwarf hair grass) - this will be for accenting some parts of the landscape. It will simulate some tall grass in the background. I got it for Php 150 for a 2"x 4" container with a buy 1 get 1 promo. now I have 2 containers extra because I only needed a few plants.
  3. phoenix moss - this will be used to simulate the canopy of the tree.
I will be using the dry start method to start this aquarium. It will be detailed in latter posts.

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