A large aquarium layout featuring CandleLit Cove, 182L, by Jeff Miotke. Seiryu Stone and Black Forest Driftwood set the depth lines of the frame.
Read the stone and wood (Seiryu Stone, Black Forest Driftwood) as visual pathways before judging the plant mass. The plant list (Bacopa caroliniana, Hemianthus callitrichoides, Ludwigia repens, Hydrocotyle tripartita) favors background stem plants; packing the foreground too dense can make the tank feel heavy. none substrate helps stabilize root-zone nutrition in the early weeks.
RGBW LED and string lights in the building windows lighting sits at a moderate-to-high technical level for this large aquarium. OASE Biomaster thermo 600 filtration needs enough turnovers without blasting the hardscape; browse matching filters.
With Poecilia reticulata (2 Parents + 30? fry), Axelrodia riesei (9), Corydoras pygmaeus (4), watch bioload: a large aquarium drifts quickly if stocking is heavy.
Setup notes: I created this magical village using my skills honed as an aquascaper beginning with the placement of driftwood and stones to create the balance of above and below water while creating a seamless transition. The land area consists of aquasoil held back by the hardscape. Next, I planted predominantly aquatic plants readily available in the aquarium hobby above and below the water surface. I then incorporated the docks crafted with wood and miniature buildings and people which are custom 3d printed to achieve the correct scale and then hand painted. And the star of the aquarium is the noble guppy. I started with a pair and they have been true to their nature and now there are too many to count. I call this creation CandleLit Cove named for its "candle lit" buildings along the water side. This is the 3rd iteration as I keep perfecting my craft. This iteration improved the dock areas using wood I collected in California. This project is intended to inspire and educate while having fun. I'm still mesmerized by this paludarium and find the maintenance extremely simple and quick as the water volume is small and the plants keep the water quality excellent. Hope you enjoy CandleLit Cove as much as I have!
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