#745: 306L Dutch Aquascape Here & Now

Chantz Cramer Jupiter, United States

Awards and Comments

Top Five
I miss a drawing with the plant groups and the numbers to which the plants in the list refer.
I also miss some detail pictures. Was that too much trouble?
This aquarium looks very healthy and clear and is unmistakably a Dutch Style aquarium.
Ottelia ovalifolia is too much hidden behind the Hydrocotyle leucocephala.
Cryptocoryne spiralis 'tiger' becomes very high and could be moved to the right side.
Beautiful school of Trigonostigma heteromorpha. At least I see enough. The Garras are a less good choice for the Dutch Style because they naturally occur in fast-flowing water and on stones. That fits better in a special aquarium.
Technology well hidden and out of sight.
— Bart Laurens
Great husbandry! This is a skilled horticulturist. I see potential but the tank suffers from uneven trimming and a somewhat chaotic plant groupings. There's a lot to like here. The water is crisp. Plants are algae-free and healthy. Thank you for not filling this with just stems - use of desperately needed grasses and large leaved plants is noted. Someone's been paying attention! The selection of plants is impressive although some (Ottelia) are oversized for a tank this size. The right third of the tank has turned into a jungle - it is crowded and lacks definition. Ottelia ulvifolia is an impressive plant that makes a powerful statement as a focal point but it is cramped and hidden somewhere back there behind the out-of-control Hydrocotyle. I see where you were going with the Ludwigia Twister nested in a bed of Hydrocotyle...except both plants give you a cat-herding experience in high tech tanks. Foreground is overgrown and the Eriocaulon hides the Lobelia street from being seen. The need for trimming is partially driven by the high-tech nature of this tank - like 'jumbo shrimp' and 'organized chaos ' High-tech Dutch is almost oxymoronic. I can overlook all that but I cannot let go of the two red plants - smack dab in the middle.
— Vin Kutty
Nice small tank with a bit of a jungle vibe to it. With a bit more work on the right side making it more structured this could do very well.
— Marco Aukes

Aquascape Details

Dimensions 120 × 50 × 50 cm
Title Here & Now
Volume 306L
Background Black cling
Lighting 6- 48 watt T5ho
Filtration Sump
Plants 1 Eriocaulon 'Japan needle leaf'
2 Lobelia cardinalis 'gigantea'
3 Rotala macarandra 'narrow leaf red'
4 Hygrophila angustifolis 'rubra'
5 Limnophila sessiliflora 'golden top'
6 Nymphaea flaccida
7 Eriocaulon Sp. 'Paske Laos'
8 Rotala macarandra 'yarjobee'
9 Syngonanthus Sp. 'Meta'
10 Persicaria Sp. 'Pak Choi'
11 Hydrocotyle leuophlaca
12 Ludwigia inclinata 'twister'
13 Ottelia ovalifolia
14 Cryptocoryne spiralis 'tiger'
Animals Trigonostigma heteromorpha
Garra flavatra
Garra rufa
Caridina multidentata
Neocaridina davidi
Materials None
Additional Information Dutch Aquascaping has always inspired me and guided me down the rabbit hole that is Aquatic Plants.

Fertilizer - BurrAqua

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