Creating a tree canopy under the water is always our dream. A cold-dry driftwood could transform into a lovely green canopy, what can give you more exited yet tranquil feeling than that?
It was all started when we found a piece of bonsai driftwoods from a local fish shop in Hanoi, Vietnam. That piece of bonsai driftwoods with great natural canopy shape struck us with a picture of an underwater world. The bonsai wood was then kept on the working table, where we can think about different scape ideas from it every day.
Finally, we decided to create an island scape with a small sand ground for one of our favourite fish type, Corydoras. US Fissidens Moss (Fissidens fontanus) was chosen to replicate the leaves of the underwater “Raintree”, the beautiful tree commonly seen in Singapore. US fissidens moss is a slow grower and it would spread over the branches overtime to create the great canopy effect. This moss is also not so invasive like other types of mosses hence, less maintenance works in the future. Warm bright colour stem plants (i.e. Ludwigia sp.red, Rotala rotundifolia, Rotala macrandra, Alternanthera reineckii etc.) were selected for the background to create a better contrast with the “Raintree Canopy”. Beautiful small Anubias barteri var. nana ‘petite’ was also added near the edge of the island as a finishing touch .
This tank has been with us since 2017 until the time of writing this post in 2021. The core hardscape has been kept unchanged since the beginning. There were only some replacement of aquatic plants. It is always amazing seeing how different plants could bring out different seasons of an aquascape.
"The Raintree Canopy" in Spring time:
"The Raintree Canopy" in Summer time:
"The Raintree Canopy" in Autumn mode:
"The Raintree Canopy" in Winter time:
How to setup:
Tank specifications:
- Title: “The Raintree Canopy”
- Tank: 60x23x28cm (LxWxH), 38.64L, low-iron crystal glass.
- Substrate: ADA Amazonia Aqua Soil and Sudo Bottom Sand
- Hardscape: Bonsai Driftwoods and Red Pagoda Stones
- Filter: Eheim Ecco Pro 300
- Filter Media: Eheim Substrat Pro
- Lighting: Twinstar LED Aquarium Light 600E
- Photoperiod: 7hrs a day (0730hrs to 1030hrs, 1800hrs to 2200hrs)
- CO2: Pressure CO2 injection, 7hrs a day (0630hrs-0930hrs, 1700hrs-2100hrs)
- Chiller: Hailea HS-28a, set at 26degC
- Fertilizers: Seachem Fertilizers (N, P, K, Iron, Trace, Excel), total dose as per instructions that split into daily dosage.
- Water change regimen: 30-50% a week.
Flora
- Fissidens fontanus
- Ludwigia sp. 'super red',
- Rotala rotundifolia,
- Rotala macrandra ‘green’,
- Rotala sp.‘bonsai’,
- Anubias bartteri var. nana ‘petite’,
- Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo'
- Alternanthera reineckii 'varigated'
Fish:
- Blue Axelrodi Rasbora(Sundadanio Axelrodi ‘blue’)
- Spotted Cory(Corydoras melanistius)
- Leopard Cory (Corydoras leopardus)
Invertebrates:
- Red Cherry Shrimps (Neocaridina davidi)
- Horned nerite snails (Clithon corona)