From an idea to a final layout, usually may take a lot of trail period. Research, material sourcing also acts as an important factor. Perhaps I have some solid experience on photography, I find that when take a photo on a running water by slow shutter speed will result a white silk coverage like, the river not as clear as our visual. There are some aquascape using this idea to general a river type layout, I believe the waterfall can use the same idea to replicate.

On the foundation stage, I like to create water falling from the top to the bottom directly, however, I have no solution to replicate this effect. I use white sand to reproduce the effect but it is hard to capture the brightness and without detail. On my research reference, the waterfall structure at a very famous scenic in China - Jiuzhaiigou valley can be applied.

▲at Jiuzhaiigou valley inspire me a lot of idea

After decided the structure, I go to gardening shop to find some suitable stone for this layout. Finally I find one suitable rolling stone for this layout. Their shape is round and about 1-2cm thick, with rough colorful texture. It should be corrode at the riverbed. I think it would not affect the water quality. I put them in the water for about a week, use test kit to test the water quality and find that no significant affect before put into my tank.

▲ Use nylon band to tighten the stacked stone

To simulate the cliff, I have to stack up the stone, I try several way to stack them together but it is too easy to fall, finally I tighten it on a plastic net, even though I can tighten it as a wall, the plastic net collapse because the stone is too heavy. The breathing filter inspire me to create the base structure, I use a plastic grid fill in the filtering ball as the foundation. When the plastic net mount on the grid, the structure is strong enough to support the stone, besides, I put an outlet jet pipe behind the structure, the water flow from the back of the wall. This idea is to create an internal filtering system, because the filtering ball is a good place for the bacteria.

▲ Put the filtering ball into the plastic grid as base structure

▲ Finished base structure

▲ Use nylon band to tighten the stone on the plastic net, there are space in between each stone layer, that is for one more layer fill in.

▲ The plastic net are mounted on the base also by the nylon band. Actually, only the stone tighten by nylon band is fixed, the other are loosely place between layers.

▲ The base and stone are placed at the middle of the tank, I use another two big stone to stable the structure.

Choose the white sand to replicate the waterfall is another challenge. There are a lot of white sand on the market, but the visual effect on photo is not good. The sand from the beach is very fine and with the best visual effect, however, the color is too creamy. On my experiment, the pH level increase sharply just within half day, so I have to give up. Finally, I choose ADA Rio Negro Sand as my choice. The sand is fine as the sand from beach, color like a rice but not pH affected, because it is from river. The molecules are fine semi-transparence silicon. The visual effect is perfect, it give you a snow-white result but with detail.

▲ADA Rio Negro Sand, The ingredients are mostly fine semi-transparence silicon

▲ I put filtering material on the top of the cliff to prevent too much sand flow into the base.

On trail period, only sand to replicate the result, the rough texture retain some of the sand on the stone’s surface, however the slope is too high, only a little portion of sand still on the surface. The visual just like a waterfall in winter not as my reference picture. The result is similar to some existing white river layout without soul, it is quite far away as my original idea.

▲pouring the sand on the stone carefully

When I look back my reference photo compare with the existing result, the major different is lack of continuity of water motion and the spray. As I remember some of table decoration use water pump to pump the water with sand to create the running water effect, so I replicate the same on a testing model. Yes, this is the visual result that I want, but it can only create the water flow within a small area, and it is difficult to create a sand circulation system. Even I can create this system, it is hard to control the sand movement on every part of the waterfall.

I have no idea even after a lot of experiment. Time was passing by, it is almost the last pruning time. I have made a decision just using the Rio Negro Sand. As I mention before, some of stone are loosely stack on the cliff, so almost every month I have to take it out to clean up the green spot and place back again. On the last scrubbing, I find some white mold on the backside. That stone I never scrub before. It should be for a long time, because of this mold, I know what I have to find to replicate the water motion result.

I have tried Cotton, make-up cotton, filtering material, synthesis filter as the base layer but the result is not acceptable, and finally I choose the filter floss. In the water, it will not compress together even I tear off it to a very thin layer. The texture of the fiber covered on the stone just like the water pass through. However, the visual effect not everywhere is acceptable after pouring the sand. I have to reluctantly accept this result.

▲ The result look good only covered with filter floss, however, the result is not 100% perfect after sand is poured

Two days before photo day, I look at the tank and my reference picture. Questioning myself which part replicate the best result and why? Finally, I got the answer, the major element is by observation. I notice that not only the continuity of water motion, but also the position of sand. The area with more sand, the visual result is brighter. On the picture, those brightening area are on the area that water flow together. When water passing on the stone surface, it is foggy. By using this concept, I start to rearrange the filter floss and sand again. This snap shot is the testing shoot after I made the arrangement.

Epilogue:

The last two week before photo day, everyday almost doing the same thing, clean up the sand surface; rearrange the filter floss and I have to replace those dirty floss every week. After the filter floss added to the layout, it become too difficult to maintain. For an aquascaper like me, I always looking for something different, so a month after the photo taken, I have clean up the tank and start it over again to prepare another challenge AGA contest. This four months creation has to the end. Use almost 6Kg ADA Rio Negro Sand, more than hundred pieces of stone to create the waterfall, when I look back the result, it is worth.

Want to see more picture, please Click the link on below.

Comments (15)

2. Written by 19740801, on 30-07-2006 23:19 惊为天人

3. Written by iwc, on 02-08-2006 00:52 加油!

4. Written by Cliff Hui, on 02-08-2006 04:55 等了很久啊.... 真的很厲害! 創作的心路令人感動呢... 支持創意無限!

6. Written by fssunny, on 05-08-2006 09:40 难得有这份心思，感动

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