What's you favourite Tropica scape?

[Tim Harrison]

Hi, been a while. I was looking through Tropica's plant list. And my attention snagged on their inspiration scapes, as it often does.

The one below is new to me though. I really like it, and it's become my favourite. Its by Fabian Beck, and called Ndokulandela. Which led me to wondering, do you have a favourite?

 

[Kwyet]

I had to pick 3!

Rasmus Ostergaard


George Farmer and Juris Jutjajevs


Manuel Losada

 

[Koan]

108 and 110 are ok

Layout 110 - George Farmer and Jurijs Jutjajevs - Tropica Aquarium Plants

Inspiration and ideas for your planted aquarium.

tropica.com

Layout 108 - George Farmer and Jurijs Jutjajevs - Tropica Aquarium Plants

Inspiration and ideas for your planted aquarium.

tropica.com

These are a little better

Layout 71 - James Starr-Marshall - Tropica Aquarium Plants

Inspiration and ideas for your planted aquarium.

tropica.com

Layout 37 - Tropica - Tropica Aquarium Plants

Inspiration and ideas for your planted aquarium.

tropica.com

Honestly most of these really don't grab me

I appreciate they're trying to make it broadly accessible, I just don't see a ton of control of movement or forethought in here

 

[JayP]

Like @Koan, none stand out really big to me but if I had to pick one, it would be another by Fabian Beck; Großer Rettenstein. My eye tends to be drawn to Brazilian or Brazilian/Iwagumi hybrid type scapes and this one definitely fits that. I've been studying Takashi Amano's scapes in the book "Nature Aquarium Complete Works" and unfortunately, this style of scape I saw somewhere online attributed to him, is not in the book. I'm going to find again though because it definitely inspired me.

 

[Tim Harrison]

I know what you mean. I think the idea is to showcase Tropic's plants in a way the normal hobbyist can emulate without too much difficulty and then keep the plants alive and algae free. So I suppose most could be genuinely longterm scapes.

The one I posted, for instance, appeals as it shows some real scaping talent. Use of negative space, dynamic hardscape and relatively uncomplicated planting, which keeps things looking natural.

However, I don't think it lasted very long, and someone just starting out might've got a little discouraged. Fabian explains -

"...but had to shut it down due to a massive Cladophora (Algae) Invasion that was very hard to treat."

I admire his honesty. Maintaining a scape like his, long-term, is a serious challenge.