I got my hardscape...

 

I finally composed the hardscape. It will be a classic rocks arrangement with lot of Emianthus Callitrichoides and some cosmetic sand for the shore. The rocks are collected on the mountains in this beautiful scenery:

Below some others compositions I did

My video of Japanese gardens

A video I made with my pictures of tipical Japanese gardens in Tokyo and Kyoto
Ho fatto un video con alcune foto che ho scattato in giardini giapponesi a Tokyo e Kyoto

Rocks, woods, both?

I'm trying to imagine what could be better ...

New project. Coming soon...

I will start a new project soon. Today the old setup was desmantle and tank emptied and cleaned. Now it's time to look around for a nice idea. I have some good woods and probably I'll try to explore again this way. I'd like to improve my skills with this kind of aquascapes.

All the soil from old "Wooden Shelob" setup, was lying in the sun to be dried and then stirred with a little new.

Who would have thought that there was so much Ada Aqua soil Amazonas II in my 75x45x45 tank?

IAPLC 2012 new judging criteria

Theese are the new Judging method for next year Ada's IAPLC, presented minutes ago during last Nature Aquarium Party in Tokyo.

Ecco i nuovi criteri di giudizio per il prossimo IAPLC2012 appena presentati al Nature Aquarium Party a Tokyo.

"Wooden Shelob" (150 l.) - Ranked 617 at IAPLC2011

My last tank "Wooden Shelob" ranked at #617 at IAPLC2011. It recalls something like a big spider and for people who likes LOTR it is easy to realize why my son suggested me this title for the work. It was the first time for me with Ryobuku aquascape and there are some mistakes in this composition. First of all the absence of background plants to have much more deepness in the layout. Second there is too much confusion with Hydrocotyle at the base of the woods. My intention was to realize something different from usuals tanks of this type that we see around everywhere. I'm a little disappointed of my ranking at IAPLC, honestly I hoped something a bit better, but I feel satisfied of my work. I'll probably use this as a base for future improvements.

"Wooden Shelob" (150 l.)

Nome: Wooden Shelob
Vasca: 75x45x45
Volume: 150 l.
Illuminazione: Hqi 1x150W Ada Bulb
Filtraggio: ADA Super Jet Filter ES-600.
CO2: 2-3 bubble per second: ADA Pollen Glass 30mm, ADA CO2 Bubble Counter, ADA Cabochon Ruby.
Substrato: Ada Power Sand Special; Ada Amazonas II
Piante: Glossostigma elatinoides, Eleocharis parvula, Echinodorus tenellus, Ranunculus inondatus, Hemiantus callitrichoides, Hydrocotyle sp. "Japan", Vesicularia sp., Fontinalis antipiretica
Pesci ed invertebrati: Hemigrammus erythrozonus, Otocinclus affinis, Caridina japonica

IAPLC 2011 - Results are out

Results are out!
You can see them at: http://en.iaplc.com/results11/results11.html
Congratulations to all for the results achieved.
Great edition for Italians aquascapers:

Italian ranking:
22 Pasquale Buonpane
54 Enrico Fortuna
85 Diego Marinelli
112 Andrea Ongaro
130 Luca Zivoli
189 Marco Manganaro
233 Andrea Perotti
253 Gennaro Riccio
374 Marco Cerroni
411 Roberto Gibellini
617 Enrico Serena
634 Gianpaolo Di Silvestro
664 Emanuele Cerroni
788 Elio Fabbrini
872 Lorenzo Ferraresi
887 Ferla Claudio
964 Lorenzo Claudio Saitz
1063 Stefano Marino
1119 Pasquale Molaro
1320 Giuseppe Desantis
1370 Antonio Gabriele
1555 Francesco Saracino

Interview on AquaGo

On the Bulgarian website http://aquago.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-post_30.html it's possible to read an interview with me. Thanks to Tony from AquaGo for the interest in my work.

Sul sito Bulgaro AquaGo, all'indirizzo http://aquago.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-post_30.html è stata pubblicata una mia intervista. Grazie a Tony di AquaGo Bulgaria per l'interesse nei confronti del mio lavoro. 

ROAPLC 2011 - Results

Here the results of Russian Open Aquatic Plant Layout Contest 2011  My tank "Secret shore" ranked at 12th position. Congratulations to the winner and all the partecipants.

Pubblicati i risultati della prima edizione del Contest Russo Russian Open Aquatic Plant Layout Contest 2011 La mia vasca "Secret shore" si è classificata al 12° posto assoluto. Congratulazioni al vincitore a e tutti i partecipanti.

"Secret shore" (150 l.) - Valutazione dei giudici AGA 2010

From Jordi Pelegri's Blog, the video of "Secret shore" valuation during AGA 2010 convention in Fort Lauderdale - Florida. Thank you Jordi for sharing!

Dal Blog di Jordi Pelegri, che ringrazio, il video della valutazione della mia vasca "Secret shore" durante la convention AGA 2010 di Fort Lauderdale - Florida.

Japan earthquake and tsunami Emergency

If you wanna help, here are the Japaneese Embassy Channels:

For victims of earthquake in Tohoku and Pacific regions:
Bank: Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
Agency: Ginza
Count n°: 8047670 (ordinary)
Swift code: SMBC JP JT
To: The Japanese Red Cross Society
Address: 1-1-3 Shiba-Daimon Minato-ku, Tokyo JAPAN

Japaneese Red Cross:
Bank: Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
Agency: Ginza
Count n°: 8047705 (conto corrente ordinario)
Swift code: SMBC JP JT
To: The Japanese Red Cross Society
Address: 1-1-3 Shiba-Daimon Minato-ku, Tokyo JAPAN

A day at "Anubias" - Bologna (Italy)

Anubias is the greatest aquatic plant's Farm in Italy and one of the most important in Europe. Me and some members of italian community aquagarden.it had the opportunity to visit this amazing place. A big thank to the owners and all the staff for their kind hospitality.

Le piante madri

Vasche di accrescimento muschi su pietre e legnetti

Vasche di accrescimento piante su legnetti

Hygrophila pinnatifida

Echinodorus

Lilaeopsis

ludwigia glandulosa red

Micranthemum

Hydrocotyle verticillata

Celle frigorifere per la conservazione delle "Cup"

Microsorium pteropus

Grazie ai titolari di Anubias per averci ospitato e fatto conoscere in maniera davvero esauriente il loro complesso lavoro e la loro splendida azienda.

Hydrocotyle sp. "Japan"

A small portion was given to me by Giacomo Guarraci and Andrea Robustelli and slowly this beautiful species of Hydrocotyle called "Japan" is becoming the star of my next creation. 

Una piccola porzione mi è stata regalata da Giacomo Guarraci e Andrea Robustelli e piano piano questa bella specie di Hydrocotyle denominata "Japan" sta diventando la protagonista della mia prossima realizzazione.