Started on Serenading Tree Aquascape v2.0

I finally managed to get a good chunk of time to work on this on the weekend. First step was to drain the tank so that I could pull it out from the wall to clean the floor behind and also apply the black vinyl. Also gave the inside a good scrub with hot water.

Tip for installing a 4ft x 2ft piece of vinyl - get a spray bottle, add a few drops of washing detergent and fill with water. The water should feel a tad slippery in your fingers (not too much though). Spray the back of the tank until covered in the solution. Lay the vinyl on the floor and spray a little on your fingers, this will stop it from sticking to you and you leaving fingerprints behind. Peel the backing off leaving the sticky side exposed and spray that. With the help of another person, lift and place neatly on the back glass. Because both surfaces are wet, should be easy to adjust but if you get the initial application right, this shouldn’t be necessary.  Using a large squeegee get all the bubbles out. Finally, with a sharp blade, carefully trim any excess and leave to dry.

With the blacked out back and tank returned to the wall, time to remove the items that are no longer required. As I was creating a more prominent cliff this time around, I needed to raise the substrate but wasn’t able to source anymore of the 1mm pebble that I originally used. Instead, I grabbed some volcanic rock from Bunnings and placed down first to provide some height.

 New cliff based on Yuan rock created and Stauro Tropica and Pogostemon Helferi separated, trimmed and replanted in a new layout:

The new tree, silicone together and curing:

This is what the old scape looked like: