How can I make my aquarium look better?

M

Mariah_S

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Jan 1, 2006
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Oakland City, IN
My aquarium is fairly pretty, but I want it to look even better.

First, It looks pretty yellow inside because of the lights. Could I get blue lightbulbs or even blacklight bulbs (I think those would probably be harmful?).

Second, most of my fish are dull in color. The brightest ones I have are orange, and then a darkish royal blue. I have a ten-gallon tank, so I would have to get small fish. Are there any pretty, egg-laying small tropical community (or maybe cichlid) fish that have color without the grey?

Third, how many decorations would be too many? I have three small decorations in there already (one of them is like a dorm for my pleco- he's there a lot), and I also have three small fake plants. I'm planning on replaceing the plants and one of the decorations. What would you suggest?

Fourth, when I do something like change my filter cartridge or put a new fish in, water runs down the sides and front of the tank. I try to clean them sometimes, but then I see the spots from where I cleaned it.

Fifth, I only have a few small, smooth rocks in the tank (probably about 30) to make it easier to clean. Would it be better if I put more rocks in (not only to make it prettier, but also for the fishes' benefit)?

And a last note not too closely related to this topic- do tropical community fish and cichlids go alright together?

Thank you so much!
Mariah
 
Are you using an incandescent lightbulb? If so, this might be the reason your tank looks yellowish.
You could buy a blue or gold ram cichlid, they do well in a community tank and look great. Neon tetras complement blue rams very well and you could fit in a small school.
You could consider getting live plants, they look great and they allow you to slightly overstock your tank by helping remove waste. For decoration, you could put in some driftwood. How many decorations you put in depends on your preference, some people like a tank with a lot of open space while others like to put in a lot of decorations.
As for the overflowing water, your water level may be too high.
I find that a moonlight makes a tank look great, especially with bright blue fish like neons and rams.
 
Search the web for aquariums find one you like and use some of the ideas it gives you and get a whiter light bulb!
 
Mariah - get a black tank background. Sticks or tapes to the outside of the back of the tank usually. Very nice when combined with a dark substrate. My two cents.
 
Try some screw in flourescent bulbs if you have an incandescent light over it. They sell in Walmart in the fish supply section for about 6$ each.

OH....your pleco is going to get too large for your tank....lol.....they get quite big !
 
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thank you all! I'll try some of those ideas.

ljse: sorry for the confusion, but my tank isn't overflowing- the water drips down the sides when I take something out of the tank. yes I am using an incandescent bulb. :)

Flowerhorn: yeah I searched google for aquariums but I didn't find much. do you know another site I could go to?

aquarob: I have a background already, but it's coral reef scene. Thanks, but I don't think I'd want a black background.

Emg: this kind of pleco I have is only supposed to get about 5 inches.

and another nonrelated thing: today I noticed white spots on the underside of the lid of the tank that came off easily (i just wiped some of them off). What is it?
 
I sometimes have the white spots too, I think its fungus, because of the warmth and moisture under the hood. Do the spots look kind of cotton like?
You could probably use windex to clean the outside of the glass.
 
What kind of pleco? Who told you it would only get to be 5"?
 
is it a whisper filter?
 
Yes the spots are kind of like cotton. But they just showed up, and I've had this tank for a few weeks.

Um I don't remember what kind of pleco it is, but it looks different from others I've seen. It's lighter in color, and its spots are more noticable than others'. The guy that sold it to me (in a pet store) told me that's how big it would get.

I don't think it's a whisper filter. Why?
 
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