Big Plans!
- Thread starter NoodleCats
- Start date
I like your choice of river rocks. They are much rounder than what I have chosen which are the more flat and oval shaped ones. But my plecos like to be on the underside of rocks and slate, so I go for flat.
Every time I look at one of your pics I am jealous. I have yet to see one of your tanks that did not look really nice. I firmly believe that aquascaping is an an art. One can only do it naturally, one cannot learn to do it. One can learn techniques, but that is not the creative part. The ability to see the finished product in your head before you even start is a rare talent. So is making it happen. Of course this includes the choice of fish and any inverts.
For me the best aquascapes are the ones which have that "haphazardly" natural look but have actually been specifically designed to look that way. (While I recognized his skill, I was never a gaga fan of Takashi's tanks despite acknowledging his contribution to aquascaping and for the plants to which he introduced us.)
Every time I look at one of your pics I am jealous. I have yet to see one of your tanks that did not look really nice. I firmly believe that aquascaping is an an art. One can only do it naturally, one cannot learn to do it. One can learn techniques, but that is not the creative part. The ability to see the finished product in your head before you even start is a rare talent. So is making it happen. Of course this includes the choice of fish and any inverts.
For me the best aquascapes are the ones which have that "haphazardly" natural look but have actually been specifically designed to look that way. (While I recognized his skill, I was never a gaga fan of Takashi's tanks despite acknowledging his contribution to aquascaping and for the plants to which he introduced us.)
lucky, you got some beautiful shrimp for free
are those vals?
my vals created a baby, and the baby created another baby
Thank you again for showing your hoplos & goldies all together. It's cool to see the size differences between them all. It can be hard to tell in more individual pics. I'm surprised by the shrimp survival...so far, so good! I'm loving this tank in a way I never imagined, I was never a GF fan but I might (maybe) be having second thoughts...
shh, don't tell my husband, lol. I'm still working on him for turning our small swimming pool into a koi & weather loach pond...he doesn't like the idea of "swimming with the fishes"...yet, lol
shh, don't tell my husband, lol. I'm still working on him for turning our small swimming pool into a koi & weather loach pond...he doesn't like the idea of "swimming with the fishes"...yet, lol
Theyre giant vals, vallisneria gigantea. Larger and thicker species of vals. I find them easier than Americana.
"Free shrimp" from one of my other tanks that have shrimp hahahaha
Yeah I'm surprised by the shrimp. Thought I was losing my mind seeing them. There's about 2 or 3 of them. Blue and red haha.
I thought stock would be done on this tank.
Alas, received a text from my coworker, she's taking down her tank but asked me to take in her favourite fish since she doesn't trust many with him... he or she is an older Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps, aka sailfin pleco. I have the space, and this area isn't good for homes for the "common" plecos.
I'm definitely more of a fan of the natural looks. I like biotope scapes, or ones that are less than polished... not the biggest fan of things like iwagumi or Dutch. They can be well done but they're not my taste or style. Iwagumi especially as the scapes don't benefit the fish as theyre too open and not enough shelter for fish. I like scapes that suit the fish's needs most.
And I try to use that with my own scapes. I try to factor in what the stock prefers for their homes, but I also like to enjoy the look of it too. Ex, my one 55g that houses my Farlowella cats has a lot of spindly branches involved with the structure holding the anubias in it, to factor in that they live mostly on these branches, and need enough to support all 3 in there for grazing and shelter. Same time there are two Ancistrus bodenhameri that benefit from the driftwood caves the structures create too.
My other 55g has more dense plants, as the fish in there appreciate the planted jungle.
This tank, the 135, i kept the hardscape larger, and went more minimal so I didn't take up swim space as the fish grew since goldfish aren't exactly small fish... while same time offering them shelter, places to rest or explore, things to do because they're quite curious and busy fish. Sand substrate because they go nuts digging in the sand. They love it even if it gets all over the place. It's their home before it is my own visual artwork. So fish needs have to come first when I put the scapes together.
As for the rocks, I have a local river I collect my stuff from, and I have a weight limit on my floors... old building and I live on the 2nd floor, so I had to be mindful of weight. Could do less larger rocks thatd be noticeable, or smaller ones that wouldn't stand out as much. Most of the good sized rocks I wanted were rounder. I'd love to do more rocks, make it look more like a stream, but I worry about the weight limit and going over it. A 6 foot tank is a loooot of weight as it is.
As mentioned in previous post to this, I am anticipating a rehome from a friend so will need to add a structure suitable for the fish. May need to pick up or search for a suitable cave that looks natural as well.
I hear you on weight issues. Luckily my current house has a slab subfloor in the LR/DR so that's where I put my largest tank (a 5ft 110g), who needs a dining room, lol? I would've prefered to put it on my "dance floor/computer/tank area" but without floor jacks it just wasn't a good idea. It's on a shallow crawl space that also is a by a major support wall. I'm too old to commando crawl almost the length of my house just to see what's under there...& then again a few times with floor jacks...Just no way!
I do more like you do NoodleCats, more for the fish's needs than the "aesthetic" of a particular tank style. Years ago I liked Dutch style tanks because of all the plants, but my fish need hiding places so I want more hardscape. I can appreciate Amano tanks as kind of high maintenance art pieces but not as realistic homes for my fish & my lack of patience with fuss budget frequent trimming to keep it looking "just right"...bah! My fish sometimes breed so I know they're fairly happy. Yours breed more, so much happier! It's all good!
There's a place for everyone's "vision" in our hobby, I sometimes like their tanks, sometimes not.
I think it's also very nice of you to adopt your coworker/friends's gibby. I love big plecos & you really do have a tank he can work in. I bet he'll be fun if he doesn't mow over everything...he might...
I do more like you do NoodleCats, more for the fish's needs than the "aesthetic" of a particular tank style. Years ago I liked Dutch style tanks because of all the plants, but my fish need hiding places so I want more hardscape. I can appreciate Amano tanks as kind of high maintenance art pieces but not as realistic homes for my fish & my lack of patience with fuss budget frequent trimming to keep it looking "just right"...bah! My fish sometimes breed so I know they're fairly happy. Yours breed more, so much happier! It's all good!
There's a place for everyone's "vision" in our hobby, I sometimes like their tanks, sometimes not.
I think it's also very nice of you to adopt your coworker/friends's gibby. I love big plecos & you really do have a tank he can work in. I bet he'll be fun if he doesn't mow over everything...he might...
He might actually be something else, I asked for photos he might be pardalis. Verifying on planet cat.
Dutch scapes offer a lot of plants, so species that love planted areas would thrive.
Granted, there are also fish who do enjoy open areas, but usually scapers use fish that prefer cover which I think isn't wise for the fish.
I think you may be right, pardalis vs gibbiceps. He looks a bit thin, feed him up! Actually not a bad fit in your tank if he's smaller with your other fish. His dorsal & tail are too small to be a gibby. There are some other choices...I have no guesses
Yeah planet cat verified either pardalis or disjunctivus, but can just see the belly in one photo, and is spotted so pardalis it is.
Which is better, slightly smaller species to work with
He eats really well apparently, loves zucchini and cucumber.
I love my coworker, she's a really nice lady
So even though I was done with stock on this tank, I'm not gonna turn down her request, especially since I know how this area is for common plecos. And she can get lots of photo updates of him anytime she wants lol
