Decorate my aquarium!
- Thread starter 1cmarie
- Start date
I'm not so gung-ho for the effort and issue of real plants, but I do suggest if you're going to use fake ones that you shop around for ones that look a little more realistic.
It's easy to find a piece of driftwood big enough to touch the surface and your betta will love having something at the water's surface to build his bubble nests on. Using various rocks, the driftwood pieces, and broken terra cotta pots and various other things, you can create plenty of nooks and neat hidey-holes for your cories to explore.
As for the gravel... I think it's fine. Why waste money on a different substrate when that one would look fantastic once it's built upon? If you don't want to sink more money into 'better' gravel... put it into buying fancier silk plants (or real ones if you really want to), a lovely hunk of driftwood (though be mindful it may leak tannins into the tank and color the water, so you might want to soak it for a while first) and some interesting rocks from around your home.
You'll have a beautiful little aquarium in no time!!
It's easy to find a piece of driftwood big enough to touch the surface and your betta will love having something at the water's surface to build his bubble nests on. Using various rocks, the driftwood pieces, and broken terra cotta pots and various other things, you can create plenty of nooks and neat hidey-holes for your cories to explore.
As for the gravel... I think it's fine. Why waste money on a different substrate when that one would look fantastic once it's built upon? If you don't want to sink more money into 'better' gravel... put it into buying fancier silk plants (or real ones if you really want to), a lovely hunk of driftwood (though be mindful it may leak tannins into the tank and color the water, so you might want to soak it for a while first) and some interesting rocks from around your home.
You'll have a beautiful little aquarium in no time!!
I've seen smaller strawberry planters at flea markets. Ones with only 1 or 2 rings of extra holes that were only 8-10" tall or so. Perhaps keep your eye out for them?
I figure I'm lucky I live in this area of Oklahoma. We have those white rocks that have all those pokets and holes in them naturally that you can put right into the tank after a gooood scrubbing!! ^__^
I figure I'm lucky I live in this area of Oklahoma. We have those white rocks that have all those pokets and holes in them naturally that you can put right into the tank after a gooood scrubbing!! ^__^
the spring stuff is coming out now. I'm going to be checking Lowes and Home Depot. Their slate is so heavy, I'm afraid it will crack my glass.
And it is much cheaper than getting some of these caves at the pet stores.
Luckily, it matches my gravel perfectly.
And it is much cheaper than getting some of these caves at the pet stores.
Luckily, it matches my gravel perfectly.
Thanks for all the suggestions! I'll be scouring Lowe's and Home Depot today! Had to take out the driftwood. Whoever said I should have soaked it was probably right; when I woke up this morning, the water was a tad on the yellowish side. Thankfully, it was relatively inexpensive. I don't have a lot of spare cash, but I will take these suggestions to heart and provide new pics when I'm done:dance2:
the spring stuff is coming out now. I'm going to be checking Lowes and Home Depot. Their slate is so heavy, I'm afraid it will crack my glass.
And it is much cheaper than getting some of these caves at the pet stores.
Luckily, it matches my gravel perfectly.
Maybe you should try hitting up eBay for some of that Texas Limestone, eh? It's actually not as heavy as you'd think, comes in lots of different sizes, and as long as your substrate is deep enough to really sink the base of the rock in to brace it, it shouldn't ever pose a threat to your aquarium at all. My aunt and uncle used the rocks for their cichlid breeding program for two years without a single hitch.
Yeah, with any new driftwood, it's going to leak tannins into the water and make it turn anything from yellow to murky red to near black!! Best to soak your driftwood for a few weeks, doing frequent water changes to monitor how much tannin it's still releasing.
eBay offers auctions for beautiful pieces of pre-soaked driftwood that won't float or release nearly as much tannins. They're not a bad price for the ease of presoaked wood... check it out!! ^__^
This is what I did yesterday, but I am going to change it when I can find the pot I want with the holes. My plan is to get some moss or grass growing out of the pot, putting the driftwood in the middle and putting the new pot on the other side. One side is live and the other side is plastic. I'll probably get ride of the center piece.
Loving the right corner with the terra cotta pot!! Looks superb!! But I'm such a stickler for using artificial... 
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