Complexity's 90g Planted Tank Journal

[Complexity]

Yup, Contour brand! The guy even told my husband it was the "only kind they had that was safe for aquariums." Ugh. Thank goodness I still had a bad of the real Leslie's sand laying around. It was enough to put my tank together even though I still need more than just one bag.

I'm just glad I knew to check it before putting it in my tank. I knew it wasn't right. So I put a couple of cups in a bucket and added water, and it was immediately clear that this was a disaster begging to happen.

You should see my fish going nuts with the new scape. None of them know where to go anymore so they're swimming all over the place. I think this is the most fish I've seen out at one time ever!

[barrettsline]

You should see my fish going nuts with the new scape. None of them know where to go anymore so they're swimming all over the place. I think this is the most fish I've seen out at one time ever!

I love doing this to mine as much as they hate it. Everybody must fight for new territory, theres no space that can be said "thats mine", it also helps with my males and females who are breeding.

[Complexity]

Water has cleared out so I got a FTS. Excuse the ugly wood smack dab in the middle. It wants to float so it's just wedged down however I could get it to stay down and not placed there for decoration. It's there for my plecos.

I finally got a count on my plecos and catfish. All 3 plecos and 7 catfish are still doing fine! Looks like I have around 15 labs. Of course, I lost the fry in the rescape, but I knew I would. They'll make more.

Even though this is a rescape, it won't last long. I just don't like it. I'm already working on a completely different idea. But for now, this is the new scape.

[barrettsline]

I don't know why! That thing is beautiful!!!!


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=29.505670,-95.115567

[barrettsline]

You gonna do more of the really tall plants?


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=29.537608,-95.154527

[myjohnson]

I like the way it looks! :)


But why plants?

[Complexity]

Thank you! I don't like that there's no focal point. It's just a bunch of rocks with fake plants literally dropped in. I want a real design.

So I started looking around, and I found some ideas on the ADG galleries. It's actually not too far from what I've been doing, but with a design and focal point. Plus, while there are rocks, it's not based on a bunch of stacked rocks (which most of my fish don't use anyway). It uses wood and fake plants to break up the line of sight which is basically what I've been doing all along, only their way of doing it looks good. Plus, if I can't manage the stacked rocks on my own, then it's probably best I change to a design that I can manage on my own. So with all that put together, I'm going to change designs.

I've already ordered new fake plants. Bought 5 of these last night. I hope they look good in the tank!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/160543187160

I'm also going to use my left over Malaysian driftwood that I already have. I'll start soaking later today. I may switch to bull rocks, as well. Still thinking out parts of the design.

[myjohnson]

I think it would be cool to use plants from malawi.

Keep it biotope style playa! :)

[aquabee]

Beautiful tank! Is that the OB I see on the right?

[Complexity]

Yes, it's my new OB! Just got him a couple of days ago. I wanted to add more red color to the tank so I got the OB, a sunburst, and a gorgeous red shoulder peacock that looks like he's glowing all over. They really brighten up the blue and yellow.

I'm not even going to try a biotope design. I wish I could, but right now, I'll be happy with anything that looks halfway decent. Using fake plants makes it hard since they're so obviously fake. But I'm just not all stacked rock kind of person, and the cichlids aren't planted tank kind of fish so fake plants is the compromise. So I've decided that rather than fight it, I'm going to try to work with it.

[myjohnson]

I'm not even going to try a biotope design. I wish I could, but right now, I'll be happy with anything that looks halfway decent.

Dude! Don't think like that.

I always aim for a biotope...it normally makes the scape look better even if you are a sup par scaper like me. :(

[Complexity]

But a biotope would mean all rocks and no plants. To do that and get a design like I'd want, I'd have to get a custom background and use corresponding rocks to blend in. It's really cool looking, but expensive.

[SunnyHouTX]

Dude! Don't think like that.

I always aim for a biotope...it normally makes the scape look better even if you are a sup par scaper like me. :(

First, SHE (complexity) calls aquabee "son", and now you call her "dude"??? Lol, you guys must have your meds mixed up

[myjohnson]

lol, I take a combo of meds so they're never mixed up!

No trust me, biotope is where it's at! Anything else is an injustice to our fishes.

Now that's a funking scape! :)

[Complexity]

First, SHE (complexity) calls aquabee "son", and now you call her "dude"??? Lol, you guys must have your meds mixed up

Oh, gawd, did everyone see my screw that up!

lol, I take a combo of meds so they're never mixed up!

Okay, so here's Malawi Lake. Honestly, what's there to use as a biotope scape? Even those rocky backgrounds aren't true to the biotope.