Beginner scaping help

[Beastije]

BTW what I do, because I apparently have too much time on my hand, is google "type of fish I want tank setup" and check out images and videos on youtube of people who keep that fish or replicate their natural environment, and take some pointers from there too.

 

[djlombar]

Why something like the rams or apisto's?
Do you need to have them as show-off species or for diversity?
It's just that rams and apistos aren't easily bred as they tend to need to be bonded with a female from early in their life cycle.
I've had both and never had any bonding relationship between sexes. In fact I think one or more females have been killed by the males.
Also anything more than a pair to tank will cause problems.
As well as the species selected look at their individual needs, ie water parameters. A wrong water hardness or pH could be detrimental to their health.

I think they're beautiful fish so it would be as a show-off species.
I don't care about breeding honestly.
I'd be fine with just a pair, though I thought they were recommended in groups of 6.
I did look at water parameters and they are all compatible in that sense.

 

[djlombar]

Just a couple of points from my point of view, though may not be relevant. All advice says the substrate should be higher at the back and gradually lowering towards the front, making it in a slope like fashion, which makes the debris sit down at the front of the tank, easier for cleaning.
Aquascaping advices I have seen talk about a triangle shape or U shape for design. so either left to right or right to left, highest at one side, going lower to the other side. This site has some nice ideas and pointers, I plan to look at it as well
Vallisneria is a prissy kind of plant. Needs high level of substrate, doesnt grow in the direction you want it and at some point, the roots grow through the substrate fully, I tried to get rid of it once and realized I didnt have substrate, I had just root system with bit of sand and it looked like this and I started with like 6 plants and this was a year after View attachment 166254

Corydoras appreciate a shade and resting place UNDER things, so if you get more wood and rotate it to create a cave sort of system underneath it, they will appreciate it more. You wont, cause you cant clean under it but hey, that is life.

So my overall advice is to go more. More substrate in the places where you want rooting plants, more wood, more stones that need to be near each other. Lot of open spaces for the corydoras, more stones in a sort of hill setup,...

Oof, nothing is ever easy right?

For the substrate I do have it sloping up front to back and will adjust it a bit more laterally once I have the hardscaping decided. I'll take a look at the links thanks!

As far as the Cory's I'll look at a couple of small pieces to create a cave. One of the smaller pieces of wood in the picture will serve well as a cave as well once I get some rocks up to it.

 

[djlombar]

BTW what I do, because I apparently have too much time on my hand, is google "type of fish I want tank setup" and check out images and videos on youtube of people who keep that fish or replicate their natural environment, and take some pointers from there too.

I do have a variety of species so this may be hard to do. If only I could have several tanks to replicate different environments

 

[Stan510]

Rams and Apistos are also on my money pit list!...I could never keep them for very long.

 

[Byron]

I do have a variety of species so this may be hard to do. If only I could have several tanks to replicate different environments

The way to deal with this is to provide the type of environment your primary fish species requires, and then remember that each species added to the tank must share the same requirements with respect to the environment--which includes water parameters (including temperature), hardscape, light, water flow. As an example, if you definitely wanted a species of gourami, they live in quiet streams or ponds and swamps, so your filter must not produce a strong current. And fish requiring a current would not be compatible.

 

[djlombar]

The way to deal with this is to provide the type of environment your primary fish species requires, and then remember that each species added to the tank must share the same requirements with respect to the environment--which includes water parameters (including temperature), hardscape, light, water flow. As an example, if you definitely wanted a species of gourami, they live in quiet streams or ponds and swamps, so your filter must not produce a strong current. And fish requiring a current would not be compatible.

Good advice. I really want the Rams and Gobys, but I know Stiphodon Gobys do better in fast moving water so I don't think this is going to be feasible. I was hoping a couple Rams would be a consolation. One day I may get a smaller, long tank and create a river environment for some Gobys....or just go full saltwater (what will the wife say...).

 

[djlombar]

Rams and Apistos are also on my money pit list!...I could never keep them for very long.

Oh no!

 

[djlombar]

Got a couple of small pieces of wood that, along with some rocks, will make a nice little cave

 

[djlombar]

@Beastije @Byron @Rocky998 @KiwiGal77 @Stan510 Thanks for the responses so far. Tinkered a bit, how is this? I'd fill in a bit more with smaller pebbles to balance it out more.

^^ new pieces as a little cave (hard to tell because of the stirred up sand but there are 2-3" of space under the wood).

 

[Rocky998]

@Beastije @Byron @Rocky998 @KiwiGal77 @Stan510 Thanks for the responses so far. Tinkered a bit, how is this? I'd fill in a bit more with smaller pebbles to balance it out more.

View attachment 166288

View attachment 166289​

View attachment 166287​

View attachment 166290
^^ new pieces as a little cave (hard to tell because of the stirred up sand but there are 2-3" of space under the wood).

View attachment 166291

I REALLY really like the way the wood is set up! It's lovely!
The only thing I would suggest is to stack the rocks a bit more and not have them so flatly spread out if that makes sense. And don't stack really high, just enough.

 

[djlombar]

I REALLY really like the way the wood is set up! It's lovely!
The only thing I would suggest is to stack the rocks a bit more and not have them so flatly spread out if that makes sense. And don't stack really high, just enough.

I don't know what you mean lol

 

[Byron]

Reversing the wood has made me look at this a bit differently. I will offer my thoughts, they may give you ideas or rethinking, in the end it is your tank. I have a basic desire to always go "nature" with wood, rock, plants in an aquarium.

I think the little piles of rocks/pebbles around the branch ends are really artificial, made moreso by there not being rocks anywhere else.

The shape of the wood now concerns me, and if I had this I would try it in every possible placement. One that might work more naturally is to have the branches sticking out into the water at an angle. The main "stem" might look better if it was sort of "held" by rocks at the back. Hard to put into words. I'll see if I can find some photos from my tanks to illustrate.

 

[Byron]

These two photos of my 90g tank have a couple uses for river rock (representing pebbles and boulders).

 

[Rocky998]

Reversing the wood has made me look at this a bit differently. I will offer my thoughts, they may give you ideas or rethinking, in the end it is your tank. I have a basic desire to always go "nature" with wood, rock, plants in an aquarium.

I think the little piles of rocks/pebbles around the branch ends are really artificial, made moreso by there not being rocks anywhere else.

The shape of the wood now concerns me, and if I had this I would try it in every possible placement. One that might work more naturally is to have the branches sticking out into the water at an angle. The main "stem" might look better if it was sort of "held" by rocks at the back. Hard to put into words. I'll see if I can find some photos from my tanks to illustrate.

I agree to an extent.
I think the wood placement is great but the rock placement could definitely use some work