HOW MANY: Is there life out there?

[Deleted member 149562]

So I ask again, @Fishmanic

Why not change it up a little and do an all artificial only TOTM occasionally?

Would that not increase the fun element and make things more inclusive to everyone?

There are so many people, not just me, who use artificial and who feel left out or frowned upon or made to feel bad by virtue of the use of fully artificial decor...not just on this site but every fishy related site

What exactly would be the harm in doing this.....it would level the playing field, make everyone feel that they are doing OK with their aquariums. It often costs alot more to go fully artificial, it takes just as much time and maintenance when fully artificial......so why not give it a go....have an open size, larger entry number contest for all artificial aquariums......what harm will it do to be more inclusive and to make people feel they are as good as the planted aquarium owners?

We are all fishkeepers, we all care about our fish......so why not?

This is something I have fought for with all my heart for so long, to feel like an equal in fishkeeping cos when you use artificial there is a form of prejudice against it and that is really really sad in this day and age......not asking for every contest to be artificial only, just asking for one or two a year to be for artificial only....thats all.

 

[Lynnzer]

A couple of things.
Participation is meant to be fun, but it's also taken seriously by many members, myself included. My own entry isn't a showcase for aquascape tanks, it's just that I'm so chuffed with what I managed to put together from a baseline of no scaping experience whatsoever. I could gone the route of trying to copy one of the magnificent tanks from the Japanese artificial kits of Hugo Kamishi? I'd certainly have copied something like this:

Either way it would have been a work of devotion and would have been equally as important to myself. So artificial v live isn't any disctinction I'd bang on about.
Next, of course, the number of voters. I accept that a large number of bots are trawling around but the actual voting members are in short supply. I don't know how many members there are in the forum so can't put a percentage figure to it but can see that most posts are made by only a few people so I'm guessing that most members are just occasional visitors. If that's so then there's nowt we can do about it.
As for contests for only artificial.... well I have no problem with that. I'd be totally inspired by the Hugo tank above, but of course that's another professional looking setup, not a bowl with a betta. I couldn't be truly inspired by seeing a bowl with a betta and 2 plants, artificial or real. If such a contest was agreed, then comes the next development of fish of the month, shrimp of the month, plant of the month, etc.
Then we'd get someone bleating on about how unfair it is that Amano shrimp aren't getting interest against Red Crystal.
Whatever, just go with what we've got and make the most of it.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

A couple of things.
Participation is meant to be fun, but it's also taken seriously by many members, myself included. My own entry isn't a showcase for aquascape tanks, it's just that I'm so chuffed with what I managed to put together from a baseline of no scaping experience whatsoever. I could gone the route of trying to copy one of the magnificent tanks from the Japanese artificial kits of Hugo Kamishi? I'd certainly have copied something like this:View attachment 161251

Either way it would have been a work of devotion and would have been equally as important to myself. So artificial v live isn't any disctinction I'd bang on about.
Next, of course, the number of voters. I accept that a large number of bots are trawling around but the actual voting members are in short supply. I don't know how many members there are in the forum so can't put a percentage figure to it but can see that most posts are made by only a few people so I'm guessing that most members are just occasional visitors. If that's so then there's nowt we can do about it.
As for contests for only artificial.... well I have no problem with that. I'd be totally inspired by the Hugo tank above, but of course that's another professional looking setup, not a bowl with a betta. I couldn't be truly inspired by seeing a bowl with a betta and 2 plants, artificial or real. If such a contest was agreed, then comes the next development of fish of the month, shrimp of the month, plant of the month, etc.
Then we'd get someone bleating on about how unfair it is that Amano shrimp aren't getting interest against Red Crystal.
Whatever, just go with what we've got and make the most of it.

Coincidental you picked pack 6 from Kamishi, since that is what I used for mine the other day....albeit a different layout cos it seemed a bit too cluttered to use all the parts (many of which are huge, I might add)

I have some Mopani to add still (currently soaking in a bucket)

 

[Lynnzer]

Coincidental you picked pack 6 from Kamishi, since that is what I used for mine the other day....albeit a different layout cos it seemed a bit too cluttered to use all the parts (many of which are huge, I might add)

I have some Mopani to add still (currently soaking in a bucket)

View attachment 161252

I just love that layout. I know Kamishi by various bits and bobs in some stores but I never knew he did full tank setups.
I have a 120 ltr tank that I'm toying with a do-over so will keep it in mind.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

I just love that layout. I know Kamishi by various bits and bobs in some stores but I never knew he did full tank setups.
I have a 120 ltr tank that I'm toying with a do-over so will keep it in mind.

Charterhouse Aquartics have most of the setups, Swell Aquatics have two of them. They are not cheap by any means but really are very well made.

Rock and Plant Displays | Decoration | Charterhouse Aquatics

Rock and Plant Displays for your Aquarium

charterhouse-aquatics.com

Mine is rock pack 6

 

[Lynnzer]

Charterhouse Aquartics have most of the setups, Swell Aquatics have two of them. They are not cheap by any means but really are very well made.

Rock and Plant Displays | Decoration | Charterhouse Aquatics

Rock and Plant Displays for your Aquarium

charterhouse-aquatics.com

Mine is rock pack 6

Not cheap?
Compared to the cost of wood, rocks and plants in a true aquastore the price is unusually low.
Hmmmm, I smell a new set up coming......

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Not cheap?
Compared to the cost of wood, rocks and plants in a true aquastore the price is unusually low.
Hmmmm, I smell a new set up coming......

Charterhouse is cheaper than Swell by around £30

They are very well made, very heavy....and I think quite realistic too.

They are not cheap to those like me who are on a very very tight & limited budget

 

[jaylach]

I have to say that I really don't understand the desire for an artificial plant only contest. Would not doing so push away live plant people? As it is now you can have either and I think that is fair. I would actually have no problem with an artificial plant contest but don't see where it matters. I'll probably enter my 20 gallon cube in the July contest but have no expectations of winning and don't care. I see these contests simply as a means of showing what you have done. To me, win or lose, means nothing. It is just a way to show what I've done and express that I'm proud of the results. Even if I got zero votes I would not care as I like what I've done and the bottom line is that what I've done and like is all that really matters. I don't care if you like my tank. All that really matters is that I like my tank. Here is the current although I intend to add about 1/2 inch of soft black sand above the current substrate to give a goth look and make things better for my pleco and corys. I would hope that you would find it attractive but all that really matters is that *I* like it. Ya, it is cloudy but that is just due to having too much air flow. Can't seem to be able to find decent air valves. The tank is actually clearer than it looks in the image.

 

[connorlindeman]

So I ask again, @Fishmanic

Why not change it up a little and do an all artificial only TOTM occasionally?

Would that not increase the fun element and make things more inclusive to everyone?

There are so many people, not just me, who use artificial and who feel left out or frowned upon or made to feel bad by virtue of the use of fully artificial decor...not just on this site but every fishy related site

What exactly would be the harm in doing this.....it would level the playing field, make everyone feel that they are doing OK with their aquariums. It often costs alot more to go fully artificial, it takes just as much time and maintenance when fully artificial......so why not give it a go....have an open size, larger entry number contest for all artificial aquariums......what harm will it do to be more inclusive and to make people feel they are as good as the planted aquarium owners?

We are all fishkeepers, we all care about our fish......so why not?

This is something I have fought for with all my heart for so long, to feel like an equal in fishkeeping cos when you use artificial there is a form of prejudice against it and that is really really sad in this day and age......not asking for every contest to be artificial only, just asking for one or two a year to be for artificial only....thats all.

Then I who has multiple planted tank would feel left out. People vote for what people like.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Then I who has multiple planted tank would feel left out. People vote for what people like.

I just think it would be nice to have a level playing field for once and for those who use artificial not to feel intimidated or pushed out by the "must have real plants" brigade.

OK...compromise....half entrants artificial, half real planted

At the end of the day comments like a former member who stated last October when I brought up the anti-artificial feelings posted words to the effect that anyone who cannot manage to have real plants in their aquariums should not have fish as they must obviously be too advanced for them aswell.

Totally inappropriate and wrong to say things like that to anyone.

It would just be really nice to be respected for our fishkeeping and be treated as equals rather than being treated as second class fishkeepers and inferior by the planted aquarium owners. Is that too much to ask? I guess that it is.

It isn't just here, its everywhere in fishkeeping, those of us who have artificial decor are looked down upon and get crass remarks that are really hurtful.

 

[Lynnzer]

I have a shelf of used artificial plants that were used in earlier tanks.
I quite like the look of some of them too but I took them out an replaced them for real plants for a couple of reasons.
First is that the fish can't jostle egg laying females into them and successfully breed. Or at least my CPD's which were all I had at the time didn't do so anyway.
Secondly using live plants added a useful way to decrease water nitrates and ammonia.
And let's not forget that most plants exhale oxygen back into the water in a constant flow of bubbles.
Even though some good artificial plants look really good, very few are good enough for fish to breed amongst and in any case those that do are normally provided with woollen mops in stead, on a bare bottom tank.
The upside of artificial is that when algae gets hold they're dead easy to clean.

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[Guyb93]

I vote if i see a stand out winner ( in my opinion) I’m not going to judge people’s aquascape because mine are for functionality and never really pleasing to the eye , im much more likely to vote on a fish of the month than tank of the month but I keep fish for fish not for the scape as I know others appreciate the scape over the fish

 

[Lynnzer]

Sometimes scruffy is best for the fish.
Totally accepted but beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Fishmanic]

please note:
Lynnzer has been disqualified from the present TOTM contest due to his tank being larger than the size specified for the contest. If you voted for Lynnzer, please go to the TOTM contest thread and change your vote. Just click on "Change Vote" in the poll and make another choice.
Sorry for confusion...I overlooked the size of his tank when I set up the contest. We don't make many mistakes with the contests but messed up this time.

Vote Now! - June 2022 Tank of the Month Contest (16 US gallons & smaller)

POLL IS NOW CLOSED :big_boss: PLEASE VOTE! We have 10 awesome tanks entered in Fishforums' June 2022 Tank of the Month contest featuring tanks sized at 16 US gallons and smaller. View all the tanks and descriptions below and then go to poll at the top of this thread, click on your...

www.fishforums.net

 

[JuiceBox52]

The title made me think this was a post about extraterrestrial life lol