Pink Gravel And 'no Fishing Signs' Etc...

[PaulEbs]

hey there,

I just want to collect a general consensus of what people think looks good in an aquarium and is better for the health of the fish. As I've been looking at a few photo's of peoples various tanks, and some of them are absolutely disgusting. A few cheap and tacky ornaments here and there, with a few inches of flat pink and yellow gravel.

Surely, you want your fish to be at home in their environment? With small gravel and sand, bog wood, live plants etc etc.

I feel that a minority are losing the sense of the fact that an aquarium is a habitat, you need to suit the needs of your fishes!

I don't want to post any examples of horrific tanks, but when you look at a tank like the one below, why would you ever want to buy crappy ornaments and sickly gravel??

Whats your opinions?? Paul.

 

[Lynz781]

It's entirely down to the individuals taste. I agree some tanks are nicer than others and that some ornaments look awful, along with coloured gravel but then some ornaments I have seen in tanks look great. I started off with a sunken ship ornament but eventually got rid as I prefer the more natural look. Everyone is different and that is what its all about

 

[PaulEbs]

fair enough, i don't think that is what it's all about though..

..I think it's all about the fish, and whether they are as close as possible to natural surroundings or not.

This is a pure example of what i am talking about...

Paul.

 

[Qays]

I agree, planted tanks > Fake ornaments

Planted tanks need more maintenance unless you have a low wpg and low light plants (Which im doing)

 

[WILDER]

I agree, but then it's up to the fish keeper, more the young members seem to like them horrible multi coloured ornaments and gravel, i would need sun glases if i had to live in that.

 

[Lynz781]

Also if shops are going to keep selling ornaments etc, people are gonna be buying them. I feel that it is a tradition almost to have a jokey object in a tank.

 

[lljdma06]

Also if shops are going to keep selling ornaments etc, people are gonna be buying them. I feel that it is a tradition almost to have a jokey object in a tank.

I always thought it would be hysterically funny if I had this gorgeous planted tank with a huge glosso field and then got a small ceramic decoration that said "Keep off grass", then enter it in Internation Aquatic Plant Layout contest.

 

[Qays]

I saw someone buy, black and white + Pink + Red Gravel in my lfs the other day.

*throws up*

 

[fish mad]

I saw someone buy, black and white + Pink + Red Gravel in my lfs the other day.

*throws up*

I agree with all of the above but lets not forget the most important thing is the water they live in. They could have the best looking natural tank in the world but if not cared for properly its not going to be a good habitat.

 

[Saedcantas]

This is a little mean isnt it? Different strokes for different folks and there is nothing more to it.

I genuinely do not think it is physically detrimental to your fish if you prefer crazy dayglo ornaments and plastic anthropomorphic Crabs and Octupi. While I personally am a Naturalist on these kinds of subjects all the way, it's a bit unfair to suggest that people who dont opt for planted and natural setups arent looking after their fish as well as you think you do.

Take a look at my tanks in my sig and you'll see that I much prefer to do things your way, I just think you've failed to grasp that this is another of life's personal choices, like what clothes you wear, what colour you want your hair to be, what music you listen to etc etc.

 

[dgwebster]

describe natural habitat though?

unless you are keeping single species, its a bit difficult to get that.

must admit though, the bad pic you posted above, looks like one of the crappy things pets@home are selling for £30 and are deliberately made to appeal to kids.

I myself have a dark blue with a lighter blue gravel (looks which in alot of pics though, dunno why) that acutally mimics a stream/river bed in one tank which im sur some people would say is "not natural" but others will say it is.

yes some is clearly off the mark, but it ultimately depends if what part of nature you are trying to mimic and you may not always be able to cater to all our fishes tastes

 

[oneponygirl]

A lot of people do this simply because they are beginners and don't know better, some because of taste (bad taste in my opinion but that's just my opinion). It's marketing, too. With the brightly colored fake decor put where people will see them (like the sugar cereals in the market are always on eye level, the healthy stuff you have to go looking for) and often times the price is easier to swallow. Also, with the obnoxious colors the fish are easier to see. When I rehomed my crabs and was educating the family that took them one of their first questions was whether they could replace the sand with hot pink gravel so they could see them. I explained that they could but it may cause undue stress on an animal that is accustomed to blending in and being able to hide; that animal keeping in part is being able to provide an environment as close to natural as possible although that means that sometimes you don't get to see your animals very often. Until people really surround themselves with visual information i.e. books and seeing other peoples' tanks, they just don't get to see anything to compare and continue to think that the neon colors looks good and they simply don't know they could be doing better for their animals by providing them places to hide and explore (which in some species is providing them a more healthy way of life) instead of a bare tank except for gravel and sign. Besides, often times in the LFS's this is how they are displayed so people don't even get a chance at the store to see what a really nice natural looking tank looks like.

 

[shaunza2010]

fair enough, i don't think that is what it's all about though..

..I think it's all about the fish, and whether they are as close as possible to natural surroundings or not.

This is a pure example of what i am talking about...

Paul.

pure tacky any ill thought out

 

[Qays]

many types of fish do not like luminous pink gravel.

Dark gravel / natural is best to have as it keeps the tank neutral.

 

[dgwebster]

many peple think of pea the bog standard pea gravel stuff for "natural" but is only natural in places that look like that . i agree though that the un-natural luminous pinks etc are a bit far fetched, yet to see that in naturs waters