What Would You Guys Think.....

[Shovelman]

while were at it with odd tank ideas.... looked at my shelf and next to a grenade I saw my geodes and other crystals I had there and thought how cool it would be to do a crystal like tank....

Find a huge cracked open geode and other smaller crystals around the base, quartz etc ... maybe a few anubias

thought it would be cool for a blind cave tetra tank, or any other oddball sort of tank... idk seems a bit unnatural but with the right rocks im sure it could be cool...


OR! (wow no wonder i get no sleep with all these ideas running around...)

A fossil tank! Me and my dad went trilobite hunting a while back in Utah and came home with tons of fossils in slate... as well as ancient fish fossils from another site(though they were embedded in limestone so in water im sure the rock around the bones would dissolve in no time..)

Also the idea of using my deer skull and vertebrae still remains.... just need to figure out how to clean it up

 

[ZephyrStarPlaties]

while were at it with odd tank ideas.... looked at my shelf and next to a grenade I saw my geodes and other crystals I had there and thought how cool it would be to do a crystal like tank....

Find a huge cracked open geode and other smaller crystals around the base, quartz etc ... maybe a few anubias

thought it would be cool for a blind cave tetra tank, or any other oddball sort of tank... idk seems a bit unnatural but with the right rocks im sure it could be cool...


OR! (wow no wonder i get no sleep with all these ideas running around...)

A fossil tank! Me and my dad went trilobite hunting a while back in Utah and came home with tons of fossils in slate... as well as ancient fish fossils from another site(though they were embedded in limestone so in water im sure the rock around the bones would dissolve in no time..)

Also the idea of using my deer skull and vertebrae still remains.... just need to figure out how to clean it up

I'd love the look of an underground crystal cavern with some blind cave fish! If you end up not using it, mind if I keep the idea for future reference? I'd even put a little copyright symbol with your name on it stuck to the tank glass!!

 

[Shovelman]

while were at it with odd tank ideas.... looked at my shelf and next to a grenade I saw my geodes and other crystals I had there and thought how cool it would be to do a crystal like tank....

Find a huge cracked open geode and other smaller crystals around the base, quartz etc ... maybe a few anubias

thought it would be cool for a blind cave tetra tank, or any other oddball sort of tank... idk seems a bit unnatural but with the right rocks im sure it could be cool...


OR! (wow no wonder i get no sleep with all these ideas running around...)

A fossil tank! Me and my dad went trilobite hunting a while back in Utah and came home with tons of fossils in slate... as well as ancient fish fossils from another site(though they were embedded in limestone so in water im sure the rock around the bones would dissolve in no time..)

Also the idea of using my deer skull and vertebrae still remains.... just need to figure out how to clean it up

I'd love the look of an underground crystal cavern with some blind cave fish! If you end up not using it, mind if I keep the idea for future reference? I'd even put a little copyright symbol with your name on it stuck to the tank glass!!

bahahaaha no worries! Free idea to use, although credit does sound rewarding....
was looking on ebay and found some neat and fairly large geodes for like 20-40$ so not too bad... depends on what kind of geode too..

 

[FishBlast]

Not sure how safe crystals are, but I've had this huge crystal-filled rock from my mom (it was involved in killing my first guppies ever when mom forgot it over soap one day). Later on it's been in a 40L tank with loads of fish and didn't have any trouble with it. I think it has quartz on it or something.
Still wondering if I should add it to my current tank or not.

 

[andyg81]

I really don't see how a fish would be offended by a freakin sunken ship, gimme a break. To a fish an ornament is just another rock or something. The only thing you've just said that I could maybe agree with is psychadelic coloured gravel (heck it trips me out too) or moving ornaments tap tapping away all day...

correct, I have a sunken ship in mine with an air stone blowing bubbles out the middle, my fish love it, my plec uses it to hide and most of the others dart around in the bubbles. and I also have a blue led light shineing up through the bubbles which when the main lights are off looks awesome as the fish swim about, personally i think my fish are happy with it anyway

 

[pern]

I read a blog where the author argued that a fish's long term health is linked to their environment/scape. Taking a species and putting it with ornaments, a sunken pirate ship, a battery powered scuba diver and such is more likely to stress the fish than anything else. And while the post apocalyptic scene may look great to you I'd feel confident in saying your pets (which is what they are after all) wouldn't feel as comfortable with it. For instance a fish keeper on a cichlid forum that bought a trio of apistos in a 60 liter that wouldn't breed. He had them for over a year with blue white and purple gravel, fake plants, a large sunken ship, and some other ornaments including a green clay toy soldier. As mentioned they didn't breed. He (out of frustration) changed his decor threw out that stuff and added a large amazon sword and within two weeks, fry! His params and feeding remained the same.

In short, the environment you place you fish in will determine whether or not they live as opposed to just existing.

An alternative "look" if I may?

I think your fish would go crazy for the above.

Hmmm, got to say I think fish are more likely to run into a sunken ship than this in nature

 

[Joshwainwright]

Hmmm, got to say I think fish are more likely to run into a sunken ship than this in nature

Ahahh, that's actually a good point... but it looks good!

 

[Xraymark]

I like the thought of the fossil theme tank. Sort of an elephant graveyard thing. The bones could have moss and plants growing through.It may look quite natural.
There are too many natural tank snobs. Alot of ornaments provide shelter for fish. That's my two cents.

 

[Primous]

Hmmm, got to say I think fish are more likely to run into a sunken ship than this in nature

Interesting...

Especially when you consider that some of the plants in that pic are from the amazon. In fact, we/I/you could make the exact color scheme, height and growth pattern/rate seen in that scape using plants native to amazon river. Meaning that when you adjust to scale, your tropical fish's wild cousins are swimming through something similar to that planted scape (although it may seem to colorful) as opposed to a toy sunken ship.

I'm using the amazon river as an example as a lot of tropical fish (all of mine bar my gourmaies) are found there. Here are some pics I found of the amazon river plants. Also, there are some stunning underwater vids on youtube showing the plants of the Amazon/South American rivers...

 

[FishBlast]

I like the thought of the fossil theme tank. Sort of an elephant graveyard thing. The bones could have moss and plants growing through.It may look quite natural.
There are too many natural tank snobs. Alot of ornaments provide shelter for fish. That's my two cents.

That just reminded me of this:

 

[Primous]

I didn't see your post I think I was google searching images for mine while you made posted it.

But a couple of points about this statement if I may

There are too many natural tank snobs.

By definition, the hobby is about recreating a slice of nature in your home. Sure, we all have our own ideas on how to achieve this. Meaning everything from the strictest biotopes to fired rubble as the op first suggested is a valid avenue. Ultimately, we run with what works for us as individuals. Yet at the same time on forums dedicated to the hobby such as this we should be free to give advice or even debate our theories without receiving thinly vialed insults.

And on that point I took a quick look at your history and in another thread came across your aquarium with some fake plants and a large toy sunken airplane. My initial post was just based on my experience and what I had read/come to understand. In contrasting natural vs toys it wasn't mean at a slight aimed at you or anyone else using replica decor. Merely my thoughts on the matter which after all is what the op asked for.

 

[Xraymark]

Comment wasn't aimed at you Primous. I try not to get personal on the forum unless with a positive comment.
In hindsight I can see your disgruntlement.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

hehe disgruntlement, I like it - is that a technical term?

 

[Shovelman]

lol..... its all good everyone.... lets not get too frisky! Anywho... yeah ill be playing around with some sketches tonight..