# aquascaping suggestions - south american blackwater - pics



## naegling23 (Jan 4, 2008)

Hey everyone, I have tried a few different rearrangements, but I cant seem to find anything that looks "right". Im looking for some suggestions:

Full view of the tank:









The left side:









The right side:









Another view:









I also have the following 2 pieces of driftwood available to use:









The plants list:
valisnera, 1 ocelot sword, 2 amazon swords, 2 cryptocornes, 1 anubias nana, a few very small java ferns (you likely cant see them), java moss, a few strands of a plant that im not sure of (bacopa?), and carpet plants (micro and pygmy sword).

I like the way the middle looks with the driftwood along the back, and the middle kept clear with the carpet plants. I was thinking of putting the piece of branching driftwood on the right side, but im not sure how to do it yet. The left side is the side I'm really not happy about. The sword looks cramped in there. I was thinking of putting the driftwood up on its side so that it is taller instead of wider. I was also thinking of adding some more plants like watersprite. What does everyone think, Im looking for some suggestions.


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## alicem (Jul 26, 2007)

I think it looks really great as it. Very nice. :thumb:

One thing I would suggest is a plain black background.
The staircase spindles are distracting an other wise wonderful view into your nice tank. 

The drift wood you have available to use is fantastic. If you choose to put it in on the right side, let the vals weave through it.
Keep it lower than the middle driftwood. The peak in the middle is nice.

It flows, high in the middle with the sides lower and then back up _a little _on the ends, but not as high as the middle.

Remove a little of the java moss on the left driftwood. It may be what you feel that is "cramping" the sword.

Alicem


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## Ispintechno (Mar 27, 2008)

Looks awesome! :thumb:

I think to get the "just right" you are talking about, think of setting up your tank in terms of taking a picture. Use the "rule of thirds", offset focal points like the driftwood away from the middle of the tank. Should give you the balance you would want


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## LJ (Sep 12, 2007)

I think it looks really sweet as is. A background would look nice as suggested.


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## naegling23 (Jan 4, 2008)

thanks for the nice comments....

My wife is more the artistic type, so she suggested moving the large background driftwood off-center, coupled with ispintechno's suggestion, I think I will try that. If I move that to the right, that should free up some space for the other piece to move down a bit (but I might prop it up on its side or do something else with it).

I have thought about a nice black background, but I will have to see. In order for me to put the tank under the stairs (which is the focal point of the room) she wanted to still be able to view the staircase, which is visible through the tank. Its a long story, but its sort of a compromise (I get the tank under the stairs, she gets to still have the staircase visible...I dont really understand it either). I have been given the OK to try a background temporarily to see how it works, so maybe it can sway her.

The tank is still young (started in january of this year) so Im still expecting some growout in the plants to better fill in the space.


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## Oscar Madison (Mar 24, 2008)

I think it looks great as is, maybe it is the absence of a background that is missing.


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## naegling23 (Jan 4, 2008)

well, I made some changes, hope you like the results. The background is temporary, I will be getting a permanent one later....likely black.

































I moved the large background driftwood off-center, and took the other piece and propped it up against the glass in the left hand corner. This hides the filter intake/heater, and the co2 diffuser. I used a branching piece of driftwood on top of that, which comes to the front of the tank, its on the left hand side, but a little hard to see because of the ocelot sword. I replanted most of the plants, so I wont mention any details, the only thing I left alone was the val forest on the right of the tank, it has grown so well in there that I am afraid to even touch it. I still had one more piece of driftwood left over, so I moved it to my firebelly toad tank.

All that is left is to let the tank grow into itself a little more and it should start to come together. And I guess I'll have to get a crew of cory's for in there to keep the bottom stirred up because I wont be able to move around to vacuum the gravel anymore.


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## macclellan (Nov 30, 2006)

Most blackwater ecosystems don't have too many plants. They are tannin-stained and sterile looking. More like this: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... rMay05.jpg

In trying to be a 'blackwater' tank, your tank doesn't succeed. But I think your tank looks quite nice as-is actually and wouldn't change it! It is a great planted tank.

Here is a more 'blackwatery' tank I had set up for about the last year:


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## naegling23 (Jan 4, 2008)

yea, I know, your right. I run peat to acheive that tea color, it helps keep the fish happier, but I really like the plants....i guess I should just call it a planted tank instead...I had the leaf litter in there, there is still some evidence of oak leaf pieces if you look closely.

your tank looks really good. are those borelli?


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## macclellan (Nov 30, 2006)

cockatoos. they were juvies then. they had since colored up a lot.


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## alicem (Jul 26, 2007)

It looks great. The background helped. 
I love the "val forest"
Very _underwater world _looking.
:thumb:


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