# Evolution of my 100gal



## madjecks (Jun 8, 2009)

Exactly as the title says  
Please post ideas and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism please. Right now its just stocked with 10-11" Jack Dempsey and a 7-8" Oscar oh and a pleco too.

First setup, the lame plastic rocks came with the tank and the drift wood as well









Came back from the beach and brought a load of sea shells, then decided that sea shells would look kinda eah, so instead of throwing them away I put them in a towel and beat them with a hammer. then boiled them and rinsed them multiple times for 2 days until they stopped smelling like ocean and put them in. Some were thinner and could be smashed finer than others. Gives it a more natural look I think. Also added some rocks from a near by creek/river










Currently. Went trudging around the creek with my kids and found some water logged peices of bark and sticks. Took out the plastic rocks, and the plate the the pleco loved so much as well. Gives them more cover and bigger hiding spots without really compromising the open swimming area.










Please let me know what you think along with any ideas you may have. I've been toying with the idea of live plants just to see how they'd do in with the oscar, I just think all the natural decor that is in there the only thing holding it back is the fake plants. and some re-arranging.
There after, I have tons of ideas, so let me hear yours!

Thanks :thumb:


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## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

I like where you are going with this, but since you asked, here are some of my suggestions.

Plants are a great idea. Especially in a CA/SA tank, nothing looks better than a planted tank with driftwood. You don't have to go nuts (and you wouldn't want to with the fish you are stocking) but some plants would really be beneficial and add to the look of the tank.

I think a background would really help out. Cords, wall, and HOBs are killing it for me :X While a Pangea, Aqua Terra, or BTN would look cool, some of the cheap cut to fit background from Petsmart or even painting the back of the glass would look better than nothing.

I think you should put the bark in a more natural way. I'm not a fan of the Flintstones house look.


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## madjecks (Jun 8, 2009)

lol flintstones house look, more natural way being? I was tryin to give them places for cover without hiding from view.

Background is def going on there btw


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## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

madjecks said:


> lol flintstones house look, more natural way being?


ie. the stacks of rocks with the bark roof. Looks too fabricated to me. Just my opinion


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## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

Whoops double post...I FAIL!


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## madjecks (Jun 8, 2009)

LOL

I got what you ment by flintstone house look, I was asking what a more natural look would be?


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## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

madjecks said:


> LOL
> 
> I got what you ment by flintstone house look, I was asking what a more natural look would be?


Complete and utter chaos!

Seriously though...I think if you got rid of the stacking and just leaned it up against a single larger rock or another piece of wood it would look a bit more natural.

Here is an underwater pic of the Amazon....you can see it is just **** piled on the bottom of the river.


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## madjecks (Jun 8, 2009)

lol, I'll keep it in mind, thanks


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

My advice would be just go with what you feel. Try testing out a couple options and see what you like, setting up a tank is tough. You always feel like something is out of place or you need something here and there. Just take your time and add stuff accordingly as you see fit, be creative and you will do fine! :thumb:


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## non_compliance (Dec 4, 2008)

take a look at the local landscape yard... they usually have some rocks that would be good for making a rockpile...

although since it seems like you have new world fish, it might not quite fit... but seems like you're headed in the right direction.


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## madjecks (Jun 8, 2009)

I had a nice log as well that was too big for the tank so I took a hatchet to it and put it in there. Hopefully this weekend I'll be able to find some nice live plants and get a background on there. Here is the newest pic:




























is there anything I can do to hide the air rock cords better?

My guys look so small now next to all this huge decor...


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## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

I like that much better.


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## salukicichlids (Apr 16, 2009)

You could use the background to hide the cords/your aqua scaping. If you added a black background and used black tubing and suction cups it would not be very noticeable.


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## srook23 (Feb 21, 2009)

I like the last pics best as well. Looks much more natural to me. I second the background...hate seeing cords and stuff and takes a lot away from the tank. If I were you with an O I would take the HOB's off and get some canisters. I'm running an XP2 and XP3 on my O tank and it cleans it up real nice.

Also if it's a 100g I would probably add at least one more fish. I just added a lemon Oscar in with my tiger and the lemons are beautiful fish as far as O's go IMO.


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## madjecks (Jun 8, 2009)

salukicichlids said:


> You could use the background to hide the cords/your aqua scaping. If you added a black background and used black tubing and suction cups it would not be very noticeable.


Thanks, I'll give it a try


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## madjecks (Jun 8, 2009)

srook23 said:


> I like the last pics best as well. Looks much more natural to me. I second the background...hate seeing cords and stuff and takes a lot away from the tank. If I were you with an O I would take the HOB's off and get some canisters. I'm running an XP2 and XP3 on my O tank and it cleans it up real nice.
> 
> Also if it's a 100g I would probably add at least one more fish. I just added a lemon Oscar in with my tiger and the lemons are beautiful fish as far as O's go IMO.


Thanks!

I have a Magnum 350 hob canister filter that came with the tank, however it doesn't take in water, the manual I found appears that its missing a part but it doesn't label so I can't reorder ANYWAY! Point being I'm going to do just that and look into canisters probably come the end of this week.

I was supposed to get another jack from the same guy I got the last jack from, that really doesn't need to be having fish, however it doesn't look like thats panning out, I also have a Green Terror that was in with the oscar that he bullied non stop. So I'll try to re introduce him when he gets close to full grown in the last few weeks the oscar has really taken off in size especially in girth he seems to be growing noticeably by the day and has just left the terror in dust in terms of size. I'm hoping to find a tiger oscar to put in with him, but I need one of ample size that it doesn't get picked on by the jack and can fend for himself.

^ that speech aside. Would you agree that this is ample swimming/hiding space for 4 full grown cichlids of this type?


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## madjecks (Jun 8, 2009)

Bump with new pics, added a live plant anubis (sp?) just to see how they would react to it, they seem to be pretty much ignoring it other than the occasional brush by. Also added in some white gravel


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## madjecks (Jun 8, 2009)

2 new pics

Rearranged the tank for my green terror, added 6 live plants and 25lbs of gravel to 1 side, and finally the black background.









Added 5 silver dollars to the mix, and other than the 2xp3s I have on order my tank is finished (I think)








long way from


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## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

Pretty big improvement. I like the silver dollars!


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Huge improvement!!! Hopefully you'll get nice plant growth to hide the equipment on that left side, just leaving the right side filter intake. But you got go with a java fern or anubias tied to the driftwood there to grow in and hide that too. Just a thought.


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## madjecks (Jun 8, 2009)

dwarfpike said:


> Huge improvement!!! Hopefully you'll get nice plant growth to hide the equipment on that left side, just leaving the right side filter intake. But you got go with a java fern or anubias tied to the driftwood there to grow in and hide that too. Just a thought.


Can't see it but there is an anubias in there, how do you tie it to the driftwood?


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## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

madjecks said:


> Can't see it but there is an anubias in there, how do you tie it to the driftwood?


Some guys recommend fishing line....I've always had better luck with a small rubber band. Over time, the plant should root itself.


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