# How do you hide aquarium equipment from view?



## Zara (Jun 20, 2011)

Just wondering how people go about hiding heaters, filter outlets, air stones and any other unsightly cords etc that may spoil an aqauriums appearence?

If I look up "cichlid tank set up" in google images, you cant see any filter equipment or heaters anywhere! How do they do this because it cant all be hidden by rocks and plants... can it?

How does everyone here hide things? I was thinking of placing rock carefully in front of the heater to cover that, maybe even place the heater horizontally?

For example, where is all the equipment in this tank? : http://www.aquahobby.com/tanks/e_tank0902.php

To me, it looks like a solid background, so maybe the heater is on the wall that isnt photographed?

Also, if the heater is behind the background, how is enough circulation provided to ensure that the water is evenly heated?

Everyone seems to have awesome tanks that look like theyre a scene from a documentary! Id love to set one up that is this amazing too but I have no idea how.

Thanks for the help


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

There are a couple ways to hide equipment. The most thorough would be an in-tank background (as noted in your example)...



> The background is home made, by carefully shaping styrofoam, then painting with epoxy resin and covering with sand. This is the third and the last 3D background in this tank.


Or a sump. And often people will remove equipment briefly for pictures.


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## lucid_eye (Apr 12, 2009)

I stack rocks in the corners and then stuff plastic plants from a home decor shop into the rocks so they rise to the surface


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## Vadimshevchuk (May 23, 2009)

I have to agree that sumps are the best way to hide equipment. Other then having an overflow box, nothing else is really visible since the heaters are all in the sump


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## Zara (Jun 20, 2011)

Ah, ok. thanks for the quick responses!


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