# My Tank is Lame.....



## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

Can someone please give me advice on how to rearrange my tank. It's really plain and I need something to help break up the line of sight. I have a pair of kribs and the male is hammering on everyone. Please help me out. Also....I plan on getting rid of the tetra and switching to an Asian schooling fish such as a barb or raspora..what kind? Thanks.

Here's a pic....


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## BurgerKing (Jul 1, 2008)

mose ppl will probably tell you to get rid of the clay pots. I'd say putting in more/bigger rocks would look sweet. Usually male kribs kill everything when it wants to mate


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## MidNightCowBoy (May 7, 2007)

I'd say get a few more rocks or fake plants and make a rock pile or 2 that covers up your equipment. The rockpile should also help with sightbreaks and aggression. Then move some of your smaller rocks towards the front to break up the beach of sand you have going on. Maybe ditch the clay pots if you don't have the room after making the rock changes. Then move your heater so it isn't so visible. I like to place my heaters horizontally and put them near the bottom of the tank so you can't see them at all. Also get a smaller thermometer and place it somewhere where you can still monitor your temperature, but it isn't so visible when looking at the front of the tank. That thing you currently have is huge! Lastly maybe get some black cloth and staple it to the bottom of your table so that you have some "curtains" that cover up the supplies underneath your tank.

Hope that helps, Good Luck! 8)


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

Hit the landscape supply store and get enough rocks to build a nice rock wall. They take some cleaning, but you can get enough nice rock to do any tank for a few bucks. Place the rock creatively to hide the equipment.

Clay pots are great hiding places, but look out of place in a show tank. I use them in the hidden breeders only. You can make the pots look more natural by siliconeing rocks to them if you want to keep them.


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

Personally, I am a great fan of the natural look provided by a real rock background and real plants. So that's what I would recommend. A little work, but you will appreciate it in the long term, since a tank set up like this will look better and better over the years as it matures.

Frank


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

I've always wanted to do live plants but don't know where to get started. How can I?


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## BurgerKing (Jul 1, 2008)

sand isnt always the best substrate for plants, but some people make it work. If i were you i'd start with some basic, low maintenance plants like java fern. They're the easiest plant to grow and maintain and im able to grow them with a 15w bulb over a tall tank. I also have a crypt but cant tell you much about it, its still new and hasnt had the chance to die yet!


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## skools717 (Mar 29, 2008)

you dont need real rocks to create a rock background i made this one outta styrofoam and cement


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## MidNightCowBoy (May 7, 2007)

jbacker7 said:


> I've always wanted to do live plants but don't know where to get started. How can I?


www.plantedtank.net

The only word of caution I have for you is that a planted tank is more costly and more difficult to setup/maintain than a fish only tank.


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

Yea I figured it would be, but please explain......


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

MidNightCowBoy said:


> The only word of caution I have for you is that a planted tank is more costly and more difficult to setup/maintain than a fish only tank.


That's true for high tech planted tanks, where you need a combination of all three: 1. CO2 injection, 2. high wattage lighting, 3. fertilizer and trace element dosing to achieve very vigorous plant growth. A low tech planted tank can be as simple as attaching a plant of Java fern to a rock or piece of wood, or just throwing some Jave moss into your existing setup. I would recommend using a timer for the lights to keep them on for about 8h per day. As long as you do that and your fish keep pooping, the plants should do fine! Of course not all plants are that easy to keep, but Java fern and Java moss are, and they actually make your tank easier to maintain, since they help to get rid of nitrate, contribute to biological filtration, and can serve as hiding place for smaller fish.

I've had lots of trouble taking big fish to shows and conventions eg for sale. Recently I started throwing a clump of Java moss in with them, and the effects are amazing - instant bio filtration better than using an established sponge filter, and even 1' Frontosa appeared to be a lot more calm because of the clump of moss!

BTW - sand is an excellent substrate for plants, but some plants simply do not like to be planted in the substrate. Java fern and Anubias sp. come to mind.

Frank


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

I've been looking more into this and I want to take the jump. I'm thinking about some anubias and crypt. What would you guys recommend for a krib tank?


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## BurgerKing (Jul 1, 2008)

Java ferns and crypts are what i stated with, easy to maintain


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## ksfishguy (Dec 17, 2006)

It looks like a nice 55 gallon you have there. I would recommend placing decor on both end or sides of the aquarium while leaving the middle open. I would put the two clay pots with some plants on the left with the rock formation currently in the middle on the right. I would leave the middle wide open. I find that having two distinct territories is helpful, especially in a 55. After rearranging tank I would go the the lfs and pick up some cichlids.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

Anubias is easily the easiest plant to keep out there.


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## a7oneal (Dec 30, 2004)

gage said:


> Anubias is easily the easiest plant to keep out there.


I'm a huge Anubias advocate. Just attach them to rocks or driftwood, give them some light...


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

Haha actually its just a 20 long and I do have a pair of kribs... Yea I like the anubias idea alot, I was thinking about the nana species, but I would also like to have some taller plants for the tiger barbs I plan on getting. Suggestions?


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## Chad_Asmus (Sep 27, 2008)

I like Amozon swoard plants. They do need alot of light, if they have red in them. I also fertilize my tanks once a week. They have a several different kinds. You will also want to trim the dead or dieing leaves. I trim mine once a week. I also never do any gravel vacs, which I'm sure alot ov people will dissagree with. It will also help if you cut back on airation during nonlight hours. Your fish use less oxygen at night, and that is when your plants will give off the most. I have a 55 gal that I have never done a waterchage in over a year. My water is fine and same with plants and fish. This is another thing that people would dissagree on. But just remember, How many water changes do lakes Have? I've never done one to a lake, Have you? Lakes have also been around alot longer than us, so I Believe they know what they are doing. Good luck to you and your fish.


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## MidNightCowBoy (May 7, 2007)

Chad_Asmus said:


> But just remember, How many water changes do lakes Have? I've never done one to a lake, Have you? Lakes have also been around alot longer than us, so I Believe they know what they are doing.


Your analogy is a little off because lakes are constantly undergoing natures water change. They are fed new water and old water empties out through rivers and streams. But you are right, they know what they are doing! :thumb:


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## rwolff (Mar 13, 2007)

Chad_Asmus said:


> It will also help if you cut back on airation during nonlight hours. Your fish use less oxygen at night, and that is when your plants will give off the most.


correct me if im wrong, but isnt it that plants release O2 with photosynthesis, and that can only happen at daytime or sunlight or when lights are on, but at night or with no lights its when they use O2 instead of the CO2 they use for photosynthesis.

so i would let that aeration going


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## the_shedding_reptile (Sep 17, 2008)

rwolff said:


> correct me if im wrong, but isnt it that plants release O2 with photosynthesis, and that can only happen at daytime or sunlight or when lights are on, but at night or with no lights its when they use O2 instead of the CO2 they use for photosynthesis.
> 
> so i would let that aeration going


You're right, plants release O2 only during the photosynthesis process, which takes places under a light source. During respiration, like any other aerobic organism, they use O2 and release CO2. The difference is respiration takes places all the time. So at night, O2 in, CO2 out, just like the fish.


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## jen0cide (Sep 12, 2008)

Just FYI.. but if you wanted a cheap and easy way to make some nice looking caves for your tank, I'd suggest making a trip to Home Depot and getting a box of natural slate tile. Then just break it with a chisel and hammer into various large and small pieces and sand down some of the sharper edges. With those you can stack them to make some great looking caves and hideouts. I think I got each box of 5-6 tiles for less than $5. Slate tile has a nice layered flaky look too.


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## zazz (Apr 5, 2008)

i would agree with losing the flower pots ...one thing that intrested me was to build underground caves ..that is caves out of say slate and then covered with sand so only the entrances show.

this way you still keep the open sand real estate going with hobbit like cave entrances dotted around.

blow em out with a powerhead once a week...


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

The underground caves idea is great and my kribs dont even use the flower pots. They actually dug their own little cave between the rocks and a flower pot so I know they'd catch onto the underground caves. But I would also like to use driftwood in my tank. Slate with driftwood sound like it would look weird to you guys?


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## CoryWM (Feb 16, 2008)

From an aquascaping perspective. You tank is a mess! You need some height.

Heres what I recommend.

Pick either clay pots or plastic plants, when used in combination, the tank feels tacky.

Turn the heater on it's side and move it close to the bottom, so you can hide it.

Plants - grab these easy low light plants.
Anubias - slow growing, but hardy.
Java Fern- Easy slow grower
Java Moss- Easy to grow

The important thing, is all these plants don't like to be planted! Attach them to clay pots, wood, rocks etc. Don't bury their roots, they get their nutrients from the water column. Make it easy to manage with cichlids. Throw a peice of anubias on boglog and it'll grow length wise across the peice of wood.

If you're looking for some projects to do with the aquarium, which I always am. Grab like 3 coconuts drill two holes, in the soft spots on top, one to drain the liquid, 1 to let air in. Then cut the bottom off. micowave/chip out the coconut. Soon you'll just have the wooden outside. Boil it for like an hour, get out all the tanins.

Now that it's cool. Grab that java moss or java fern and attach it to the coconut. Either use a hairnet, or lots of thread. It'll take root and cover it. It looks pretty natural once the plants come in, and is a cheap alternative to clay pots.. Just takes work, but if you're like me, you enjoy tinkering with stuff for your tank.


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

I'm looking into planting....the species I want to keep are bolbitus, anubias nana, and vallisernia spiralis. Sound like a good combo?


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