Non-Planted Tank Insperation

[Greg_DS]

After starting planted I just don't seem to be getting anywhere with them, tried fertilizers etc. but they just seem to wilt and go brown, I don't want to try the co2 thing so decided to rescape.

Looking for pictures of people's non planted tanks to inspire me!!

 

[SchottayB]

I'd love a pure Cichlid tank with the whole back wall made out of slats of slate if you get my drift...

Poor picture as it's not a FTS, but you should get the idea? http/i28.servimg.com/u/f28/16/18/78/67/05142012.jpg I quite like that look.

 

[Juggler75]

I like this one

but not too keen on this one

 

[Greg_DS]

Ia that wood Schottay??

Love that pebble effect, kinda like the lego one too lol

 

[Juggler75]

think its slate, used to make a wall of caves.

 

[Greg_DS]

Just seen this in the TOFM section, this is the kind of thing I hope to achieve, this is also the tank I have so possible just going to totally rip the guys idea!! lol

 

[Juggler75]

be careful when using that rock. It's used to help buffer higher ph, but I don't know what fish you are keeping so might be perfect.

 

[Greg_DS]

That is exactly what I've just been reading about, termed as "Ocean Rock", very conflicting opnions, some say it'll raise the Ph, some say buffer to 6.8 and some say it'll not effect it at all??

Oh I have 2 Blue Rams, 2 Angels, 2 Leopard Perch/Gourami, 2 Dwarf Gourami, 3 Upside Cat Fish & 1 Bulldog Pleco. I have another tank though so any of these can be re-homed, the Plec will be if I can ever catch him lol

 

[Juggler75]

that and the coral sand.seems to keep my dads malawi tank at 8.

 

[Greg_DS]

Ah that would be too high, especially for the Rams, shame.

 

[Juggler75]

Sure someone will be along soon to offer more opinions/options

 

[Louiseness]

be careful when using that rock. It's used to help buffer higher ph, but I don't know what fish you are keeping so might be perfect.

Sounds like you'll need to be keeping you water on the soft side for a lot of these fish, and the problem with coral or limestone-type rocks is that they will raise it.

What you could do is try to recreate the sort of look I see a lot ion amazon biotopes, only without the plants. These tanks have a few plants but you could easily get rid of these and add in some smooth, inert river stones or granite-type rocks.

 

[minnnt]

Maybe you were attempting to grow the wrong plants? Easy to grow plants like Java Fern and Anubias are pretty hardy and are hard to kill off... No reason you shouldn't have any plants at all...

Imo, the ones that Louise has just posted are pretty darn near perfection...