Desert Aquascaping

[K_Hedin]

Hi All,

Don't know if anybody can be of any help as I have looked at tons of plants and can't really find anything that looks desert like. I live in the desert and thought it would be fun to make a desert scape. Build a mountain, put sand as the substrate, use some blue rocks to make a fake lake, have lego guys with fishing poles fishing in it. The problem I am having though is there aren't really any plants that look like cacti or the trees around here in Phoenix, AZ. I also highly doubt I can submerge a small cactus and expect it to survive as they are made to go without water for long periods of time. Maybe you have some ideas or suggestions.

Thanks.

 

[Carlovel1]

If you can't find underwater Cactus, then buy some fake ones, rinse them, they will be fine in an aquarium

 

[K_Hedin]

That takes all the fun out of having a planted tank.

 

[lljdma06]

Pogostemon helferi, hornwort, Xmas moss, pelia. All of these, I could see, in a desert-like scape & all are aquatic.

 

[Katty]

I can't really think of anything good, but I just have to say this is probably the weirdest idea I've ever seen. Not that I'm saying it's bad! It's just really weird. It's like an oxymoron, a desert covered in water and fish. This would be so easy with reptiles.

Well the bottom of the banana plant (Nymphoides aquatica) kinda reminds me of a cactus in a weird way, but then it has leaves on top... Or maybe Marimo balls for cactuses.

 

[K_Hedin]

Yes, it is a little strange having a desert theme but I figured it was something completely different then what everyone else was going for. Plus it makes it a little more of a challenge. Plus fish swimming in a desert scaped tank doesn't really matter as long as the scape works. I hadn't thought of using moss balls. That would actually work really well if I could make them tiny enough. Does anyone know if you can make moss balls not be balls and grow on whatever you want. Could I make things and then get it to grow all over that object?

Oh and I really liked the look of the Pogostemon helferi. Think I could come up with something for that. Maybe put soil in some type of tubing and use it as a palm tree top or something.

 

[Katty]

Oh yes, it is a unique idea in any case. And it's not like castles and those underwater waterfalls they sell are really that logical either lol

Yeah, I've seen it done, you can rip apart the moss ball apart, like peeling an orange, into a flat layer. Then lay them out on the thing and tie them down with netting. I think there's a couple guides online but I can't find them right now, but it doesn't sound too complicated anyways.

 

[jpeterson]

Kinda of a silly idea! When do you find a river in the desert???

 

[K_Hedin]

The Colorado River which made THE GRAND CANYON.

 

[kizno1]

Cheating a bit but these plants for reptiles should be fine in an aquarium and there fairly cheap
http/www.surreypetsupplies.co.uk/dersert-plants.html

 

[lljdma06]

How are you doing with this plan? I'm very intrigued and if you need any help with species, don't hesitate to ask. This is very Oliver Knott. I think he had a golf course scape once.

Rivers can be created with pump system that moves sand using an airpump in the water. It's often used to create waterfalls in aquascapes. Backgrounds are also being used to create distinct effects like rivers and mountains.

There are colored substrates in the trade right now that will mimic sand quite well.

I'll do some digging tomorrow with regard to some minimalist scapes that I've seen that replicate the more sparse "desert" look.

My biggest concern with this type of system is striking the balance between plant mass, lighting, CO2, and ferts. This scape, I imagine will not be densly planted, though I have seen desert scapes that have quite a high plant load. Can you post a picture of what you want to create?

 

[K_Hedin]

Haven't really gotten anywhere with the plan yet as I lack funds so this is more of the beginning of the research. That way as I acquire funds I know what I need. I wasn't really planning on any type of high lighting or CO2. If I needed to get more powerful lights then I would but I will see what I can do with just your standard T8 ballast.

So far I think I will find a way to make some cactus out of clay, have them glazed and then break apart mossballs onto them so that they are green and look right. Then I would look to make a few palm trees and then just have my mountain and some other smaller rocks. I wasn't planning on having a moving river or anything. Just some standard blue gravel from lets say Petco that would be in the shape of a lake. As I get it together though I will for sure start a journal about it. I might even want to get a new tank to be able to do it if I can find the space in my house. I have one 55G but really think this would need a large tank to make it work right. Hopefully I can find a cheap on on craigslist and get that going.

Who knows. One step at a time. A little research. A little funds. Go from there.

Thanks for the help everyone.