Help Re-Scaping My Tank

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Ri-Za

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Hi all,

So after another topic on here, I seem to have finally and hopefully sorted out my stocking and a way forward but I am still a newbie with plants and could do with some advice and help with my current plants and help with how to scape it as I don't really like the look of it at the moment and my fish seem to agree as well it seems.

My current tank as it stands at the moment



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It is a fluval roma 125 with a u3 filter and 2 x 24" 20 watt GLO fluorescent lighting. Would you say that this lighting is sufficient enough to grow basic plants or something similar? Currently, I have anubias, java fern (which doesn't seem to be doing too well) and twisted vallis which is doing ok. I currently do weekly water changes and use pro flora fertiliser which was suggested at my lfs and don't use a co2 system and ideally I would like not too. My plants don't seem to be doing that great and they have been in there a few months now, at least 4 and don't seem to have grown, it at all. I was thinking it was time to maybe change things around a bit and do a bit of re-scaping to aid my growth problems and to allow my fish to enjoy their tank a bit more as they don't seem very active (currently 6 glowlight tetras and 6 cardinal tetras) I was hoping to get some cherry shrimp or an alternative so would ideally like some sort of moss carpet for them which I do have some rocks for, to grow some moss on.

Would a black background help at all enhance the tank at all? I am considering getting rid of the big ornament as the fish don't seem too interested in it and it does take up quite a lot of their swimming room.

Any suggestions on what I could/should do to help would be much appreciated :)
 
are the anubias and java fern planted under the substrate? if so attach them to something

have a read of this

i personally think you should get some nice rock / stones in there with a moss carpet it could look good.

hold a black bit of cloth (or a bin bag) up to the tank to see if you like the looks of it (if you do fix it there)
 
Many thanks,

The anubias and java fern are planted under the substrate, i do have a piece of bogwood that I could attempt to attach them too but its not a big enough piece to make it a centre piece or anything. Would it be best to attach them to something?

I do have some small rocks I could stick in there an a big rectangular one that is a bit too big/boring. Where online would you suggest looking for rocks as my local lfs aren't really suited to plants or rocks, just fish. I would ideally like a nice rock feature covered in a moss carpet as I think it would look good and my future shrimp would most likely enjoy it too :) What type of moss would be best to start with? I ideally don't want to use co2 as it wasn't my intention when I got the tank and space is extremely limited. I would probably go for flame moss or something similar which I have seen on other aquariums on here.

Do you reckon I could get away with quite a big rock feature as well as a piece of bogwood? The java fern currently in my tank seems pretty big and I think it might be a bit odd attaching it to some bogwood...any suggestions on anything I could do in my tank?

Thanks :)
 
soo many questions :L

and you can attach them with super glue (its the easiest way) the 100% crayonalite one (spelt wrongly but it begins with "Cray" or something long them line)

rocks and bog wood... you could buy online... i dont know of any stores personally. or you could go out looking for some nice rocks to put in your tank. just add vinger if you see fizzing then dont put it in also if they have a high metal content ( you should be able to see it) then there not safe either

java moss is meant to be the easiest to grow. but you could do flame moss :good:
 
Haha, yeah, sorry for the amount of questions, I am keen to get things right this time and leave it.

Excellent, I shall try to look that up :)

Ok, thanks for that :) I think that I am going to try to go somewhere new tomorrow to have a look around at what they have plants and rock wise and hopefully come up with something. Would flame moss be ok to grow in my tank with my current lighting and no co2? Currently my plants aren't doing amazingly well without co2 and only fertiliser.

My current idea for my layout would be a cluster of rocks in the middle of the tank with some sort of moss growing over them and across the front of the tank for the shrimp. Probably some twisted vallis along one section as I quite like it and so do my fish at the moment. I am still considering other things to grow other than the obvious at the back and something for my ram as he does tend to like somewhere to hide so any ideas on this would be appreciated :)
 
Any mosses will grow fine without CO2 :good:

Other plants that would grow well in your setup include wisteria and cabomba for "bushier" plants, amazon swords grow well in most tanks and also some crypt species will grow well too. :)
 
Thanks :) I have had a look at my lfs but unfortunately none of them seem to do any mosses, they are not that big to be honest. So I have had a look online and seen this which seems appealing :) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aquarium-Live-Plants-Weeping-Moss-3-x3-Fish-Tank-UK-/260924220603?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item3cc04ba4bb#ht_2953wt_1053

I have had some amazon swords before and they didn't do that great but I can always give it another go.

I have had a bit of a re-scape as you can see;



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I have also added 6 cardinal tetras and all of my fish seem to enjoy the tank a lot more now, they are actually going to the left hand side where as they never did beforehand.

Any other suggestions or comments welcome :)
 
Good job with the re-scape.My only comment would maybe move the stones off centre slightly? But it's your tank.
Love the Glowlight tetras
good.gif
 
i like it =] :good:

iv bought weeping moss of ebay before its growing nicely now and sooner it later it should cover a stick or 2... (its a slow grower though)

i think you need something in the foreground personally to the right :good:
 
Mosses off of ebay are great, or for the likes of java moss then there's nearly always someone on here selling it in the classified section. :nod:
 
Thanks :)

I kinda like the rocks in the centre but I could move it and see how it goes. I got the glowlight tetras first and they seem extremely happy in the tank, I would like to up the numbers of both them and the cardinals at some point in the future.

Thanks, I think that I will get some of that weeping moss from ebay and see how well it grows. I agree Mike, I was thinking of putting the moss over some of the rock and them let it dribble down to the bottom right as a bit of a carpet, what do you reckon?

I have had java moss before and it didn't do too well so thought I would try something different such as flame or weeping moss. Hopefully the weeping moss will come soon and then I can upload some more pics :)
 

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