How Do I Make My Tank Look Better

[Seal36]

How do I make my tank look better and make it so that the fish come out and swim nearer the front. At the minute I am not happy with the way my tank looks and the fish are hiding in the back and I need some ideas or how to make it look better and to encourage the fish to come out. I have attached a photo of tank at the minute.

 

[l_l_l]

If this was my tank it would be filled with plants. Fishes love plants and they tend to be less shy if they know that they have a lot of places they can escape to.
My tetra seem to be really enjoying this and I always see them.

 

[DreamertK]

I'd put a wall of plants in the back. A wall of moss is very beautiful but also a bit expensive. Doesn't have to be real plants, but they do have a certain charm to them.

 

[Seal36]

What do you guys think of this

 

[DreamertK]

 
You could have a tank like this and I'd still say "needs more plants". I like your second image better though.

 

[Seal36]

I was thinking of putting a little piece of rock like the one of the left on the right and then add more background plants and some small plants at the front do you think that would look ok from Tom

 

[AlitaConejita]

DreamertK - wow!

 

[baker360360]

What fish are in there?

 

[Seal36]

There are
10 five banded barbs
5 honey gourami
2 apistogramma

 

[Tongue_Flicker]

First up your tank looks way too open spaced. Your fish are slightly scared so they hide behind anything they can see to avoid being seen out in the open and be as it is in the wild, 'be eaten'. Lots of tall plants and side growers plus some caves will make them feel more secured and thus be more visible up front.

 

[Seal36]

Here is it now I think this is done

 

[DreamertK]

Lookin good!
 
((The picture I posted wasn't my tank, btw. I wish!))

 

[Seal36]

Yeah I think it looks better than it was before and I think I'm going to change the big piece of wood for a piece of wood covered in moss. Also the fish are coming out so much more now the only ones that are hiding are the panda Cory's but they only went in today so hopefully will become braver over time and the change is really weird especially when I can see it in pictures from Tom

 

[-Craig-]

If you can get some rocks from outside (boil them for about an hour, then put them in cold water and take a ph reading to make sure it doesn't acidify your water

; any rock that turns water in a bowl to PH 6 or PH 8 I wouldn't use - btw I try to keep my PH neutral at 7, it wouldn't be dangerous to have a ph of 6 but 7 seems ideal for most fish species nowadays) build a little island in the middle and plant all around it, I do that quite a lot.

 

[Maehlice]

If you can get some rocks from outside (boil them for about an hour, then put them in cold water ...

 
Do not boil rocks.   If there are any pockets of air or water in the rocks, you run the risk of violently exploding them -- possibly sending shards into your body and anybody nearby.
 
Instead, pouring boiling water over them or immersing them slowly and momentarily into boiling water is a much safer alternative.
 
Plenty of people boil rocks with no consequences (I admit I have before also), but there is an inherently greater risk in doing so.  I'd hate for you to be that one guy on the receiving end of a rock explosion to the face.
 
 
Check out this older post also on "Rocks for use in the aquarium".