MORE NEW PICS ! (new set-up )

[freshcichlid]

yea i bought it like that,
here is a pic with the slate covered and it looks more open,
the thing in the middle has two layers with closed on the left and open on the right, a cave on the bottom next to the two layer thing, and a "canopy" with an opening at the top is the bunch of rocks to the right.
any suggestions now ? -- here is a pic

 

[fishwatcher]

I didn't know cichlids would uproot plants... can't blame you for not wanting to have to replant them all the time!
Maybe take out the coconut or move it behind the larger driftwood on the right side and add another small pile of rocks in place of it.

 

[freshcichlid]

yea i might go to the rock place tommorrow and 25more pounds of that weathered rock, i like it a lot, and it was only 5$ for it all !
i was thinkin of another larger cave to the left and a double shelf like the one in the middle ?

 

[Joel]

I like the coconut Idea! I never thought of that

 

[vantgE]

vantgE, i saw your pics, very very nice, but see those three pieces of driftwood, they costed me 40$ and im not too happy about wasting that money and leaving them sit,
so if someone wants to purchase them id be more than happy to sell them and get a nice rock set-up !

Driftwood is fine but try and fill the tank up a tonne it'l lokk better then and work better then. Plus rocks a free all mine were

 

[freshcichlid]

Driftwood is fine but try and fill the tank up a tonne it'l lokk better then and work better then. Plus rocks a free all mine were

did someone just get home from the bar !

 

[vantgE]

Whadya mean?

Maybe I got caught not reading the whole topic?

 

[freshcichlid]

haha just playin

 

[Angry_Platy]

COUGH *more rocks* Cough

But then again, easy for me to say, I got mine from the beach....for free If I had to pay for them it might be a different story. Also, I didn't intentionally make caves, I used different sized and shaped rocks and kinda got caves anyway. And the pots I have in there were really cheap too (from a broken pot place around here).

I like yur tank, put some more rocks in and it will look awesome

Heres mine, whole shot

Right side

Left side

LMAO. Why is it that I get the best pics of my fish when not even trying??

 

[Tiggs]

ok...let me be specific....

the wood and rock doesnt mix well to the eye. Its not as though you have created a "lake" scene where those items could exist together - i t just looks like you put in some wood...then some rocks with no thought to how they go with each other...................so get rid of the wood.

as for your rocks, a few problems:

1st - did you buy that rock? it looks like rubble you dug up from a road.

2nd - are you going for a false look or a natural one? if you are after a false "minamalist" look then the rock that looks like you tripped when you put it in place is to "scattered".......if you are after a natural look then it doesnt work - unless your fish work in construction (and live near coconut trees)


ohh...and the black gravel looks weird and the blue background doesnt work well.

i am NOT TRYING to be mean......i am trying to help. To be honest there are too many tanks on this site that are a bit weak but get told they are great .......sometimes its better to tell people they suck so they can get it right. If theres a forum rule that says "be nice...even if you have to lie" then im sorry for breaking it!


As for looking at others....look at other tanks for inspiration, not to copy. The first thing you will prob find when looking at others is the theme of SIMPLE.....if you are going for a false look then do that....make lots of little "constructions" using SIMILAR types of rock (not rubble!)....actually that could look quite good, a whole series of flat rocks stacked on round ones making a sort of "mini city" (your looks like a mini city after War of the Worlds )

or go natural....more work though because you need to dump that weird black gravel, burn the coconut, sell the wood, put the rubble back in the street and get some nice rock - and make sure the rock is similar. Go to the beach and look at cliffs......all the rock is the same type - or maybe there are two types, harsh rock "rock" and round pebbles.....but allways a pater you can copy.

hope that helps, good luck.

T

 

[Sky042]

If you decide to sell the wood lemme know. You're only in NC so shipping using like USPS shouldn't be too much.

 

[freshcichlid]

Tiggs - you make me cry but i appreciate it.

so the wood, i have it there for my pleco's, im thought they might appreciate a piece or two ??
the rocks, the canopy thing to the right is "lime rock" i think, it came from a fish store, the other rocks i got at a landscaping place. the rocks from there are all the weathered kind that i see in everyone elses tank, im not sure how you say that they come from a construction yard, you mean from the lime rock or weathered stuff ? all the rock is the same except for two big peices of the lime and two or three smaller pieces of it.

i think my pics suck so you cant see the colors and the shape very well

I am going for the real look, i know the coconut cave isnt right ! haah but i thought it would be nice for spawning, i just heard it was a good thing for that.

sorry i love the black gravel, the blue background might get turned around to black though, im not sure


Sky - i have two pieces that ill sell you, look in my pics back in this post, the one on the far left (three pieces in one) and the arch in the middle.... i paid $26 for both (tags still on), so if your interested we might make a deal out of that. PM me and we can talk about it

Here are two pics of it now - i added a pvc pipe that i had, i know its not realistic, but i was thinking of putting some weathered smaller rocks around it and covering it completely with the gravel ?? think that looks cool ?

Here is a close-up, you can see the double story thing, the thing on the left looks like a bunch of rocks, but it is a cave, and the thing to the right is the a scattered of small rocks with the long and wide thin rocks on top to make a tent.

and a pic of the tunnel is gravel and rocks over it ..

 

[Joel]

I think it looks 100% better

 

[Tiggs]

i was going to comment until i saw the drain pipe you have added i think i best keep quiet

T

 

[freshcichlid]

ok