My Budget Tank To Date

[bb1991]

So i've just finished adding some danios to start my tank cycling, i just wanted to show an update to a few of my friends how its going right now. Although i'm posting pics, it by no means i'm finished with the tank (you can see that by the moss on the floor; just got too lazy to tie them on the driftwood today) To be honest i'm really disappointed with my tank. Since this was a budget tank, and by that it meant I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH OF EVERYTHING!! lol

So i had to make due with the things i had, or what was leftover, i should say.
I wanted to make the river a lot smaller and more winding to create more depth to it, but since i didn't have enough gravel. it turned out more of like an ocean with two islands than a river. Oh wells, just happy i spent about 450 baht or $15 for everything inside the tank.
 
This is what i have inside my 36" tank.
 
A LOT OF PUMICE STONES = $5
Black gravel = free from a friend + leftover from another tank
Sand = Also leftovers
Dirt, the smallest size = leftovers from a friend
Driftwood & rocks = Leftovers & my garden
9 Danios = about $2
Background plants = free from my friend's shop
Anubiases (Golden and Nana) = about $4
Crypt Parvas = about $3
Willow Moss (i think) = from a friend
 
 
 
 
I cheated a bit, added A LOT of pumice stones under the gravel, just scared of the toxic gases trapped under the dirt and gravel. I'm hoping the pumice stones will soak it up. Pic taken 4 days ago.
 
 

 
 
 
 
As you can see, the sand area is epically huge, every time i look at the tank i get disappointed a bit, but as it turns out, there was an upside to this. Just got my Anubiases as well. Pic taken about 3 days ago : 
 

 
 
 
 
My tank as it is today, i'm still not done yet!! I only just added my cycle fishes yesterday. Still thinking about what plant to use as foreground though.. : 
 

 
 
 
 
Another picture. : 
 

 
 
 
 
 
This is the upside to the giant sand "river" in the middle of the tank. I have a light that can change colors, and the sand really emphasizes it. (I chose this color because the pink danios glow a bit in blue light. (sorry bout the blurriness, a was shaking a bit from sleep deprivation) : 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
Picture of the sand almost glowing in the dark in deeper blue light. Which i think is kinda cool. And the pink danios almost glowing as well. : 
 

 
 
 
 
So this is my tank right now, hope you liked it. I also didn't want to post a picture of anything final, because i want ideas from you guys on what else i can do to make the tank 'better'. I'm up for any suggestions, criticisms, what-ifs, ....anything!!!

 

[TallTree01]

I like it the way it is. I wouldn't change it tbh,

 

[bb1991]

Yeah but i really like playing with depth. And i found out from experience that whenever i want a tank with 'depth' in it. Features required to make it very close to what have in my head will cost a lot. So i eventually concluded that budget tanks and depth are opposites of each other, or something i can't really do.
 
But thanks for liking it, hope i don't disappoint later down the line

 

[joe17]

I love it jst the way it is! I really love the contrast in the sand

 

[Jay0173]

The tank looks really nice! I wouldn't change a thing in it. I only wish my own aquascaping will turn out as well as yours did.

 

[bb1991]

Thanks Joe, exactly what i was going for (My dorm is really brown and dull, so i needed a vivid tank with a lot of contrast, hence the sand and the grey rocks instead of brown textured ones)
and also Thanks Jay, but I KNOW its not done yet. The hardest audience to please is myself, sadly

 

[Jay0173]

Thanks Joe, exactly what i was going for

(My dorm is really brown and dull, so i needed a vivid tank with a lot of contrast, hence the sand and the grey rocks instead of brown textured ones)
and also Thanks Jay, but I KNOW its not done yet. The hardest audience to please is myself, sadly

 
We are often the harshest critics of our own work. It seems that no matter the opinions of others, we can always see that there is that one more thing that needs tweaking. My only advice is not to tweak so much that it becomes chaotic and you feel the need to tear it down and start over again. Sometimes we can be a little too critical of our own work.

 

[bb1991]

I totally agree with you Jay, and at least i'm sane enough to not cross the borders of impracticality and just plain stupid. Actually, while i was reading your comment, a light bulb came up. I might move all the background plants from the left side and trash'em or move some to the right. I'll move the Umbrosums right to the back and add some low plants where they are now. Therefore there's a flow from high to low. (right to left) I might also have some moss patches covering the grey rocks a bit. Or maybe i might get some HC and cover the center area of the left 'island'. I was thinking about making DIY co2 (yeast & sugar) as well, then the HC would definitely come along with it. Oh man...light bulbs...both a gift and a curse..lol

 
Thanks Jay!! I read (You) between (Are) the lines (Awesome )lol

 

[Jay0173]

I totally agree with you Jay, and at least i'm sane enough to not cross the borders of impracticality and just plain stupid. Actually, while i was reading your comment, a light bulb came up. I might move all the background plants from the left side and trash'em or move some to the right. I'll move the Umbrosums right to the back and add some low plants where they are now. Therefore there's a flow from high to low. (right to left) I might also have some moss patches covering the grey rocks a bit. Or maybe i might get some HC and cover the center area of the left 'island'. I was thinking about making DIY co2 (yeast & sugar) as well, then the HC would definitely come along with it. Oh man...light bulbs...both a gift and a curse..lol

 
Thanks Jay!! I read (You) between (Are) the lines (Awesome

)lol

 
You're welcome. I only have one question: was that light bulb an incandescent or a CFL?

 

[bb1991]

I would like to say the typical incandescent but that doesn't provide enough lighting for tanks anymore, so i guess i'll go with LED cuz i want one so badly!! (especially if they're strong enough to reflect the water ripples creating a subtle light show in the tank )
 
Makes you wonder doesn't it...we still picture/think of light bulbs as the incandescent kind. What will kids 20-30 years from now picture light bulbs as?

 

[Jay0173]

No, those incandescent bulbs certain don't give off a lot of light, but they do give off a lot of heat. Makes me wonder sometimes why we bothered with heaters in the first place.
 
Go with the LED. I have an LED system in my new aquarium and I like it a lot. Mine gives off 2000 lumens so plenty of light for some plants to grow and thrive. Plus it has some cool effects like rolling cloud cover, thunderstorms, and different moonlight settings. Well worth the money though for just the basic light too.
 
To answer your question, they'd picture a light blub in the same way I suspect, only look at it as ancient technology and view it with scorn.

 

[bb1991]

Oh man, i'm so pissed at myself today. So as some of you may know, the filtration system of my tank was all done by me, which includes the overflow box and the sump tank. (It's in another post) But today one of my pink danios, being danios went to explore new territories and unfortunately got stuck in one of the stockman pipe's holes. I've been keeping fish for a few years now, and i've never named any of my fish except this one. It ate a lot, which made it really round. (The reason why it got stuck) Everyone knows danios have strong personalities, but this one was special to me, always right at the front glass, swimming against the current but staying at the same place (shimmying) almost as if it wants to get thinner, lol. So i named it Piglet......RIP Piglet, you will not be forgotten and your death wasn't in vain. You've just saved countless small fishes' lives. Lesson fkin learned  

 

[TallTree01]

piglet.

 

[Ninjouzata]

I'm sorry if you've covered this somewhere else, but what is your reason for not doing a fishless cycle? Just curious.
The tank looks absolutely gorgeous by the way..bit jealous

 

[bb1991]

I don't have anywhere near where i live that sells ammonia basically, and since the theme of my tank was 'budget'; i just had to think of the best things i can do with the stuff given to me. So the next best thing i could think of were danios from my friends store. He was selling them really cheap to me.(9 danios for $2) Unfortunately the overflow box i made had holes large enough for small fish to swim through. It was just plain stupidity on my part not accounting for this situation since it took about a month of pure planning for the DIY filtration system.