Re-done My Malawi Set-up

[shelaghfishface]

looks stunning, the colours are beautiful,and the black background really does emphersise them, i dont know anything about the fish thats you keep,but i just love the way it looks

 

[jonny]

any comments guy's, it's all personal taste when doing up tanks, i seen loads of set-up's that others have said "nice tank mate" and i have thought "awful, would never have my tank like that", so feel free, perhaps i wouldnt be so blunt on someone's thread, so i normally give it a miss if i dont like someone's set-up, or i make a suggestion, but feel free

the main thing is the fish seem to love it, never seen them looking so chilled actually. And i love it my lounge

Importantly, i do think there is enough cover both for adults and young, the pics dont really show the size of the caves and holes etc,

I personally dont like wall-to-wall Malawi tanks (where there is so much rock from end to end)

Ok heres my thoughts. And don't take this personally because as you say - it is all subjective and you may well hate my tank!

To me the rock work is awful. It looks like you have used small pieces that fit together too well leaving little room for the fish to swim between. They may just squeeze through no but that will change with time.

The red and white rock reminds me of a brides bouquet or even and St' George's cross and i hate to see a symmetrical tank. A nice tank is a work of art so i always look to art for guidance. You will never find a great symmetrical work of art. If you want to do something looking similar on both sides i would have built up the sides and not the centre. The centre is the focal point and you have filled if with rock and not fish.

Personally i would have built the rock work up to one side and used just one colour. You could use the second colour in a different location in the tank but not to the same extent as the first pile.

The pieces of slate are just too small to build with and look out of place.


On a positive note, you have a nice selection of fish.....very similar to my own.

 

[fry_lover]

thanks for the feedback Jonny

i must say i am not artistic in any sense, so probably dont see what you see when you look at a tank. Ignorance is bliss therefore LOL

I must disagree somewhat on the rock work and not leaving enough room for fish to swim between, i dont think the pictures reflect the holes and gaps very well, i actually took all evening trying to place them to create a firm structure but also plenty of swimming room in-between, okay maybe not "plenty" but enough for fish to get in, take some cover etc....

I see a lot of Malawi tanks stacked with rock and probably only fry or very young fish can make use of it. I think (and can see from my own eyes) that my bigger fish, such as the pushing 5" Red Zebra is actually getting in and out of parts of the structure with a fair amount of ease.

I wanted to balance the amount of rocks with the amount of open swimming space and get this colour contrast and make use of the black background against the fish colours. I decided i was fed up of looking at a tank full of rocks LOL.

Thus far my fish are less skittish than they have been in the past as it goes, perhaps a coincidence, time will tell.

looks stunning, the colours are beautiful,and the black background really does emphersise them, i dont know anything about the fish thats you keep,but i just love the way it looks

thank you, wow! funky signature Shelagh!!!

I work with a lady called Shelagh and i am still writing her name as Sheila, drives her mad!

 

[dthoffsett]

I'm not an overly big fan of all the different colors and rock types, however, I do believe it will look really nice once you get a good coating of algae. Personally I don't think any mbuna tank is complete without it.

Congrats on all the holding girlies, apparently they are quite pleased with their set up and that's all the matters.

 

[phistar]

awesome tank and stocking

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

My you have been busy! It is very interesting and has both good and bad points to it. I'm afraid I look at things through an artists eye (I can't help it, I wouldn't be a painter otherwise) and see why some are finding it doesn't sit well to look at. Having the rockwork on the sides draws the eyes inwards, which is what any good artist does in a drawing/painting etc. By putting all the rockwork in the centre it gives the ey nowhere to go and that makes many feel uncomfortable, even if they don't realise it.
If you like it, and being that you live with it that's most important, then keep it as it is! I wouldn't seperate the colours out from each other but keep them mixed.
The fish look lovely and am glad you have girls holding. Best of luck with the babes. I know I have a high survival rate in my tank, the fry love the rockwork.
P.

 

[fry_lover]

how VERY dare you criticise my art-work, ha ha

no probs, thanks for taking the time Lady Dabs! If i had a bigger set-up i would trade some fry with you, or just buy some of yours.

but i am stumped, what happens if an artist wants to draw something in the middle of the page then, and have nothing to the left and right

 

[fishyfreak]

Yes there's something about fish that really bring an aquarium to life

Great pics!

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

how VERY dare you criticise my art-work, ha ha

no probs, thanks for taking the time Lady Dabs! If i had a bigger set-up i would trade some fry with you, or just buy some of yours.

but i am stumped, what happens if an artist wants to draw something in the middle of the page then, and have nothing to the left and right

If an artist wants something central then everything else becomes 'background'. Nothing prominent would would to the left or right and would be done in such a way to allow the eye to move fluidly over the picture. In theory. Personally I just paint/draw whatever I want and hope it works.
P.