Tank Decorating Tips For A New Guy

[maniac]

hey I have a 20g tank and when i set it up i wanted to really make sure that I didn't overdo it with plants and rocks and decorations but after looking at some tanks posted at this site, I'm noticing that I could do better as my tank looks pretty pathetic right now. Does anyone have some tips that I could use? amount of plants? type of rocks? how full should it look?

I have a JD cichlid in it right now but once i find a new home for it, I will probably be putting in some tetras with rams or apistos?

Please help

Maniac

 

[boff]

hi i know wot you mean its difficult to know how much to put in i think it depends on wot fish you want to put in if they they need lots of room to swim or if they need places to hide ime going to put some slate in mine because it look good then wet i cant put to many plants in because my plecs eat them.

 

[catxx]

bogwood is a good choice, comes in lots of shapes and sizes, and some plants can be rooted straight to the wood rather than in the gravel. i've found java fern impossible to kill! (bogwood needs to be prepped before it goes in the tank, it will leach tannins into your water giving it a yellow tinge, this dies off over a matter of months, but soak it in hot water for a few days before adding it to the tank and that helps it)

in my tanks i have a mix of live and silk plants, of all different types, all different heights, all over the tank, the fish love swimming in and out of the leaves, sitting on the leaves, hiding under the leaves, and my little otos love hiding under the bogwood.

but i like natural tanks. it's all a matter of taste.