Wanting To Aquascape Again

[PrairieSunflower]

So, a few months ago I decided on changing my plants and so on... then wait on them to grow AAAAND... I don't like them. Figures.

I am wondering... I've always made an effort to have about a medium planted tank... but really... the plants just aren't inspiring me. I have really been liking some of the pictures people post here and there of tanks with bog wood and rocks with more minimal plants.

I have a fantastic central piece of bog wood with a bit of java fern and java moss (moss in need of a good trimming). I also have two smaller pieces of bog wood with anubias on it, and love that too... but the rest of my tank.... looks like a wild twisty jungle.

Would there be a downside to doing away with most of my plants and replacing them with some rock features with more anubias (of whatever sort I decide I like)? Probably more java fern too (better spread out).

Would my water stats remain as stable, improve, or get worse with less plants? I want to keep the bit around the central driftwood planted as my neons especially like that bit... but the rest... well... I don't like it. I'm thinking of actually investing in a real background picture too rather than the diy blue bin bag. LOL

 

[Ps3Steveo]

A black or frosted background would look good, as for water conditions providing your not over stocked it wouldn't change much as there still plants taking up nutrients and nastys. Have a look in aqua scraping guides for a few pointers as they do help layout plans.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Will do.

My stock is, 13 neons (I keep losing about 1 per month to NTD), 4 female adult guppies, 1 platy (who refuses to be civil to her own kind in their tank) and 4 half grown female guppies (2 are quite small).

Oh, forgot to mention that is in a 20+ gallon tank (I forget if I calculated it at 22.4 or 24.2 gallons).

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Ok... so I went and read the links and had a revelation.... I don't actually have to place my lovely bog wood arch in the center of my tank. LOL But now... I am trying to figure out which side to move it more towards... I'm thinking maybe my right (when looking at it) since I can see that side better from the other side of the room.... then add rocks to the other side leaving a bit of an open space in the middle.

I'm hoping to go rock shopping later in the week or early next week... I think I will just give in and buy some feature rocks from the LFS and once I have decided on some of those decide what kind of anubias will look good on that. I might actually take it slower then trying to put everything in at once and leave a space on one side and stare at my tank for awhile.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Thats why I recommended that read as when you said central I knew it wouldn't look right so thought if you read those you'll get more of a feel for placement.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

There... I've gone and done half my tank and feel happier already! My filter is in the back corner right (my right) and I have placed a small bog wood with a tall anubias in front of it along with a moss ball. Then put my big arch next to that (which has lots of java fern anchored to it... and my other bog wood with a shorter (younger) anubias on it to the left/back of the arch. I am very happy with that side... I might add an anubias nana to the far right corner when I plant shop. That takes up nearly the whole right side of the tank.

The other side doesn't have anything permanent done to it. I lined up my remaining java fern along the back and scattered my moss balls randomly. I didn't want to do away with too many plants without other to replace them with so I tied a big mass of bacopa (trimmed) and jammed it in the far left corner until I figure out what I will be doing with that side of the tank.

Looking at it this way now it is much easier to imagine what I might want to do. I still think rocks with a few different anubias plants will be a good idea... maybe some more moss balls... love those for some reason.

A weird thing.... when I had a lot more plants it looked like I had a lot more fish... now that I can see them all pretty much at once... it looks like a lot fewer.

I still think a background of some sort would be a good idea but I know that will take me ages to decide on and best left until I figure out rocks and plants.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Turns out I was completely wrong... I have 10 gallons more in my tank than I thought! HAHA I recalculated, so just over 30 gallons.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Pictures?

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Right, so, what I did so far.... (trust me, an improvement as the whole thing looked like the clump on the far left with the odd rock and bog wood sticking out! HAHA)

I like most of what I did on the right side, didn't do anything on the other side. I am thinking to take one of the java ferns from the left side and move it behind the arch to fill in green in that space that looks empty.

I am really impatient and think I shall take a trip to the LFS (not so local actually) and see what they have for rocks... I think I saw slate there but I was only glancing in the past.... wondering though... how do people secure more than one in place? Are they just stacked or glued together somehow? Not that my fish are huge and would push them off or anything...

I think I still have a lot of learning on aquascaping to do though! One day I hope to upgrade my tank (got this one with all supplies, filter, etc for £20 on ebay).

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Way excited about what I did today... but REALLY shouts how desperate my tank is for a decent background.

I intended to search out a few rocks to make an arch... but totally fell in love with two individual rocks. I've placed one in the corner and put java fern behind it. The other more towards the center and put anubias nana to the back left corner of it. Also put anubias nana in the space between that rock and the beginning of my bog wood arch. I placed my moss balls nicely but one seems to keep reappearing in the front between the rocks! LOL

My neons seem quite in love with the rock with java fern behind it... they are quite enjoying congregating there.

I am planning to order an anubias congensis (sp?) to plant near the back in the space between rocks.....

And just trying to decide on a background... am leaning to one with rocks on it but still trying to decide if that would be too overwhelming.

OH and question... is that special adhesive glue stick they sell to go with backgrounds special or important or could I just use a regular glue stick? (which costs about 1/4 of the price!)

Right side...

Left side... which is not done and I think shout BACKGROUND!

 

[daizeUK]

I like those rocks, nice colours. Did you find them or buy them?

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Bought them. Dug through the piles of rocks for about 10 minutes then walked around the shop staring at them for ages! LOL

 

[DrSlackBladder]

I got a rock background for mine for just a few quid on Ebay.....

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I am wanting to order a plant and a few moss balls and the place sells the rock (either grey or brownish) for, I think it was, 75p per foot and I figured that was pretty decent since I am planning to order anyway.

 

[daizeUK]

That's cheap... rock backgrounds are usually £35+ aren't they?