Any aquascapers out there?

Hello!
I have posted about this new tank A LOT. luckily you all are too nice to tell me to shut up! I am finally ready to begin aquascaping while I wait for some of the light hanging stuff to come. The tank is acrylic; black background, and a bunch of my fish are black. Eek I know. It’s 48X13X24 which is 64.8 gallons. I plan to try for a lot of plants. I have built a hill with media bags stuffed with sand. ANYWAY I have a bit of driftwood—large mopani that I hope will fit into the bracing in the tank, smaller mopani (2 pieces) and a small yet pretty piece of spider wood. I have a decent amount of red shale rocks and some black and white rocks I’ve collected outside. Does anybody have the time and or inclination to draw an aqua scape for this size tank and label each item? I do not need to use any of what I have already; that was just as added info. Your drawings slash wishes will come alive in a decent sized acrylic (so very clear) tank. I would pay for this service too but it would be awesome to have! I just don’t have the eye for this and people have given me fantastic suggestions but I truly don’t know how to put it all together in a design and this is my dream show tank. Please? Anybody?

 

Probably not what you're thinking of but maybe you could do something like this where the plants and wood are off to the side (on the hill in yours) and the rocks are scattered like in a river.

I know you said you wanted lots of plants but depending on the fish species less can be more.

 

Probably not what you're thinking of but maybe you could do something like this where the plants and wood are off to the side (on the hill in yours) and the rocks are scattered like in a river.

I know you said you wanted lots of plants but depending on the fish species less can be more.

Oooo that’s gorgeous! I really like plants but another main reason I am so eager to have them is bc of the black tank background with the black fish ya know? Something to break it up so you can see them more easily? I really like what you’ve done! I could use light colored stones and do a minimalist side! THANK YOU!

 

Probably not what you're thinking of but maybe you could do something like this where the plants and wood are off to the side (on the hill in yours) and the rocks are scattered like in a river.

I know you said you wanted lots of plants but depending on the fish species less can be more.

That's neat! I'm also looking to "renovate" my tank. Just rocks and driftwood for me though. I've seen some people's tanks with nice arrangement of rocks, driftwood, and gravel only. Hoping to get some ideas also.

 

A little bigger, my 75. Mopani in the center with Anubias up top. It's doing so well its flowering (not seen in pic). An opening under the Anubias is where the upside down catfish hangs out.

To either side are rock caves made out of dragon stone. That's where the orange seam pleco, bn pleco, blue phantom pleco, redtail shark all hang out.

Further to the right is a small piece of spiderwood with mopani behind it. Both have Anubias on them. That's where the corys, spotted pictus, clown loach, yoyo loach, and any Diamond tetra babies (the Tetras are baby producing machines I swear) hang out. There's moss in the very right of the photo (almost out of frame) that's going gang busters.

There's various Anubias, ferns, crypts, and some unknown rooted plant (my wife is the plant person) in the tank. I had a wonderful lily in the tank which shot leaves all the way up to the surface - 7 at one point. However, all my bottom dwellers are currently playing kickball with the lily so it's yet to send its leaves up this year - doubtful it will happen as it's moved several times in my tank.

There's no special substrate under the gravel. It's just a river pebble base. Tank's been running over 1 year now.

 

A little bigger, my 75. Mopani in the center with Anubias up top. It's doing so well its flowering (not seen in pic). An opening under the Anubias is where the upside down catfish hangs out.

To either side are rock caves made out of dragon stone. That's where the orange seam pleco, bn pleco, blue phantom pleco, redtail shark all hang out.

Further to the right is a small piece of spiderwood with mopani behind it. Both have Anubias on them. That's where the corys, spotted pictus, clown loach, yoyo loach, and any Diamond tetra babies (the Tetras are baby producing machines I swear) hang out. There's moss in the very right of the photo (almost out of frame) that's going gang busters.

There's various Anubias, ferns, crypts, and some unknown rooted plant (my wife is the plant person) in the tank. I had a wonderful lily in the tank which shot leaves all the way up to the surface - 7 at one point. However, all my bottom dwellers are currently playing kickball with the lily so it's yet to send its leaves up this year - doubtful it will happen as it's moved several times in my tank.

There's no special substrate under the gravel. It's just a river pebble base. Tank's been running over 1 year now.

I never saw this reply! Love it!

 

Hello!
I have posted about this new tank A LOT. luckily you all are too nice to tell me to shut up! I am finally ready to begin aquascaping while I wait for some of the light hanging stuff to come. The tank is acrylic; black background, and a bunch of my fish are black. Eek I know. It’s 48X13X24 which is 64.8 gallons. I plan to try for a lot of plants. I have built a hill with media bags stuffed with sand. ANYWAY I have a bit of driftwood—large mopani that I hope will fit into the bracing in the tank, smaller mopani (2 pieces) and a small yet pretty piece of spider wood. I have a decent amount of red shale rocks and some black and white rocks I’ve collected outside. Does anybody have the time and or inclination to draw an aqua scape for this size tank and label each item? I do not need to use any of what I have already; that was just as added info. Your drawings slash wishes will come alive in a decent sized acrylic (so very clear) tank. I would pay for this service too but it would be awesome to have! I just don’t have the eye for this and people have given me fantastic suggestions but I truly don’t know how to put it all together in a design and this is my dream show tank. Please? Anybody?

What a good idea to hire someone off of here to design your tank. You may also end up getting it figured out on your own from these kind folks but I know what you mean. You know what you kinda want your end product to be, you just don't know how to get it there. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

 

What a good idea to hire someone off of here to design your tank. You may also end up getting it figured out on your own from these kind folks but I know what you mean. You know what you kinda want your end product to be, you just don't know how to get it there. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

I would love if anybody IS interested! I would be happy to pay! This is what I have so far—imho a lot of pretty pieces but not arranged well AT ALL! I wonder if there’s anybody who does this for a living I can hire—of course companies do this for tanks at restaurants and large places, but I mean a person who would do it for a smaller home tank (and not an exorbitant fee!). I truly know NOBODY in my area who has fish, much less aquascapes. As far as I am concerned, I can put nice things in the tank but will never be able to get my dream without assistance. There ARE pieces for sale on Etsy that kind of fill the entire tank, but for the size I have they are a fortune and I worry that they still would look like I plunked them in there

 

I would love if anybody IS interested! I would be happy to pay! This is what I have so far—imho a lot of pretty pieces but not arranged well AT ALL! I wonder if there’s anybody who does this for a living I can hire—of course companies do this for tanks at restaurants and large places, but I mean a person who would do it for a smaller home tank (and not an exorbitant fee!). I truly know NOBODY in my area who has fish, much less aquascapes. As far as I am concerned, I can put nice things in the tank but will never be able to get my dream without assistance. There ARE pieces for sale on Etsy that kind of fill the entire tank, but for the size I have they are a fortune and I worry that they still would look like I plunked them in there View attachment 871851

There's so much potential in there! I watched an aquascaping video on YouTube and the person took a couple smaller pieces of wood, trimmed where necessary to get a snug fit and attached them with glu. Made a really interesting large piece using a couple smaller pieces, rocks etc. Built it right up.

 

Pay my air line ticket and I’ll do it for free

have you watched anything at all of MD fish tanks on YouTube ? He talks you through everything and has that many tanks , each one is a different composition.

do you have any idea what you want to go for ? Iwugami, Dutch , jungle , island compositions ? There’s so much choice ! Each one of my tanks are different and I love that about them, each one offers something else .

I’d recommend starting with a striking piece of drift wood or 2 ( or 4 /5 ) and using a cardboard box made to the same size and height of your tank playing around with different shapes until you find what you love. Plants are much easier once the structure is decided !

here’s a video that may be of help.

 

Don't be afraid to play. There's really no wrong answer here.

This is my days old 75 gallon tank. It has new driftwood from the lfs along with pieces out of my 29 and my year old 75 (shown above). Probably going to be redone a couple more times as every single cave dweller wants in that rock cave right in front. 3 plecos, 2 different loaches, 3 cories, the shark, and the pictus are all vying for that spot even with other caves available.

That and I want some taller stem plants.I know what I want variety wise, need the $$ to buy them.

 

Pay my air line ticket and I’ll do it for free

have you watched anything at all of MD fish tanks on YouTube ? He talks you through everything and has that many tanks , each one is a different composition.

do you have any idea what you want to go for ? Iwugami, Dutch , jungle , island compositions ? There’s so much choice ! Each one of my tanks are different and I love that about them, each one offers something else .

I’d recommend starting with a striking piece of drift wood or 2 ( or 4 /5 ) and using a cardboard box made to the same size and height of your tank playing around with different shapes until you find what you love. Plants are much easier once the structure is decided !

here’s a video that may be of help.

Wait wait wait I never saw this. Where do you live? No I am not kidding.and I want iwugami so badly but yea. I even wrote local companies who scape but their websites leave much to be desired. I think I’ll wind up with jungle ( that would be so lucky if plants grow) but all I want now is iwugami. Good luck finding that in Maryland!

 

There may be a sea in the way on the way to you ! I’m in the U.K. but hey the offer the still stands

Don’t give up, keep researching it. I fully believe you can do it. It’s very simple principles for iwagumi scapes. Choose your stones wisely and you’re half way there. You got this !

 

There may be a sea in the way on the way to you ! I’m in the U.K. but hey the offer the stick stands

Don’t give up, keep researching it. I fully believe you can do it. It’s very simple principles for iwagumi scapes. Choose your stones wisely and you’re half way there. You got this !

I just rearranged and will post soon but really liked it until it was full. I haven’t had plants before so I have to find the stones and rhen plant on top! I seriously would consider saving up and having you do it. It’s worth it to me that much.

 

Can’t wait to see it !

 

I'd start with a small, very shallow tank, and get to know Iwagumi and all the challenges that comes with it. And they'll come...

My last Iwagumi must have been 10 years ago. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night in sweat. It hunts me.