What decoration can your tank not be without?

Be truely honest...what decoration can your tank not be without?

 

Love my live plants and driftwood.
Carol

 

Love my live plants and driftwood.
Carol

Amen!

 

Well, I chose driftwood for my one vote, but I like driftwood, plants so the fish can dart in and out of them, caves and gravel/rocks. In other words, a natural (but beauuuuuutiful!) look. I have a little hollowed-out plastic tree trunk right now, but I'm researching and saving up so I can go crazy! Sometimes all four of my fish cram in there and peek out at me through the various holes. Too cute.

 

I like the caves myself my centre piece is like a lighthouse island with a massive cave underneath I'm well pleased with it I also have a plastic log and loads of plastic plants

C W

 

Natural plants, caves and driftwood all look good as long as it looks natural.
If that makes any sense

 

Live plants and driftwood all the way. My fish love them and seem to be healthyer. I think they make the tank look better.

MARIE

 

I agree, I like the way driftwood and live plants look together.

 

I would have live plants but they are just too much work!  They're beeeeautiful esp. when there's lots of them but I just don't have time! :-\  caves are cool and driftwood looks nice too.

 

I don't remember what I voted for, but Driftwood is now my favorite. I may have voted for my Castle, that my boys wanted. Now, I wish I didn't have it. Driftwood, plants and stones look much better and are more natural.

 

That's ok Dahly we all have fluorescent rocks or castles that now we wonder why we bought them
Carol

 

That is so true butterfly, I have two caves that are fluorescent colors that I took out of my tank and now I look at them and wonder what was I thinking. ;D

 

Mine finally got broke A friend of mine and Gunnies makes aquarium safe caves and other aquarium decorations. They are really nice and I know their ok for my fish.
Carol

 

Hey folks, I'm starting to plan a new 55 gallon and wanted to know if it is safe to add wood and stones found in a creek. I want to go with a more natural look and would like something different than what I see at my lfs and at petsmart. I'm open to any suggestions and advise.
Thanks ;D

 

Yes you certainly can. First the clean dirt, bark and other detritus off of rocks and wood. Then boil, boil, boil them. boil the wood for several hours, empty the water and start over until the water boils clear. The tannins from the wood will color the water in your tank if you don't, also you want to get your wood HOT all the way through to kill any nasties that might be hiding in it.
The rocks are easier, they too need to be boiled. Please be careful taking them out of the water as they can explode if cooled too fast or added to the next pot of cold water while their still hot.
also wood such as cedar, spruce etc, any that have a resinous smell are are unsuitable for wood in the tank.they have substances that can harm your fish if put in the tank. Hope that helps.
Carol

 

what effects do wood have on your ph and hardness?

 

Don't know about hardness but is suppose to lower the pH. BUT I have wood in four tanks and they have the same pH as the other eight(yes I said eight that don't have it. I do sugnificant water changes so don't know if that keeps the pH about the same or not.
Sorry I don't think I answered your question :-\
Carol

 

Thanks for that helpful info, I really want to take my time and find some unique peices to add to the new tank, another thing that I was wondering about was PVC, I might want a little tunnel towards the back of the tank, is there any paint that is safe to use that won't eventually wear off and poisen the water?

 

I don't know of any paint that is aquarium safe but what I have seen that is quite attractive is to spread aquarium grade silicone on the PVC pipe and roll it in gravel or sand or attach java moss to it.
Attach the moss with string or rubber bands not silicone though
Carol

 

Butterfly, you are the reason that these boards are so helpfull, thank you. I had thought about burying the pvc a little deeper than I wanted and trying to make a gravel "hill", but had never thought of what you just said. I think that I will use your suggestion when building my tank.

 

Cool, my son-in-law(Tennhound's husband) rolled his in sand for their loach tank and looked really nice.
Carol

 

Nogels, I guess you could (?) use wood found at the creek if it's boiled and soaked well and for a long time. But I still think it's safer to use driftwood specially prepared for aquaria (it's available at aquatic stores and even at regular pet stores). I am in no way discouraging you from using the wood from the creek - it's totally up to you. Just personally think it's safer to use driftwood. I heard that regular wood may start to rot in your tank. There are some really beautiful pieces of driftwood available. I personally also used stones found in a river, boiled them well, and they're fine. The driftwood in my tank didn't change the pH either - the pH in my tank with wood is the same as the pH in my tank without wood.

 

Nogels?, Isabella. Are you tired today? lol

Rose

 

Chickadee, lol, why? Have I said something funny? Tell me, lol, maybe I'm not seeing it!

 

OH !!! I see it now, lol. Sorry Nolegs, it was a typo (I'm always reading and writing very fast, so sorry if I make typing errors - can't always see everything).

 

my fake plants take up most of my tank

 

My tank is set up with a old-Rome type theme with a statue of the colliseum and some antique looking columns, and I also have a piece of driftwood and 7 fake plants. However I wish I just had more live plants and more branching types of driftwood, because I think it makes a tank look so much better!

 

Well I only have fake plants right now but now that I'm getting ready to cycle my new 55 I plan on putting quite a few different decorations in there. To be included will be: live plants, drift wood and caves.

But my fav decoration would have to be driftwood, that stuff looks so ' cool.

 

I want driftwood but the only peices ive seen would not fit my aquarium... the ones at my lfs are about 15-18 inches tall and 20 inches long and 15 inches deep.... talk about large gnarled driftwood

 

I'm sure that there's a way that you could cut it down to the size you want

 

I wish we could have chosen 2, because it's a toss-up between live plants and driftwood.

 

same for me

 

Whatever is natural is welcome in my tank Of course driftwood and live plants are a must!

 

I like the fake plants. Don't have to worry about them dying

 

I'm not one for plastic decorations. No offence to anyone that has one, but to me a 2 foot plastic castle looks kinda stupid. However, I came across a picture on here (I don't remember who posted it) of a tank with a really cool looking native american looking antique bowl. I saw the same one a few days later at the LFS and decided it was lifesized and something that could have been dropped into a river centuries ago. It was in fact very life-like, so I bought it, and now it's in my tank

 

the only things that matter in my aquarium are my fish. I hate , personally the idea of putting real plants in my tank just for the purpose of it looking real. I just think about all the problems it could bring to my fish. Fish are what I want live little creatures that live in the sea...as far as their decoration for me fake is the way to go.. But I will go the extra mile and get one of those plants that aren't plastic..I don't know what the material is..but when you put them in the water they're soft and flow and look like real plants..

 

lolagurl, I don't mean to argue, but if your fish are so important, than isn't just as important to give them as realistic an environment as possible to live in?

 

lol..I'm no trying to argue with you didnt even see what you put..lol I just answered..this just works better for me

 

I like sunken wood and fake plants, don't want to keep live plants.

 

I need some tips on decorating a tank. I want a lot of live plants, but I also want it to be as elegant as possible. It will be a guppy and cory tank. Thanks!