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a "winter" themed scape?

2K views 27 replies 17 participants last post by  RWaters 
#1 · (Edited)
so I've been thinking about this lately...got a 75G recently and I've been thinking about making it a winter themed scape..

for hardscape, i've ordered a bunch of bleached Mitsumata branches, which I intend on using to depict birch trees in the winter. i tried searching for info on Mitsumata wood and really couldn't find hardly any info on it...whether it'll leach, etc. historically, it's been used to make paper in Japan and other parts of Asia..I think it'll be okay. I think they might be too light though, and might have to weigh them down somehow.

for substrate, i plan on using pfs for 'snow' - I wonder if i'd be able to bleach it to get it to look more like snow? I'm going to use some eco-complete to make a road going through my forest, and root tab the pfs.

plants is where i'm really struggling. not much survives in winter...i'm thinking some mosses on some of my seiryu stones which could be used to jut out from the pfs to make a snow bank of sorts...but aside from that, what else? I was thinking maybe some DHG or other form of grass..but that's 1) not very realistic of a snow covered forest and 2) would probably become a real hassle to trim, considering how i'm going to have branches every other inch or so...

fish - planning on going white koi angelfish :) this is the one area I'm set on, lol.

edited to add - no CO2

Thoughts? would like some input.

ps. the 75G...used from craigslist...man, it's a lot more scratched than I thought it'd be...it was delivered along with the stand, eheim 2215, and a single t8 fixture for $200. been thinking about getting a real 'new' 75G before I really start....biggest problem for me is that i don't have a big car to transport a big tank :( hrm....
 
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#2 ·
There are some stem plants that look like evergreen (to a point but I think it would work) As for transporting a new tank. Do you know anyone with a truck/van/suv? Just give them a few bucks for gas or ask to borrow it for an hour and you'll put gas in it.
After all isn't collectoritis a medical condition and this will help tide you over for a few weeks until you need your next fix?
 
#3 ·
foldifsh and joi eat plants, koi get too big for a 75g too

what about white angels? like veiltailed angels, have a flowly ghostly look to them...wipsy i guess is the word im looking for. then some albino corys. maybe white cloud minnows? or you could get blue glo-fish...im not a big fan of glo fish but figure the blue would look neat due to the ice color. col is associated with blue. and theyd school...sometimes

i wouldnt bleach anything you put into the tank to strip color. use white pool sand?

look up tanks by amano takashi. hes gone these tanks with driftwood with modd growing on top that makes it look like a juniper bonsai tree or something of those sorts. maybe get a bunch of peices of driftwood facing up then tie moss to it, xmas moss is long and reaches to light, so then itllgive an evergreen look and still be pretty low maintence.
just dont suppliment with fourish excel.

also you could find roundish gray/white stones to put in there, kind of give it a more 3d feel insead of being so flat.
 
#5 ·
I bleach driftwood all the time with no problems. Once you're done bleaching it just give it a nice long soak in some heavily dechlorinated water, and the let it sit out on the sun to dry.

Places like Lowes and Home Depot rent trunks for about $20 an hour. Have you tried filling up the tank you have? Alot of scratches disappear when filled.
 
#15 ·
i was up till 6am thinking about this tank, lol.

and yes, i said white koi angelfish

i also signed up for membership with Zip Car...but totally right, i could rent a truck from HD. the only friends of mine with big cars live way out in the burbs (40 min drive).

but yea...was thinking of mossing up the branches.

did fill the 75G...still many scratches showing up...gonna try to remove some of them today...if I'm successful, then I'll hang on to it.
 
#16 ·
sorry about that...i musta skipped that when i read this morning! just had surgery also so with the drugs it may have thrown me off.
 
#17 ·
no worries. hope you recover quickly.

guess what? a 75G does fit in my car...picked up a new one from petsmart with light and hood for $200.

so $400 total for two 75's, stand, single t8's, and the 2215.

hoping i can sell the used 75G for $75 quickly. gonna drive out to the burbs tomorrow to the closest leslie's to pick up the PFS...local HD doesn't carry it.
 
#28 ·
I'm not sure it's winter-themed, but google Patricia Spinelli and aquarium. As I recall, one of her tanks was basically a white tank. Some grassy plants and a branch or two resembling a barren tree could give you the wintery feel you're looking for.
 
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