New 40B hardscape-Opinions needed

[Icegoalie32]

Thanks to Petco's 1$ per gallon sale this month, I have 2 new 40 breeder tanks. I am starting to put the 1st one together. Please share your opinions and suggestions.

This will be the home of a pair of Rams, a shoal of Congo Tetras, and some Kuhli Loaches.

Plants will be Amazon Swords, Anubias varieties, Crytocoryne varieties, and some Java Fern.

Thanks





Quality of the pictures could be better. Let me know if you need to see more.

[Icegoalie32]

Anyone?

[CoffeeLove]

That rock on the left just seems really out of place.

---
I give my fish coffee

[pirayaman]

i say the wood looks nice but please post pics of it standing up like other layouts for us to pic the best cause that piece of wood in the middle look vicious but should be fliped

[Icegoalie32]

Thanks for the opinions and recommendations so far.

That rock on the left just seems really out of place.

After looking at it for a while, I see what you mean.

i say the wood looks nice but please post pics of it standing up like other layouts for us to pic the best cause that piece of wood in the middle look vicious but should be fliped

The wood is soaking right now. The main DW structure is 2 pieces. I'll complete some alternate scapes and put some pictures up. I have a couple of layouts in mind.

[etgregoire]

Can you use the rule of thirds to make more visual interest? Right now it seems like everything is kind of just laid out and there isn't a focal point. There isn't a lot that leads your eye through the pieces. Can you cluster some things up a little differently?

[Icegoalie32]

After a busy few days, I finally had some time to work some options.

I have come up with a couple of alternatives:

Hardscape 2



Hardscape 3

[UDGags]

I like the wood in 3 better but the rock needs moved to the right....putting something dead center is very hard to make work (gets back to the golden ratio).

[Icegoalie32]

I think I'm getting closer.

Hardscape 4

[UDGags]

I like that..should look great planted.

[CoffeeLove]

I like that! Especially the wood on the left.

---
I give my fish coffee

[I3raven]

try combining the driftwood on the left with the driftwood on the right to make one focal point

[UDGags]

Originally Posted by I3raven

try combining the driftwood on the left with the driftwood on the right to make one focal point

I was thinking about that as well. It looks like he has two viewing sides so maybe one island so it looks good from all viewing angles. Couldn't tell though if the left was a hallway or part of the room.

[Icegoalie32]

I was thinking about that as well. It looks like he has two viewing sides so maybe one island so it looks good from all viewing angles. Couldn't tell though if the left was a hallway or part of the room.

The tank will be viewable from the left side as well as the front. This is beside the walkway into our dining room. If you look at the reflection past my ugly mug, you'll see one of the two 29 gallons on the opposite wall. This room will have four tanks, two 29's on the far wall and two 40 breeders on either side of the entry way.

try combining the driftwood on the left with the driftwood on the right to make one focal point

If I understand what you're saying, move the DW to the right side and combine all of the pieces in one focal point and flip the rock to the left.

I'll change it up and take another shot after work today.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Icegoalie32]

Here is the view from the end of the tank:



I then flipped the DW and the rock and combined all of the DW pieces into a single island:



from the end:



Thoughts, critiques, opinions?

For additional context, this is the dining room/fish room