What's most unliked about my tank?

[jeremyTR]

The layout of the rocks? The wood? Plants?

I want to better learn what makes a great scape and what you personally think I'm doing wrong or could do a lot better.

edit: more pics can be provided but I have posted a lot of them on here.

[Schwartzy61]

Don't get yourself all beat up, I still like the driftwood work in your tank. Its hard for us all to pull off these amazing planted tanks we see on this website, and I still have yet to do so also.

Possibly get some different plants and grow the back of the tank in more. Try some thicker higher growing plants in the background. Wisteria is pretty damn nice.

[Schwartzy61]

Took and second glance and realized that you actually DO have some wisteria in there. Nice! Just get some cuttings and spread it around in the back.

You also want to look at how your eye flows over the tank (geometry wise). Like creating shapes with your rocks/driftwood. In your tank it seems that you have a high spot in the left side of the tank and right side of the tank, and a more open area in the center. Try to remove some of the clutter in the center, like moving that angled piece of driftwood, or remove the rocks. And have high plants complement the higher areas of the tank.

Its just my opinion, don't take it to the heart please.

[stewardwildcat]

I happen to like the tank. Maybe a little grow out time will cover some of your hard scape which will change the look too.

[jeremyTR]

Originally Posted by Schwartzy61

Took and second glance and realized that you actually DO have some wisteria in there. Nice! Just get some cuttings and spread it around in the back.

You also want to look at how your eye flows over the tank (geometry wise). Like creating shapes with your rocks/driftwood. In your tank it seems that you have a high spot in the left side of the tank and right side of the tank, and a more open area in the center. Try to remove some of the clutter in the center, like moving that angled piece of driftwood, or remove the rocks. And have high plants complement the higher areas of the tank.

Its just my opinion, don't take it to the heart please.

Definitely not taking it to heart lol.

Originally Posted by stewardwildcat

I happen to like the tank. Maybe a little grow out time will cover some of your hard scape which will change the look too.

I was hoping for more growth from the amazon swords in the back but I'm lacking something and their growth seems stunted with tiny leaves compared to their old ones.

I've also updated my sig and here's a different angle.

[HypnoticAquatic]

first thing that i really notice is there is not flow or general theme/setting for the tank, just when i look at it the rocks just look very out of place expecially with a fine sand sub then big o rock, also might rearange the wood u have the thicker piece in the front which just takes away from the smaller pieces and they are good looking pieces.

if your set on the rocks move them to the back left side and then place your anubius around it cluster them when u plant vs spread out here and there it really does provide a better impact and visual appeal its a main reason why they tell u to plant is groups and in 3's.

still nice tank just takes a while to really understand how to do layouts and then actually get it right it will take you some time and several trys befor u get what u really want but take pics now and u can see your progress its kinda neat to look back and see what u used to have vs what u can do now.

[jeremyTR]

That's really what's been bugging me is how I have the rocks. I'd like to keep them but also have them look a lot better too. I'd like to do what you said a rearrange them in a better fashion around the piece of wood in the back left. I also have more pieces of wood like the one in the back left that I've been wanting to throw in there instead of the random piece that's right infront.

With all of this would come the uprooting of plants, I'm just wondering if I should be worried because I have fert sticks in my substrate next to most plants. I guess I'll just pull them out as gently as possible. With my amazon swords I was thinking of just pulling them out until I start seeing their roots and just cutting them off because I can see their root system from the underside of my tank and pulling ALL of that out would be disastrous.

[s_s]

It could just be the photo or maybe the bright substate, but all your plants are really dark. You need something with more contrasting color to create depth of field-- be it a lighter green (E. angustifolia "Vesuvius" ?) or a red.

And that rock being square in the middle is a bit unsettling. It needs to be worked into your wood features better.

[Hoppy]

Creating a great looking aquascape is a skill, which I think also requires the natural talent to imagine a pleasant to look at scene, then make the tank be that scene. I don't have that talent, nor have I developed that kind of skill. So, I try to make my tank be something I enjoy looking at.

I recall someone, probably Tom Barr, suggesting studying how Japanese gardens are designed to try to learn how to design an aquascape. Also, just reading about design principles is beneficial. But, just as not everyone can sing well, not everyone can create a prize winning aquascape. On the other hand a lot more people gain lots of enjoyment from singing than can sing well, and a lot more of us gain enjoyment from our aquascapes than can design them well.

[jeremyTR]

I'd like to add this -

[HD Blazingwolf]

general principles are taler plants in back shorter infront

there are proportion numbers that can help but i didn't find them helpful

thinner leaves plants can be used behind broader leaved plants to create depth to a tank

grouping specific sets of plants can also have a dramatic effect..

[jcgd]

Looks like there is too much going on, and no plants are grown in enough to look like anything other than a random stem that some human planted.

It's hard man. I've been doing this for 14 years and I'm still an amateur. People like Speedy get their first tank and it looks amazing. Others have to work at it. Some people are really good at growing plants and once they fill in enough, nature somewhat takes over and makes it look natural.

Money helps too, it's hard to make three rocks look good. It's easier if you have an abundance of material to pick through.

Try looking at a picture of nature and recreate what you see. Notice little things like how plant species mix, what grows where and next to what, how rocks look when they are natural and not placed, etc.

[jeremyTR]

Well I rescaped just got finished. water is a little cloudy right now so I'll post pictures tomorrow when it should be all cleared up.

I like it a lot better now, hopefully you guys do too!

[jeremyTR]

Updated pictures of tank! It's still cloudy and my stem plants and moss need to grow in a bunch.

[Kathyy]

I like!

That center rock and the skinny stems were bothering me before.