46 Gallon Planted Journal(updated pics finally! 8/3 :)

[PRESTON4479]

Much better if you ask me. I like being able to see more of the wood and how it is some what originating from the same area.

[organic sideburns]

thanks Preston, yea im new to manzanita and im still learning on how to use it but i def. like it better now. like u said, its all coming from the same place. now i need to fix up the right side of the tank. im going to let things grow in, and thicken out my stem plants. also, i hope the new chain swords spread fast. id like that to take up a lot of room.

bumping the pic since its on the page b4 this one:

[PRESTON4479]

I agree. I'm thinking just let things grow in now. The fern will make the wood and rocks look even better when it grows out. The only other thing I thought might look good is a little moss tied off to the wood. But the fern will probably fill things in nicely.

[organic sideburns]

i actually thought about tieing some moss to the wood. i think ill do that soon, then next time i dive into my tank for some tweaking,trimming etc. im really happy with the scape, but i still have a lot of tweaking to do. i swear i have OCD only for my tank tho. its in my bedroom across the room from where im typing right now and i can help but look over at it every min. and i always see something wrong with it. i think in a month or so ill be satisfied.

btw this tank is low tech, no co2, no ferts, just 7 hours of 80 watts of t5ho. things grow medium pace, but i have easy plants anyways. im going to start co2 soon. i have a press. co2 system but it started leaking a few years ago so i stopped using it. now, my older bro took it to get it fixed but he says they had to send it in somewhere. im worried hes lying and just wanted to sell it. he has no job...

thanks for the replies Preston, means a lot since no one in real life says nething about my tank. i like to read what other hobbyist have to say about my tank!

[PRESTON4479]

Originally Posted by organic sideburns

i swear i have OCD only for my tank tho. its in my bedroom across the room from where im typing right now and i can help but look over at it every min. and i always see something wrong with it. i think in a month or so ill be satisfied.

Your not alone in this.

Originally Posted by organic sideburns

i have a press. co2 system but it started leaking a few years ago so i stopped using it. now, my older bro took it to get it fixed but he says they had to send it in somewhere. im worried hes lying and just wanted to sell it. he has no job...

That sucks!

Originally Posted by organic sideburns

thanks for the replies Preston, means a lot since no one in real life says nething about my tank. i like to read what other hobbyist have to say about my tank!

I know what your saying. I'm in Delaware and know only two people locally that are experienced in this hobby(met one here). I think the reason people don't comment often on my tank is because they don't know anything about it. The most common question I get is "Are the plants real?"

[organic sideburns]

Originally Posted by PRESTON4479

I know what your saying. I'm in Delaware and know only two people locally that are experienced in this hobby(met one here). I think the reason people don't comment often on my tank is because they don't know anything about it. The most common question I get is "Are the plants real?"

yea whenever i have a friend over or anything like that, they ask that same question. i sometimes wish my tank was in the den out in the open for more ppl to see but i enjoy it in my room since im in there a lot. plus, i can mess with it whenever i want.

[matticusfinch92]

Wow, it's like a jungle - the fish must love swimming amongst all the plants.
Really nice choice of fish as well.

[sewingalot]

I like the new scape! It looks like a giant insect crawling out from behind that rock. Too awesome. Looks a lot better with the wood together like that. I have another suggestion. The right side has the same shades of green in a way. Maybe a crypt or other plant with strong leaf structure or color would help? Wow. I really like this the more I look at it. I would say the shrimp is molting. I don't think you have to worry about removing it, but I don't know much about shrimp.

[organic sideburns]

Originally Posted by matticusfinch92

Wow, it's like a jungle - the fish must love swimming amongst all the plants.
Really nice choice of fish as well.

yes its a lot of fun to just sit and watch my fish react to the plants/scape. they really act more natural dont they?? my fish list is kinda messed up at the moment. 4 lemon tetras, 1 harlequin rasbora, 3 albino cories, 1 dario loach, 1 red tailed black shark, 1 male guppy, 2 female feeder guppies, 1 hatchet fish, 15 ghost shrimp, 1 wood shrimp. i love the activity tho, a lot goes on in all levels of the tank!

Originally Posted by sewingalot

I like the new scape! It looks like a giant insect crawling out from behind that rock. Too awesome. Looks a lot better with the wood together like that. I have another suggestion. The right side has the same shades of green in a way. Maybe a crypt or other plant with strong leaf structure or color would help? Wow. I really like this the more I look at it. I would say the shrimp is molting. I don't think you have to worry about removing it, but I don't know much about shrimp.

haha i never thought about an insect when looking at the wood, but i can see it now that u mention it! im glad everyone likes the new scape better. i was very pleased after i finally took my arm out of the tank. very satisfying! ur right about the same colored plants on the right.

i have some red/green sunset hygro(i think, or sunset something) but its hidden in the middle. i need to trim and move a few stems further back. but yea i also need a few more plants for this tank. i think a few crypts would look great on the right. ill look in the swap n shop! thanks guys!

[sewingalot]

You are so lucky to be able to grow sunset hygro. For something that is supposed to be a weed, it sure does hate me a lot.

[organic sideburns]

Originally Posted by sewingalot

You are so lucky to be able to grow sunset hygro. For something that is supposed to be a weed, it sure does hate me a lot.

it grows kinda slow for me but im just happy its still looking good since i just got it a few weeks ago.

im trying to think of some more plants to get, im thinking some anubias or petite, and some type of crypt. any suggestions?

[ICPjuggla]

Wow, your tank has gone though a lot and is looking really good... Great work and keep it up.. I like the new layout with the manzanita wood on the left. I'm thinking, it would look cool if you did the same type of thing on the right with the manzanita, but mabey not as tall if you know what I'm saying.. I think it would balance out your scape and draw your eyes around the tank..

[sewingalot]

I love crypts, but hate the melt. I loved crypt lucens, but every time you move it, gah! Perhaps anubias and petite in the front? That could be very cool.

[organic sideburns]

Originally Posted by ICPjuggla

Wow, your tank has gone though a lot and is looking really good... Great work and keep it up.. I like the new layout with the manzanita wood on the left. I'm thinking, it would look cool if you did the same type of thing on the right with the manzanita, but mabey not as tall if you know what I'm saying.. I think it would balance out your scape and draw your eyes around the tank..

thats a really good idea. i always wondered how it would look with the same scape but smaller on the right. id have to get some more ferns and wood and rocks since i used them all on the left but i think it wood look really good. my tank does feel a bit unbalanced. ill give it some thought and ill update with pics if i do add to the scape.

Originally Posted by sewingalot

I love crypts, but hate the melt. I loved crypt lucens, but every time you move it, gah! Perhaps anubias and petite in the front? That could be very cool.

yea i def. want some anubias, il have to watch the swap n shop section.

[organic sideburns]

well i liked ICPjugglas suggestion so i made a quick photo shop of how the new scape might look:



i made it in a rush, but it gives u an idea of what i want to try and do. im going to get a few more zebra rocks and i need to split up the branches, i only have 2 other branches that im not using yet so ill work with what i have.

expect a new pic later this week with the new/improved scape! any ideas, suggestions, tips, etc would be great! i dont want both sides of my tank identical, but it would give the tank a lot of balance and if i pull it off itll look great!