I like a strong hardscape but it doesn't have to be made of Japanese stone and fancy bits of wood. If there is a backbone then plants have a logical spot to grow. Ferns and moss on wood/rocks. Stems in the back. Crown plants between stones and so on. Really important to me is how comfortable fish are in the tank. I love seeing plecos working on wood and rocks rather than the tank sides. I love seeing fish spawning in dense plants and watching them swim through foliage and wood arches. Love watching fish appear and disappear.

So I prefer the stone/wood scapes done by ADA, not the extreme contest winner types although they sure are fun to see in photos. Completely carpeted tanks with no tall stuff aren't for me at all. Dutch tanks force fish to swim in the open and look like flower stands half the time. Most landscape tanks look great until you notice that there are fish rather than deer in there. Shocking looking to me. Real jungle tanks don't offer enough of a focus for me and there usually isn't enough negative space so the tank looks right to me. At least my jungle tanks were like that. The nice tanks posted here are fine by me.

Very beautiful. I've always thought about doing a single plant, covering the tank, like grasses...nothing but grasses. Maybe some twigs...yea.

Bump: LOLOLOL!!!! So funny.

So do you guys think something like this would be too artificial looking or not?

As @ichy said, to each their own... But I have always preferred 100% natural looking tanks. When designing my tank I wanted it to look like I put on goggles and stuck my head underwater in a lake or stream.

This is underwater footage of the San Marcos River in Texas. I've snorkeled it many times, and it is beautiful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmkmsnLoO2Y

Ah man, San Marcos River!

I loved that place.
I never snorkeled there but I did go tubing a few times.

BTW I had a tank that looked a bit like that once.... (overgrown plants, algae, no discernible pattern)
Wife said I either cleaned or she was dumping it.

So, yeah.... It was changed.

WOW, hard to believe that the San Marcos River is freshwater... Water is crystal clear and flora looks very tropical!

Agreed. Plus to me the more plants the healthier for any inhabitants as well. I mean so long as the plants don't crowd each other out. And def to each their own.. This is my "getting back into the hobby after about 10 yrs out" tank.. that I'd put a LOT of time into and went small so I could put more time into it (wheN I got out I had a 125gal 6ft tank and that was a ton of work)

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