[CSlater21]

Good Day Mates,

Have had the New 46g Bow up for a month or two now.

I am pretty happy with the setup, but am contemplating putting a large rock setup in the middle (Caves etc..) or maybe a larger piece of wood.

Looking to create more of a center piece.

Please let me know your thoughts!!

Thanks guys!!

Setup:
46g Bow
Pressurized Co2 with reactor (Just started this a week ago)
2 Filters Eheim 2217 and Eheim 2213
250watt heater
36" Finnex Planted+
Mix of Eco Complete and Black Diamond (Use Os+)

Flora:
Jungle Vals
DHG
Limnophilia Aromatica
Amazon Sword
Mellon Sword
Couple others I dont know names.
Stone and Cholla Wood

Fish:
Siamese Algae Eaters (Not sure if these are true)
Oto
Cardinal Tetras
German Blue Rams (There Fry just hatched)
Panda Garra
Male Fancy Guppies
Amano Shrimp
Couple Ramshorns

 

[Solcielo lawrencia]

What is your goal?

 

[CSlater21]

Just looking for a balanced good looking tank.

With a larger center piece it would give me 3 focal points, but if that wouldnt work I would like feedback.

Still new to the hobby, so I am looking for some expert advice.

Thanks!

 

[Solcielo lawrencia]

A good-looking tank is very vague since there are many possibilities that can give you that. Do you want to keep it simple with the hardscape or do you want to add to it? Or do you want to have this more like a plant-only tank?

Assuming the latter, I would move the sword over to the golden ratio, which is aprox .62 the length of the tank, and this would make a nice main focal point. Right now, it's in the corner and it draws the eye there.

 

[CSlater21]

A good-looking tank is very vague since there are many possibilities that can give you that. Do you want to keep it simple with the hardscape or do you want to add to it? Or do you want to have this more like a plant-only tank?

Assuming the latter, I would move the sword over to the golden ratio, which is aprox .62 the length of the tank, and this would make a nice main focal point. Right now, it's in the corner and it draws the eye there.

I am ok with expanding the hardscape. I see what you are saying with the sword. There are two in that corner a smaller Amazon sword and then the larger Mellon sword. Which one would you suggest moving?

 

[Solcielo lawrencia]

The one that attracts the eye the most. Probably both if the Amazon sword grows to be just as big.

 

[cowmilkcandy]

don't like your background color. Very unrealistic IMO.

 

[burr740]

Another thing you could do to better create a golden ratio, is fix the log arrangement on the right so it's a bit higher. In other words have one standing up more. Maybe play around with making a pile out of one log and a couple of rocks, and the other log coming up out of the pile on something like a 45-60 degree angle.

Hope that makes sense, lol

* Also agree on the background. Black, or any dark natural color would look a lot better.

 

[Steve002]

- a big piece of driftwood
- more rocks
- loose the background color (looks like it was made for a reef tank)
- move the heater to somewhere less consipcuous
- replace the "Ehiem" labeled green tubes with clear ones (plastic or better yet acrylic)
- rethink your water flow you have it running at cross purposes to each other, maybe hook your 2 Eheims to each end of one long clear plastic spray bar across the top at the back of the tank
- more plants

 

[Bananableps]

The guys realize that "the golden ratio" is not observed by any serious practicing artist in any other media, right? It's just an "art" book gimmick.

 

[Solcielo lawrencia]

The guys realize that "the golden ratio" is not observed by any serious practicing artist in any other media, right? It's just an "art" book gimmick.

Artists don't purposefully place objects or focal points according to this ratio. They do it by feel and aesthetic balance. And that feel just incidentally coincides with this ratio.

However, for those who never did any kind of art before, it's fastest to give instructions about focal points on the GR. It's backward, but it's fastest.