[jargonchipmunk]

Been a hot minute since I've posted here or had a wet tank. My girlfriend wanted to make a room divider for the basement. Separate it into the kids' playroom and a crafting area for her and I. What started as an idea to put up a few bookcases, spiraled into a full on built-in. She asked if I could put a fish tank in it and I warned her what a Pandora's box she was opening. She didn't listen. So one built-in with a double sided view, picture frame tank later... I'm sitting staring at the "high-tech" equipment all lined up and finally ready for setup. And now the process of choosing a scape starts..

I'm realizing how limiting a two-sided scape is. Plus, she keeps suggesting things the 'kids would like' and I keep fighting off suggestions of treasure chests and diver bubblers. That said, I'm a DM and my miniature building crafting and the fantasy world might actually creep into this scape. One of my ideas is to add a ruined wizard's tower into the scape somehow. I know, it goes against all the 'rules' to add something that's not rock or wood, but she's right. It was originally for the kids. 🤣

Room divider almost complete.

Cut-out for tank, picture frame and chalkboard wall all done.

The first 'fish' in the tank. 😂

 

[jargonchipmunk]

Is it still a thing to list 'specs'? Lol

29 gallon tall
Co2 with fzone dual stage reg
Jardii inline diffuser
Knock off Glass lily pipes
Nilocg macro and micro ferts
DIY root tabs if I need them
Couple bags of aquasoil ver2
Finnex Planted + ALC
RO water (need to play around with if I'm going to use enough to bring tds and GH in line or go full ro and remineralize.)
Oase biomaster thermo 350. (Ignore the non-thermo 250 in the pic. I ordered the wrong thing. The right one is in the mail now.)

"Honey, let's set up an aquarium for the kids." 🤣🤣

 

[Plinkploop]

😂😂😂 you hit the mother load- it's for the kids!!!

 

[evil8]

NIce! Personally I like miniature diorama tank ideas. They can be super fun so I'm excited to see what you do with it.

 

[jargonchipmunk]

NIce! Personally I like miniature diorama tank ideas. They can be super fun so I'm excited to see what you do with it.

The idea is growing in me. I never thought I'd merge the two worlds, but we'll see how it goes. Hell, I might leave off the natural hardscape entirely aside from a few rocks and build a whole scene in there. /Shrug

 

[ChrisX]

Just IMO, I would make it a "pet" fish tank. Get a big, really personable angelfish (maybe a few dither fish), maybe an electric blue acara, and call it a day. Angelfish are very interactive and not too skittish.

Get some val, it will grow low tech. Can make curtains of val on the sides. Then build a diarama to your heart's content.

 

[jargonchipmunk]

Just IMO, I would make it a "pet" fish tank. Get a big, really personable angelfish (maybe a few dither fish), maybe an electric blue acara, and call it a day. Angelfish are very interactive and not too skittish.

Get some val, it will grow low tech. Can make curtains of val on the sides. Then build a diarama to your heart's content.

I would never put an angelfish in a tank this small. The 'showy' fish is going to be an apistogramma cacatoides if I can find a nice double red or similar nearby. Maaaaybe give him a lady friend, but that's a stretch. Other than that, it's clean up crew and I'm going to let the fam choose a small school of something in the tetra or rasbora family.

For some reason I don't like val. Never have. I have several favorites that'll likely end up in the tank. Blyxa japonica, downoi, hc monte carlo and Cuba, nana petite, maybe ferns or mosses depending on the scale.

The diorama portion, if it ends up being the choice, will be a riuns so there's plenty of space to add plants growing out of buildings and taking over walls, etc.

 

[ChrisX]

I would never put an angelfish in a tank this small. The 'showy' fish is going to be an apistogramma cacatoides if I can find a nice double red or similar nearby. Maaaaybe give him a lady friend, but that's a stretch. Other than that, it's clean up crew and I'm going to let the fam choose a small school of something in the tetra or rasbora family.

For some reason I don't like val. Never have. I have several favorites that'll likely end up in the tank. Blyxa japonica, downoi, hc monte carlo and Cuba, nana petite, maybe ferns or mosses depending on the scale.

The diorama portion, if it ends up being the choice, will be a riuns so there's plenty of space to add plants growing out of buildings and taking over walls, etc.

Oh. I see.

Based on the tank construction in middle of room and focus on putting a diorama, I didn't think you were overly concerned about fish wellbeing or stocking. A single angelfish I think would learn to enjoy that tank. Most things will be skittish in the middle of the room without any cover. I was trying to save you a stocking disaster and keep it interesting for the kids. Not sure how much kids will care about microfish.

 

[Plinkploop]

Oh. I see.

Based on the tank construction in middle of room and focus on putting a diorama, I didn't think you were overly concerned about fish wellbeing or stocking. A single angelfish I think would learn to enjoy that tank. Most things will be skittish in the middle of the room without any cover. I was trying to save you a stocking disaster and keep it interesting for the kids. Not sure how much kids will care about microfish.

When my daughter was younger she used to pick the dither fish for my tanks because she absolutely loved it- she made up stories about different families and how they were all neighbors 😂 my son avoided the whole situation saying "fish are creepy". I guess it's all dependent on the child.

 

[Griznatch]

Very cool design, I really like the picture frame. I think it'll work whether you go with the kids theme or add a little D&D in there. Kind of like modernized renaissance.

 

[Cawafuoshi]

I would not make it a toy tank. Kids might lose interest, and then you are left alone with a tank that was designed to cater to them rather to your interests. I also would go so far to say a natural scape might be more interesting. Seeing the plants grow and fish swimming in a scape that caters to their needs and fosters natural behavior could do the trick for your kids. But if you want a fantasy underwater world, go ahead. Decide what YOU want in that tank because you are going to deal with it long term.

 

[jargonchipmunk]

I would not make it a toy tank. Kids might lose interest, and then you are left alone with a tank that was designed to cater to them rather to your interests. I also would go so far to say a natural scape might be more interesting. Seeing the plants grow and fish swimming in a scape that caters to their needs and fosters natural behavior could do the trick for your kids. But if you want a fantasy underwater world, go ahead. Decide what YOU want in that tank because you are going to deal with it long term.

If I do the fantasy thing, it won't be a toy tank. It'll be a nature scape with some ruins included. Ruins I hand make and paint and seal. It's in my interests already. I've just never put the two hobbies together.

 

[Dreya]

No Spongebob the Barbarian?

 

[Plinkploop]

No Spongebob the Barbarian?

😂😂 you made me spit my water with that one

 

[Dreya]

As someone who has also painted minis for Pathfinder, you would be simply Astounded at the figurines available
Heroforge will even let you custom your own for them to 3d print.
I had never considered painting some to submerge in my tanks but why not something like a Naga or MerMan patrolling underwater Atlantis?

I'm liking this guys idea, we need pics at the end sir!

 

[jargonchipmunk]

As someone who has also painted minis for Pathfinder, you would be simply Astounded at the figurines available
Heroforge will even let you custom your own for them to 3d print.
I had never considered painting some to submerge in my tanks but why not something like a Naga or MerMan patrolling underwater Atlantis?

I'm liking this guys idea, we need pics at the end sir!

I like the idea of that, but I'm not good enough with minis to have them not look out of place next to actual living creatures. Rock and terrain is easier.

 

[jargonchipmunk]

Decided to have one display side and one function side. Both sides will still be visible but one just won't be pretty. The 12" front to back just doesn't accommodate a two sided scape at this tank's height.

Ignore the lily pipes. They're hanging awkwardly on the tank while I figure out the logistics behind drilling the worktop on the other side I worked so hard to stain. 😂😂

I decided to forego the ruins in this tank, as I started a new d&d campaign and so all my crafting time goes to that instead. 🙂