Themes

[longtyme68]

What inspires each of you in creating your environments? Is it your personal lives? Or just a nice scenery that you picture in your head? I believe that I may incorporate my life into my revamped 55gal tank. I am going to try and apply my Marine Corps career to the atmosphere and environment of the new tank. Like maybe some red swordfish, marigold swordfish, types that are semi-aggressive and/or just look like they could be mean. As well as the decor of the tank. Sloping hills with moss ground cover, maybe find some old style cannons, or Marine figurines. Maybe a battlefield of sorts!! Any thoughts?

 

[Chazwick]

My tanks a little plain, actually, it's only a small 8GAL, i have four real plants (one in each corner), Two of which over hang - great for hiding! And in the center a little cave thing - SO they can hide, which is decorated with fake flowers all around it (which actually look pretty real in the water!)... I guess what inspired me was the real life enviroment! I am going to print out a nice background as well for my tank (you can only see the front, you see).. of something nice, or maybe put a mirror on the back of the tank (this apparently makes the tank seem bigger).
I am however, needing to add some nice, smooth stones, etc, for the tank, to create more ways for them to feel safe, (hiding-wise)

 

[FroggyFox]

Only thoughts would be that swordtails wouldnt generally do very well with any aggressive type fish They're pretty laid back.

I guess personally if you were gonna do a battlefield (which could be entertaining) you'd want some fish that maybe hang out near the bottom...like shell dwellers?? Or maybe some other tanganyikan cichlids like julidochromis (Julies)? You could make a pretty nice tanganyikan tank out of a 55? At the same time you could also do a community tank with livebearers (swordtails) and use like corydoras as your fish that hang out on the bottom. If you got two good size schools of cories they might look like two little armies They're very neat little fish.

Anyway...as for what inspires my tanks...usually the fish. Like my Amazon tank (the 46) I've always wanted a pictus catfish, and an angelfish...so I got the idea to pick fish from the same general area of the world. With the cichlids...you really can't mix them with many other fish...so doing your research will generally lead you in a direction of which fish can be compatible in your size tank. Obviously the larger the tank the more diversity you can handle...and the more options you have.

 

[SoleilReine]

I don't have much to contribute to the thread, but I wanted to say that your idea of a battlefield-style tank sounds intriguing! Though why you want to abandon your current Parthenon-esque decor is beyond me...

Good luck with your planning and be sure to keep us posted!

 

[Lotus]

My idea (or aspiration) is to create a slice of nature in the tank, so that it looks like it could be in a stream or a lake. I've never seen a successful tank with plants and ornaments, but of course it's a question of personal taste.

 

[longtyme68]

I guess what inspired me was the real life enviroment!

That is still a great inspiration, even though you may think it plain compared to others. One person in this forum told me something that made me realize what an aquarium should be. It should be aesthetically pleasing to whomever owns it. As long as you can sit down and relax while taking care of your biological environment, then that is all that really matters.

 

[longtyme68]

If you got two good size schools of cories they might look like two little armies They're very neat little fish.

Anyway...as for what inspires my tanks...usually the fish. Like my Amazon tank (the 46) I've always wanted a pictus catfish, and an angelfish...so I got the idea to pick fish from the same general area of the world.

That is something I didn't think about. Really just finding a fish or two that I enjoy watching and building an environment for them. As far as the armies go, that sounds like a good tidbit of information. Possibly have some fish that mainly swim around the top (airplanes) and have plant patches (clouds) giving them cover or something. Great ideas!

 

[longtyme68]

I don't have much to contribute to the thread, but I wanted to say that your idea of a battlefield-style tank sounds intriguing! Though why you want to abandon your current Parthenon-esque decor is beyond me...

Good luck with your planning and be sure to keep us posted!

Well not necessarily abandon it, just maybe try something new. I mean I will still keep all the ornaments and rocks, so that I could revive the look later down the road for another tank. Gotta keep my fiancee on edge with this new hobby! *crazysmil

 

[longtyme68]

My idea (or aspiration) is to create a slice of nature in the tank, so that it looks like it could be in a stream or a lake. I've never seen a successful tank with plants and ornaments, but of course it's a question of personal taste.

I could see a scenary something like the lost city of atlantis. With a minature city and tall plants surrounding the edges. Maybe some moss over some of the ornamental buildings or something.
I do like the stict natural settings in some tanks, but some seem as if the plants are the focus of the environment. I am really not a big plant over fish person. I do understand however that it serves its purpose! Thanks for your input.

 

[GoldLenny]

Semper Fi LongTyme... from a military brat born in Beaufort, SC... home of Parris Island Marine Corp Recruit Depot and Training Base, http://www.mcrdpi.usmc.mil/ as if I had to tell you.

Do you know Tim Thomasson? I'm not sure if it was Colonel or Captain when he recently retired from the USMC in New Orleans but he was one of the training rank. I use to play lots of Beach Volleyball with him out at Coconut Beach until I hurt my knee a few years ago.

 

[GoldLenny]

Now, as to your "Themes" suggestions... I'm going with Holiday Themes for my new 65G tank. I'm going to do a Halloween Tank, then a Christmas Tank, New Years, Mardi Gras (if I could teach my fish how to SHOW YOUR FINS! on demand.. lol), then Spring time, Summer at the Beach, Fourth of July, etc.

I don't have any young kids who are into painting or art so I'll have to do most of it myself unless I have a "craftsy" girlfriend at the time, but if you have young kids, you could have them do artwork on different colored posterboard for the background of the tank and then decorate the rest accordingly.

 

[longtyme68]

Semper Fi LongTyme... from a military brat born in Beaufort, SC... Do you know Tim Thomasson? I'm not sure if it was Colonel or Captain when he recently retired from the USMC in New Orleans but he was one of the training rank. I use to play lots of Beach Volleyball with him out at Coconut Beach until I hurt my knee a few years ago.

Thank you for the introduction, but sorry I didn't know and don't believe I have ever heard of your friend. He may be a little above my paygrade and that is why. I hope you have recovered well and have had a chance to get back to Beach Volleyball. I played a little while I was in Okinawa, Japan!

 

[longtyme68]

GoldLenny, That seems like it may be a lot of work. Are you going to change the interior of the tank with the holidays as well, or just backgrounds?

 

[GoldLenny]

I'm going to change the backgrounds mostly and then string up some Christmas lights around the tank frame and the stand for Christmas. Maybe buy some ceramic themed decorations for inside of the tank, a ceramic Christmas Tree. They have the underwater LED lights that could go inside a couple of small ceramic pumpkins and the orange lights on the outside for halloween. All external stuff except for some ceramic pieces on the inside that can be changed with the seasons. I'm sure there are ceramic Mardi Gras floats. I know they sell the different colored strings of lights for the seasons and holidays. Once you do it one year, you have the decorations for the following years just like for the rest of your house decorations. A few well placed pieces of velcro around the black frame of the tank will make changing the lights easy enough. Gift wrapping paper for the various holidays would make a simple background change as well. Of course, you could do your Marine Corp theme for November 10th... 230 years old this year... as well as for Memorial Day and the rest of the year when you don't have one of the other themes up. I don't think it will be too difficult. I'm thinking it won't take that much more time than decorating the rest of the house.

 

[longtyme68]

I see where you were going with the whole holiday theme now.

 

[R0UNDEYEZ]

My idea (or aspiration) is to create a slice of nature in the tank, so that it looks like it could be in a stream or a lake.

Those are usually the kind of tanks I enjoy the most as well. Decorations and stuff don't really bother me, but I hate seeing the heater, and filters and so on.. I realize most tanks its impossible to really hide, but I like tanks that feel like you are seeing the cross section of a river or something..

 

[Firebug]

Exactly what Lotus and ROUNDEYEZ say! I didn't at first (had blue gravel), but I wasn't apart of this wonderful community until a year after I found the hobby, so I didn't have the inspiration of other members' tanks.
But really, it's just got to make YOU happy, because you're the one that has to look at it everyday. Your idea does sound interesting though, and if you execute this plan, it's going to be fun looking at pics you'd HAVE to post for us to see!

 

[ashleigh]

I go for the more natural look too- but like everyone else said- do what makes you happy. I think I would avoid putting any painted or metal army toys in the tank though- I imagine plastic woudl be okay- but you have to be pretty careful adding decorations to your tank that aren't designed to go in one.

 

[longtyme68]

Yes, RoundEyes, I hadn't really experienced seeing "river" tanks prior to joining this forum. But I have definitely learned to appreciate them. I guess I was raised around my families "unreal" tanks that weren't properly thought out. Just got an aquarium to have one.

 

[longtyme68]

Firebug, I will definitely post many pics once I get started and show a progression from Ancient Parthanon to the Marine theme.