# Natural or spacious?



## corbypete (Jan 24, 2005)

I've always tried to get P's tank as natural as possible for them this however has resulted in a very cluttered tank.
I have two pieces of bogwood, 6 groups of plants one of which flotats ont he top and it quite large, coverding the taank and keeping tank light low,
I also added peat so the water is a brownt purple colour and soft.

However, they have changed their ways, now they dont have a free run to swim they just sit in various corners of the tank, and dont move unless they wish to get aggressive to one another.

my crabs and other fish love swimming in and out of the arrangement but im beginning to think i should rip out most of the decor and get it back to a plain almost empty tank so they have loads more room to play?

what do you think?

I think they may also begin to comeout of their shell because they will have to, bit like a nerd in a small room with a pc, if you drag him out into the open space of a nightclub dancefloor he can do nothing else but open up

what do you think, natural + cluttered, or plain tank+more room to swim?


----------



## Whall Banner (Nov 25, 2004)

corbypete said:


> I've always tried to get P's tank as natural as possible for them this however has resulted in a very cluttered tank.
> I have two pieces of bogwood, 6 groups of plants one of which flotats ont he top and it quite large, coverding the taank and keeping tank light low,
> I also added peat so the water is a brownt purple colour and soft.
> 
> ...


I had the same trouble with my Rhom tank. I like the appearance of the natural tank but I've found that keeping the tank simple, not only gives them more room to swim, but it's also easier to keep the tank clean when it comes to removing uneaten food.

I don't know if you give your fish feeders? but having a simple tank prevents the feeders from hiding and driving your Piranha nuts.

I prefer the simple tank


----------



## EZmoney (May 13, 2004)

Yeah you should try less decour. You can alwys put it back if it doesn't work out.








Haha now you got me thinking about rearranging my tank a little bit too!!


----------



## doctorvtec (May 15, 2004)

Spacious my friend.....


----------



## Whall Banner (Nov 25, 2004)

doctorvtec said:


> Spacious my friend.....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice tank man.


----------



## PuffPiff (May 23, 2005)

i put the plants on the sides and leave the middle wide open


----------



## corbypete (Jan 24, 2005)

well i took all but my fave plant out, and did a full clean of the tank, its now looking much roomier for them, theyre not in the new arrangement yet, but i left a corner of bogwood for the creepy crawlies to hide the rest is open space for them to swim around









I think they will enjoy it a lot more now, it looks less claustraphobic


----------



## dave mcg (Jul 15, 2004)

free of clutter is best i along with a good current. there more active and get large quicker


----------



## benJii (Feb 17, 2005)

doctorvtec said:


> Spacious my friend.....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


omg that tank looks horrible, the fish has no where to hide and that tank is just plain ugly, no winning best tank of the month there.

well anyway the perfect way is to find a balance in between, i prefer more cluttered, natural tanks. esp. with pygos, as they will fight, meaning that with out hiding places they will rip each other apart in cases. with serras u can keep em in a bare tank, but why? my FAVORITE part of owning a fish tank is the aquascaping, and by the looks of my tanks im getting very good at it. to me, a fish tank is very similar to a painting, if the painting was just a gray blob on the wall it wouldnt be much to look at, i would much rather have a great looking tank with tetras and sh*t than have a bare tank with a cool piranha. go with more hiding places man, theres many ways that u can combine both safty shelters and swimming space, u just have to find the balance


----------



## wayne.140 (Jan 23, 2005)

dave mcg said:


> free of clutter is best i along with a good current. there more active and get large quicker
> [snapback]1081516[/snapback]​










Keep it simple


----------



## corbypete (Jan 24, 2005)

agh, bother

ive set it up so its 90% clutter free, and they now have huddled together, all three under the bogwood!!

does anyone float stuff on their water like seasame seeds or anything to block out light?

peat was messy...

and that water lettuce is just bloody huge!


----------



## Whall Banner (Nov 25, 2004)

corbypete said:


> agh, bother
> 
> ive set it up so its 90% clutter free, and they now have huddled together, all three under the bogwood!!
> 
> ...


try shading half the tank by placing a peice of board on the inner glass lid of the tank?

I've done this with my Rhoms tank and he seems a lot more chilled out when I have the light on. Although I have changed his light tube to a "Blue Moon" as this is a much dimmer tube.


----------



## Cobra (Sep 25, 2004)

I prefer u much denser natural looking tank for pygos. Just find a way to decorate it and still be able to clean every spot easily. Find the balance so to speak. As for serras I try decorating the tank but without offering hiding spaces caus they WILL use them. I havent seen my sanchezi for a month. He is always under his bush!


----------



## mr.PIMP4969 (Jun 2, 2004)

ya do that put the plants to the side and have the middle open for some room and it would look sick man thats would be awesome~Du


----------



## doctorvtec (May 15, 2004)

My fish doesn't need anywhere to hide, as he is not skittish and is used to people. I do my tanks the way that keeps my fish the happiest. The last tank he was in was decorated with plants and driftwood and sh*t, and it didn't work out. He is much more active this way. To add, the tank is also in the basement where only people that live here see it. And, I could give a flying f*ck about tank of the month, because t me it's all about the fish.

So how about you take your:

20 gallon-2 Dinosaur Eel, 1 Pictus Cat, 1 Peacock Eel, 1 Iridesent Shark,2 Bala Sharks, 2 Glass Catfish, 2 Yoyo Loach, 1 Skunk Loach, 1 Horseface Loach, 1 Chinese Algea Eater,1 Butterfly Loach, 1 Freshwater Flounder
*29 gallon-empty*
*45 gallon-empty*

And shove them directly up your ass.


----------



## Elongatus cockus (May 28, 2005)

doctorvtec said:


> My fish doesn't need anywhere to hide, as he is not skittish and is used to people. I do my tanks the way that keeps my fish the happiest. The last tank he was in was decorated with plants and driftwood and sh*t, and it didn't work out. He is much more active this way. To add, the tank is also in the basement where only people that live here see it. And, I could give a flying f*ck about tank of the month, because t me it's all about the fish.
> 
> So how about you take your:
> 
> ...


Relax boy

He makes a good point


----------



## benJii (Feb 17, 2005)

Elongatus cockus said:


> doctorvtec said:
> 
> 
> > My fish doesn't need anywhere to hide, as he is not skittish and is used to people. I do my tanks the way that keeps my fish the happiest. The last tank he was in was decorated with plants and driftwood and sh*t, and it didn't work out. He is much more active this way. To add, the tank is also in the basement where only people that live here see it. And, I could give a flying f*ck about tank of the month, because t me it's all about the fish.
> ...


just cuz the tanks dont have any fish in em doeznt mean there not decorated, my 29 is cycling and it mostly decorated(live plants not in there yet) and my 45 is all cycled and decorated, im just waiting for another serra piranha


----------

