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My little Jaquelin's (Jacques post-berry ) tank needs a redesign.

Here she is
http://fishpics.shesapples.net/albums/userpics/10001/normal_Prawn%20-%20side%20markings%2002.JPG

Her current house is well, glass. blue glass chips for substrate, a bottle for a hidey hole and a bowl for some side protection from the outside world. It is OK and worked brillantly for making sure she'd live without too much environmental influence, but it isn't all that engaging for her. She plays on the heater and she skuttles about the bowl and she does seem to like perching on or sorting through the bottle, but that is where her fun ends (well, I do get her 'playthings' and handfeed her, but I can't be there all the time, you know?). She's not strong enough to move things or destroy things like yabbies, so nice places to sit seem to be the go.

I need a setup that will give her climbing and perching areas, swimming space, and a safe refuge from the light. She is fully aquatic, so no need for access to land.

Limitations are that it can't be planted and that it can't be too full of tannins as WCs are dependant on local rainfall etc and I don't want big pH swings at WC time or soft shells/moulting issues. It also needs to be uncomplicated for filtration purposes (small A-101 internal, it packs a punch) as the stand does not allow easy gravel vaccing at the best of times.

I'd prefer something interesting, natural or not. Fake natural will not work as it is directly beneath a planted tank and that tends to make it look cheap and plastic, regardless of how well done it is. I'm more than happy to experiment providing it isn't expensive.

My first thought was a gold coloured pea gravel/cichlid substrate and twisted mangrove root with a few larger round stones in the back corner, but it feels a bit... ordinary. It also will affect the water more than I'd like.

Next came silicone/plastic kitchen utensils and tupperware, but that would be hard to get looking right.

I also considered a ship's sleeping quarters, complete with calico hammock and handmade rope netting/rigging. I'm not worried about the cotton in the tank, but it seems like it would require a lot of it for the right look.

Current idea is a Chinese banquet with blue/white oriental crockery, chopsticks, blackwater-filled soy sauce fish suction cupped to the rear lid, fake sushi grass, and a dark-coloured menu as a background (or have that laminated and folded with an anime or sushi mat background?). I might even be able to have lucky bamboo poking out somewhere if I can get enough light in.

As I said, I'm happy to experiment within reason Any ideas?


For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

How about some pieces of bamboo (like the bamboo stakes you can get at a garden store or larger) arranged vertically for her to swim through, climb up, etc? I think that would be pretty neat, and enriching Maybe a coconut shell to hide in, too. Black gravel (or marbles) would look good with that sort of decor.

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i like the asian resaurant theme.... but what exactly are the dimensions so maybe i could try to come out with a little floor plant layout thing for the tank... but i would say get white or natual colored gravel. them get some lucky babmboo peices. they done nee much light. also get some bamboo steaks to stic in there. a fancy pair of chop sticks, and other table ware that match. i know some Home goods stores sell little asian foor kit ans most should be aquarium safe and come with a soy sauce tray, chop sticks, a tea cup,a bowl, a small sushi plate, and a sushi mat... you can get some interesting colored ones and be able to set a color scheme...

also i would abstaine from the anime sharacters unless you buy ceramic or porcelain replicas to put in the tank...also you could buy some fake plants grass mats instead of sushi grass... just a few ideas...

maybe some pics of the overall tank now or the tank it is going to be in?

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

Don't have anything to offer on this one... but another tank that I can't wait to see the finished product.

Good luck & have fun

G_T

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

LOL

You Scared me there when you said the Chinese restaurant with the soysauce thing! I thought you were making a recipie for it!

I would take a Bhudda Statue and put it in the focal point, slightly off center, and have like huge rounded rocks (Preferably grey or red) accenting the tank. Or you could replace the bhudda with a larger round rock. Then place Lucky bamboo sticks throughout the scene, with only the stick part showing in the tank. Then you should put a sushimat vertically as the BG. Substrate would be black gravel, black sand (My Fave), or black/gunmetal colored river rocks (Small size, glass chip size).

OR

You could go for zen, with a small rock cropping in the middle, and fine white gravel or white sand, with maybe 4 medium black rounded rocks on the corners. A small vertical comb could be used for the zen rake.

OR

You could make it like a kind of desert. Fine white sand shaped in dunes, or sloping, with small river rocks and natural gravel at the corner (like the AGA pic with the moss tree). She would enjoy the change in texture and height with that.

OR

You could go to your local hobby store, and find some more inspirations there!

These are just suggestions! Good Luck!

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-----> View My Dragons <-----

Ohhh, I like these ideas!

I have two black sand betta tanks end to end with a Buddha statue already, so I might implement that first idea in those, Goby. That'd be fantastic!

I can't do white gravel, it shows off my laziness

The more I think about it, the more the sushi idea is sounding like fun.


I have a bundle of small single inhabitant tanks though, so methinks many of these ideas are going to be used. The pair of red claw in the garage would quite like a plastic tupperware climbing apparatus


I'll get a picture ASAP

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Great someone suggested the coconut shell..

I have the halves of the coconut shells as houses for my cray fish and also other fishes.. It was a great idea.. I made a small semi circular arch in the coconut shell so its a natural house with an entrance... Sort of a coconut igloo it looks like but couldnt be more natural a habitat..



Hobbyists

if you use a coconut shell be sutre to drill a hole or two in the top to make sure anaerobic gasses can escape. also be sure to soak them for plenty of time so you gt ann of the tannins out!

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

Hey if you go for the Lucky Bamboo, get some blackwater extract. Since I started using it my Bamboo has started to grow. I put some in for my Amazon Swords and after a couple of weeks I found the bamboo was growing as well.

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