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My 30 gallon tank has quite a few decorations but being about 18" tall, even my tallest plastic plants reach only about 3/4's the way up and the movement of water (via filter) tends to push the few parts that reach that high half way down.

So my question is this, what have people done to decorate the top half of their aquariums, either to provide cover for fry, or just to make it a little more interesting for their top dwelling fish.

I have heard of something to attach certain types of live plants to the side wall inside the tank, however I'm not sure what could be used for this (it looked like tape however putting glue under water doesn't seem wise ) So now comes the wait for answers

Hi

I've used

-ping pong balls covered in java moss and a hairnet and attached to a weight
-cork coasters with plants tied to the underside
-floating barriers to reduce surface movement and allow floating plants on one side of the tank only
-floating plants like bladderwort, salvinia & duckweed (low flow/no flow tanks only, or with barrier)
-bunches of java fern attached to suction cups

The java fern works well. I use cable ties to put them into a bunch, then I use another cable tie to attach them to the metal hook of the suction cup (you can get plastic hooks and heater ones that are safer for aquariums, I just had an abundance of the metal ones)

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

Thanks for the info, I think I'll go with java ferns, I've heard quite a bit about them being good for those beginning with live plants so I think its worth a shot, I wanted to know the best way to have them higher up so that there would be some decoration higher up. Thanks again, I'll have to post pictures once I've got some in.

Callatya you're always so inventive!

One thing I've thought of for using with javafern but never tried was using some plastic mesh from a crafts store. I've seen it before but not since moving to Oz, looks like a screen but with much bigger holes and thicker plastic. Anyway, was thinking a piece of that cut to the size of the back or the tank, then tie on little bits of javafern (leave space so they can grow), and set it against the back of the tank. Back fill with some gravel to help hold it down, maybe some larger rocks if it floats too much and instant plant background.

I do like the suction cup idea though

^_^

I had the same problem with my 29 gallon tank (essentially a "tall" version of a 20g breeder). I had some hardscape driftwood that I could stack up to create more depth but also I personally love attaching plants to old corks, and as my parents are wine enthusiasts I had them in plenty. I usually boiled them before hand, to release anything nasty and get them to start to decay (good food source for any plant).

I attached mosses, ferns (java), and other floating plants to them using fishing line or a plastic mesh. fishing line tied to a rock or weight can help to hold them in place or you can let them just float around if there isn't a high flow.

Good luck!
-Brandon

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