BB Deco

[joanr]

Well I really got sick of looking at the BB tank in my living room. Thought I'd experiment a little. I don't do plants and I'm not about to add gravel or sand so what would look different? Borrowed some ideas I've seen here on Simply. Got a few SeaGarden silk plants, a 2 dollar heart shaped glass dish at Walmart and some nice aquarium pebble stones and Voila! I think it brightens up the BB tank without being too much of a bother to clean. The discus in this tank are all teens now and I'm sure they will be ok with this in the tank. Yes I know I will have to clean it often.......

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=119&pictureid=1842

When Barb makes some more of her clay pots I'll try one for the other side. What I like with the glass is that you can see the rocks and it looks sorta cool when viewed from across the room.

[jeff@zina.com]

Frankly, the reason for a BB tank is the ease of cleaning. If you're going to add anything, it might as well be gravel and plants since you're taking away the only reason for having a bare bottom. Other than a perfect tan of course... :)

Jeff

[joanr]

Not the only reason, gravel and other ornaments tend to collect harmful bacteria, which is the main reason for BB when growing out juvies. Many people keep plants in clay pots for easy removal and cleaning. My guys are now young adults, fed less, less waste in the tank. Time to add a little something since this tank is in my living room.

I started this thread hoping to get some more ideas of what folks are doing to cheer up the BB tanks without going planted and laying down substrate. Anyone having some neat ideas please feel free to post pics! I'd love to see them.

[David Rose]

I would love to see pics Joan...it's always great to see the creative ideas that members come up with to decorate their tanks.

As for me, I've kept all my tanks rather sparse with only sand or BB. I have plenty of driftwood and silk & plastic plants, but clean up always is a pain, so they end up in storage after a few water changes....LOL

I've actually been thinking of making a custom sized stained glass wall panel for the back of my tank... a mosaic perhaps. That way it's decorative and nothing to move :p

PS: I've seen some neat tanks decorated with rows of terracotta pots...sometimes stacked. I'll look for some pictures. Maybe we could even get a contest started.

[joanr]

Yep, I'm into keepng it simple also. Just a potted plant arrangement in each corner of the tank. Doing the back wall with stained glass would be pretty cool! My fish have never seen a plant or anything other than a sponge filter/pre-filter and airline hose in their environment. Last night they were hovering around the plant, trying to see if it was edible, and then more or less just swimming around it to make sure it's not a threat. Today they are mostly ignoring it, but I like it....lol.

[kush]

I remember seeing a photo of an aquarium with a full-size real cat skeleton in it but, of course, I can't find it now.

[joanr]

I remember seeing a photo of an aquarium with a full-size real cat skeleton in it but, of course, I can't find it now.

I can't help but say the obvious, it must have been a Piranha tank! :D

[Disgirl]

Hey Joan, while growing out my younguns I have always had some plastic plants tied onto some plastic driftwood with some fishing line through some tiny holes I drilled in the wood. Never collected any nasties and the debris just collected around a couple places and I siphoned it away easily every day. Easy as pie and way better looking than a BB, to me anyway. But now that they are grown I am making the clay dishes to hold some gravel and live plants on top of the thin layer of pool sand I have in the 125 in our living room.
Barb

[joanr]

My fish are really curious about the silk plants. They go over every once in awhile and nudge them with their noses/mouths. I think they enjoy them being in there. I like those pots you made with the small clay driftwood looking appendage to the side. When I decide on a color scheme I'll get with you for a matching cone and dish!

[Ed13]

Barb, I like the look of that tank!

[Disgirl]

Barb, I like the look of that tank!

Thanks Ed! It has worked out really well for me and my fish!
Barb

[nc0gnet0]

I have succesfully used boh slate and marble tile in the bottoms of my tanks. Bare bottom ease without the bare bottom blah's. The trick is to use silicone just like you would use tile grout so nothing can get in the cracks.

On the backs I have been playing with both light diffuser panels ( the 2 x 4 plastic ones that fit in drop ceilings) and window cling (home depot has a nice sky pattern). Both allow light through without looking at your back wall.

[Foxfire]

The issue of planted or BB is not really one of bacteria but work. Plants and sand (Never gravel!) make cleaning harder but will also make healthier fish! Not exposing any animal to an array of typical bacteria will weaken their immune system in the long run and open them to illness later in life. This has been show for people and there is no way it is not true for fish.

If you slack on cleaning, yes, the nasty bacteria grown to dangerous levels but if you are cleaning after most meals and changing water every day in that process, I do not believe that this exposes discus to any significant bacteria levels but instead, helps them.

Still, for shear level of work, BB makes life easier and when I see what most owners do to keep good, clean well matched water for their discus I am in AWE of them (my water comes out pH 6.2. and DH 2 KH 3.)

My take on a complex issue that everyone has a good reason for their point of view - this is my $0.02 worth.:argue:

[joanr]

I think the issue of BB vs Planted or whatever has been hashed over hundreds of times on this forum. That's another topic. What I was looking for was just some ideas to brighten/decorate a BB tank that is going to stay BB. I understand your point of view and agree with it.

Alot can be done with the back of the tank besides just painting them light blue or whatever. The sky pattern film covering is a great idea, I'm going to look at that stuff next time I'm in the Depot. I have an unpainted 55 gal that I will be putting together later this summer and an alternative to paint or taped on backgrounds would be nice.
Marble is another good idea!