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Scaping for Fish aswell as Aesthetics

OllieNZ

OllieNZ

Member
Joined
11 Nov 2009
Messages
990
Location
Witney, UK
Hi All
Im struggling to come up with scape ideas that will look good as aswell as providing a good home for the intended inhabitants.
Tank size is 1200 x 451 x 451 mm and the fish will be Altolamprologus calvus http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1578 which require a rock pile containing caves with tall narrow openings, Julidochromis transcriptus http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1536 which require a normal rock pile, and 'Lamprologus' brevis http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1743 which require an open sand area.
The Altos and Julies need to be at opposite ends of the tank to keep agro to a minimum.
Im considering a U shape scape but having trouble finding pics for inspiration.
Another issue is creating caves for the Altos that will look more natural than leaning a few bits of slate against the side of the tank.
Any pics or alternative ideas would be much appreciated :thumbup:
 
If I were scaping for the benefit of my fish, I wouldn't be following Amano's work.

For creating hidey holes, I arrange rocks in such a way that the areas for hiding are facing the back of the tank so it basically just looks like a regular rock pile from the front. No unsightly caverns.
 
Regarding the open space designs you are right but he's got plenty of others, especially if you look at his early works.

Cheers,
Mike
 
Hi all,
I'd landscape the rock in the same way a gardener would build a rock garden. if you can get hold of some thin bedded limestones ("Cotswold stone" slates or dry stone walling stone would be ideal), you could place them with the strata running in the same direction and fairly close to the horizontal (may be tilted 15o back to front). This should give you plenty of horizontal crevices, and by using a mix of stone size you should be able to create some thin crevices as well.

I think it is a big enough tank to allow you step the stone down (so that the strata disappear under the sand) and then have it appear again to build an outcrop at the other end of the tank.

I'd use a thin sheet of polystyrene, coated with silicon and sprinkled with sand, against the back glass and a thicker sheet (or egg crate) to line the aquarium base.

I couldn't find a landscaped tank, but this sort of idea:
<http://portraitsofalpineplants.com/The Rock Garden.htm>

Another possibility would be the "crevice garden" approach that has come from E. Europe and recently become popular.
<http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/diaries/Wisley/+November+/313/>

cheers Darrel
 
clonitza said:
Regarding the open space designs you are right but he's got plenty of others, especially if you look at his early works.

Cheers,
Mike
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'll change my initial statement to minimalist Iwagumi.
 
Thanks for the input, much appreciated :thumbup: ,
Darrel that crevice garden is pretty cool, I've never seen anything like it before, do you have any links to the end result?

Aqua-Forest-Aquariums-1.jpg

Source:http://rappin.wordpress.com/2008/11/04/aqua-forest-aquariums-aquascaping/

This is the closest I've found to what I'm trying to achieve.
After mulling it over for a bit I think I'm going to make the calvus caves out of foam this will create a solid block I can cover in substrate and plant without substrate falling into the caves and disguise the entrances with rockwork.
 
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