Freshwater environment question

[westward13]

Everything in my tank is up and running great... I took a couple of pictures and brought my camera in to work to show a couple of buddies and one of them said that it looks more like a saltwater tank. To be honest, I suppose it does. In preparation for the stingray I hope to get sometime down the road, I used the play sand as my substrate... for my background, I bought one of the double-sided blue/black backgrounds and decided to use the blue since it looked much nicer in the tank with the light colored sand... to go along with the blue background and light sand, I added 2 large and 1 medium fake (but cool-looking) palm trees, a rock cave and a matching rock ornament next to it.

What potential problems could I have with using my "beach scene" for freshwater fish? I'm also going to add some fake plants in there to provide some additional cover but will I be ok with the way it's set up? Is it some kind of freshwater faux pas to leave it as it is?

 

[BrianNY]

No faux pas at all, it's a matter of your personal taste. . Most times the decorations are there to please the hobbyist, not the fish.

I do think a bare tank is better for stingrays however. Easier to keep the tank clean, and nothing for them to injure themselves on.

 

[Menagerie]

My fish use the fake plants and driftwood I have in the tanks. Having never kept stingrays, I'm not sure what to say. What over fish are going in the tank?

 

[westward13]

I'm planning to start out with Opaline Gouramis, Giant Danios and Dalmation Mollies(probably 3 of each). Over time, I'd like to add a couple of Black Fin Sharks, an Ornate Bichir and possibly a Pleco or two(although I don't want there to be too many bottom dwellers at this point).

 

[Menagerie]

Now I remember. If you are adding a common pleco, keep it at one--they can and will reach over a foot long! Mine is currently around 7-8" and growing As he gets bigger, I will have to arrange the rocks so he can swim in the 80 gal.
If you don't want fry, get all male Mollies. Livebearers store sperm, so even if you buy only females, you may have fry a month later. Or, you may want the fry as live food.