Southwest Aquarium

[QTOFFER]

My livingroom is decorated with a desert Southwest theme. I have Navajo rugs and pottery as well as minerals from Tucson and Bisbee, AZ. I even have a seven-foot-tall plastic/silk saguaro cactus that I ordered online!! 8)

Now, I am thinking of adding some Southwest flair to my aquarium. I already have a dark brown natural pebble sunstrate and lots of interesting sandstone in the tank.

I am thinking of replacing my resin driftwood with real cholla wood.
http://www.seashellcity.com/crabs/chollawood.html
Of course, I would have to boil it first and I would imagine that it would behave much like real driftwood with fewer tannins. The corys and danios would probably love swimming through it.
Does anyone have cholla in their tank?

I am also looking for a cast resin reproduction of a small cow skull. Anybody ever see one? I would be reluctant to put real bone in my tank for the same reasons I would not put coral in there - pH and hardness issues.

If anyone has any ideas how to make an aquarium look like the desert Southwest (besides removing all the water, LOL ), please post your ideas!

 

[Christmasfish]

SW lok

Try the red rock, or Sedona look. Put some of those high narrow cave/ledge decorations at the rear. get some tumble weedy looking aquatic plants (i see them in marine..not sure on fresh)
And a fake wagon wheel or population sign...heh!

 

[RogerMcAllen]

Plastic childrens toys should be safe for the aquarium if they are safe to put in the childs mouth. Perhaps you could pick up one of those miniature ranch sets like they put around model trains.

 

[QTOFFER]

I'm giving this thread a bump so the folks from AZ and NM can post suggestions on how to make an aquarium resemble a desert landscape!

 

[Christmasfish]

heh maybe you can make up a sign like the one in Apache Junction.
Snake Hole Golf course. 18 holes. Not responsible for snakebites. Do not harrass snakes....
<-----Was an Arizonan for 8 years....now in Washington state..Brrr!

 

[millipede]

southwest...

Southwest huh? You could always use arrowheads for gravel... Well, that might not be practical but it would look nice. Could a person carve something out of wood and then treat it as driftwood, as in, soak and boil the heck out of it,? I've been thinking of carving stuff myself for aquariums but I'm not sure what would be the best wood. If it is something that could be done and someone didn't have the tools, time, or patience to try it, I'd be willing to create something for them... I think a totem pole would be pretty cool in a fish tank. How about mount wannahackalugie... however you spell that... That skull thing sounds like a good idea... Desert... cacti and rattlesnakes is what comes to mind...

 

[QTOFFER]

I've got a nice big piece of rainbow sandstone in there.

Arrowheads are a good idea, maybe not as gravel - too expensive lol - but a few scattered around would look cool.

I've seen some cool ironwood carvings, but I'm not sure what ironwood would do to my water - probably turn it dark red!

 

[mortiss]

Funny, I just read this thread after stopping in at PetsMart today where I saw one of those reversible backgrounds for the aquariums and one side had a desert scene complete with cactus and yucca etc! So there's a thought...

 

[madasafish]

Yeah, I've seen some Cholla wood on the net before. Beautiful stuff. I'd be careful--see if it floats or sinks. You could always weigh it down, of course

Spent some time in AZ myself (a friend fell on a cholla, actually--ouch!).

Def. think that the substrate should be nice silica sand.

 

[Christmasfish]

Found Anything yet?
Saw some cute stuff on eBay. Normally no one would touch it, but SW is just where your fish are heading..