40g hex front, first ever - Aquarium Advice

matthewvl · 06-27-2006, 12:30 PM

Here are some pics of my first ever setup which I was given from a friend who was moving. I'm only moderately pleased with the setup, I would love some suggestions. people seem to have creative rock structures they have built or unique drift wood setups. i feel like my tank is pretty generic. i'm obviously willing to remove some things or add other stuff so help me out. I'm also looking for lighting tips. I have a generic hood with one tube light in it. Are there any specific types of bulbs or other tricks that could bring out colors more or make the colors more unique for a nice effect. I have a fluval 205 and a top fin 150 watt heater 12inch heater. This stuff was given to me so I'm not sure but is this stuff any good?

Sorry for the lack of quality and glare problems, I'm far from a good photo taker.

ok so i tried attaching the pictures but they don't seem to show up so ill just post links.

http://matthewvl.googlepages.com/PICT0662.JPG

http://matthewvl.googlepages.com/PICT0665.JPG

http://matthewvl.googlepages.com/PICT0667.JPG

http://matthewvl.googlepages.com/PICT0671.JPG

dskidmore · 06-28-2006, 05:45 PM

Are any of those plants real, or are they all artificial?

You might want to check out the aquascaping topic for ideas on layout and decoration. I personally am working on building a major driftwood feature.(My aquascaping thread)

For a minimal investment, you can try getting bulbs of a slightly diffrent color. The major choices are "warm" "cool" and "daylight". The warm and cool bulbs are pretty cheap to experiment with. Daylight bulbs usually cost more but have a nearly white appearance. Shop at your hardware store rather than your local fish store for better selection and prices on bulbs.

As for glare in photos: darken the room, turn the aquarium lights on, and leave the camera flash off.

MattAquaBio · 06-29-2006, 01:23 AM

I think it looks really good ^^.
I personally like the look of either black or dark blue gravel or sand with a black background and nice vibrant colored vegitation. The black background really brings out the color of the plants, and i just like the way the gravel looks lol.
If you wanted like a tall rock work type thing you could go to wal-mart and buy some rocks (or just collect some if you live in the south like me.) get a chizel and break the pieces to the right size. Then glue them together (with silicon i believe, but i am probably wrong about that) in the shapes you want. You could do like a tall rock structure with lots of little caves from them to either hide in or swim through. Shrug.
I saw a thread earlier where someone had shaped a background out of styrofoam, it was really good.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=31078
Thats the link.
Heres one on rock formations
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=56160
Anyway, like i said your tank looks great ^^. HTH.

dskidmore · 06-29-2006, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattAquaBio

...Then glue them together (with silicon i believe, but i am probably wrong about that)

Silicone is fine for that purpose. There are also several "epoxy" glues on the market that are waterproof and don't have fumes after they cure. Aquastick is another choice found in some pet stores.

06-27-2006, 12:30 PM	#1
matthewvl Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 16	40g hex front, first ever Here are some pics of my first ever setup which I was given from a friend who was moving. I'm only moderately pleased with the setup, I would love some suggestions. people seem to have creative rock structures they have built or unique drift wood setups. i feel like my tank is pretty generic. i'm obviously willing to remove some things or add other stuff so help me out. I'm also looking for lighting tips. I have a generic hood with one tube light in it. Are there any specific types of bulbs or other tricks that could bring out colors more or make the colors more unique for a nice effect. I have a fluval 205 and a top fin 150 watt heater 12inch heater. This stuff was given to me so I'm not sure but is this stuff any good? Sorry for the lack of quality and glare problems, I'm far from a good photo taker. ok so i tried attaching the pictures but they don't seem to show up so ill just post links. http://matthewvl.googlepages.com/PICT0662.JPG http://matthewvl.googlepages.com/PICT0665.JPG http://matthewvl.googlepages.com/PICT0667.JPG http://matthewvl.googlepages.com/PICT0671.JPG

06-28-2006, 05:45 PM	#2
dskidmore Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Genesee Valley Posts: 2,290 Images: 1	Are any of those plants real, or are they all artificial? You might want to check out the aquascaping topic for ideas on layout and decoration. I personally am working on building a major driftwood feature.(My aquascaping thread) For a minimal investment, you can try getting bulbs of a slightly diffrent color. The major choices are "warm" "cool" and "daylight". The warm and cool bulbs are pretty cheap to experiment with. Daylight bulbs usually cost more but have a nearly white appearance. Shop at your hardware store rather than your local fish store for better selection and prices on bulbs. As for glare in photos: darken the room, turn the aquarium lights on, and leave the camera flash off. __________________ 75 gallon freshwater Baby shrimp sighted! 2.5 Gallon unpowered freshwater now with high light 0.25 gallon palmtop doomed to an unlit end?

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06-29-2006, 01:23 AM	#3
MattAquaBio Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: north Georgia Posts: 199	I think it looks really good ^^. I personally like the look of either black or dark blue gravel or sand with a black background and nice vibrant colored vegitation. The black background really brings out the color of the plants, and i just like the way the gravel looks lol. If you wanted like a tall rock work type thing you could go to wal-mart and buy some rocks (or just collect some if you live in the south like me.) get a chizel and break the pieces to the right size. Then glue them together (with silicon i believe, but i am probably wrong about that) in the shapes you want. You could do like a tall rock structure with lots of little caves from them to either hide in or swim through. Shrug. I saw a thread earlier where someone had shaped a background out of styrofoam, it was really good. http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=31078 Thats the link. Heres one on rock formations http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=56160 Anyway, like i said your tank looks great ^^. HTH.