Fishyfanatic said:
I'm a fan of natural tanks. I prefer rocks and caves vs. statues and sunken ships.
I too like my tanks to be as close to the natural enviroment as possible, im also not a fan of garish fake plants or decor, but like fishyfanatic said its personal preference.
I love natural rocks and wood in my tanks.
For the rocks/slate in my tanks I visit a few quarrys in Wales and picked up a few chioce peices from the debris on the ground.
Yet you can find lovely large rocks anywhere really, even visiting your local garden center and find some exuiste peices.
Also I am a big fan of mopani wood, the colours are fantastic and from Aquarium shops it is not overly expensive, the colour of the wood is beautiful.
Yet on a budget a visit to a secluded beach can usually end up ina priceless find of some driftwood.
A hint with wood, try to find a peice that is arched or slightly curved, places for your bottom dweeling fish to hide away.
Living plants are a great investment too!
I have bought many small bunches of different types of plants and have had much success with them.
I have even managed to plant, not only all my aquariums with the plants but a friend of mines as well.
The most prolific growers for me are Java Fern, Java Moss and Amazon Sword Plants.
You will find that the more natural the aquarium is, the more appealing it is to the eye.[/b]