It's Time to Start Thinking About Aquascaping & Theming Our 60 Gallon Goldie Tank...

[ArtesiaWells]

UPDATE (No Pics Yet):

Okay. Did a 50% water change earlier and took the opportunity, while the water was lower, to add the Bonzai tree we got from Pet-not-so-Smart which I have been providing pictures of throughout the thread (and this forum as a whole)...

I am going to get pictures up of what this looks like as soon as I can but for now, let me attempt to describe it -- I placed the Bonzai tree to the LEFT of the bridge, as discussed (the bridge is kind of on an angle towards the left side of the tank) but in order to make the long "reaching arm branch" of this tree decor lean or reach over the bridge as suggested to do by Alyxx, the tree must sit too far away from the bridge due to the massive base it's attached to...it just looked ridiculous and not "right." I was forced, to make this work in this overtly narrow tank, to turn the tree around so that the "reaching arm branches" face the OTHER way, away from the bridge, which I am not sure looks all that good...

To be honest, when I look at this tank, in the status it's in, it doesn't really scream "Asian" or "Zen" to me, at all -- I don't know if this will ever come together, or if we need a different Bonsai tree/plant to surround this bridge, but at the moment, I just don't see it...and we have a good amount of money devoted in the "Asian" style ornaments...

These are some other Bonsai plants we can consider to surround the bridge:

There was also a somewhat taller, straighter Bonsai tree similar to the one we bought, but which didn't "reach out" like the one we purchased does...

 

[ArtesiaWells]

UPDATE:

My newly-started thread about the redecoration process for this tank doesn't seem to be getting any traffic whatsoever, so perhaps bringing it back to this original thread would help...

In continuing to think about the "shipwreck" retheming, if we continue to not be able to pull this Zen/Asian thing off, here are the ships I think it's come down to in terms of a centerpiece decoration ornament (I believe they're all made by Penn-Plax, who seems to be the only name, outside of Petsmart's own Top Fin and such, still doing quality resin decorations):

The "Galleon" Two-Piece:

The "PIRATE TREASURE SHIP" with the gold coins spilling out, also sold in two pieces:

The "SUNKEN GARDENS SHIPWRECK" which I had discussed with Kim in our membership roster here, also sold in two pieces and which comes with silk plants attached:

Then, of course, there's the "STRIPED SAILS PIRATE SHIP" also sold in two pieces and which I have seen in pictures in people's tanks:

Here are my thoughts regarding these: I am leaning towards the "Pirate Treasure Ship" because I think the gold coin pieces spilling from it would look cool against my natural-colored gravel and perhaps a dark background on the tank...

I don't know if I am digging the "Sunken Gardens Shipwreck" even though it comes with some plants already attached because it's hard to make out that this is even a ship of some kind when you first look at it -- it's almost as if the detail is "obscured" or "confusing"...

I like the giant striped sail ship and though this is definitely the "cheesiest" one, there's something about it that seems like it would just make sense -- maybe it's the sheer size of it and that I can picture it taking up a great deal of room in our tank so it would be a real centerpiece...plus, as I stated, I have seen images of this particular ship in people's setups...

Here's something else I have been contemplating: What if I utilized that "tree stump" decoration piece that I removed from the tank when I thought we were going with the "natural" theme and somehow incorporated it into the shipwreck setup? Perhaps place the stump in the middle, with the two pieces of broken ship off to its sides, like an underwater stump had "grown" between the shipwreck? What are your thoughts?

 

[ArtesiaWells]

UPDATE:

Well, we recently returned a "premium cat bungalow" we bought from Petco's online store, and now have about 77 bucks in store credit -- I was thinking of maybe buying that two-piece "Sunken Gardens Shipwreck" set made by Penn-Plax and sold by Petco, as it comes to 80 bucks for the two large pieces in a set, though I'm not really sure if this is the ship I really LOVE; what do you all think? The large pieces of THIS set:

Do you guys think this can work as a centerpiece for my 60 gallon, just adding some plants around it? Does it look "fairly natural"?

 

[Sharpchick]

UPDATE:

Well, we recently returned a "premium cat bungalow" we bought from Petco's online store, and now have about 77 bucks in store credit -- I was thinking of maybe buying that two-piece "Sunken Gardens Shipwreck" set made by Penn-Plax and sold by Petco, as it comes to 80 bucks for the two large pieces in a set, though I'm not really sure if this is the ship I really LOVE; what do you all think? The large pieces of THIS set:

Do you guys think this can work as a centerpiece for my 60 gallon, just adding some plants around it? Does it look "fairly natural"?

Take this with a grain of salt please, as we all have our personal preferences.

I don't do "themed" tanks - mine are all densely planted (and yes, when my ryukins were in the 29 gallon before they went to the pond, their tank was densely planted) with no decorations per se, with the exception of driftwood and rocks.

But even on a theme, a real shipwreck like that would be in the ocean, not in freshwater. And the plants on it would be saltwater barnacles, corals, etc., not freshwater plants. So for me, even in a themed tank, that decoration is not realistic.

But it's not my tank - it's yours. If you and your wife love it, then do it. You two are the ones at the end of a hard day who will sit down with the beverage of your choice and relax while watching your fish.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Take this with a grain of salt please, as we all have our personal preferences.

I don't do "themed" tanks - mine are all densely planted (and yes, when my ryukins were in the 29 gallon before they went to the pond, their tank was densely planted) with no decorations per se, with the exception of driftwood and rocks.

But even on a theme, a real shipwreck like that would be in the ocean, not in freshwater. And the plants on it would be saltwater barnacles, corals, etc., not freshwater plants. So for me, even in a themed tank, that decoration is not realistic.

But it's not my tank - it's yours. If you and your wife love it, then do it. You two are the ones at the end of a hard day who will sit down with the beverage of your choice and relax while watching your fish.

Thank you for your honest opinion, Sharp; I see what you're saying, and you're right -- a shipwreck, almost by altruistic definition, would be in a saltwater environment...however, we can suspend disbelief here a bit and imagine, perhaps, a ship getting sunk in a large fresh water body and in so doing, try to make a wreck look as "authentic" as possible...

That being said, can you "see" these pieces in the 60 gallon, kind of centerpieced in with tall plants around it? Does this look more "realistic," in a way, compared to, say, the ships that suggest "pirate crews" were aboard them and the like?

 

[Sharpchick]

Not to me. But as I said, you don't have to please anyone but yourselves. It's your tank.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Anyone else with any input with regard to this Penn-Plax ship set?

 

[SandyCheeks]

Also -- I'd like some feedback with regard to whether everyone else (who hasn't commented about this) thinks I can use the natural-colored "polished pebble" substrate I have in the tank now with either the shipwreck OR castle theme or not...

Ideally, I would think the castle theme would work with black or black and purple gravel, or perhaps purplish gravel by itself...but can I pull it off with the natural colored pebble?

Can the pebble, for that matter, be used with the Asian theme or the shipwreck setup?

Hi!
Just reading some of your posts and thought I would jump in here to offer my two cents.

Substrate: you had asked somewhere about sand with goldfish and many use it with no problems, but when I tried it 2 of my goldfish got bloat issues where they couldn't even swim to the top. I think they swallowed too much sand. So I took out the sand and no bloat issues.
I really like a combination of gravel and pebbles, it looks very natural.
Color: personally I don't like bright colored substrate unless it's for a kids room. I would go with black or a natural colored gravel and add some pebbles and rocks here and there. I don't think a purple gravel would look ok with natural pebbles.

Background:
Somewhere you asked about the self clinging backgrounds. I am using a self cling background, an underwater Ruin coliseum and I really like it. They also have solid blue or black. It works much better than the kind of background you tape on. It clings to the glass so you can see the design better, sort of like how a screen protector goes on you phone. You can pull it off and re-apply. I'll try find a photo of my tank to show you how it looks. You can see the colosseum on the left and the rays of light on the left. (I love the rays of light)

Once I used a gel for attaching a standard background. I don't recommend it. At first the background looked ok, but then it started getting lots of areas with bubbles and it was letting loose. Now I want to paint it and have all that gunky goo to remove.

I painted the back of my new 75g and LOVE LOVE it. Used a med blue craft paint and a roller. The goldfish and plants look great against the solid blue color. Have you thought of painting the back? It's really easy to do and comes off easy with a razor blade.

Black is a wonderful background color for goldfish because it makes their bright colors stand out. I think black or navy blue would be a perfect background with the shipwreck theme you are talking about. (also black hides any filters hanging inside.)

Cling on background photo, sorry about the sun shining on it:

 

[SandyCheeks]

UPDATE (No Pics Yet):

To be honest, when I look at this tank, in the status it's in, it doesn't really scream "Asian" or "Zen" to me, at all -- I don't know if this will ever come together, or if we need a different Bonsai tree/plant to surround this bridge, but at the moment, I just don't see it...and we have a good amount of money devoted in the "Asian" style ornaments...
.

Yes, I like that ship very much. IF you liked another ship better (and I think you do) you can always use the store credit for something else later. But dont get it just cuz you have credit. My motto is don't buy anything unless you love it.

Here's my honest opinion(if I'm too forward, tell me to go fly a kite)
it seems like you are not loving the current setup which is causing some frustrations because you have spent a chunk of money and really don't want to keep spending. Right? The Zen set up is not cutting it.

Here's the thing, make it so YOU like it. It should be something that makes you feel peaceful, like you could just sit there for hours watching it, something you look at with pride. Ask your wife to trust you on this, that she will like this when it's all done. (I have to say that to my hubby sometimes) Then just do it!

You like the ships, so go with that theme.

Sell the Zen-ish items on ebay. You can get good money for clean, like new aquarium decor. Or will the store take them back? Not sure on that.

Get the ship you like the best. . . . Which one just popped into your mind? That's the one! (was it the one with the gold pieces falling out? That ship is awesome !)

Use the ship for the main focus, off center to the right. Use a dark solid background. Put some tall seaweed-looking plants in groupings in the back.. The plants should be a bright or medium green only, no funky weird colors. Add some pieces of driftwood, lay them around the ship. Put a couple large rocks on the other side (the big rocks that caused the shipwreck.) Put some smaller plants around the rocks. Add some smaller rocks in groupings. Add foreground plants. For a cool effect add one of those flex LED bubble wands with blue lights, put it on the bottom behind the ship. It will look like the ship is leaking air and the blue led will give it a ghostly effect at night. Keep it simple, not cluttered with too many fake decorations.

If you use real rocks it will not cost anything. Also you could use the pebbles that you have, they would look nice. If you use a bright gravel, thats what people see first, but I want them to notice my beautiful fish first, not the gravel. Another suggestion? Maybe stop searching online so much. Its good to get ideas but sometimes you need to step back, i get confused with too many choices! So then I go for a walk and find a nice black volcanic rock. One afternoon my parents and I went to the river and looked around for rocks. It was a beautiful spring day. What I mean is you don't have to spend a lot to have an aquarium you love.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Hi!
Just reading some of your posts and thought I would jump in here to offer my two cents.

Hello, Sandy! Thanks for your input; much appreciated that you took the time to share it...what part of Nevada are you in?

Substrate: you had asked somewhere about sand with goldfish and many use it with no problems, but when I tried it 2 of my goldfish got bloat issues where they couldn't even swim to the top. I think they swallowed too much sand. So I took out the sand and no bloat issues.
I really like a combination of gravel and pebbles, it looks very natural.
Color: personally I don't like bright colored substrate unless it's for a kids room. I would go with black or a natural colored gravel and add some pebbles and rocks here and there. I don't think a purple gravel would look ok with natural pebbles.

Okay, well so being that my goldies are always at one time or another suffering from a swim bloat issue (one of them suffers from this condition on an almost chronic basis but is otherwise okay), do you recommend against sand? Right now, we have this "natural polished pebble" substrate:

Do you think this can continue to work with a shipwreck theme?

Background:
Somewhere you asked about the self clinging backgrounds. I am using a self cling background, an underwater Ruin coliseum and I really like it. They also have solid blue or black. It works much better than the kind of background you tape on. It clings to the glass so you can see the design better, sort of like how a screen protector goes on you phone. You can pull it off and re-apply. I'll try find a photo of my tank to show you how it looks. You can see the colosseum on the left and the rays of light on the left. (I love the rays of light)

Once I used a gel for attaching a standard background. I don't recommend it. At first the background looked ok, but then it started getting lots of areas with bubbles and it was letting loose. Now I want to paint it and have all that gunky goo to remove.

I painted the back of my new 75g and LOVE LOVE it. Used a med blue craft paint and a roller. The goldfish and plants look great against the solid blue color. Have you thought of painting the back? It's really easy to do and comes off easy with a razor blade.

Black is a wonderful background color for goldfish because it makes their bright colors stand out. I think black or navy blue would be a perfect background with the shipwreck theme you are talking about. (also black hides any filters hanging inside.)

Cling on background photo, sorry about the sun shining on it:

Thanks for the photo; yeah, I think I'd like to go with a cling-on type background because I don't want to deal with the mess of taping one to the back of the glass...for my particular tank which is 48 inches long, where can I find a cling that is cut exactly to these dimensions?

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Yes, I like that ship very much. IF you liked another ship better (and I think you do) you can always use the store credit for something else later. But dont get it just cuz you have credit. My motto is don't buy anything unless you love it.

Indeed; I am weighing that possibility right now -- that perhaps we can use the credit for something else down the line...we're going to eventually get another canine (ours passed away about five months ago) so I'm sure it will go to use...and, even if I did use the credit, I would STILL have to shell out an extra couple of bucks for the large sized pieces...

You do like the Petco/Penn-Plax "Sunken Gardens" piece?

Here's my honest opinion(if I'm too forward, tell me to go fly a kite)
it seems like you are not loving the current setup which is causing some frustrations because you have spent a chunk of money and really don't want to keep spending. Right? The Zen set up is not cutting it.

I would NEVER -- EVER -- tell ANYONE to "go fly a kite" or any such rhetoric for sharing with me their opinions...THAT is exactly what I asked for in this thread, and I appreciate all and any input. So please don't ever think you cannot express your opinions -- I feel the same way about SharpChick's replies before you; it's clear she is of the opinion that these decorations don't belong in tanks because it should be totally natural...and I TOTALLY accept and understand that viewpoint...

With regard to the current setup, I just don't know; the original plan was to do an "Asian" inspired theme because of the goldfish and their historical legacies...but as we started to piece these elements together, it just didn't flow...I don't know...we have a bridge on one side of the tank with a Bonsai tree "shading" it and on the other is a Chinese "gazebo" hut we got at Petco which a couple of the goldies like swimming through...but when you look at the tank, it's like...what's going on here?

I have always loved the "shipwreck" theme in a tank -- whether salt or fresh water -- and I was hoping to maybe try to create a "natural" wreck scape following in the footsteps of hobbyists that make these natural themed tanks with tree stumps and the like but substitute some of the logs, caves, etc. with the shipwreck pieces...

Here's the thing, make it so YOU like it. It should be something that makes you feel peaceful, like you could just sit there for hours watching it, something you look at with pride. Ask your wife to trust you on this, that she will like this when it's all done. (I have to say that to my hubby sometimes) Then just do it!

LOL, indeed; and right now, the tank, to be honest, isn't all that "peaceful" to look at what with the heavy water return flow from our HOB filters, the strong streams of bubbles from the two bars that are in there and the constant "grinding" noise of the bubbles being sucked into my AquaClear 110...

You like the ships, so go with that theme.

I think that's been established; we kind of scrapped the idea of the castles because they were REALLY sharp and looked dangerous for the goldfish...we kind of narrowed the themes down to the shipwreck or the Greek ruins (which would take a LOT of money to do)...my wife wants the Greek ruins of Atlantis, which can look cool, but I'd rather do that in the next tank setup...

Sell the Zen-ish items on ebay. You can get good money for clean, like new aquarium decor. Or will the store take them back? Not sure on that.

I don't think they'll take them back, but we're probably just going to hold on to the pieces we remove incase we ever want to start a theme like that up again...

Get the ship you like the best. . . . Which one just popped into your mind? That's the one! (was it the one with the gold pieces falling out? That ship is awesome !)

Do you really like the one with the gold pieces? Penn-Plax calls that the "Pirate Treasure Ship"...something is veering me away from that, though; like it's too....I don't know...childish...

I'm looking for a more "mature" wreck theme to, as I said, kind of "substitute" itself for the usual driftwood, etc. you see in natural themed tanks.

Use the ship for the main focus, off center to the right. Use a dark solid background. Put some tall seaweed-looking plants in groupings in the back.. The plants should be a bright or medium green only, no funky weird colors. Add some pieces of driftwood, lay them around the ship. Put a couple large rocks on the other side (the big rocks that caused the shipwreck.) Put some smaller plants around the rocks. Add some smaller rocks in groupings. Add foreground plants. For a cool effect add one of those flex LED bubble wands with blue lights, put it on the bottom behind the ship. It will look like the ship is leaking air and the blue led will give it a ghostly effect at night. Keep it simple, not cluttered with too many fake decorations.

THANK YOU for this detailed procedure -- this is EXACTLY what I have been looking for with regard to assisting me scape! Okay, so even if we got the THREE PIECE Spanish Galleon from Foster & Smith, put the wreck off towards the right, off-center?

If you use real rocks it will not cost anything. Also you could use the pebbles that you have, they would look nice. If you use a bright gravel, thats what people see first, but I want them to notice my beautiful fish first, not the gravel. Another suggestion? Maybe stop searching online so much. Its good to get ideas but sometimes you need to step back, i get confused with too many choices! So then I go for a walk and find a nice black volcanic rock. One afternoon my parents and I went to the river and looked around for rocks. It was a beautiful spring day. What I mean is you don't have to spend a lot to have an aquarium you love.

You have been SO helpful -- THANK YOU!

Do you really think the natural-colored gravel we have now will be okay?

 

[SandyCheeks]

Hello, Sandy! Thanks for your input; much appreciated that you took the time to share it...what part of Nevada are you in?

Okay, well so being that my goldies are always at one time or another suffering from a swim bloat issue (one of them suffers from this condition on an almost chronic basis but is otherwise okay), do you recommend against sand? Right now, we have this "natural polished pebble" substrate:

Do you think this can continue to work with a shipwreck theme?

Thanks for the photo; yeah, I think I'd like to go with a cling-on type background because I don't want to deal with the mess of taping one to the back of the glass...for my particular tank which is 48 inches long, where can I find a cling that is cut exactly to these dimensions?

So glad you werent gonna tell me to go fly a kite. althoooooooogh it is a perfect summer day . .
.We live in northern Nevada, high Sierras, very dry but wildly beautiful country. Wild Mustangs, coyotes howling at night, scorpions, rattlesnakes, you get the picture. ever been?

Glad if I can help in any little way. It helps sometimes to get a second set of eye balls. This is one long thread!

Yes, the polished pebbles would look great with the shipwreck. When you get your ships, set them on it to see then how it looks before doing the whole tank. The pebbles hold alot of your good bacteria and it could cause an ammonia spike if removed. That happened to me. Any changes will upset your balance. Maybe switch out a part of the substrate at a time if you decide to change it.

Really don't recommend to go with sand if your goldfish have bloat issues like mine. Mine are sweet but not too bright and I know they ate too much sand.

I like the Sunken Garden, very natural looking with the plants, but you're right it may look too natural so it might be hard to tell what it is. Do you know what size it is? The med. 3 pc Spanish Galleon would be a very good fit for your tank, it's large and detailed. Go with the 3 pc set. Don't center it exactly in the tank, that looks too staged. The rule of thirds is most times more interesting than dead on centering.

We ordered the background from Amazon.. It's called Aquatic Creations Static Cling Aquarium Background but don't think these would be long enough to fit your tank. Noticed that pet smart online now sells cling backgrounds. maybe worth a try?

I know what you mean about noisy HOB's (that sounds like a cuss word) and air pumps. For my 75g, I'm using a Fluval 306 canister. It is sooooo quiet. Does not cause any problems for the goldfish with the flow being too strong. Works really well, lots of room for bb media, and no stinky smells cuz it's enclosed. But also added an Aqueon HOB just to use for floss, aeration and to get the water moving. Plus I do I like the water fall sound of the Aqueons. Adding the Aqueon meant I could remove the noisy air pump.

What do you think of plants like these?

 

[ArtesiaWells]

So glad you werent gonna tell me to go fly a kite. althoooooooogh it is a perfect summer day . .

No -- as I said, I would NEVER do that...especially since I have been ASKING for opinions...

We live in northern Nevada, high Sierras, very dry but wildly beautiful country. Wild Mustangs, coyotes howling at night, scorpions, rattlesnakes, you get the picture. ever been?

Ever been down to Henderson?

Glad if I can help in any little way. It helps sometimes to get a second set of eye balls. This is one long thread!

Indeed, and I am sorry for that; I may consolidate it by starting another with JUST the kinds of ships I am considering for this redecoration...

Yes, the polished pebbles would look great with the shipwreck. When you get your ships, set them on it to see then how it looks before doing the whole tank. The pebbles hold alot of your good bacteria and it could cause an ammonia spike if removed. That happened to me. Any changes will upset your balance. Maybe switch out a part of the substrate at a time if you decide to change it.

Yeah; I don't think we're gonna change the gravel...we spent a good deal of money on it and figured the pebble would be "neutral enough to go with anything"...

Really don't recommend to go with sand if your goldfish have bloat issues like mine. Mine are sweet but not too bright and I know they ate too much sand.

LOL; I know what you mean....they do have that "puppy dog like" characteristic but they are so clumsy as they swim around!

I'll stick with the gravel then, thanks...

I like the Sunken Garden, very natural looking with the plants, but you're right it may look too natural so it might be hard to tell what it is. Do you know what size it is? The med. 3 pc Spanish Galleon would be a very good fit for your tank, it's large and detailed. Go with the 3 pc set. Don't center it exactly in the tank, that looks too staged. The rule of thirds is most times more interesting than dead on centering.

Here's the page link with the info on those ships:

Penn Plax Sunken Gardens Shipwreck Aquarium Décor at PETCO

Apparently, one piece of the ship is 15 inches long, and the other is 10, but the length of my tank is about 48 inches...so it won't fill in "the whole thing"....still, I think this is okay, no?

The thing with the Sunken Gardens kit is exactly what we have been talking about -- the thing looks SO natural it's difficult to even make out that it's a ship...and that's what turns my wife off about it too. She looks at the pictures and is like "I just don't see anything....it's like, what am I looking at?" And I tend to agree the more I look at this set...

You don't think the LARGE three-piece Galleon set would be better than the MEDIUM? Let's look at some dimensions here and analyze this:

Aquarium decorations and ornaments: Zanusa Aquatics Sunken Galleon at Foster & Smith Aquatics

Do you see the MEDIUM being large enough for my tank?

We ordered the background from Amazon.. It's called Aquatic Creations Static Cling Aquarium Background but don't think these would be long enough to fit your tank. Noticed that pet smart online now sells cling backgrounds. maybe worth a try?

Are there ANY Aquatic Creations that are larger for a tank my size? Yes, I have considered PetSmart online...

I know what you mean about noisy HOB's (that sounds like a cuss word)

Indeed...LOL...

and air pumps. For my 75g, I'm using a Fluval 306 canister. It is sooooo quiet. Does not cause any problems for the goldfish with the flow being too strong. Works really well, lots of room for bb media, and no stinky smells cuz it's enclosed. But also added an Aqueon HOB just to use for floss, aeration and to get the water moving. Plus I do I like the water fall sound of the Aqueons. Adding the Aqueon meant I could remove the noisy air pump.

Our HOBs are not really "noisy" on their own -- it's just because the bubbles from the bar beneath the intake is making microbubbles by being sucked into the AquaClear filter. I like the Aqueons, and have a QuietFlow 55 on my 60 gallon...the only bad part is replacing the cartridges. The water flow of the Aqueons is insane, with an AGGRESSIVE ripple across the surface of the water...

What do you think of plants like these?

I like them and think I already have some of them...

 

[Alyxx]

You know my vote - if it's going to be a ship I like the Drs. Foster and Smith one. Looks realistic and aged, but still recognizable as a ship. And I like the idea of the rocks and the plants around the ship.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

You know my vote - if it's going to be a ship I like the Drs. Foster and Smith one. Looks realistic and aged, but still recognizable as a ship. And I like the idea of the rocks and the plants around the ship.

As always, thanks Al...indeed, I too am steering -- no pun intended -- towards the three-piece from Foster and Smith....I just wish I had a "store credit" for that place...

I agree about the rocks and plants too; it was a great suggestion...I would get the pieces in and then work in accessories like that...

Just out of curiosity, remind me again why you don't really lean towards the Penn-Plax "Sunken Gardens" set?

 

[Alyxx]

As always, thanks Al...indeed, I too am steering -- no pun intended -- towards the three-piece from Foster and Smith....I just wish I had a "store credit" for that place...

I agree about the rocks and plants too; it was a great suggestion...I would get the pieces in and then work in accessories like that...

Just out of curiosity, remind me again why you don't really lean towards the Penn-Plax "Sunken Gardens" set?

Same reason you aren't totally fond of it. It's kind of hard to tell what it is supposed to be. Hard to work around a theme when you can't tell what it is supposed to be. Plus if it was my tank, I would prefer to pick my own plastic plants to stick around it.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Same reason you aren't totally fond of it. It's kind of hard to tell what it is supposed to be. Hard to work around a theme when you can't tell what it is supposed to be. Plus if it was my tank, I would prefer to pick my own plastic plants to stick around it.

I hear what you're saying about the plants, but to me this was actually a PLUS because it meant I kind of had something to "start with" when the ship went in, ya know?

I didn't think the silk plants attached to the pieces looked all that bad; but regardless, I have been hearing these things eventually come off anyway...

 

[SandyCheeks]

Ever been down to Henderson?

Yep, I've been through there! Do they still have that big roller coaster?

I like the spanish ship the best, too. Your wife is right about the Sunken one, it would end up looking like a chunk of driftwood. With the large size you would have about 16 inches wiggle room? That would enough for positioning it and spacing?

OT: How are you able to respond to parts of my reply at a time? When I do a "new reply" it puts the entire reply in quotes. I'm using the iPad app.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Yep, I've been through there! Do they still have that big roller coaster?

Near the Galleria?

I like the spanish ship the best, too. Your wife is right about the Sunken one, it would end up looking like a chunk of driftwood. With the large size you would have about 16 inches wiggle room? That would enough for positioning it and spacing?

THAT'S precisely what I was thinking and a good way of putting it -- the Sunken Gardens Shipwreck would end up looking like a couple of pieces of driftwood...like there's no "detail" or "substance" to it...great way of putting that!

Now, when you're talking about the large size leaving 16 inches for wiggle room, are you referring to the three-piece Galleon or the Petco Sunken Garden one?

OT: How are you able to respond to parts of my reply at a time? When I do a "new reply" it puts the entire reply in quotes. I'm using the iPad app.

You have to just add the "Quote" pre-text before whatever sentence or group of words you want to highlight and reply to...

BTW -- That Red Cap in your avatar looks just like ours, "Rubio"...