Help with ideas...

[Aqualady40]

I have a non-planted 40B that has been running for 4 months now with 7Tb's, 3 Gourami's, 1 RTS, and 1 rubberlip pleco.
I have noticed I have to do at-least 2 50% water changes in a week due to my personal choice after doing tests...all are well to me except the nitrates which appear to be dark orange with a possible red tint so I just take it as being 40ppm to be safe.
Right now this does not concern me since I am regular with the pwc and I do know these babies are waste producers to which can cause trates in a 40B to rise.
My question is what are some ideas to re-arrange my current decor?
Here is the link to my pic
Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community - Geronica's Album: 40 Gallon semi-aggressive

 

[joemamauggly]

A red tail shark is going to run out ofroom with all these big fish the tank has to many big fish not enough room

 

[Sambo7475]

Beautiful tank! You could add some more live plants, which would help by increasing the uptake of trates. Then you wouldn't have to do multiple pwcs each week.

 

[Aqualady40]

A red tail shark is going to run out ofroom with all these big fish the tank has to many big fish not enough room

According to aqadvisor, I am perfectly fine having a rts in 40b. But that isn't my question or concern....

 

[Aqualady40]

Beautiful tank! You could add some more live plants, which would help by increasing the uptake of trates. Then you wouldn't have to do multiple pwcs each week.

Thank you....I cannot use live plants...lol...Tiger barbs love uprooting them...tried that before..lol...
I just want help with RE-ARRANGING ideas with what I have

 

[Sambo7475]

Oh I see, well you could move the slate scape to the corner, leave the plant there, and make a forest jungle gym for them? I'm not very good with aquascaping though...

 

[Aqualady40]

No hard feelings, but please stick to the topic of this thread! I read many threads where many users are not answering the OP's question BUT being quick to say they are doing something wrong.....this thread is not asking about stock nor stock space....so I am asking for repliers to stick to "helping me with ways to rearrange my current tank decor"....I can't wait to hear some good ideas so I can try them when I do my pwc today

 

[Sambo7475]

Righto, didn't "carefully" read your op.

 

[Aqualady40]

Oh I see, well you could move the slate scape to the corner, leave the plant there, and make a forest jungle gym for them? I'm not very good with aquascaping though...

hmm I kind-of like that thought though...so are you saying move "all the slates as they are to the right corner in front of the fake plant? Or,move half the slates and put them in left and right back corners in front of the plants?

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Take the long slender plants in the left corner and back them against the back wall straight and centered. Then put the slate scape and back it against those plants and take the wood at a diagonal line either in the left or right of the tank and accent the wood withe the plants you have left. Then you can place the extra plants in the bare area where there is nothing and circle the rocks around those plants. Sorry if that made no sense! You also can take the slate scape and make a caddy-corner type thing on the left or right back corner with it and accent that with any plant you want and take the wood and...well I dont know. Thats my 2 cents!

 

[Aqualady40]

Take the long slender plants in the left corner and back them against the back wall straight and centered. Then put the slate scape and back it against those plants and take the wood at a diagonal line either in the left or right of the tank and accent the wood withe the plants you have left. Then you can place the extra plants in the bare area where there is nothing and circle the rocks around those plants. Sorry if that made no sense! You also can take the slate scape and make a caddy-corner type thing on the left or right back corner with it and accent that with any plant you want and take the wood and...well I dont know. Thats my 2 cents!

Hi Dan...I must tell you I love your tank I follow your thread....hope things are better now....Okay back to me....I really like this slate in the corner idea you are the 2nd to suggest it....so slate in left corner in a curved manner, then, what do you suggest the pvc pipes and dw go?

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Hi Dan...I must tell you I love your tank I follow your thread....hope things are better now....Okay back to me....I really like this slate in the corner idea you are the 2nd to suggest it....so slate in left corner in a curved manner, then, what do you suggest the pvc pipes and dw go?

Yes everything is better now and plants are growing well I actually found 5 living amano shrimp last night! Anyway thanks for the concern and back to you- I would place the dw in the other side of the tank...Im not sure whats the best direction for it since only you can see the tank- place it in all its directions in the spot you want it to go to see what the best way for it to lay is. The pvc pipes are kind of tacky IMO, so me personally would take them out or just try to hide them a but with the plants lol. Also with all the plants that you have you can accent those slate and dw pieces- i recommend placing the tall and slender plants around the slate and the plants with more shape and whatnot somewhere around that dw and any extra pieces you can take and bunch them up and find a spot in the tank that is bare and place those plants in the center of the bare area and create a circle around them on the sand with the rocks...

 

[Aqualady40]

Yes everything is better now and plants are growing well I actually found 5 living amano shrimp last night! Anyway thanks for the concern and back to you- I would place the dw in the other side of the tank...Im not sure whats the best direction for it since only you can see the tank- place it in all its directions in the spot you want it to go to see what the best way for it to lay is. The pvc pipes are kind of tacky IMO, so me personally would take them out or just try to hide them a but with the plants lol. Also with all the plants that you have you can accent those slate and dw pieces- i recommend placing the tall and slender plants around the slate and the plants with more shape and whatnot somewhere around that dw and any extra pieces you can take and bunch them up and find a spot in the tank that is bare and place those plants in the center of the bare area and create a circle around them on the sand with the rocks...

Awesome, that is great about finding those shrimps...Are your plants recovering more?...Okay the pvc was for tunnels and they use them occasionally so I don't mind removing if I can't see a spot for them once I move the slates a bit.

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Awesome, that is great about finding those shrimps...Are your plants recovering more?...Okay the pvc was for tunnels and they use them occasionally so I don't mind removing if I can't see a spot for them once I move the slates a bit.

Here we can talk about my tank on my thread lol I got yelled at last time for doing something like this. If the fish like having the pvc by all means leave it in there but if they take away from the whole scape and the fish use them "occasionally" I would take them out. Post pics of it once you are done!

 

[Aqualady40]

Here we can talk about my tank on my thread lol I got yelled at last time for doing something like this. If the fish like having the pvc by all means leave it in there but if they take away from the whole scape and the fish use them "occasionally" I would take them out. Post pics of it once you are done!

okay will post

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

I saw the pics of your re-scaled tank! It looks great! Do you like it better now?

 

[Aqualady40]

I saw the pics of your re-scaled tank! It looks great! Do you like it better now?

Thank you...so far I do but its missing something or maybe I'm jus getting use to the extra space I made by taking 3 of those slate caves out and those colored plants......