Alien or prehistoric looking freshwater plants, sponges or bryozoan for an aqarium?

[shushi_boi]

Hi,

This is my first time in these forums, but just out of curiosity, has anyone ever tried to make a freshwater tank look like a strange alien environment or prehistoric looking? I plan on doing this with some trilobite looking organisms like triops, some freshwater sponges like spongilla, and I'll try to see if I could get Cristatella mucedo/Cordylophora caspia (or both, because they look strange).

I will add some fakes that look like Crinoids sea lilies or other strange looking organisms, but I also wanted to make the environment in the tank as lively and interactive as possible as well. What are your guy's suggestions?

 

[splattered]

Beavertail fairy shrimp look weird and they grow like triops

 

[icydeath]

I like the triops idea! You might want to run a second tank so you can breed them however as they aren't the most long lived species.

 

[icydeath]

Didn't realize I was replying to such an old thread... my bad

 

[splattered]

The scene almost isn't complete without dragonflies/damselflies whirring about. I don't know how you feel about bugs but the larvae are especially vicious piscavores and might be fun to watch.