critique, please

[fish 'n' fries]

Hey all,

I'm looking for some suggestions to improve the scape of my tanks. A couple things I'm not willing/planning to do at the moment would be changing the substrate or using CO2 (which does limit my plant selection a bit, although I do use excel--inconsistently ). The other issue would be the pleco...who is not conducive to plants that don't stay rooted easily! Thanks!

 

[WaterPond]

Wowza, i love them both... just amazing!

 

[rich311k]

Nice tanks, they both are lovely.

 

[zenkatydid]

i love your tank the way it it, it's lovely and wild and healthy. however, if you want to work on the 'scape' then i would recommend looking for and following some lines. your tank would work well with a diagonal going up from right to left. try moving that tall crypt to the left, along with that tall bushy plant in the centre back. you could do the opposite diagonal with the foreground, so the tops of the plants sort of go in a circular motion, starting in the lower left, going to mid-height in the centre right and ending with upper left. all your stems plants are also quite similar in colour and texture, so some different leaf shapes would look nice. i'm no expert, but that should give you something to work with

 

[fish 'n' fries]

Thanks so much for the kind words all.

Zenkatydid, your thoughts are actually similar to what I've debated. Behind the wood on the left are hygro...which everyone insists will try to take over the tank...I'm still waiting. (In their defence, they've only been there a few weeks--and it is a tall tank.) I've also been trying to grow something taller for the right to cover the filter. I love the Crinum calamistratum but it certainly doesn't fill things in! That crypt I've been looking at and thinking it should move but...you know...just hasn't happened.

 

[chase33]

I agree with most. I think they are great the way the are. Great job.

 

[Jchillin]

I feel your pain in regard to the pleco. As most know, I have a sailfin roaming the tank and is a terror on any delicate foliage.

That being said, in spite of your pleco, you've done an excellent job. The tank is looking real good.

Note: You'll make changes despite what folks say...that is the nature of planted tanks.