My unphotogenic aquarium

[ccronje]

Hi All,

I love looking at my aquarium, but whenever I try to take a photo or video of it, it just looks ugly...so I'm hoping I can get some input here from the experts.

When the aquarium lights are off and I take a photo under natural light it looks true to what I see when I look at the tank myself and the photo shows the brown hardscape vs orange fish contrast that I want to see, but of course it's kind of dark.

When I switch on the lights the photos just look nowhere near as nice. In person the tank is nice to look at, but on the photo something just doesn't look right. I have spent countless hours messing around with the lights, trying different background etc. and still I can not take a single picture that to me is worth sharing with anyone.

Is it the various colors of the rocks? Should I perhaps have used brownish rocks only instead of all the different mix of colors? Do I perhaps have the wrong kind/color of lights?

Any input will be welcome.

Thank you

Chris

 

[Jacky12]

I struggle too mostly because I’m unmotivated. There is a wealth of online sources by some real pros. But it’s a fact, fish photography is challenging. I’ve done a lot of photography and sold to magazines on a regular basis, but my fish pics suck. Someday I’ll get around to doing it better. BTW, yours aren’t bad.

You need to work at getting rid of reflections. Try taking pics at a different time, or block out the windows or whatever. A sheet will suffice

 

[Aiken Drum]

I really think a black background would improve things and make everything in the tank pop out.

 

[Caliban07]

I agree with Aiken this tank would definitely benefit from a background. Whilst black is generally the go to (and for good reason) try some other colours too if possible.

 

[Aiken Drum]

I really wish id painted the background on my main tank in the living room rather than the applied black film i put on. I did a fairly good job applying it, but there are a few bubbles here and there and its starting to peel away at the edges.

When it gets moved to allow for new carpet laying in the future ill definitely take the opportunity and get black acrylic paint and redo the background.

 

[Jacky12]

The right black background would look good. I bought something designed for tanks (came in a roll) and the surface was too reflective & showed the fish in double. I then used black foam board from Amazon, as they have larger sizes. Regular poster board would be ok too. Paint is also easy to apply, lots of online instructions. I bought a used 125 with a painted black rear exterior & scraped it off because it didn’t work for my severums. It came off easily with a 4” razor blade.

I have that black foam poster board & black gravel for a 75 g community tank. I’ll try to take a pic soon. The GloFish pop, but the silver fish don’t.

 

[Colin_T]

Glare and reflections off glass can be dealt with as described by Jacky.

Wear dark clothes when using a digital camera to photograph fish/ fish tanks because digital cameras pick up glare much more than film cameras.

You can use black card on the back of tanks if you want a black background. If you want to paint the back, you can paint wood, rocks, plants and other things on the glass and when it's dry, put a coat of black over that. Then you can have a scene on the back covered with a black background.
Don't use turps/ oil based paints if the tank is set up because the fumes can affect the fish.

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Discus, rummynose tetras and lemon tetras don't naturally occur in areas with rocks. If you want to keep the rocks in the tank, make sure you gravel clean in and around them to remove any gunk that is hiding between them.

These fish also dislike bright tanks and light coloured substrates. They naturally occur in blackwater (tea or coffee coloured water) and not in brightly lit areas. Some floating plants would reduce the glare off the back and bottom of the tank and make the fish feel safer and more secure. Changing the backing to a darker colour would also help, and the fish would show better colours. Lots of live plants would also help the fish feel more secure and show better colours.

I would remove most of the rocks, leave a couple of big ones if you like. Fill the tank with live plants and have some floating plants like Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta) or duckweed. Change the backing to something darker (blue, green or black).

Have the temperature around 26-27C and if the fish get sick, you can increase it to 28-30C. You can insulate the base, back and sides with 1-2 inch thick polystyrene foam sheets to reduce heat loss and power consumption. A 4, 5 or 6mm thick coverglass will also help reduce heat loss.

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I have some concerns about one of the red discus on the left side of the tank. Three of the fish seem to hang out together but the other fish seems to isolate itself. This could be caused by illness or bullying from the other 3 discus. The forth fish also looks a bit skinny in the back and this is usually diet related and bullying. However, it could also be from the angle in the picture.

When wild discus live in groups during the dry season, there are generally lots of fish living together. They have a pecking order and the smaller weaker fish sometimes get picked on by the other fish in the group. However, any aggression is spread out over all the fish in the group and the smaller weaker fish aren't badly affected by any bullying that might occur. If things get bad for the smaller fish they can swim to another hiding place. In an aquarium with only a small number of fish, the bigger more dominant fish can and do bully smaller weaker fish and these subordinate fish often waste away due to stress. In the confines of an aquarium the smaller weaker fish can't swim away and remain trapped with the bully until they are removed or die.

As a general rule, discus should either be kept in breeding pairs or in groups of 6 or more individuals that are similar size.

I don't think the tank is big enough for 4 adult discus. Discus can grow to 10-12 inches in diameter (although 6-8 inches is more common in captivity), and a mature pair need a tank that is 4 foot long x 2 foot wide x 2 foot high (or bigger). More fish need more room.

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You need live plants in the tank for the discus. Contrary to most literature out there, much of which has been provided by Jack Wattley, discus are primarily vegetarian. The reason people have trouble with discus developing intestinal problems is due to a high meat based diet and a long digestive tract. The meat spends too much time in the fish's intestine and they develop internal bacterial infections caused by the rotting meat.

The following link has a research paper that was done by scientists in 2008 and sheds some interesting light on the subject of the discus fish's diet. A brief summary of the paper says their diet in the wild consists of 55-85% plant matter. The rest of the diet includes small insects and crustaceans.
https://moam.info/the-discus-fish-symphysodon-scielo_59c411371723ddc7f4532afc.html

 

[Jacky12]

Another alternative if you don’t care for cardboard or paint, Chris, is to use vinyl shower curtain liners or disposable plastic table covers. Cheaply had and can be cut to fit many tanks. I use an aqua color, looks nice & like the ocean. Your fish would look good against any shade of blue. Of course, there’s the pet store backgrounds done in printed patterns.

I tape my backgrounds on with black duct tape that blends in to the frame.

Good luck with the photos! Yours already look better than what I currently get using my iPad. I tried to take a pic of my tank with the black foam board & substrate, but all I got was the dog bed in front, a few feet away. Awful reflections. Yuk!

Heed all of Colin’s advice. He’s the best fish expert I know of. My LFS lady has some beautiful discus but told me they can be difficult to care for and said they get something she called “skinny disease.” Not sure exactly what she meant, but it and other things she said scared me off. They sure were gorgeous though.

 

[ccronje]

Thanks everyone for the input, I appreciate that you took the time to reply. I considered a black background, but from what I've read this is not recommended for Discus because it will make them turn dark to match their surroundings. Is this not the case?

 

[Jacky12]

I seriously doubt they would change colors. I have over 200 fish of many species. I was told my albino pink Oscar would get darker on black & she is unchanged. A darker pink would have been awesome. None of my fish have changed colors, but the silver fish, Silver Dollars & Pearl Gourami, look a drab lousy grey color due to black background. They did not change, they are reflecting the black. Most people seem to prefer blue or white backgrounds with Discus & I’m not sure why. Try doing a good google.

 

[Colin_T]

My LFS lady has some beautiful discus but told me they can be difficult to care for and said they get something she called “skinny disease.” Not sure exactly what she meant, but it and other things she said scared me off. They sure were gorgeous though.

Skinny disease is where discus lose weight. It's caused by stress, bullying and internal protozoan infections. It is common on fish in bare tanks and when the fish get fed nothing but meat based foods, in particular mammal meats like beef heart and liver. It is virtually unheard of when discus are kept in planted aquariums. The discus eat the plants and this helps push the meat based foods through their digestive tract faster so they don't get intestinal problems. This doesn't mean people should be feeding huge amounts of meat to discus in planted tanks. The fish should be fed a plant based diet and include some insects, insect larvae and small crustaceans. Things like Brineshrimp, Daphnia, mysis shrimp, bloodworms (Chironomid midge larvae), blackworms (not Tubifex worms), white, grindal and earth worms are all suitable foods and can be used in addition to plants and algae.

 

[Colin_T]

Thanks everyone for the input, I appreciate that you took the time to reply. I considered a black background, but from what I've read this is not recommended for Discus because it will make them turn dark to match their surroundings. Is this not the case?

Fish change colour throughout the day and night. They do it to blend into their surroundings. At night most fish go darker so they are harder to see. In brightly lit areas (over white sandy substrates or in open water in full sun) they fade and go more silvery white/ pale in colour. If they are stressed they often go darker, and when breeding, their colours are more enhanced.

A dark background will make fish feel more secure and usually encourages them to be more colourful than a light background. The same with the substrate, darker substrates encourage more colour than light substrates.

 

[Jacky12]

You know more about discus than this lady owned the LFS for 40 years, Colin. My new friend in Germany wrote a book on them. I should buy it. Bet it has some beautiful photos.

 

[ccronje]

Fish change colour throughout the day and night. They do it to blend into their surroundings. At night most fish go darker so they are harder to see. In brightly lit areas (over white sandy substrates or in open water in full sun) they fade and go more silvery white/ pale in colour. If they are stressed they often go darker, and when breeding, their colours are more enhanced.

A dark background will make fish feel more secure and usually encourages them to be more colourful than a light background. The same with the substrate, darker substrates encourage more colour than light substrates.

I understand what you mean about colors in general but I was referring to peppering which I believe will happen to the Pigeon Blood discus if they have dark surroundings?

 

[Jacky12]

Google:

Discus peppering background

and ye shall be enlightened and away from darkness

 

[ccronje]

Google:

Discus peppering background

and ye shall be enlightened and away from darkness

There is really no need for this kind of tone. I would not be making a comment about peppering and backgrounds if I have not Googled this extensively.

 

[Jacky12]

Try a Facebook group on discus

They have >20

 

[Ed Pursell]

Hey,Hey, just my opinion, tank looks fine but lacking a little green. Maybe something as simple as a little Java Moss stuffed under some of the rocks?? Very low maintenance and it grows quick and fills on nice. No planting, just attach a piece to a couple rocks, stuff it under the rocks and it will grow and need trimming sooner or later. But at least you have some color. It does look nice! But a little plain/bare…