my 29 gallon - Aquascaping

grim · 07-14-2008, 08:29 PM

this is my 29 gallon i have no clue what I'm doing please tell me what you think

and this is how it looked the very first day i got any plants

Tex Gal · 07-14-2008, 09:41 PM

I think you have a good start here. If you're using a stock hood, that comes with the tank you don't have much light. You could grow some different types of Java ferns and anubias. There are several types and sizes. Mosses would be a nice addition. Some mosses grow up, some out, some weep.

I do believe your sword will get big. Very few stay small. I can't tell what kind you have.

cs_gardener · 07-15-2008, 10:50 AM

You're certainly improving as you go along. This is a nice start but you could use more in the way of a mid-ground on the right. Java fern windelov or narrow leaf, some of the various Anubias (minima, nana, nana petite), and shorter Cryptocorynes (especially bronze or red wendtii) would work nicely. Having layers of plants helps make the tank look deeper and creates more interest.

I like the looks of your fish, what all do you have?

grim · 07-15-2008, 02:51 PM

tex gal my hood isn't stock just looks I'm still working on it here is an up to date pic

and cs gardner i have one kenyi one electric blue johanni my electric blue and kenyi breed so i have two mix and the gold one is a gold malawi and i have one african rope fish who hides in the skull he is 14 and a half inches long

grim · 07-18-2008, 08:46 PM

added some red wendtii will see what else i can add when the all mighty pay check clears

bigstick120 · 07-18-2008, 08:52 PM

The tank is coming along. I would get rid of the skull. Also you are going to need a bigger tank for those cichlids. Do you see a lot of aggression?

grim · 07-18-2008, 08:57 PM

believe it or not the only time the fish are aggressive is when i move to many plants around the skull is home to a 14 inch african rope fish who i was told was an aggressive fish to later find out hes not so even though I'm not a fan of the skull until i come up with something better it has to stay

Tex Gal · 07-18-2008, 09:51 PM

Great job with your light!!! I'm impressed!! You are doing a great job there. I gotta say I thought the same thing about the skull. LOL - a skull with a "snake" in it. How appropriate! Maybe you could tie moss on it so it looks like a mound bush. Maybe your rope fish wouldn't mind.

(Just don't think I could stick my hand in a tank with a 14" rope fish in there. I've had dreams where I had fish tanks with big gross eels in there, afraid to do maintenance! LOL)

grim · 07-19-2008, 08:23 AM

thanks for the compliments i was wondering what kinda moss would you suggest texgal cause the only one my lfs every carries in java moss and I'm not a huge fan of it plus its a very small handful for 13 bucks and not worth it

cs_gardener · 07-21-2008, 11:19 AM

I like the contrast the wendtii brings to your tank. Now they just need to fill in. Your fish are looking great and I hope they will continue to show minimal aggression.

I've become a fan of flame moss, it grows quite easily and has a fairly neat upright growth habit. I got mine on the FS/T forum here and it was a decent price and generous quantity. I also have Taiwan moss and it looks good when it's happy but it has a tendency to try an spread into places where I don't want it.

If you wanted to do something instead of the skull it's easy to silicon some inert rocks together to make a cave. I'm not certain what a rope fish looks for in a home but you could build to suit and then attach ferns, anubias, or moss to it. I collected some local rocks, checked with acid to make certain they wouldn't change my water quality, and then played around with them until I got the size and shapes I wanted to make multiple caves for my kribs.