here 'tis

[lpiasente]

Here is my tank. Not finished yet but this is the start. I am keeping the left hand side with the dwarf rush as is and now will be repeating it on the other side. I have yet to add the filters. The one on there at the moment was to clear the water. I will also be removing the 4 heaters that are currently in there so you won't be able to see the cords at the back. I can't put the fish in yet as the driftwood in there came from the beach and although it has spent the whole of winter on the garage roof getting pounded by the weather and sun dried it is leeching salt into the tank and causing the ph to rise. Well I am guessing it is the wood as I have tested the new rocks and they seem fine. But it could also be the rock I took from the cichlid tank. Anyway I will continue to do water changes until the ph stays stable at 6.6. Patience patience patience. I know the fish will look fab in there and I have to wait :cry:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn175/lpiasente/DSCF3012.jpg

[lpiasente]

p.s the floating plants won't be in there either.

[TW]

Look good. Is that BB are the front? Makes a nice combination - sort of like rock pool. I like it.

[lpiasente]

Thanks Robyn. Yep it's bb. just like a rock pool, I was thinking a billabong.
There is still lots of work to be done. I will rip out all the plants on the left for starters and then move on from there. I still want to keep it very simple.

[lpiasente]

I mean I am keeping the plants on the right.

[jasonmomm]

Looks fabulous Leanne...

[Boyam]

wow i really like how its BB and still natural looking; very good planning, i wish i did this. would be a ton easier to clean - would look better than mine is atm :-p

great work! award winning :)

[lpiasente]

Thanks guys you are all so kind. Award winning, of course :lol: :lol: .

[Hollowman]

Nope.....don't like it at all :shock:





Only joking, it looks fab!!! :lol: I wanna see fish now :roll:

[SusieQ]

Hi there. Interesting looking tank. I like the way you combined the bb look with the rocks.. KISS (keep it simple stupid) principle is always a good one.
Love to see more pics when the fish are in it. Sue :thumb :thumb

[lpiasente]

I wanna see fish in there too. I emptied the whole tank out yesterday and refilled and the ph didn't come up as high this morning. I will half empty it tonight and see if I can get it down some more. I put another bit of driftwood in a buicket and tested the water this morning and the ph hit the roof in that water so I know now it is the driftwood.
do you know that saying about dangling a carrot in front of a horses nose :roll:

[TW]

How do you keep the sand in place on both the left & right sides? I see you have rocks, but they appear to be acting as borders?

[AHC]

Looking Great. The BB mix does give you a more efficient tank for cleaning. Id assume the debris and food will be caught in the bottom section to be siphoned out. Cool. :D

[lpiasente]

How do you keep the sand in place on both the left & right sides? I see you have rocks, but they appear to be acting as borders?

garden edging. I am sure it won't stay that clean once the cories get in there.

[1fish2fish3fish]

very nice set-up!!!..yes like a rock pool, mini lake effect..

It was just the other day, my hubby said what is BB..I said Bare Bottom..?? meanning what?.. I laughed.. so I explained..then he asked if I was doing that with the main tank for the Discus, said no, not really, some do it when growing up thier discus thou, and I explained..
Then he said why not do half the tank..bare and slope the sand on the other side..HuH!.. I said, Im not sure it would be different..
He likes the tanks that dont have the bottom substrate even.

Now I have to say seeing the magnificent job you have done..It has opened my eyes... want to keep it very Amazon so not to many rocks..
More root/DW and few plants..
:wink: very nice indeed!

[lpiasente]

Thanks 1fish 2 fish. It is easy to keep clean. All the poop seems to end up in the centre. If I could have found the right driftwood I would have liked to used it instead of the rocks but I am happy with the finished effect.I have changed it again. I will post some pics later.

[1fish2fish3fish]

cant wait to see!!..
I would think it is the rock that is the reason for the rise in PH.
Im to scared to use anything else but what we can buy safe for fish tanks..
Ive done it once before adding wood/root to a tank..and it was a disaster..

Sue

[lpiasente]

I have taken the driftwood out and the ph isn't rising it actually crashed 2 days ago. Salt makes the ph rise. I soaked it in a bucket of water and th water in the bucket was ph8.

[lpiasente]

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn175/lpiasente/DSCF3021.jpg

Here it is all finished.

[lpiasente]

I gave the hermit crab tank a makeover as well and had to show you the life a hermit crab should lead.
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn175/lpiasente/DSCF3055.jpg

[1fish2fish3fish]

very nice, fish finish it off!.. :lol:
lets see some close ups!!..
and I love the hermy tank! awsome, that is the life for them..nice to see someone has the right idea..
most will just keep them in a plastic container..they can be sold like that at my work..but they need much more and people dont want to spend the money for a 5 dollar crab..sad
some say oh we had one that lived for over a year.. :shock: yah too bad they didnt take the time to find out some species can live 50 yrs..

[1fish2fish3fish]

one quick mention, I did like the other DW better!!
gave it some height in the tank..

[lpiasente]

Yeah I liked the driftwood too but I have to keep it soaking to get all the salt out. I will add it again. Some of my hermies have been with me for over 4 years. They have a heat mat and moonlight globe for warmth and a saltwater pond. They are really cute. I don't handle them at all and I think they like that. If I were a hermie I would want a big 3ft multi level habitat like that.

[lpiasente]

ok here are some close ups of my fish. The turk had almost no colour on him when he came to me 2.5 months ago. He was a tiny baby. I am amazed at how big and colourful he has become in a short amount of time. I am very interested in what everyone thinks.
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn175/lpiasente/DSCF3136.jpg[/IMG[IMG]http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn175/lpiasente/DSCF3148.jpg

]http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn175/lpiasente/DSCF3138.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn175/lpiasente/DSCF3180.jpg

[lpiasente]

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn175/lpiasente/DSCF3148.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn175/lpiasente/DSCF3136.jpg

[lpiasente]

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn175/lpiasente/DSCF3148.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn175/lpiasente/DSCF3136.jpg

[lpiasente]

So sorry about the double post. But I must say the lepoard is so beautiful he does warrant a second look. :D