# Ugliest Tank Thread



## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

I see everyone's beautiful tanks. Let's see something different and funnier. Lily Pipes and Iwagumi need not apply.

Let's see some pics of your tanks when you first started. The Ugly, noobish, I can't believe I bought that treasure chest from Petco tanks...Kid's tanks...plastic stuff...hot pink things encouraged. Tell us a little history too about your tank.

And please the point of this thread is to make some fun of ourselves so don't hate...participate...so dig up some old pics and let us see...

I'll start:

Before:

What happens when your kids win some feeders from the fair. Rocking the yellow and orange glass marble with matching plant. Give me credit, I did print a Hubble Telescope jpg from the internet as the background. Fish in space was what I was going for.



View attachment 30170


After If you have pics: 

turned into tank for all my trimmings


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## rickztahone (Jul 20, 2009)

i can see how that first tank would draw kids lol. 

here's mine:


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

blue gravel sooo sexy...lol...hey at least you had a discus in there....is that the same discus I see on your avatar/icon?


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

I'll play along (and yes, that is a hamster cage tube):


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

I see your floor is nice and level too...ha


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## GDP (Mar 12, 2011)

shrimpnmoss said:


> I see your floor is nice and level too...ha


wow lol that is a nice tilt.


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## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

I think I may have you all beat. 

This is my brackish tank. The water is crystal clear. The fish are well fed. You just can't see either. 










I took this pic 5mins ago.


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## razalas5 (Feb 1, 2011)

My "special" tank is messy, but I like it for some reason so I refuse to change it. :icon_cool











I think I deserve to win the ugliest tank for this. And taking the picture with a camera phone doesn't help it out at all...

Edit: I think I've been beat.


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## newportjon (Mar 22, 2011)

oldpunk78 said:


> I think I may have you all beat.
> 
> This is my brackish tank. The water is crystal clear. The fish are well fed. You just can't see either.
> 
> ...


That made me lol.


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## takadi (Dec 13, 2010)

AUGH i wish I knew about this thread when I first started last year in November. I think I would have stolen the title of Ugliest Tank Evar. The water was cloudy and stale urine brown for the longest time (because I had no idea what cycling was), the gravel was pea stones I bought from home depot, and the plants were those so called "aquatic" plants they sell at petsmart/petco that are actually terrarium plants. Livestock included feeder fish and a single and very very depressed pepper cory


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

oldpunk78 said:


> I think I may have you all beat.
> 
> This is my brackish tank. The water is crystal clear. The fish are well fed. You just can't see either.
> 
> ...


OMG...that's nasty...


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

GDP said:


> wow lol that is a nice tilt.


I am ashamed to admit it is still like this. It's a good 1/8" off level. No wonder my silicone seems are starting to pull apart. Oldpunk, I do believe you may very well be the winner. :thumbsup:


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## GDP (Mar 12, 2011)

sewingalot said:


> I am ashamed to admit it is still like this. It's a good 1/8" off level. No wonder my silicone seems are starting to pull apart. Oldpunk, I do believe you may very well be the winner. :thumbsup:


Whats the cause just curious? The stand?


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## JCoxRocks (Mar 22, 2005)

I was trying for more hair algae than plants with this tank apparently...











Then I let it overgrow itself to death (look at the size of the crypts!!)...











No clown puke gravel tanks in my past, but I certainly let a few tanks go.

J


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## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

First tank:









Current tank:


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

that's some sweet yard rocks you got thereroud:


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## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

shrimpnmoss said:


> that's some sweet yard rocks you got thereroud:


Awwwww yeaaa. :icon_cool


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## JCoxRocks (Mar 22, 2005)

<---- Guilty of yard rocks. Fortunately don't have the pics to prove it.

J


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

JCoxRocks said:


> I was trying for more hair algae than plants with this tank apparently...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Almost looks like moss....ha


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Went from this








To this








haha


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## JCoxRocks (Mar 22, 2005)

shrimpnmoss said:


> Almost looks like moss....ha


LOL... the second picture is moss. Taking over the world!

J


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## ferretowner96 (Apr 20, 2010)

I wish I had pictures of my very first tank lol It had blue and red gravel, no heater, sea shells all over the bottom, and the worst match of fish you had ever seen. My dad took me to the store, and I asked what I needed, and he sold me everything, including fish, and sent me on my way...they all died. After that, while I was fishing, I found a huge snail the size of a tennis ball, and put it in my tank. 2 days and somewhere between 30-50 snails later, I decided it was a bad decision, put all the snails in a canning jar, and gave them to my cousin for a present.


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## matt12 (Jan 16, 2011)

AzFishKid said:


> First tank:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 lovin all the non aquatic plants in there!


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

Just wait till I get home from school....

The tanks are terrible and really need some love.

-Andrew


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## aelysa (Oct 20, 2006)

I freaken love this thread. Love it!


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

I'll let my first post on this forum and a photo speak for themselves. 

*But first* (drumroll please), my 55g Oscar tank (free from craigs list right when I started grad school):











macclellan said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am real busy with graduate school and rather than spending endless hours researching plants, I hoped a few from here would be so kind as to help me.
> 
> ...


Please pay particular attention to the careful rock arrangement on the right?!?!?:









To save some semblance of face, here's that same tank not 3 months later:


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

Love it. Especially that yard rock (maybe) pseudo-stonehengy-communicate with aliens structure...lol...what do you call that layout? noobiwagumi?


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## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

matt12 said:


> lovin all the non aquatic plants in there!


I know right! My favorite was the mondo grass. :thumbsup:


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

Those are actually rocks my uncle polished in a rock tumber. I felt like I had to include them somehow, lol. I still have them. 

At that time, the word "iwagumi" was not in play amongst English-speaking aquarists (and it might be better if weren't now too!), thank you very much.


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## Nate McFin (Mar 19, 2009)

GREAT thread!!!!

Here is mine. I love the pretty coral background in my freshwater tank. The sandstone ended up causing so much Diatoms I couldn't see through the glass. The actinic bulb was nice too.


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## JCoxRocks (Mar 22, 2005)

Keep em coming! I thought I was the only one who was hopeless in this hobby when I got started!

There's going to be someone somewhere that looks at these and says "What's wrong with that?"

I had to educate my g/f the other day. We were in Petco and she asked if she could have a tank of her own. I was excited to hear that until she showed me the Eifel tower she wanted to put in it next to the plastic ruins of some ancient greek temple. Uggghhh.

J


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## GDP (Mar 12, 2011)

JCoxRocks said:


> Keep em coming! I thought I was the only one who was hopeless in this hobby when I got started!
> 
> There's going to be someone somewhere that looks at these and says "What's wrong with that?"
> 
> ...


lol. Speaking of which do you like petco? Ive thought about driving up there to check it out. I live in fayetteville.


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## JCoxRocks (Mar 22, 2005)

GDP said:


> lol. Speaking of which do you like petco? Ive thought about driving up there to check it out. I live in fayetteville.


Not to get off topic, but no. I use them for frozen foods.

If you make the trip up to the Raleigh area, be sure to check out Aquarium Outfitters in Wake Forest. Its the ONLY place in the area worth a darn. It will be well worth the trip, I assure you.

J


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## Johny_Dough (Nov 30, 2010)

lol
Arrrrgggg... I got's me some pirate ships

Before










After (work still in progress)











Also can anyone guess what happens when you throw 3 Angles 1 dwarf Puff a clown leco and 5 guppies into a 10 gallon tank  Ohhh the mistakes we have made.


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

Look at all those shells! I already had a pH of 8.2...











After the plastic plants removed and more rocks added:


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

Eww..I love this thread too. Right up my alley:icon_mrgr
Lots of silk and plastic....
















lol








HOT PINK!


















The best part is, I have nothing to save face with. Where's my prize?


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

I'm LOVING all your tanks...getting a big LOL every time someone post a pic..

I was going to offer some of my own private reserve of yard rocks as a prize..but I see you all have that covered....:hihi:

That's one purty betta BTW...


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## GDP (Mar 12, 2011)

I actually like that fluval tank. Very modern/asian type style. How does it stay in the center like that?


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

JCoxRocks said:


> Keep em coming! I thought I was the only one who was hopeless in this hobby when I got started!
> 
> There's going to be someone somewhere that looks at these and says "What's wrong with that?"
> 
> ...


Awww.....how romantic....when Paris meets Rome...DO IT...then show us...j/k


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## GDP (Mar 12, 2011)

Only have a slight pic from my 5gal bowfront before I redid it.


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

Da Plant Man said:


> Look at all those shells! I already had a pH of 8.2...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That totally fixed it...more rocks was EXACTLY what that tank needed...ha


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## psalm18.2 (Oct 16, 2010)

What's up with the cat on top of your tank! LOL
Must be nice and warm up there.


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

GDP said:


> I actually like that fluval tank. Very modern/asian type style. How does it stay in the center like that?


Thanks.Do you mean the overflow top part?
I think this pic shows it. It has a piece at the back, that slides down a piece on the back of the tank and locks it in place.









here is a video from a couple days ago:icon_smil
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMjbhNx4dfs


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

GDP said:


> Whats the cause just curious? The stand?


The floor is off kilter, and I never could get the tank level. I finally gave up. Not smart, let me tell you.

Philip, you may have had non-aquatic plants, but at least you didn't spend over a month trying to grow dead moss:


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## Cardinal Tetra (Feb 26, 2006)

macclellan said:


> I'll let my first post on this forum and a photo speak for themselves.
> 
> *But first* (drumroll please), my 55g Oscar tank (free from craigs list right when I started grad school):
> 
> ...


Woah I totally remember this tank! That was years ago!


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## Quesenek (Sep 26, 2008)

Cardinal Tetra said:


> Woah I totally remember this tank! That was years ago!


I think I remember the tank in the last picture, if it was the tank I'm thinking of its the tank that got me into planted tanks lol.


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

Yeah...my cat is awesome. She likes my aquariums, not only that, she drinks from it. So she helps with the water-changes.


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## SuperWen (Mar 24, 2011)

this is my very first aquascape:









after that I got MTS (Multi Tank Syndrom) 
and THIS is my Journey in aquascape


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## h2oaggie (Feb 28, 2011)

I finally get a chance to showcase my work! Here is my 29 gallon when I was first interested in adding plants. My great idea involved grabbing some hornwort from a local pond, figured it would look great. Pictures prove otherwise. Check out the diatom problem as well!


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

Nice Texas biotope!

I start a thread on ugly tanks and a YRAS meeting breaks out. (Yard Rocks Aquatic Society)...didn't know there was so many of us.


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

h2oaggie said:


> . Check out the diatom problem as well!


Why does everyone think diatoms are a bad thing? While they are unsightly, they are a good thing. They soon give way to the green film algae. Diatoms are a sign of a tank trying to establish itself.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

waterfaller1 said:


> Why does everyone think diatoms are a bad thing? While they are unsightly, they are a good thing. They soon give way to the green film algae. Diatoms are a sign of a tank trying to establish itself.


Agreed, I also think of algae (except BBA) as patina. It gives visual character and depth to a surface.


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

Cardinal Tetra said:


> Woah I totally remember this tank! That was years ago!


Yeah, you were one of the first to post. Too kind. 



Quesenek said:


> I think I remember the tank in the last picture, if it was the tank I'm thinking of its the tank that got me into planted tanks lol.


 That tank?!? lol



mistergreen said:


> Agreed, I also think of algae (except BBA) as patina. It gives visual character and depth to a surface.


 even Staghorn? ewww.


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## shane3fan (Nov 2, 2009)

Johny_Dough said:


> lol
> Arrrrgggg... I got's me some pirate ships
> 
> Before
> ...


 
My first tank had red and black gravel and a pirate ship as well----and a Betta. I will try to dig up pics later.


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## Hyzer (Mar 9, 2010)

This was my 29g about three years ago. Purchased everything pictured at a garage sale for like $15 or something. The juvenile cichlids were given to me from a friend who didn't know better. Luckily everyone survived this tank and went on to live long lives. Notice the psychedelic background, plastic pants, and marine shells. On a more positive note, the sword (my first aquatic plant) doesn't appear to be doing too bad. That little Multi built that pile of rocks, btw.


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

mistergreen said:


> Agreed, I also think of algae (except BBA) as patina. It gives visual character and depth to a surface.


As long as it is in check, I agree it can be nice. I fought for so long to rid every fragment, and my tanks always went from nice to dreadful. When I finally embraced that some was acceptable, this was so much more enjoyable.
What I find interesting about many of the tanks you all started with, you can see the creative talent and potential. For what they are, there are some nice tanks in this thread.


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## GDP (Mar 12, 2011)

Ok that makes sense. I would deffinately like to have an office setup (or rather cubicle) like that, very clean look.



waterfaller1 said:


> Thanks.Do you mean the overflow top part?
> I think this pic shows it. It has a piece at the back, that slides down a piece on the back of the tank and locks it in place.
> 
> 
> ...


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## celine (Nov 19, 2010)

bringin the thread back to life!!!

this is my 10 gal back in November....yea, it still looks like this roud:, minus the cabomba, watersprite, and pennywort, which were casualties of noobness. 










at some point ill set up my 15 gal & move the plants in it with proper substrate (flourish & ecocomplete)


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## sweet chariot (Nov 14, 2010)

The fact that I thought that a lot of these "ugliest tanks" aren't that bad says plenty about my noobishness... :hihi:

This was my first tank:









This little guy now enjoys a much bigger home! 
It's not aquascaped- maybe still qualifies as "ugliest tank" but I like it :hihi:


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

hahahaha i love this thread! 

My 20g when I first set it up.......









and when I first tried my hand at planting it, I tried to add black gravel to cover the blue and make it look more natural, planted anachris, took out the giant clam thing but left the blue "coral".....fail......









and to partially redeem myself (a few months later): 








I don't think I ever did get around to doing a substrate swap before I passed the tank onto my friend though......:hihi:


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Oooh, ooh, I want to play!








I got this tank from my uncle, complete with Wally the goldfish.








Which went to this.








And finished off at this.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...y=107&sqi=2&page=1&ndsp=36&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0

nuff said


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

sweet chariot said:


> The fact that I thought that a lot of these "ugliest tanks" aren't that bad says plenty about my noobishness... :hihi:
> 
> This was my first tank:
> 
> ...



Whatever dude....that last tank is far from ugly IMO...


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## 10galfornow (May 13, 2011)

first ever:











same tank now (5 weeks later):










It still is pretty ugly. ugh.


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

before :hihi:










after


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

:icon_mrgr


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## redfalconf35 (Feb 24, 2008)

I started off bad, and hopefully have gotten better.

When i first got plants to stick in:









When i finally learned what i was supposed to do:


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## GitMoe (Aug 30, 2010)

I'll play this game...

Initial setup.









Current shot of the same tank.


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

I'm sorry to say my plastic plant tanks pre-date the digital camera but I did have 55 gallon with 10 Red Bellied Piranha with black gravel and a black foil back ground that was crinkled to make the tank look deeper. I couldn't put anything else in the tank because they would destroy it in a matter of minutes. BTw this was a high tech undergravel filter tank, ohhhhh!!!

I think the winner here so far is "Johny Dough" and when I saw the pirate ship on the hot pink/red gravel I just bursted into laughter, really cool.


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## Bahugo (Apr 18, 2011)

First scape attempt at 20g









current scape


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## feh (Feb 13, 2011)

sewingalot said:


> Philip, you may have had non-aquatic plants, but at least you didn't spend over a month trying to grow dead moss:


lol


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## 10galfornow (May 13, 2011)

bluejack, that family guy tank is the funniest thing i have ever seen.


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## amberskye (Apr 22, 2011)

i'll let the stickers and 'natural' plants complete with weights do the talking.....


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

my daughter would LOVE your tank


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## WaveSurfer (Oct 3, 2007)

My turn: 

4 years ago when I first started my fish rearing hobby:









Now (in progress):


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## Eldachleich (Jul 9, 2011)

This is fantastic, i'll have to dig up some photos of mine


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## Chaos_Being (May 18, 2010)

Too bad, I don't actually have pictures of my old tanks...mostly because I stopped keeping fish for about 15 years or so. I don't remember ever using neon colored gravel at least  Plastic plants though, yes, and bad stocking choices, ohhhhh yeah... Like trying to keep several "assorted african cichlids" in a 20h. Yeah, that didn't work too well.


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## doncityz (May 17, 2011)

WaveSurfer, your tank turn out really great.

And, LOL on the rest of the tanks... 

MY TURN!
Back when i was rearing Cichlids.









Same tank today.








Yes, still ugly.


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## NavemadaMan (Apr 19, 2011)

I love this thread. Now I can flaunt my ugly tank that I had a few months back. And it was the first tank I'd ever had


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

JCoxRocks said:


> I was trying for more hair algae than plants with this tank apparently...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I actually like the look of that


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

Here is my 1st tank









on the plus side all but one the fish in this picture are still alive and well in reside in my 40 gallon now.


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

shrimpnmoss said:


> what do you call that layout? noobiwagumi?


lol! awesome


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

JCoxRocks said:


> I had to educate my g/f the other day. We were in Petco and she asked if she could have a tank of her own. I was excited to hear that until she showed me the Eifel tower she wanted to put in it next to the plastic ruins of some ancient greek temple. Uggghhh.
> J


You know the tanks the are popular now where people try to make a small scale version of a place like a lake or waterfall...I'd like to see someone incorporate ruins or something.


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

SuperWen said:


> this is my very first aquascape:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


that's your first! its gorgeous. 

where's your first tank ever, surely you had something worse than that at some point. if not, you suck for being so gifted and I'm extremely jealous!


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## amberskye (Apr 22, 2011)

kamikazi said:


> Here is my 1st tank
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 phew....you certainly know how to rock that blue gravel!


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## aXio (May 29, 2011)

These tanks are my girlfriend's sister's place. The husband use be very into the hobby even wanted to open his own shop... but I guess he fell out of the hobby... hard =/

The 55 gallon is MAJORLY over stock. Probably like 50-70 cichlids in there... maybe more considering there are fry swimming around all over the tank.


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## sevenyearnight (May 1, 2011)

celine said:


> bringin the thread back to life!!!
> 
> this is my 10 gal back in November....yea, it still looks like this roud:, minus the cabomba, watersprite, and pennywort, which were casualties of noobness.
> 
> ...


I know cambomba and watersprite grow like weeds, but I actually think pennywort is a beautiful plant. You don't like pennywort?


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## lurrch (Jul 5, 2011)

BlueJack said:


> before :hihi:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think we can call the competition and declare you the "winner" 

I'll see if I can find some pics of my original blue gravel/fake plants tank...


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

:icon_mrgr


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## doncityz (May 17, 2011)

Damn those Family Guys! :icon_smil


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