# Creating depth in planted tank



## Haagenize (Sep 30, 2008)

get a deeper tank


----------



## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

What are your tank dimensions?


----------



## blah3 (Apr 24, 2009)

48x12x20"


----------



## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Turn the tank sideways. 

Kidding. Honestly, those dimensions aren't great to work with.

However, if you still want to use it, you can have a large slope with your substrate to give the illusion of depth and terracing. Use small foreground plants, with slightly larger midground plants, and then finally your stems in the back.

Good luck. I look forward to pictures.


----------



## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

12" tanks are very difficult to create an illusion of depth in, especially in such a tall one like a 55 gallon. Honestly I would look for a wider tank, 75 gallons are 18" wide.

either way, I don't think there's any real trick to it, just lots of practice.


----------



## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

it is difficult to create visual depth in a tank that is so tall and wide, but so shallow front-to-back.

neverhtless, i have seen some very nice planted tanks in 55's. some of these were more like Dutch aquariums, with very nice showcasing of interesting individual plants and tight groups of stems. 

look at this one by dewalltheway



dewalltheway said:


> Wanted to update my post before I leave on vacation because I know when I get back it will be overgrown. Enjoy the pics...


not much depth, but what a beautiful tank!


----------



## dthb4438 (Nov 12, 2007)

This is by far one of my most favorite 55 gallon tanks. Hopefully next week my new scape will look SOMETHING similiar to this. I seem to have the same problems with scapes.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals-photo-album/84474-55-gal-aquascape.html


----------



## Ruach_HaChai (Apr 24, 2009)

55 gallon tanks are a huge challenge to aquascape. I have one, and I'm always moving things around trying to get it to look deeper from front to back. Dramatically sloping the gravel seems to be about the best thing I have found. Hydrophyte, that tank is absolutely beautiful!


----------



## RWaters (Nov 12, 2003)

Sloping the gravel front to back, strategically placing plants (especially those with smaller leaves) and using a sand path that narrows towards the rear often help create depth. Of course, it's hit or miss with only 12" of space. Good luck with it.


----------



## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Hydrophyte, that tank is a 55g poster child of perfection! Aggressive slopes are hard to keep. This had subtle shifts held by stone to terrace it to fantastic effect. The ledge in the left corner has me dumping my bucket of petrified wood looking for the building blocks


----------



## blah3 (Apr 24, 2009)

Thanks for all your help guys... Looking at other peoples tanks what you say makes sense. The tank i have at the moment as you said i dont have much to work with but i guess ill have to do the best i can... This is what ive done with my tank so far with the new aquascape...

What do you think?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v304/Disturbed86/DSCF1331.jpg


----------



## dewalltheway (Jan 19, 2005)

I am so flattered by the comments that my 55 gallon gets from people, thank you so much! :icon_redf That pic was one of the best shots I got of that tank. I did really slope the substrate and used the wall for retaining. The one thing to keep in mind is don't get large leaf plants. The largest leaf plant I had in this tank was sunset hygro. Here is a pic without any plants to show you the wall and substrate..


----------



## dewalltheway (Jan 19, 2005)

blah3 said:


> Thanks for all your help guys... Looking at other peoples tanks what you say makes sense. The tank i have at the moment as you said i dont have much to work with but i guess ill have to do the best i can... This is what ive done with my tank so far with the new aquascape...
> 
> What do you think?
> 
> ...


----------



## dewalltheway (Jan 19, 2005)

Also....another thing to keep in mind is fish choice. A large fish will reveal the size of your tank where smaller fish make the illusion of more area in the tank to swim. Go with smaller tetras, rasboros etc and stay away from large fish like rainbows, discus, etc.


----------



## Francis Xavier (Oct 8, 2008)

You can use a technique that's commonly used in landscape paintings to create a 3D visual effect, as well as in photography. I've been toying around with it in one of my new setups, and it undeniably creates a feeling of much, much greater depth in the tank. The problem is that it becomes a little bit harder to appropriately choose plants to properly compliment the hardscape behind it.

Essentially what you do, is place your larger objects in front, and smaller objects in the back. This creates the illusion that the small objects are miles away, since perception naturally interprets big objects as close, small ones as being in the distance. You don't necessarily need to slope the substrate backwards for this, but adding substrate slopes definitely adds more to it by making it appear more natural. The planting dilemma basically comes into being from needing to appropriately plant so that your smallest plants are near the smallest objects (say if you're using carpets, you'd almost need two carpets, though not necessarily, you'd place HC around the smaller objects / area you want to be more distance, and a bigger grower like Glosso near the front object / enlarged area), this also almost requires you to put taller growers with the front area.

So it does have it's design flaws that need to be overcome, but if you're scaping anyway I'd recommend at least toying around with it for ****s and giggles.


----------



## jinx© (Oct 17, 2007)

I've always admired the depth created in this 55g
They've updated the site somewhat, but there used to be a caption stating the tank size.

As dewalltheway mentioned, the use of smaller fish helps as well. The small school of rasboros in the tank above set off the layout perfectly IMO.


----------



## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

One way to create depth in a narrow tank is to have a diagonal 'draw' through the major portion of the golden triangle. The sand path that RWaters mentioned would do it, also a swath of red plants among the green using the same principal. Wide to thin, front to back.

Another way to cheat depth is to have the smaller leaved plants in the back. Use plants with similar leaf shapes. It tricks the eye into thinking that the smaller plants are actually the same plants as those in front only further away.


----------

