# Help, before my wife throws out the tank.



## bcdudley (Nov 18, 2009)

I need some help. My tank is just a mess. I have tons of plants, but it is mostly some type of Hygro plant. I have a couple of pieces of small driftwood with lots of moss growing on them and a few other nice plants, some java ferns, some anubius, swords and a few others. I have soem carpet plugs, but they have not taken off yet.










I am open to suggestions. I would eventually like to get rid of the Hygro as it grows to fast for me to keep up. I am injecting co2. For lighting, I have 4 48" t8's and a 24" T8 on the end to help with some extra coverage. I am building a canopy that will hopefully have better lighting.


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## GTR (May 27, 2009)

As long as the tanks has lots of fish and she can see them most times my wife is happy. For her a fish tank has always been about fish and not plants or the corals in SW.

What is it she isn't happy with? (tank related of course). lol

I know the small fixture on the end would be a deal killer in my living room.

SteveU


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

+1
Yeah, get the really adorable fish with sad puppy eyes. She can't throw those out.

Your tank doesn't look all that bad, maybe add a big drift wood in there and some river stones.


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## bcdudley (Nov 18, 2009)

The light fixture really isn't that noticeable in person. It is the plants. They look overgrown and there is juts to much *GREEN*. I put in a small red stem plant, but it has started turning green since it went in a couple weeks ago. I was hoping it would grow out some and offer some variety. I guess I juts need to be more patient and wait for some of the slower growing plants to fill in.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

It doesn't matter what type just get a fish to spawn in the tank and the blah blah is over. Never seen a women that didn't do back flips over baby fish. "Ohhhh they're sooo cute"


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## RipariumGuy (Aug 6, 2009)

Any livebearers would be perfect if you want them to breed. If you think the tank is over grown, just cut the tops off the _hygros. _You can then plant the tops. I would also attack that equipment. Try and hide it all with plant and what not. Like mentioned before a hardscape would look nice too. I think the tank looks fine as-is though! :smile:
Jake


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## EdwardN (Nov 7, 2008)

You can always rework your tank.

In case you are not able to rework your wife, it is time to try the next one....


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## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvBgbqD-dwg

Do this! This was actually the planted tank that first inspired me to try plants. 

It has kitty litter for substrate, DIY co2, and they are just vals and hyrbid endlers. Simple but pretty dam good


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## wendyjo (Feb 20, 2009)

I'd remove some of the plants or trim them back as they all appear to be about the same height. Add some hardscape - LARGE peices of driftwood and rock - and attach some mosses, ferns and anubias to them for added interest and variety. I know you said you have some wood in there with plants on it, but where? I can't really see them. Add some smaller plants to the front. Get rid of the fixture on the end of the tank. And what's up with the cabinet doors that they don't close flush with each other? That would bug the heck outta me


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

Stick the tall hygros in the corners and pull the other stuff forward. You could hide the equipment behind the hygros. I am partial to a valley type arrangement, 30/70 is more pleasing to the eye than 50/50. If you can arrange the wood so it forms an arch or cave with java fern on it that adds depth to your design. A big piece would be nice. Maybe one half the length of the tank and reaching at least 2/3 of the way to the water's surface. Not sure what plant would work best but a broad leaved plant add more texture to the tank too.

Agree about the cabinet. And any noise? Noise drives my family nuts. My tank is noisy anyway, too bad. What about mess when you work in the tank? I didn't get a big tank until the floor was tiled. I always make a huge mess when I work in the tank and didn't want to soak any carpet!

Fish, that Endler's tank was wonderful but I prefer to know my fish. Could buy varieties of platies, mollies, guppies or swordtails. In your densely planted tank some babies will grow up. I adore corys and as a kid loved fish that were only in sight part of the time like Kuhli loaches.


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## Milq (Feb 11, 2010)

I am never going to understand this epidemic of wives hating fish tanks.

For people who don't get it, I can understand how that light fixture would be bothersome. To me, it looks necessary. I don't think it's such a big deal if you haven't completely optimized every aspect of your tank. You're simulating nature, and nature is crazy stuff. You can't just put it in a box and expect it to be perfect.

To immediately contradict myself, I would move those plants around to give it a cleaner look. Like everyone else is saying, use those tall plants to your advantage! They may be too tall and useless where they are now, but they are perfect for covering up your works.

The tank looks "flat" with the plants all over the place, but you can really add depth to it by shoving the tall plants in the back and corners, and showing off some of the bottom, where your lovely carpet plants will eventually take over (until then, you can cheat and add patches of moss carpet).

For sure I would listen to *Kathyy*. Those look like some solid suggestions. Everyone has had some good input, and I bet you can have this situation under control without too much work. 

Or, you know, tell your wife you're going to go ahead and have things in your life that you enjoy (especially if she picked all your paint colors).


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## fishyjoe24 (Dec 10, 2009)

move the tall plants to the sides and back, and smaller plants to the front. get some bigger pieces of driftwood, and some fish in there. let her pick out the fish. his wife is nice, I'm pretty sure i met him and his wife, when they where first starting out with a 29 gallon i sold them some eco complete mix, and a few plants.


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

You want no fuss red? Alternanthera reineckii. That will help you out for color. You can also try some Cryptocoryne as well.

My first suggestion would be to cluster the plants more. Grouping plants always works better and gets rid of that disjointed feeling when viewing the tank.

Hardscape usually helps.


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## insta (Jan 27, 2010)

A pair of these might let you keep your tank 












Snark aside, get some decent looking lighting on top. Wifeys generally aren't very appreciative of 'haphazard' ornamental pieces.


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## fishyjoe24 (Dec 10, 2009)

what about a 6 foot shop light? and grouping the plants together to look bigger and fuller?


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## pianofish (Jan 31, 2010)

I say try bunching the hyrgos together, new arrangement of the driftwood, and add some red plants  Try lettting the wifey pick out a fish or two and name them, once she names them she won't ever wanna get rid of them.... in theory....


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## Milq (Feb 11, 2010)

pianofish said:


> I say try bunching the hyrgos together, new arrangement of the driftwood, and add some red plants  Try lettting the wifey pick out a fish or two and name them, once she names them she won't ever wanna get rid of them.... in theory....


She won't want to get rid of them until they die from being named :icon_cool


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I agree, group up those plants more. Since they're doing so well, I'd try big clumps of that hygro in the back corners of the tank and then get some red crypts for the midground, and maybe one or two swords for accent plants. Your tank is big enough for them.


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## bcdudley (Nov 18, 2009)

Thanks for all the suggestions, I am going to rip up all the hygro and move it to the back corners and just leave the center more or less bare. I will let the carpet as well as some of the shorter plants take over. I have been on the lookout for some more hardscape and will add it as son as I find what I am looking for. I will post some pics again once I am done.

Thanks everyone.


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## alang (Nov 25, 2007)

Esthetically (which women are more attuned with than men), the lighting needs work. Get a nice low profile full length fixture to clean the top up will help a lot. 

I agree with everyone else that you need to move the tall stuff to the back. Getting some depth to the scape will make it more interesting. Variety and color will help too.

If she gets really serious about throwing it out, give me a call for free hauling! Always wanted a 6' tank. :drool:


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## amcoffeegirl (May 26, 2009)

single mom with 4 tanks of my own...lol
and 3 cats that my ex always hated.....

she should be happy you have a hobby and that she gets to be with you. 
get some tall vals to mix in and some ferns. girls love ferns. 

the tall grass blowing in the jet stream will look like a breezy day and relax her mind. 

take care happy fish keeping


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## dewalltheway (Jan 19, 2005)

This is what I see and please don't be offended for my straight forwardness......1) The plants look like weeds in water, no groupings or structure.....2) The glass looks like there has been a 4 year old with his face up to the glass.....3) The lights on top look as though they are in storage... 4) No colorful schooling fish

Three of these things will not sit well with a women and how she wants her house to look and the 4th will draw her to keep it so you have 2 options...

1) Establish a MAN room in the house and put the tank in there and have it look however you want.

2.) 
A) Study other aquascapes for ideas on how to group plants and other ideas.
B) Get a new light. A T5 or CF will look much better and give more and better light for your plants.
C) Clean the glass!
D) Get some colorful schooling fish. Some suggestions would be Congo tetras, Cardinal Tetras, Rummynose Tetras, a few Clown loaches or YoYo loaches and then get a Bala Shark.

The tank must look appealing to her and something she would want others to see when company comes. As I said, dont be offended, but I hope the critique helps.


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## Morainy (Feb 8, 2010)

Well, if your wife throws out the tank, I hope that she throws it this way! ;-) I think it looks great.

If you don't like the light, you can always try suspending it from a wire above the tank, or buying one of those cool-looking new ones that clamp onto the sides. 

The plants in the tank look really nice as is but if you are ready for something else, you can probably donate or sell them to some other aquarists and try something new. Maybe you can buy some of that new aquarium glue and glue some anubias to a curvy length of driftwood and set it in front of your other plants, for a different look. Anubias can look quite elegant on driftwood. And they don't ever seem to need pruning.


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## marrow (Feb 4, 2007)

1. clean up the outside of the tank. she may not say that is what is bothering her but women seem to have some innate dislike of brilliantly cobbled together bits of lights, cords etc. I don't understand it but I lack a vagina. 
2. Let her pick out some fish, a pink kissing gourami or something, whatever it is that she likes.
3. Rescape the tank and ask for her aesthetic advice. Make her the boss of how it is scaped without her doing any actual icky work. IN other words co-opt her. 
4. Try honesty, ask her if there is anything you could do to make her like the tank. Take her to an aquarium or nice pet stores or other "not to weird" fish hobbyists house. You know dont take her to see the fishroom in the basement of the guy who is living in his dead mothers house, who works nights at the postal office, imports his own bloodworms from china, chain smokes and makes everyone who visits endure his 45 minute talk on the importance of some obtuse aspect of water chemistry, who has r/o filters 4 feet long etc. Remember think pretty display tanks like in an expensive restaurant or some posh execs office.
5 If none of the above works, begin discussing the splendor of hissing cockroaches and how an ento landscape would be ideal for the room. If she likes bugs then try suggesting a lovely colony of naked mole rats instead of fish in the tank.


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

dewalltheway said:


> ...The tank must look appealing to her and something she would want others to see when company comes. As I said, dont be offended, but I hope the critique helps.


Amen, Mark  ! Women, or at least my wife anyway, like their "nests" to look good. The same way men like a clean, waxed, shiney, smooth car. I'd find out what she thinks about every aspect from the light fixture to the cabinet color (yes, my wife has painted mine more than once, lol) to the placement in the room. If you can get those things more to her liking she'll be more patient about getting the inside of the tank to where you want it to be.


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## inghamb87 (Mar 10, 2010)

hah some of you out here are pretty harsh ;-) As mentioned by many I think those plants are overtaking the entire tank. How about moving them to the side, say for example have the tall ones on each corner and choose glosso as the carpet, maybe? Just throwing out some ideas before wife throws out your tank


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## deleted_user_9 (Feb 28, 2009)

Some ideas from a chick:

1. The lights do look sloppy. Wold it be possible to build a canopy to match the stand, and hide the workings of the tank as much as possible?

2. The plants are haphazard. Try using the golden ratio. For ideas, check out the AGA Aquascaping contest entry photos. There are years of photos, grouped by tank size.

3. What's the deal with the too-small cabinet doors? What's the point of hiding everything underneath, and then leaving a hole so it all shows anyway? I'd stain a couple of small strips of wood to match, then screw one into the back of one door on either side to create an overlap, like china cabinets have. You'll probably need knobs or handles, which she might enjoy picking out.

I see a lot of potential, you just need refinements.


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## mmelnick (Mar 5, 2010)

I agree with the majority. For my wife she doesn't care about the thousands of dollars worth of coral(I've traded for most of it) in my salt water tank. She sees the $10 fish.


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