New layout for my 120cm tank

[Martin in Holland]

The previous layout was getting overgrown and I had to do something, either get plants out and prune them or do a total make over....I went for the make over. I wanted to make it more suitable for Discus fish thus crowded. I also wanted to do the make over without completely emptying the tank which at some point in time I thought that I had bit off more than I could chew, but I was able to do it.

It started with removing plants and stones from one side of the tank, placing plants on stones and dump them back in the tank where ever there was some space and siphon the old substrate which actually worked like a charm without clouding the tank.

On one of my visits to the fish/pet market I found a nice piece of wood....

but that had to be able to sink, the only option I had was to dump it in the tank, a small stone was enough to keep it submerged and I already removed some plants, but the tank was a mess.

Slowly kept siphoning the substrate out and remove the stones every day.

This weekend was set to rescape the tank, I ended up in getting most of the fish out (the ones that were going to another home), removing all plants , wood and stones, got about 90% water out (kept just enough for the remaining fish and shrimp) and start scaping. I think I was done with the hardscape under 30 minutes, refilled the tank with water, waited for the water to clear up some more and replanted. All plants are tight or glued to stones, so replanting was a breeze, this also will make maintaining the plants easier as I can just pull them out.

I did get some new in and outlets, the black once I had didn't fit in this clear look, need to do a little bit of cable work at the back and I will probably mess around with some plants.
Now seeing the end result, I'm not sure if I will get Discus fish, I have to ponder about that a bit longer.......🙄

 

[Alexander Belchenko]

Wow, that's looking great. Steel pipes blend so well, but in the same time just great looking per se.

 

[Berlioz]

Wow, that looks utterly fantastic; the wood is amazing!

 

[Nelson]

Simply stunning Martin .

 

[Martin in Holland]

Discus...yes or no?


Also could use some help with a name for this scape.

 

[Alexander Belchenko]

About your light units: do you use simple outdor LED flood lights?

 

[Martin in Holland]

Yep...simple outdoor flood lights....3 x 20W, 6500K

 

[Berlioz]

Discus...yes or no?
View attachment 81408

Also could use some help with a name for this scape.

I think the discus look really good in there, Martin. 🙂 I could also picture them swimming under some nymphaea lotus, if you ever added them along the back.

If you didn't go with them, would increase school sizes or perhaps add another fish?

 

[Martin in Holland]

The tank indeed has some Nymphea at the back, they need to grow and reach the surface. The schools sizes are already pretty big (40 cardinals and 18 hockey tetras), they are just hiding at the moment, it was their first day at school.

 

[Worshiper]

Stunning!

 

[dean]

I'd definitely go with the discus

How about
Discus DLight

 

[parotet]

Personally I don't like big fish, they don't look so good in a small space. A huge shoal of medium sized fish would look awesome and their behavior much more natural... But of course this is my opinion 🙂

Jordi

 

[gareth777]

im liking the more industrial look with the metal pipe work

 

[alto]

Discus...yes or no?
View attachment 81408

Yes!!!
as those are my favorite discus 😀
(forget the painted varieties 😉)

Besides it looks like an awesome scape for discus - congrats on that wood find, it's a stunning piece

 

[zozo]

Wow!? That's a complete rebuild?? I kinda liked that picture where it was placed in the corner with it branches sticking out emersed. Kinda thought that was the plan.
Didn't expect to see this, very nice work Martin, even without growing in further it already looks very natural.. 🙂 Also the lamps and pipework..
Did you photoshop the discus in? With the question Discs or not? They are stunning fish, but i do not know if the tanks height realy is that suited for large discus. Personaly i'm i bit with Jordy on this.. I regularly visit http://www.discusshop.nl/ not far from me,, to buy goodies, they breed discus, if i see the adult size in his tanks, they get big fellows, wouldn't be my choice under a 1000 liter. But jaw dropping nice looking fish, they certainly are.

 

[tim]

If it were mine Martin (and I wish it was 🙂) I would add a nice shoal of Congo tetras and leave the discus in the shop

 

[FIsh i]

Very clean all round, just stunning and of course lots of small fish

 

[dean]

Discus Discus Discus Discus Duscus Discus Discus Discus

Great to see a set up where you don't have to use a macro lens to actually take a pic of the fish


Regards
Dean

 

[Chris Jackson]

Love it! No discus is my vote..

 

[Martin in Holland]

Did you photoshop the discus in?

Yes, those are photoshopped in there....
I am not going down the Discus fish route, I don't want to go there for a couple of reasons, first; I think that a big fish like that would make the tank look to crowded and small, second; they are slow to come to food which would mean that with the small fish being fast to eat all the food, I would need to feed much more and vacuum the substrate after every meal, third; the water temp. needs to be higher and plants don't really like that and I do not like to loose plants or get algae because of more plant debbry in the water.
Maybe I make the school I have now a bit bigger, add some nice shrimp and call it a day.