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Aquascaping ideas and any input really


Sev
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Hey everyone! I’m going to be setting up a 75 gallon tank soon and I’m looking for aquascape ideas or examples. I’m not trying to steal ideas because I do want to make it my own but I have no idea where to start. Thank you! Below is my current 40 gallon and the stock that’s going to mostly in the 75. Any constructive criticism is appreciated1F410884-E5AB-40C9-87DE-13B219BDB1DB.jpeg.30485cbea0d2408603e3f09c9c072889.jpeg

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Hi I’m new to this too but lately I been thinking to have my gravel bed or sand bed wihich is what I have, then I want to add flat wood to cover the floor of the tank with rocks between the wood and sand to leave space like a fake floor and then glue plants to that wood all over 

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For my first 2 proper aquascapes, I found scapes that I really liked and copied them. That’s how you learn and get better. I’m a tennis coach and I always here the advice “Steal the good features of better players and make it your own.” 


After these two scapes I’ve done, I think I’ve found a little bit of my aquascaping style. For example, I know I like working with driftwood more than I like rocks although I thought I was more of a rock type of person. I also realised I don’t like using stem plants so much as trimming is quite tedious especially on a large 4ft tank that I’m currently working on. 

I hope this helps a little. Don’t be afraid to get ideas and copy people’s scapes because you’ll never get the same result.

Pics 1 & 3 are ones that I kind of copied

Pics 2 & 4 are my tanks

 

 

 

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Welcome! I completely agree with the others about stealing—go for it! You’re never going to get it exactly the same anyway. It will end up looking similar but not copied, just like @Ryo Watanabe’s tanks above don’t look exactly like the ones he copied.

In terms of specific advice for you, based on looking at your current scape, I would recommend thinking about how you can create a flow of open space. For instance, you have an amazing arched driftwood in your 40 gallon, but you have a tall plant right in front of it. If you move the tall plant to the side, then it highlights the open space under the arch.

In Ryo’s tanks, the first one has a flow of open space right at the front, with plants getting taller as they go back. Kind of like a slope. The second one has a circle of open space around three sides of the tank, kind of like a wrap-around porch, with a focus on the especially open space to the left.

If it helps, you can imagine you’re keeping an open path for the fish to swim. (I’m not sure the fish really care how open their path is, but it’s a helpful mental exercise. 😄) Are they going to swim around something? Under? Behind? In a figure 8? Don’t be afraid to clump your plants and hard scape together to create more of an open path.

That will give your scape more of a focused look.

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when I first started I would steal some scapes, after a few weeks I would start making small changes and tweak it my own way over time. after awhile of doing that I was able to start coming up with my own ideas. One of my favorite methods and easiest for a newbie is doing the triangle from one side of the tank. in my opinion its one of the easiest styles to follow, just start with tall plants on one end and work down to mid then foreground and make it look like a triangle, you can use a sand or something for the rest of the tanker even do a carpet if you wish. here's a image  I stole from google to give you an idea. it can be as simple or as complex as you'd like.

dave-chow-aquascaping-drawing.jpg

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  • 2 months later...

Here’s my 75 gallon with complete stock. I’m currently figuring out how I want it and will update again once it’s set up how I like it. One question so I know rainbow fish aren’t intelligent but would they be ok with branches of driftwood in the tank? They aren’t very fine or anything I just don’t want my rainbows to get hurt.

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I’m here just to steal ideas 🤣 no seriously we all help and offer up ideas to one another.  It’s what the forum is all about 😁 I think you have a lovely start. As your vallisenaria sends out new runners you could keep moving them to form the entire back wall as an idea. Keep posting updates please. I would love to watch your tank grow. 

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I've literally copied and stole my way to a decent looking tank. It wouldn't have been possible without those who share their success with the hobby. I'd imagine they are flattered when we try to emulate their successes.

Here is my plants only, wanna be Dutch style, not even close Dutch style, tank in development!

 

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@Sev all great artists start by copying others.

 

Literally. 

You go to school by first copying a piece of art, and only the applicants that copied it the best are then admitted to the school.

I went to art school, until I realized that I like delivering babies and helping parents more than I enjoyed the egos of art school (I still use some of what I learned, though).

@Ryo Watanabe is a great example where he took a picture and imitated the picture (and you can see his latest scape in the IAPLC).

Because of my background designing illusions for the stage, I chose Josh Sims to follow. He's an amazing scaper who defies a lot of the 'rules' of classic scaping, and designs illusions of vast depth by putting larger plants, thicker wood, and the biggest rocks at the *front* of the tank, and then using the thinnest leaved / tiniest plants at the back of the tank. 

 

Here's my planted tank in my spouse's room, where I am playing with textures and different mediums to give the illusion of a much larger tank.

It's designed from my spouse's perspective when they are on their bed, or sitting in their chair, on the far right of the tank.

From their perspective, it's a stream moving towards them and then curving off to the right. 20210615_184004.jpg.17f20208be007a00b482ac91cf6c13b2.jpg

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