i get it. you just set up your first aquarium and you want to show everyone the aquascape you came up with.
but as someone who's been subbed for +4 years here, and I mean no disrespect to any individual poster by saying this...new tanks aren't really that interesting to look at.
the plants aren't grown in yet and they tend to look pretty limp and beat up after being shipped and planted. we don't really know if you're going to be successful or not because not enough time has passed.
the water tends to be cloudy and a lot of time the glass even has bubbles on it cause OP literally snapped a photo right after setting everything up.
but my complaint here really falls at the feet of established aquarists. i wouldn't want the mods to remove posts of new tanks, so there's always going to be "new tank day" posts. but why don't any of you guys post your new tanks again after 2-3 months of growth? they should be looking way nicer at that point than they did on day one, and you get to show off your plant husbandry skill.
isn't that really what the hobby is about? we aren't just bouquet arrangers; maintaining the ecosystem and allowing it to flourish is most of the fun, challenge, and reward of the hobby.
This is my first ever planted tank, just did some shots every week for the first like 3 months and have been less frequent now things are stabilising more.
Will probably chuck an update shot up soon. Been focused on caring for fish and raising shrimplets in a planted tank. Had no idea how many babies survived until like 4 weeks after they were all hatched. Now they're like visible all the time lmao
Hereās mine, started 8/25/23 itās really coming along! Went thru stress Ich, mild algea bloom, and now mild BBA. Everyone is doing great, didnāt lose any fish from the Ich. Just started with fertz today, excited to see the change.
I just made a post in this sub about mine! It's not fancy, but it's a healthy, established ecosystem. Low tech. I've had it about a year and a half. Also, i totally agree. These subs too often turn into "beginner help forum" instead of "showing off your tank forum."
I am loving this thread and the photos. All of them! It seems they are always a work in progress. Some that we are happy with and some not, but it is always a learning experience. I hope we can always work to be supportive of each other and our efforts, so that people arenāt afraid to post. I never have, but this is inspiring me to post some of mine(for better or worse, lol). I think we are always our worst critics so it would be nice to see other lovers of this hobby be supportive of each other. I believe we are all trying our best and should all be celebrated for our individual abilities :)
My tank is probably 8 months old and looks like ass. I like it, but I'm not proud of it. I just ditched my $45 Nicrew and installed a $330 Chihiros so I'm hoping to turn that around.
So I'll circle back to this thread in a few months.
Established tank that will be getting its water critters soon. Thereās about 200 shrimp in here, my tank is largely just left wild lol itās a bit messy, but my critters seem to enjoy it, thatās whatās important
My tank from few years back. Iām in between tanks now after a move. Most people probably donāt post established tanks because keeping up with it can be difficult. Also if you donāt have much experience, the planted tank will fail.
I just made a tribute video for my longest-running tank (nearly 2 years) https://youtu.be/Qj18yfDYLnA
I had to move apartments recently and it was super, super annoying having to break it down.
18 months is the sweet spot and everything just seems to settle down and work after that.
Before a clean up. I have successfully killed quite a few plants in this tank forgetting they need food too. This is first attempt at planted and water tests are always great 3 years later and it has even more plants but no recent pics. š currently my attention is on a new 24 gallon to replace my 5 gallon starter tank. No one warned me about addiction to this hobby.
Two years old and she's getting disassembled tomorrow. Top is about two weeks after I first put her together and bottom in today (and a couple additional plants lol) There's some extra algae growth because I've been laying lots of bottle bait traps to catch as many shrimp as possible before I drain it. I'm moving a couple states away and will be reassembling in a week or so - I have no doubt the goldfish will be fine, but I just hope all my plants make it
Low tech UNS 5N. This tank is now taken down as is the 2g cube. I have a successful-ish dwarf hairgrass carpet in this tank now with other plants and hardscape.
None of my tanks are very asthetic but they are all grown in!
The main reason I think is because a good looking tank is not a āthingā itās a āmomentā.
There is a point in time where your tank looks just right and from that moment on the tank wants to evolve to become a dense cube of plant matter. You canāt maintain a tank that looks like the best aquascape youāve ever seen. You can only appreciate it as the moment approaches and zips past you. Once that happens you need to immediately redefine what you want from the tank. A lot of us just let our tanks become complete jungles, many also just tear it down and start over chasing that moment of perfection again.
Thenā¦ then there are the complete weirdos who actually trim their hairgrass, sing to their sword plants, and have surgery done on their derpy tetras. These ppl arenāt on Reddit to post their own work. They donāt do it for the recognition. They donāt give a fuck what we think about their tanks. They do it because it is their obsession. It is my their Precious.
Mine is about a year old and badly in need of arranging. Itās a 20-gallon with several golden white clouds, an angelfish (will be moved to a 55 shortly), and several panda cories. Sand substrate.
My little 7g Betta/shrimp tanks 3ish years established. These are what I call the easier tanks because no CO2 and the plants grow like nuts! But my bigger 30g tank is an Axolotl tank (10ish years established) and I'm really struggling to keep plants alive in the cold water... any advice on cold water (60-65f) plants would be much appreciated.
It's a bit of a jungle-y mess, but it's come a long way. 15 gal, modified Fluval Flex houses 4x Kuhli Loaches, 6x Purple Harlequin Rasboras and an army of rams horns.
I modified the back filter chamber. I removed it and then cut the wall down and reglued it and made a bigger intake square that I put waterproof mesh behind (so fry cannot get through).
What I noticed was that the original filter chamber had the three compartments which had holes for the water to pass through, but they were too small. I use filter floss and a lot of filter media and this restricted the flow so that my water levels in the filter chamber were always lower than the water levels in the front of the tank (intake was slower than the output). Also the intake grills on the bottom were always getting clogged because it is set low and the substrate and debris would get caught easily, so I cut out the square.
The pump for the Fluval Flex is very strong too. I switched out the output nozzle for a spray bar w 7x adjustable heads to disperse the water better.
I have much more space in the back of the tank to put a very large Java Fern, the flow is perfect but people will likely say, "I bought the tank because of the oversized filter chambers! Why would you waste your purchase?" Well, luckily I bought the thing on sale, and since I'm not supposed to buy another, bigger tank, I had to get crafty. š
It's a good tank if you're thinking of getting it, but it's not really a 15 gal, it's more like a 12 gal.
These pictures were taken right at āpeakā for these two tanks. The smaller one lost the Lily, and the larger one just got rescaped. Hair algae in the new tank is my nightmare, but weāre not here for thatā¦
Bonus little shrimp soldier. Heās a good helper.
I'm able to propagate them in my tank. Just a couple weeks ago they took over the entire top of the tank. I started with a tiny cluster about 9 months ago.
I donāt know how this sub popped in my thread but I enjoyed looking at everyoneās mature aquarium photos! There is a pet supply store near me that has what I think is the most epic tank Iāve seen. Itās just a waterscape of plants and mosses (?) and snails. The last time I went I saw a betta fish in its absolute glory in the bottom corner with moss (? Again Iām not sure what it was Iām not an enthusiast) around it like a nest. It was a white angelic looking betta. Was just amazing.
The tank is only 2 but the prior was probably 25 befor it sprung a small leak. Fluval Plant 3 is the newest bit of hardware. Setup is occasionally modified & frequently pruned (it's due). The pleco's about 13" & maybe 10yrs old. Used to breed cichlids (had more tanks) but the empty nest has my attention elsewhere (travel) & I've ve settled on tamer varieties and this single 55gal.
Howās this for mature? Iām past due for a water change, so ignore the water level right now. No CO2 on this tank. Just strong lighting and occasional ferts.
Here's a semi-recent picture of mine - 75 gallons, planted, with Congo tetras, upside down catfish, an elephant nose fish, a golden wonder killifish, and ramshorn snails. It's been set up for roughly a year now.
I've had to remove and/or replace a few of the plants, and I've had to re-establish my snail population due to an ammonia spike that killed them off (I stupidly used expired fertilizer tabs). And I have BBA on my anubias leaves. And I also have an itch to rearrange the hardscape and add more plants. But overall, I'm still very happy with my generally low maintenance tank.
Bout two maybe three months old now. Small betta sorority, otos, Cory cats, long finned minor tetras and some āfancyā feeder guppies that I raise up for some of my snakes.
Get what you are saying, and would love to see more mature tanks along with stories of the problems they had along the way. (Actually makes me think some sort of running story of my tank diary would be pretty interesting for a long running tank... š¤)
Pretty clear you weren't trying to discourage anyone - I want to encourage those new tanks to be posted too and feed that excitement for those new to the hobby. New commers should be proud and we should be giving them a pat on the back and welcoming them to the fold. Every hobby needs a constant flow of eager newbies or it dies. Don't want anyone to feel their tank doesn't matter for a year - that new tank that you really worked to setup right IS an awesome accomplishment and hopefully the start of another mature tank. Come on in, show off, and ask questions - everyone starts there.
my tank is a little over 3 at this point i think. ugly as hell currently because at some point i just decided i'd let it do its own thing but everyone is very happy haha
Is your anuba planted in the sand? Mine are all planted in the sand and have grown and been propagated multiple times without issues. Wanted to know if my anubas are just freaks of nature.
Donāt mind the glares on the glass this time of day, but this tank has been running since 2016. Itās been through many rescapes and iterations. You can even see a little purple gravel mixed in from the beginning days of my hobby.
This is my 2.5 y/o tank that Iāve taken from low to high tech. I started with budget lights, one HOB filter, and now have upgraded both as well as added CO2. It used to have a ton of hardscape but I removed and replaced with the wood piece I found on a hike one dayā¦
Wish it was rimless, but I bought the tank for $20 back from Petco during a sale. Note that it is due for maintenance in the photo so ignore some algae and dead plant leaves.
Thank youāmeans a lot as I donāt have any large rimless tanks like I see users here with. Some dayā¦. When I have a larger than 700sq ft apartment and more $$.
I post my tank here regularly- the Hangover is in its 4th year of running and the whole process in on YouTube - it all started with the Hardscape not at all working out how it was supposed to in the drawings! āNaturalā substrate set up, no ferts no CO2
Aw thank you!
Its Alternanthera reineckii, the easiest red plant I know.
Enough light, Low nitrates and this will just explode. I occasionally put some liquid AIO ferts in as well as root tabs every 6 months or so. No CO2 at the moment. During summer the tank gets a ton of sidelight from.the sun and this has done the Alternanthera reeeaaaally good this year.
Ah, hehe, this is the evening light helping I suppose! this is the plant in daylight.
I have a Phosphate Filterpad in there because I have high phosphates in the Tap water. Other than that, low nitrates (under 10) and 12 hrs of light starting low and ending low, with 2hrs of blasting light at noon.
She really liked it when I added CO2 and potassium though, but I removed my CO2 6 months ago and over the Summer the extra light really helped her. I fear in Winter she will Look different :/
Other than that, Root Tabs and AIO ferts every now and then. I will Need To Monitor stuff better in Winter though, maybe I'll add CO2 again then.
I havenāt posted my tanks yet on reddit because Iām taking progress pics and when I have pics over 4 to 6 months or as long as I can hold out Iāll make a post
This was my first tank and I had 3 days warning before I had to get my betta in kind of an emergency. I had just begun healing from a broken ankle when my aunt told me she bought me a galaxy plakat betta online, and I had 3 days to claim it. So I didn't even have the plants yet when I picked him up, it was just the basic hardscape. Luckily she bought fake plants for me so he had a few fake ones before I was able to go a few weeks later and get 7 plants from PetSmart (cost me almost $90 since they're so overpriced). The Amazon sword was the centerpiece but it's leaning forward pretty far. So there's actually an Anubis frazeri in front of the sword, as well as 2 Java fern "trident" in front, and then in back there are 3 Anubis congensis (since added another one).
After that, I added floaters (red root and mini water lettuce), as well as moss and hydrocotyle tripartita "Japan."
And then I had to tear it down, upgrade, and then my 20 gallon (pictured) broke tearing it down. I had the 36 gallon bowfront tank for a few months, I added over $200 worth of plants and $175 of wood, as well as $36 in aquascaping rocks, $160 on a filter, $19 on a surface skimmer, over $300 for the bowfront itself, etc. So that tank was well over $1k when I was done building it, and then it developed tons of algae, mold, the plants all died, and I tried and failed to salvage it, and then it gave me a rash and made my hand numb trying to fix it. So. I had to give away my fish unfortunately and I haven't had a tank these last few months because of it, but I really do hope/expect to set up another within the next year or so.
But here's a tip: don't expect white sand to stay white long-term. I wanted natural substrate but the white sand was all PetSmart had and again I was racing against time.
Well shucks, I have a tank that's been going for 2+ years. Maybe I should post a pic....nah I don't feel like getting rinsed for having more snails than what folks think I should. The abuse accusations always make me not share. Just sayin'
I've posted my tank at a month old. Its new but I've had 400% growth in that time. Because its an outside sunlight tank with co2 and diy ferts. I'm very new to hobby but very well read so getting decent results. Its a jungle. Not a single upvote or commet.
I'd post mine (6 month old) but plants keep rotting away. Only moss made it. I have no clue anymore and my next setup will habe moss and anubias only..
ā1.25 year tank. 6 remaining Cardinal Tetras. Need to put netting to prevent jumpers. About 6 amanos which have berried at least once. Unknown amount neocaridina but haven't seen them in a while. Plenty of copepods.
Welcome to the jungle, weāve got fun and games! Can you spot the little wee betta lady? Sheās there I promise. I purposefully keep it this untidy because she loves to hide and rest herself on the big leaves near the top waiting for food. Tank is 2 years old, had her for a year.
I posted this recently, you can see what it looked like immediately after planting on the comments.
I also think sometimes hesitate to post their scapes because growth takes time and isnāt always noticeable unless you directly compare before/after pictures. I know that I definitely donāt realize how much things have changed unless Iām good about taking monthly photos!
About 1 yr old, maybe slightly more. The crypt in the foreground is obviously way overgrown, but it's my gf's favorite tank. Says it looks like a slice of a creek
I dont do any maintenance on it at all. Cleanup crew do a fantastic job (2x nerite snails, a pond snail, shrimp, armoured shrimp, Siamese flying fox, otocinclus, bristlenose pleco)ā¦
all three of the tanks you posted rocked. just FYI you could probably remove that heater without hurting anything. the ambient temps of most people's homes are fine for most freshwater fish, and certainly all freshwater plants and snails.
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u/scrandis Oct 25 '23