# New to Scaping need help Remodeling



## xVitox (Oct 11, 2010)

Hello,
First thread on here, and i have an issue. I have a 55 gal that is loaded with plants, yet i feel it is not going in the direction i want it to. I have one picture I will put up now. Any suggestions would be apprectiated greatly! thanks!


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi xVitox,

Congratulations, you grow plants really well which is a good start! I look at aquascaping like art, if you like it is good. However, unlike a piece of art, if I don't like it I can change it.

Continuing with the art analogy, some of the same principles we see artists use in paintings and photography we can apply to our aquariums. Karen Randall, from AGA, did an excellent talk in June here at GSAS. She promoted this idea and I heartily embrace it. She presented slides of Award Winning Aquascapes and showed us were the creators had used artistic principles in their execution. This was the same presentation she will doing for the big AGA Convention November 11th - 14th in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and it really opened my eyes as to how to improve my aquascaping skills. The video is available to GSAS members via Bitorrent download on our website and it is one of our most popular along with Tom Barr's talk on "Light Limited CO2 Enriched" planted aquariums.

I am starting to try to incorporate some artistic principles in my 'scapes such as: the Golden Ratio for focal points to add interest; the Principle of Thirds; and the use of perspective to add depth.

I am looking at using less plants in my tanks, the aquascapes that I like typically have 5 or less (sometimes just 2 or 3) species that are repeated throughout the 'scape. I try to have a definite foreground, mid-ground, and background. To add emphasis to my hardscapes I try to incorporate the Golden Ratio and the Rule of Thirds.

I try not to be too hard on myself, and I have never thought of myself as artistic, but I find that I know what I like and by applying some of the artistic rules and guidelines I do like the results. I also try to remember that the enjoyment of this hobby is the journey, not the destination!

My 45 Gallon


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## Gordonrichards (Apr 28, 2009)

Kudos to a nice green tank!

You seem to have encountered an issue called "jungle in the front" disorder. This issue happened with my girlfriend's tank. It required the organization of plants.

You just require a scape, draw up some plans... I noticed your java fern/sword plant is a monster. Maybe make that the focal point/centerpiece of your tank. Push it all the way to the back and leave the front open.

Just my 2 cents.

-Gordon


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## xVitox (Oct 11, 2010)

thanks for all the advice! I am going to pull out of lot of the cheaper plants i had just gotten when nothing would grow in my tank (Cambomba mainly). I also will be attempting to move that beastly plant. This will probably involve a bit of root cutting it has an extensive root structure


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## Skizhx (Oct 12, 2010)

One really good tip I read somewhere (forget where) was to make the line of your layout a wedge, a U (off-center is fine), an inverted U (off-center is fine), or a rectangle.

wedge









U









Inverted U









Rectangle









Pay attention to how empty space influences the overall appearance and be mindful of it when scaping your own tank.

My 2 cents, from what I can see in the picture, if you take that rotala (cabomba? Whatever it is, take it) and move it to the back right corner where you seem to have a bunch of plants, and then 1 lone rotala/combomba/whatsit, then move your large bushy plant in the center (looks sorta like java fern) over to the right midground/foreground, or into the back left corner and bring the plant that's there forward into the midground/foreground, that would be a good start.

Of course this sort of thing is always subjective


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## xVitox (Oct 11, 2010)

Skizhx said:


> One really good tip I read somewhere (forget where) was to make the line of your layout a wedge, a U (off-center is fine), an inverted U (off-center is fine), or a rectangle.
> 
> wedge
> 
> ...


Those are gorgeous tanks especially the first one! If i had more time to take care of these I would definitely try for something so awesome. I especially like the mountains with the grass. I have been moving some of the plants around, mainly the huge sword. I also pulled out all the real cheap plants that I had picked up at petsmart. Its already looking better ill post pics soon


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## Gordonrichards (Apr 28, 2009)

+1 to the U example. Thats what I think looks best.


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## Amazon_Replica (Nov 24, 2007)

Water flow is important when you have alot of plants like that, good circulation is critical


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## xVitox (Oct 11, 2010)

Amazon_Replica said:


> Water flow is important when you have alot of plants like that, good circulation is critical


I actually recently added two small powerheads (koralia nanos) on the one side. I wish i had done this earlier because everything (plants, fish, condition of tank) seem to have improved a bit with the extra water flow. It almost appears that I do not have to clean the substrate anymore since most debris are kept in the water column

now that i have moved that monster sword over a bit the tank is looking nicer. The driftwood is much more easily seen and I know have my main plant in the second third of my tank (rule of thirds).


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Try to make sure you have a foreground, midground and background. These don't have to be a a straight line but can be meandering. This gives your tank depth as the viewer continues to look back, back, back into your tank.


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## Amazon_Replica (Nov 24, 2007)

Its surprising how important flow is. TexGal is right, you have to have a visual divide, and that isnt always easy with alot of plants, will take some getting used to as far as pruning goes. It will take some time but you are off to a great start!


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## xVitox (Oct 11, 2010)

*An update*

Thanks for all the information and help you guys have given me. I started reorganizing and pulling out some of the unwanted plants (cheapy petsmart ones i got to fight algae and the such) and have moved some stuff around. Im not done but It already looks better. You can even see my driftwood now!








(sorry for crappy quality i am using my camera phone)


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## Amazon_Replica (Nov 24, 2007)

Looks alot better already. Next time you prune, I would take the vals on the front left, and put them behind the wood in the center, like a lil curtain in the back. It has a much more open feel to it, and the fish have an area right in front to enjoy, and allow you to enjoy them as well.


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## xVitox (Oct 11, 2010)

Amazon_Replica said:


> Looks alot better already. Next time you prune, I would take the vals on the front left, and put them behind the wood in the center, like a lil curtain in the back. It has a much more open feel to it, and the fish have an area right in front to enjoy, and allow you to enjoy them as well.


I like that idea! Gonna try it tonight and see how it looks. Also is anyone interested in that sword on the right? I have a lot of its young


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