nyb440 Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 The collective mind of this forum has a very strong bias towards aquascapes that do their best to emulate natural settings. With this in mind, it is possible that I should not be admitting to the blasphemous, and some might say heinous, thoughts that are brewing in my most tortured mental faculties. I have recently had the urge to set up a tank solely devoted to the art of being visually shocking. Yes, folks, I’m talking fluorescent gravel, day-glo plants, and sunken cars and boats painted in delightfully loud shades of never to be considered understated colours. An ordinarily tacky white skull, you say? No! Too bland! As for inhabitants, perhaps a nice school of neon or cardinal tetras, or some of the more brightly coloured live-bearers. So, has anyone ever done this? If so, what fish did you have, and do you have pictures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalgaryFan Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 Can't say I have ever done this, my first tank was too small for any erratic decorations, but I usually see these types of tanks on fish tank rating websites like www.ratemyfishtank.com. I'm going to follow this and hopefully once you are done, you will post some pictures. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albertan Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 I saw pictures of just such a tank the other day. I think it was on MFK. I'll see if I can find it later and post a link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 The tank we had when we were kids was like that. It had rainbow neon gravel, a neon green covered wagon decoration, a neon pink/yellow "no fishing" sign and a sunken boat that had a airstone powered wheel on it. I loved it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish_Frenzy Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 LOL! We did one "Dave's Redneck Tank"! It was fun. Black gravel with flourescent accents, skull, castle and anemone ornaments in multi colored flourescent colors of pink, orange, green and yellow. A beat up car ornament, a beer bottle, glo in the dark plants...come to think of it, plants in just about every color...a space ship with lazers and ugly shark ornament. Fish were 2 Angels, Columbian Tetras and a few Kuhli Loaches. Unfortunately, we took the tank down to put up a bigger tank. Tammy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 Nelson's crayfish tank is pretty cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyb440 Posted March 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one (over the age of 12) who has ever had such ideas. I'm debating what size tank to use for this. I currently have an empty 34 gallon tank, but this might be a bit big. As I said, the point would be to make the tank as loud as possible, but if this were done on too large a scale, it might just be an eyesore. I'm thinking maybe a 10 or 20 gallon tank. There's nothing wrong with tacky, this tank will go so well in the fake wood palace that is my apartment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Chicklets Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 My 7 year old son wants his own tank, and you should see some of the stuff he looks at. Oh and Btw I have a 15g hagen with a lime green frame that would go perfect with what you are talking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bosshog Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 (edited) That is a good idea. I will not let my three year old, and wife put that tacky stuff in my tanks. Maybe I should find one that they can decorate. That will give me an excuse for another tank and keep the wife and kids happy. Devious isn't it. The thought of a tacky tank went through my mind while they were selling some of the ornaments at the auction in Edmonton. I put them out of my head though. I used to have some reallllllyyyyy nice rainbow gravel, but I rid myself of it several years ago. It would have been an excellent place to start. If I'm not careful I will officially have a fish room. Brad I can smell a contest coming on!!! Online voting for the tackiest tank lmao. Edited March 6, 2007 by bosshog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krystle Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 When I was visiting him in December, I bought my ex a little 10 gallon and let him decorate it all by himself :P The result? The fishies are albino cories, cardinal tetras, and a banded gourami He was so proud of himself lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
African_Fever Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 I've been getting an urge more and more lately to do a piranha tank along the same lines. A 6' tank with little lighting and lots of shadows with all sorts of skull and skeleton ornaments, the broken ships, and was even thinking about a cow skull or deer antlers (have easy access to both, just pretty sure they'd foul the water in some way or another). Great idea, would like to see the end result as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppygirl Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 I have a ten gallon tank that is not as outragous as that one, but it has plenty of the fake look. Talk about mixing designs mine has a sunken bell- covered in algae for the pleco, fake green plants to lend it some natutrality and the main attraction a huge fake glow in the dark rubber and plastic sea anemone (sp). Bright yellow and red. I think it adds spunk to the tank and I like it. It goes well with the black phantom tetras and neon tetras and the cory and pleco that live in the tank. If I can maybe one day will post a pic, but when comparing it to other tanks on this site that are natural with live plants it gets a little embarrasing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyb440 Posted March 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2007 Thanks to all for supporting my delusions. If I do go down this route, I will post pictures. It may not be for a while yet, though, as I have other things to worry about right now. I've mostly focussed on naturally themed tanks in the past, so this will definitely be a new thing. Sam Chicklets - Out of curiosity, of what vintage is the green framed Hagen tank? I remember when they were peddling the off-white framed tanks under the Marina name, but I've never seen a lime green one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Chicklets Posted March 7, 2007 Report Share Posted March 7, 2007 (edited) I'm not sure exactly on the vintagemid to late eighties it used to have shelf type affair in the middle that sat on cleats in the ends for amphibeans to crawl up on. I'm not sure what happened to the shelf or lid though. The canopy was lime green as well with incandescent lights. Apparently it got volunteered for my sons elementary school today for science classes. So off it goes to school. Edited March 7, 2007 by Sam Chicklets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyb440 Posted March 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2007 That is quite the tank, Nick. I remember seeing a 10 gallon like that years ago, but it had a really bad glue job, so I thought it was someone's custom tank. I didn't realise that these things were mass produced. As I recall, that tank also had lime green gravel with flecks of pink and black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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