WHAT HAS TO BE "JUST RIGHT" IN YOUR TANK?

What has to be just right in your tank? Not including fish and water parameters etc.

For me it's level substrate.  It has to be level, with no peaks or troughs.  After a water change and gravel clean it takes me ages to level the gravel.  I'll go back and forth between tank and sofa levelling out any uneven areas. Also the gravel at the very front glass has to be completely straight. Drives me crazy if it's not!

I take it you don't have any bottom dwellers then endlessendlers? You never get a perfect substrate level with cories and an ancistrus in the tank!!

I used to get ocd over my tanks but recently I've really chilled out. I suppose dealing with my health problems has forced me to realise that nothing can be 'perfect'. It's too much effort and it leaves me exhausted and in pain. I force myself now to say 'tomorrow is another day' and if something doesn't get done or finished then I force myself not to let it bother me!

With the tanks it's always been symmetry that's got me wound up in the past - that and the BBA I fought so hard to get rid of. I'm also a little ocd over checking all my fish are still alive and swimming! If I allow myself I get obcessed over counting them and then get angry cos they won't. stay. still. lol

At the moment I'm having problems with green algae forming on the glass (I suspect the light tubes might need replacing but they are expensive and I can't justify it at the moment) and a while ago I would have gone mad over it, scrubbing it off until it was gleaming, now I just look at it and think ... ach I'll see to it later.... the fish arn't bothered so why worry

Has the shine gone out of fish keeping for me a little bit at the moment ... I'd say yes... but I'm not getting rid or packing up any time soon!

No please don't "pack up". I did it a couple of years ago and regretted it.

You've probably got the right attitude,  more important things in life than "perfection". Maybe I've got too much time on my hands with two of my four children moving out and my fish have filled the gap they left?

Perfect?
I gave up perfect, now I would just like a tank that doesn't look like a bunch of drunken monkeys threw it together.
Finding that piece of driftwood that is just right, but doesn't cost as much as a house note. Finding stem plants my Angels won't destroy. Keeping my head from exploding about BBA.
Maybe next time I set up a tank I just need to have a concrete plan. Oh wait I did, this will be a leftover/rehab tank for plants. Then I found a Betta, and I really need to make this something I like.

Perfect, not including fish and water parameters...

...no sorry, this one doesn't resonate with me as my approach is more practical. If I had a single show tank, my main gripe would be keeping all the fish associated stuff neat and tidy (out of site) and chemicals safe from children. I think we often forget, the threat to life some of these chemicals pose. Very sad when things go wrong.

endlessendlers wrote:...the gravel at the very front glass has to be completely straight. Drives me crazy if it's not!

In the past I've used under gravel filters, so a nice covering of gravel gets a thumbs up. What I don't like to see is an exposed under gravel filter plate. Not only does it look unsightly it's probably a good indicator that the filter isn't going to be working too well (water will travel the path of least resistance).

Maybe you could invent self-leveling substrate?

I've always liked to 'bank' the gravel behind large stones towards both sides and the rear of the tank. If the tank is about 4ft in length, you can get away with banking some gravel in the middle to form a bit of a: ---......--......--- contour along the front. It gives the plants more gravel to grow into and gives the impression of looking into another world. Modern designs seem to be more about integration with the outer space, if done well it works but not everyone has the artistic flair to be able to pull it off, Aquascapes present many challenges, I mean... where do you position the SpongeBob SquarePants ornament? beats me.

Deans_Angels wrote:

endlessendlers wrote:...the gravel at the very front glass has to be completely straight. Drives me crazy if it's not!

I mean... where do you position the SpongeBob SquarePants ornament? beats me.

I could answer that but it'll probably get me banned from the forum

there's at least 2 types of fish that I can think of that are now on your 'banned' list endless endlers.

1. Ancistrus Catfish - otherwise known as 'the bulldozer'



and...

2. The Bolivian Ram - otherwise known as 'I'm Digging For Australia, am I going the right way'

Akasha wrote:I could answer that...

Best left in the shop then

I like it when fish make their home, their home. Especially the ones which like to dig their own little ditch, so cute to see them hovering around it or sitting in it.

my male ram used to dig and dig until he hit glass and then he'd try to carry on! I knew they were pit diggers when I got them but he shocked me with the sheer size of pit he though a few wrigglers needed! The pit was big enough for 4 full sized rams to hide!

The ancistrus catfish was a complete bulldozer though ... he was another that would try to keep going even after hitting the glass bottom. I had to get rid of that one as I had two and they started to fight. Naturally I kept the one that didn't completely bulldoze my tank!
The remaining one still digs but he doesn't completely bulldoze like the other did!

I think I missed something, so I'm going back to it

endlessendlers wrote:Maybe I've got too much time on my hands with two of my four children moving out and my fish have filled the gap they left?

Naturally you will fill the void and perhaps this causes you to needlessly worry about the straightness of substrate. As circumstances change and as you adjust and fill your life with other things, I'm sure the substrate matter will take a back seat.

Don't waste your time trying to change things which you don't have any control over. Thankfully, finding other avenues to direct your energy is something that you can do something about. Don't waste your life worrying about level substrate, give it 5 minutes of your undivided attention each and every day, then do something else.

Dean

Thanks for all your comments. Very interesting to read.

No, I don't have rams or an ancistrus cat fish, but I will soon be adding 3 Calico Bns to the tank. I hope they respect my wishes and don't mess up my gravel. Lol.

Dean I'm afraid I don't think I'll ever get over my level gravel OCD!

endlessendlers wrote:Dean I'm afraid I don't think I'll ever get over my level gravel OCD!

Thinking I was in Agony Aunt mode that day.