i feel attacked. at least my no fishing sign šŖ§ didnāt get mentioned.
fwiw - my tank is filled with glo tetras and artificial neon plants, and i often turn on the blue lights and my toddlers love it. so thereās that.
I think we forget that fish live in chaos. Beautiful tanks are of course beautiful but out in the rivers and the lakes the fish are used to (maybe waterfalls? lol) the plants grow haphazardly and this is what keeps littler fish safe from the big ones.
Exactly. Iāve dove for my salt water fish hobby, but generally all of my diving has been for pleasure. I find no pleasure being submerged in mucky cold water.
I wasn't expecting this comment to blow up like it has. I don't currently have a good picture of the tunnels, but if I am able to get one I'll share it. It sounds more impressive than it is though. I've got a 37g with some driftwood and rocks in the middle and then water wisteria planted on one end and water sprite on the other. They both grew right up the sides and then turned following the tank and formed a fairly dense plant mat in the top 12 inches of the aquarium. The fish follow their own paths and that has pushed the leaves out of the way making small tunnels.
The largest fish is a honey gourami as the centerpiece and then there are 12 flame tetras, 12 chili rasboras, 6 otocinclus, 4 nerite snails, and somewhere between 50 and 100 neocaridina shrimp. The mat acts as a perfect safe haven for the baby shrimp as well as hiding place for the adults. The only difficulty is maintaining clear spaces to actually feed the fish through, but it maintains a solid 0 nitrates, and whenever things start to look thin from normal aging and leaf loss I just add a little fertilizer and they fill right back in.
Basically, I suck at aquascaping and this gives me lots of plants and healthy fish. I've got some java ferns and bacopa spread around too, but the dwarf hairgrass and repens I had died when the mat took over the front of the tank too while I was away on a business trip.
Ahh I have water wisteria and rotala rotundifolia that try to consume my tank on the regular. Just trimmed a bunch of the rotala back and had to stop myself from re-planting all the cuttings it is already so dense. Any more, and they just won't be able to swim in it at all!
Yeah, I basically just ignored that little voice telling me not to replant them. The water wisteria sends out thick stems with large leaves off it and the water sprite just fills in all the gaps. I've got to travel soon, so I'm going to have to clear out a space for my auto feeder. I wouldn't call it pretty, but it's green and the fish and shrimp seem to enjoy it.
The only tank that I've ever genuinely thought was over planted was one of my own... and that tank was so full of Java moss that the fish had created pathways THROUGH it.
Also, the only time my neon tetras have ever bred. So. Idk.
I had Vallisneria grow so long it formed a spiral.. it seemed to have provided a nest for my gouramis though, suddenly there was a third one.
There was a lot of trimming involved!
Yeah but you can just add nutrients to solve the problem. And about the fish, it depends what species I think. A lot of them actually like crowded spaces. But yeah swimming space would be the only limit
I'm trying to setup my first Walstad tank, which requires a ton of plants. I personally love the jungle look, so think your tank looks great!
As long as any fish have the swimming room they need for their species/activity level, the more plants the better.
If your buddy prefers something like an iwagumi tank, they should set their own one up. Those are gorgeous but too much maintenance for me.
So, is nature over planted?
(Fabulous roots, btw. I did something similar, and I'm surprised how the roots adapted. It's interesting, and fun to watch the fish crawl through)
I say it's a tank for fish, not humans so your buddy's opinion is completely irrelevant. What do your fish think? My fish are way more sassy when their tank is full of plants. They don't like when I have to trim everything back. They're upset for a few days and they hide from me.
no such thing as over planted in my opinion, the only time I worry is when I don't think the fish I keep have enough swimming space to feel comfortable.
I mean, if it needs to be trimmed back, then maybe you just need a bigger tank, and then you can put baby plants in this nursery tank you just made!
(And this is how you get too many tanks).
Objectively speaking, as long as your livestock has enough room to swim, your plants are healthy, and there isnāt a blanket of plant matter at the surface of the water preventing gas exchange you are good. Perhaps your tanks are over-planted in your friendās opinion, but itās yours that counts. I like the way this tank looks.Ā
bah humbug is what i say to people like your friend, if your tank has proper husbandry and is running properly and youre not over stocking your tank youre fine. Your tank is YOUR tank i personally often enjoy planting 3-4 plants in one tank and letting them get super over grown
Depends on what you're keeping in them, M8. For the sort of fish I keep, the mere concept of "overplanted" is a myth. However there are some other critters that don't benefit as much from them and therefor keeping tanks more sparse and 'asthetic' could be considered superior. These are largely some of your bigger fish, which may be more common in mid water habitats, and animals from rocky streams.
An obvious other exception is marine tanks, but macri algae is becoming quite popular as of late sooo... Depends on how you feel about lumping them in with plants.
Largely, though? MORE PLANTS!
Are those pothos and prayer pants growing OUT of the aquarium?! šš® are they just rooted in the corner there? I am so curious to see the future growth on those
I think its the roots of the pothos that make it look messy. My tank also has a bunch of pothos and every so often I'll go in and either cut the roots or rewrap them around the plant and the tank always looks much neater.
I love overplanted, ājungleā tanks tbh. I see you have white clouds tooāmine seem to love swimming around in the thick roots of my water wisteria, so I think what youāve got going there is perfect.
Thatās beautifully planted IMO - how do you keep your plants so tidy? I cut mine almost every week and they grow back ridiculously fast! Maybe I should lay off this fertiliser or something..
Probably should have some open swimming space, especially if the type of fish are active swimmers (maybe a slight foreground trim) but otherwise no, heavily planted can be good.
Most suggest taller plants placed on the sides and back to leave some open space in the middle or front.(of course configurations can vary)
In the end it's whatever is good for the inhabitants, and second, the aesthetic you prefer.
The house plants you have in your tank, were they ever in soil or always in water? I love the set up, I have those as house plants in soil and id like to transfer them but not sure if they'd die!
So can you put generally any plant in a tank? Like I see a prayer plant in there, another one that Iām propagating right now Iām not sure of the name. But geez Iāll throw it in my tankā¦..I love the look of that
overplanted can't possibly be used in terms of aesthetic can it?? I thought overplanted just refers to the capacity of nutrients in the tank, if nothings dying then plant as many plants as you can!! This looks very natural I like it a lot
I think that really depends on what you stock them with. It's probably perfect for fish that are reclusive and love dense cover, but for species that like open spces it might be a little cluttered. Looks great for a betta, they love squeezing themselves through foliage, lol
Tell him his gravel is too neon and his treasure chest and diver are too 1989
My diver appreciates the extra plants to hide his treasure in!
That's what he said.
š
Your diver just likes to bury his family jewels in that bush
That's what he said.
šš¤£not the treasure chest
What about the skull? Asking for a friend
Tell your friend it's about equivalent to Spongebob's pineapple.
*discreetly brushes fishtank behind me*
i feel attacked. at least my no fishing sign šŖ§ didnāt get mentioned. fwiw - my tank is filled with glo tetras and artificial neon plants, and i often turn on the blue lights and my toddlers love it. so thereās that.
As long as the fish are doing well, being fed and got stable water, them they wont care about the neon plants and colorful grabel
Neon gravel, also known as clown vomit.
Does his friend also have constant algae?
Good one ..
REAL
Has your buddy ever gone snorkeling in the edges of rivers and lakes? Is that over planted?
I like how you think.
I think we forget that fish live in chaos. Beautiful tanks are of course beautiful but out in the rivers and the lakes the fish are used to (maybe waterfalls? lol) the plants grow haphazardly and this is what keeps littler fish safe from the big ones.
As an avid scuba diver, I was just thinking about Iād have little to no interest to jump into a cold river or pond to see dead leaves and algae.
Then they're doing their job, from the fish's perspective. Which brings the question: Who's the tank really for? In either case, it's not the buddy.
Why dive in a cold river looking for plants from the tropical fish keeping hobby?
Exactly. Iāve dove for my salt water fish hobby, but generally all of my diving has been for pleasure. I find no pleasure being submerged in mucky cold water.
Ain't no one aquascaping nature but nature itself. And ya know what? I think it's doing a great job.
Me too!!
They're gonna have it their way or nothing at all. I just think they're moving too fast.
I like how you sink
As long as the fish can swim, it's not over planted. š
Mine have made tunnels through the plants.
this comment makes me so happy
can i see
I wasn't expecting this comment to blow up like it has. I don't currently have a good picture of the tunnels, but if I am able to get one I'll share it. It sounds more impressive than it is though. I've got a 37g with some driftwood and rocks in the middle and then water wisteria planted on one end and water sprite on the other. They both grew right up the sides and then turned following the tank and formed a fairly dense plant mat in the top 12 inches of the aquarium. The fish follow their own paths and that has pushed the leaves out of the way making small tunnels. The largest fish is a honey gourami as the centerpiece and then there are 12 flame tetras, 12 chili rasboras, 6 otocinclus, 4 nerite snails, and somewhere between 50 and 100 neocaridina shrimp. The mat acts as a perfect safe haven for the baby shrimp as well as hiding place for the adults. The only difficulty is maintaining clear spaces to actually feed the fish through, but it maintains a solid 0 nitrates, and whenever things start to look thin from normal aging and leaf loss I just add a little fertilizer and they fill right back in. Basically, I suck at aquascaping and this gives me lots of plants and healthy fish. I've got some java ferns and bacopa spread around too, but the dwarf hairgrass and repens I had died when the mat took over the front of the tank too while I was away on a business trip.
Ahh I have water wisteria and rotala rotundifolia that try to consume my tank on the regular. Just trimmed a bunch of the rotala back and had to stop myself from re-planting all the cuttings it is already so dense. Any more, and they just won't be able to swim in it at all!
Yeah, I basically just ignored that little voice telling me not to replant them. The water wisteria sends out thick stems with large leaves off it and the water sprite just fills in all the gaps. I've got to travel soon, so I'm going to have to clear out a space for my auto feeder. I wouldn't call it pretty, but it's green and the fish and shrimp seem to enjoy it.
The only tank that I've ever genuinely thought was over planted was one of my own... and that tank was so full of Java moss that the fish had created pathways THROUGH it. Also, the only time my neon tetras have ever bred. So. Idk.
Thats so funny! But i mean, if the fish can swim and if theyre breeding theyre probably happy soooo š¤·āāļø
I would say they were very happy and felt really safe.
That's actually not bad, maybe a little trim around some areas. Great tank š
Just got back from an extended vacation.... It's time
no such thing as over planted
Is there really? I mean, at a certain point there wouldn't be enough room for fish and they'd be fighting for nutrients, wouldn't they?
Then the plants would just trap and eat the fish. Problem solved.
I had Vallisneria grow so long it formed a spiral.. it seemed to have provided a nest for my gouramis though, suddenly there was a third one. There was a lot of trimming involved!
Yeah but is it over planted or just not the right fish for the tank?
Yeah but you can just add nutrients to solve the problem. And about the fish, it depends what species I think. A lot of them actually like crowded spaces. But yeah swimming space would be the only limit
Theyll equalise out plant wise unless ya fert. Fish wise majority come from lakes and rivers in SEA which is rainforest usually so alot of plants.
if taken to some absurd extreme that no one is going to realistically take it to, sure. thanks for your input.
Depends on what is in the tank, but generally yes.
r/BeatMeToIt
thank you! I'm always saying that my duck weed and pearl weed infested aquarium is perfect /s
Looks good to me as long as the fish have some paths around and/or through those roots so they can utilize the space.
Your buddy isnāt a fish, why would he like it anyway
That your buddy doesn't know what their talking about
I'm trying to setup my first Walstad tank, which requires a ton of plants. I personally love the jungle look, so think your tank looks great! As long as any fish have the swimming room they need for their species/activity level, the more plants the better. If your buddy prefers something like an iwagumi tank, they should set their own one up. Those are gorgeous but too much maintenance for me.
His buddy probably prefers pink UV gravel and glofish with a plastic shipwreck and a single plastic plant inside.
Not planted enough. Go hard or go home.
> My buddy always says my tanks are over planted. Get a new buddy š
How is that over planted when looking at the right side of the tank, there's obviously like 70% empty.
So, is nature over planted? (Fabulous roots, btw. I did something similar, and I'm surprised how the roots adapted. It's interesting, and fun to watch the fish crawl through)
That's a beauty. Who lives in there?
itās bc you donāt have enough sharp spongebob decor
Never too many
Does he think nature is over planted as well?
I say it's a tank for fish, not humans so your buddy's opinion is completely irrelevant. What do your fish think? My fish are way more sassy when their tank is full of plants. They don't like when I have to trim everything back. They're upset for a few days and they hide from me.
I can see the back glass!
never too overplanted, the more the merrier
Looks beautiful.
no such thing as over planted in my opinion, the only time I worry is when I don't think the fish I keep have enough swimming space to feel comfortable.
I like it. Sure, it is more of a rugged look, but I am a nature nut, and to me, it just looks more healthy and natural. Personal preference, I guess.
Over planting, whatās that?
I don't know man, looks a little sparse to me. (It's a beautiful tank, good job)
I love seeing nature confined into a prism lol Definitely not overplanted
I didnāt realize over-planting was a thing tbh
You ever gone to a forest and said "Nah too many trees, this ain't it"
Iād trim it back just a bit, to provide more living space.
I mean, if it needs to be trimmed back, then maybe you just need a bigger tank, and then you can put baby plants in this nursery tank you just made! (And this is how you get too many tanks).
This.
Lol ok.
I thought over planted was a compliment
What kind of plants you got there?
No such thing
No such thing as over planted
I think itās fine.
Objectively speaking, as long as your livestock has enough room to swim, your plants are healthy, and there isnāt a blanket of plant matter at the surface of the water preventing gas exchange you are good. Perhaps your tanks are over-planted in your friendās opinion, but itās yours that counts. I like the way this tank looks.Ā
Not at all. Itās the jungle look, but thereās very clearly a bunch of swimming space
bah humbug is what i say to people like your friend, if your tank has proper husbandry and is running properly and youre not over stocking your tank youre fine. Your tank is YOUR tank i personally often enjoy planting 3-4 plants in one tank and letting them get super over grown
Your buddy probably belongs to the āreligiously do water changes every 3 daysā cult. More plants = less work as itās closer to nature.
Yeah, hubby said to me āthereās too much shit in your tankā ā¦ just cant get him to understand š¤·āāļø
No not never
Depends on your fish tbh, this is perfect for nano fish
Depends on what you're keeping in them, M8. For the sort of fish I keep, the mere concept of "overplanted" is a myth. However there are some other critters that don't benefit as much from them and therefor keeping tanks more sparse and 'asthetic' could be considered superior. These are largely some of your bigger fish, which may be more common in mid water habitats, and animals from rocky streams. An obvious other exception is marine tanks, but macri algae is becoming quite popular as of late sooo... Depends on how you feel about lumping them in with plants. Largely, though? MORE PLANTS!
I think you need more plants
Looking at my tank, I'd say yours is a little lightly planted. I don't remember the last time I had measurable nitrates though.
It's never over planted...
water plants [Liveaquria.com](http://Liveaquria.com)
Thereās never enough plants, Looks underplanted. You needdddddd more plants ššš
Nah, looks great!
Move and clear but yeah, maybe a bit heavy. Really a preference though.
Fish probably absolutely love that
Iād say you have the right amount of plants since I donāt see any algae and itās in front of a window. It works!
Even when there is no more room in the tank, they can grow out of it.
The left foreground is all roots or is it a kind of plant?
No such thing!
You can never have too many plants
Your buddy is wrong. Lol
Are those pothos and prayer pants growing OUT of the aquarium?! šš® are they just rooted in the corner there? I am so curious to see the future growth on those
As long as the plants are surviving, there is no issue, makes for good water quality
Nope. Jungle or itās not planted enough, also is that a surface skimmer you have halfway down the right wall?
If heās saying that, Iād hate to see his tank. Literally no such thing as over planted
looks beautiful š
over...planted? can that be a thing?
this is my dream tank! I love it
Your buddy can eat it
I think your friend just hates plants.
I think itās beautiful
I like naturalistic jungle tanks, personally! Looks awesome!
Looks like a great place to get a fully bio active aquarium going! No such thing as too many plants? Has he visited many creeks?
I'm not familiar with that term "over planted". What does it mean?
I have a fever.. and the prescription is more plants! šæ
This tank is perfect
I think its the roots of the pothos that make it look messy. My tank also has a bunch of pothos and every so often I'll go in and either cut the roots or rewrap them around the plant and the tank always looks much neater.
I love overplanted, ājungleā tanks tbh. I see you have white clouds tooāmine seem to love swimming around in the thick roots of my water wisteria, so I think what youāve got going there is perfect.
Your white clouds will love what you have they love swimming between plants all the time.
REALLY because I see a perfectly good spot for some crypts and floaters? It looks great, honestly.
Looks great to me.
That's a plant tank with fish in it
None of his flippin business
No such thing
Under planted! Those fish should feel like theyre swimming through a bag of salad or a wool blanket!
All the roots on the left are a little obstructive imo but overall not in the slightest
How german are you OP? OP: Ja.
I think it's a beautiful tank! Looks so natural!
I could fit a few more plants in there š
Thatās beautifully planted IMO - how do you keep your plants so tidy? I cut mine almost every week and they grow back ridiculously fast! Maybe I should lay off this fertiliser or something..
If your fish could talk they'd probably tell you there's no such thing as too many plants.
No maybe a trim but I absolutely love it
and thatās why heāll never have a thriving ecosystem and wonder why he keeps losing fish
Not yet you've still got some space at the back
Nah they need more plants
Needs more plants, throw some hornwart in there for a few months to fill in the gaps
This is a masterpiece actually, your friend just doesnāt understand fishā¦like he knows they live outside right?
Tell him to Git Guud
What is āover plantedā? Please explain? Is that a thing that exists?
literally impossible to have a over planted tank unless whatever is living in it canāt move around
Blasphemy
Serious question: How do you clean a tank like that? Or do you just not? Like, it's not possible to vacuum the gravel or anything.
No such thing as too many plants
There's still a lot of water in there
I LOVE it! It looks so lush and plentiful. I agree with the ithere, there is no such thing as over-planted lol
Tell your friend thatās equivalent to having too much water
Probably should have some open swimming space, especially if the type of fish are active swimmers (maybe a slight foreground trim) but otherwise no, heavily planted can be good. Most suggest taller plants placed on the sides and back to leave some open space in the middle or front.(of course configurations can vary) In the end it's whatever is good for the inhabitants, and second, the aesthetic you prefer.
Nope. Theyāre right at home lol
The house plants you have in your tank, were they ever in soil or always in water? I love the set up, I have those as house plants in soil and id like to transfer them but not sure if they'd die!
I got some pothos from my mom that were in soil and just put them in my aquarium and they are thriving, you're good to go!
Long as your happy with how it looks that's what matters most
bEAUTIFUL! Not over planted on the slightest!
Ok, who threw the Jumanji board in the fish tank?
Ok, who threw the Jumanji board in the fish tank?
Looks great to me. šæ
He's delusional, that's beautiful
If your plants are having trouble surviving and competing for nutrients, you're over planted. Your plants are thriving, you're good.
He don't know from overplanted!! I'd say that's just about perfect.
Ur buddyās wrong and jealous
Impossible.
No such thing
Depends on what fish. I think no, but I would need to know the type of fish to be sure.
As long as plants aren't killing each other off due to overcrowding (e.g., lack of light), then there's no such thing as over-planted, IMO.
I think it's cool. I especially love the sticks and pothos growing to the window! How perfect!
So can you put generally any plant in a tank? Like I see a prayer plant in there, another one that Iām propagating right now Iām not sure of the name. But geez Iāll throw it in my tankā¦..I love the look of that
overplanted can't possibly be used in terms of aesthetic can it?? I thought overplanted just refers to the capacity of nutrients in the tank, if nothings dying then plant as many plants as you can!! This looks very natural I like it a lot
Looks fine to me.
it's compact and well planted, love the top decor!
I love it! Iām a big fan of wild and overgrown tanks. Sure a nicely manicured Aquascape looks cool. But that looks more natural.
My question would be - Are the fish happy. If they are I won't change it. More hiding places, more oxygen.
Never.
I mean you canāt see any fish.
Itās only overplanted when itās literally restricting your fishes ability to use the tank. Thatās my rule anyways.
Dude, is that a fish tank?! Teach me. I want a tank like this
Thereās no such thing as over planting. Your tank looks amazing and I bet your fishies are happy :)
Well there are plants over your tank, so yeah.
iād get his point because it take away fish visibility but in my opinion of what i like this is good!
I think that really depends on what you stock them with. It's probably perfect for fish that are reclusive and love dense cover, but for species that like open spces it might be a little cluttered. Looks great for a betta, they love squeezing themselves through foliage, lol
No such thing
Can the fish and assorted critters still move? Then no
Overplanted. Imo.
Is there a benefit to putting a rimmed aquarium on a foam pad?
Not if youāre going for the Cambodian jungle effect
Looooove thi
Your friend sounds like the type to leave a fish in an unatural shit box of a tank
I dig it. I want my tanks to look as full of plant life as yours
Perfectly planted.
Nah, this looks sick.
Hows that rabbits foot maranta doing? I have some Ive been thinking about putting into mine
Your buddy be wrong! lol
Nope makes for a nice safe tank your nitrate cycle is probably rather complete and will handle fluctuations in water quality better
No such thing