Tank Design/Decorating Tips - I share, then you share

[inssane]

My favorite trick for designing tanks is the DRY ERASE MARKER!

I mark up the front of my tank with ideas. I draw where I want a plant, a stone, where I want to remove something I put an X over it. ie, I will put an X in front of a stone to remove completely, or a circle around the stone with an arrow to move it.

I sit back and stare for a bit, then redraw until I like it.

It's not necessarily a final determination, but spacially it helps me figure out what heights look good where and so forth.

If you haven't tried it you should. It has helped me alot and saves alot of in and out of the water time moving things and stepping back to look.

This was a "draw job" and my tank has changed since...


Plus, it's pretty easy to figure out where to put things once your little drawing is finished. Just look at it, then place the decoration "behind" the drawing

What tips do you all have?
Nick

PS - the dry erase marker is great for judging max fish size in your tank. When considering fish, I would draw them on the tank in actual "max size" and determine if it would work or if they looked too full or crowded.

 

[JK47]

Can dry erase be used on acrylic?

 

[inssane]

Should be ok...

acrylic dry erase board

 

[inssane]

TTT
No one else has tips to share
No strategy?

 

[JK47]

TTT
No one else has tips to share
No strategy?

One thing I always do is scour the net until I find a pic of a natural habitat that I want to mimic, I pull out the design hues I like best and incorporte them into the design of the tank. I scetch out my lighting how I want the overall feel for the tank, dark and lurky, bright and white etc.. Well berfore I even spend any cash on actual equipment. Let me know if you want a pic example of what I am talking about.

 

[inssane]

I like the idea of sketching out the lighting.
I too look online to make my tanks "biotopish", I love the natural look.

 

[Sebub77]

im a fan of a natural look also, when i was thinking of my 125's set up, this was 4 years ago, i was a junior in high school and i used to draw a bunch of idea's on the sides of my notes in class and i had so many different idea's.. since then i sort of stopped trying to make everyting orderly because whenever i do my oscar will simply move eveything to however he decides he wants his home to look.. i will allow him that power hah, i must say he moves my plants and small driftwood peice into some nice arrangements sometimes!

 

[Kyle_91]

One thing I always do is scour the net until I find a pic of a natural habitat that I want to mimic, I pull out the design hues I like best and incorporte them into the design of the tank. I scetch out my lighting how I want the overall feel for the tank, dark and lurky, bright and white etc.. Well berfore I even spend any cash on actual equipment. Let me know if you want a pic example of what I am talking about.

IMO i like the natrual amazon, dark, lurky, driftwood and rocks kinda feel.
Thats how im planning out my next tank.
Edit: yes i would like a pic lol

 

[Kyle_91]

im a fan of a natural look also, when i was thinking of my 125's set up, this was 4 years ago, i was a junior in high school and i used to draw a bunch of idea's on the sides of my notes in class and i had so many different idea's.. since then i sort of stopped trying to make everyting orderly because whenever i do my oscar will simply move eveything to however he decides he wants his home to look.. i will allow him that power hah, i must say he moves my plants and small driftwood peice into some nice arrangements sometimes!

Sebub77 i really like how your tank is now (avatar). Would you mind posting some pics up?

 

[Sebub77]

i can post some pics up later in the afternoon before i do my water change, glady