On Saturday, in my "Aquascape" post, I talked about how I planned to improve the artificial plant environment for my 10g tank. Here is a picture of what it looked like.


Since then, I've been soaking a piece of African-lake driftwood. Today, it was pretty clear that all the tannins are out (unlike the Malaysian chunk I'm preparing for my new 2g tank -- it just keeps on leaking and leaking and leaking...).

Since the makeover was going to be pretty dramatic, I decided to remove Les Six and the Justice League. I siphoned 1 gallon of tank water into a bucket and put them in it, knowing I'd have roughly twenty minutes to work before the temperature in the bucket lowered too much.

I removed all of the plants, vacuumed the substrate, and recreated the bank. I then placed the driftwood centrally and diagonally. Around it I "planted" the fake specimens to which I refered on Saturday.

I'm really pleased with the final result, and will now stop fussing over this tank. It's the visually pleasing environment I originally wanted, informed a bit by the way Takashi Amano designs aquaria.


The little archway in the driftwood is my favorite touch, and the Tetras love swimming through it.