Vertical Tank Decorating?

[Jeffreybomb]

I'm having trouble trying to find decent stuff with which to decorate our vertical, 30g hexagon tank! We've got a few plants and a tree-trunk looking decorative item at the base of the tank. They look great, but the top two-thirds of the tank is practically empty.

I know the importance of giving fish nice, dark places to retreat to every now-and-then, as we've got a plecostomus that loves the only really good hiding spot in the tank. So, we've been trying to find some worthwhile stuff.

I think I'd be able to use anything I'd decorate a thirty gallon horizontal tank with. However, I'm a little wary of buying something -- a long log or what-have-you -- that would lean up against the glass of the tank. Are tanks normally built to withstand objects leaning up against them from the inside? I would think so, but I'm not sure how much more give a vertical tank with thirty gallons of water has.

[Gelo_USA]

yea I m dealing with the same problem....
my tank is far away from having enough hiding space and it looks just EMPTY becuase the only things I have are two fake logs and one rock on the bottom and I cant find anything I like to put in it.....
I wanted something tht looks natural like stones or wood but I can never find anything....

and yea U can lean stuff on the inside of ur tank I think... as long as its not an extremely heavy rock u should be fine...

or u can go to petsmart or petco....
they usually have big medieval looking castles tht are tall and have plenty of room for fish to hide.....
I like them but they cost around 60 to 70 bucks...... and I want to have my tank looking all natural no ruins or anything like tht lol

[Drumachine09]

Try some long leaved fake floating plants.

[cartmanis]

Have been finding the same thing with my tank. Everything in it is only half way up the tank, the top seems so bare.

I've been experimenting with how it looks with some of the decorations I do have standing on end, leaning against a wall or standing alone (if flat on one end). I just stood my bog wood up on end against one side today to see how it looks to me.

I've contemplated some of the floating plants that would hang down from the top a bit as well.

[Gelo_USA]

but wouldnt the plants make feeding a little harder?

[Drumachine09]

nah, some fish will probobly hang out by the plants and "stalk" Their food.

[Willyleigh]

Floating plants, or some vallisneria would grow very tall after a while, not an instant fix though.

[xoolooxunny]

if anyone who has the vertical decor problem has a planted tank, try a temple plant, they grow bushy and tall, and you can train it to the size/shape you want.

[kimmers318]

Petsmart carries fake plants that suction cup to the sides of your tank and hang down that help fill in some of that top area and the smaller fish you have enjoy hanging out in them. Keep your eyes open because they regularly mark down stuff and you can pick it up fairly cheap.

[cocoa_pleco]

kimmers had a good idea. They're those reptile ones that have suction cups, and look neat at the top.

[kimmers318]

Nope, not reptile ones, Petsmart carries them in the fish section and have several styles of them. They aren't cheap, but like I said, they regularly have markdowns and I picked some up for like $6 a piece.

[Jeffreybomb]

Thanks for the tips, guys. We've actually got some live plants at the bottom of the tank, so top-based live plants might be our route.

[cocoa_pleco]

a lfs here had big suction plants for 2.90.

I got one for my 5.5g and the dwarf gourami likes it.