Totally boring tank needs help!

[Lady Hobbs]

I am at about a loss what to do with this tank. Even the parrots are bored. I have tried planting it with swords and they bore them up. I put potted plants in for the fish but I hated the pots. I hate the AC110 on this tank because I'd like to have floating plants. (Tried hornwort but it all died in 3 months and got stuck in the filter stems as well as moss tied to the wood.)

Now I am thinking of getting UGF, using my canister and discarding the AC so I can toss in some floaters but not crazy about UGF's either and don't want to have to buy reserve flow pumps.

Thought of java fern all over but for some reason I can't grow java worth beans! Maybe I just need to get Mother Plants?

What about piling all the wood up in the middle and attaching java fern (again) or coffee anubias........or some anubias that is taller.

WHAT? I hate this tank and my fish looked bored to bits.

(Nice photo of my lamp, I see) LOL

[Rue]

It is a nice lamp!

I dunno...I'd try tying some larger Java onto the wood? Or a larger spp. of anubias?

You can also pot the plants and HIDE the pots behind the wood so you dont' see them.

You could also try and disguise the pot by gluing pebbles or wood to it...or making a wooden 'box' to diguise it...(probably do something quite nice just by tying twigs together with fishing line...)...

Start with something easy that might cut it before going with a UGF...

[Lady Hobbs]

Poor fish. I feel like they live in a house without furniture.

Here's how my java looks. It's like 100 years old. How long does this stuff think you're gonna live? LOL

WOW. Another nice photo. This one looks like I threw up on the tank!

[Rue]

Java is tough stuff! Maybe a good match with the parrots...

My swords seem to lose leaves on a more regular basis...the java doesn't seems to loose as many as often...

[Dave66]

Could 'scape the tank with driftwood, Hobbsy. Will give the fish something to do swimming around and through it.

Dave

[Lady Hobbs]

Got 5 pieces in their now Dave but certainly could do some moving it around more. And also buy more.

[Sandz]

What about... this (http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XevxlqyKrAM/0.jpg) or this (http://www.drysdaleaquarium.com/freshpictures/7_Entrance_Aquarium_Blood_Parrots_Rainbowfish.jpg) ... just visual thoughts. On the plants you can glue some stones to the root so even if they get uprooted they will sink back to the floor and look "right"

[Lady Hobbs]

Second one works. Nothing for them to pull up but I have 5 parrots so gotta save them some swimming room, too. I changed things around a bit today and I think it looks better, added a few ferns so we'll see.

[MCHRKiller]

Java fern is actually a more needy plant than it is credited for, it does best with atleast medium light, a source of CO2 and regular ferts. From the looks of that fern it is pretty normal and living in a low tech setup.

Id get some riverstones and plant some Crinum in it...the stones will keep the parrots from uprooting it. Attach fern to the wood and get some larger anubias in there. You can use plant weights to keep the anubias down and attach it to items or push its roots into the substrate. You could also get some brazillian pennywort, it is a great floater that you can wrap around heater cables/filter intakes/etc to keep it in place even with high flow like from the AC110.

[CassieLEO]

I like the looks of your rocks in there...

[Lab_Rat]

If you want to ditch the HOB you can run a sponge filter in addition to the canister. That way you still have two filters going but you don't have do deal with an UGF but the floaters will be happy. I run a sponge filter in addition to my 2 canisters on my 75g.