Aquarium keeping natural/tecnological

[Ahmabeliever]

Most of your biological additives along those lines are freeze-dried nitrosomas and nitrobacter bacteria. These are the work horses of most "biological" filters. These are the same bacteria that you add by seeding a filter with substrate from an established tank. Marineland actually makes a refrigerated live version that will establish the front end of the nitrogen cycle in a tank. The main concern is that nitrates (The end result of nitrogenous waste breakdown)

 

Ah - so it's the same old same old - thank you.

[johnfp]

Biozyme, freshwater.

 

Freshwater Biozyme

[Moontanman]

Does anyone keep the type of called a Paludarium. I've set up a couple of small ones in teh 20 to 30 gallon range. Very intersting type of set up. Lots of land plants and emergent plants. Even land animals like small lizards, I grew some mangroves with a small cedar trees trailing their roots in the water.

[Not half- but whole!]

I have set up a few, mostly focused on the terrestrial aspect of the set-up. I had one set-up for for dendrobates, another was for a trio of White's tree frogs. In the aquatic sections there were just some guppies and a cory or two.

 

The dendrobates tank had lots of various lilies and ivys some emergent bog plants. The water circulated through fine gravel that served as the terrestrial substrate and the plants did most of the work.

 

The White's set-up had a completely sealed aquatic section that just had a small submersible filter in it.

 

I also had an interesting community terrarium. It had a soil substrate and had some pathos ivys and I think rhododendrons(I don't really know what it was, it grew quite well in the terrarium and I had to prune it back all the time). I kept it humid enough that it had a natural rain cycle in it. It had a Senegal chameleon, a few reed frogs, and a pair of fire millipedes.

[Moontanman]

I would like to tell every who has responded to this thread that I have started a social group called "Aquarium Keeping" Please feel free to join and share your expertise.

[Ganoderma]

Not half, but whole. very cool. i used to do this as well with dart frogs, but i as well focused on the terrestrial side not the fish side. what species do you keep?

[freeztar]

You're going to love this. This guy in Japan invented an aquarium that is directly below a deep fryer! :)

 

Apparently the oil does not mix with the water, so the fish are protected and can live for up to ten years! :hyper: They feed off of the crumbs that fall down across the oil-water barrier.

 

Trends in Japan Deep-fry diving for goldfish in Japan

[Moontanman]

You're going to love this. This guy in Japan invented an aquarium that is directly below a deep fryer! :)

 

Apparently the oil does not mix with the water, so the fish are protected and can live for up to ten years! :hyper: They feed off of the crumbs that fall down across the oil-water barrier.

 

Trends in Japan Deep-fry diving for goldfish in Japan

 

 

Only in Japan, only in Japan......

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

Betcha it's a royal pain to maintain decent water quality.

[Moontanman]

Maybe that's why they used goldfish, only a carp can live under conditions that would choke a catfish. :singer:

[Not half- but whole!]

I crashed my tank!

It has been a bit since I have been able to post (wife is pregnant, just bought a new home, insane at work, etc, etc......)

 

With the new home came the move. While having had great luck with my natural system plant tank for about 2 years, I neglected it a bit prior to the move. It went a bit south and I was rushing to re-set the tank (something besides moving more boxes of books...). I chopped the plants pretty well and think I got an organic spike as I lost all my fish but my banjo cat and 3 of my killies over the next few days. I fell prey to impatience....

 

But I got to completely break the tank now and have started a redesign... I just have to figure out what to put in there, my killies have turned a bit nasty and chomp down just about anything they can fit in their disproportionate mouths. I dropped a few zebra danios in there just to have some dither fish to pull out the killies and they ate them!

 

Anyone have luck with rams? I had a gorgeous male Bolivian ram but could not find a female. Maybe I'll trade out the killies and try them, anyone had some interesting smaller fish luck? (maybe some apisto's or maybe some more docile killies...)

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

"gold nugget" pleko's....they're a little shy but they don't get very big (mine is 6 years old and roughly a mere 5" long), they keep your glass squeeky clean, and their spines and armor tends to deter the most voracious munchers (even my Oscars don't mess with em).

 

On the smaller side "Giant" danios tend to be unbelievably hardy and get to about 3".

 

Or you could really make life fun for the killies by adding a couple of Madtoms or some crayfish to the mix:hihi:

[Moontanman]

I crashed my tank!

It has been a bit since I have been able to post (wife is pregnant, just bought a new home, insane at work, etc, etc......)

 

With the new home came the move. While having had great luck with my natural system plant tank for about 2 years, I neglected it a bit prior to the move. It went a bit south and I was rushing to re-set the tank (something besides moving more boxes of books...). I chopped the plants pretty well and think I got an organic spike as I lost all my fish but my banjo cat and 3 of my killies over the next few days. I fell prey to impatience....

 

But I got to completely break the tank now and have started a redesign... I just have to figure out what to put in there, my killies have turned a bit nasty and chomp down just about anything they can fit in their disproportionate mouths. I dropped a few zebra danios in there just to have some dither fish to pull out the killies and they ate them!

 

Anyone have luck with rams? I had a gorgeous male Bolivian ram but could not find a female. Maybe I'll trade out the killies and try them, anyone had some interesting smaller fish luck? (maybe some apisto's or maybe some more docile killies...)

 

Moving an aquarium often results in disrupting the biological balance. I use external trickle filters in my tanks when i move them, i set the filter up about a month before the move and the bio filter is preserved better and you get much less disruption less fish kill. I keep mostly native fish lately, dwarf sunfish, madtoms, killies, and red fin pickerels are among my favorites.

[Not half- but whole!]

I am thinking about going with a native tank... It would truly be a very new experience for me.

[Moontanman]

I am thinking about going with a native tank... It would truly be a very new experience for me.

 

Do you want to catch your own fish or buy Native Fish? Where do you live? I can probably tell you what you can catch if I know where you live.

[Not half- but whole!]

Buy native fish seems abit like canned hunts IMO....

 

Any help would be great in terms of this aspect of fish keeping. I know no-one that is remotely interested in it, It's all Africans and reefs. I live in North East Texas (Dallas Area). I need to find out about what minnows and darters are about in the area. I have a smaller tank, so many of the natives just will outgrow the tank...maybe a plot to convince the other half for a new tank though.heheh

 

Ive done some cursory online searches and have found virtually nothing out there... I need to see if there is a group in the area for some hands on local advice as well.

[Moontanman]

Buy native fish seems abit like canned hunts IMO....

 

Any help would be great in terms of this aspect of fish keeping. I know no-one that is remotely interested in it, It's all Africans and reefs. I live in North East Texas (Dallas Area). I need to find out about what minnows and darters are about in the area. I have a smaller tank, so many of the natives just will outgrow the tank...maybe a plot to convince the other half for a new tank though.heheh

 

Ive done some cursory online searches and have found virtually nothing out there... I need to see if there is a group in the area for some hands on local advice as well.

 

Try these people, I am one of them and they do indeed know their stuff when it comes to North American Native Fishes. I'm not very familiar with Texas fishes. I do have links to people that will sell you native fishes ( I have been known to do that too since I live where most of the warm water natives live) To collect fish you'll have to find out what the laws in Texas say about collecting non game fish, a fishing license is probably necessary at least.

 

The North American Native Fishes Association