Javascript Disabled Detected

You currently have javascript disabled. Several functions may not work. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality.

New 125 Semi River Biotope

Started by Guest_biggreenavalanche_* , Apr 08 2013 11:32 AM

Prev

Page 3 of 5
1
2
3
4
5

Next

Please log in to reply

80 replies to this topic

#41 Guest_Doug_Dame_*

Guests

Posted 10 July 2013 - 12:47 AM

I've had some trouble keeping kitty litter down and in place in a tank with high velocity. (Yes, it's gravel and sand capped, but that doesn't always do the job.) So my newest trick is to bag a bunch of it up in a set of nylons, and then pile it up / shape it where I want. For example, in the center of the tank to made an underwater hill of sorts, so the current goes round and round. And then I punch small holes in bag where I want plants to be. Seems to be working.

Edited by Doug_Dame, 10 July 2013 - 12:52 AM.

Back to top

#42 Guest_EricaLyons_*

Guests

Posted 10 July 2013 - 06:26 AM

I've had some trouble keeping kitty litter down and in place in a tank with high velocity. (Yes, it's gravel and sand capped, but that doesn't always do the job.) So my newest trick is to bag a bunch of it up in a set of nylons, and then pile it up / shape it where I want. For example, in the center of the tank to made an underwater hill of sorts, so the current goes round and round. And then I punch small holes in bag where I want plants to be. Seems to be working.

Can you take pictures and share? That sounds interesting. I tried to make a hill one time in one of my tanks and it just sort of flattened over time. Maybe if I'd bagged up the bottom substrate it would have worked better.

Back to top

#43 Guest_Kanus_*

Guests

Posted 10 July 2013 - 01:42 PM

Definitely keep us updataed on the pothos too. I have been rolling an idea around of doing something similar with pothos or English ivy, potentially training it to grow around the rim of the tank (they would get residual light from my halides, which are on legs). I think it would bounce fish into the tank when they jump, would suck up nitrates, and might look pretty darn cool too.

Back to top

#44 Guest_biggreenavalanche_*

Guests

Posted 10 July 2013 - 03:52 PM

Couple more tank shots...the cloudiness is micro bubbles, trying to simulate the bubbles found in fast riffles...I put a micro bubble airstone under an 850 gph wave pump...what do yall think ? (gotta get a better camera !) I'll post a couple more tomorrow...

Attached Files

tank pics 002.jpg 145.34KB 5 downloads
tank pics 007.jpg 181.99KB 5 downloads

Back to top

#45 Guest_EricaLyons_*

Guests

Posted 10 July 2013 - 04:00 PM

The fish seem to like it. I've seen someone lose an entire fishroom to cavitation before, but these bubbles seem a little bigger than his were. Really really tiny bubbles can kill fish. If they start dying, maybe that's why. If they're fine, ignore what I said.

Edited by EricaLyons, 10 July 2013 - 04:00 PM.

Back to top

#46 Guest_Orangespotted_*

Guests

Posted 10 July 2013 - 08:52 PM

Lovely tank, those Fieryblack Shiners are gorgeous!

When do you plan on getting the sunnies? Also, do you still have those darters you were going to try to photo? (Also Erica... who lost their fishroom to cavitation? O.o And how did they know for sure that was the cause? I was planning on building my own bubbler until I read your post...)

Back to top

#47 Guest_biggreenavalanche_*

Guests

Posted 10 July 2013 - 09:17 PM

Sunnies, soon as I can get a couple...darters that survived the trip are still there, they have to many hiding spots ! I'm not actually cavitating as much as I'm simply introducing a fine bubble flow into the water stream, I suspect that if I cavitated the main return for any length of time then my water flow over the bio media would be greatly reduced leading to substandard bio filtration with an increase in ammonia... Just a thought...I will keep a close eye on the "kids" just in case...orangespotted, you wouldn't happen to know where I could get a couple, do you ?

Rich

Back to top

#48 Guest_EricaLyons_*

Guests

Posted 10 July 2013 - 09:30 PM

(Also Erica... who lost their fishroom to cavitation? O.o And how did they know for sure that was the cause? I was planning on building my own bubbler until I read your post...)

A friend of mine who lives an hour west of me, a cichlid breeder. I stopped by his fishroom to buy some cichlids and his tanks, which are all hooked up to a central filter, had tiny tiny air bubbles in them. He had recently changed the media in one of the column filters and it changed the resistance and the flow rate. There were massive losses all through the tanks, and the only reason the fish I went to go buy were still alive was because they were in a display colony off to the side not rigged up to the central line. I guess how the cavitation bubbles killed the fish was by getting in their bloodstream through their gills. It's one of the major downsides (other than spreading disease) to running central filtration on multiple tanks. The high flow rate must be balanced with the angle of the pipes so as to prevent cavitation. 90 degree angles are not your friend.

Cavitation bubbles are very different from air stone bubbles. It's like a volleyball versus a ping pong ball. Or a bowling ball versus a gobstopper candy. There were bubbles sticking to their scales.

Edited by EricaLyons, 10 July 2013 - 09:35 PM.

Back to top

#49 Guest_biggreenavalanche_*

Guests

Posted 11 July 2013 - 10:38 AM

Any advice on how to get sea green darters to feed ? I've tried the following...flakes, crushed flakes, frozen brine shrimp, frozen cyclops (kinda like daphnia) frozen myisis shrimp, frozen beef heart, frozen blood worms, frozen tubifex worms...rest of the tank population are piggin out ! have yet to actually see the darters feed...they are getting skinny and I'm concerned...i'll try/buy just about anything at this point...oh, yeah, plenty of food getting to their level (bottom)...

Back to top

#50 Guest_sbtgrfan_*

Guests

Posted 11 July 2013 - 11:28 AM

The seagreens/turquoise I've had in the past would always get their frozen bloodworms squirted out of a turkey master right at them. I do that after I feed the other fish. I've also started using live blackworms and they get devoured.

Back to top

#51 Guest_biggreenavalanche_*

Guests

Posted 11 July 2013 - 12:26 PM

any tips on where to get the live black worms ? if I can find them I try them...my feed tube is resting on the rock at thier level...in the second pic above it is right next to, and on the same level as, the white pvc you see on the edge of the pic...

Back to top

#52 Guest_EricaLyons_*

Guests

Posted 11 July 2013 - 02:36 PM

any tips on where to get the live black worms ? if I can find them I try them...my feed tube is resting on the rock at thier level...in the second pic above it is right next to, and on the same level as, the white pvc you see on the edge of the pic...

If you can't find live blackworms anywhere you can easily culture live grindal worms. My upkeep cost for feeding grindal worms to my fish every day is $10 a year. Blackworms used to cost me $20+ a month. And grindal worms can be gut loaded with vitamins.

Instructions on post #55:
http://forum.nanfa.o...ks/page__st__40
Starter cultures can be found on aquabid.com

Edited by EricaLyons, 11 July 2013 - 02:37 PM.

Back to top

#53 Guest_Orangespotted_*

Guests

Posted 11 July 2013 - 05:18 PM

Hmm, can you get your frozen bloodworms to "move" much? Maybe if they saw their food twitch it would inspire them to consume it. If you already trid that then I guess you are stuck with trying out live foods. :/ Have you ever found any scuds or tiny crayfish in any nearby waters? I'd think those would be easiest. Or maybe smooshed pond snails?

Back to top

#54 Guest_sbtgrfan_*

Guests

Posted 11 July 2013 - 05:35 PM

I think the only place that sells live blackworms is Aquatic Foods, if you google them their site will show up. They're out in California.

Back to top

#55 Guest_biggreenavalanche_*

Guests

Posted 18 July 2013 - 08:59 AM

I posted some pics on photobucket, the link is below...hope this works...keep in mind, I am absolutely NOT a photographer, I point and hope for the best...so with that in mind go easy on my lack of skills with a camera...I'll post another set of trip pics from SC later on today...

About the tank, 125, home made 3D background, 1250 gph main filter pump, 850 gps current/wave maker pump, 2 250 gph buried in substrate hooked to river manifold, the stand is home made and the hood is being made now...the hood will contain 4 48" tubes, 7 LED spots, 2 Blue LED...all electrical components are controlled from the front of the stand, you can see the switchbox inset into the stand (front center)...love to hear y'alls thoughts, good bad or otherwise...

current fish are fiery back shiner, yellow fins, rosey side dace, and sea green darters...fish on the way are orange spot sunnies, rainbow darter, greenside darter, variegate darter...

I tried to recreate a stream with an overhanging bank...

http://s1086.photobu...ank The Crew

Back to top

#56 Guest_biggreenavalanche_*

Guests

Posted 18 July 2013 - 09:25 AM

Here are some tip pics...

http://s1086.photobu...library/SC trip

Back to top

#57 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 18 July 2013 - 10:12 AM

hey biggreen, it is your choice of course, but if you want to post some of your better pictures directly to the forum it is easy to do once you have them in your photobucket.

go to photo bucket and right click on the photo and select "Copy Image URL"
then click the Image icon here (the one that looks like a polaroid)
paste the URL in and here is your fish!
Posted Image