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Planning to set up 20L or 29 planted native. Where to begin?


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#1 Itsnotme1988

Itsnotme1988
  • NANFA Member
  • Selma, NC

Posted 09 March 2015 - 01:32 PM

I have kept tropicals in the past, both fresh and salt, but it's been nearly 10years since I had my last tank.  I feel now's the time to try some native species and get my feet wet again.  I am a complete novice when it comes to them and have never attempted collection or really viewing of many of our natives.  Where/how do you guys/gals recommend and go about sampling and collection around the Johnston County, Neuse River area of NC?  Never been one to venture out into rivers/creeks/ditches, etc, I've always been a lake person so this will be new and fun in and of itself.

 

 I was big into fishing when I was younger but went a good decade without wetting a hook and never fished/explored enough to break out of being considered a rookie....

 

 



#2 Itsnotme1988

Itsnotme1988
  • NANFA Member
  • Selma, NC

Posted 09 March 2015 - 04:44 PM

The more I look at whats available I'm considering a 20L or 33 river set up with a pair of Darters and a few shiners or minnows.



#3 gerald

gerald
  • Global Moderator
  • Wake Forest, North Carolina

Posted 09 March 2015 - 05:03 PM

Roanoke, tesselated, chainback, glassy, swamp, and sawcheek darters should be nearby.  One of the sites we've sampled a few times during Raleigh Aqu Soc field trips is Middle Creek at Crantock Rd, a few miles west of Smithfield.  Have caught many of those darters plus bluehead and creek chubs, and swallowtail, pinewoods, white, and satinfin shiners at that site with seines.  We caught a least brook lamprey once too.  Slower-moving streams in your area should have bluespotted sunfish, pirate perch, mud minnow, ... lotsa fun stuff that you can catch by dipnet.  PM me your email if you'd like to be notified next time we (RAS and local NANFA people) have an outing planned. 


Gerald Pottern
-----------------------
Hangin' on the Neuse
"Taxonomy is the diaper used to organize the mess of evolution into discrete packages" - M.Sandel


#4 Matt DeLaVega

Matt DeLaVega
  • Forum Staff
  • Ohio

Posted 09 March 2015 - 06:26 PM

You just lucked out. Gerald must be right in your backyard. Go out with him when he has an outing, you will learn enough in a day to get you well on your way. Start cycling that aquarium with a "fishless cycle" or some other option ASAP, as spring is right around the corner.

Welcome to our forum.

The member formerly known as Skipjack


#5 Itsnotme1988

Itsnotme1988
  • NANFA Member
  • Selma, NC

Posted 20 March 2015 - 11:42 AM

Picked up a 75g with metal stand, hang on Aqueon 55/75 filter (400gph) and a Deepblue T5 light (ADB42258) as well as 2 300w Aqueon heaters (one of which I through in my fiancee's 29g tropical community tank.) And only cost me $200! I do plan on swapping out the bulbs for a better color temperature.  

 

I can't help but be concerned with temps being too high or unstable.  I'm used to tropicals when the heat stayed at 76-78 year round.  My house is usually 76-78 during the day in the summer and down to 63-65 at night during winter.   And the tank is near a window.



#6 gerald

gerald
  • Global Moderator
  • Wake Forest, North Carolina

Posted 20 March 2015 - 01:07 PM

As long as you're keeping eastern Piedmont & Coastal Plain species those temp ranges should be fine.  Some of the mountain and far western Piedmont species may get weak and disease-prone if kept above 75F for extended periods.


Gerald Pottern
-----------------------
Hangin' on the Neuse
"Taxonomy is the diaper used to organize the mess of evolution into discrete packages" - M.Sandel


#7 Itsnotme1988

Itsnotme1988
  • NANFA Member
  • Selma, NC

Posted 20 March 2015 - 01:41 PM

Awesome. That's kinda what I was thinking.  Hopefully in the next few weeks I'm going to start building my 3D background then start the cycling process!  Going to use my 29g to seed it when it's ready.

 

Is there a recommended field guide for native fish and plants in NC that I should buy?  Found this http://www.adventure...ield-guide.html


Edited by Itsnotme1988, 20 March 2015 - 02:08 PM.


#8 gerald

gerald
  • Global Moderator
  • Wake Forest, North Carolina

Posted 22 March 2015 - 11:11 AM

I have not seen the book in your link but I'm guessing it's mainly a gamefish book with a smattering of representative non-game species.  "79 species" is less than a third of all the NC/SC species.   Fritz Rohde et al's Freshwater Fishes of SC,  Jenkins & Burkhead's  Freshwater Fishes of VA, Etnier & Starne's Fishes of TN, and Ed Menhinick's Freshwater Fishes of NC will cover all the non-game species.  Menhinick's book is available at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences book/gift shop for less $ than you'll find it online. 

 

For aquatic plant ID, I like Ernest Beal's Manual of Marsh and Aquatic Vascular Plants of NC (1977).  Many names are out of date, but you can get the current names (and new species) from Alan Weakley's online Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States, a free download from the UNC Botanical Garden website.  Beal has drawings; Weakley does not.  Weakley covers all plants (nearly 7,000), not limited to aquatics, but it does have a pretty useful Key to Aquatic Plants (Key C, pages 21-24). 


Gerald Pottern
-----------------------
Hangin' on the Neuse
"Taxonomy is the diaper used to organize the mess of evolution into discrete packages" - M.Sandel


#9 Itsnotme1988

Itsnotme1988
  • NANFA Member
  • Selma, NC

Posted 01 April 2015 - 11:25 AM

Thought I'd add some pictures of what I have thus far.  Will be a bit before I get the 75 going as I want to build a 3D background and river manifold first, and there is a possiblity I may have the opportunity to move in a month or 2. Thinking I'll use a Fluval FX6 for the 75g. At 925gph flow rate I shouldn't have an issue with good flow rate after adding just one or two moderately sized powerheads!  Next up will be finding some time to go creek stomping to see what's out there!

 

Fish%20026_zpseyzj5vni.jpg

 

The 29 is going to be my financee's first tank and will just be tropical community tank.  Been cycling for about 3 weeks with some feeder rosy reds.

 

Fish%20020_zpsw4kbnsrl.jpg

 

Fish%20021_zpsnfpcmtzt.jpg


Edited by Itsnotme1988, 01 April 2015 - 11:28 AM.


#10 gerald

gerald
  • Global Moderator
  • Wake Forest, North Carolina

Posted 01 April 2015 - 03:31 PM

Great typo !!! -- So you're marrying for money, huh?

 

"The 29 is going to be my financee's first tank and will just be tropical community tank. "

Gerald Pottern
-----------------------
Hangin' on the Neuse
"Taxonomy is the diaper used to organize the mess of evolution into discrete packages" - M.Sandel


#11 Itsnotme1988

Itsnotme1988
  • NANFA Member
  • Selma, NC

Posted 02 April 2015 - 04:02 AM

LOL!  Didn't catch that at first!  HAHA!





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