Native Tank Video
#1 Guest_Nightwing_*
Posted 05 November 2007 - 11:10 PM
The bad thing is that the quality suffers a bit..but at least I can put up a movie longer then 10 seconds or so.
OK, first one feathres a mud minnow, and assorted rainbow darters:
#2 Guest_Nightwing_*
#3 Guest_Nightwing_*
Posted 05 November 2007 - 11:49 PM
http://smg.photobuck...rrent=jonny.flv
#4 Guest_teleost_*
Posted 06 November 2007 - 12:10 AM
#5 Guest_p3purr_*
Posted 06 November 2007 - 12:27 AM
#6 Guest_Nightwing_*
Posted 06 November 2007 - 12:28 AM
Tel, the darter was caught in a small tributary of the Grand River, I've never seen any greenside darters anywhere around here....I guess anything is possible, however!I like the tank set up and vids! I like the amount of flow and all of that nice healthy algae. What kind of filtration/circulation do you have? I think your E. nigrum Johnny is actually E. blennioides Greenside though.
As for filtration, I have a double penguin biowheel, with media so old that I'm sure it's taken on a life of it's own! I keep the water JUST at the level of the outflow ramp. This has a ramp type thing that directs the water across the surface of the tank, and it sets of a nice current over the rocks on that side of the tank. it also creates a very well defined split in the current structure, the far end of the tank has no current at all, and has grown in to a near jungle of foxtail, moss and other plants. For the most part, I depend on the tank and it's very heavy growth of algae and plants to do the work of managing the bioload, and it does it very well.
As to algae, yep, it does not bother me at all. The tank has a great coating of green algae on nearly every surface, as well as a lot of hair algae. Some folks like a well manicured tank..I like mine to have as much green, in every form, as I can get. You might have noticed how many coppepods are swiming around...even with a TON of darters, they don't keep up, and there is a very healthy population of critters..I think the algae helps in that regard. I also have a good forest of assorted plants, so they do well also.
#7 Guest_Nightwing_*
#8 Guest_Nightwing_*
Posted 06 November 2007 - 12:37 AM
#9 Guest_sumthinsfishy_*
Posted 06 November 2007 - 09:04 PM
#10 Guest_Nightwing_*
Posted 06 November 2007 - 10:37 PM
Oh, for shame, I am outed!Just wondering, what are the fish on the front of the aquarium eating the algae?
I have 4 Otocinclus Catfish, along with 3 algae eating shrimp(commonly called "Amanno" shrimp"). I put them in to attempt to controll the wild hair algae. They can't even come close to keeping up. Oddly...while every reference guide I can find, says they need to stay at 72 degrees minimum to be happy..they are fat and happy and ich-free at 65 degrees. I figured I would not just destroy them, but I also didn't make any major changes to my temp regimen for the winter..and they seem to have adapted.
I really need to get some flag fish, I think, to keep the algae in check.
#11 Guest_drewish_*
Posted 06 November 2007 - 11:49 PM
#12 Guest_Nightwing_*
Posted 07 November 2007 - 12:57 AM
#13 Guest_nativeplanter_*
Posted 07 November 2007 - 12:48 PM
Your plant density seems low to me for your lighting intensity. Since the current isn't too strong (at least, it didn't look like it in the videos), you mgiht want to put in some floating plants like frogbit (Limnobia spongia). They will cut down on the amount of light hitting the rocks and can be easily harvested to remove nutrients. Plus, the dangling roots look pretty cool IMO.
#14 Guest_sumthinsfishy_*
Posted 07 November 2007 - 06:15 PM
Oh, for shame, I am outed!
I have 4 Otocinclus Catfish, along with 3 algae eating shrimp(commonly called "Amanno" shrimp").
That was my first guess, but I wasn't sure if it was a completely native fish tank or not.
By the way, I like the name dwarf shortfaced pike better too. I think it represents their appearance as well as their nature better.
My mudminnow (It's shorter to type) got really mad at my longear today. I put a guppy in, and the mudminnow had it in it's mouth sideways, when the sunfish comes up and steals it. The mudminnow then chased the sunfish around the tank for like a minute until he caught up and gave the sunfishes tail a good bite. It was very entertaining to watch.
#15 Guest_rockbassbud5_*
Posted 07 November 2007 - 06:51 PM
#16 Guest_Nightwing_*
Posted 07 November 2007 - 08:00 PM
I have to admit, I've not checked the nitrates. I suspect you are likely right, as as you can see there is a rather healthy bioload. As to the amano's, I started with 6, and 3 vanished shortly after I put in the darters...but the other 3 have learned to avoid them apparently. I may try more, and larger ones down the road as I DO like them.(that...or dwarf crayfish are an option). I shortened the light cycle to 7 hours today, I may let it go a few days to a week at that level and monitor the plants. I also plan on bumping the water change schedule up a bit. Right now I do a 20-30 percent weekly, but that may need to go to twice a week, if I can't get the algae under control.I'm suprised that the darters leave the amano shrimp alone. I put two in my darter tank once and right away out came my orangethroat to start the attack! Oh and by the way Otos are the best algae eaters you can get! Plecos just make a mess! How high are your nitrate levels? I bet thats the reason for all the algae!
#17 Guest_Nightwing_*
Posted 07 November 2007 - 08:02 PM
I thought about that(I have lots of duckweed already!), but worried that it would cut off the light to the plants I DO have. How is your experience in that situation?Shortening the light to 8 hours may indeed help, but watch the health of the plants.
Your plant density seems low to me for your lighting intensity. Since the current isn't too strong (at least, it didn't look like it in the videos), you mgiht want to put in some floating plants like frogbit (Limnobia spongia). They will cut down on the amount of light hitting the rocks and can be easily harvested to remove nutrients. Plus, the dangling roots look pretty cool IMO.
#18 Guest_Nightwing_*
Posted 07 November 2007 - 08:05 PM
Yep, the mudminows are very laid back, until someone "dis's" em! Then watch out, they seem to have a rather democratic attitude toward replying in kind to transgressions...in that they treat anyone and everyone, regardless of size or supposed ferocity, the same!That was my first guess, but I wasn't sure if it was a completely native fish tank or not.
By the way, I like the name dwarf shortfaced pike better too. I think it represents their appearance as well as their nature better.
My mudminnow (It's shorter to type) got really mad at my longear today. I put a guppy in, and the mudminnow had it in it's mouth sideways, when the sunfish comes up and steals it. The mudminnow then chased the sunfish around the tank for like a minute until he caught up and gave the sunfishes tail a good bite. It was very entertaining to watch.
#19 Guest_sumthinsfishy_*
Posted 07 November 2007 - 08:08 PM
My darters never touch the shrimp. Well, that was when I didn't have a logperch. I had to move my ghost shrimp into my 5.5 with a dwarf puffer to allow them to live.
#20 Guest_rockbassbud5_*
Posted 07 November 2007 - 08:27 PM
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