Asian river tank

Beastije · Oct 15, 2022

So, starting the journal for my asian river tank.
Dimensions 110x40x45 cm.
Planned inhabitants, white cloud minnows (gold variants), panda garra and sewellia, depends how it goes.

Today i finished the stand and am working on the hard scape. Sand, large stones, smaller stones. Tomorrow smaller stones, pebbles, more sand.
Comments welcomed!!

Byron · Oct 15, 2022

My suggestion would be to use more larger rock/stone. River rock is usually granite so it is safe, and you can buy it in most landscape outlets. The linked video was posted in one of the biotope FB groups and is sort of what I'm thinking. Hillstream loaches are good in a tank like this, as are garra as in the video.

Rocky998 · Oct 15, 2022

Can't wait to see the way this tank turns out at the end! Definitely watching!

Beastije · Oct 16, 2022

Large stones are hard to find and expensive to buy, believe me I tried and was scouring rivers in the past three months. Will go with the smaller ones, i would love to add few more large ones on the left side, to have larger slope. Will see in the future

Beastije · Oct 16, 2022

Added pebbles and some plants, heater (set to 20°C ) for now, since the water was freaking cold. it will be removed later on, once we turn the heat on in the house.
Plants are Microsorum pteropus (java fern), one new, three old, Hydrocotyle leucocephala (brazilian pennywort) , which I now realize is not asian, I should have bought the tripartita, and three small bucephalandras that I have been hauling from one tank to another, not really doing well. Will see how they fare here.
At this point the light is only 60cm long, but at the highest setting, I will consider buying a new one later on.
Filter is not yet added, the sand did kick up some mess and I am weight testing the tank and the stand slowly, so will do partial water change tomorrow and put the filter in, to see how it looks.

Beastije · Oct 17, 2022

Filter added, water level is at full.
The filter is at maximum flow, since I want the tank to have a river like feel. I was afraid the atman wont be capable enough, but it proved me wrong when it uprooted the pennywort and is whirling the water with surface rippling, which should solve the oxygenation issue too.
Will play around with an air intake for this filter, which is an option, to see how it goes, but later on.
Right now I will keep it as is, have to move my remaining oldtimer fish tomorrow. Will be hunting snails today in my other tanks so I can reallocate some here
I did an ammonia test on all of my fishtanks, zero.

I have a clump of java moss and one small small cryptocoryne affinis, which I will consider adding to the tank, but maybe not right away. Cant even imagine where the moss could go, it is a fist size clump

Byron · Oct 17, 2022

Poke a couple stems of the moss down between two of the larger rock, wherever you want it, and it will grow and attach itself as it does to the rock and spread. To illustrate one option, below is my 29g that has a few strands of moss on each of the chunks of wood, and I just let it grow. It will adhere to wood, rock and the glass tank wall (in the back).

Beastije · Oct 17, 2022

I will try some wedging if that doesn't work, i have glue

thank you

I have a flow question. I am looking for articles where to place the filter output and how to maximize the flow. I always did the middle of the tank position, looking into the long side. But i saw article of placing the filter on the back wall, near the surface and having the current 'bounce off' the walls and create a whirlpool. Did anyone try that?
I ofcourse also want surface agitation but i could replace that with am airstone, right, so maybe positioning it near the bottom of the tank rather than top might be better ?

Byron · Oct 17, 2022

Here again the fish determine things. Most fish are from watercourses that flow, the exception being pond and swamp origin fish. So placing the filter intake at one end of a rectangular tank, and if possible the outlet (return) at the opposite end, will create a natural river flow from one end to the other. Many fish will remain headed "upstream" if you do this, even when they are stationary. If you cannot have the intake and return at tank length, aiming the return down the back wall of the tank to the opposite end can work. At the same time, provide surface disturbance by the return outlet.

Ed Pursell · Oct 17, 2022

Bryon, not highjacking, but your tank looks great! What’s the deal with the leaves on the bottom? Oak leaves? That’s a nice look, not familiar with leaves. Again, I like that look.

Byron · Oct 17, 2022

Ed Pursell said:
Bryon, not highjacking, but your tank looks great! What’s the deal with the leaves on the bottom? Oak leaves? That’s a nice look, not familiar with leaves. Again, I like that look.

Thank you very much. Yes, oak leaves, that I used to collect in my back garden every autumn. Hardwood tree leaves are usually safe as leaves, provided they are collected in a safe place (no insecticides, fertilizers, etc). It is authentic as most forest streams and creeks, and many rivers, in South America have a layer of dried leaves over the substrate. The leaves break down in time, producing infusoria as they do so, and the fish--especially fry--have a very natural food source.

Ed Pursell · Oct 17, 2022

Interesting! Beastije enjoy, more plants and maybe leaves, you are on your way! Java moss is basic, I have 3 Fire Belly Toads for years, waterfall, and Java moss. I took some out of of the Toad tank, put it my freshwater tank and it’s doing fine. Just secure it on a rock, wood,it will secure and grow!

Beastije · Oct 18, 2022

Ed Pursell said:
Interesting! Beastije enjoy, more plants and maybe leaves, you are on your way! Java moss is basic, I have 3 Fire Belly Toads for years, waterfall, and Java moss. I took some out of of the Toad tank, put it my freshwater tank and it’s doing fine. Just secure it on a rock, wood,it will secure and grow!

My other tank is filled with driftwood and leave litter, I wanted to avoid the same here
But will add the moss, once I have time to play again.

Thanks

Beastije · Oct 19, 2022

Since the other tank I have I want to use as a quarantine, I had to move the multifasciatus here, since I want to quarantine corydoras and that combo wouldnt work. I know the multies have zero place here, but no other tank can house them now.
I moved few shells with the fish in, but she likes a cave like structure between the stones and is swimming through to the other side! So cute
I also bought 10 Planorbella duryi for this tank, though ofcourse there will be also the usual pond snails and stuff.

Beastije · Oct 22, 2022

Didn't have any place to put it, so the whole clump of moss went here as a dump. I hope the ramshorns will eat the algae. They have already started breeding, which I like

they have their work cut out for them.
I did run the moss under tap to clean the mess but didn't do a thorough job, it dumped a lot of particles in the water stream so i did a mild water change.
I am so deeply in love with the ramshorns, they ride the surface, paraglide down, race each other on the glass. Such fun

Only problem is the fish feeding. The rasbora may do good with some floaters but the multie is having hard time grabbing anything from the surface and the falling pieces didn't fall close enough to her. Will have to do a targeted turkey baster feeding at some point. Do not want to overfeed for sure.

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