Badger's Sumatran Rice Paddy

[FishHobby99]

J/K. I found that online.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

J/K. I found that online.

ha ha You got me all excited. Cool pic, anyway.

 

[FishHobby99]

ha ha You got me all excited. Cool pic, anyway.

My brief rice paddy google seems to indicate more people are talking about doing it than actually completing the project. Must be fairly complex. I did see some cool outdoor ponds with paddies.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Got six more dwarf rasboras for this tank. I was supposed to get ten, but TWS shorted me. They're going to issue a refund, but it's kind of a bummer. Anyway, the extra fish really help, as I was down to only four.

Some of you that keep more natural tanks will understand that sometimes they take some time, sometimes a long time, to start looking right. This tank has finally turned that corner. I really like the way it's coming along. Will try to get some vid up this weekend.
T

 

[WhistlingBadger]

New Video! I am really enjoying this tank.

 

[vanalisa]

New Video! I am really enjoying this tank.

Wow I remember a while back when this was just a dream of a twinkle in your mind's eye
What a successful outcome.
Truly lovely.
The music is amazing, as well!

 

[FishHobby99]

Time to start an official journal on this project. I'm going to custom-build a tank to fit on the back of the desk in my music studio, and I just ordered the glass. It should be ready to construct in about a week. I've been kicking around this idea for several months and it's exciting to finally commit.

So, here's the plan.
Tank: 36"x10" x10". The water will be about 6" deep, with 2" for substrate and 2" for emergent plants. The lid will have four 2x3" holes for rice plants to grow through. This will be a walstad-style setup, with no filtration except the plants and substrate microbes. A very small powerhead will push the water around. I'm going to put a fluval aquasky light on top with a 5 on, 2 off, 5 on light cycle.

Plants:
Dwarf rice (Oryza sativa)
Paddy herb (Limnophila aromatica)
Assorted crypts (planning to try balansae, wendtii, and parva and see what does well)
Christmas moss (Vesicularia montagnei) on back wall
Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia) or dwarf arum (Zantedeschia aethiopica) to simulate taro, which is commonly grown in Malaysia paddies

Critters:
2 Betta imbellus
15 or 20 blue rasboras (Sundadanio axelrodi or Sundadanio goblinus, depending on whom you ask)
15 or 20 dwarf rasboras (Boraras maculatus)
6 shadow catfish (Hyalobagrus flavus) or 5 kuhli loaches. Still up in the air which.
Malaysian trumpet snails
Ramshorn snails

Lots of inverts: Scuds, water fleas, assorted worms, seed shrimp. I am going to build an invert refugium for an ongoing supply, but I am hoping to achieve something like a predator/prey balance in this tank.

Timeline
Early January: Get the tank built.
February: Add substrate, water, plants, silent cycle, build invert community. I am hoping a lot of inverts will come in on the plants. I will intentionally add others.
April or May: Add fish.

Well, that's enough for now. Stay tuned.
Thomas

Time to start an official journal on this project. I'm going to custom-build a tank to fit on the back of the desk in my music studio, and I just ordered the glass. It should be ready to construct in about a week. I've been kicking around this idea for several months and it's exciting to finally commit.

So, here's the plan.
Tank: 36"x10" x10". The water will be about 6" deep, with 2" for substrate and 2" for emergent plants. The lid will have four 2x3" holes for rice plants to grow through. This will be a walstad-style setup, with no filtration except the plants and substrate microbes. A very small powerhead will push the water around. I'm going to put a fluval aquasky light on top with a 5 on, 2 off, 5 on light cycle.

Plants:
Dwarf rice (Oryza sativa)
Paddy herb (Limnophila aromatica)
Assorted crypts (planning to try balansae, wendtii, and parva and see what does well)
Christmas moss (Vesicularia montagnei) on back wall
Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia) or dwarf arum (Zantedeschia aethiopica) to simulate taro, which is commonly grown in Malaysia paddies

Critters:
2 Betta imbellus
15 or 20 blue rasboras (Sundadanio axelrodi or Sundadanio goblinus, depending on whom you ask)
15 or 20 dwarf rasboras (Boraras maculatus)
6 shadow catfish (Hyalobagrus flavus) or 5 kuhli loaches. Still up in the air which.
Malaysian trumpet snails
Ramshorn snails

Lots of inverts: Scuds, water fleas, assorted worms, seed shrimp. I am going to build an invert refugium for an ongoing supply, but I am hoping to achieve something like a predator/prey balance in this tank.

Timeline
Early January: Get the tank built.
February: Add substrate, water, plants, silent cycle, build invert community. I am hoping a lot of inverts will come in on the plants. I will intentionally add others.
April or May: Add fish.

Well, that's enough for now. Stay tuned.
Thomas

Please keep these details coming. I’m taking careful notes & plan to replicate your design & win TFF Tank of the Month contest someday.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Wow I remember a while back when this was just a dream of a twinkle in your mind's eye
What a successful outcome.
Truly lovely.
The music is amazing, as well!

Thanks! It was a challenge finding traditional Sumatran music. The internet is an amazing place.

 

[FishHobby99]

Silly me. I thought that was you on a flute,

 

[Sgooosh]

New Video! I am really enjoying this tank.

wow, what is that huge thing that looks like rotala

 

[WhistlingBadger]

@JennySolano Nope, not that one. Just some music I found on the net.

@Sgooosh It's called paddy herb, Limnophila aromatica. Related to ambulia. Should be one of the most common plants in the hobby, but for some reason no one uses it. Beautiful, colorful, dead easy to grow. Really nice stuff.

 

[Sgooosh]

@JennySolano Nope, not that one. Just some music I found on the net.

@Sgooosh It's called paddy herb, Limnophila aromatica. Related to ambulia. Should be one of the most common plants in the hobby, but for some reason no one uses it. Beautiful, colorful, dead easy to grow. Really nice stuff.

it looks so much like my rotala rotundiflora (but way bigger)
aww i wish i had some

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I got it off ebay. You could probably do likewise, if you're feeling adventurous. ha ha

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Got two female imbellis in today. Both died in transit. One looked like it had worms erupting from between its pectoral fins. This is the same outfit that sold me my original pair, but I might just ask for a refund and eat the cost of shipping...

I have three bettas now. I thought it was two males and a female, thus the need for a couple more girls. But now the "female" is coloring up like a male. If I really have three males, I might just be content with that. In my limited experience of keeping this species for seven months, they only seem aggressive if they're breeding. So if they're all males, that might actually work out well.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Planted some new rice seed. This time it's going to work. I can feel it.