Rice paddies' dismal lack of hard-scape

[WhistlingBadger]

So, we are leaving Badger Manor next month for assorted reasons; for now, suffice it to say it is a good thing.

Once we've made the move, I am thinking about easing back into the hobby with a nano (5-10 gallon) rice paddy tank. A Sumatran rice paddy, to be specific. Blue rasboras, dwarf rasboras, shadow catfish (if I can find any) or kuhli loaches (if I can't), amano shrimp, and hopefully a breeding pair of licorice gourami, sparkling gourami, or betta imbellus.

I like really realistic biotopes. For this one, I want to plant with rice plants (open top, obviously), along with arrowroot, christmas moss, and assorted aquatic weeds of a rice-paddyish type. This leads me to my problem. Aquascaping is one of my specialties and joys; I love arranging rocks, branches, and such for both aesthetic beauty and rich habitat. But there just doesn't seem to be much going on in a rice paddy, hard-scape-wise. Throwing a bunch of branches and stones into a rice paddy just doesn't seem right.

Sniff.

On the other hand, maybe doing it all with plants would be a fun challenge. Any thoughts or ideas?

T

 

[CassCats]

Hm. Perhaps lay leaf litter and twigs in the bottom, keep it minimal though

 

[Retired Viking]

All I remember about the rice paddies I had to cross was the mud, they were pretty clear of branches and rocks except along some of the outer walls.

 

[CassCats]

So if thats the case, perhaps a sloped substrate to make up for the lack of hardscape

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Yeah. I thought about building an "outer wall" or berm, too...but that might take up a lot of space in a 7ish gallon tank. I think I might just leave it flat as an experiment, maybe put in a clay pot and/or bamboo cave for spawning habitat, but otherwise just mud and plants and plants and mud, like a real paddy. Might be fun trying something completely different than what I've done before. It does not do to get too set in one's ways.

 

[itiwhetu]

I think it would be cool just with the rice plants, Then the fish will just stand out and be amazing. Sometimes less is more.

 

[AilyNC]

So much to like in that post. Best wishes with the move. Hope it goes smoothly. Tackle a room at a time & every evening each family member unpacks at least one box. Label everything, recycle, donate & bin so you're not moving the same amount of stuff into new place. If you haven't used it looked for an item in a year or two - get rid. Happy new home - may it bring lots more great memories & adventures.

Looking forward to seeing the tank develop so hope you keep a journal thread going. I'd definitely like to get into biotope tanks in future.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I'm sure whatever you do, you'll create something beautiful!

Could be an interesting challenge, you'd need to really think about placement of plants, so the plants themselves form the structure. I don't really know what rice paddies are like, are there many options for other plants as well?

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I don't really know what rice paddies are like, are there many options for other plants as well?

Well, from what I read, they tend to have quite a lot of rice. ha ha

As far as other plants...I like a lot of biodiversity in my tanks. The rice should make a nice houseplant for my new music room, growing out the top. Taro is also grown in rice paddies, sometimes alongside the rice. We have a wild version here in Wyoming called arrow root; it is closely related and looks just like mini-taro, so that goes in. I've also been reading on common weeds in rice paddies. It seems like rotallas, mosses, and ludwigias are pretty common, so we'll put in a few of those too. And this being Sumatra, it would seem wrong not to throw in a crypt or three. (Has anybody here grown crypt as an emergent? Look at the FLOWERS on those babies!!!)

I plan on making this a true Walstad tank, with no filter, just a small powerhead to circulate water through the plants. I want a lot of inverts living in this tank, too: water fleas, seed shrimp, black worms, scuds...

Blah blah blah. I need to get myself and the Badgerling ready for school. See you all later.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Well, from what I read, they tend to have quite a lot of rice. ha ha

That's about the extend of my knowledge on the topic

See? Loads of choices for plants! Doing a Dutch/Walsted tank will be a new challenge for you, can't wait to see how it turns out! Sounds like it's going to be beautiful. Nope, never seen crypts grown emergent, but want to see the flowers now!