River Thames Biotope

[fozziebear]

hey just wanted to share this with the forum, ive recently put together a thames river biotope tank as i live very close, im not sure on the legality of this but if anyone has any objections or knows anything about collecting from the thames just pm me and ill do my best, im willing to replace everything to where i got it from.


so basically i collected all the hardscape flora and fauna from a slipway/beach just next to the MI6 building, in vauxhall.


the tank stats are as follows:

tank size: 12 x 8 x 8 clearseal tank

Filtration: very small resun magic jet filter with spraybar

heater: none

water changes: thames water (dechlorinated)

substrate: a mix of small 3/5mm gravel, river silt, clay, and debris.

rocks: 2 rocks from the river one pourous (i took this because i seen that the shrimp hide in the holes in the rock)

Flora: (i dont know the names of any of these, but they were all growing
below the high tide line, in mainly aquatic conditions)
4 very small leafed green plants looks like hemianthus callitrichoides but with slightly longer leaves.
4 to 5 clumps of a very short grassy plant, it only grows in the clay, and has tubular leaves.
and some rocks with algae that looks almost like seaweed.


fauna:
Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis(very small juveniles)

freshwater shrimp (Gammarus pulex)

unknown river worms and snails.

and some ramshorn snails and mystery snails that were in the tank previously (not exactly in keeping with the biotope but a bugger to get out)


feedback n comments are welcome.

Some Macro Shots.










and finally the obligatory FTS.

 

[jennybugs]

Can't see the pics at work, but I'm going to have a look when I get home as this sounds really interesting!

 

[iSnail]

Don't know any of the legal things but certainly an intriguing biotope

Would those creatures breed in that tank?

 

[Ficious]

i know i replied to this post...this is the 3rd time this has happened. is someone deleting my posts???



anyway, as i said before

wonderful job! i am a huge fan of biotopes. i tend to get bored of 1 biotope then quickly build another.

 

[fergalthefish]

i think you're missing some things for it to be truly based on the River Thames............. like a load of plastic bags, a shopping trolley and the piece de resistance.......sewage!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[corey01]

i think you're missing some things for it to be truly based on the River Thames............. like a load of plastic bags, a shopping trolley and the piece de resistance.......sewage!!!!!!!!!!!

you forgot the traffic cones

 

[paul_219]

Not bad but can be better.

 

[england]

i think you're missing some things for it to be truly based on the River Thames............. like a load of plastic bags, a shopping trolley and the piece de resistance.......sewage!!!!!!!!!!!

pmsl


Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis(very small juveniles)
umm whats this? is it native to the thames?

sounds a intresting project, would love to create a river biotape from the stour,,,,,,

http/www.issg.org/database/species/ecolo...?fr=1&si=38

 

[raptorrex]

Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis(very small juveniles)

yes they could, and do live in the Thames. they do however carry a virulent disease, which directly infects humans, some form of lung fluke. it is also banned, or in the process of being so, in the UK.

 

[guppy_man]

Interesting biotope, it wouldn't of been my choice though Have you thought about swan muscles? Ive heard they are found in the thames. And i think they act like a filter, and also oxygenate the water, Not sure on this though. They also don't move around much so i think would be ok in that tank (the small ones anyway).

This biotope would be amazing if it was on a larger scale, like 40-50 gallons, with the addition of a shoal of stickel back (bought from a shop obviously).

 

[Piltdownpaul]

Pity ronnie or reggie kray werent alive. They could tell you what or even who was at he bottom of the thames!!!!!

 

[england]

Pity ronnie or reggie kray werent alive. They could tell you what or even who was at he bottom of the thames!!!!!