Tom's Bucket O' Mud
- Thread starter BigTom
- Start date
Never tested the water to be honest. Emergent plants are very good at removing ammonia because they aren't CO2 limited, plus there is a very large surface area:volume ratio in a tank with these dimensions, so plenty of bacteria to help out. Additionally, not adding any fish food and the very light stocking mean there shouldn't be much ammonia produced anyway really.
Interesting reading here - http
/www.tuncalik.com/2010/01/indoor-plants-for-water-purification-in-aquariums/
Well, the tank is now roughly a year old, still happily more or less self sustaining and has turned into an absolute jungle. I'm quite happy to leave it do it's thing really, so everything is pretty messy, but some pics -
A few thoughts a year in... For starters the transition between underwater and immersed growth is a bit weak, they do still look like plants in pots stuck to the side... I'm planning a major rescape sometime in the next month in order to build a proper island for the plants to grow on, and to remove a rock that I think is adding to the water hardness.
I am also taking the risk of gradually lowering the water hardness through water changes. This might upset the plants a bit and reduce the stability of the water parameters, but I do feel the need to bring the conditions closer in line to what the fish in the tank prefer. I think as long as I do things gradually (as with everything in this tank!) then it should be OK.
The alternative would be to move the Paros and Boraras across to the new nano cubes, but there's no way I could keep them in a self-sustaining fashion by doing that. I really hope to be able to get the Paros breeding one way or another, as otherwise all I'm doing is contributing to the consumption of an endangered species.
I think the other important thing to highlight is how slow the development of this tank has been... it's taken a year to get to the point that a high tech solution would reach in a matter of weeks (plant growth wise). However, the upside of this is that things in the tank really are starting to look properly wild... I've got mosses that I never even knew were in the tank creeping across wood and stone, and the mulm has just reached the point where my hydrocotyles are throwing out roots for the first time, instead of just spreading with runners. The whole ecosystem is still not in balance after a year - the last 2 weeks have seen an explosion in the Hyella azteca population that I thought had died out completely when I added them way back in the summer.
It's not a style of tank for the impatient, and even I sometimes struggle to resist the urge to mess around with it or (hardest of all), not chuck an extra hundred fish in!
I am also taking the risk of gradually lowering the water hardness through water changes. This might upset the plants a bit and reduce the stability of the water parameters, but I do feel the need to bring the conditions closer in line to what the fish in the tank prefer. I think as long as I do things gradually (as with everything in this tank!) then it should be OK.
The alternative would be to move the Paros and Boraras across to the new nano cubes, but there's no way I could keep them in a self-sustaining fashion by doing that. I really hope to be able to get the Paros breeding one way or another, as otherwise all I'm doing is contributing to the consumption of an endangered species.
I think the other important thing to highlight is how slow the development of this tank has been... it's taken a year to get to the point that a high tech solution would reach in a matter of weeks (plant growth wise). However, the upside of this is that things in the tank really are starting to look properly wild... I've got mosses that I never even knew were in the tank creeping across wood and stone, and the mulm has just reached the point where my hydrocotyles are throwing out roots for the first time, instead of just spreading with runners. The whole ecosystem is still not in balance after a year - the last 2 weeks have seen an explosion in the Hyella azteca population that I thought had died out completely when I added them way back in the summer.
It's not a style of tank for the impatient, and even I sometimes struggle to resist the urge to mess around with it or (hardest of all), not chuck an extra hundred fish in!
I can't believe you have not had any comments after those last pics. This tank is amazing end of! I don't know what else to say Tom??
StandbySetting
Fish Aficionado
One of the best I have seen, have you entered it into any competitions?
coldcazzie
Ice Queen
I didn't say anything because I couldn't think of anything to say except wow, and I think I've used up my quota of wows on this tank already...! 
three-fingers
Fish Connoisseur
As all the above, just to reiterate - breathtaking tank. Not only is it a beautiful, functioning example of nature and gives you an unparalleled ability to view the life cycles of all the tanks inhabitants - its also ultra-low maintenance!
To top it all off, you have chosen stunning species (Paros
) and your photography and film editing skills show it off amazingly.
Very much envious of this tank!
Are the Hyella destructive to the tank? How did they get in there?
To top it all off, you have chosen stunning species (Paros
) and your photography and film editing skills show it off amazingly.Very much envious of this tank!
Are the Hyella destructive to the tank? How did they get in there?
I've shown this tank to a lot of people - fishkeepers and non, and they have all been very impressed. The Mrs has even conceded that I might be able to have something like this when we get our first house! Got any more macro shots of minibeasts?
Glad people are enjoying the tank as much as me 
As far as I can tell they mainly seem to be eating the dead leaf litter, of which there is loads. Apparently they also munch on live plants and algae but I've not spotted any damage (although to be honest they could be demolishing whole plants and I might not notice). Added them intentionally as another food source.
Afraid my macro lens is in a state of partial collapse so probably won't be taking any macro shots for a while.
As far as I can tell they mainly seem to be eating the dead leaf litter, of which there is loads. Apparently they also munch on live plants and algae but I've not spotted any damage (although to be honest they could be demolishing whole plants and I might not notice). Added them intentionally as another food source.
Afraid my macro lens is in a state of partial collapse so probably won't be taking any macro shots for a while.
stu40
PRC
I couldn't have said it betterI didn't say anything because I couldn't think of anything to say except wow, and I think I've used up my quota of wows on this tank already...!
Crazybob
Fish Fanatic
Really like how wild and natural it got to looking. What are the large round leaf emergent (or floating) plant?
I need a bigger Bucket.
Went for a walk in the hills today, and towards the end spotted an awesome old stump that had been torn out of the ground by a bigger tree going over in the Christmas gales.
After about ten minutes of poking, yanking and pocket knifing I finally got the #28### loose and sent the girlfriend into the swamp to retrieve it. All we had to do then was carry it two and half miles back to the van.
It looks much better in the flesh than it does in the photos, but the #41#### thing covers a 5' x 5' footprint, and my tank is only 3' x 3'. I anticipate spending much of next week figuring out how to overcome this
Big wood hunter (ahem):
Went for a walk in the hills today, and towards the end spotted an awesome old stump that had been torn out of the ground by a bigger tree going over in the Christmas gales.
After about ten minutes of poking, yanking and pocket knifing I finally got the #28### loose and sent the girlfriend into the swamp to retrieve it. All we had to do then was carry it two and half miles back to the van.
It looks much better in the flesh than it does in the photos, but the #41#### thing covers a 5' x 5' footprint, and my tank is only 3' x 3'. I anticipate spending much of next week figuring out how to overcome this
Big wood hunter (ahem):
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