My pride and joy - invert tank :)

[kyryah]

I wanted to show off the progress on my invert tank :)

I picked up the tank, filter, stand, and light as a freebie from a local Freecycle group. To say it was a mess is a HUGE understatement :eek:

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll63/kyryah/Aquatic/KristinaspicturesDONOTDELETE1534.jpg

I got it cleaned up, rinsed my sand about a million times, and still ended up with this, lol

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll63/kyryah/nonsense%20for%20whatever%20reason/KristinaspicturesDONOTDELETE18939.jpg

Once it cleared a bit I planted it.

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll63/kyryah/Aquatic/KristinaspicturesDONOTDELETE18954.jpg

Some more planting/shifting

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll63/kyryah/Aquatic/KristinaspicturesDONOTDELETE18983.jpg

And it ended up looking pretty much like this

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll63/kyryah/Aquatic/KristinaspicturesDONOTDELETE19070.jpg

I made a DIY cover for my filter intake, inspired by another member here

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll63/kyryah/nonsense%20for%20whatever%20reason/KristinaspicturesDONOTDELETE19216.jpg

I moved the tank to our new house yesterday. Every last one of the inverts survived and is thriving.

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll63/kyryah/Aquatic/KristinaspicturesDONOTDELETE343.jpg

The plants are growing nicely and the moss wall is filling in at a good pace. The filter intake cover has a nice coating right now due to yesterdays move, I will siphon it off, but in the meantime the RCS are enjoying the grazing area. I have a few pond snails but have been very vigilant about removing them. The only place in the tank that I have found any algae was on the ledge of the filter output... Until one of my zebra snails spent the night and part of the morning pacing slowly back and forth along the output, right in the full force of the water, lol, and when it was finished all the algae was gone. Everyone should have nerites :)





Stock list -

Briggs - 5 DSP, 3 blue, 2 magenta, 2 ivory, 1 black/wild color, 1 jade, 1 totally gorgeous unknown color

Nerites - 2 zebra, 3 olive, 3 purple/olive

Quited Melania

Giant Trumpets

Red Ramshorns

Orange Ramshorns

Brown Ramshorns

Chocolate Ramshorns

Leopard Ramshorns

Micro Ramshorns

Unidentified viviparous snails - I have around ten of these. They are very small, about the size of the head of a large pin, and blue in color. The give birth to 1-2 very tiny replicas of themselves. When I discovered them in my tank, I kept them isolated in a breeder net for about 3 months to observe, and only 3 babies were born in that time frame.

Red Cherry Shrimp - about 16

Palaemonetes paludosus shrimp - 3

Kristina

[Lupin]

It's coming nicely!

[dixienut]

love it,..:thm:

[huffmagx]

Wow! Your hard work has really paid off it looks fantastic! Needless to say I am jealous of your fabulous freebie!!!

[kyryah]

Thanks :) It took a LOT of elbow grease, but it was way worth it.

Another note: ALL of the plants came from members of AC :) Most of the inverts did as well.

Kristina

[jackiomy]

Those look like some happy inverts!

[kyryah]

LOL, Jacki - can you see your jade "wrestling" with my big blue in the bottom pic? :D

Kristina

[jackiomy]

I did! Isn't he handsome?

[vampie]

I like the "ledges". Very creative idea.

[kyryah]

I did! Isn't he handsome?

EXTREMELY :D I can't figure out this other one.... It looks nothing like my magentas, it is almost peach in color. Either way, it is positively gorgeous :)


I like the "ledges". Very creative idea.

Thank you :) I think all in all it will work out nicely, but I will say that the moss below the ledges is growing slower, due to the ledge clocking the light. Just something to keep in mind if anyone tries it.

Kristina

[toddnbecka]

That's going to be something else when the plants grow in. What is the intake cover made from? I use round sponge filters to prefilter my intakes.

[Arturo]

Great looking tank. Hard work always pays off.

[kyryah]

That's going to be something else when the plants grow in. What is the intake cover made from? I use round sponge filters to prefilter my intakes.

Thanks :) I keep chanting at them to grow, lol.

Here is the thread that shows how to make the prefilter. It works great.

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=194828&highlight=DIY+filter

Kristina

[BettaFishMommy]

it's looking fabulous! when that wall grows in.... oooh, i can't wait to see!

[kyryah]

Me either, lol :D

I'll be doing one of these :dance:

Kristina

[kyryah]

I got a 30 gallon hex today with the hood, light, two filters, a heater, and a bunch of other accessories, so be on the lookout for another invert tank :D

Kristina

[Alexandrian]

Wonderful taste :thm:

[SMinNC]

Cool beans!

What size tank is it?

[kyryah]

26 gallons, I think, lol. That's what I got when I plugged in the measurements, at least.

Kristina

[NilsBaees]

I am so jealous!! i would never have been able to clean that tank, and stock it so beautifully :) you must have happy snails

[kyryah]

I think the snails are happy, lol, at least I am now finding nerite eggs and the ramshorns are having babies like crazy... I rarely find bladder snails, so hopefully the bigger snails are outcompeting them for food.

The clean up wasn't too bad, first I blasted it with the hose and then used vinegar and a lot of scrubbing to get the gunk of. It took some time, but it was worth it.

Kristina

[powerkit]

Wow!!!! I love the backing!!!!

[kyryah]

Thank you! I absolutely cannot wait for it to fill in totally.

Kristina

[Inka4040]

Awesome start! I can't wait till the moss wall grows in.

[kyryah]

We all should start a collective chant, lol...

Grow, grow, grow....

Kristina

[cymrufem]

Your tank looks terrific! I love the idea of a moss wall, so creative. It will be gorgeous when it grows in.

[snoopy65]

Looking good!! All the critters should be very thankful for all of your hard work.

[Nue]

Nice! What kind of moss?

[kyryah]

Oh, goodness, it is a mix of java, flame, taiwan, christmas, I think a little peacock, and fissidens. Total mish mash, lol.

Kristina

[Jane of Upton]

Wow, looks like it was a lot of work. The stand looks like it was in far better shape than the aquarium! Was it used for salt water previously? Nice job reclaiming it - bravo!

Its looking good - I'm sure all the critters will enjoy the moss wall when it grows in, too! Lovely Brigs in the picture.

And I have a question about your unknown snails ... do they look like this, with a grey-blue-green shell?

http://thumb1.webshots.net/t/75/75/4/55/31/2422455310104974841bRcoQh_th.jpg (http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2422455310104974841bRcoQh)

I had a few of these ... I just loved them! But I think they got out-competed by ramshorns, and they disappeared over the summer. The woman who used to sell Brigs as "Snips & Snails" had some, and she thought they didn't like higher temperatures. I agree, since they "disappeared" over the summer, when my tanks got quite warm. I'd love to get them again, and keep them in a basement tank which stays cool - they were just SOooooooo adorable!

-Jane

[kyryah]

Wow, looks like it was a lot of work. The stand looks like it was in far better shape than the aquarium! Was it used for salt water previously?

Its looking good - I'm sure all the critters will enjoy the moss wall when it grows in, too! Lovely Brigs in the picture.

And I have a question about your mystery snail... is it like this?

http://thumb1.webshots.net/t/75/75/4/55/31/2422455310104974841bRcoQh_th.jpg (http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2422455310104974841bRcoQh)

I had a few of these ... I just loved them! But I think they got out-competed by ramshorns, and they disappeared over the summer. The woman who used to sell Brigs as "Snips & Snails" had some, and she thought they didn't like higher temperatures. I agree, since they "disappeared" over the summer, when my tanks got quite warm. I'd love to get them again, and keep them in a basement tank which stays cool - they were just SOooooooo adorable!

-Jane


I thought at first that it had been a saltwater set up because of all the white crud, but I found evidence of it at one point having plants in it - I think it was mainly nasty hard water stains. I just finally got new knobs for the stand yesterday, lol, and DH put them on this morning.

Those are the same snails exactly.

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll63/kyryah/Pomacea%20bridgesii/KristinaspicturesDONOTDELETE1053.jpg

They are cute little buggers, lol. So far mine are thriving, they eat the snello right along with the big dudes. Being as it is an invert tank only, there is a lot more opportunity for every body to get food, as I feed specifically for the inverts, lol. Hopefully I won't have a die off. I have a few in my 2.5 gal too.

Kristina

[Nue]

LOL. cant wait to see your multi moss wall grown in!

[smartdog126]

smart idea and love the tank!

[Jane of Upton]

Oh wow,

great picture of the "mini" Viv! Did they come in on plants, or did you get them from a hobbyist?

And WOW... all that crud was just from hard water stains? I got a 2nd hand tank from someone who kept cichlids - and I thought THAT was a ton of calcium crud.... But it pales in comparison to your "before" pictures. Sheesh, you folks must have rocks coming out of your tab around there.

That's good to know the little ones like the snello and get right in there with the big boys! If you get a good breeding colony going, I hope you'll offer them in the marketplace here!

I'm looking forward to updates as those plants grow in! Well done!
-Jane

[kyryah]

I got the cute little Vivs from plants and making the lfs scrape them off the walls of the tank for me ;)

My water isn't bad, I use prime but don't have to use anything else, but I drove 60 miles to pick up the set up, lol. Apparently their water is worse, lol.

Kristina

[vampie]

That "mini-viv" is probably the same snail that was sold as the "Mini mystery snail" years ago. I think it was just a few months ago when I posted wondering why they had seemingly disappeared from our hobby.

[smartdog126]

interesting stuff and new pictures?

[kyryah]

That "mini-viv" is probably the same snail that was sold as the "Mini mystery snail" years ago. I think it was just a few months ago when I posted wondering why they had seemingly disappeared from our hobby.

Hmmm, maybe if mine keep breeding I can share with interested members :) So far they are thriving, and doing just great. They are very active.

Kristina

[Jane of Upton]

Yes, those were the ones known as "Mini Mystery Snails"!

I'd participated in a thread somewhere in which someone reported that they found them (or what was a darn-close relative) in a stream near Milwaukee. I believe that is where the notion that perhaps they don't like high temperatures came in. I know a bunch of folks who got a couple, only to have them disappear, myself included.

Yes, it will be interesting to see if you can get a colony going! Perhaps their decline came from being out-competed in a community tank, and if fed in an invert-only tank, they'll reproduce.

Best of luck with this! And a neat setup!
-Jane

[jamesstill84]

Ooooooh, if you get those breeding, you've got another customer. :D I've heard of them, but never actually seen one. I won't have any problems talking the wife into those, they're so cute. :D

[vampie]

I'd participated in a thread somewhere in which someone reported that they found them (or what was a darn-close relative) in a stream near Milwaukee. I believe that is where the notion that perhaps they don't like high temperatures came in. I know a bunch of folks who got a couple, only to have them disappear, myself included.


I believe we ended up ID'ing it as Bithynia leachii, if not that, certainly another Bithynia species. The genus is from northern Europe, some species invasive in the US, so yes, they don't like high temperatures.

[smartdog126]

what did u put on the back wall if you dont mind i lk that idea (: like how did you support it

[kyryah]

It is craft plastic netting, also known as latchhook canvas. I sewed it together with fish line into flat boxes, and stuffed it with the moss and sewed it shut. I also stitched suction cups to the back of it and that is what holds it to the tank.

Kristina