Awesome setup, really loved the vid, what sort of lighting is on top of the tank? What powerheads (and flow rates) are those? I'm thinking to do something similar with my 33 long after we move, most likely later this year sometime. Only thing I'd do different would be to put penguin replacement sponges over the pvc intake pipes and drill more/larger holes in those. The mattenfilter alone is more than enough surface area for biofiltration, the ceramic and other extra media in the back isn't necessary.
55 River manifold / HMF tank build.
- Thread starter happypoet
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The ph is 7.8ish and the water is moderately hard. I'll get readings when I'm back in town. The pwerheads are 300 gph each. Penguin 1100 maybe? I totally agree that the intake sponges are not needed as bio. They're just there to keep eggs out. I am planning on using more pvc and some elbows to double the intake area next week sometime.
I have 80+ white cloud fry. I am moving the adults outside and will replace them with some t. Micagemma and danio choprae
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I have 80+ white cloud fry. I am moving the adults outside and will replace them with some t. Micagemma and danio choprae
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My 33 has a regular FL shop light with a 6700 and a 10k full spectrum bulb, same setup I use for most of my tanks. It grows Najas and Salvinia pretty well, and the hornwort thrived for years, but would that be enough light to grow massive amounts of algae? I leave the lights on around 16 hrs/day.
I really don't know. Algae isn't picky. But the relevant question is will the lights grow it quickly enough to not be decimated by algae eating fish. These are basic cfls from lowes. They're 15 or so watts per, but claim the equivalent of 60 per incandescent. 6300k.
I can look up lumens if you want, but i think the key is ferts, seeded algae sources and no fast growing plant competition.
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First, an update. The minnow fry are multiplying and growing like crazy! I'm putting the adults into tubs outside as soon as it's warm enough, and I'll replace them with Sparkling eyed white clouds (T. micagemmae), at least for now. I'd love any suggestions for eggs scaterers that would like a river tank and whose offspring I could sell for a little more than these wcmm 
The mystery fry on the glass appear from time to time. They are definitely not mountain minnows, so they are panda garra or, much more likely, sewellia. I haven't seen any fry developed enough to ID, though they've been in there plenty long enough. They could be dying, but given the conditions and food sources available to them, I suspect (and hope) that they simply live at this young age in the large quantities of old ceramic rings at the bottom of the side of the aquarium. I check every few nights with a flashlight, but no luck... yet.
Anyway, the tank is doing great. The percs are growing REALLY quickly, the algae is filling in, and almost everyone is doing well. I think I will be losing one of my female stiphodon semoni soon. She doesn't look very good, and isn't swimming normally. She is large for her species, and this could be natural progression, but I really don't know.
If anyone can ID that thicker bluish-grey stringy algae, I'd love to hear what it is. I've never seen a pic of it anywhere. It's a bit slippery and breaks easily. Definitely not any of the common thread or hair algaes.
My gobies were being coy tonight. I'll try to get some more pics soon!
The mystery fry on the glass appear from time to time. They are definitely not mountain minnows, so they are panda garra or, much more likely, sewellia. I haven't seen any fry developed enough to ID, though they've been in there plenty long enough. They could be dying, but given the conditions and food sources available to them, I suspect (and hope) that they simply live at this young age in the large quantities of old ceramic rings at the bottom of the side of the aquarium. I check every few nights with a flashlight, but no luck... yet.
Anyway, the tank is doing great. The percs are growing REALLY quickly, the algae is filling in, and almost everyone is doing well. I think I will be losing one of my female stiphodon semoni soon. She doesn't look very good, and isn't swimming normally. She is large for her species, and this could be natural progression, but I really don't know.
If anyone can ID that thicker bluish-grey stringy algae, I'd love to hear what it is. I've never seen a pic of it anywhere. It's a bit slippery and breaks easily. Definitely not any of the common thread or hair algaes.
My gobies were being coy tonight. I'll try to get some more pics soon!
Wow, Aaron, lookin' really nice! Gray says staghorn to me but it's not as branchy as I remember...Lottsa WC fry eh? I don't remember so much blue iridescent stripe for them but it's been a looong time, awesome camera skills, MrsHP? I'm really hoping you have garra fry, everyone spawns sewllia, : (ok, you know its very cool! whatever!)
: (ok, you know its very cool! whatever!)I'm thinking to cover rocks with Repashy soilent green as a supplemental food source, and swap them out for fresh ones as they get cleaned off. There are only certain species of algae that are actually eaten, and they aren't the ones typically found in aquariums. My Sewellia seem to be doing well enough on NLS Grow pellets and spirulina flake, but I haven't seen any fry turning up.
You definitely can cover rocks with the soilent green, but it doesn't stick to rocks terribly well. The little votive cups work much better. You're half-right about the algae--they do only eat certain species, but some of these species certainly do occur in my aquariums. The stiphodons DO eat the Repashy, but they spend much more of their time grazing the various algaes than they do eating Repashy. Personally, I absolutely would not own stiphodons long-term and not give them copious real algaes. The Sewellia and the Panda Garra also spend a lot of time grazing real algae, and definitely do eat some of what grows in my tank. However, they love the Repashy and I'd have no concerns raising either of those fish without real algae present. There are many accounts on the internet of keeping these fish on prepared food only. However, I think you'd be missing some of their natural behavior. The Sewellia in particular are very beautiful when grazing rocks. They undulate their pectoral fins (I think to get the young alga to stand up, or to stir up micro-organisms living on the algae) in a really beautiful way, and they do this behavior much less on the Repashy.
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Just checked out your forum! Seriously COOL! I think I may have to build a tank like this one day...its an awesome idea; and it looks to me like you executed it quite well! lol I love the nursery in the downstream section!
