I moved into a neighborhood a year ago with a river as part of the backyard. I didn't have a clue how much I would love it! It's relaxing, beautiful, and the wildlife is amazing to watch. Because of this, I have become interested in building a river tank or a paludarium. I have never owned a tank in my life, other than a freshwater tank my husband set up for a very short time about 20 years ago! I would like to plant the aquarium, and later add fish. Money is a problem because I am unemployed. So, I was thinking about creating an eco-system from the fish and plants in the Alafia river, the creek, and the huge man made lake (retention pond) in the "back yard." Has anyone ever done this and achieved positive results? I know nothing about the fish or the plants, I am hoping since they live together "out there" they could survive in the aquarium together. Is this plausible? Would any of the river water be used, or all fresh water? Would I need clay pellets? I just am not sure where to begin. I am so excited about doing this, I want to start in a kitchen bowl! :grinno:
Newby Intro & Request for Assistance!
- Thread starter Michlfern777
- Start date
Welcome to AC, your best bet would be to post your question in either the coldwater section of the forum or the paludarium section to get more visibility. Either way, it sounds like a very interesting and unique project! There are a few very good paludarium build threads on the forum if you do a search or just browse around that might help get you started.
Please keep in mind that collecting native species must be done in accordance with local regulations. Florida has a lot of problems with introduced species already. Check with the FL Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to learn what can and can't be collected--including plants--and what you'd need to do with anything that you were unable to keep. In most cases, once something has gone into an aquarium, it can not legally be released, so keep that in mind.
