New shots... SE Asian and African biotope tanks
- Thread starter DrNo
- Start date
Well, I finally got home with the rock and got it soaking for a superficial clean-off. I took my wife along and we decided to go with the snowflake obsidian; the stuff was simply too striking not to use. We looked at all of the agates, granites, even lavas/tufas. This stuff simply won us over; 75 pounds total. Depending on the construct, I might stop by and pick up some more if necessary.
After this initial soak, I will have to file down some of the sharper edges before it goes into the tank. Fortunately the majority of the pieces are rounded and most will require minimal alteration/filing if any.
I also stopped by the local craft store and purchased some styrofoam sheets to use underneath the substrate to help distribute the weight on the tank's floor.
Filing and placement tomorrow with the water change...
After this initial soak, I will have to file down some of the sharper edges before it goes into the tank. Fortunately the majority of the pieces are rounded and most will require minimal alteration/filing if any.
I also stopped by the local craft store and purchased some styrofoam sheets to use underneath the substrate to help distribute the weight on the tank's floor.
Filing and placement tomorrow with the water change...
Tanganyika shots with obsidian rock
The rocks are placed. Filing down the chunks of peppered obsidian took longer than expected, but my wife and I extremely happy with the results. These pictures really don't do the tank justice, as they fail to show the subtle color variations in the rock itself (reds and browns). The airstone adds an interesting effect ,and hints at the volcanic/geothermal nature of the lake. We're still waiting for the house's window coverings, so pardon the glare/reflection in the shots:
The polypterus is far happier with this new territory to explore and navigate around. I measured some of the water chemistry for the Tanganyika tank this morning; values as follows:
pH: 8.2 (stable)
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 5 ppm
KH: 9 degrees
To start with, I ordered three "Gold Head" compressicieps cichlids for this Tanganyika tank this morning from LiveAquaria. They're listed as needing a KH of 12-20, so I'll probably be adding a little baking soda this evening to raise the KH. Total stock for the tank will probably be complete with the addition of ~3 additional cichlids (maybe "Lemon" leluepi). I may add a few additional chunks of obsidian depending on their behavior once they are added to the tank along with snail shells for the sandy floor to tank right.
Meanwhile, the dwarf grass in the SE Asian tank is experiencing rampant growth, and is sending dozens of new shoots through the substrate. It should form a continuous field of grass within a month or two. I may need to crop cut soon to keep its height down.
Double tank shots....
Total time spent on tank work/maintenance yesterday: 4.5 hours :screwy:
The rocks are placed. Filing down the chunks of peppered obsidian took longer than expected, but my wife and I extremely happy with the results. These pictures really don't do the tank justice, as they fail to show the subtle color variations in the rock itself (reds and browns). The airstone adds an interesting effect ,and hints at the volcanic/geothermal nature of the lake. We're still waiting for the house's window coverings, so pardon the glare/reflection in the shots:
The polypterus is far happier with this new territory to explore and navigate around. I measured some of the water chemistry for the Tanganyika tank this morning; values as follows:
pH: 8.2 (stable)
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 5 ppm
KH: 9 degrees
To start with, I ordered three "Gold Head" compressicieps cichlids for this Tanganyika tank this morning from LiveAquaria. They're listed as needing a KH of 12-20, so I'll probably be adding a little baking soda this evening to raise the KH. Total stock for the tank will probably be complete with the addition of ~3 additional cichlids (maybe "Lemon" leluepi). I may add a few additional chunks of obsidian depending on their behavior once they are added to the tank along with snail shells for the sandy floor to tank right.
Meanwhile, the dwarf grass in the SE Asian tank is experiencing rampant growth, and is sending dozens of new shoots through the substrate. It should form a continuous field of grass within a month or two. I may need to crop cut soon to keep its height down.
Double tank shots....
Total time spent on tank work/maintenance yesterday: 4.5 hours :screwy:
Thanks b19... as much as I would love to do a South American discus tank, I need to get a handle on the MTS (multiple tank syndrome) and enjoy these two for now. We're on fancy septic at our house, so I can (luckily?) never have a saltwater tank.
Stocking for the African, after the arrival of the Gold Heads will either be ~3 more cichlids from Tanganyika (maybe Neolamprologus leleupi) +/- a Synodont cat as my wife loves them.
Stocking for the African, after the arrival of the Gold Heads will either be ~3 more cichlids from Tanganyika (maybe Neolamprologus leleupi) +/- a Synodont cat as my wife loves them.
