(continued) 1. Aquarium Setup and Life Support.
(continued) Aquarium Setup:
There is one last observation that I have on tank setup. As explained above, with some adjustment and observation you can set up a high-humidity tank with minimal fogging on the front pane of glass by leaving a narrow gap in the front of the top canopy covering. The hinged glass "versa top" type canopies can be set up wit this gap very easily through simple removal of the plastic strip along the back edge. By sliding a versa top canopy with the plastic stripped removed to the back of the aquarium top, you will leave 1" or so gap there along that top front edge.
Lighting: Crypts, Anubias, Java fern and the other plants that I have grown in high-humidity ripariums all grow well with moderate light intensity. By keeping lighting brightness at a moderate level you can prevent excessive algae growth in the underwater area of your display. I have generally found a single T5 strip light with reflector to be more than adequate for this kind of riparium. Here is a picture of the display in my 55-gallon tank with one 48", 54-watt T5 strip hung as a pendant above.
I actually found this light to be a bit too bright, so I positioned it higher above the tank to slow the growth of the plants and prevent the algae growth that developed in the forn of the underwater area.
In summary, plants growing in a high-humidity setup will require only moderately bright light. While choosing a fluorescent lamp to light your tank you will do best to select one with a full-spectrum, "daylight" color temperature approximating natural sunlight. Many crypts in particular have beautifully subtle combinations of green, red, brown and metallic colors. Full-spectrum lighting will offer the best color rendering and
best display of these hues.
Filtration & water circulation: A point that I have not raised yet is that you will probably find it best to fill the tank holding your high-humidity riparium display to somewhat less than 1/2 full. A tallish aquarium filled to about 30% or 40% of total depth will still have plenty of abovewater space for the emersed plant growth. I do not recommend reversing these proportions--that is, filling to more than 1/2 full--as a tank with that much water will not have much room for the emersed plants and would probably also have less appealing proportions overall.
Canister filters are the preferred method of filtration for riapriums and other kinds of planted tanks. They are relatively unobstrusive in the display, with only the intake and return pipes in the water, can filter for long periods between cleanings, and do not cause excessive surface filtration. If you use a canister filter in a high-humidity riparium the intake and return will have to reach 10" or more to reach the water level. Depending on the make and model of your filter, you may find it necessary to retrofit the plumbing assembly. The next picture shows a simple modification that I applied to a Filstar system so that it could filter the 55-gallon setup.
I put this together with the filter's existing plumbing hardware, some 1/2" plastic irrigation pipe, flexible vinyl hose (as sleeves joining the pipes) and nylon hose clamps.
If you do not have a canister filter available you might also consider a submersible power filter or air-driven sponge filter. It might be difficult squeeze a power filter into the underwater space, but most models should fit if positioned horizontally. If you use an air-driven filter be aware that the surface agitation will cause most of the CO2 in the water column to outgas and escape, so it will not be available to underwater plants. It is generally best to use some underwater plants because their foliage will brighten the underwater area, which tends to be shaded by the emersed plant growth.
(continued) Aquarium Setup:
There is one last observation that I have on tank setup. As explained above, with some adjustment and observation you can set up a high-humidity tank with minimal fogging on the front pane of glass by leaving a narrow gap in the front of the top canopy covering. The hinged glass "versa top" type canopies can be set up wit this gap very easily through simple removal of the plastic strip along the back edge. By sliding a versa top canopy with the plastic stripped removed to the back of the aquarium top, you will leave 1" or so gap there along that top front edge.
Lighting: Crypts, Anubias, Java fern and the other plants that I have grown in high-humidity ripariums all grow well with moderate light intensity. By keeping lighting brightness at a moderate level you can prevent excessive algae growth in the underwater area of your display. I have generally found a single T5 strip light with reflector to be more than adequate for this kind of riparium. Here is a picture of the display in my 55-gallon tank with one 48", 54-watt T5 strip hung as a pendant above.
I actually found this light to be a bit too bright, so I positioned it higher above the tank to slow the growth of the plants and prevent the algae growth that developed in the forn of the underwater area.
In summary, plants growing in a high-humidity setup will require only moderately bright light. While choosing a fluorescent lamp to light your tank you will do best to select one with a full-spectrum, "daylight" color temperature approximating natural sunlight. Many crypts in particular have beautifully subtle combinations of green, red, brown and metallic colors. Full-spectrum lighting will offer the best color rendering and
best display of these hues.
Filtration & water circulation: A point that I have not raised yet is that you will probably find it best to fill the tank holding your high-humidity riparium display to somewhat less than 1/2 full. A tallish aquarium filled to about 30% or 40% of total depth will still have plenty of abovewater space for the emersed plant growth. I do not recommend reversing these proportions--that is, filling to more than 1/2 full--as a tank with that much water will not have much room for the emersed plants and would probably also have less appealing proportions overall.
Canister filters are the preferred method of filtration for riapriums and other kinds of planted tanks. They are relatively unobstrusive in the display, with only the intake and return pipes in the water, can filter for long periods between cleanings, and do not cause excessive surface filtration. If you use a canister filter in a high-humidity riparium the intake and return will have to reach 10" or more to reach the water level. Depending on the make and model of your filter, you may find it necessary to retrofit the plumbing assembly. The next picture shows a simple modification that I applied to a Filstar system so that it could filter the 55-gallon setup.
I put this together with the filter's existing plumbing hardware, some 1/2" plastic irrigation pipe, flexible vinyl hose (as sleeves joining the pipes) and nylon hose clamps.
If you do not have a canister filter available you might also consider a submersible power filter or air-driven sponge filter. It might be difficult squeeze a power filter into the underwater space, but most models should fit if positioned horizontally. If you use an air-driven filter be aware that the surface agitation will cause most of the CO2 in the water column to outgas and escape, so it will not be available to underwater plants. It is generally best to use some underwater plants because their foliage will brighten the underwater area, which tends to be shaded by the emersed plant growth.
