Captain Conkout Posted July 10, 2008 Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 I'm curious if anyone has ever come across well made or competition fake planted tanks..? (or sites that showcase them) I'm using fakes for my native tank - not overly fussed with keeping it authentic I'd just like to provide lots of cover for smaller species and maybe look nice. My main tank is planted and generates a LOT of bio waste from the plants. Atm I have a bunch of taller plastic weed behind the feature log. I am interested in either keeping it simple and just laying down grass/weed mats in front or going a bit more rock garden and employing a variety of carpet plants and bushes with 6-8" fakes towards the sides to create a more "natural" "wild" aethsetic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted July 10, 2008 Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 some fake plants are quite realistic P.S. some one stole your diver ornament or was it too big for the tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Conkout Posted July 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 Lol, you remember the diver?! nah he is still bubbling in my tropical one:- We have retired the action figure deep sea diver to the unused ornaments box but the kitch blue one is still in there bubbling and trying to disturb the poor lilly pads... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Conkout Posted July 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted July 10, 2008 Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 looks like he left his belt and weights behind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Conkout Posted July 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 .. hmm my comp or this site causing multiple replies YEHAWWW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted July 10, 2008 Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 Woohoo native tanks! Great to see more interest! What sort of fish do you have? :bounce: I don't bother with plants in my tanks. Reasons: A: Not enough light (I like them low-light to look more natural) B: No submerged plants in the habitats I am recreating anyway. And mostly the fish are not inclined to hide in them, my experience anyway. They prefer to be under things, rather than in. ROCKS ROCK! the more the merrier. Heaps of places to hide. However one neat trick I learned is to use ponga or bracken fern. It stays green for ages and don't break down. Mine lasted 1.5 months looking healthy and green then slowly the brown algae took over and the plant died off. It is looking a bit ratty and covered in algae now, but really it looks better in my eyes. Much more natural and fits the sluggish bush stream habitat theme I am going for. Anyway, it is convenient for providing a bit of cover without taking up as much space as rocks. Good for a in-tank background too. Not exactly what you were after though.... I can't link to my photobucket photos of my tanks just now (site maintenance), but do check out my picasa gallery linked in my sig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Conkout Posted July 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 I had an adult whitebait that I believe was a smelt but the eel seems to have gobbled him. No visible interest in the guppies in there so far. I have checked all over the tank lid and down the back to make sure it didn't jump. So I think he was the culprit - reading the whitebait book says eel love smelt. Plus the guilty eel hid for about 24hrs to there is little doubt where it went. I'm not feeling terribly guilty as we had concerns about the condition and mental/physical state of the eel after many years in captivity and being seriously undergrown. So his gobbling a fish and behaving like a healthy predator is only encouragement at this point! I'm determined to aquire a giant kokupu or two for the tank. Some people may diapprove but given at least 5% of the whitebait caught after November 15th is listed as a threatened species (shortjaw/banded/giant kokupu) I think there are bigger culprits...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoon Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 u have guppies in there ? wat is the temperature of the tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 u have guppies in there ? wat is the temperature of the tank? my thoughts exactly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Conkout Posted July 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 Last i checked water temp was about 11 degrees. Guppies seem comfortable and have been eating shaved shrimp readily. The water temp of the Hutt River is probably around 5-6. They came from the Waiwhetu entrance to the Lower Hutt River, one council site mentioned this as being one of the most polluted and altered habitats in Wellington. (I only mention this if we are questioning the viablity of housing them in an aquarium instead of their 'natural' environment..) Do you want to elaborate on these thoughts? Is there reason to suggest guppies do not cope with room temperature water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 i have guppies in my native tanks, put in there as feeder fish even though some will say it is too cold for them, they eat, breed and are still too quick to be eaten Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Conkout Posted July 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 I think the confusion was my refering to *bullies* as *guppies*. I'd be suprised if 12 degrees which is about as warm as it gets here presents any kind of challenge to their physiology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted July 13, 2008 Report Share Posted July 13, 2008 The bullies will be fine in room temperature water for the moment, but you may need to think about cooling over summer. Most indoor aquaria would be over 20 degrees naturally in summer, which is a bit much for the fish long term. Bullies are generally a lot hardier than most other native when it comes to temperatures, but still do stress in the heat. Do you know which type/s you have? Smelt are pretty easy to identify, they are very silvery, have a purple sheen down their sides and they have scales. Inanga can look very similar, particularly from above, but they don't have scales, they are quite see-through in places. With giant kokopu, they are on the threatened species list (in the gradual decline category). This doesn't mean you can't take them, but think very carefully about the ethics and conservation issues. Make sure you have a very good idea of what they require and *especially* know that you can keep the tank suitably cool over summer. Obviously taking very young fish is much more appropriate and more fair on the fish (juveniles adjust much easier). It is possible to pick kokopu out as whitebait, but it is also possible to go blind in the process Charles Mitchell, the 'whitebait farmer' in Raglan, sells juvenile giant kokopu for aquaria. Mine came from him. He can charge a lot for them, but at least you know it is about as legit as it gets. Good to know that your eel is doing better! How are his fins coming along? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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