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native tank set up


livingart

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Native tank needed for the fieldays, so i started setting one up on monday

wanted to get a stream type biotype so thought a spare 1.5 metre x 45cm x 45cm would be best to create a good current in

i have sourced some river gravel from the local "Rock Shop" from fine gravel to 50mm pieces, nice brown colour

stonesp.jpg

as i need to make it movable so i thought a canister would be better than a sump

dug out a cf1200 and replaced a couple of "o" rings and away it went, makes quite a current in the tank

used media from a goldfish tank sump then 2/3 filled tank with pond water as the galaxiads i will be using are in it already

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wednesday went down to the stream on our property and got some different plants and about 200 freshwater shrimp

tanknativeplants.jpg

nativeshrimp.jpg

only put about 30 shrimp in the tank and fed out the rest

today caught 4 immature redfin bullies and 5 inanga so popped them in as well

will fill tank tomorrow then 50% water changes every 2 or 3 days after that

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broke the tank down and moved it into the next door room today

took 19 minutes to pump water into a drum and using a sack trolley at 1 end of the stand and a lifter at the other

moved and pump water back into the tank

topped the tank up fully with fresh stream water

did the move to make a better display, you can view from both sides now

and to see how feasible it was to move as one unit

i think to take to feild days i will take tank off the stand

it is a solid 40mm square box section frame so would transport well, any thoughts?

all plants are in small pots

was sitting watching the tank afterwards when the banded kokopu who had been sitting in the stream from the spraybar jumped about 12 inches through a 1/2 inch gap in the lids and ended on the floor

wet hands and straight back in the tank and now seems none the worse, the next couple of days will tell

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Definitely inanga.

Kokopu are much chunkier and deeper and inanga are more streamlined, even when small.

Kokopu vs inanga:

Kokopu fins are much rounder. Inange fins are smaller, finer and seem more spread out.

Kokopu can sit on a surface our of the water (like a supported net) flat like a lizard. Inanga lie on their sides and flap around.

Inanga tend to have 'leopard spotting' across most of the body, mostly on the upper surfaces.

(you can lump koaro in with kokopu here)

My tricks with kokopu:

Bandeds have vertical stripes that trail out top and bottom, and the stripes are clearer or more concentrated where the tail

flexes. The pic earlier of the banded is a little weird with the sort of 'spotting' around its head. As they get bigger the markings become more confined to the tail region, and generally less dramatic.

Small giants have markings that are wider and have a similar definition ALL the way around the edge of each marking, ie they do not trail away to nothing. Small ones often have a pattern of |.|.|.|. along the lateral line. As they get bigger this breaks up and eventually the whole body is randomly marked with spots and crescents.

Shortjaws are tricky. They have vague spotting and marbleing, but nothing your could describe as a pattern. The main thing to look for is the jaw in profile (if you can get the sod to sit still!). The snout is kinda blunt and curved with a slightly undercut jaw. Bandeds and giants have both 'lips' meeting at the tip of the snout.

Koaro are chunky like the kokopu, but the head is more dorso-ventrally flattened, making the head more pointy. Awesome little faces, with small interested-looking eyes and a strange habit of snapping their way up and down the aquarium. They are quite mottled, with a dark grey/olive on a silver background, often with suggestions of chevrons along the side.

.........er, yeah, that was way more than I intended to write. Looking great, Livingart!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

How long did it take you to catch 200 shrimp??

cool setup :hail::hail: ...i dream of setting up a river biotype with a huge overflow at one end and heeeeaps of current coming from the other end....if only it were legal to keep trout...they're so colourful!

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  • 1 month later...

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