Native tank up & running

[Shilo]

Finally finished converting my tropical tank into a NZ Biotope. Was on holiday last week and spent part of the time scoring lakes and streams for more fish and plants for the tank. A Biotope is normally a snap shot of a habitat, but since I couldn't find a scene good enough to copy I decided to mix and match a Rotorua lake bed (plants & kitty litter / gravel substrate to look like pumice sand) and a bush stream (wood and mosses).

Since the tank was only planted out this morning its not yet looking its best until the plants start straightening out.

Currently it contains:

Fish

1 x Banded Kokopu

4 x Inanga

5 x Common Bullys

Crustacians

2 x Korua

? x Freshwater Shrimp

Plants

Myriophyllum propinquum (native)

Potamogeton crispus (introduced)

Potamogeton ochreatus (native)

Ranunculus trichophyllus (introduced)

Nitella hookeri (native)

Glossostigma elatinoides (native)

Lilaeopsis ruthiana (native)

Callitriche stagnalis (introduced)

Various types of submerged mosses (native)

The 3 introduced varieties will be replaced with natives once I come across some more. The Inanga, Glossostigma and Lilaeopsis were purchased because I was to lazy to hunt them out.

Despite being trodden on in the middle of the night then scooped up in a net and traveling in the back of the jeep for 2 days in a Tupperware container, the bullys are remarkably friendly and inquisitive. Even this soon they come up to the glass to check me out

[steve slack]

congratulations on creating such an awesome tank

it looks wicked

and really natural

[Caryl]

Looking good Shilo.

May I remind you Myriophyllum propinquum is a Class B noxious weed? This means you can have it, but not pass it on. I thought Callitriche stagnalis was also a native.

Half the fun of setting these biotopes up is the gathering of the inhabitants is it not? 8)

[Shilo]

Caryl, you may be confusing it with Hornwort. According with the NIWA website http://www.niwa.cri.nz/rc/prog/aquaticplants/species/submerged Myriophyllum propinquum is one of the 2 native Milfoils. I was surprised that Starwort wasn't a native as well. When hunting around it was surprising where I found introduced species and the natives. One fairly isolated tarn in the Urewera's was riddled with introduced plants with next to no natives while a Waikato spring by a road side had mainly natives. :roll:

One thing all this has done was to open my eyes to the damage introduced plants are doing to our water ways. Everybody concentrates on land weeds but water weeds are doing far more damage then blackberry or ragwort, out of sight out of mind I suppose.

[klaymann]

Shilo ... can we have an update photo of the tank ... luv to know how these plants adapted to the lighting .... awesome new set up pick by the way.

[Bluetom]

I really like the setup. A+++

[Shilo]

Thanks for the compliments guys.

Here's an update: (excuse my lack of photography skills)

Its only been 1 & 1/2 weeks and I would describe the tank as going though its "ugly" stage where the plants are leggy and have yet to full out. But the changes so far are:

Plants

Myriophyllum propinquum (the tall bushy ones on right)

Have taken off. Some stalks are just starting to produce roots and I have already managed to top and replant some of them.

Potamogeton ochreatus (the grassy stuff on left)

& Ranunculus trichophyllus (centre tall)

Both of these are changing. The original leaves are dying off but they are producing a lot of new ones. These were obtained submerged. Photo doesn't show it but most of the grassy stuff growth is above water level. It also pearls easily.

Nitella hookeri (fluffy stuff ground level front right)

Will revise my identification of this one. I think its just another form of moss (although a very nice one). Very slow growth showing.

Various Mosses (center in front of slab and on upright wood)

Very slow growth (to be expected). Some bright green tips are being produced. The bunch on top of the wood slab fell off so have left it where it layed.

Others

If the crays and Banded Kokopu left them alone they should be ok. Bullies love to burrow under the Glossostigma which doesn't help :evil: These plants are showing signs of growth but its early days for them yet.

Fauna

Crays are happy doing what crays do (as much damage as possible!) 1 Shrimp has moulted and another about to have its eggs hatch. BK being the same grumpy BK and the bullies have taken over as the clowns of the tank.

Inangas are another story. 2 disappeared yesterday, found one in the filter system (have since covered up the overflow) but no sign of the other. Today another disappeared with no sign at all despite tearing the tank and filter system apart. A lot of the plants were floating around when I got back from work today and noticed the missing Inanga. Suspect the grumpy BK is now a fat grumpy BK but no proof. Don't expect the remaining Inanga to last since they are a school fish. Bit of a bugger since these are the only ones I paid for!