I wanna see biotopes!!!

2726 Views 19 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Agent13, Dec 2, 2013

nawilson89

Discussion Starter · Nov 8, 2013

So. In the coming months I plan on setting up two biotopes.

The first is going to be a tank for myself. It's going to be a South-east Asian biotope. I plan to have Dario Hysginon once again and some other nano SE Asian fish, but thats a planned tank I'm pretty sure I know what I want to do.

The second tank is up in the air. It's a tank that I want to put together for my Grandmother who is a veteran fishkeeper and the reason I got into the hobby.
When I was a kid she had two oscars and a pleco in a large tank for years. They were there before I was born and she had them until i was a teenage.

But those are large fish. To large for me I enjoy much smaller fish in a tank. So... here's are the ideas.

A South American Biotope, I wanna go big. A 75g tank would be what I am hoping for:

Two Bolivian rams or two other cichlids of the Apistogramma type.
A school of pencilfish.
A school of hatchetfish.
A school of Corydoras, not albino but a smaller species at some point i had a small school of Salt and Pepper Cory, I would very much like to do that again.

The second type that I am thinking about is an African Biotope, not Lake Malawi Cichlids. I was thinking African Butterfly fish and African Leaf fish.

So. What I'm asking is for pictures of you Biotopes, and some discussions on choices that I could put together for in a few months.

Reactions: 3

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keepsmiling

· #2 · Nov 9, 2013

Sounds great! Good luck and hope some members have some input and photos for you.

luke77

· #3 · Nov 10, 2013

Ok this is my live planted 55g South American cichlid tank. I went with a riverish theme. My stock is 3 large angels, 2 German blue rams, 2 Bolivian rams and a school of 7 rabauti cory cats. Oh and a clown pleco. Substrate is gravel and I use no Co2 for my plants. These fish leave my plants alone even though their cichlids and they all get along great. You just have to watch the angels, my 2 gold ones are female and my big gold marble is a male.

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Chesh

· #4 · Nov 10, 2013

Can I come along for the ride?
I wanna see, too! ^__^

. . . Gorgeous tank, Luke! Thanks for posting it!!!

Barry gibb

· #5 · Nov 11, 2013 (Edited)

Count me in for the ride as well. Great timeing for the thread nawilson89
Doing a 3ft biotope my self for my apistogrammas everythings in place just need some inspiration, keep the advice and pictures comeing!!!

Barry

Reactions: 1

nawilson89

Discussion Starter · #6 · Nov 11, 2013

Luke, its beautiful I love it.

I'm pulling more and more for the South American Biotope.

I want to see more everyone! Show me those biotopes!

Reactions: 1

luke77

· #7 · Nov 11, 2013

I use to have fake plants and the rams would always stay in the rocks. Since I switched to live plants they spend their time about half in the plants and the other in the rocks. I can tell all my fish like the live plants a lot better.

Reactions: 2

nawilson89

Discussion Starter · #8 · Nov 11, 2013

luke77 said:
I use to have fake plants and the rams would always stay in the rocks. Since I switched to live plants they spend their time about half in the plants and the other in the rocks. I can tell all my fish like the live plants a lot better.

Fish definitely like live plants better. It's like breathing threw an oxygen mask. So nice! xD

Reactions: 1

pennyls9332

· #9 · Nov 11, 2013

for the south american you could add blue rams too, yes?
and with the africans maybe a featherfin catfish?
would love to see what you decide on

nawilson89

Discussion Starter · #10 · Nov 11, 2013

pennyls9332 said:
for the south american you could add blue rams too, yes?
and with the africans maybe a featherfin catfish?
would love to see what you decide on

Thank you for the input! I really do like blue rams.

Featherfin's get a bit larger than what I am looking for; the largest fish I want in the tank would be 4 inches at MOST.

BWG

· #11 · Nov 11, 2013

Pretty sure you've already seen and heard about my South American blackwater, nawilson89.

I've had kitty tetras, rosy tetras, red lizard whiptails, and sterbai cories. I just wanted to show it because it's a biotope with no plants.

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Barry gibb

· #12 · Nov 11, 2013

Loveing the biotope BWG. I would like mine to look similiar for my apistos, just collected a bag of oak leafs my self, but i would like some sort of plants in mine, your is like a autum/ biotope, the greenery dies back and the leaves litter the bed of the river, very nice.

Barry

Barry gibb

· #13 · Nov 27, 2013

So heres my first attmpt at a biotope,
110ltr aqarium
All free of charge, oak branches from the woods, some slate from someones roof! And river sand mixed with 10kg of used sand from my big aqarium,
Aqariums got a fluval u2 filter with mature medium from my external and is eating the amonia i put in so were set for a diary soon.

Thoughs, hints and tips please!!!

Barry gibb

· #14 · Nov 27, 2013

Would help if a posted picture!!!

Barry

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Chesh

· #15 · Nov 27, 2013

Barry! Pretty! ^_^
BWG, you know I adore your tank, too!

I love these setups, the contrast between the hard-scape and the leaves is so pretty!
Thanks for posting, guys. . .

*demands more pics*

Agent13

· #16 · Nov 28, 2013 (Edited)

Here is my semi biotope of Lake Malawi. I still have a few things to work on. Planning on getting or making some form of rock background and eventually painting the filter tubing. Also want to find a good support rock to replace the roman columns( however the tank boss seems to really love them.. Serves an a great entrance to the cave he builds clear through to them bottom inside there). And also I do know floating plants are really in that lake but it reduces aggression. Many fish use it as a self imposed timeout spot when tempers rise high lol. And as the video shows I have achieved peace amongst these very mean fish.

The video was taken just past lights out so a few fish had already retreated to their caves.

Sent from Petguide.com App

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Chesh

· #17 · Dec 1, 2013

Oooh! You can paint filter tubing!? What kind of paint is tank safe?
Eheim makes a black tubing set that I've got my eye on for the 125g. . . I hate that bright green that doesn't match any of the plants, drives me bonkers!!!

sorry... off topic. ^_^

You'll have to let us know when you make your custom back-round, that'll be a fun project! Maybe we'll get lucky and you'll do us a DIY??! ~.^
Thanks for posting!

Agent13

· #18 · Dec 1, 2013

Actually I haven't seen the black tubing for eheims for sale.. Where did you see that? I was planning on krylon fusion paint.
Yea I can't wait to get the background underway. I'm leaning towards DIY but it'll be a chore however can't be worse then the alterations I did while setting this tank up!

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sponge1234

· #19 · Dec 2, 2013

What type of cichlids you got in there Agent13? Mbunas?

Agent13

· #20 · Dec 2, 2013

Yes, mostly mbuna one peacock and 3 haps and 1 lamprologus. The last one I dont recommend mixing with Malawi fish unless you very carfully matched all the fish and already established the pecking order creating some level of peace. I'm really happy with that stockng and plan to add about 3or so more Mbuna.

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