Setting up yet another native tank, this will be my 4th all native tank and if you count tanks where I have natives and tropicals mixed then it will be the 6th. This tank is going to be a 30 Gallon Long (36"x12"x16"). I'd say about 70% of the stock will be riffle inhabiting Darters and for midwater I'll have some Shiners or Dace. Was at my local creek an hour ago getting the substrate and unlike last time I carefully went through every handful of gravel to make sure I only got the looser stuff. For decor it's going to be rocks, rocks, more rocks, and maybe a piece of driftwood. Unlike my last attempt at a PA riffle tank (which has become more of a southern planted swamp biotope) I'm making sure to make this tank as similar as I can to a true riffle. To do this my filtration will be an HOB which will also help with flow and for the main flow I'm going to have a string powerhead blowing across the tank to give the darters some natural current to swim against. Of course I don't want them to get tired and have no place to rest so I'll arrange a large slab rock or two to be undercut in the opposite direction of the current for some slack water for the fish to rest in. I plan on keeping temp from 64-72F and pH at 7.6. Now on to the stock, I don't have every exact species picked out yet but this is a rough idea of what it will have.
*4 6 of some species of a native shiner or dace
*2 Greenside Darters (already have in another tank)
*2 Rainbow Darters
*2 Banded Darters
*1 Logperch
*maybe 2 Fantail Darters if there's room in the bioload
Really looking forward to setting this tank up and can't wait to see how it turns out .
*4 6 of some species of a native shiner or dace
*2 Greenside Darters (already have in another tank)
*2 Rainbow Darters
*2 Banded Darters
*1 Logperch
*maybe 2 Fantail Darters if there's room in the bioload
Really looking forward to setting this tank up and can't wait to see how it turns out .