dang. thanks for looking it up for me.
Bichirs in a planted paludarium?
- Thread starter Bad Kitty
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- bichir paludarium planted tankmates
dang. thanks for looking it up for me.
Don't do duckweed! It's a huge pain in the ass and tiny. Esp since you're doing a larger tank. Since you can't do water lettuce I like the Brazilian pennywort idea. It looks nice and will still reproduce a ton but will look better and be easier to manage.
I do low tech. I use root tabs every few months and flourish (liquid plant fertilizer) every water change and my swords and Vals do fine.
I do low tech. I use root tabs every few months and flourish (liquid plant fertilizer) every water change and my swords and Vals do fine.
The other issue is,most paludariums are open or somewhat. At least that's what I think of. Am I wrong about that? That will be really hard with polys, chalceus or African pikes. As they may jump out.
I'd still love a sketch or a reference photo to see what you're talking about for a plan.
I'll try pennywort. I've had a 90g planted tank and it was nothing short of a jungle. Jungle val is by far my favorite plant but it melted and didn't come back in my planted tank. I did everything except CO2. I dosed 3 different ferts and I have an awesome plant light but it died off. I REALLY want jungle val. I'm worried that the root tabs will change the water chemistry and hurt my new polys. I'm also worried about planting in this fine sand. I also don't want to dose ferts. I saw online where people make their own root tabs by taking capsules and filling them with osmacote plus. I have the stuff to make them but have been too afraid to use them in sand.
My old planted tank was dirted btw. It worked out pretty well. I've never planted sand though.
I've never heard of root tabs changing water chemistry... It hasn't for mine at least. What have you heard that the root tabs would do?
For ferts, I'm only using Flourish with water changes. Nothing fancy.
I have to literally rip out my vals in my tank because they take over. I wonder what the difference is. Other water parameters maybe?
My large tank is a mix of sand and this other stuff. I have sand only in a 5 and 10 gallon tank with live plants and no problems, just LED lighting and flourish, I don't even use root tabs for the mini tanks.
For ferts, I'm only using Flourish with water changes. Nothing fancy.
I have to literally rip out my vals in my tank because they take over. I wonder what the difference is. Other water parameters maybe?
My large tank is a mix of sand and this other stuff. I have sand only in a 5 and 10 gallon tank with live plants and no problems, just LED lighting and flourish, I don't even use root tabs for the mini tanks.
I'll give the val another go. I was on the website the other day about to order some. I'll see if they have the wart as well.
Thank you everyone for your comments, I have really learned alot through reading everything. It will Have glass coverings on the top and sealed, No grow outs. The plants on the land side will enjoy the humidity.
I will try to describe it the best as possible, I'm horiible at drawing. So people who don't care to read alot Can just skip this
It isn't going to have the vivarium plants out of the top. I'm was thinking more low growers pothos maybe bromelaids. I was planning on growing anubias and javafern emergent. The only portion that would be planted on the ground would be the left 12-18 inches. it would have giant vals against the wall and half of the left side then 3-4 large swords (they are growing now lol). This portion will have a different substrate then the rest of the tank. The other 54"60" will be pool filter sand separated by a divider to keep them from mixing as much as possible. The entire back of the tank is going to be a styrofoam wall With Slate like out crops. One making up the land portion that will be around 54 inches long. and varying in width. It will be supported by pvc "rock" columns
The land portion will have a small water fall ran by a separate canister and a small canister to supply "rain" to keep the plants wet. the waterfall will be in the right corner and will have a small lake on the surface that will run the right side of the tank it will have a small river running off the side of the land feature into the main tank. The waterfall will have a fog disk ran at sun up and sun down on a timer for effect. The right side under water will be a giant L shaped cave able to facilitate an adult bichir or anything that would want to explore. I plan on having a volcanic geyser comprising of red led airstone disk on a timer, PVC for the shroud and styrofoam base.
It will be lit by finnex 24/7's. The distance from light to surface water will be significant enough to increase light exposure. I want the large L shaped cave to have viewing windows in it by deconstructing a 2.5/5 gallon tank. There will be some anubia coffeefolia under these 2 windows and I am contemplating running submersible leds through the roof of the cave ran to a switch. The right outside of the tank will have a black sheet that can be lifted to view the inside of the cave and the lake feature on the top portion. the lakes in habitants maybe be cherry shrimp or something I can breed as a feeder. The actual bottom foot will be virtually open minus the rock support pillars and plants. I wanted to try to keep the bottom portion as open as possible for them.
I am pretty experienced in building large reptile habitats out of styrofoam and have made cichlid rock backgrounds but never on this scale. I recently retired and have been waiting to do this when I had time. Its in the planning phase right now, I am moving to texas after my daughter gets out of school and hoping to have it up and running by September. I am looking for a tank so i can start constructing it before the move. I know a decent amount in plants and water chemistry. I am growing out half of the larger plants now so they wont be fragile when transplanted and able to take a thrashing. I will try to draw it up but I am more of a planner in my head and can only draw stick figures so dont expect much lol.
I will try to describe it the best as possible, I'm horiible at drawing. So people who don't care to read alot Can just skip this
It isn't going to have the vivarium plants out of the top. I'm was thinking more low growers pothos maybe bromelaids. I was planning on growing anubias and javafern emergent. The only portion that would be planted on the ground would be the left 12-18 inches. it would have giant vals against the wall and half of the left side then 3-4 large swords (they are growing now lol). This portion will have a different substrate then the rest of the tank. The other 54"60" will be pool filter sand separated by a divider to keep them from mixing as much as possible. The entire back of the tank is going to be a styrofoam wall With Slate like out crops. One making up the land portion that will be around 54 inches long. and varying in width. It will be supported by pvc "rock" columns
The land portion will have a small water fall ran by a separate canister and a small canister to supply "rain" to keep the plants wet. the waterfall will be in the right corner and will have a small lake on the surface that will run the right side of the tank it will have a small river running off the side of the land feature into the main tank. The waterfall will have a fog disk ran at sun up and sun down on a timer for effect. The right side under water will be a giant L shaped cave able to facilitate an adult bichir or anything that would want to explore. I plan on having a volcanic geyser comprising of red led airstone disk on a timer, PVC for the shroud and styrofoam base.
It will be lit by finnex 24/7's. The distance from light to surface water will be significant enough to increase light exposure. I want the large L shaped cave to have viewing windows in it by deconstructing a 2.5/5 gallon tank. There will be some anubia coffeefolia under these 2 windows and I am contemplating running submersible leds through the roof of the cave ran to a switch. The right outside of the tank will have a black sheet that can be lifted to view the inside of the cave and the lake feature on the top portion. the lakes in habitants maybe be cherry shrimp or something I can breed as a feeder. The actual bottom foot will be virtually open minus the rock support pillars and plants. I wanted to try to keep the bottom portion as open as possible for them.
I am pretty experienced in building large reptile habitats out of styrofoam and have made cichlid rock backgrounds but never on this scale. I recently retired and have been waiting to do this when I had time. Its in the planning phase right now, I am moving to texas after my daughter gets out of school and hoping to have it up and running by September. I am looking for a tank so i can start constructing it before the move. I know a decent amount in plants and water chemistry. I am growing out half of the larger plants now so they wont be fragile when transplanted and able to take a thrashing. I will try to draw it up but I am more of a planner in my head and can only draw stick figures so dont expect much lol.
Thank you for the explanation on the upper jaw and lower jaw thing, I was clueless. I definitely can't do the lower jaws then. way too big. I want this to be the bichir's only home no plans of upgrading. I will post pics of it as it comes along so that way maybe a better idea as to how big a fish could actually live in there happily and a good stocking amount.
