Bella Union Tank
- Thread starter FishKing5
- Start date
A little update on this tank. Decided to bite the bullet and get rid of the vieja melanura and heterospila growouts that were in this tank since they were picking on the balzanii and dimerus too much and the tank was just getting too crowded. Since I already have a very nice group or vieja species in my larger tank I figured itd be more fun to have a separate central American tank and separate South American tank. The dimerus and balzanii already seek much happier with the vieja out and with the new tank remodel I have them. This will be a fun tank, especially once they're moved to their own 180 corner tank, to work with. I like that I can now add a lot of driftwood now to this tank since I couldn't so much with the vieja being in there since they like harder water. I'm debating of adding some tannin things to the tank such as almond leaves but don't want to mess with the water chemistry too much since I add water straight from the tap for my water changes so the pH and water hardness would probably fluctuate too much since the almond leaves soften the water quite a bit. Definitley would like to get for a very natural environment but not talking about wanting muddy sorry water like it is where they come from. I 'll be adding one more nice branchy piece to the scape tonight.
The idea that leaves with soften water significantly is a little misleading. If you add lots (bushel baskets full to a 6ft tank), it may reduce pH slightly. But the main beneficial result is the adding of tannins, which have a slight anti-bacterial effect. Whether this effect is needed by Uruguayan fish is debatable, compared to Amazonian species (3000 miles to the north)
The leaves do breakdown after a while, turning to detritus which can then have the opposite effect, of adding debris which can be a great substrate for bacteria (and not the beneficial kind) to proliferate. And as they break down, they also tend to add small suspended particulate, which can be "not" anesthetically pleasing.
I experimented with leaves in 20 gal killifish tanks, and found the pH might drop a 10th or so, when I added a layer leaves perhaps 3-4" deep. After a while the leaves broke down to dust and needed to be vacuumed out. The killifish used the leaves as a spawning medium, and was a great place for fry to escape predation.
Because cichlids have a tendency of ripping leaves to shreds, if you want the benefit of tannins in a cichlid tank, it may be better to suspend them, or peat in a bag in a sump, easily removed when becoming problematic.
[/URL[URL=http://s70.photobucket.com/user/dstuer/media/leaf%20litter/019.jpg.html]
although they start as above, they soon end up like this (especially in a cichlid tank).
young dimerus below
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The leaves do breakdown after a while, turning to detritus which can then have the opposite effect, of adding debris which can be a great substrate for bacteria (and not the beneficial kind) to proliferate. And as they break down, they also tend to add small suspended particulate, which can be "not" anesthetically pleasing.
I experimented with leaves in 20 gal killifish tanks, and found the pH might drop a 10th or so, when I added a layer leaves perhaps 3-4" deep. After a while the leaves broke down to dust and needed to be vacuumed out. The killifish used the leaves as a spawning medium, and was a great place for fry to escape predation.
Because cichlids have a tendency of ripping leaves to shreds, if you want the benefit of tannins in a cichlid tank, it may be better to suspend them, or peat in a bag in a sump, easily removed when becoming problematic.
[/URL[URL=http://s70.photobucket.com/user/dstuer/media/leaf%20litter/019.jpg.html]although they start as above, they soon end up like this (especially in a cichlid tank).
young dimerus below
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Thanks you duanes. I'm going to pass on the leaves especially since I'm a freak about clean water and a clean tank. I'm going to add some more branchy pieces that will look as if they're coming from the surface. Do these fish have vegetation where they're from or is it more just swampy type waters with more mud and wood.The idea that leaves with soften water significantly is a little misleading. If you add lots (bushel baskets full to a 6ft tank), it may reduce pH slightly. But the main beneficial result is the adding of tannins, which have a slight anti-bacterial effect. Whether this effect is needed by Uruguayan fish is debatable, compared to Amazonian species (3000 miles to the north)
The leaves do breakdown after a while, turning to detritus which can then have the opposite effect, of adding debris which can be a great substrate for bacteria (and not the beneficial kind) to proliferate. And as they break down, they also tend to add small suspended particulate, which can be "not" anesthetically pleasing.
I experimented with leaves in 20 gal killifish tanks, and found the pH might drop a 10th or so, when I added a layer leaves perhaps 3-4" deep. After a while the leaves broke down to dust and needed to be vacuumed out. The killifish used the leaves as a spawning medium, and was a great place for fry to escape predation.
Because cichlids have a tendency of ripping leaves to shreds, if you want the benefit of tannins in a cichlid tank, it may be better to suspend them, or peat in a bag in a sump, easily removed when becoming problematic.
although they start as above, they soon end up like this (especially in a cichlid tank).
young dimerus below
I got them back in November I believe when they were just tiny little guys around half an inch. I got them from Ken Davis who collected the parents in Bella Union Uruguay. They've put on some pretty good size so far for being slow growers. The dominant male is coming along real nice. Looks like I have one for sure male, possibly a second and 3 females.
Wow that is crazy. I got mine in October and they are not even half the size of yours! My dimerus on the other hand look like a very similar size. What do you feed?
Southern delight power feed broken up after soaking in Vita Chem here and there along with southern delight veggie krill and some different types of nls. I'm now mixing in some dehydrated omnivore and Herbivore food. The southern delight power feed has been their primary staple for the most part though
