Aquatic plant, + collecting in Lake Gatun
- Thread starter duanes
- Start date
As a "Zonian" it was quite interesting to see your adventures, my mom is Panamanian and I was there from 63 till I joined the USAF in 74. Lived in Gatun for most of that time. What took you there as an Expat? Were you there earlier in life?
I was looking for a good place to retire on a fixed income, that has interesting endemic cichlids.
The cost of living is quite comfortable, and health care is minimal.
As you know the currency is the U.S. dollar.
A Dr visit at the clinic on Taboga is about $1.00.
Going to the mainland to have my teeth cleaned at a very modern well equip dentist is less than $50.
I rent a two bedroom, two bath house for less than $1k per month and its 50 feet from the Pacific, with the added attraction, if I get the notion, I can go collect wild cichlids. Or have someone collect them for me.
As a Zonian do you know Frank Dupree? he was a Zonian Policeman, and the country club on Gatun, he now lives of Taboga.
Its a very small world here.
The cost of living is quite comfortable, and health care is minimal.
As you know the currency is the U.S. dollar.
A Dr visit at the clinic on Taboga is about $1.00.
Going to the mainland to have my teeth cleaned at a very modern well equip dentist is less than $50.
I rent a two bedroom, two bath house for less than $1k per month and its 50 feet from the Pacific, with the added attraction, if I get the notion, I can go collect wild cichlids. Or have someone collect them for me.
As a Zonian do you know Frank Dupree? he was a Zonian Policeman, and the country club on Gatun, he now lives of Taboga.
Its a very small world here.
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I can't say that I know Frank and don't recall a Gatun policeman by that name. I left in 1974 and Gatun didn't have a country club, per se, only a yacht club.
I believe it was the Gatun lake yacht club.(Now the Gamboa Rainforest Resort Lodge).
Few week post earth quake, I fhave inally got around to a proper resealing of the tank, bringing the leak from a couple gallons per hour during the hottest part of the day, to minor seepage, and decided during the repair to attempt to save the sword plant surrounded by the clutches of the vallisneria, where it was being choked out.
above being choked out, below, moved to the front
shoved over the Hydrilla a bit too to give the val more room to spread.
Few week post earth quake, I fhave inally got around to a proper resealing of the tank, bringing the leak from a couple gallons per hour during the hottest part of the day, to minor seepage, and decided during the repair to attempt to save the sword plant surrounded by the clutches of the vallisneria, where it was being choked out.
above being choked out, below, moved to the front
shoved over the Hydrilla a bit too to give the val more room to spread.
I have also had many slow seeps correct themselves in pipes and tanks over the years.
My favorite time to observe is early morning when the eastern sun hits the tank, and also makes it expand and seep a little more, and the when the afternoon the afternoon sun sweeps thru.
as you can see, I practice what I preach about low stocking levels, I do daily (or every other day when lazy) water changes, and sizing fish to the tank.
There are 12 x 2-5" Andinoacara cichlids.
2 x 3"Roeboides tetras, a 1x 5" goby
and a small Panamanian Pleco
I am hoping to add 1 more small group of another local cichlid species, but if so, will remove some (maybe cut down by half) the number of Andinoacara.
My favorite time to observe is early morning when the eastern sun hits the tank, and also makes it expand and seep a little more, and the when the afternoon the afternoon sun sweeps thru.
as you can see, I practice what I preach about low stocking levels, I do daily (or every other day when lazy) water changes, and sizing fish to the tank.
There are 12 x 2-5" Andinoacara cichlids.
2 x 3"Roeboides tetras, a 1x 5" goby
and a small Panamanian Pleco
I am hoping to add 1 more small group of another local cichlid species, but if so, will remove some (maybe cut down by half) the number of Andinoacara.
Fell behind with this thread and just caught up. Great stuff duanes. Love the Dude pose.
I had missed it myself somehow. Amazing stuff. Thanks for sharing.
Is there any reason why you can't use potable plastic containers for fish ponds if glass tanks are difficult to obtain? I've been in the plastic world myself lately...fish don't care.
Your salvinia in post #44 is very nitrogen deficient by the way. It may do better with a bit more nitrates
I may get some large containers if breeding starts in earnest, or if I get more and larger species.
Guys just kind of show up with buckets of fish, now that they know about the crazy fish collecting gringo.
I just got my first pass from the mosquito police the other day, seems they understand the concept of why there are no larvae in the tank.
But getting large containers here to the island, is always a $200 boat ride shipping charge, unless I piggy back with someone else.
I had moved the salvinia to the sump to help it get more nutrients, but the sump is also an algae scrubber so I have yet to get any detectable nitrate since the tank has been set up, even when I slack off on water changes.
It may be interesting to see how long I can go without a water change, to see how long it takes to get a nitrate detect.
Guys just kind of show up with buckets of fish, now that they know about the crazy fish collecting gringo.
I just got my first pass from the mosquito police the other day, seems they understand the concept of why there are no larvae in the tank.
But getting large containers here to the island, is always a $200 boat ride shipping charge, unless I piggy back with someone else.
I had moved the salvinia to the sump to help it get more nutrients, but the sump is also an algae scrubber so I have yet to get any detectable nitrate since the tank has been set up, even when I slack off on water changes.
It may be interesting to see how long I can go without a water change, to see how long it takes to get a nitrate detect.
