Quick question....

[Guppy's_Hell]

Whats up people?


Quick question, to settle a discussion...


As there are in saltwater aquariums live rocks, corals, etc... Is there some thing similar as far as aquascaping goes in fresh water or brackish water tanks besides your usual plants, mosses and green algaes?

Thanks for your input on the weird question ahead of time

 

[me_wee_todded]

are you asking about gravel or sand with pre existing bacterial cultures?

if so yes.
just get a cup from you friends established tank

 

[HunterX]

Live rock/sand has more than just bacteria in it though, it has tiny creatures by the thousands that help process wastes. I don't know of anything that's equivalent in freshwater tanks. But if there is I'd be interested to hear it.

 

[Guppy's_Hell]

No no... I'm not talking about just micro organisms from cultured gravel or sand, thats a given. I mean organisms visible to the naked eye. Like coral... I know there probably isn't something as ornamental. But is there anything close?

 

[Haag13]

There's really nothing as extravagant as a lot of the corals out there but there are several highly ornamental species of plants. You mention something "besides your usual plants, mosses....", well to that I say, how about the not so usual plants and mosses. It's all a matter of taste really.

 

[C J Castle]

I planted aquariums, you sometimes come across Hydra.

This http://members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Hydra.htm article explains...

They are small green polyps that grow in freshwater (usually on the glass of aquariums). They have little tenticles that catch microorganisms... They're pretty cool (but they are know as 'aquarium pests', they look natural, though...)

I actually had a small colony in my planted tank (but as I knew they would spread) I got rid of the few that had started to grow... They're are tiny, though if you look carefully, they do look kind of like miniture freshwater corals!

 

[Guppy's_Hell]

There you go like the hydra... but obviously not something that could hurt the fish.

As far as different plants go... anything asside from the sual leafy, grassy, or lily plants?

 

[Oddball]

The only freshwater organisms, that I can think of, that mimic saltwater live rock organisms only occur in the largest and oldest lake on the planet...Lake Baikal. There is a large green freshwater sponge that occurs in this lake. Everything in this Lake Baikal is protected and (if ever made available) requires COLD water since the lake is frozen over most of the year. The waters are so cold that the bacteria needed to decompose dead organisms don't exist in the lake. Other organisms (like a relative of gammarus shrimp...only mouse-size in this lake) have had to take up the role of cleanup crew.

 

[Guppy's_Hell]

Well thats that then. Thanks guys