I am working on switching up the stocking for this tank to get a better combination of species. I started a thread over in African Rift Lake Cichlids (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=295352). Basically, the S. lucipinnis are staying, but I plan to remove the red points and the mollies. I'd like to look at other kinds of cichlids (maybe a Tanganyika species) as options. Any ideas?
Riparium setup with Synodontis petricola
- Thread starter hydrophyte
- Start date
Thanks very much. It will still be a while before I get this one into shape. The plants will take some time to fill in and I also need to resolve the rest of the fish selection.
This setup might end up looking pretty cool. I don't know that it would really be TOTM candidate for MFK--no monsters in there--the largest fish is that 3.5" cutteri.
I was honored with the TOTM over at AquascapingWorld.com for my 65-gallon setup.
http://www.aquascapingworld.com/forum/aquascape-month/2639-aquascape-month-december-2009-south-american-stream.html
I have since taken that one down. Actually I moved it out to make room for this 50-gallon setup, which is in the same spot and with the same light fixture, stand and filter. Here's a shot of that 65 when the plants were at their peak at the end of the summer.
This setup might end up looking pretty cool. I don't know that it would really be TOTM candidate for MFK--no monsters in there--the largest fish is that 3.5" cutteri.
I was honored with the TOTM over at AquascapingWorld.com for my 65-gallon setup.
http://www.aquascapingworld.com/forum/aquascape-month/2639-aquascape-month-december-2009-south-american-stream.html
I have since taken that one down. Actually I moved it out to make room for this 50-gallon setup, which is in the same spot and with the same light fixture, stand and filter. Here's a shot of that 65 when the plants were at their peak at the end of the summer.
This isn't the best picture, but the plants are looking pretty good. Everything is growing well.
The edges of the trellis rafts are still visible there in front, but I have been pruning and training the plants to cover up the foam. I really enjoy the carpeting effect of the Bacopa and the Limnophila and they are perfect for this layout.
I figured out another fish to swim around in the middle and upper levels of the tank. The mollies were getting too beaten up by the cichlids so I moved those out. I had been considering some kind of mellow Tanganyika cichlid, such as Paracyprichromis, but decided to instead go with some fish that I had already. I added six of the Ilyodon furcidens (Goodeidae) from the colony that I have in the fishroom. Here is one of them in the display.
That's another fish that I like a lot. I have had the colony for several years. I collected the parental generation in Jalisco during a trip down to Mexico.
The Cryptoheros cutteri is doing well too. Now that he feels more at home his colors have deepened.
The edges of the trellis rafts are still visible there in front, but I have been pruning and training the plants to cover up the foam. I really enjoy the carpeting effect of the Bacopa and the Limnophila and they are perfect for this layout.
I figured out another fish to swim around in the middle and upper levels of the tank. The mollies were getting too beaten up by the cichlids so I moved those out. I had been considering some kind of mellow Tanganyika cichlid, such as Paracyprichromis, but decided to instead go with some fish that I had already. I added six of the Ilyodon furcidens (Goodeidae) from the colony that I have in the fishroom. Here is one of them in the display.
That's another fish that I like a lot. I have had the colony for several years. I collected the parental generation in Jalisco during a trip down to Mexico.
The Cryptoheros cutteri is doing well too. Now that he feels more at home his colors have deepened.
Here is a quick shot from a few minutes ago.
I don't much care for the tannish-yellow wall as a background for photography--the color and contrast of the foliage are not so good against that color--so I tried a white sheet. It is wrinkled, but it gives an idea of how the foliage looks against white. I think that it looks better. I need to see about painting the wall, or finding a temporary background that I can hang up for picture-taking.
This image is a montage made with a shot at slower shutter speed for underwater area, to correct for my camera's tendency to show a lot of glare.
I don't much care for the tannish-yellow wall as a background for photography--the color and contrast of the foliage are not so good against that color--so I tried a white sheet. It is wrinkled, but it gives an idea of how the foliage looks against white. I think that it looks better. I need to see about painting the wall, or finding a temporary background that I can hang up for picture-taking.
This image is a montage made with a shot at slower shutter speed for underwater area, to correct for my camera's tendency to show a lot of glare.
still looks greathydrophyte;3753267; said:Here is a quick shot from a few minutes ago.
I don't much care for the tannish-yellow wall as a background for photography--the color and contrast of the foliage are not so good against that color--so I tried a white sheet. It is wrinkled, but it gives an idea of how the foliage looks against white. I think that it looks better. I need to see about painting the wall, or finding a temporary background that I can hang up for picture-taking.
This image is a montage made with a shot at slower shutter speed for underwater area, to correct for my camera's tendency to show a lot of glare.
Thanks very much. It's getting close to what I had in mind. I intend to add a couple more swords to the underwater area to brighten it up some more.
I really like the view in though the top of the tank. Here the plants are more prominent.
I really like the view in though the top of the tank. Here the plants are more prominent.
I have a quick update from tonight. My centerpiece plant, the lone Cyrtosperma johnstonii, is still growing and looking healthy--I wondered if this environment would be suitable for it. Here it is with a new leaf slowly unfurling.
It has these strange reptilian leaf undersides.
The leaf petioles are also growing more spiny as the leaves get larger, but the spines are soft. Here is a view of the petiole up close.
This plant will eventually grow too large for this enclosure, but it is growing slowly so I hope that i will be able to keep it here for some time more.
What a weird plant.
It has these strange reptilian leaf undersides.
The leaf petioles are also growing more spiny as the leaves get larger, but the spines are soft. Here is a view of the petiole up close.
This plant will eventually grow too large for this enclosure, but it is growing slowly so I hope that i will be able to keep it here for some time more.
What a weird plant.
Here is another quick shot from today.
Algae is growing on the rocks, which I sort of like. The fish like it too. The tan wall is imparting that yellow tinge to everything. I think that I will paint the wall white for picture-taking. I put a couple more (ratty-looking) plants into the underwater area. I want to find a couple-three decent Amazon swords to use there.
The catfish are eating well and growing fast. I need to stack up a few more rock piles for them.
Algae is growing on the rocks, which I sort of like. The fish like it too. The tan wall is imparting that yellow tinge to everything. I think that I will paint the wall white for picture-taking. I put a couple more (ratty-looking) plants into the underwater area. I want to find a couple-three decent Amazon swords to use there.
The catfish are eating well and growing fast. I need to stack up a few more rock piles for them.
