Update on My Native Refugium

[fisher12889]

So this has been set up for about a week or two now, and I've made some changes. You will notice from some of the pics that im growing a bit more algae on the sand and some of the plants than i would like...the plants are growing fast and I'm hoping it's just a matter of them catching up with the nutrients. As always, I would appreciate any comments, positive or negative. Just keep in mind that it's nowhere near finished...

Lighting is from three 75 watt equivalent CFLs, but I think I'm gonna add one more and get different reflectors.

Inhabitants are: largemouth bass, bluegill x pumpkinseed hybrid, black bullhead, ghost shrimp, scuds, ramshorn snail (just one, but its laid a bunch of eggs already), pond snails, leeches, hornwort, duckweed, banana plants, dwarf lily, and an unknown plant.

Heres a full tank shot. The fish will be moved to the 125 above it soon. I will also be removing the "cave" decoration when I move the fish...

Here are some rocks and leaves I collected the other day, there are scuds hanging out under the rocks, as well as a few limpets...

Some banana plants I bought, they have easily doubled in size in the past week...

A plant I collected yesterday, not sure what kind it is (if you know please tell me lol) it looks like the hornwort I have but much darker. In the background you can see a dwarf lily which will eventually be moved to a different tank (not a native species)

Here is the last section, which houses the return pump. There are ghost shrimp and a few scuds in this section, hence the fake plant for them to cling to, and the screen over the pump. When I move the fish from the refugium, the shrimp and scuds will be moved to the main section...

I cut up an old sponge filter to keep anything from going through the baffles and into the pump section, kinda boring but a nice simple solution, also adds some filtration...

Thanks for looking!

 

[studd muffin]

Awesome!

 

[fisher12889]

Awesome!

Thanks!

I forgot to add, there are also blackworms

 

[rjssniper]

Looks awesome!!!
have some ?s

1. what is the difference beteween a refugium and a heavily planted aquarium?
2. how did you get the moss on those rocks or were they collected that way? if so how would you QT/medicate something like that?
the reason i ask is ive pulled moss and baught some aswell. trying to get it to stick is a pain.

thanks for posting i love the pics!!

 

[fwlionfish]

that plant looks kind of like coon tail moss or hydrilla to me i could be wrong. If i am right that stuff will take over your tank.

 

[Mr.Catfish]

Looks great,the plant you collected is hornwort.

 

[fisher12889]

Looks awesome!!!
have some ?s

1. what is the difference beteween a refugium and a heavily planted aquarium?
2. how did you get the moss on those rocks or were they collected that way? if so how would you QT/medicate something like that?
the reason i ask is ive pulled moss and baught some aswell. trying to get it to stick is a pain.

thanks for posting i love the pics!!

The main difference between a planted tank and refugium is that the refugium is a seperate "refuge" from the main tank. It also incorporates beneficial inverts(scuds, blackworms, ghost shrimp, etc.) which are protected from the fish of the main tank.

The rocks went straight from the pond to my aquarium. I'm hoping some of the microscopic life got transfered to my tank though, in the hopes that they will benefit my refugium. Kinda like a freshwater equivelent of live rock.

I'm glad you like it. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask!

that plant looks kind of like coon tail moss or hydrilla to me i could be wrong. If i am right that stuff will take over your tank.

Looks great,the plant you collected is hornwort.

I was thinking maybe coontail or something, it looks a little different in structure than my hornwort...

 

[Mr.Catfish]

Their are 5 different species of hornwort.Coontail is another name for hornwort.

 

[Noto]

And each of those species is highly variable. The most common wild hornwort in the US is Ceratophyllum demersum, and that is probably what yours is. It doesn't look like C. echinatum, our other native species, to me. Hornwort in stores may be C. demersum, C. submersum, or possibly one of the other, lesser-known species. The only reliable way to tell them apart is with the fruit, which are seldom seen in aquarium plants.

 

[fisher12889]

Their are 5 different species of hornwort.Coontail is another name for hornwort.

And each of those species is highly variable. The most common wild hornwort in the US is Ceratophyllum demersum, and that is probably what yours is. It doesn't look like C. echinatum, our other native species, to me. Hornwort in stores may be C. demersum, C. submersum, or possibly one of the other, lesser-known species. The only reliable way to tell them apart is with the fruit, which are seldom seen in aquarium plants.

Shows what I know about plants lol

I will try to get some better pics of it soon, it seems to be growing pretty good so far!