Norbert's Apistogramma biotope setup

[Thirteen]

wah...pH can be tat low ah..? pehaps due to the compose in the tank? I think good for rearing bettas too..

it's nice setting but i think would last long for aquascapers..will get sian of it easily.. one thing is there isnt much plants..lols

[Justikanz]

Thanks, Justin!

Hmm... Maybe those mossies that can breed in low pH waters don't exist in the Rio Negro? ... All the reports state that once the authors enter Rio Negro, there are no more biting flying insects, which the authors presume is the larvae being unable to survive in the low pH waters...

[StanChung]

Very nice tank. Definitely, low tech. but i'm curious abt this kind of tank settings. Will there be any disadvantages/bad sides to this kinda tank? It seems to be a potential mosquito breeder.

i think the apistos in there will love a meal of mozzie larvae if any.

[XnSdVd]

Self sustained tank right there if you've got mosquitos And you don't even have to worry about algae!

[XnSdVd]

I see your point. But it's not like I'm breeding the bloodsuckers now am I? And i don't see a problem with a random mosquito flying in, laying eggs in my tank and having those eggs eaten by my fish. Cos hey, didn't I just whipe out the next generation of mosquitos?

Note: this hasn't happened in my tanks since 1995 when i was in primary 2. But you get the point.

[|squee|]

Just wondering how to get that "tea" colour (related to topic? =x). Is it economical to use those commercial blackwater additives, or is filtration by peat the best and cheapest way?

I don't want to use ketapang leaves because my mum will go crazy if I boil them for use in our pots.

[hoonming]

Hi guys,

Can you tell me what do you mean by braceless?

Many thanks!

[ranmasatome]

Just wondering how to get that "tea" colour (related to topic? =x). Is it economical to use those commercial blackwater additives, or is filtration by peat the best and cheapest way?

I don't want to use ketapang leaves because my mum will go crazy if I boil them for use in our pots.

TErence... dont have to boil them at all..
Just collect a whole bunch at east coast or wherever then wash/rinse them and place all of them in a container..fill with water..and in a few weeks time...WALA!!
OR if you're setting up a tank..just dump a whoe bunch of the washed/rinsed leaves in the water.. the colour will come in time

Braceless = tank with no brace

[hoonming]

Hi ranmasatome,

Sorry I'm noob here.
Can you tell how does a brace look like?

[michael lai]

Hi ranmasatome,

Sorry I'm noob here.
Can you tell how does a brace look like?

Dear Hoonming,
A brace is the skinny piece of glass you see on the left, right and centre of your tank. They act as reinforcement for the tank.

[Justikanz]

Yes, Thomas don't argue with the mad biologist. I always believed mother nature will always find a way, somehow.

Heh heh... I won't dare to argue, cos I have no experience. My 2 cents was based on the trip reports... Justin's the biologist... Definitely know more in this area!

Terence, you mean we need to boil the leaves first?? Anyway, you can just add bogwood... Guarantee your tank water sure turn tea colour!

[hoonming]

Dear Hoonming,
A brace is the skinny piece of glass you see on the left, right and centre of your tank. They act as reinforcement for the tank.

Hi michael,

Hmm, I think I ever saw it in LFS :
Are they being glued on top across the width of the tank? Look like 3 bars of glass?


I am only using Five Plan 2' tank now, don't think they appear in my tank though.

[Ghost [Duch]]

Wow...I haven't be on forum about two week and what i found here

First:
Hi

Second:
Thanks for comments.

Maybe some tank info first:

Dimension: 64x30x23cm (44lts)
Filteration: AC mini
Light: 1x24W T5 AQ Planta (for color only) 30cm above tank
CO2: no
Ferts: no
Temp: 25*C
pH: 6-6.5
KH: 1 or low
GH: 1 or low
water change: 7-10l per week (100%RO)
fish: A.trifasciata (3+3), 3Otocinclus sp.
Plant: no





About dead leaves: i don't remove them, they stayed in tank until they gone . This is very good playground for apisto colony. I'm do nothing with this tank, don't use peat(thats why my pH isn't very low with so low KH), once a week i change water and thats all. This tank running 3months now, all fish looks great (on foto below you can see two young male but they changed from that time ).
About mosquito...guys, we have almost winter time here in Poland(snow behind windows and 0*C )

[benny]

Hey Norbert!!!

Welcome to Aquatic Quotient and didn't realise that you've been around here since Aug 2004!

Your tank has certainly inspired quite a few of us and we are keen to do something similar for our apistogramma!

Don't worry about your English, we understand you just fine.

Cheers,

[|squee|]

Did I read right? It's a 44L?

I thought it was a 3 feet tank at least...

OT: I read about boiling ketapang leaves or something like that somewhere... but forget it.

[Ghost [Duch]]

Hi

Yes, I'm on forum over year now but there's so much place in web...no time to be everyday everywere .

Yes, this is 44lts...about 12.6 gallon and 2ft long



and this is the same tank 6months ago:

[Fei Miao]

Hi Norbert!
That's a great tank for apistos an wild betta! You'd the guys going gaga over it!:
what're the funny shaped leaves on both ends of the tank?

[StanChung]

those are very nice leaves...probably some he gets in his garden in poland no? haa

[|squee|]

A mere 12 gallons and at first glance I thought it was a 4 footer... I'm useless, my 16 gallon looks like a 16 gallon

[celticfish]

those are oak leaves. i am not certain but it should be acidic too. beech tree leaves are certainly acidic.

i am currently using ketapang leave for my wild discus tank. i simply soak them for a couple of minutes, wipe the surface, air dry and then store them till i need to use it. a great place to get them is KM8 at sentosa. for some reason the leaves there are HUGE (need to collect less leaves!). also, there shouldn't be too much contamination there (no cars and factories). and i don't think they fertilize the big trees.

i basically store the water in a covered plastic container with an airstone. evertime a tale out a two pail i add a leave. only problem i face is the time it takes for the leaves to acidify the water, my estimation is at least two to three days. I am now feeding the small discus quite furiously so i do at least two pails daily with about one third to half on sat and sun.

once the leave get rotten i take them out to dry and keep. since i am considering growing some crypts emersed i want to use these rotten bits to mix with aqua-clay and quartz gravel for the soil.

anyone has experience with aqua-clay and where to get them? i've seen them in a nursery but forgot which one. and i assume with the label aqua-clay its water aquarium safe... having said that i kinda sense the mother of all boo-boos coming my way from assuming....