AquaObsession : Tank in Mauritius

**AquaObsession** · 18th Jun 2006, 15:20

Hi all,

I am now on holidays in my country (Mauritius) at my parent’s place, and guess what…I’ve set up a new tank for them. On each visit, I seem to bring them some more burden (additional tank). This time it is a non-co2 planted tank.

Equipments brought from Singapore :
Jebo 828, ada aquasoil amazonia, driftwood, app, e.tenellus, crypts, java moss, spiky moss, java fern, windelov fern, lights, ferts…hehehe.. Quite many kgs in the luggage allowance. Yeps, could not bring the Co2 equipment..

The tank is poorly made though. It is a 60*30*45 cm (L, W, H). but the glass is only 4mm, and no bracing… so I could not fill up to the desired level. Only filled water up to 30 cm or so, and will reduce maybe later. When I filled to 40+cm, the front and back glass curved…the tank maker has no previous experience.

But we decided to do with what we have, given the high cost of buying another tank, and on top of that, there will not be any better source.

Tank was setup one day after I arrived, (12th June 2006). So far, some of the crypts have melted. And I see some black spots on the windelov fern. I hope they pick up okay later. The APP and the Moss are doing very fine.

most of the crypts are planted behind the DW. They should grow tall enough in a few months to give the tank a nicer look.

Other details:
Temperature : 24-26 with fan
Fert : some KNo3, PO4. later will doze Iron and Flourish (seachem)
Water change: None, only top-up
Fauna : None so far. Still trying to import Malayan shrimps from Singapore.
Flora: as described above.
Lights : 36w PL, 10hrs a day

I will monitor tank for algae etc. my parents and brothers do not have much knowledge of planted tank. In my one month stay here, I will try to teach them some of the basic. My mum will be responsible for daily top-ups which so far has been about 0.5-1 liter a day with the fan on.

I will try to update every 2 weeks with a picture.

Your comments are welcome.

Regards,
Christophe

**|squee|** · 18th Jun 2006, 15:27

Nice hardscape... I believe the picture doesn't do justice to the actual tank.

What are the fish that you're going to have? Perhaps some vertical element at the back will help the scape.

**AquaObsession** · 18th Jun 2006, 15:51

yeps the pic is not good. too much brightness in the back of the room that makes tank looks dark. will adjust these later witha better pic.

vertical element behind. i was hoping for the crypts to grow taller in the coming weeks to have a nice crypts background.

fishes intended...rasboras maculatus..but i guess i will never find them in mauritius. will see what is available in the fish shop in the coming week.

**andrewtyr** · 18th Jun 2006, 23:23

what sort of indigenious fish can u find in Mauritius?

**juggler** · 20th Jun 2006, 14:39

So - your folks will think of you whenever they see the tank.

**kemp** · 20th Jun 2006, 15:28

i was shocked that you brought the driftwood over, not that small isn't it? But nice wood you've got there, wait till the moss spread itself on it, would be nice!

**a_scape** · 20th Jun 2006, 22:51

Hi bro,
Nice start! hope everything is running perfectly...

Anyway is there any native Mauritius aquatic plants available in the market?

**hwchoy** · 20th Jun 2006, 23:16

hey! bring some local longkang fish back. pack them in mineral water bottles (1/3 filled)

**hwchoy** · 20th Jun 2006, 23:23

mmm… looks like very few true freshwater fishes in Mauritius, which is not that surprising. get the gobies leh.

**AquaObsession** · 21st Jun 2006, 19:24

hi all

thanks for your comments...yeps my parents will remember me when they take care of the tank...

i went to a few fish shop in mauritius...i was shocked... most of the fishes are imported from singapore anyway... neons tetra (those i would consider as feeder type given quality) are selling for s$4 for 2... Chinese algae eater selling for S$10 i think... plants,, those quasi dead vallisnera selling for S$5 1 plant...

I manage to get into contact with a local fish importer...apparently i can get malayan cheap from singapore import...$4 for 100..that would be a good deal if materialised..but order only will be delivered in mid july.

so, i decided to contact a friend who know some spots in mauritius.. so i will try to fish some, and look at some plants.. will take lots of pictures and post there when i reach singapore in mid july...((paiseh, internet at my home not good)...

Kemp : i not only brought the DW, but also a cannister filter, ada aquasoil, plants, and lights...else i woul dhave cost me a fortune if i bought these things here... it's a pity you might say..

Will update with a better picture..meanwhile my gf in sg will update some posts okie..

take care
Christophe

**juggler** · 21st Jun 2006, 21:45

Looks like on your next trip back, you would be bringing enough plants to start a small plant farm...

**kemp** · 22nd Jun 2006, 11:01

Christophe,
Any chance for you to take some pictures of the LFS over there? Would be quite interesting

**GaspingGurami** · 22nd Jun 2006, 19:06

O-oo. Say fishing at Mauritius and I think skipping a bonita for Marlin at the drop offs of Le Morne. But fishing for longkang fish in Mauritius?

Perhaps the irrigation ditches of the sugarcane plantations will yield something interesting?

**dennis_yong** · 22nd Jun 2006, 22:14

wah the neon tetra so expensive arhhhh

**AquaObsession** · 4th Jul 2006, 23:02

hi all

here is an update of the Non Co2 tank in Mauritius

temperature is quite cool at this period : 22-24 degree with fan i think.

I am again sorry for the pic quality...Does not matter so much ..at least you have a rough idea.

My tank was infected by Brown algae. New tank syndrome i guess.
Today i manage to get a small pleco to eat the diatom, and a female guppy to hopefully eat the worms that i am seeing... red worms that are eating my APP very fast.

My crypts, java ferns and windelov fern are not doing that welll...One of the species of the crypts are melting a lot..the rest just covered by brown algae, which i hope as from today, my pleco will clean...

Could not find any otto, SAE, malayan shrimps, yamato, etc in here.. I have to keep looking. Only found a Chinese algae eater, which i did not want to buy because it is fierce...

Plants here are hard to find, and those i see in shops are poor quality always dead, selling for s$5 a small bunch...

I will keep you guys updated...I am going with someone to a fish shop this saturday.

Regards
Christophe

**richietay** · 4th Jul 2006, 23:12

the tank looks good to me, APP nice growth. yah, remember to post some pictures of the fish shop. hope you able to source for the things you want.

**kemp** · 5th Jul 2006, 09:00

yeah! Remember to post us pictures of the fish shop that you're going. I'm sure it'lll be very interesting for us

**Fei Miao** · 5th Jul 2006, 13:07

Lights seems fine and your temp 22-24ºC seems fine for the java ferns....Mmmm.. why didn't they do well?

I see you have a rainbar; that doen't gives much of current flow, either remove the rain bar and improve the flow or add a small powerhead, that might help improve growth

If you can smuggle in more stem plants(

);Hygrophila polysperma is one that doesn't really needs CO2, place these at the back of the wood, that would improve the scape