A river runs through it... A journal for a new project...

[bossteck]

Hi Justikanz,

Your project seemed to be coming along nicely, except the bit about the sticker

Waiting for the next installment.

[valice]

For the water, is filtering required?

[Wackytpt]

There is a small filter at the bottom if you notice it.

[Justikanz]

That is just a water pump... I don't intend to filter, but will place small pieces of wood around the inlet though... To sort of prevent too big pieces of debris (if any) to be sucked in. I am comtemplating of whether to add fish to the stream... Should I?

[Jungle-mania]

You can also use WD40 or any multi-purpose lubricant to remove it too.

[wks]

I am comtemplating of whether to add fish to the stream... Should I?

If fish is part of the diet of your tree frog and you like to keep fish, then the answer is obviously no.

[Justikanz]

I doubt the Tree Frog eats from the water... Thinking of either khuli loaches or a betta (preferably not B.splendens)... or 5 Boraras sp.... Hmm...

[Quixotic]

Copella arnoldi, very interesting and challenging if you can get it to spawn.

[Justikanz]

Cannot lah, Quixotic... The water portion very small leh... But should be enough for a few Boraras sp.or the Microrasbora 'galaxy', though, I think...

Update: Collected my glass tank cover... BUT got problems with the dimensions! Uncle gave me extra when not needed at one place and took off more than he should another... MIGHT have to spend money to make again...

[XnSdVd]

Hmm.. thomas, have you thought of turning the tank 90 degrees? so that way you only see 30cm and have 60cm of depth to work with. Might give the illusion of a longer river and the frog will have a nice place to hide in

[Justikanz]

Nice idea... Maybe for new projects... The thing is, you need to cater to the viewing angle and have to either use a metal or custom make a cabinet... Cost more lor...

[XnSdVd]

No.. you just turn a regular cabinet sideways

[Justikanz]

Haha... Some things are not as easy as you think...

[Justikanz]

Update with pictures!

After the silicone had been left to dry overnight, I started to fill the land area...

First with clay pellets


Then with dried moss


Then finally with potting soil


Added the wood... Looks ok? Still have some pieces... Never did get to use the big piece that I want as it turned out to be too big...


Then now to add water! Found out that the water still leaks into the pellets... But never mind lah... That's what the pellets are for...


The pump sucked in some debris very soon... and the flow becomes very irregular, sometimes slow and sometimes very fast, spewing water all over and even hitting the glass cover!... I think I need to add a piece of wire mesh in front of the pump... and maybe some filter wool in-between...

Got to finalize this weekend! Going Teo's for shopping on Sunday morning! Heh heh...

[Fei Miao]

Looking good!, I might be picky but can do something on the front and probably on the sides regarding the clay pellets? I can see the clay pellets and soil layers showing through the glass..

[valice]

Hmm... Maybe more branchy DWs? Or bogwoods for the frog to climb? Since they are tree frogs (correct me if I am wrong) right?

[richietay]

With some greens added later on, will be very nice. Have you got the tree frogs?

[Justikanz]

Heh heh... Miao, I got your point... But I don't think I can do anything except to either paste something there or to place some thing infront, on the cupboard surface...

Valice, I am scared the branchy ones cannot take the weight of the frog and collapse! Will still play around with the wood until I got the plants in and start planting.

Will try Cyperus helferi, HC,emersed Marsilea sp., a variety of Cryptocoryne wendtii varieties and maybe some stem plants...

Richietay, I will get the frogs only after the plants had stabalized. Hopefully, the plants are ready in 1-2 weeks' time and I can get them at Eco Culture's White's Tree Forg talk...

[valice]

Shove the wood into the soil to prevent it from toppling? Guess you have a point since these frogs are not exactly small in size...

[Justikanz]

More pictures...

Planted a portion today with some plants from my home tanks...


I use riccia... as emersed on the wood at the 'stream head'... Hope they will grow well and not overtake the tank...


The left side has a bromeliad (spelling?), courtesy of Wild Ginger, Marsilea sp., Cryptocoryne walkeri and Japanese hairgrass. Will get some HC and plant at the foreground.


The right side now I have some fern, Cyperus helferi and a couple stems of Polygonum sp.(possibly) with red flowers. Will be planting more crypts (C.wendtii 'tropica' or some China crypt from Teo's), HC and some more stem plants.

Oh, I have a jewel orchid too! Courtesy of Wild Ginger... Nice?


Any suggestions on the plants?

Think for the stream, I will either add 5 Boraras sp. or the Microrasbora 'galaxy'... How?