Advice needed on new nano project with small rocky waterfall & tillandsias

[Sunfire]

Please advise me on this project I am thinking up...

I do planted tanks and now as after 3 tank setups, it's time to switch from full tank of water to half full tank of water...

So please advise me!

The concept is that of a mini waterfall in the tank - and the plants growing above the water on the rocks are tillandsias - which are air plants - which you can check out at www.tillandsiabiotope.com

Below water is just gravel with nanas and e tennellus.

I'll draw and scan in a picture if possible.

Any opinions?

I would need help in -

how do I do the rocky waterfall thingy? What do I use to glue the rocks together?

Is there a way to simulate rain? How do I buy those little white sprinklers I see at the Biotope shop? Can I assemble them myself?

Any other opinions or suggestions would be fine.

Fauna is malayan shrimps, malayan trumpet snails also.

[Justikanz]

First thing... No air plants IF they are to be on the rocks that the water fromt he water fall is hitting... That will be too wet for them. They will die and rot easily if kept too wet.

A picture/drawing of the concept would be nice...

If you want to stick everything together, use aquarium grade silicone. Just remember that the silicone needs at least 24 hours to cure after application. And to run the tank/system for a couple of days before adding any fauna...

To stimulate rain, you can actually just use a pressure spray. A good system just needs occassional to daily spraying. In fact, that is the fun part of the maintenace of such tanks. And saves you the setup for the sprinkler system. Alternatively, if you insist, yes, you can get the sprinker heads and attach it to a pump with a timer...

Have fun and show us pictures!

[floatbloat]

Tillandsia will rot if there is too much water and too little air circulation. The bulbous species and hybrids are more susceptible to rots than the non-bulbous ones. I guess it's all up to your design.

[benetay]

Yes Tillandsia aka airplants do not like moist conditions. They like it dry. They need a dry out time frame in the night where their spores open up to absorb CO2. Thus when the CO2 enters the spores, it travels down and change into amino acid and store in 'silo' where it is use on the next day for photosynthesis.

They are CAM plants so their cycle is reverse. If they're kept moist for too long, their spores couldn't open up to absorb any CO2 , once the CO2 inside the plant and the surrounding ambient levels, they'll start to rot since water are trap in the tricomes(white furry structures) and no photosynthesis takes place.

Then come the fan, where the fan is place on top of the tilly(Tillandsia for in short) it keeps blowing the tilly for too long a period result in dried tips and in the event if this carries on for too long, dry rot might even occur. Too little water to be absorb.

There must be a very good balance between air circulation/light/water. Tillandsia in general do prefer for dry than wet.

If you like to place a few hardy ones right at the top where no water or moisture will be absorb for a long period of time i'll suggest those from the mexican region.

You can try T. bulbosa(mexico)/T.ionantha var. van-hyn/ T.'Rubra' cv of ionantha. The last few experiements that i've tried the Tilly didn't last more then 6months. Whereas those that i hung outside the kitchen have florish,flower and pup for a few generations. Most of the Tilly after initial acclimatization of a year or so will do well for the next few.

They're very slow growing plants and no amount of fertilisers will accelerate their growth. Some of the tilly require strong sunlight of lets say 20k-40k lumens . Whereas some need a change in temperature or season for it to bloom. So far there are only a handful of tilly that will florish well in Singapore.

Therefore if you really insist of using tilly in your scape, my suggestion is to use very hardy ones and know your tank condition well before adding them in. Use a guideline of say 3months or so to know if they've settled down.

[valice]

Then come the fan, where the fan is place on top of the tilly(Tillandsia for in short) it keeps blowing the tilly for too long a period result in dried tips and in the event if this carries on for too long, dry rot might even occur. Too little water to be absorb.

There must be a very good balance between air circulation/light/water. Tillandsia in general do prefer for dry than wet.

If you like to place a few hardy ones right at the top where no water or moisture will be absorb for a long period of time i'll suggest those from the mexican region.

What if the fan is used to suck air out of the tank? Thus creating a forced convection? Will it serve the same purpose of creating air circulation?

Also, how should the tillies be planted in the tank such that it can be properly hydrated and yet excess water can run off to prevent rotting?

[benetay]

Tilly in general are like sponges where they absorb water and keep absorbing. A curly plant that is given 12 hrs of soaking will be fully straighten out. Therefore it's very difficult even if the fan is place in such a way. Unless the suction is really strong but i foresee even an AC fan doesn't have such power.

It should be place in a such a manner where no water will be on it. They even absorb moisture from the surrounding, therefore it's very difficult to control whats in there.

an open concept tank might have a better chance.

[Sunfire]

gulp. The project seems to get harder.

So from what I get here.

In order for tillandsias to work:

Keep the tillandsias moist for a certain period a day - then keep them dry.

Ensure enough air circulation, but fan must not be blowing on the plant directly.

[benetay]

Yes you got it right. They can be moist for a certain period a day say in the morning but kept dry till the next day. Do not keep watering them everyday. Accumulated water will trigger rotting over a period too. I'm not trying to scare people off by saying it's difficulty but there is one easy point. Once you get to know how to grow them, it's effortless.

[valice]

So if placed in an air-conditioned environment, like an office, the condition of water in the morning and then dry till the next day shouldn't be a problem right?

The accumulation of water should be dried up in the dry air environment of an air-coned office... Will tying the tillies on a DW or stone help?

[benetay]

Actually tying it to media will only encourage it to rot faster since a certain part is attached to the base of the media.

air circulation doesn't mean drier air might help.. it's the circulation that helps. Even with aircon there must be some circulation of the air .

[valice]

Damn... These tillies are more difficult than apistogrammas!

[Justikanz]

Learning everyday...

This is my tilly terrarium


Looks wet as I took the picture right after misting. I make sure the plants dry out and no water is trapped between the leaves before switching off the tank lights. Now thinking of some acrylic cover and a weak fan over the top.

I'm also trying a tilly and spanish moss (also air plants) in a normal terrarium...


I am already afraid this might be too wet... So, I cannot imagine the airplants in a vivarium with a waterfall feature...

[benetay]

Actually Tilly are easier then apisto just that they don't like to be in tanks.. If you hang them at your window they'll be very happy .

Tanks might be a little more tricky. Thomas, the second tank you got to watch out for the top right tilly. Seems like a very constraint place where circulation of the air might be a problem.

The spanish moss will do fine as long as it's not too wet...it's relatively cool loving plant.

[paperman]

Thomas, in your first picture, what is the name of the tilly at the back of the left hand corner ? I like the shape of that tilly and would like to get one for myself. Can you tell me the name & where you bought it ?

Also, the plant at the back of the right hand corner, the dark colour plant. Is that a tillt, too ? I like this one, too ! Can you tell me the name & where to buy this, too ?

I am collecting tillies, too ! Started off collecting them mid-last year but collection grew too cramp for my tiny window, I started keeping them in a bare 2ft. tank with PL lights. Tilly tank was started in October 2006 & so far, so good, no casualty yet except for one (Tenuifolia) which was placed too closed the light & got burnt !. All tilly grown in this tank has so far survived & in fact growing quite well.

[Justikanz]

That is not an airplant. It is a bromeliad, relative to airplants, I was told. I cannot remember or find its genus name now. Anyway, I think this thread should be kept to discussing airplants in vivariums and Sunfire's vivarium project. Maybe we can start an airplant thread or a bromeliad thread later.

[Sunfire]

Update: Given up on the tillandsias, but rocky waterfall still remains.
Do forgive the poor artwork, drew this during lunch and coloured in photoshop.

[Justikanz]

Very nice concept!

Now you've got to think of the water flow and how to bring the water up to the waterfall reservoir.

Think also, of the noise it can create and the splattering of the water.