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30B Build for West African Riparium Biotope Input Needed

12K views 59 replies 9 participants last post by  schoolzoo 
#1 · (Edited)
I've been working for awhile now on this concept of building a West African Riverian biotope tank. At this point, I've aquired a pair of Kribs, a school of Congo tetras, and a small school of synodontis catfish. I'm working on incorperating a canister filter to drive the return, which will be a PVC pipe channel below the substrate with various outlets, and I'd like to make one of those outlets a small waterfall.

The concept for the channeled return is based loosely on this article;
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/ug_jets.php


I'm planning to use a larger canister filter to drive the return manifold.

I'm leaning towards a riparium type tank, but I'm working with a 30 breeder, so height is pretty limited. Since I want to add some African butterfly cichlids (not sure if that may be too much of a bioload), I'm trying to figure all that out with a screen cover.


I've already managed to aquire a number of varieties of anubias and Java fern, and will be adding some plants as I go. The substrate will be white sand and I'll be attempting either a foam 3-D background or a BS foamed type background to cover the rear wall.


Here's the current layout of the channeled return, the return line will enter on the right side via the grey connection and then exit from the various openings. The main portions of the manifold will be behind the background or under the substrate and rock piles will cover the outflows.





At this point, any thoughts or input on the design or stocking are welcome.
 
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#2 ·
If you want to make a West African-themed riparium setup then Bolbitis heudelotii and Anubias spp. would be two of the best choices for emersed aquatics, but these will both do best if you keep them in high humidity. For these plants it would be preferable to use a tall tank with a lowered water level and lid on top to keep it moist inside.
 
#4 ·
Thanks hydrophyte. I've aquired several different species of Anubias at this point, but would like to come up with some of the A. nano. I also have to find some B. heudelotii. I could do a lid, but tall isn't an option for this tank due to where it is located.

Neat idea - I'll be watching this one to see how it comes together.
Thanks, we will see what happens.
 
#8 ·
i really dig the undergravel jets, wish i saw this before i started building mine...lol have you had this sucker filled and running yet? i am kind of curious to know what kind of flow you get from the vertical pipe in the left rear. seems like after you pinch off all the extra jets on the bottom, it might have more pressure than you are looking for.

actually, i like the rocks, sorry Jonny. :) once you have a couple inches of substrate in there, they won't look as big and bulky.

any thoughts on how to cover up that jet in the right front corner? unfortunately, i think if you use the rock method like the left front, it is going to look too symmetrical.

what is your projected water level? i'm thinking if you have this about half full, after substrate, you may be looking at only about 12-13 gallons, which may be a bit light for all the fish planned.

are you looking for a. nana petite? if you are in no rush, i can send you some nice petites and some bolbitis in the spring. the bolbitis is just starting to take off and i have some crazy amounts of petitie growing in my 75. some are almost as big as my fist....lol actually, depends on if i can get my hand on a heat pack from one of my local guys. if i can, i'll send you some up as soon as i can trim out the bolbitis.

btw...i wish i had a science teacher as cool as you when i was in school....LOL
 
#13 · (Edited)
i really dig the undergravel jets, wish i saw this before i started building mine...lol have you had this sucker filled and running yet? i am kind of curious to know what kind of flow you get from the vertical pipe in the left rear. seems like after you pinch off all the extra jets on the bottom, it might have more pressure than you are looking for.

Could be, but I also might not have enough. I won't know for sure till I hook up the pump. After thinking about it over the weekend, I've some major scape changes in mind, so its going to be a bit.

actually, i like the rocks, sorry Jonny. :) once you have a couple inches of substrate in there, they won't look as big and bulky.

My thought as well, but changes are in store.

any thoughts on how to cover up that jet in the right front corner? unfortunately, i think if you use the rock method like the left front, it is going to look too symmetrical.

No, that was one of the issues. I didn't want the tank too symmetrical, but can't just have a jet hanging out. I think the new changes should take care of the issue.

what is your projected water level? i'm thinking if you have this about half full, after substrate, you may be looking at only about 12-13 gallons, which may be a bit light for all the fish planned.

I'm really hoping to have it within about 3 inches of the top. But I'm currently considering going with an overflow and sump, which could change things yet again.

are you looking for a. nana petite? if you are in no rush, i can send you some nice petites and some bolbitis in the spring. the bolbitis is just starting to take off and i have some crazy amounts of petitie growing in my 75. some are almost as big as my fist....lol actually, depends on if i can get my hand on a heat pack from one of my local guys. if i can, i'll send you some up as soon as i can trim out the bolbitis.

Sounds awesome, I appreciate the offer, and I'm definitely in no hurry.

btw...i wish i had a science teacher as cool as you when i was in school....LOL
Thanks, I know the students enjoy watching and helping with the new builds almost as much as I do. One of them told me today the coke can has to go LOL.

I'm not sure how well the waterfall outlet will work if it's connected to the same piping as the lower outlets.

You might need either a dedicated pump/powerhead for the waterfall, or some sort of restrictive valves on the lower outlets.

Otherwise, I think you would either get too much flow out of the lower outlets, or none at all through the waterfall.

Why not have the waterfall be the only outlet?

I think the rocks and wood look nice, and having plants will fill in quite a bit.
I'll definitely have to do some messing around with the outflow vents to get the flow I want, but I'll be running the pump before adding everything to the tank to make sure I can get the flow I want. May have to fine tune some things as you've pointed out.

A. hastifolia and similar big, arrowhead-leaf Anubias might do OK in an open-top setup.

A. barteri really hates dry air and its leaves will brown around the edges unless you keep it in high humidity.

I can probably think of a few other suitable more or less representative plants for a West Africa-themed riparium. I'm sure that various Cyperus occur there--there are hundreds of species in this genus all over the world--so you could incorporate some Cyperus 'Baby Tut' as a background riparium plant.

That's another plant that needs humid air to grow very well emersed. It would be better in a riparium with a closed top.
Thanks Devin, I'll definitely be picking your brain a bit more once the hardscape is all complete.

i thought he was going with a lid, that's why i suggested it. how do you think a. angustfolia would fare in an open top riparium setup? it is a rather broad, arrow leafed anubias.
I am still hoping to incorperate a lid, if not a lid then a screen top, but that may have to adjust based on plant selection.

Thanks for all the input folks. Sorry I kind of dropped the ball, but Thanksgiving got a little busy for me, what with the youngest being home from college and all.
 
#10 ·
I'm not sure how well the waterfall outlet will work if it's connected to the same piping as the lower outlets.

You might need either a dedicated pump/powerhead for the waterfall, or some sort of restrictive valves on the lower outlets.

Otherwise, I think you would either get too much flow out of the lower outlets, or none at all through the waterfall.

Why not have the waterfall be the only outlet?

I think the rocks and wood look nice, and having plants will fill in quite a bit.
 
#15 ·
Oh no, the vent idea still stands, just redesigning the manifold a bit to be able to incorporate more of a natural pool look in the tank (at least that is what I am aiming for). A burl would be a great idea on that vent, unfortunately, that would mean another long trip to my not so local LFS.
 
#24 ·
Haven't progressed too far Bill, I actually decided to go ahead and drill the tank for an overflow to be hidden behind the waterfall piece, which will allow for more water volume via a sump. I ordered a bit ago, and they just arrived this week. I'm hoping to maybe get the drilling done on Sunday and then start moving forward with the build. Unfortunatelly, you all have put so many different options in my head, that I haven't fully decided which direction I'll be going just yet.
 
#27 ·
Indeed, after seeing that stream-side paludarium, I'd like to add something like that with a stump and roots to the back of this tank as well.

Just some thoughts on the piping you have I use to do the same thing in the mid 90's with my reef tanks to eliminate dead spots (man I wish the current technology in power heads was available then) the big issue is having a big enough pump to make the flow worthwhile, all those bends really kill flow and most water pumps are high flow at the output but die out quickly when any pressure is applied. I just wanted to give you a heads up on that because I would always go bigger than you think you need.
Thanks for the input Len, I was debating between a QuietOne 4000 and 6000, do you think the 4000 will be enough or should I go ahead with the 6000?

Another though is the rocks if you want them to stay bare then the really smith river rocks are a good idea if you want plant to easily grow in them I would go with something that has some texture. You can also mix the rocks so you have a smooth river rock peaking out of a clump of Anubias or fern. The other issue with smooth rocks is they are hard to lock in place just ask anyone who uses them in their African ciclid tanks, they are a disaster waiting to happen as the fish dig.
Yeah, I never try to dry stack them very high, as they tend not to stay in place. I was planning to use GS pond foam to hold them on the waterfall and backwall, and beyond that wasn't planning on going to high. I'me considering more of a wall to create a pool effect near the waterfall, and hoping to be able to plant the plants in the substrate and have them grow over the rock. All my research has indicated that smooth rocks are what exists there, so trying to stick with the biotope.

I would also stick with only African plants, if you are going with a Biotope then half the fun is collecting the plants and animals because it isn't like there is an all African section at the store so you have to do research, my Borneo tank has been a blast to add plants to and I consider it a huge win when I find a new plant from their. Saying this I would stay clear of the Java fern a it is more Asian.

Len
Dang! Thought I had researched that one, but I see you're right, guess I must have been going off what some of the internet articles were saying rather then actually looking. Thanks for the heads up.
 
#26 ·
Just some thoughts on the piping you have I use to do the same thing in the mid 90's with my reef tanks to eliminate dead spots (man I wish the current technology in power heads was available then) the big issue is having a big enough pump to make the flow worthwhile, all those bends really kill flow and most water pumps are high flow at the output but die out quickly when any pressure is applied. I just wanted to give you a heads up on that because I would always go bigger than you think you need.

Another though is the rocks if you want them to stay bare then the really smith river rocks are a good idea if you want plant to easily grow in them I would go with something that has some texture. You can also mix the rocks so you have a smooth river rock peaking out of a clump of Anubias or fern. The other issue with smooth rocks is they are hard to lock in place just ask anyone who uses them in their African ciclid tanks, they are a disaster waiting to happen as the fish dig

I would also stick with only African plants, if you are going with a Biotope then half the fun is collecting the plants and animals because it isn't like there is an all African section at the store so you have to do research, my Borneo tank has been a blast to add plants to and I consider it a huge win when I find a new plant from their. Saying this I would stay clear of the Java fern a it is more Asian.

Len
 
#39 ·
The other issue with smooth rocks is they are hard to lock in place just ask anyone who uses them in their African ciclid tanks, they are a disaster waiting to happen as the fish dig


Len
For helping to hold the smooth rocks in place I used a 2 part putty type epoxy from fuvel. It is also used for building salt reefs, and for anchoring corals to the rock. Took a bit to figure out how to work with it, but it works great for holding the rocks. I used it for the rocks in my crayfish tank, as well to make the pool for my salamander. The only suggestion is to look for one that dries black.
 
#30 ·
I'm excited to see this tank progress!

I spent many years breeding West African dwarf cichlids. Any room for a crinum species in there? they make striking additions to such tanks.
Thanks, its going to be a slow build, especially if I end up doing some of what I am considering. Thanks so much for the suggestion, I'll definitely have to add that plant to my list.

I'm not sure on the pimps but if the larger pump will fit I would go with it, as for the rocks remember no rock starts smooth that is the result of wear from either glacial movement or water, really smooth hard rocks like the ones in the pics would be in really fast moving streams and rivers with well rooted plants, if you are going for a waterfall area there will be a lot of broken craggy type rock as the waterfall errodes the rock away. I hope this helps

Len
Since the pump will be in a sump, fitting it shouldn't be an issue. Guess I'll order a 6000 and then if its too much, I can always drop back down to the 4000 I have.

True enough on the waterfall, but I'm not sure that I'm seeing as a hard waterfall per say as much as more of the trickling in of a small stream, if that makes sense. Guess I need to research some more images.
 
#29 ·
I'm not sure on the pimps but if the larger pump will fit I would go with it, as for the rocks remember no rock starts smooth that is the result of wear from either glacial movement or water, really smooth hard rocks like the ones in the pics would be in really fast moving streams and rivers with well rooted plants, if you are going for a waterfall area there will be a lot of broken craggy type rock as the waterfall errodes the rock away. I hope this helps

Len
 
#31 ·
That does make sense but even small trickling streams turn into torrents of water during the rainy season and that is when the erosion takes place, if you are going for a meandering stream look then the smooth round stones won't be as natural because they would most likly be covete in silt an plants. Look up pics on jungle streams to see what I'm talking about, if you are going for the look of a major river like the Congo then big round rocks make sense.

Len

Len
 
#32 ·
I'm not sure I'm looking at the Congo, but from what I've read the Kribensis is native to the drainage area at the mouth of the Ethiop river in the Niger delta. From what I can find, it appears to be a pretty big river, but I don't find many images, since google searches bring up Ethiopia rivers instead. I'm more interested in the blackwater stream area than the brackish delta waters.

I have found this picture;
http://www.tfhmagazine.com/assets/013/26206_400wh.jpg
 
#50 ·
Reef epoxy it good stuff, but as stated once it sets up, you have to break things to get it to move. With reef rock its not big deal, because the stuff is soft/crumblie enough that you just break off the pieces with the epoxy attached. With river rock I would think it would be a much bigger deal. However, even with GS foam, once you get it on the rock, short of using a power sander, it isn't going to come off. I always have lousy luck getting the epoxy to set exactly where I want it however and generally speaking I find it pretty unappealing to look at.

Yep a 30 breeder should be 18" deep x 36" wide by 12" tall and a 40 breeder is the same except it is 16" tall

Len
Thanks Len, I figured it was something along the line, not sure how the 30 and 40 got confused at the store, but they aren't getting it back, so its good to go.

Things are a little slow at the minute, as I'm dealing with a bunch of moss arrivals (Bill, yours did finally arrive and everything looks good), and trying to get a shrimp tank and a German Blue Ram tank all set-up at the same time. I've got to get more students who need extra credit to stick around after school somehow LOL, either that, or I've got to slow my over indulgance in all things aquarium related LOL.
 
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