I set up a planted tank for my daughter's kindergarten class. I've had planted tanks for years. I like the Walstad approach with an Amano aesthetic. For this tank I was hoping for a setup that would survive during the summer with little to no intervention. I was inspired by Tom's Bucket o' Mud and his ability to leave the tank alone for 6 weeks at a time.
The tank I have to work with is a 20gal high tank. I put in a small power head (restricted) for circulation currently located at the top of the tank. I split the tank up with a plastic mesh to create a refugium against the back of the tank. So far I added gammarus (with green water), snails, and a mix of hitchhikers that came along with the gammarus. I seeded the whole tank with a good amount of filter sludge to aid in cycling. I'm adding moina in about a week and cherry shrimp not long after that. I'm also considering adding some blackworms. I'm interested in adding anything that will reproduce, without additional food, that could be eaten by small adult fish.
The tank is heavily planted with a variety of random plants (Az Gardens mixed potted plant special) and there's two anthuriums planted in shower caddies riparium style in the back and a good amount of driftwood. I'm covering most of the plastic mesh with java moss in a few days. I added some oak leaves to the refugium along with some hornwort that came with the scuds. I also plan to add some of the java moss back there as I know cherry shrimp love to breed in it. Substrate is a mix of Fluval Plant and Shrimp and black flourite. The light is Fluval Plant Spectrum 3.0.
For fish I was thinking a couple of otocinclus and around 10 white clouds to be added in about a month. Hoping that a low fish load will make this whole idea possible.
I could use some help with suggestions for making the refugium work (best organisms, approach, etc.) as well as it can. Anyone who's had experience with freshwater refugiums please share your wisdom.
Also all opinions/advice welcome! My goal is to make this a pretty self contained little ecosystem. I'm going to add a partial cover to the tank to minimize evaporation. I'm hoping this will be a no feed tank that only needs an occasional top up due to evaporation.
I'll post some pictures shortly and document the tank's progress here as it goes along.
The tank I have to work with is a 20gal high tank. I put in a small power head (restricted) for circulation currently located at the top of the tank. I split the tank up with a plastic mesh to create a refugium against the back of the tank. So far I added gammarus (with green water), snails, and a mix of hitchhikers that came along with the gammarus. I seeded the whole tank with a good amount of filter sludge to aid in cycling. I'm adding moina in about a week and cherry shrimp not long after that. I'm also considering adding some blackworms. I'm interested in adding anything that will reproduce, without additional food, that could be eaten by small adult fish.
The tank is heavily planted with a variety of random plants (Az Gardens mixed potted plant special) and there's two anthuriums planted in shower caddies riparium style in the back and a good amount of driftwood. I'm covering most of the plastic mesh with java moss in a few days. I added some oak leaves to the refugium along with some hornwort that came with the scuds. I also plan to add some of the java moss back there as I know cherry shrimp love to breed in it. Substrate is a mix of Fluval Plant and Shrimp and black flourite. The light is Fluval Plant Spectrum 3.0.
For fish I was thinking a couple of otocinclus and around 10 white clouds to be added in about a month. Hoping that a low fish load will make this whole idea possible.
I could use some help with suggestions for making the refugium work (best organisms, approach, etc.) as well as it can. Anyone who's had experience with freshwater refugiums please share your wisdom.
Also all opinions/advice welcome! My goal is to make this a pretty self contained little ecosystem. I'm going to add a partial cover to the tank to minimize evaporation. I'm hoping this will be a no feed tank that only needs an occasional top up due to evaporation.
I'll post some pictures shortly and document the tank's progress here as it goes along.