[lg0815]

hi i have a 25 gallon tank(almost same diemensions) as a 20H



i have about 8 neons and 6 pygmy cories in my 10


what do i need to make a nice ripuraium
can i keep aquatic plants in it
what lights doe i need


post pics of your Riparium please


thanks

 

[Hoppy]

The below water-line plants have to be aquatic plants, and the above water plants can be emersed aquatic plants, marginal plants (think marshes), or any of many houseplants, grown using hydroculture techniques. Any light you use will be much closer to the above water plants than the below water plants, so if it is good enough for the below water plants go grow, it will almost have to be plenty for the above water plants.

The easy way to set up a riparium is to visit http://www.ripariumsupply.com/ and buy the appropriate planters. Or, you can try a DIY method, using whatever you can make work.

 

[hydrophyte]

A 25 is a good shape for a riparium setup.

 

[RipariumGuy]

In the "tank journal" part of the forum, you can find several riparium journals. I would also suggest looking at Hydrophytes blog. Here is a link: http://hydrophytesblog.com/?cat=12

Regards,

 

[lg0815]

can i still put my fish in there and maybe a pair of rams

 

[RipariumGuy]

I am not sure about the rams, but you can definatly have fish.

 

[Hoppy]

There are two effects of ripariums on the occupants of the water, that I can think of: one, is that there may be considerably less water in the tank with a riparium, so the capacity for fish is reduced. Another is that the water areas can be heavily shaded by the above water plants, making it difficult to grow some aquatic plants. The first effect can be reduced by growing the above water plants largely above the top of the tank, so the water level need only be a few inches below the top of the tank. And, since this lets the above water plants spread out more than if they were confined in the tank, it also reduces the shading of the water. But, when you do this, it looks much, much better if the tank is rimless.