another low maintenance effort: "Asian River Biotope"

[engine50]

After my low effort West African Tank: (soon to be completely re-scaped). I decided I wanted another biotope; an Asian theme. I think I love Asian tropicals most of all, so much so, that the main problem was which spieces to finally populate the confines of the rectangle when I was finished.

I started with a custom 50 gallon acrylic tank 54" x 17" x 15"h

I equipped the system with an Eheim2076e canister and a complete CO2 system, (inline diffuser and counter)

I then ordered some " to scale" manzanita from Tom

Then I went to the garden center for acceptable scale river stones of various sizes

I then went about the process of affixing the "riverbank roots / branches" decending downward into the water from the "shoreline".

To keep it simple I went with all too easy to keep variations of Java fern

...........with some leftover Java moss

I drove the system with only two 24" Ecoxotic 8k "Stunner Strips" which were regulated by an inline dimmer in case i need to adjust intensity; I had no option to raise or lower the fixtures as space was extremely tight.

I then patiently waited several months before adding fish

All epiphitic, nothing planted at all.

 

[engine50]

final photos

Animals
[attachment=1129:name]
Sundadanio Axelrodi "green / blue"

Horadandia atukorali

Parosphronemus sintangensis

Caridina japonica

 

[Htomassini]

Very nice. I really like it

It's amazing what the stunners will grow. At the store we use a single strip to light up the sell tanks and even amazons will grow in there with them.



Henry tomassini
www.theplantedaquariumstore.com
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[engine50]

Thank you Henry, using the lights was really a shot in the dark, (no pun intended). My first try with LED's. For this application, the only way to go. They said they would grow plants.

Without any water surface movement they aesthetically throw a rather flat, fluorescent type of light/ shade characteristic. To me, nothing duplicates the true underwater sunlight replication characteristics of metal halide radial arc source point. I will miss them, as they will now, (due to LED emerging technology) surely go the way of the Dodo.