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Mm85's Aquascaping Journal 2016 - Biotope


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#1 malawiman85

malawiman85
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  • Joined: 11-December 08
  • Location: Geraldton

Posted 07 June 2016 - 09:10 PM

07/06/2016
 
Introduction:
 
Hi All,
Last years comp was great. I was highly motivated by my chosen biotope. This year I have struggled to come up with an idea that really captures my imagination the way the South West WA Biotope did..
But last year was so much fun that Im giving it another go. So, here goes.... 
 
Theme: Aussie Oddballs
 
Equipment
Tank: AquaOne Horizon 130.
Light: 38W AquaOne PlantGlo
Filter: Sponge with 1,000L/H Powerhead
Heater: AquaOne 200W
 
Getting Everything into position and ready for the new tank.
20160607_173710_zps6tqkfkwy.jpg
 
Yay! Just got the new tank home. First new tank I've bought in ages.
20160607_183521_zpsz0pxzodb.jpg
 
I really like the AquaOne Horizon Tanks. Pretty cheap little tanks too.
20160607_184813_zpsxv998nve.jpg
 
The lights cost more than the tank... Hope they go ok.
20160607_184955_zps6wimj4kj.jpg
 
Couldnt find a pen
20160607_173640_zpsucypmoqr.jpg
 
Not the most exciting start. I'll update again tomorrow and hopefully there will be something a bit more interesting going on.
 
Stay tuned!

Edited by malawiman85, 07 June 2016 - 10:10 PM.


#2 malawiman85

malawiman85
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  • Joined: 11-December 08
  • Location: Geraldton

Posted 08 June 2016 - 05:00 PM

08/06/2016

 

Hi All,

 

After much buggering around I finally got water in the tank. Was pretty stoked the hose reached. I'm not a fan of buckets.

20160608_155139_zps7bab1ufe.jpg

 

Unfortunatly I had to go and pick the fish up today so I had to go with the express tank set up option (Not recomended).

20160608_155128_zpsvcovioxs.jpg

 

And here they are in the bag...Bullrout! These guys are tiiiny!!!

20160608_155520_zpstabozrxs.jpg

 

And in the tank

20160608_160939_zpsuqyt1hys.jpg

And the PCS thingy

20160608_161215_zpsc024fzwx.jpg

 

The fish were so small that I didnt even put a substrate in. I've just left the tank bare so I can watch them settle in for a few days before i start scaping.

 

Might be a good job for next weekend.



#3 malawiman85

malawiman85
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  • Joined: 11-December 08
  • Location: Geraldton

Posted 12 June 2016 - 07:41 PM

12/06/2016

 

Hi All,,

 

Not really an update but a couple more photos and some information about the species I've got in the tank so far.

 

Yesterday I went and picked up Pet Magic's Butis butis AKA "Crazy Fish."

 

Crazy Fish Butis butis
Temperature: 20 - 27
pH Level: 7.0 - 8.2
General Hardness: Moderate - Hard
Max. Size: 15cm
Realistic Max. Size: 15cm
Tank Size: 3x1.5x1.5
Feeding: Carnivore, preference for live or frozen food, can be difficult to wean onto pellets.
Temperament: Generally Peaceful but will eat smaller fish.
About: Butis are known as Crazy Fish because they are often seen swimming upside down or at strange angles and sleeping, much like a sleepy cod, in any random position.
As adults they do better with a little marine salt in the aquarium though there are plenty of accounts of adult butis being kept in fresh water.
Like other sleeper gobies they are a particularly interesting looking (ugly) fish. The attraction of these fish lies in their oddball behavior and the ease in which they can be kept.
Crazy fish sell for about $30 - $35 each and are pretty easy to come across in Perth at some of the better LFS. Having said that, they are not always available.

 

20160612_164317_zpsrgcbb7pg.jpg

 

Bullrout Notesthes robusta
Temperature: 21 - 27
pH Level: 7 - 8
General Hardness: Moderate
Max. Size: 30cm
Realistic Max. Size: 30cm
Tank Size: 4X1.5X1.5
Feeding: Usually will take any high protein pellets, live and frozen meaty foods. Can be difficult/impossible to wean.
Temperament: Territorial as they mature.
About: Native to NSW and Southern Queensland, Bullrout or freshwater stonefish as they are sometimes known, are sedentary, well camouflaged ambush predators that hide in amongst wooded or rocky areas usually close to aquatic vegetation that supports their most common prey. In aquariums they appreciate some plants. Tank mates should be open water or top level tank dwellers. Purple Spotted Gudgeons and rainbows are often recommended as good tank mates. Bullrout get quite territorial as they get older so options are limited as far as tank mates go.
They are able to live in pretty much any salinity, from fresh to marine.
 Bullrout are anything but pretty but they do make sensational aquarium subjects. Their predatory behaviour, camouflage and many other unique attributes are extremely entertaining. They are sedentary though so dont expect them to be doing laps of the tank or become super interactive the way other Aussie natives do.
Bullrout are one of the most venomous freshwater Aussie fish. Their spines inflict an amazingly painful wound that you probably wont ever forget.
Finding Bullrout in Perth has proven difficult over the last few years (Since ive been looking out for them). Price has been about $100 each through Morley Aquariums and Livefish.com.au for 10 - 20cm and $49 each for 2cm specimens at Pet Magic.

 

Any fish that gets its own warning sign is pretty awesome in my book.

1402264620_c439f9e17a_b_zps9bj3txwj.jpg Image from Google... Not mine.

 

And a picture of my old Bullrout for those of you that may not have seen an adult before

20141202_212006_zps9483ad07.jpg

 

(Added July 2016)

Coal Grunter Hephaestus carbo

Temperature: 21 - 27
pH Level: 6.8 - 7.6
General Hardness: Moderate
Max. Size: 30cm
Realistic Max. Size: 30cm
Tank Size: 4x2x2+
Feeding: Can be difficult to wean on to pellet. Prefers frozen/live foods such as Blackworms
Temperament: Variable - seems to be more tolerant of fish totally unlike themselves (Catfish, Archers, Scats, Bullrout, Butis butis, etc)
About: Probably Australia's most strikingly coloured freshwater predator. Coal Grunters are usually a patterned Black and Gold though there are some amazing variants such as Black and Red which are far less common. Coal Grunters can be difficult to persuade to take pellets and seem to prefer Blackworms and live shrimp above all else. They have quite small mouths and target mostly smaller prey. In the wild they work together to harass and kill bigger prey. These guys don't get particularly big but they are VERY solid and aggressive. My Coal Grunter beat up a much larger Barramundi and had to be separated. They are hyperactive (opposite to most Aussie Preds) and are very entertaining to watch. They swim non-stop so they require a lot of swimming space, they are also very interactive with their masters.
Coal Grunters are fairly difficult to find in Perth these days but are pretty easy to find over east and are reasonably cheap, expect to pick one up for around $30. Juvies were available from Livefish in mid 2016 for $10.

 

20160803_133827_zpsxfdfn6aj.jpg


Edited by malawiman85, 03 August 2016 - 05:33 PM.


#4 malawiman85

malawiman85
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  • Joined: 11-December 08
  • Location: Geraldton

Posted 03 August 2016 - 06:13 PM

03.08.2016
 
Hi All,
 
Well the tank is coming along nicely. I'm treating it as a long term project rather than an overnight Aquascape.
As you may have noticed at the end of the last post, I have added a Coal Grunter to the tank. I was a bit worried about it because they can be relentlessly aggressive b@$t@rd$. Sometimes though they can be perfectly accepting of their tank mates. Which is the case on this occasion  :D .
I have been unfaithful to the biotope with some of the plants I have in the tank. I have done this for a few reasons.
1. The plants I chose, I believe will better suit my purposes.... and I like them and that's pretty much all that matters.
2. Leichardti is doing a Biotope with some very similar fish (My fault... He had his first).
3. I want to have some fun with this tank and have the freedom to be a bit flexible with what goes in it.
 
20160803_135132_zpsh3iygzdw.jpg
There are some random live bearers in the tank at the moment just to help the juvie natives chill out a bit.
The substrate is river sand.
I added some locally collected Bacopa monnieri to the tank just to get it ticking along... It's done the job and most of it has been removed the rest will be removed as I get the other plants I want.
There is also some locally collected Vallisneria and a Lily in there... The rocks are... Actually, I'm not sure what the rocks are.
Last but not least there are a few tufts of Lilaeopsis brasilienis spreading around the "hilly bit".
The hilly bit doesn't really follow the rules of Aquascaping... Its a bit short and not ideally located as a focal point. The reason for this is I need to maintain quite a bit of swimming space as all my fish are going to get quite big and eventually outgrow this tank.
On the subject of fishy inhabitants... I plan to get half a dozen nice rainbows to add to the tank in the next couple of weeks... Aquotix had just what I was after but work has taken over (When it rains it pours) and I haven't been able to get them and sort them out.
 
20160803_133615_zpsdpmyrqxh.jpgThe Lily. I like it... Need to bury it a bit deeper
 
20160803_112754_zpse7r90txo.jpg
The other guys just laying around.
 
Apologies for the average photos... Just did a water change and I'm using my poor old phone to take the photos.
 

Edited by malawiman85, 03 August 2016 - 07:44 PM.


#5 malawiman85

malawiman85
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  • Joined: 11-December 08
  • Location: Geraldton

Posted 08 October 2016 - 06:34 PM

Just a few pics of the fish. The tank hasnt changed much.
image%204_zps0tj6yyyy.jpeg

image%201_zpsn7zstkb3.jpeg

image%203_zpsphn82401.jpeg

I've added an N. hyrtlii and taken the coal grunter out... it was growing way too fast.




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