Jumpshot724
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- Jan 23, 2008
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- Age
- 38
- Location
- Mount Sinai, NY / Syracuse, NY
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- United States
Within the next month I will be moving my FBTs to a 20 gallon tank from their 10 gallon. I want to make this 20 gallon as realistic as I can, and as maintenance free as I can. My plan is to fill the bottom with large aquarium gravel, sloping up more to one side so half the tank is water and the other half is land. On top of the land porion of gravel I plan on placing an egg crate and on top of that some screen mesh, and then placing the substrate and moss on top of that. Now that you have a mental picture here are my questions:
1) For filtration, can I just put a circulation pump buried in the gravel on the land side with the exit point attached to a small hose leading to the water section so I get full water/water table circulation? Will the gravel be enough of a biological filter? If not can anyone suggest a different method?
2) I plan on using live plants. What kind do FBTs enjoy and also won't take over my tank in a month?
3) What kind of substrate should I use? I've been using Eco-Earth coconut fibre but I've heard that plants don't grow well in that.
4) If I do use an undergravel filter I'm toying with also creating a waterfall since the typical undergravel filters I have seen have a return that's pretty high up. Any suggestions for waterfall creation? I've heard of using an egg crate, using foam (what kind?) to create a rock background, and then decorating it (how?) to make it look real. I would just have to make it so the topography of the backgroud allows for a water fall and I can't visualize how to do it.
Like I said i want as maintenance free a tank as possible. Besides the obvious feeding and chenging the water I want to make it so that's pretty much all I would need to do. I know it's been done, I just need to do it so all your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!!
1) For filtration, can I just put a circulation pump buried in the gravel on the land side with the exit point attached to a small hose leading to the water section so I get full water/water table circulation? Will the gravel be enough of a biological filter? If not can anyone suggest a different method?
2) I plan on using live plants. What kind do FBTs enjoy and also won't take over my tank in a month?
3) What kind of substrate should I use? I've been using Eco-Earth coconut fibre but I've heard that plants don't grow well in that.
4) If I do use an undergravel filter I'm toying with also creating a waterfall since the typical undergravel filters I have seen have a return that's pretty high up. Any suggestions for waterfall creation? I've heard of using an egg crate, using foam (what kind?) to create a rock background, and then decorating it (how?) to make it look real. I would just have to make it so the topography of the backgroud allows for a water fall and I can't visualize how to do it.
Like I said i want as maintenance free a tank as possible. Besides the obvious feeding and chenging the water I want to make it so that's pretty much all I would need to do. I know it's been done, I just need to do it so all your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!!