Blackwater Stream Biotype

Hi Guys,
I'm still planing, but I want to make a South American Blackwater Stream Biotype. P.S this is my second planted tank, still new in the bussiness ... I'm going to put in the following plants, please help me with problems like plants bieng illegal or not fitting with the biotype,Thanx
1. Vallisneria
2. Cabomba
3. Micro Swords, lots of it, I was thinking maybe the whole bottom of the tank
4. Echinodorus Osiris
5. Echinodorus Tenellus(Pygmy Chain Swords)
Now, firstly, where can I get these plants, if anyone has please I'll buy some Secondly, I want to know what subtrate to use, would the clay balls, rose and shrub mix and nails work? P.S I've got MTS Thirdly, quantities of plants. The dimensions are:
Lenght-120cm
Width-50cm
Hight-50cm
Volume-300liters

Does anyone know how to post pics cause I wanna show you my first tank.

Regards,
Jason

 

Hi Jason.
I am not an expert on the plants but i can help with the uploading of pics.

If you look were you post a reply there is a button underneath that says go to advanced. click that and you will see a box that has a smilly face and next to that a paper clip, click the paper clip and you can upload your pics. Very simple once you know where all the buttons are. There is another way but i dont know how other people do it. I use Adobe Photoshop and i open my pics in that then i go file and select save for web, then were the paper clip is underneath that you will see a pic with a mountain and a sun or moon, click that and past the url there but remember to leave the http://. Hope this helps.:bigsmile:

Oh yes here is a list of the black listed fish and plants.
http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/showthread.php?t=78

 

A word of caution here: rose and shrub mix is not recommended. Clay balls is quite a mission to get it right. None of the plants you intend keeping require a rich substrate. I would go with plain pool filter sand and then place a small steel nail under each large sword plant.

Regards
Lauré

 

Hi Guys,
Thanx for the info, its much apprechiated

Laure- The substrate, Do you mean its not neccesary to use such rich substrate?

 

Hi guys,
I finally put my first tank on, open comments please;-)

See attachments!

I've got another 70liter tank in my bedroom. But its really plain. I only planted 3 vallisneria plants in. Its actually just a experiment of the vallisneria growth. I want to see in one month, how the plants had grown and reproduced. I'll post you the pic. This tank will also have some of my own bred F2 angel babies!!! I'm putting them in tonight so I'll post a few pics tonight.:blink1:

Jason

 

Yes that is what I mean. Just inert fine silica gravel like pool filter sand will be 100% for those plants. Add the nails for Fe root feeding and then dose water column fertilization. You are in CPT so best get hold of Prof Dirk's fertilizer from Veegal and you'll be fine.

 

Hi Laure,
But is the Rose and Shrub mix cheaper as the silica?

 

Jason, I don't know the price of the Rose and Shrub mix, but I bought 30L of fine river sand from Supaplants in Parklands on Saturday for about R40. In my opinion is looks a hell of a lot better than pool filter sand. But as I said, that is just my opinion.
As far as I am aware, in terms of end result, river sand or pool filter sand will be just as good. I just like the reddish/brown shade of the river sand.
HIH

 

usually 40kg of silica = R60

its inert, has no beneficial npk values, but it also is less maintenance in an enclosed space such as a tank, so even though theres lotsa minerals and fertile ground in rivers etc, theres also a lot of water movement carrying away any dislodged debris, where in a tank you will need to caver that substrate in river sand anyway, and you'll need it airated to avoid anaerobic conditions, and decay of the organic material etc

rather go for an inert planting medium with additives like iron nails etc, and add ferts to the water column

You're in CT, so get those ferts from The fish nook, or prof if you're close to him, cause he formulates the ferts for CT water.

if you can get the bigger grain size brown river sand, take that instead, looks more natural, believe me the silica gets ugly looking fast (you get irritated or bored with the white/yellow look, its not natural looking)

its also inert, so the above still applies in re ferts

 

Jason take a look at Mongabay.com to get good ideas for biotype type tanks

 

Thanx Guys,
But isn't richer ground better? Cause I don't wanna go expensive , like buying fertalizer monthly. Isn't it just easier to buy something that is already natuaraly fertile? Ex. Like rose and shrub mix, it already contains clay so you don't need to add clay balls, just nails, MTS and gravel like river sand; malmesbury sand; silica. I really don't want to spent lots of money on this one guys;-), but you do know what you talking about. But can you please give me ideas of cheaper ways;-) Can you guys please keep a lookout for the following plants in Cape Town:
Vallisneria
Normal green Cabomba
Micro Swords
Echinodorus Osiris
Echinodorus Tenellus(Pygmy Chain Swords)
Hairgrass

Thanx Jason

 

you shouldn't find cabomba, as far as i remember its on the import-blacklist as invasive/possibly invasive weed

 

no matter what substate you use you still going to have to put ferts into the tank , i found the proffs druppels the best and most affordable. with rose and shrub mix u stand a good chance of the whole lot going rotten and ruining the whole tank if not done right. Pool filter sand and proffs drupels is the cheapest way i found and i just put nails by my swords and they seem very happy

 

I recall reading somewhere the Prof Dirk also didn't think it was a good idea to put shrub mix in a tank. I think I read that on another forum (not sure if I may name the forum here).From what I understand fertilising is no a once off thing, it has to be done regularly.I don't have a planted tank yet, but am working towards some, so please take my comments from where they come.

 

Cool,
So just quickly tell me again all the precise stuff I must get for the substrate and where, because I wanna buy it tommorow:bigsmile::bigsmile::bigsmile:

Thanx Jason

 

1 bag pool filter sand ( sillica sand ) -R60
1 Packet wire nails -R10
1 trip to builders express -R20
months of staring into a nice planted tank - Priceless

 

Cant I use river sand?

 

Yea u can just dont put to thick a layer from what i understand , never used it personaly

 

Hi Jason
Yes you can! In my oppinion the puulsand is boring and unatural.
Take your time if you haste now you have to look at it for a long time. I have a planted tank with a in places 6cm layer of river sand and no problems and good plant grows. But you have to fertilise. For that you even can take some of the fertiliser sticks(Subtral). They might not be the best but absolutly fine and last for about a month.

 

Hi guys,
Can you guys please keep a lookout for the following plants in Cape Town:
Vallisneria
Normal green Cabomba
Micro Swords
Echinodorus Osiris
Echinodorus Tenellus(Pygmy Chain Swords)
Hairgrass

Please this is one thing I need most I'll buy or swop it if I must, please:wondering:

Jason