Newby with a dream

Hello I am a brand Newby in the in this hobby. I plan to build a 60cm x 60cm by 35cm high tank.

I am interested in starting a South African biotope. I have collected some South African water plants in Harrismith and Barkly East. I have some unknown possible marsh or aquatic plants and then some definite aquatic plants, hornwort, large oxygen weed and some pond weed.
Has some one ever tried something like this.
Any advice will be appreciated.

 

Welcome!

A biotope sounds interesting. Just check the permissions to make sure it's all legal (shouldn't be many issues though with plants). What livestock do you intend on adding?

 

Hi @Petrus Lefras Uys Coetzee ,

Welcome to the Forum

South African biotope sounds very interesting however, 60 x60 is not very big so what fish would you be looking at keeping in that tank?
Im not the best with plants so Im not sure what oxygen plants and pond weed is but if it is what I think it is, they highly invasive and will take over a small tank in no time but as I said, i could be thinking of the wrong plant
Im sure one of our plant experts will soon chime in

One thing I do know is that you need to be careful with collecting plants for your tank from our water sources as often they can carry diseases and or parasites that can infest your tank so it is a risk you take
I would quarantine the plants for a while and maybe even give them a soaking in Paraguard from Seachem to play it safe

 

@Hendre sadly I am looking for smaller community fish and I don't think SA has any in line with that.
Most probably tetras, minnows, otos and shrimp. But will start with Plants and cycle first to allow the tank to settle properly before adding livestock.

 

@MariaS I believe you are correct with the plants and will need to keep a thumb on them. The size of the tank is on the small side but it is to try my hand first and ideally close a irritating gap in my house. If this works out I will definitely become bigger. The fish I am looking at will be in the direction of smaller fish like tetras, minnows, otos and possibly shrimp. But first get cycle going and plants needs to settle first

 

That selection of fish will be perfect for that size tank and a good start
Not sure how you going to cycle the tank, we usually use Stability from Seachem to help seed the filter and it works like a dream

 

Welcom @Petrus Lefras Uys Coetzee.
Please share some photos as you go along. That sounds very interesting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Hello and Welcome

 

Welcome!

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

 

So I have started the process. First image is plants collected in Harrismith wetland area, second is plants collected from rivers in the Barkly East area. I have built a small test tank 450x350x220 as a quarantine to see how each plant does in a tank. The main tank is cut and waiting to be built. Collected a few nice pieces of petrified wood as hardscape. Will add a sponge filter today.

 

Are those some tadpoles poking about? Looks awesome, can't wait to see how the collected plants will handle the sealed system at the start.. I am sure they if they hold out they will flourish though.

 

@Logz my daughter loved collecting plants and flowers. My son in the other hand had other plans. Now they can learn about the stages of a tadpole and once they are bigger we will release them. If you look on top of the rock you will see a small frog

 

WELCOME and all the best

 

@Petrus Lefras Uys Coetzee, looks great!!

Look forward to seeing this develop

 

@Petrus Lefras Uys Coetzee a belated welcome from me as well.
Looking forward to seeing how this progresses.

 

Still trying to sort out the plants but the ones I am 90% sure of are:

Juncus Effuses(Rushes)
Cerratohylum demersum (Hornwort)
Potamogeton Pectunatus (Fennel leafed pondweed)
Lagarasiphon Major (Course Oxygen weed)
Berula Erecta (Toothache Root)
Limosela Major

Still a few other that I have outside trying to see how much melts and does not return.
Does any one have more detailed info on local/indigenous aquatic plants? I only have this and it does not seem to be complete.