Patio Tanks Rock!

[duanes]

Been a couple years away from this thread.
The 2 Dieffenbachia that suck nitrates like sponges (one one the east end of the 180 gal main tank, one on the west end of its 125 gal sump, have each hit about 4 ft tall
The mangrove trees on the east end of the sump have gone from simple budding pods to 30" tall in about 2 yrs.

Their root systems have been splitting the bamboo tubes the were planted in
.
I believe they've been growing faster lately, because of the successful collecting trips that have doubled the fish population in the main tank.

The old 180 gal, damaged in an earth quake, and that only holds @140 gals, has become a quarantine/ hospital tank
It doesn't have any filtration except water lettuce, but uses a wave maker to provide current, and almost gets a 100% water change with every significant rain event.
It's been holding about a half dozen Tetras, and a few newly caught cichlids for 6 weeks, and probably another 6 weeks of QT to make sure they clear of parasites.

Our water plant has been OOS again for a while, so the only water changes have been when rains cascade into the tank down split bamboo tubes off the foliage, which is why the tank is tinted deeply brown.
Luckily the heavy terrestrial and aquatic plantings have kept the nutrient load low. Amazingly nitrates sill undetectable


Bamboo washes up on the beach regularly, so I collect it and use i for all sorts of applications.

 

[Ulu]

That cichlid looks like a yellow Lab but with the markings of an Oscar.

I’m very fond of all your foliage, but I have pretty much given up on doing the Biological nitrate reduction. I am doing constant water changes because I have to water my trees, and so I just send it all through the aquariums first. Fortunately our water production here has been fabulous, since the huge snowfall on the Sierra Nevada.

Essentially we have broken a five year streak of drought. There was still lots of (metered) city water, but I pay for it.

Our local fishing lake is so full it has flooded out the parking and toilets in the parking lots, and so no way to go fishing. My boat sits under a tarp, completely unloved, except to charge the batteries occasionally.



There is normally an ATM machine right next to that sign so you can pay your $10. I see that they removed it, So you can’t even pay to go fishing!

 

[duanes]

That cichlid looks like a yellow Lab but with the markings of an Oscar.

It is the only one of its genus, (Darienheros) and only found in the drainage of the Bayano and Tuira river system in Panama.
My theory, is that millions of years ago when Panama and Costa Rica volcanically rose up from a shallow seas, making the connection between north and south America, it was one of those basal species that emigrated north from South America, and may be the kind of an ancestral link, between those cichlids.
It has the top half caudal spot found in S American cichlids, but not found in Central Americans

The S American from the genus Mesoheros left, the Panamanian Darienheros right.
It also has a primitive Geophagine mouth structure, suggesting a prehistoric connection.

The other endemic cichlid from this river system, also the only one of its genus Isthmoheros found here, suggests (at least in appearance) a prehistoric connection between the Heros severus group of S America, and Central American genus Vieja

But cichlids aren't the only ones that bridged the South/Central American gap millions of years ago.
There is a pleco species found here, that is the only one of its genus, that is not found in S America.
It is Chaetostoma fischeri .

Sorry for my tangent blathering out of context.
All the fish above were found in very fast flowing riffle and rapids in the Mamoni.

Water temp 82'F, pH 8.2, and no detectable nitrates.

 

[Ulu]

Considering the rate with which these Pleco‘s and cichlids are willing to hybridize, none of this tends to surprise me.

I can’t really tell from the pictures how large those fish are but I’m imagining the peco is around 6 inches and the others maybe four?

 

[duanes]

I can’t really tell from the pictures how large those fish are but I’m imagining the peco is around 6 inches and the others maybe four?

You hit the size right on the money.

When I get them home, one of the 1st things is to place them in the 4" specimen container (below) to inspect for parasites



A couple gobies, and a Sturostoma (whiptail cat) barely fit, and 2 of the adult cichlids weren't capable of fitting in the box at at all.

 

[Ulu]

He looks well adapted for eating snails and mud bugs.

 

[duanes]

Gotta love rain events with patio tanks.
Free, no effort water changes.
Rain water in on one end.

Older water out of the emergency overflow on the other end of the system, when the sump is full.

And my tanks run kind of warm during sunny times. Todays rains (and those over the last couple days) offer a cooling bit of of relief (middle), matching more closely the water temp of the Mamoni river where they were caught, (pic on the right).

Even the QT tank directly under a roof overhang, got a 75% (maybe more) waterchange today.

Because the QT tank was slightly damaged during an earth quake, its only allowed to fill to an overflow level, about 6" from the rim, otherwise the pressure makes it leak like a sieve..

 

[Ulu]

I made new 1.5” thick Styrofoam lids for the outdoor aquariums & filter barrels.





I cut these using a hotwire. I scrounged the nichrome wire from a Wagner heat gun with dead electronics, and I used the big heater coil unit to make a rheostat to control heat. I ran the whole thing off a 12 V Volkswagen battery, with the wires from the old AC line cord.


The ghetto “rheostat”: It will get HOT! Do not let it touch the battery case.
I put the clip on the third coil which was just about right to make a slow cut without creating too many fumes because the wire stays a little cooler. (This will vary with what gauge & how long your cutting wire is.)


It’s about the same as the heater coil in any hair dryer. Please Don’t tell your wife that I advised you to use her hair dryer.

This is not a DIY how to on cutting Styrofoam. You can find that info on the web easily, but I must offer this advice should you try it:

Do not breathe the fumes from cutting Styrofoam. Do this outdoors where there is lots of fresh air. An exhaust fan of some kind is advised.

 

[tlindsey]

I made new 1.5” thick Styrofoam lids for the outdoor aquariums & filter barrels.
View attachment 1526574
View attachment 1526575
View attachment 1526576
View attachment 1526577

I cut these using a hotwire. I scrounged the nichrome wire from a Wagner heat gun with dead electronics, and I used the big heater coil unit to make a rheostat to control heat. I ran the whole thing off a 12 V Volkswagen battery, with the wires from the old AC line cord.
View attachment 1526572

The ghetto “rheostat”: It will get HOT! Do not let it touch the battery case.
I put the clip on the third coil which was just about right to make a slow cut without creating too many fumes because the wire stays a little cooler. (This will vary with what gauge & how long your cutting wire is.)
View attachment 1526573

It’s about the same as the heater coil in any hair dryer. Please Don’t tell your wife that I advised you to use her hair dryer.

This is not a DIY how to on cutting Styrofoam. You can find that info on the web easily, but I must offer this advice should you try it:

Do not breathe the fumes from cutting Styrofoam. Do this outdoors where there is lots of fresh air. An exhaust fan of some kind is advised.

I must say you are very skillful person. I love diy

 

[Ulu]

I don’t have a new lid for the brute yet, but I made this insulated baffle plate to hold the filter socks.


Unfortunately all of the silver foil did not peel right off on the first try.