# 200-liter Riparium Setup for Synodontis Catfish



## hydrophyte (20 Nov 2009)

I am putting together another riparium setup. This one is going into a 200-liter tank (60cm wide X 45cm tall X 45cm deep), which is a shape that I like a lot. I have a few pictures already, but start here with the first that I got of the setup the other night.






This display will will be different from most of the ripariums that I have done before. I generally fill riparium tanks to only ~40% of depth with water, leaving the remaining open top area for the emersed growth of plants, but this one will be filled most of the way to the top. 

This tank will also have a strong fish theme. My other ripariums have included mostly small community tropical fish, with greater emphasis on the plant life, but this tank will feature the fascinating little Tanganyika catfish, _Synodontis petricola_, in a species display. I will add one or two other species, but I intend for the cats will be the stars of the tank.


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## Mark Evans (20 Nov 2009)

this will be great to see the set up process.  8)


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## Steve Smith (20 Nov 2009)

Will be really interesting to see this setup   I don't know a great deal about ripariums so I suspect I could learn some great stuff from this!


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## hydrophyte (20 Nov 2009)

I got some more pictures and I should be able to post another update later today.


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## hydrophyte (20 Nov 2009)

Here's a quick update. I added a few stones, two different kinds of gravel and a group of _Poecilia chica_.





The fish are tentative at this point, but I will eave them in this setup for a while and see how they look and how they interact with the catfish.


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## Nick16 (20 Nov 2009)

what fish are they? 
you defo have to keep the pics comming. love these ripariums!


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## hydrophyte (20 Nov 2009)

Nick16 those fish that I have there are a molly, _Poecilia chica_. I collected them down in Mexico.

The box with the _S. petricola_ arrived last night in the post.





They were all lively and swimming about. The seller packed them very well.

I'm going to add some more plants soon.


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## hydrophyte (21 Nov 2009)

Here is another shot of the _Synodontis_, acclimating for a while in the bag.





This is one of the large female _Poecilia chica_.


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## hydrophyte (9 Dec 2009)

I have made some more headway with this project. Tonight I got the now rimless tank in place and applied a painted background to the rear panel. I got a few pictures and I'll post images a little bit later on.


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## Nick16 (9 Dec 2009)

wow, looks good. 
i find molly's bought in LFS's are very prone to dying. they used to be classed as hardy fish but now due the amount of interbreeding i find them quite the opposite. platies arent quite so bad but are heading that way as well. 

i take it yours a wild caught?


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## hydrophyte (9 Dec 2009)

Mollies, even genetically fit ones, are in general not especially hardy fish. This is especially true for the sailfin species and hybrids. Getting large, attractive mollies requires careful feeding, frequent water changes and roomy accommodations. 

I collected those _P. chica_ a couple of years ago in Mexico. Here is a shot of one of the spots where I found them in the PurificaciÃ³n River.


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## hydrophyte (10 Dec 2009)

The other night I took some time to make some room for this new setup. I plan to put it in the same spot where I had my ~250-liter riparium display. Here is a picture of that one half way through teardown.





It was a little bit sad. I really liked that tank a lot, but I'm stoked for this new one too. I am using the same stand, filter and light fixture for the _S. petricola_ tank. Here is a picture of the 65 from some time ago.





I had a short journal with highlights from that tank over in another thread...

http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7838


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## TBRO (10 Dec 2009)

Great Journal, what a treat to be able to collect your own fish!

What is the plant on the far Left side. is it a amazon sword? I would like somthing similat that grows out of the top of my tank. Do you think the emergant leaves would survive in a non-riparium set up?

Nice photography too, Tom


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## hydrophyte (11 Dec 2009)

That plant on the left is an _Echinodorus palaefolius_ sword. Do you mean whether or not the air would be tood dry for a sword in a non-riparium setup? Emersed swordplants actually do best with somewhat drier air. That tank above was open-topped, and the air inside was not much more humid than the room air.

I set up and the new tank and here it is with water in it. 





It's a little bit more than 2/3 full. I applied a black painted background just to the portion that will be below water.


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## hydrophyte (12 Dec 2009)

Here is the setup with gravel, filter, heater and hardscape.





The hardscape might change. I attempted to use the stones to build a few little caves for the _Synodontis_ to hang out, but I couldn't get them to look right. I might just add the fish and watch their behavior to see if they really need to have hiding places.


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## hydrophyte (14 Dec 2009)

Today I got some plants and fish in there.  This is not the final layout--I just stuck the plants in there quick. It's not much to look at now, but once the plants get a chance to grow in it should be pretty nice. Here is a quick rundown of the selections that I included, beginning with the red-stemmed _Limnophila aromatica_ on the left.


_Limnophila aromatica_ , this is an excellent riparium plant for creating a floating carpet of stems. Here it is planted in a hanging planter, then trained to grow across a trellis raft.
_Cyperus_ ??, I don't know which variety this is. I wish that I had not lost the variety information, because this one is perfect for riaprium culture. Most of the other ones that I have tried grow to be too large. 
_Bacopa_ ??, I am not certain, but I believe this one to be _madagascariensis_. It is really great for creating a floating carpet. It looks thin here, but I will trim the growing tips to encourage branching and make a nice dense green carpet.
_Cyrtosperma johnstonii_, this thing is really cool. It is a tropical aroid with unique red-veined leaves. It might eventually grow too large for this setup, but for right now it is only growing very slowly. I wrote an entry about it over in the _Plants_ sub-forum, 
_Lipia nodiflora_, this is not a true aquatic, but it grows as a creeping stem in wet areas. I have seen it a few times in Florida.
_Echinodorus cordifolius_ 'Tropical Marble Queen', this is an excellent riparium plant. Here it is sort of competing with the _C. johnstonii_ as a centerpiece, but the two also make an interesting contrast with each other. The leaves are about the same size on each, but white-variegated in the sword, but re-veined in the aroid.


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## hydrophyte (16 Dec 2009)

Here's a new update It still needs to grow in, but this gives an impression of the general idea.





I don't know if it is conveyed well in this picture, but this layout has more of the feel of a pond than a fishtank. The plants interact visually with the space in the room around the tank.

There is some logic to my plants selection. The _Cyperus_ umbrella sedges are intended to be most of the background. I like using those because they make nice forms without throwing a lot of shade, which will leave plenty of light for the plants growing as carpets on the trellis rafts. These include _Lippia nodiflora_, _Bacopa_ sp. and _Limnophila aromatica_. Two arrowhead-leaved plants, _Cyrtosperma johnstonii_ and _Echinodorus cordifolius_ 'Tropica Marble Queen', add interest with red and white variegation. The one plant that doesn't seem to fit with the looks of the rest is the _Spathiphyllum_ peace lily there on the far left, I might try moving that one in from the side, or replace it with something else.

I have added fish too. I have some shots of them and will return with some more images. The layout seems to have too much empty space in the underwater area. I am considering an underwater plant or two to add more dimension there. I think that I will use something with long strappy leaves, such as _Crinum_ that won't obscure the stones.


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## Iliveinazoo (16 Dec 2009)

hydrophyte said:
			
		

> Mollies, even genetically fit ones, are in general not especially hardy fish.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## hydrophyte (16 Dec 2009)

Well, mollies are often sold to beginners as "easy beginner fish", but they are probably not the best choice for this. They can get sick and unless they get plenty of good food to eat and favorable tank conditions they don't grow to size very well. A number of mollies are good selections for brackish setups, but that _P. chica_ is from clear streams up in the mountains, so it might not be such a good choice for brackish water.

This planting does look kind of thin right now, but it should be more convincing as it starts to grow in.

Here is that cichlid that you can see there in the foreground of the tank, an _Archocentrus cutteri_. 





That species moniker is probably wrong. I think I heard that the genus _Archocentrus_ was revised, and _cutteri_ might not be a valid species either. Anyway, he's a real pretty fish. His colors are rather washed out because the light is so bright. I hope that when the plants grow up and throw some more shade his colors will brighten. He looks real nice when the tank lighting turns off and I see him just with the ambient room light.


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## hazeljane (18 Dec 2009)

Very nice and good pictures as well


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## wearsbunnyslippers (18 Dec 2009)

i really like the way you placed all the stones at the same angle, it makes it seem like the water is flowing, great job!


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## hydrophyte (19 Dec 2009)

Thanks very much.

Here's a shot of most of the little group of _Synodontis_ before they found better places to hide. 






I have since built a few little rock piles on the floor of the tank and it is entertaining to watch them zip back and forth to get back under cover.


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## Nick16 (19 Dec 2009)

are the synos fairly active during the day? 

by the looks of it they have a sucker mouth, can they actually 'suck' themselves onto objects like other plecs do (BN's for example)


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## hydrophyte (19 Dec 2009)

They are pretty active during the day, but they prefer to be under cover, so it's a good idea to have plenty of caves for them to use.

They are not plecs and they are in a different catfish group. The mouth is just downward-facing not really a suckermouth.

They are really cool little fish.


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## hydrophyte (24 Dec 2009)

Merry Christmas everybody!

Here's another quick update from last night.





The plants are growing. You can still see the front edges of the Trellis Rafts, but the carpeting plants, _Bacopa_, _Limnophila aromatica_ and _Lipia nodiflora_, are growing and will cover them pretty soon.

Here's one of the little "Honduran Red Point" _Archocentrus_.





These are attractive little fish, but a little too rambunctious for this setup. I will switch them out in favor of something else soon.


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## Nick16 (24 Dec 2009)

how do you keep vyour plants moist above the water line? 
are you misting them?


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## hydrophyte (24 Dec 2009)

Nope these plants are all selections that do well with only moderate humidities, so they are fine with just the regular room air.


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## hydrophyte (28 Dec 2009)

I got home from Boston Massachusetts last night. I was gone for four days, but everything in this tank and the rest looks fine. 

I am pondering a partial change of stock. Those red point cichlids are definately going to go and I am also going to remove the _Poecilia_ to another tank. I have gotten quite some suggestions for other shoaling species and various cichlids while asking around. I really want to have something that will swim around in the middle and upper areas of the water to add some dimension for that vertical space.


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## AdAndrews (28 Dec 2009)

This is crackin! well done, your Honduran red point is a beauty too


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## hydrophyte (28 Dec 2009)

Thanks very much. The plants are all growing well, but those red points and the mollies have got to go. I wwas up late last night reading about Tanganyika fish--there are some really fantastic little cichlids, such as _Xenotilapia_, _Cyprichromis_ and _Paracyprichromis_, that I ran into. I already have the little Tanganyika catfish in this tank, but I'm not sold on the idea of cichlids to match.

I don't know, there are just a great deal of fish options out there. It can be overwhelming.


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## Mark Evans (29 Dec 2009)

i've got a question devin....when you set this style of tank up, would i be right in thinking that the plants start in emerged state? what's the plan with acclimatisation?


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## hydrophyte (29 Dec 2009)

Hi Mark, That's a good question. The degree to which the plant requires a transition period to switch from underwater to above-water growth depends entirely upon which kind of plant it is. There are a couple of instructive examples from this setup.





The left-most plant in this layout is _Limnophila aromatica_. That one took some time to transition to emersed growth. In order to trigger the change I potted several stems in a riparium planter cup, which I then situated in the tank so that the the rim was just a centimeter or so below the water's surface. In this way the stems were maintained just barely underwater, but new growth was compelled to grow up above the water's surface. I use this same method for most kinds of aquatic plants can transition from immersed (underwater) to emersed (above-water) growth. As I recall the _L. aromatica_ took some time, several weeks, to show very much new growth above the water. It is a slow-growing plant anyway. By the way, the next shot shows the _L. aromtica_ the day that I received it. The immersed-form leaves are distinct (finer, longer and more deeply-colored) from the emersed-form leaves (more succulent, shorter, less richly-hued).





Other plants can change to emersed growth more quickly. In that same picture above there is a second carpeting plant, _Bacopa madagascariensis_, with light green leaves just to the left of the red-patterned aroid (_Cyrtosperma johnstonii_. It was somewhat easier to plant that one as riparium foliage. The underwater leaves of many _Bacopa_ are relatively succulent and somewhat resistant to drying. In the case of that plant I just took a number of underwater stems then planted directly directly into a riparium cup and began to train to grow across a foam trellis raft. 





I did maintain that group of newly-planted stems in a humid, partially-covered tank for some time while new foliage began to grow, but now it is doing perfectly growing right in the normal room relative humidity.

This is a good questions. I have a couple of other examples that I should go dig up too.


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## Mark Evans (29 Dec 2009)

thanks Devin.

I know that aquafleur send out plants in thier emerged form, so for fully submersed set ups the plants need to go through the transition. 

would it be possible lets say, to have rotala rotundifolia in it's above water state from the farm, plant in a tank like yours, and it continue growing as it is?

good to see your illustration too.


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## hydrophyte (29 Dec 2009)

Hey you bet. I have a few other illustrative pictures too that I should go find. 

Absolutely, emersed aquatics can go right into the planter cups right from the nursery. I have imagined that that could be a compelling aspect of these riparium planters for plant growers and sellers, since it might simplify handling of the plants. Sometimes hobbyists complain of receieving emersed-form plants and then having to transition them to grow underwater in their setups, but in the case of plants for ripariums this would actually be the more desirable way to recieve it.

Certain aquatics can be better enjoyed in their emersed forms. The _Echinodorus cordifolius_ sword 'Tropica Marble Queen' has attractive whitish-green variegation as an emersed plant, but I have observed that this leaf coloration is largely lost for underwater plants. Here is one of these plants growing in a riaprium in among some also white-variegated basket grass (_Oplismenus_).


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## Mark Evans (29 Dec 2009)

thanks my friend. keep the info coming.


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## hydrophyte (1 Jan 2010)

Here's another quick update.

The plants are filling in somewhat better. I have been pruning the carpeting plants and they have better obscured the rafts and planters.





The _Cyrtosperma johnstonii_--the plant to the right with the red-patterned leaves--is doing well too and sending up another new leaf. That one is a cool-looking plant and a real botanical oddity.

The _Cryptoheros cutteri _cichlid is feeling more at home and his colors have deepened.





I like that fish very much. He has a great personality, for a fish.


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## hydrophyte (3 Jan 2010)

Here is an update from today.





I hung up a white sheet as a background. I don't much care for the tannish-yellow wall as background. The foliage does not have such good color or contrast against that color. What do you all think of white?

This image is a montage made with a shot at slower shutter speed, which I used to cut and paste the underwater area. This corrected for my camera's tendency to overemphasize glare and shadow.


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## hydrophyte (4 Jan 2010)

Here is another shot, looking down in through the top of the tank.





If observed from the front (our couch) this setup emphasizes the underwater area and the fish, but if you walk up to it you get this very good view of the plants. There are some pretty nice specimens in there. Currently my favorite is that _Limnophila aromatica_ over on the far left. It grows slowly as an emersed plant, but it is finally beginning to fill in. It goes really well with the _Cyperus_ umbrella sedge.


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## andyh (5 Jan 2010)

Hello!

Only just read this journal, and its excellent! Never really new much about this style of setup, it look so effective  

I am big fan of the Synodontis, i used to only keep lots of catfish in my fish only days. They were always a firm favourite!

I will be keeping an eye on this to see what you do next   

Andy


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## hydrophyte (6 Jan 2010)

Thanks Andy, I have really enjoyed viewing your kitchen setup it has evolved so nicely and it looks so natural.

I really like these little _Synodontis_ a lot, although they aren't the best for aquarium photography. They are fast and just give me fleeting glimpses as they dash between rockpiles. They are eating well and growing and I hope that they might become more bold as they get larger.

This setup is mostly ready to go. The emersed plants will fill in a little more. I also intend to add a couple of more Amazon swords underwater to brighten that area up.


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## andyh (6 Jan 2010)

hydrophyte said:
			
		

> Thanks Andy, I have really enjoyed viewing your kitchen setup it has evolved so nicely and it looks so natural.
> 
> I really like these little _Synodontis_ a lot, although they aren't the best for aquarium photography. They are fast and just give me fleeting glimpses as they dash between rockpiles. They are eating well and growing and I hope that they might become more bold as they get larger.
> 
> This setup is mostly ready to go. The emersed plants will fill in a little more. I also intend to add a couple of more Amazon swords underwater to brighten that area up.



Give the Synodontis time, they will settle mine became much more tame over time and could be seen a lot of the time. The secret i found was lots of places for them to hide so that they feel secure. My fav Synodontis was the Angelicus.   

Keep the pics coming!
Thanks for you kind commments about my kitchen tank, i am really pleased with the way it has developed.


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## hydrophyte (6 Jan 2010)

Thanks again Andy! 

I do need to stack up some more rock piles for these fish because the cover that I have for them already is becoming crowded as they grow larger. 

Those _S. angelicus_ really are attractive fish. Did you keep yours in a group, or as a lone specimen?

I have some more image files that I am working on right now. I hope to post them soon.


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## hydrophyte (7 Jan 2010)

The _Cyrtosperma johnstonii_ is still growing and looking healthy--I wondered if this environment would be suitable for it. Here it is with a new leaf slowly unfurling.






The leaf undersides have this strange reptilian patternation.





The leaf petioles are also growing more spiny as they get larger, but the spines are soft. Here is a view of the petiole up close.


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## hydrophyte (7 Jan 2010)

I just started a thread on using those little _Pilea_ sp. stem plants in ripariums over in the Plants sub-forum.

http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9327

These are some of the best plants for the riparium mid-ground. I have a close-up here of the two that I have going on nano trellis rafts here in this tank.


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## hydrophyte (14 Jan 2010)

I have another quick update from tonight. I have moved the stones around some more.





This is not such a good picture--the water was still cloudy from my disturbances. I acquired a couple of swordplants and they are presently in quarantine. They will brighten the underwater area and create some dimension there when I add them to the tank.


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## TBRO (14 Jan 2010)

Looking good hydrophyte, got the inspiration from your tanks to try some emerged stuff myself. I`m finding your "hang stem plants just below the surface" technique works well for transitioning plants to emergent.  Post some picks with the underwater swords - T


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## hydrophyte (14 Jan 2010)

Thanks TBRO. I will be interested to see your setup when you get it going. Yes that is a good method for encouraging emergent growth of stem plants. It also works well for crypts. 

I will probably introduce more underwater plants tonight and I hope to get a few pictures.

Here again is the _Cyrtosperma johnstonii_. It has grown one more new leaf.





I just can't stop taking pictures of that plant. It is my current favorite.


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## andyh (14 Jan 2010)

Excellent pictures, especially the last one!

Congratulations on "aquascape of the the month" over on aquascaping world


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## hydrophyte (15 Jan 2010)

Thanks again Andy. I am still trying to resolve some of my picture-taking problems. I did adjust a few settings in my camera that lessened the glare on the brightly-lit areas. I need to work on white balance & color some more too.

I was very grateful to AquascapingWorld.com and John N. for that feature. I have fond memories of that (now dismantled) setup and it is so nice to have the article there.


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## hydrophyte (16 Jan 2010)

I also managed one quick picture of one of the _S. lucipinnis_ the other night.





It will take some effort to get any good photos of these little catfish--they never stop moving.


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## Nick16 (16 Jan 2010)

i know your rocks are faily large but those syno's must be very small at the moment! 

loving the shots mate.


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## hydrophyte (18 Jan 2010)

Thanks again Nick.

Yes, that particular rock is pretty big (and heavy).

Those _S. lucipinnis_ grow to only about 8cm. They are still juveniles and only a little better than half that size. They have grown some since I purchased them.


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## hydrophyte (19 Jan 2010)

The _Bacopa_ stems are finally beginning to cover well as a dense carpet. You can see just a couple of little corners of the foam trellis raft around the edges.






It took some time and training to get it to grow like this. As the stems have grown longer I have snipped them off where they reach past the edge of the raft. This encourages branching and more compact growth.

I am still unsure about which _Bacopa _ this is. It looks like _monnieri_, but I have some of that too and this one has leaves about 2X bigger. Does anybody have any opinions? The closest that I have seen while looking around is _B. madagascariensis_.


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## LondonDragon (19 Jan 2010)

That last photo, the health of the plants is amazing  love this Riparium tanks, thanks for sharing


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## hydrophyte (19 Jan 2010)

Thanks LondonDragon. This _Bacopa_ (still don't know which one it is??) is one of the best riparium stem plants that I have found. 

I have observed that stems really do best with pretty good root fertilization, so a fertilizer tab or two in the planter cup is helpful. Like regular underwater stems they also benefit with some careful trimming.


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## LondonDragon (20 Jan 2010)

On first look it seemed like Glossostigma elatinoides, bet then noticed it was a stem and not a runner, it looks very close to the Bacopa monnieri I have in my tank, but no idea how that grows emerged.


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## hydrophyte (20 Jan 2010)

Yes I have some _B. monnieri_ too, but this stuff has larger leaves.


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## aaronnorth (21 Jan 2010)

Hi hydrophyte, nice setup.
I am setting up a riparium  
do you know of any UK suppliers? I am struggling to find anywhere that sells the foam blocks & planters. No luck on ebay either.  

could the plant be bacopa caroliniana?


thanks, Aaron


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## hydrophyte (21 Jan 2010)

Thanks so much Aaron. I have really enjoyed viewing your setups too.

I don't think that it is _B. caroliniana_. I have some of that one and this one is different.

Here is a shot of my _B. caroliniana_.





For one thing, the foliage is slightly hairy. The leaves are also larger and more rounded.

I just sent a PM about riparium questions.


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## hydrophyte (23 Jan 2010)

Tonight I spent a few moments admiring the _Echinodorus cordifolius_ 'Tropica Marble Queen' sword.





This is a great riparium plant. Unlike the species _E. cordifolius_, which can quickly grow to ~Im, this one grows slowly and to only 30cm or so. 

I got a close-up of the leaf too. It has this great whitish variegation.


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## hydrophyte (23 Jan 2010)

Here's another shot of one of the _Ilyodon furcidens_.







This really is my favorite ever aquarium fish. I mean to take some time to get some pictures of them.


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## Mark Evans (23 Jan 2010)

this fish reminds me of a trout. very nice.


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## hydrophyte (23 Jan 2010)

I love these fish. They make such a great display. They do get to be rather large (~10cm) but they could be great for a nature aquarium style setup because their coloration is subdued, but they have very pretty finnage and many small metallic gold flecks that catch the light. They love to eat algae.

I collected the parental fish for this colony a few years ago in Mexico. 

http://entomology.wisc.edu/~dbiggs/pesca/index.html


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## hydrophyte (28 Jan 2010)

I got a few update pictures tonight. Here is a quartering-from-above view.


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## andyh (28 Jan 2010)

That looks cool, wish i had space to have a go at a tank like this!

That green/red leaf in the middle looks great!


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## hydrophyte (28 Jan 2010)

Thanks Andy. I like that centerpiece plant too. It is a _Cyrtosperma johnstonii_.

I just formatted a full tank shot.


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## hydrophyte (6 Feb 2010)

I got a few more quick pictures today. That plants are all looking happy enough. I think that the _Cyrtosperma johnstonii_ and _Pilea cardierei_ go together nicely.





I am setting up for some full-tank shots. Here is a view from the side.


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## Mark Evans (6 Feb 2010)

Do i see juncus repens in the back?


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## JamesM (6 Feb 2010)

Stunning 

Do the plants get a daily misting, or is the moisture down to the conditions?


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## hydrophyte (6 Feb 2010)

Mark, Nope, that background plant is _Cyperus alternifolius_ var. _gracilis_. It makes excellent riparium background foliage. I have wondered about _Juncus repens_, but haven't tried it yet. Have you ever seen it in emersed growth? How tall was it?

James, No, the plants in this setup are all selections that do well with drier air. I only sometimes mist them for picture-taking because the water nicely accentuates the colors.


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## Mark Evans (6 Feb 2010)

it looks almost identical to the plant you've just described. the emersed form i've seen is maybe 25cm-30cm tall.


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## hydrophyte (6 Feb 2010)

Interesting...that sounds like a good size. I should watch out for it here and try to give a shot sometime. I think I noticed that you have it there among the AquaFleur selections.


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## JamesM (6 Feb 2010)

AquaFleur state their Juncus repens can get to 50cm, but I'm not sure if that's when in emersed or submerged form. They arrive emersed, some around 10cm, others much bigger.


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## hydrophyte (7 Feb 2010)

Well like I say that would be a good one to try. The grassy-type plants are the best for developing the riparium background foliage. 

I have another shot of the tank from another angle.





I tried to get some more pictures of the _C. cutteri_ cichlid, but didn't really put in enough time. This is the best result that I got.





You can see that he has colored up more. I got this nice detail with a crop of that image.


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## Mark Evans (7 Feb 2010)

The red colouration is just stunning. if only i had a wife i could talk around   saying that, my mum would love this


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## hydrophyte (7 Feb 2010)

I imagine you ought to be able to acquire that plant there in the UK. It is a pretty common specimen for greenhouses and conservatories.


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## hydrophyte (10 Feb 2010)

I finally got around to painting the wall a better color, plain flat white. Here is a quick post-paint shot.





I'm working on setting up for a new full-tank shot tomorrow night.


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## hydrophyte (12 Feb 2010)

I can't stop taking pictures of these plants. They are looking real good right now. Here's another view.





Here is detail cropped from that image.


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## TBRO (12 Feb 2010)

Looking great D, I love the look. So like a lush tropical pond-side,. What is the stem on the far right?


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## hydrophyte (12 Feb 2010)

Thanks TBRO. The "lush tropical pond-side" is what I had in mind for it. Those two plants over on the far right are _Echinodorus cordifolius_ 'Tropica Marble Queen' and an undetermined _Pilea_ sp..


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## Mark Evans (12 Feb 2010)

http://hydrophytesblog.com/wp-content/u ... nk-i-b.jpg

i love this image. ever thought about getting some extra light behind to enhance the natural feel devin? kinda like 'blowing the high lights'...

 i'd love to help shoot something like this. can i come over?    

stunning mate


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## hydrophyte (12 Feb 2010)

Thanks very much Mark. I shot a bunch of pictures the other night and I hope to have an updated full tank shot soon, just need to sort through this long list of files.

Backlighting is an interesting idea and wouldn't be so hard to set up. I will have to try that. 

You're welcome for a visit anytime you like. We give free tours. You can sample our fine Wisconsin beers and cheeses.


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## Gill (12 Feb 2010)

Thought I had replies in here,. 
This is amazing and Like how you are using the Papyrus sp?, I have them outdoors in one of my planted containers.


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## hydrophyte (12 Feb 2010)

That is _Cyperus alternifolius_ var. _gracilis_. It is a superb riparium plant.






Unlike the species it grows to only about 50cm tall. It grows really well under fluorescents.


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## Gill (12 Feb 2010)

Doh! Yep that is the plant I meant. 
Yeah it is a great plant, Mine are Dormant at the moment. Waiting for the weather to improve before seperating and repotting mine.


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## fish fodder (13 Feb 2010)

Hi, 

This looks great. I have one question for you. The planters that you use, how do you cover them up? i would love to attempt one of these but am worried the planters would look unsightly.

Many thanks
Steve


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## hydrophyte (17 Feb 2010)

Yes that _C. alternifolius_ var. _gracilis_ is a good one.

Steve, the idea with those planters is that they become covered with foliage as the plants grow in. You generally can see them while the plants are just starting, but if the plants grow well later on they won't be noticed unless you look very closely.

I have gotten a bunch of new pictures that last couple of days and now I am trying to wade through them. Here is a quick _in situ_ shot.





I'll have more on the way. It generally takes me all night to sort and format a new folder of image files.


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## hydrophyte (18 Feb 2010)

I finally got some video of this tank--I have been meaning to do so for some time. Here's the YouTube link to the first file that I uploaded.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7E5UpvP-aY





I need to work on this some more. These first videos that I got are all very grainy and I don't know why. This one gives you an idea of how crazy the fish get anyway when I throw some food in the tank. 

The display is currently stocked with one _Cryptoheros cutteri_, five _Ilyodon furcidens_ and seven _Synodontis lucipinnis_.


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## hydrophyte (18 Feb 2010)

I got another video loaded. This one shows the whole tank with a couple of close-ups. Here's the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q8V8iXING

It seems that video has even more of that bright glare washing out the foliage in the emersed area. I need to look into fixes for that.


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## Nick16 (18 Feb 2010)

absolutely adore those syno's. might have to do my homework on them and perhaps get half a dozen.


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## hydrophyte (18 Feb 2010)

They are great little fish. Be aware, however, that they might hide for most of the day. Mine do make a good display at feeding time. It is good to keep them in a group of at least six or more if possible.

Oh now the thread is on another new page. Here again is the link to that video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q8V8iXING


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## hydrophyte (19 Feb 2010)

Here's the latest video that I uploaded. This one is a macro shot of _Cryptoheros cutteri_ and _Ilyodon furcidens_ going after an algae wafer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g38gExqO4vM





*


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## hydrophyte (21 Feb 2010)

I have a fun new update. I got a surprise a few mornings ago. Look for the little lavender spot in this picture.





The _Limnophila aromatica_ had a single bloom on it. The delicate little flower goes really well with this plant's fine foliage.





It has been several days now and the flower is still open and fresh. Here is a cozier macro shot.


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## Steve Smith (21 Feb 2010)

Beautiful flower there!  What plant is that?

Do you have to do much maintenance of the plants, such as pruning/misting/wiping down the leaves?  One of the issues I think I would have is dust.  My house is generally quite dusty, and my houseplants accumulate it quite quick.


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## LondonDragon (21 Feb 2010)

Amazing setup!! Would love to try this one day, but it does look like a lot of work!!


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## hydrophyte (22 Feb 2010)

SteveUK said:
			
		

> Beautiful flower there!  What plant is that?
> 
> Do you have to do much maintenance of the plants, such as pruning/misting/wiping down the leaves?  One of the issues I think I would have is dust.  My house is generally quite dusty, and my houseplants accumulate it quite quick.



That is _Limnophila aromatica_. These plants haven't required so much extra work, although I did do some pruning and other training to get them to cover the trellis rafts as they started to grow. I don't see much dust on them really. I have misted them a few times for the sake of photography because the colors show brighter on the wet leaves.

Here is another view stepping back a bit. You can see that _L. aromatica_ bloom there at the lower left.


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## Steve Smith (22 Feb 2010)

Simply stunning    I'm wondering if I should attempt something with an old 90cm x 30cm x 35cm (LxDxH).  Would you say that 2x24w T5 lighting over a 90cm (with a reasonable indirect natural light) might be enough for a riparium?


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## hydrophyte (22 Feb 2010)

LondonDragon said:
			
		

> Amazing setup!! Would love to try this one day, but it does look like a lot of work!!



Thanks LondonDragon! I wouldn't say that these riaprium setups require any more work than a regular planted tank. For one, the emersed aquatic plants seem to be less demanding of rigorous fertilization than underwater plants. So long as one uses low-tech plants underwater, or keeps it bare with just hardscape + sand/gravel, a riparium setup does not require CO2 injection because the plants get all of their carbon dioxide from the air.



			
				SteveUK said:
			
		

> Simply stunning    I'm wondering if I should attempt something with an old 90cm x 30cm x 35cm (LxDxH).  Would you say that 2x24w T5 lighting over a 90cm (with a reasonable indirect natural light) might be enough for a riparium?



That would be plenty of light for some of the houseplant-type tropicals that are good riparium selections. Here is a shot of my 20-gallon from a while ago when I had _Dieffenbachia, Spathiphyllum _and _Pilea_ going in there.


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## aaronnorth (22 Feb 2010)

Hi Devin, tanks looking good, nice videos too. Can you explain how you "train" your stems o grow across the rafts please? 
My ludwigia stems have gone very rigid which I expected but I'm not sure how to get them to spread. Do you just trim the tops to promote side shoots?
By the way the stems that were planted through the trellis holes failed and dried up very quickly, and yes the stems were in the water, so I probably won't be tying that again!


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## hydrophyte (23 Feb 2010)

Aaron, Yes, the primary method that I use to train the stem plants to cover the trellis rafts is to prune them as they grow beyond the edge of the raft. This encourages back budding, so the raft area gets many new stem leads. After repeating this a few times you will eventually see many new branches covering up the foam raft. 

I have found that most of those sprawling stems do best if rooted in the hanging planter, preferably with a root fertilizer tab, then positioned to trail forward onto the raft. There are a number of intriguing selections there among the AquaFleur plants in the PlantedBox.com sotre. Have you looked at any more of those? Stems with smaller leaves will scale well with your 60cm tank.


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## aaronnorth (23 Feb 2010)

No I haven't thought anymore about it, with just gettig back to school, bacopa is still one I would very much like to use though. I've thought about growing some riccia or othe moss on the rafts bu it might be a bit dry for them becuase they don't have roots as such. Have you ever tried this?


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## hydrophyte (23 Feb 2010)

Moss could be a great choice for your setup and it does grow well on the trellis rafts. I quote here a member on another board who use a Nano Trellis Raft for Christmas moss.



			
				Hoppy said:
			
		

>



This is five weeks of growth--it covered pretty quick.

Emersed aquatic mosses do grow best in high humidity, but planted in this way the foliage remains very close to the water, where the air is more most. So, it might work in your setup, especially if you are using a heater and the water is somewhat more warm than the air in the room.


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## aaronnorth (23 Feb 2010)

Ahh cheers, I might give that a go then. 
The heater is set to 26C but the thermometer reads 28 C


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## hydrophyte (28 Feb 2010)

I was getting pictures of this tank again today. I have a bunch of files to process, but here's a quick one while I start organizing them. I like this angle.





I like the look of the tank from this angle. The _Limnophila_ and _Bacopa/I] have grown in so densely that they have covered up the rafts and planter cups really well._


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## LondonDragon (1 Mar 2010)

That last photo is great, the more I see of this tank the more I want to try one haha 
Great work, what type of sponge can be used that floats and yet provides water to the roots?


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## hydrophyte (1 Mar 2010)

Hey thanks again. I like that view too. The trellis raft material is  a buoyant closed-cell foam. It doesn't soak up any water, but it doesn't need to because many of the plant stems rest right near the water's surface.

I got a close-up with the newest leaf on the _Cyrtosperma johnstonii._





The leaf apex has this amazing gold + pink coloration that I had net seen on the older leaves.


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## hydrophyte (6 Mar 2010)

I tore down this layout. I tried to get as many pictures as I could before taking it apart. The plants were pretty much at their peak. Here is the first of those pictures that I took.


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## Steve Smith (6 Mar 2010)

Stunning.  Absolutely beautiful  

How long did this run for in the end?  Doesn't seem like it was that long ago that it started


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## hydrophyte (6 Mar 2010)

Thanks Steve! This picture right here is dated 9 December 2009.





I might have left it all set up for longer by trimming the stem plants, but I wanted to use a lot of the plants for propagation, and I wanted to try some other new plants that I have here.


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## hydrophyte (7 Mar 2010)

I am still processing these last pictures of this layout. Here is another one.


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## viktorlantos (7 Mar 2010)

This is a real beauty


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## hydrophyte (7 Mar 2010)

Thanks Viktor!


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## hydrophyte (18 Mar 2010)

I'm using this setup as a temporary riparium plant propagation tank. I had chopped up most of the plants that I had in that layout and used them to get more new stuff started in planters. Now there are plants hung on all four panes of glass and it is kind of a mess. It's not much of an aquarium display at the moment, but looks kind of cool from above.





Notice that white _Spathiphyllum_ bloom over to the right side there.


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## LondonDragon (18 Mar 2010)

Looks awesome to me


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## ghostsword (18 Mar 2010)

I have to say that as far as emmersed setups go, Hydrophyte is king. He really seems to know his stuff, and seems to be able to grow almost everything he wants emmersed.

Hopefully some of his products will be reaching the UK soon, especially the trelis raft, which is so revolutionary that should get a award for inventiveness.


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## altaaffe (18 Mar 2010)

Absolutely stunning and even as a propagator, I'm jealous !!


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## hydrophyte (4 Apr 2010)

Thanks you guys. I haven't been back to this journal in a little while. I am still using the tank for plant growout. The fish all look happy enough.

The _Cyrtosperma johnstonii_ plant is still doing well. There are several new little suckers growing around the base.





I plan to get some new plants started with those. This plant is one that can grow to a very large size (~2 meters). However, it looks as though it should be easy enough to manage it in a riparium by just starting these new little divisions as the main stalk gets to be too large.

Another new leaf has opened up on this plant. It is now about 70cm tall above the water and I have had to raise the lights again. Here is another shot of the previous new leaf from a couple of months ago.





The newest leaf is going to be larger and it looks as though it will have even more of the gold and pink coloration.


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## hydrophyte (13 Apr 2010)

I took the _Cyrtosperma johnstonii_ outside for a shot in the sunlight. This new leaf has more of the gold and pink.





This is a great plant, and pretty easy to grow in a riparium provided that you can give it some vertical space. 

Can you find this species there in the UK?


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## hydrophyte (9 Aug 2010)

I suppose that I haven't been back to this thread since I replanted the tank. I have most of the same fish in here, but I switched out all of the plants. Now there is a background planting dominated by _Acorus gramineus_ along with a number of midground accent plants in the abovewater area.

Everything is looking pretty good right now. The _Oplismenus _grass and _Pilea_ had gotten to be overgrown and leggy, so I trimmed and replanted them before getting this picture. There is virtually no algae in the tank now.


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## hydrophyte (9 Aug 2010)

Here is a quick view of the underwater area.






With this view of the water's surface you can see the riparium raft planters, but those will become covered up as the plants grow in again.


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## Shivers (11 Aug 2010)

Great work, I love looking at all your journals/tanks as you never fail to deliver! Just a wee daft question, if the tank is 60x45x45 then wouldn't that hold just over 121 liter's at full capacity (and not the 200 in the title), or am I missing something?

Anyway, keep up the great work!


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## hydrophyte (11 Aug 2010)

X


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## NeilW (11 Aug 2010)

The emersed part looks stunning.  I'm loving all the vertical 'stripes' of the grasses and the green-on-green colours.  Really, really nice.  

I would always be wondering what to do with the underwater section in a riparium tank, it seems really difficult to connect the two levels, its almost like two different scapes.  I wonder what it would be like to go for a full on Nature Aquarium for the underwater part with tall stems at the back disguising some 'bolt on' riparium planters ... 

Maybe the riparium style better suits biotope/riverbank tanks like you own?  Food for thought anyways


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## hydrophyte (12 Aug 2010)

X


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## hydrophyte (12 Aug 2010)

X


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## hydrophyte (28 Aug 2010)

X


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## Mark Evans (28 Aug 2010)

The above water plants look so damn natural Devin! like river bank.

Bravo


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## hydrophyte (28 Aug 2010)

X


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## hydrophyte (29 Aug 2010)

X


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## hydrophyte (1 Sep 2010)

X


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## hydrophyte (21 Sep 2010)

X


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## hydrophyte (26 Sep 2010)

X


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## hydrophyte (30 Sep 2010)

X


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## andyh (1 Oct 2010)

Hey Devin

Tank is looking sweet!

You are continually convincing me that one day i may have try something like this!

Keep up the good work and the journal!

Andy


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## hydrophyte (1 Oct 2010)

X


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## Gill (1 Oct 2010)

Always like looking at your setups on here and TPT. Would like to do this but my own way without having to use the supplies you have used. I have so Many Ideas, but lack the space to do it.


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## hydrophyte (13 Oct 2010)

X


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## ghostsword (13 Oct 2010)

Gill said:
			
		

> Always like looking at your setups on here and TPT. Would like to do this but my own way without having to use the supplies you have used. I have so Many Ideas, but lack the space to do it.



You can use any shower caddy that has suction cups on them, or get magnets for them. For the rafters, you can use any closed cell foam, simple and effective.


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## hydrophyte (13 Oct 2010)

X


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## andyh (13 Oct 2010)

hydrophyte said:
			
		

> X



Why have all your recent post turned to X's?
Weird?


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## Gfish (21 Oct 2010)

Have just read this whole thread as recommended. It's a great source of inspiration and info for what I hope to do next year. Shame about the 'X' posts at the end ????
If Hydrophyte comes back I've many things to ask 

But congrats on an amazing tank, and I hope to hear more of your further projects.

Cheers

Gavin


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