# 60cm - Liberty Island (Cenotes biotope)



## George Farmer (11 May 2010)

I did this for PFK a few months back - a Mexican Cenotes biotope.  Another simple layout.

Fish are the rare Liberty molly - _Poecilia salvatoris_.  Plants are Riccia.  Wood is locally collected from a lake.  Substrate is play sand.

60x30x30cm tank
1200lph external filter
2 x 18w T8 and pressurised CO2 with glass diffuser 
2ml TPN+ day 
1/2 water change per week


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## Mark Evans (12 May 2010)

*Re: Liberty Island*

nice, man! 

real clean images. i'd love to of helped you out with taking the images. 

To get the whole ripple, blue/white background, jaunty angle thing going on! This tank suits it so well.


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## George Farmer (13 May 2010)

*Re: Liberty Island*

Thanks mate. 

And thanks for the offer of help too.  I still need to crack the studio lighting.  This was with 6 x 39w T5.

We'll get together soon so you can give me a practical tutorial.  Would love to see your 120cm in the flesh sometime...


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## flygja (14 May 2010)

Nice and clean George. Something to recommend to beginners for a simple low maintenance setup.


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## LondonDragon (14 May 2010)

Simple but effective, I wonder if you would be able to keep a setup like this long term, guess you would need to prune that Riccia constantly.


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## George Farmer (14 May 2010)

Thanks guys.



			
				LondonDragon said:
			
		

> Simple but effective, I wonder if you would be able to keep a setup like this long term, guess you would need to prune that Riccia constantly.


This was the last biotope I did for PFK in this series and kept it running for 8 weeks.  I pruned the Riccia weekly and think it would be quite easy to keep long-term.

In this photo the Riccia is still relatively immature at only 2 weeks since planting.

It was good to see it growing so well even with just 2 x 18w T8.


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## Garuf (14 May 2010)

Doesn't Nico use just 2x 18w t8's too? 
Really nice tank, George. I think this might have been my favourite of the lot. It certainly made me want to go to a cenotes and spured research on them. 

I'm curious, when I strip a tank I often this of what I would have done differently, with some many tanks do you still get that? And what would you do differently with the biotopes series, in an ideal world... Of course.


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## David.Earl (14 May 2010)

This tank looks great George, very well done 
Just wondering if you had any tips for growing riccia in my 10ltr tank...
Its been in there for nearly a month and I can see some growth but it is fairly limited.
I've attached it to mesh with cotton and I currently dose with 5ml of Tetra Plantamin every week ( i know this possibly isnt the best product to use). I have a 10 watt light which is on for 8 hours a day.
Do you think I should upgrade my wattage, or try easycarbo or  a similar product.

Thanks in advance,

David


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## FishBeast (23 May 2010)

Love it. This looks like something I would like to have sitting next to my computer with some shrimp in it.


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## George Farmer (24 May 2010)

Garuf said:
			
		

> Really nice tank, George. I think this might have been my favourite of the lot. It certainly made me want to go to a cenotes and spured research on them.
> 
> I'm curious, when I strip a tank I often this of what I would have done differently, with some many tanks do you still get that? And what would you do differently with the biotopes series, in an ideal world... Of course.


Thanks, Gareth.

With these biotopes my biggest limitations were the timescales and resources.  I tried my best with what I had available.  

Ideally one biotope every 2 or three months would have been better, especially for the planted set-ups.  This would allow more plant growth time to help achieve a mature appearance. 

Having a bigger selection of aquariums, subtrates and decor would have made the series better too.  And maybe a proper photo studio.  Unlike most other step-by-step projects PFK features, all mine were created in my own living spaces so that is restrictive too.

Also, If I started again I would speak more closely with experts on specific habitats.  Ironically I have only just recently got into contact with Heiko Bleher who would have been an invaluable resource.  Something to consider for future projects, for sure.

PS Not sure about Nico's lighting.  2 x 18w T8 in a shallow 60cm is ample for most circumstance I would guess.



			
				David.Earl said:
			
		

> This tank looks great George, very well done
> Just wondering if you had any tips for growing riccia in my 10ltr tank...
> Its been in there for nearly a month and I can see some growth but it is fairly limited.
> I've attached it to mesh with cotton and I currently dose with 5ml of Tetra Plantamin every week ( i know this possibly isnt the best product to use). I have a 10 watt light which is on for 8 hours a day.
> ...


Thanks, David.

If you are growing Riccia submerged then you will need an additional carbon source.  CO2 is better than liquid carbon, and liquid carbon can be detrimental to Riccia, so careful dosing is required.

A weekly dose of an non-comprehensive fertiliser like Tetra Plantamin may not be sufficient.

Consider a comprehensive product like Tropica Plant Nutrition+. 1ml per day should be ample, with 1/2 water change twice per week.



			
				FishBeast said:
			
		

> Love it. This looks like something I would like to have sitting next to my computer with some shrimp in it.


Thanks!


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## Garuf (24 May 2010)

George Farmer said:
			
		

> Thanks, Gareth.
> 
> With these biotopes my biggest limitations were the timescales and resources.  I tried my best with what I had available.
> 
> ...



Interesting you mention the tanks as a limiting factor, it's not really something you consider till you have your hardscape, or at least I haven't actively. 

I personally thought the photography was as good as the PFK standard format, you're not missing much there. 
Substrate and decor is interesting too, I've always done what I can with what I have so I know the stress there, by substrates I'm guessing you're meanind graded gravels etc? Andy is becoming a real master of the graded gravel! Plant based substrates surely are much of a muchness, they more that enter the market the more they seem to be all in one high CEC clay products. Were Unipac at interzoo? I hope they're bringing some new stones/wood out? 


I recenlty listening to an interview with Heiko, he really sells the idea of biotopes, he deffinately makes them sound more popular and easy than a "nature" scape. I'd love to see a heiko/farmer scape, I think the stocking would be pretty off the wall but the scaping would be spot on.

Also, Nico's tank used 1-3 x 18w t8's so yeah, it looks a lot like 2x would be more than enough in say a 30cm high tank.


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## mr. luke (30 May 2010)

Are those fish from crowland? 
Got myself a few last week, hopefully ill end up with a few more.


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## George Farmer (3 Jun 2010)

mr. luke said:
			
		

> Are those fish from crowland?
> Got myself a few last week, hopefully ill end up with a few more.


Yep!  Great looking fish when they're mature and settled in.  These are females.  Males are even more colourful.

I have a dozen or so F1 juveniles that are just starting to colour up now.


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