converting 38 to FW river

[treesprite]

Since I now have two 20's I will have an empty 38g. At first I was going to get rid of it becaues I can't manage 2 SW tanks, but now I'm thinking to convert it to a river tank. I already have all the equipment, and FW is practically effortless when biologically balanced.

 

I am sure there are people here who would have some DIY "rock"work tips. I don't want to go hunting for rocks or paying for rocks, and I don't want that plastic stuff. Any ideas about using pond foam to make this? I would have to be able to get behind or into it for maintanence for the water pump.

[Larry Grenier]

If it were me I'd just use slate and driftwood and lots of plants with good lighting and a good substrate. Do a search on "Amano Planted Aquariums" amazing! We have a WAMAS member named Ghazanfar Ghori who is a planted tank genious if he's willing to give advice.

[treesprite]

I should have specified that I want it to be a river tank with waterfalls. It will be about 1/3rd to 1/2 full of water.

 

This tank has an interesting history. I got it as a saltwater QT when I had amylodinium so the 45 could go fallow, then it was empty for about a year, then it was a terrarium of the place I go camping (all from that place except the soil), then it was a mosquito farm due to there being a 1" opening in the top and a pond on the bottom, then it was empty for a few years, then I turned it into a saltwater sump/fuge.

Edited April 7, 2008 by treesprite

[davjbeas]

I have a slate background you are welcome to.

Its in this post - free

http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?show...c=21251&hl=

 

I hope it's the right size

 

David B.

[YBeNormal]

davelin315's setup has lots of cascading water. You should contact him for ideas and advice. HTH

[dschflier]

I used to have a 55 that I first used for schooling zebras and neons and then for a very small snapping turtle and a pair of dwarf convicts. I used PVC to have the water output on one side of the tank and then had the input hidden on the other. I used drift wood I found, rocks and sand I got from local streams, bought some anacharus and some other plants I liked and the water movment was a nice flowing stream from one side to the other. It actually started off in a 20 long. It was a very nice tank.

 

If you use local stuff I would recomend the following:

 

1) drift wood I always baked in the oven for a while and then soaked it to try and get rid of anything living within.

 

2) If rocks are brown it could mean some kind of metal and I didn't think rust was good for the tank so I would always get rid of them.

 

3) I always rinsed the sand or gravel I got from the streams and looked for areas that the water had descent movment .

 

You can make really nice fresh water tanks for next to nothing. If I where to do it again I would drill like I do for a reef closed loop so it would be a much cleaner look. In fact now you got me thinking

[treesprite]

this is what I'm thinking of. These pics are from where I go camping.

[guppychao]

where do you go camping?