Streetwise Indoor Aquariums

[Streetwise]

I think that a key to running an organic soil tank is maintaining a cycle of decomposition. This is why I am trying to move towards minimal gravel caps, so that mulm can more-easily rejoin the soil. I like having wood in all my tanks because it is a slow source of biofilm and decomposition.

[Patrick_G]

On 7/31/2021 at 6:30 PM, Streetwise said:

I think that a key to running an organic soil tank is maintaining a cycle of decomposition. This is why I am trying to move towards minimal gravel caps, so that mulm can more-easily rejoin the soil. I like having wood in all my tanks because it is a slow source of biofilm and decomposition.

Ok, that makes sense. 

[ChemBob]

@Streetwise all your tanks look great! I'm assuming you dint use root tabs with the dirt tanks, but do you use a liquid fertilizer? 

[Patrick_G]

In the gardening hobby we send soil away to get analyzed. It would be interesting to see what’s in your soil now and then after a long period of being amended with mulm. 

[Streetwise]

@ChemBob, I tried root tabs once, just to check them out, but I didn’t know the pinprick technique, and my loach dug them up. I also tested Easy Green for fun, but I really just let my organic soil battery, fish waste, and mulm provide fertilizer.

@Patrick_G, I’ll see what testing options might be around. BTW, this is where I get my organic topsoil:

http://www.growcompost.com/compost-home/

[Streetwise]

I removed a few small pieces of wood, smoothed-out the substrate, and put the big piece back. I have some Co-Op plants ready.

[FrozenFins]

On 8/1/2021 at 9:46 PM, Streetwise said:

 

You know you have a duckweed problem when your newly aquaried co-op plants already have duckweed before being their evem added to a tank.

[Streetwise]

The Duckweed is all on me! I moved those plants more than once! I planted some of them today. ACO has not shipped me any Duckweed.

[FrozenFins]

I'm all for embracing duck weed! I just cant seem to get enough, my snail likes eating it!

[Streetwise]

[Streetwise]

On 8/1/2021 at 11:38 PM, James Black said:

I'm all for embracing duck weed! I just cant seem to get enough, my snail likes eating it!

Please print this out, frame it, and mount it on the wall. 😁

[Streetwise]

It is looking better, but I still have to replant a few plants that floated up. I need to drop in some more snails to help with the glass before my loach eats them.

[Streetwise]

I had to setup two buckets again because I have too much wood and Anubias. The third bucket is outside now. I just don’t trust that my lake plants are free of zebra mussels yet.

[Jungle Fan]

@Streetwisethe tank looks like mine does after I add the Blackwater Clear, then in a few days it gets lighter again. The tannin definitely adds to plant health, and the cardinals and rummynoses do much better with it.

[Streetwise]

Water pail for the cat:

3.5 gallons:

I am ready to try brine shrimp again:

[Guppysnail]

My cats would love your water pail!😍

[Odd Duck]

@Streetwise What size are those cubes?  What kind of lights, what’s the reach forward on the arms, would you buy them again, price?

I’m not happy with how the Aqueon light looks on my 14 Gallon cube.  I like that it visually matches my other cubes but I don’t think it’s going to work as well on this cube.  It doesn’t extend out over the cube far enough, I don’t think.  I also don’t think it’s got enough intensity.  I’m open to other ideas and suggestions.

I like the row of cubes!

Edited August 9, 2021 by Odd Duck

[Streetwise]

@Odd Duck, those are Deep Blue/Aquarium Masters 3.5 gallon cubes. I think Seapora might be the current brand, but I have not bought a new tank to confirm. The lights are Fluval Plant 3.0 Nanos.

[Odd Duck]

On 8/8/2021 at 8:57 PM, Streetwise said:

@Odd Duck, those are Deep Blue/Aquarium Masters 3.5 gallon cubes. I think Seapora might be the current brand, but I have not bought a new tank to confirm. The lights are Fluval Plant 3.0 Nanos.

Nice looking cubes!  I’ve become quite fond of cubes.

Looks like a very nice light, all kinds of settings, but that price!  I paid about $30.00 for mine.  I’m afraid the better lights are going to be outside of what I’m willing to spend at this point.

[FrozenFins]

Oooh, Baby Brine Shrimp. I started hatching them out as well, it seemed that my zebra danios liked them the most, as well as my tetras. I couldn't tell if my corydoras did though. However my angelfish didn't even go for them, and my bettas thought it was alright. Defentley did not live up the hype that I was expecting, however that was my first and only time hatching bbs. Perhaps I'll give it a go another time. Looking forward to when I have Guppy Fry, that'll be when I start hatching BBS a little more often.

[Torrey]

On 8/7/2021 at 2:39 PM, Streetwise said:

I had to setup two buckets again because I have too much wood and Anubias. The third bucket is outside now. I just don’t trust that my lake plants are free of zebra mussels yet.

You have invasive zebra mussels in your lake😳

My sister worked with the forestry department, and those mussels are a nightmare. I'm sorry you have to worry about them. 

 

How do you get rid of them?

[Streetwise]

@Torrey, I collected plants on an impulse, and they didn't show any visible signs, but they have stayed isolated in a bucket, and I probably won't use them. Most of my experience is clearing them from through-hull fittings, sail drives, rudder bearings, boat bottoms, etc., for boats that live on the lake in the summer. I just did some quick research and very hot water can be partially effective (control, not eradication). One article suggested 100 ppm potassium chloride. The ironic thing is that most or all of the plants I collected are also invasive, and I can buy them safely in the hobby already, like bacopa.

I posted some other stuff in the Zebra/Marimo thread.

I also have more in my Vermont Outdoors thread.

 

[Nanci B]

Hi Jason, 

I have been going through your tank updates on this thread and have a few questions on your dirted tanks. How deep is the dirt and then the depth of your cap? 

Also, it looks like you have several red crypts in some different tanks. I can I’d them if you don’t know the ones I am referring to. What are they? 

I really enjoyed reading through a bunch of your pages. 

Cheers,

Nanci

[Streetwise]

Hi @Nanci B,

I appreciate your kind words! I prefer organic soil aquariums to describe my tanks.

I went through an evolution with my soil and caps. At first, I thought more was always better, and went big on each layer of soil, sand, and gravel. Then I read Diana Walstad's book a bit more closely, after having soil suffer under too-much sand.

Now my recipe is 1-1.5" organic soil, capped with a modest amount of 2-4mm gravel. By modest, I mean as little as you can get away with, perhaps as little as 0.5".

I want to make sure that the soil can breathe, and that mulm can join the soil. That is why I like the more coarse nature of gravel.

Some of my current tanks still have a small layer of sand under the gravel, but I removed most of it.

The plant you mention might be Cryptocoryne Wendtii.

[Hobbit]

Wait. These aren’t Jason’s tanks. They’re Streetwise’s tanks! 😜

If we ever do a co-op meet up I think I’m going to have to call everyone by their forum names. Including @eatyourpeas and @TheDukeAnumber1.