Re: biotope tank for apisto

[Per Wigstal <per_wigstal@yahoo.co.uk>]

Hello
 
Sorry but I don´t have any digital photos from this tank setup. But I think that I took some photos anyway, so I will look for some copys and scan if I can find them :-P
 
I used silicone to glue all the styrofoam blocks into the tank. Then I carved and cutted it to a smooth shape, forming the interior.
 
I put silicone on it all and pressed sand against it. Then I glued stones and parts of wood and roots so ít looked quite natural.
 
The big disadvantage with this arrangement was that you had to look into a big area of white styrofoam through the front glass of the tank.
And that is the answer to one of your questions, there was no cave or filter  unter the "lagoon". So the styrofoam took a lot of the volume of the tank.
 
But I will do something similar very soon! I will order a 200 lítre tank and make the same type of arrangement. But I will improve it this time. I will make a "step by step" instruction this time so I will keep you informed.
 
Just remember if you will try to make a shallow part in the tank, that the shallow part must be like a pond. This i because when you change water the pond must hold some water so the fishes that are trapped in this area doesn´t end up on land!
 
Best regards/ Per
 


Grzegorz Prusinowski <gprusinowski@poczta.onet.pl> wrote:
Hello Per,

I got really interested in the idea you used for your tank -
the shallow zone made of styrofoam (?). could you give some
more details? how did you mount it in the tank? How did you
keep sand from slipping? what was below the styrofoam (empty
space/"cave"/some filter?). would be great if you had some
photos.
and most of all - you mentioned the apistos were mating
there and the young swam free with the parents - that's my
dream! how did you feed them? any special arrangements or
just small food for parents and kids alike?

If you would like to describe it thoroughly - from start to
finish, mentioning advantages and disadvantages - I could
translate it and post on our website as "Apistos Per's way"
how do you like it? :-)

BTW - thanks for your compliments on the website - it's a
joint effort of a few apisto maniacs from all over Poland.
If you took the map you could pin Szczecin, Zielona Gora,
Gdansk, Rzeszow, Krakow, Wroclaw, Warszawa... we never met
in real :-) we started quite all right, but now are a bit
stagnant... so the English version is not likely to appear
soon.

Looking forward to your reply.

Greg

Grzegorz Prusinowski
www.apisto.pl

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