# West African Biotope



## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

helloooooo, i want to do a biotope for my pelvicachromis taeniatus moliwe and i cant find much detailed info on the web. so far this is my idea:

tank; 10 gls (i want a 20 long but no money  )
light; hood with two screw on incandescent bulbs, probably will be like 13 W daylight
substrate; i read they like soft acidic so i was thinking on using peat moss at the very bottom mixed with potash and dolomites for some fertilization and topped with mineralized soil 
hardscape; large, heavy piece of dry wood i found in the backyard and some large-ish rocks to provide hiding
plants; anubias either nana "narrow" or "petite" , what else comes from west africa???
fish; i currently have 5-6-7 baby moliwe and will probably need something for algea control (any tipes of plecos?) something else for the top areas would be nice, any tipes of snails?? 

pictures will be coming soon


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## NeonFlux (May 15, 2008)

Nice, nice. We can't wait to see it coming. In the meantime, have a good one, Damian and I hope you will get a good paycheck soon.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

im hoping that too! been working for about 3 weeks and no payments yet...family business...[smilie=s:
thats why im being so cheap! the tank was given to me complete fron a neigbor, the wood from the backyard/park, the fish from a friend from a local club, the light will be 13 watt compact flourescent (5-8 bucks) the soil was purchased today for like 2 bucks and i collected some reddish rocks from the potomac river while fishing today  i get so impatient though!!!

a friend mentioned some really nice plants today and i think i want to try and find crinum natans and aponogeton subconjugatus and/or vallisnerioiles. i already have also nymphaea lutus and micrantra which i didn't know were west african species i am probably going to use anubia coffefolia with the set up too. 

i don't know what other small fish comes from those regions that could cohexist with my moliwes...any time of hillstream loach maybe? logsuckers?? something for algea control/assistance!


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

i took some pics today and started the process to mineralize the soild. i can not decide how to use the wood, ideally it would go with a 20 long but i don't have a 20 l so this is going to have to do it which wood position do you like best? im also thinking/devating on using the dome fixture i had with my turtles and hang it off the ceiling with like one 150W daylight bulb maybe and see how it goes or two 13 watt bulbs in the hood... one last thing is that the wood had bugs and dirt in it all over, i kept it in the tank to soak now, would you boil it or bleach it or neither? thanks guys!:whoo::mullet:


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

ddavila06 said:


> i took some pics today and started the process to mineralize the soild. i can not decide how to use the wood, ideally it would go with a 20 long but i don't have a 20 l so this is going to have to do it which wood position do you like best? im also thinking/devating on using the dome fixture i had with my turtles and hang it off the ceiling with like one 150W daylight bulb maybe and see how it goes or two 13 watt bulbs in the hood... one last thing is that the wood had bugs and dirt in it all over, i kept it in the tank to soak now, would you boil it or bleach it or neither? thanks guys!:whoo::mullet:


If you have a pot big enough, boil it. Be very careful for soft spots that will be subject to decay.


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## Douglas Ingram (Apr 1, 2010)

I think that I like the third position, the one on the far right, but I would cut the ends of the "feet", especially the right foot, so that it sits further/deeper in the tank. As is it looks like its being jammed into a place not big enough.


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## JakeJ (Apr 14, 2010)

Another plant from Africa is _Bolbitis heudelotii_ and all the _Anubias_ sp. plants out there. I have never really seen a planted African biotope. Keep us updated!


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

thank you guys, so far im waiting for the soil to dry so i can wet it again into a bucket  it rained a few days ago and soaked it again lol, so just patiente for now.

and yeah the tank is kind of little, a 20 long is only $26.99 new so i might get one... this was a gift, you know what happens when you get a fish tank gift


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

update: i traded a 20 long from a friend at a local club, yay! i got a tv stand free from CL, the soil is drying its second time since today and im anxious to put things together! anyone knows of a link to DIY light? i want to use the one that i had for the 10 gallon but im not sure how to put it together...


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Use the screw in fluorescent bulbs for better light. If you have a "kit" sort of lid for the 10, but the light fixture is NOT built in, then get a glass cover for the 20 long (29 gallon standard is the same in most cases) and you can use the smaller light fixture; just sit it on top. The ends will not be very well lit, though. If the lid for the 10 is an all in one sort of thing, lights molded in, it is not as nice. You could still place it on top of a glass cover.


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## Aquarium1 (Apr 26, 2010)

Following along , can't wait to see how this turns out.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

Aquarium1 said:


> Following along , can't wait to see how this turns out.


sorry for the late reply, but the tank is looking goooooood 

i got a 20L and put the tank inside, filled it with water and put the wood to soak, added the rocks and put the filter in to get the tannings out. the soil is drying for the third and last time (of course it rained the day after i put it out to dry, again) lol

i will picture as it is tomorrow sometime!

does anyone know of a good DYI light? i have a hood for a 10 gallon with incandescent bulbs which i was going to change anyways with CF, the energy efficient bulbs.

well, thanks everyone for being patient with me,the set up is finally coming!


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## PzykoSkillz (Jul 5, 2010)

Time for an update. I just use the little strip lights that I already have and then buy a dual T5 strip from Home Depot and swap them out. I just bought a 4' dual and it was only $35.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

update!!! finally i got my computer back from best buy and here is what i have to update on the tank:

-is up and running! with peat moss in the bottom to help make water acidic (not working?), about 1.5 inch of mineralized soil, topped off with eco complete black. bunch of round-is rocks collected from the potomac, the large tree stump from the patio, the fish , and some plants!!

reminder that a friend traded me a 20 long so i upgraded the tank size and is looking great!

so far plants include: nymphaea micrantra, red lotus plant -of some sort-, anubias nana "petite", anubias sp. gasser, and bolbitis heudeleti (spelling? ).

plants im STILL looking for: eleocharis parvula and crinum natans.

fish: Pelvicachromis Taeniatus "Moliwe"

here are the pics! i dont have a background, anyone has any suggestions as far as color goes with the tipe of set up i have?


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

more random pics! one when i put it inside to soak the wood and rocks and one very dark photo of the day after i set it up! then some not-so-good from above:sorry:


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

uhmm, two issues! 

one (obviously a female) krib is terrorising everyone non stop, what to do? my regular pelvicachromis pulcher are not any aggresive at all.

two, the PH won't come down from 7.8 or so....not even with the wood and the peat moss underneath...ideas? 

im also still open to suggestions on the color for the background!! thanks


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

update: the tanks is doing well, very low light for now, only one compact flourescent bulb hanging about a foot and half from the tank... most cribs died  i was very sad, that large female still around and looking very healthy! i guess she needs a real man! lol i havent found any parvula nor crinum  too hot to order from vendors and no members pitching in, im waiting til' weather cools or something... two plants have reaaally taken off, the nymphaea lotus and the anubia gasser are doing great!!! i don't have any pics yet, maybe later this week. i still dont have a background, suggestions?


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

this shall be my last update to this thread. i did something very wrong, i was doing a water change after my update on the first of september and noticed some bubbling on the side of my tank. i pocked my finger in and a very nasty smell came out! and my finger was dark black--greenish from it  substrate went bad, nasty bad...i quickly took it out and tossed everything out (not the plants) put the poor cryb into my 125. too bad that happened. wonder why did that happen?? i happened to order seachem black flourite sand last week, was going to use some to cover the dusty substrate in that tank, but ended up resetting with new clean sand now. i re did the tank  will start a separate post soon.


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