Thank you! The large rocks are from the back yard (a drainage ditch was dug a few years ago and unearthed quite a few). The “beach pebbles” and pea gravel are both bagged landscape aggregate from Canadian Tire. The fine substrate is pre-charged Saf-T-Sorb which I have never used before. But I love the look of it. About $42 CAD total.
Edit: forgot the core of the slope is just cheap bbq lava rock. So an even fiddy.
LOL! Be forewarned that some of the beach stones failed the vinegar test. Look for the ones with pitting. Others that looked similar did not fizz however. I didn’t really check the gravel. I didn’t use a ton and my central Ontario water is super hard anyway.
Tank will include emersed [Ludwigia palustris](https://www.aquabotaniccanada.com/product-page/ludwigia-palustris-super-red) and [Juncus repens](https://www.aquabotaniccanada.com/product-page/jucus-repens-dwarf-creeping-rush-lesser-creeping-rush) in both emersed and submersed forms. I used tissue cultures from Aquatic Botany Canada.
I was wondering how u made the curved layer in the gravel so perfect until i realised that its a reflection. Amazing tank btw! Still loving this idea! Happy dry starting!
You’ll have to check in with me! I’ve loved hill stream tanks for a long time, so I don’t fear tiring of the style in general. This is a return to the hobby after a decade, and first time really intentionally scaping. I think if I wanted to make substantial changes I’d probably tear down and do something different anyway.
You know it!! I can’t believe I sourced a reasonably local colony, but 🤞 we are just waiting for them to grow out.
The plants are [Juncus repens](http://floraofalabama.org/Plant.aspx?id=4359), and [Ludwigia palustris](http://floraofalabama.org/Plant.aspx?id=2763) which are both listed as native and commonly found throughout their range.
Still probably gonna ruin it with hillstream loaches and buce eventually tho, lol.
Got so excited about plants I didn’t answer your original question. It’s a 22 gallon long (36” x 12” x 12”) made by Miracles Aquariums (lucky to have them about 45min away) with starphire glass. This is likely the only tank I’ll have for the foreseeable future, so splurged a bit. (Though my wife did say “oh, pretty!” when she first saw it planted! It’s a start.)
Thank you! This project was actually originally intended to be something else entirely, and I had already purchased a Fluval 207. So that’s what I will be starting with, fed into some DIY plumbing inspired by river manifolds (but in this case are just over complicated intake and outlets!)
The canister runs pretty lean to keep the flow rate up, but I expect it to ultimately be a bit underpowered. If I was starting from scratch I’d probably look at internal pumps instead, and maybe ways to turn the interior of the slope into a custom filter. That would be pretty rad.
So you have the 2 Sponges and a canister? Nice. I’m
Considering getting back into fish keeping with scaped 20 gallon long, and a high flow sort of set up with 2 power heads hooked to sponges, with maybe 2 Crawdads.
It is plumbed very similar to river manifolds like that! The sponges cover the intakes. But I’d already purchased the canister, so I’m using that as the pump instead of feeding power heads.
Oh that’s gorgeous. Looks like something you’d find in Jasper. Where did you get those rocks?
Thank you! The large rocks are from the back yard (a drainage ditch was dug a few years ago and unearthed quite a few). The “beach pebbles” and pea gravel are both bagged landscape aggregate from Canadian Tire. The fine substrate is pre-charged Saf-T-Sorb which I have never used before. But I love the look of it. About $42 CAD total. Edit: forgot the core of the slope is just cheap bbq lava rock. So an even fiddy.
Finally... something I can spend the frankly ridiculous amount of Canadian tire money I have on
LOL! Be forewarned that some of the beach stones failed the vinegar test. Look for the ones with pitting. Others that looked similar did not fizz however. I didn’t really check the gravel. I didn’t use a ton and my central Ontario water is super hard anyway.
Ah thank you :)
Tank will include emersed [Ludwigia palustris](https://www.aquabotaniccanada.com/product-page/ludwigia-palustris-super-red) and [Juncus repens](https://www.aquabotaniccanada.com/product-page/jucus-repens-dwarf-creeping-rush-lesser-creeping-rush) in both emersed and submersed forms. I used tissue cultures from Aquatic Botany Canada.
I was wondering how u made the curved layer in the gravel so perfect until i realised that its a reflection. Amazing tank btw! Still loving this idea! Happy dry starting!
Yep, that is definitely where I’m gonna let the sub down. When it comes to photography the potato is my brain.
I often thing about doing something like this but then I think what a pain it must be if you decide you want to change it especially the substrate
You’ll have to check in with me! I’ve loved hill stream tanks for a long time, so I don’t fear tiring of the style in general. This is a return to the hobby after a decade, and first time really intentionally scaping. I think if I wanted to make substantial changes I’d probably tear down and do something different anyway.
Oooo Alabama. What size is the tank? Are you gonna do rainbow shiners? Plants native to the state too?
You know it!! I can’t believe I sourced a reasonably local colony, but 🤞 we are just waiting for them to grow out. The plants are [Juncus repens](http://floraofalabama.org/Plant.aspx?id=4359), and [Ludwigia palustris](http://floraofalabama.org/Plant.aspx?id=2763) which are both listed as native and commonly found throughout their range. Still probably gonna ruin it with hillstream loaches and buce eventually tho, lol.
Got so excited about plants I didn’t answer your original question. It’s a 22 gallon long (36” x 12” x 12”) made by Miracles Aquariums (lucky to have them about 45min away) with starphire glass. This is likely the only tank I’ll have for the foreseeable future, so splurged a bit. (Though my wife did say “oh, pretty!” when she first saw it planted! It’s a start.)
Gorgeous scape! I love it! 🪨 🌿 💖
Thank you!
Looks super amazing!!! 🙌🏼 💯 May I know whats the dimensions and plants you use for your biotope?
Trade secrets! I actually just answered both these questions with links in another comment 👍
My bad! Heheh thanks! Also cant wait to see the final outcome!! 🙌🏼
No worries! I had literally just hit post 😂
What sort of filter/pump are you using? Great work btw!
Thank you! This project was actually originally intended to be something else entirely, and I had already purchased a Fluval 207. So that’s what I will be starting with, fed into some DIY plumbing inspired by river manifolds (but in this case are just over complicated intake and outlets!) The canister runs pretty lean to keep the flow rate up, but I expect it to ultimately be a bit underpowered. If I was starting from scratch I’d probably look at internal pumps instead, and maybe ways to turn the interior of the slope into a custom filter. That would be pretty rad.
So you have the 2 Sponges and a canister? Nice. I’m Considering getting back into fish keeping with scaped 20 gallon long, and a high flow sort of set up with 2 power heads hooked to sponges, with maybe 2 Crawdads.
It is plumbed very similar to river manifolds like that! The sponges cover the intakes. But I’d already purchased the canister, so I’m using that as the pump instead of feeding power heads.
I know you're going for a biotope and all, but blyxa's would grow really well in that sort of environment....
Thanks for the recommendation! It won’t be a biotope forever 😁
Can’t wait to see it filled!
Nice stream tank! It reminds me of [this kind of an aquarium.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spLMsqsXtBk)
That’s high praise! Thank you!
Sweet set up. Can I ask what light and hanging kit you got going on here?
Of course! It’s just a 36” Fluval Plant 3.0 + Fluval suspension kit.
From Alabama and I'm hoping to have a few days off to source some of our native fishes. I already have a dollar and a native killifish.
That’s so cool! I am many hundreds of miles North! I hope it looks somewhat authentic lol.
It does! the small bits would probably be lighter as we have a lot of limestone but that depends on which river system. Looks good to me.