Mountain Stream, Hainan, China

Aquarium information

Aquarium description

Set-up date

January

Aquarium decoration

The hardscape of this tank consists mainly of natural rocks collected from a stream near my home in Utah, USA. They are of similar color and makeup to the rocks found in Hainan. Rocks are stacked and built up to look like a cross section of a narrow pool in a stream with banks on either side and water flowing over rocks into the pool, flowing from left to right.

Plants emerge from the bank in a bunch on the right side, adding perspective and scale. The substrate consists of fine sand and gravel from a nearby fish store, matching the natural color of the rocks and appearing to have been pushed into the deeper section of the stream by the flow.

A bright foreground and dark, narrower background adds depth and increased perspective. There is a vinyl hose attached to the lid with holes drilled to replicate natural rain drops, this pump is programmed to rain in short or long bursts depending on the real time rain intensity in Hainan.

The light is a smart bulb that is also programmed to adapt to real time weather data in Hainan including sunrise and sunset times, cloudy weather, rain, or thunderstorms.

Aquarium equipment

• Filtration: Topfin 29 gal HOB filter, emersed plants, thick substrate
• Pump: 90 GPH mini submersible pump
• Lighting: Kasa Smart Bulb KL125
• Computing: Raspberry Pi 3.0 B

Fish care

The fish are given many different areas. A faster flowing area in the front allowing them to dance in the flow, a slow flow and darker area in the back middle where they can rest and hide, roots along the streambank on the right side and upper corner giving them areas to hide, sleep, and breed. The fish are fed twice a day with high quality fish food.

A 20% water change is done every 14 days to keep the water clear and clean. Fish are occasionally fed frozen or live food to stimulate natural behavior and breeding.

Fish list:

• Tanichthys albonubes, Golden variant (Tanichthyidae)

Plant care

The plants in this tank (maidenhair fern and umbrella tree) do not require any special care. They are growing in emersed form, with their roots in the substrate and growing into the tank.

Wetland plant list:

• Schefflera arboricola (Araliaceae)
• Adiantum sp. (Pteridaceae)

Water care

The water is tested before every water change, done every 14 days at 20%. Water that is replaced is slightly colder to replicate the natural flow of stream water. The front glass is scraped with every water change and the substrate is stirred monthly. Water is topped off frequently to adapt for evaporation and replicate natural water level.

Dimensions

Length

50.8 cm

Depth

25.4 cm

High

30.48 cm

Volume

37.85 L