Dimensions 91 × 30 × 41 cm

Volume 113L

Background For the photographs a black plastic background was used. Black paper was used to shield the camera from the glare of the lights for some photographs. Normally, I prefer to view this tank with no background so filtered light from the window can shine past the plants, (but this did not photograph well).

Lighting Two 25 Watt florescent screw-in bulbs, warm, in two modified Smith/Victor photoflood lamps. An additional bulb was used for the photographs and the bulbs were lowered a few inches.

Filtration Fluval 204

Plants Sagittaria lancifolia, Hydrocotyle sp., Pistia stratiotes (water lettuce), Eichornia crassipes (water hyacinth), Ludwigia repens (red ludwigia), Lemna valdiviana (small duckweed), Wolffilla floridana (mud midget), Utricularia sp. (bladderwort), Myriophyllum spicatum (Eurasian water milfoil), Nitella, Echinodorus Barteroi (swordplant).

Animals red shiners (Cyprinella lutrensis), sheepshead minnows, (Cyprinodon variegatus), mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), golden topminnows (Fundulus cingulatus), bullhead minnows (Pimephales vigilax).

Materials None. All items in tank except top layer of gravel are from local waters. Since there were no rocks or significant pieces of driftwood that were observed in these environments, no ornamental items have been included. The chief characteristic of the waters in this area is that they are muddy-bottomed

Additional Information INTRODUCTION
This 30 gallon tank is set up to represent a biotope of southeastern Texas. All plants and fish in this biotope were collected from the wilds of Harris, Brazoria, and Fort Bend counties within 1 hour of my home, from small streams, ponds and bayous. This setup is about four months old. The only item in this tank that is not indigenous locally is the top layer of gravel over the soil substrate, which was purchased.


PLANTS
The swordplants were collected as very small partially emersed plants from shallow water. They were potted (the bottom of styrene cups) with clay soil, a thin top layer of gravel, and placed in this tank. Once the swordplants stopped their tendency to produce aerial leaves and were thriving they were planted directly into the substrate. The Sagittaria longifolia, water lettuce, water hyacinth, small duckweed, and bladderwort were originally planted in a tub with a clay substrate in the backyard where they multiplied. The Nitella, Ludwigia, Myriophyllum spicatum and Hydrocotyle were acclimated in a separate holding aquarium until they were shown to be prospering. Plants were gradually introduced into the aquarium as the individual plants and the tank itself matured.

Some may question my use of invasive plants in this biotope. However, these invasive plants are extremely prolific and are currently part of the aquatic environment in the southeastern USA. By studying these plants we hobbyists may ultimately contribute to finding the key to controlling them in nature. For example I have discovered and have been observing the activities of a worm that lives in the roots of water hyacinth that will totally decimate water lettuce. These biotopes can have additional value to us other than being just for our personal enjoyment.

FISH
Fish currently include beautiful red shiners that are extremely energetic and a good community fish, bullhead minnows that are a bit reserved, bottom feeders and are well behaved, mosquitofish (the guppy cousin), sheepshead minnows (pupfish similar to Florida flagfish), and some golden topminnows. Minnow traps, a dip net and a cast net were used to capture the fish.

I am amazed at the numbers and variety of fish that live in the USA that are ideal community aquarium fish. I don’t understand why they aren’t kept more by hobbyists. These fish are very interesting to observe.


FERTILIZERS
None. I change 25% or more of the water per week. The substrate takes care of the rest.

SUBSTRATE
The substrate is a 2-inch deep clay-sand-humus mix from my backyard covered by a 1 inch thick layer of number 2 gravel, (ala Walstad). The tank took about two months to calm down due to an excessive nutrient level in the substrate. After that period, all signs of algae disappeared and the plants were no worse off from the experience.

A high clay content soil substrate has been my answer to growing swordplants. The substrates that these plants were pulled from in the wild were extremely mucky-fine-grained-clay soils. Rocks are usually not present.

One thing that is not to scale in this biotope is that the water down here is almost always muddy. The red or brown laterite lies on the top of the substrate and sometimes coats the leaves of the plants. So the plants often don’t look too pretty until they are cleaned up a bit. Many plants in shallow water are totally unrecognizable, so it is important to look at everything closely. But most of us appreciate a clear tank, and I attribute it in this tank to the soil substrate and lack of water column fertilization.


GENERAL
This tank is the result of my interest in exploring the local flora and fauna, and it has definitely been a rewarding experience. My first forays were totally fruitless as I did not know how to capture the fish or how the plants I was seeking appeared in nature. Gradually, I learned how to use a net, minnow trap, and cast net, and started to bring fish home for identification and observation. Unrecognizable plants in the field became familiar when placed in my holding tanks. I don’t think I will be buying any fish or plants at an LFS anytime soon. I have procured a canoe so I can venture deeper into the bayous to find more specimens. My goal is to find more types of plants and many more kinds of fish, perhaps some sailfin mollies, and darters, and eventually convert my 75-gallon tank to a similar biotope. Collecting your own plants and fish adds an entirely new dimension to the hobby. I have met interesting people, seen nature areas of unbelievable beauty, and learned a lot more about the local environment. And by observing and then mimicking nature, I have learned some tricks useful in keeping aquariums.