40 Gallon ideas? It's a blank tank waiting to happen ;)

Ok ideas to run by you...
Instead of doing a glass wall to create land i was thinking of using PVC egg crate to angle the land at a curve. Then using a mix of rocks and planted dark aquaria substrate to create the underwater layer and the first above water level. This will allow me to grow plants on the underwater wall. It also creates a moist under layer for the land portion. I can stabilize the PVC by sealing it to the walls and bottom of the tank and support it further with a large piece of drift wood. This will also give me about 25 gallons of water to work with for the fish, and the substrate wont harm them at all . What are we thinking can live here? Will this work?

 

You could actually use a HOB filter on a palu, just make a support lower to the water that would be able to hold the filter.

 

I like the plan. For fish, maybe you could do some Danios and Tetras.

 

I wanted to use the egg crate so I can utilize the underwater substrate for plants and glass blocks the land section off. I want a water fall and was thinking of using a hanging filter and disguising it to create one ? Some recommended peat moss as the underwater substrate? Won't that dye the water?

 

Discus can get quite big, you wouldn't be able to house to many in that 40, one of my all time favorites is the German Blue Rams, one of the most attractive dwarf fresh water fishes. #2 Cardinal Tetras.

 

The waterfall sounds like an awesome idea! The peat moss might make it a light tea color. For the substrate you could use sand and then put Java Moss or Flame Moss in different places for a more natural look. Make sure that the waterfall doesn't drop water right into the fish area or it will make a mini sandstorm lol.

 

Thats what I thought with the peat. I never would have thought about sandstorms! You totally saved me a lot of trial and error I also thought with a good rock setup under the water fall will ad more filter surface. Oooo I'm so excited! This is gonna be cool to finish!

 

Glad to help I can't wait to see how it turns out!

 

Alright, I've drawn up my set up plans. I will be working with about 25-30 gal of water. Here's my next question. Could I do brackish water? Would that affect my plant choices? I like fan dance and bumblebee gobies I was thinking 4-5 gobies 1 puffer? Any other little guys who would fit in? Also I figured adding a rotating pump aimed toward where the water fall met the water could prevent "sandstorms" below I would also keep the heater below the filter/waterfall to keep this a fast moving brackish warm environment would this work?

 

If you do brackish water, you won't be able to keep any land plants, unless you put Mangroves in the tank. Here is a list of water plants that could live in brackish water

Brackish Water Plants

Bumblebee Gobies like to be in species-only tanks, but could be in a community tank. Gobies live in brackish water, while Dwarf Puffers are freshwater, so that wouldn't work. Dwarf Puffers aren't community fish, but an Oto might work. Otos are very helpful because they are great algae eaters. I don't think anything else would work with Puffers, though. With the sandstorm problem, you could put some rocks or branches on the back wall of the tank under the filter to diffuse and slow the water down. That's a good idea with the filter, BTW. HTH ;D