[Fisherking]

Oh wow—you are so nice to reply! And your tank is so inspiring! The bowl is on its way to me. I’ve been watching “Father Fish” on YouTube and want to include the “Food Web” concept in this project. Thank you again 🐟

 

[FernKing]

Oh wow—you are so nice to reply! And your tank is so inspiring! The bowl is on its way to me. I’ve been watching “Father Fish” on YouTube and want to include the “Food Web” concept in this project. Thank you again 🐟

No problem. “Food web” what’s that? I’m only half familiar with Father Fish.

 

[Fisherking]

No problem. “Food web” what’s that? I’m only half familiar with Father Fish.

He has a ton of videos talking about adding pond detritus so as to start a population of micro fauna which will feed the fish for a more natural “food chain” kind of setup. It interested me and I really want to try it. There’s a commercially available “Bag of Bugs” that I’ll use ( I’m on an island and there are no bodies of fresh water to scavenge from— it’s all salt).

 

[FernKing]

He has a ton of videos talking about adding pond detritus so as to start a population of micro fauna which will feed the fish for a more natural “food chain” kind of setup. It interested me and I really want to try it. There’s a commercially available “Bag of Bugs” that I’ll use ( I’m on an island and there are no bodies of fresh water to scavenge from— it’s all salt).

I wonder though, daphnia and ostrocods can survive and thrive in mere puddles. I believe I do have lots of microfauna (many came with the plants I bought) but my tetras are savage killers and they eat anything of note 😅 Just remember that when you select your fish and be okay if some microfauna populations collapse. Diana Walstad focuses on microorganisms. For example, when you are setting up your tank, add some “mature” aquarium water (from an older aquarium) to seed the soil and water column with beneficial bacteria.
I follow this bug store on instagram. Browse around on their website, they have an aquatic big section. They have cool organisms you can add to a tank and many are native to North America.
www.bugsincyberspace.com

 

[Fisherking]

I wonder though, daphnia and ostrocods can survive and thrive in mere puddles. I believe I do have lots of microfauna (many came with the plants I bought) but my tetras are savage killers and they eat anything of note 😅 Just remember that when you select your fish and be okay if some microfauna populations collapse. Diana Walstad focuses on microorganisms. For example, when you are setting up your tank, add some “mature” aquarium water (from an older aquarium) to seed the soil and water column with beneficial bacteria.
I follow this bug store on instagram. Browse around on their website, they have an aquatic big section. They have cool organisms you can add to a tank and many are native to North America.
www.bugsincyberspace.com

That’s great! I get water out of my goldfish tank sponges that looks like you could breed Orcs in it, so can use that. More to read as I wait for the ginormous bowl to arrive. Still not settled on which fish yet as we’ve got high pH, hard water and researching that right now. Looking at your experience, it might be my water will change after being on the substrate, so I might actually have to consider different fish 🤷🏼‍♀️

 

[FernKing]

They say weather brings out the loaches! Indeed! I managed to get a picture of all four of my loaches in one shot. They are frolicking in the leaves in the post-hurricane weather. Very cute! They hide most of the time and I think maybe one or more of them died or something. Nope! I wish I could see my tiny eels more often without needing a hurricane 😭

 

[Michael]

I love kuhli loaches, but you are right--they are nearly always invisible. Do you think this behavior is related to changes in barometric pressure?

 

[FernKing]

I love kuhli loaches, but you are right--they are nearly always invisible. Do you think this behavior is related to changes in barometric pressure?

Oh yeah. I’ve read on forums that they can go crazy when a big storm rolls through. I can definitely say this is true from my personal observations. Big storms make them go crazy. This may be a survival mechanism from living in volatile tropical rivers. Storms can be bad news! They are also related to the “weather loach” which is notorious for freaking out during bad weather. That behavior and its adult size is why I didn’t want to get that particular loach.
Also it helps that I give my loaches excellent hiding places. I have cholla wood in the bottom of my aquarium. Sometimes, if I look at the right angle, I can see the loaches in the tubes of the wood. If they were the black kuhli loach variety, I would probably never see them. Stripes are key!

 

[southjma08]

im intrested in buying this size fish tank

 

[southjma08]

This is a project for a future date, as I am still learning- but this just came in the mail: MY GIANT FISH BOWL!
I have never seen a glass bowl this size. I’m very excited to make this into a new planted, dirted aquarium, Walstad style! The bowl is 16” high and 19“ in diameter!! 🤯
I used the internet measurement standard, a cat, to show you how truly big this bowl is. My cat also weighs 17 pounds, fyi- He’s a big boy! I am getting mixed messages on how big it is from reviews online. People are reporting between 10 and 12 gallons! Maybe they are measuring 10 gallons when adding substrate and other objects like driftwood. I’ll try my best to measure the gallons some way at a later time.
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The company warned that the bowl would likely arrive “dirty” as they get it directly from the factory. It was, but I gave it a bath. This bowl wouldn’t fit safely in any sink in my house so I had to wash it outside on a beach towel. I used biodegradable dishsoap and wiped it down with pure rubbing alcohol after I hand dried it.
View attachment 75566
I have a custom light fixture being made to support the bowl and I am going to keep this project low tech! No pumps, no filters, no CO2! I will also be constructing this aquarium “in the round” as the bowl will be placed on a lazy susan so it can be appreciated on all sides. I’m not going to be “aquascaping” as much as I am going to be planting the bowl like a bouquet. I will create color, texture, depth and interest with plants only! No rocks or driftwood (except maybe a few sticks). Stay tuned as I update in the coming months!
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where did you buy this bowl??

 

[FernKing]

where did you buy this bowl??

https://a.co/d/9LFcrDY

This is the company’s page on Amazon. You can also buy from them directly and not Amazon because, reasons, ya know?