aquaknight
Active Member
I am looking for feedback and criticisms regarding my planned build. Even if its just a "don't think I'd like it," please post.
The details, I currently have two fish I will be setting up a 125gal for, a Spiny Burrfish and a Spot Croaker (Leiostomus xanthurus). Both fish were personally caught from the Gulf of Mexico, so this sorta spawned an idea for a Gulf, perhaps including more into the Caribbean, themed tank. My present idea is to do a vivarium.
The tank would be filled to around 2/3, (I would drill the back of the tank) at which point there would be "land" above, containing terrestrial plants. Most of the these tanks just have the water in one section, with the land section encompassing most of the tank's room. With the two fish I have, I would want to maximize swimming area, so I had the idea to build more of a "shelf" that would sit just above the water line, and underneath the shelf would be open, save maybe for some structural support. The shelf itself would look something like a glass U-channel, where I would build it shorter in the front. Basically like a small, short, lopsided tank. The shelf would be filled with mostly sand and I would use local plants that grow on beach. Some grasses, and some cool flowering ones.
Here is where I'm looking for input;.
How wide or short should the shelf be? The full length of the tank? One idea I had was to have the shelf to one side and run most of the tank, then have a mangrove, or three on that side. There still would be an issue of how the shelf would look butted up to the side of the aquarium, glass on glass with some silicone would look rather ugly. ..
The 125gal has a gorgeous canopy we made ourselves, so I would really like to use it. However with mangrove(s) in there, I might have to not use it as the mangrove(s) grow taller and taller. However the 125gal is completely unbraced, so with an open top, the tank would have a great look.
I realize the shelf would create a large shadow. I was thinking of the shelf not being that deep, 6"-8" max, and with lighting at the front, angle back, I think would help minimize the shadow-effect.
As far what else would be in the tank besides Spike and Spot, sand and lots of plants and macro. I definitely think I am going to take some liberties with this, and probably use non-native calupera species. Going for effect rather then accuracy. I would love for the tank to be filled with seagrasses, but a.) there's not easy to care for and require a deep sandbed, which will eat into space for the fish, Both fish are not "fish-eaters" so there will likely be some minnows, killifish, whatever I can collect, ranging to maybe even pipefish.
If anyone is having a hard time visualizing the tank lemme know and I'll try to clarify. Though, here is a quick MSPaint 5-year-old-style drawing;
The details, I currently have two fish I will be setting up a 125gal for, a Spiny Burrfish and a Spot Croaker (Leiostomus xanthurus). Both fish were personally caught from the Gulf of Mexico, so this sorta spawned an idea for a Gulf, perhaps including more into the Caribbean, themed tank. My present idea is to do a vivarium.
The tank would be filled to around 2/3, (I would drill the back of the tank) at which point there would be "land" above, containing terrestrial plants. Most of the these tanks just have the water in one section, with the land section encompassing most of the tank's room. With the two fish I have, I would want to maximize swimming area, so I had the idea to build more of a "shelf" that would sit just above the water line, and underneath the shelf would be open, save maybe for some structural support. The shelf itself would look something like a glass U-channel, where I would build it shorter in the front. Basically like a small, short, lopsided tank. The shelf would be filled with mostly sand and I would use local plants that grow on beach. Some grasses, and some cool flowering ones.
Here is where I'm looking for input;.
How wide or short should the shelf be? The full length of the tank? One idea I had was to have the shelf to one side and run most of the tank, then have a mangrove, or three on that side. There still would be an issue of how the shelf would look butted up to the side of the aquarium, glass on glass with some silicone would look rather ugly. ..
The 125gal has a gorgeous canopy we made ourselves, so I would really like to use it. However with mangrove(s) in there, I might have to not use it as the mangrove(s) grow taller and taller. However the 125gal is completely unbraced, so with an open top, the tank would have a great look.
I realize the shelf would create a large shadow. I was thinking of the shelf not being that deep, 6"-8" max, and with lighting at the front, angle back, I think would help minimize the shadow-effect.
As far what else would be in the tank besides Spike and Spot, sand and lots of plants and macro. I definitely think I am going to take some liberties with this, and probably use non-native calupera species. Going for effect rather then accuracy. I would love for the tank to be filled with seagrasses, but a.) there's not easy to care for and require a deep sandbed, which will eat into space for the fish, Both fish are not "fish-eaters" so there will likely be some minnows, killifish, whatever I can collect, ranging to maybe even pipefish.
If anyone is having a hard time visualizing the tank lemme know and I'll try to clarify. Though, here is a quick MSPaint 5-year-old-style drawing;
