Open to any criticism want to make sure I’m doing this right ( water is getting cycled, yellowed a bit because I added some drift wood and after boiling it left some tarnish.)
I’ve got 5 white cloud mountain minnows and 5 shrimp aswell as a couple snails and a spider that made its way in and is feeding on some crickets I had put in.
That_Murph
Looks great.
Not a criticism but be prepared for a few hurdles with the soil touching water. I have my setup intentionally like that and it’s not the easiest to handle.
* Most plants will get root rot if their roots are in constantly wet soil. You have to choose specific plants that like boggy conditions to not have issues. Even roots in water is better than wet soil.
* Wet soil will cause a pretty bad odor. Decaying organic matter and anaerobic bacteria are going to cause smells. It’s usually not that bad until you open the tank and disturb it but it can get pretty bad.
* Over time the water, and any critters you introduce, will change where the soil is. It’s light enough to be moved and your island will start to be undercut over time. It makes things messy and changes the structure, though it can be good for the plants if they survive to that point because the exposed roots won’t be in wet soil any longer.
It’s a totally doable setup, you just have to be ready for the hiccups and willing to fight through them. My tank has maidenhair fern and creeping jenny, because they both can survive in boggy soil, and it’s been going great for a year.
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I’ve got 5 white cloud mountain minnows and 5 shrimp aswell as a couple snails and a spider that made its way in and is feeding on some crickets I had put in.
Looks great.
Not a criticism but be prepared for a few hurdles with the soil touching water. I have my setup intentionally like that and it’s not the easiest to handle.
* Most plants will get root rot if their roots are in constantly wet soil. You have to choose specific plants that like boggy conditions to not have issues. Even roots in water is better than wet soil.
* Wet soil will cause a pretty bad odor. Decaying organic matter and anaerobic bacteria are going to cause smells. It’s usually not that bad until you open the tank and disturb it but it can get pretty bad.
* Over time the water, and any critters you introduce, will change where the soil is. It’s light enough to be moved and your island will start to be undercut over time. It makes things messy and changes the structure, though it can be good for the plants if they survive to that point because the exposed roots won’t be in wet soil any longer.
It’s a totally doable setup, you just have to be ready for the hiccups and willing to fight through them. My tank has maidenhair fern and creeping jenny, because they both can survive in boggy soil, and it’s been going great for a year.