| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Madan
Admin
Joined: Jun 29, 2003
Posts: 7087
Location: Bengaluru, India
Status: Offline
|
 Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 8:44 am Post subject: |
 |
|
Hmmmmm......... yes could work.... but I still feel you need more light than what's available in the shade. Have you seen or heard of these agricultural farm nets - Green in color made of a plasticky material - a canopy of this draped over 4 sticks above your tubs will let in the right amount of light.
I am actually supposed to write an article where in this would be explained with photos ( actually being used in the Largest Aquatic Plant Farm in the world that I visted this time ) but something or the other keeps popping up and I have been putting it off. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Dolphy
Regular Poster on IAH
Joined: Feb 15, 2005
Posts: 354
Location: Bangalore
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 9:19 am Post subject: |
|
|
I have seen those green nets, and shall buy it. I also have a wire mesh made exclusively for the tub. I used this tub for one of my goldfish who now got his own tank.
Please do write that article. It would really help. I am trying to convince my folks to build me a room exclusively for my fish. At that time, I could grow all my plants too in that room.. lights, CO2 and all.
I guess white/transparent tubs should be used, right?
Jenny |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Madan
Admin
Joined: Jun 29, 2003
Posts: 7087
Location: Bengaluru, India
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 9:23 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Dolphy wrote:
|
I guess white/transparent tubs should be used, right?
Jenny
|
Nope any old tub will do. Plants don't care. Cement Tubs too. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Madan
Admin
Joined: Jun 29, 2003
Posts: 7087
Location: Bengaluru, India
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 9:26 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Dolphy wrote:
|
I am trying to convince my folks to build me a room exclusively for my fish. At that time, I could grow all my plants too in that room.. lights, CO2 and all.
Jenny
|
Lights ??? Cost ??? Recurring expenses ????
Since you are a Biologist, Albeit Marine.... Thought of tissue culture? |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Dolphy
Regular Poster on IAH
Joined: Feb 15, 2005
Posts: 354
Location: Bangalore
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 9:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
Botany isn't for me. My field of specialization is Marine microbiology. I am not good with plants... am better with fauna though (can name some, draw some and dissect some :lol: ).
| Madan wrote:
|
Nope any old tub will do. Plants don't care. Cement Tubs too.
|
I was thinking along the lines of light penetration. Colored containers would be too opaque, and wouldn't allow light to pass through.
My tub is orange though.  Don't know if the color of the tub would really make a difference.
Jenny |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Madan
Admin
Joined: Jun 29, 2003
Posts: 7087
Location: Bengaluru, India
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 1:04 pm Post subject: |
|
|
You are not going to invert the tub are you? :lol:
Lighting from the top is the only one that helps. The sun shines from above us right? Even at dawn and dusk. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jaideep_ab
IAH New Member
Joined: Mar 15, 2004
Posts: 50
Location: Dubai
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 6:15 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Hi Jenny,
I have a couple of friends in bangalore who have bought the round cement rings used as garbage bins and got them sealed and used as out door tanks in the garden. With a lot of aquatic plants in them. You can try this at a relatively reasonable cost. As long as the rings are in shade there is no algae problems. Once you get direct sunlight hitting the tanks thats when the algae problem starts. You may have an interesting time getting them upto your terrace though.
I have tried the same thing in Dubai with a plastic tub (200ltrs) in my balcony and managed it for over a year including the summer which gets very hot here.Water temperatures reach 35 - 38 degrees through the day. I grew some amazon swords, cabomba, valisneria and a few other plants. all of them grow well but the water changes were critical to keep the algae out. I used to change 30% of the water twice a week on the balcony tank as against once a week on the indoor tank.
You can ask me any more questions on this if you want more info,
Thanks
Jai |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Dolphy
Regular Poster on IAH
Joined: Feb 15, 2005
Posts: 354
Location: Bangalore
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 6:38 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Madan wrote:
|
You are not going to invert the tub are you? :lol:
|
Guess that sounds silly, huh?  Comes from "overthinking" :wink:
Jai... I have considered cement rings (my stairway is very narrow), and it is a very great hazard setting all this up on my terrace. My parents wouldn't let me do that. 
However, I tried terracotta pots, and am experimenting with one right now. I bought a huge earthern pot, and put it over some sand bordered by bricks to prevent it from wobbling. I first put in some lotus bulbs, and watched them grow for a week, and a couple of moments ago, I took 2 goldfish and put them into the pot (along with half the water they were in). I also covered the mouth of the pot with a sieve, to prevent eagles from making a snack out of my goldies.
This weekend, I'll take my tub (40 litres) up, and cover it with the agricultural net as Madan suggested. Let's see how it goes.
Jenny |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Dolphy
Regular Poster on IAH
Joined: Feb 15, 2005
Posts: 354
Location: Bangalore
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 6:42 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Jai.. did you try an algae-eater? I plan on adding an algae-eater (a tiny one) and a single guppy to control the mosquito population.
Jenny |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
trevor
Committed Member of IAH
Joined: Jul 27, 2003
Posts: 4290
Location: Bangalore
Status: Offline
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Dolphy
Regular Poster on IAH
Joined: Feb 15, 2005
Posts: 354
Location: Bangalore
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 7:05 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Wow Trevor!
I loved it, esp. the onion plant!! What are those leaves floating on the surface of the water?
Jenny |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
trevor
Committed Member of IAH
Joined: Jul 27, 2003
Posts: 4290
Location: Bangalore
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 7:27 pm Post subject: Floating plants |
|
|
Those are floating plants- A bit of Azolla, Lemna minor(duck weed) and Salvinia.
The floating plants normally mulitply rapidly and completely cover the top surface area of the open water.
That way they shade the area below and stop the growth of algae.
A good natural way to control sunlight penetration in outside tanks. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Madan
Admin
Joined: Jun 29, 2003
Posts: 7087
Location: Bengaluru, India
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2005 9:21 am Post subject: Re: Floating plants |
|
|
| trevor wrote:
|
Those are floating plants- A bit of Azolla, Lemna minor(duck weed) and Salvinia.
The floating plants normally mulitply rapidly and completely cover the top surface area of the open water.
That way they shade the area below and stop the growth of algae.
A good natural way to control sunlight penetration in outside tanks.
|
And grow no other plants. These will practically cut out all the light to the other plants and kill them. Make sure not one leaf of a floating plant gets into your tub. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jaideep_ab
IAH New Member
Joined: Mar 15, 2004
Posts: 50
Location: Dubai
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2005 9:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
Hi Jenny,
Sad to hear that the cement rings is not an option. Have you seen the Light blue drums used to transport chemicals ? My parents had two of those to store water (with all the water scarcity in Bangalore when we were kids) I managed to get one of them for myself i think its about 250 litres not very big about 3 feet tall.Cut off the top part and used it as an outdoor tank in bangalore for about 4 years and managed a lot of plants and even to breed goldfish in it. Its not very visually appealing like a tank or a basin but serves the purpose in case you want to just grow plants and you don't have to worry about lighting as the natural light is enough. You can add any light above it later to view it after dark. Your terracota pot idea is good but these pots tend to cool the water a lot and may not be suitable for fish during bangalore winters. Also the level of evaporation from the outside surface of the pot is quite a bit so don't know of the long term effects.
Had 3 year old goldfish, a lot of guppies and a couple of algae eaters in the balcony tank in dubai. The algae eaters unfortunately eat algae only when they are small. Have 6 adult algae eaters in my main tank now that are about 2 years old that are of no use.
An interesting place to look for how aquatic plants are propogated on a large scale is www.tropica.com i found this site pretty informative.
Hope this helps, all the best
Jai |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Dolphy
Regular Poster on IAH
Joined: Feb 15, 2005
Posts: 354
Location: Bangalore
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2005 7:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Jai,
I do have that blue drum that you speak of, but it holds water now
I put in the goldfish in the terracotta pot after testing the water temp after a blistering day in the sun.. it was cold.
As for winter getting too cold, I presumed that since goldfish are coldwater fishes, they would thrive outdoors. I've got to check up on that.
All my algae eaters are very industrious, and clean my tanks pretty well. They've been doing a great job. But, I have heard of instances where algae eaters are of no use whatsoever.
Will let you know how everything goes.
Jenny |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
Guest(s): 1,909
![[News Feed]](images/powered/feed_20_news.png "News Feed"){kind=small}
![[Forums Feed]](images/powered/feed_20_forums.png "Forums Feed"){kind=small}
![[Downloads Feed]](images/powered/feed_20_down.png "Downloads Feed"){kind=small}
![[Web Links Feed]](images/powered/feed_20_links.png "Web Links Feed"){kind=small}
![[Validate robots.txt]](images/powered/valid-robots.png "Validate robots.txt"){kind=small}