[frogface]

Awesome !

 

[Andres]

That video and the last set of photos has officially rocked my world. I can't beleive how that whole thing has grown in. Just amazing!

 

[winstonamc]

dido, can't believe this wonderland

 

[azure89]

I had looked at this post before and thought, wow what an awesome viv but when I saw the stingray that pretty much made my day!

 

[vivbulider]

It's to bad you couldn't get birds that would be so cool so would small monkeys but something you could get Is a fly river turtle they don't eat fish and i've seen them housed with rays in a tank smaller then yours they don't have claws but there verry hard to find and when you do the have a huge price tag

 

[ghettopieninja]

It's to bad you couldn't get birds that would be so cool so would small monkeys but something you could get Is a fly river turtle they don't eat fish and i've seen them housed with rays in a tank smaller then yours they don't have claws but there verry hard to find and when you do the have a huge price tag

an adult Carettochelys insculpta can reach over 20inches in length a weigh over 30lbs, you could have one if the entire tank was filled with water, but as it is there is no where near enough usable open water space. Not to mention the majority of those available in the US are illegal imports, would be cool in a much larger exhibit however.

 

[Ed]

Is a fly river turtle they don't eat fish and i've seen them housed with rays in a tank smaller then yours they don't have claws but there verry hard to find and when you do the have a huge price tag

I've worked with Carrettochelys insculpta for the last 18 years and you have to not only go through a lot of them to find one that won't eat the fish but you also have to keep the turtle very well fed.... Most of them eat (some will kill but not eat) fish housed with them... so I would not recommend housing them with expensive fish. Often they are housed with some of the rainbow fish from the same region as the fish are relatively easy to spawn and thus can replace those that are consumed.

A fly river turtle would also trash/consume all of the plant matter it can reach, continually roil the sediment (so you need a filter that can handle the sand/etc or a way to prevent it from be sucked up and frying your pump), and move any small branches, sticks or stones it can manipulate.

If you had added a small primate, you could kiss any small vertebrates in the enclosure good bye as well as all but the most sturdy plantings as they would have been pulled apart and tasted or pulled apart in the search for insects. You would also be amazed at how bady them smell....

 

[ghettopieninja]

lot of good points about the Carrettochelys Ed, where I worked the one adult on display killed the entire school of rainbows except one, which he kept alive for many months and would 'play' with.

 

[vivbulider]

I've worked with Carrettochelys insculpta for the last 18 years and you have to not only go through a lot of them to find one that won't eat the fish but you also have to keep the turtle very well fed.... Most of them eat (some will kill but not eat) fish housed with them... so I would not recommend housing them with expensive fish. Often they are housed with some of the rainbow fish from the same region as the fish are relatively easy to spawn and thus can replace those that are consumed.

A fly river turtle would also trash/consume all of the plant matter it can reach, continually roil the sediment (so you need a filter that can handle the sand/etc or a way to prevent it from be sucked up and frying your pump), and move any small branches, sticks or stones it can manipulate.

If you had added a small primate, you could kiss any small vertebrates in the enclosure good bye as well as all but the most sturdy plantings as they would have been pulled apart and tasted or pulled apart in the search for insects. You would also be amazed at how bady them smell....

from what i've heard fly river turtles are the best turtle to keep with fish now from what you say I would not work and I was just saying a monkey would be cool if he could

 

[ghettopieninja]

from what i've heard fly river turtles are the best turtle to keep with fish now from what you say I would not work

I'm not sure if fin nipping is an issue with Carettochelys but I imagine it could be, however if chosen correctly large fish can do well with these turtles. Smaller fish and members of their own species do not bode so well.

 

[Ed]

I'm not sure if fin nipping is an issue with Carettochelys but I imagine it could be, however if chosen correctly large fish can do well with these turtles. Smaller fish and members of their own species do not bode so well.

If you consider fin nipping to be taking it and some of the body with it...

Ed

 

[Ed]

from what i've heard fly river turtles are the best turtle to keep with fish now from what you say I would not work and I was just saying a monkey would be cool if he could

I didn't say it wouldn't work, I said you are going to go through a lot of fly river turtles (aka pig nosed turtle. aka pitted shell turtle) before you find one that is going to leave the fish alone.

There are a couple of tricks one can try to make it work better, like taking the turtle out of the tank for at least 2 weeks and preferably closer to 3 weeks to a month to let the fish totally acclimate to the enclosure so they aren't acting panicky and scared but you are still going to have to try a number of them before it works.

Ed

 

[the_deeb]

That viv looks more and more stunning as it grows in. I apologize if this has already been mentioned, but what kind or nepenthes is that?

Also, I second (or third) the suggestion that a fly river turtle would be a bad idea in your tank. Besides wrecking your aquascape and plants (most people who house them in aquariums seem to go with relatively bare setups), I've heard a number of stories of FRTs suddenly taking chunks out of rays after long periods of peaceful cohabitation.

 

[frankpayne32]

The tank is looking great Stan! Loved the video.

 

[Energy]

The tank is looking great Stan! Loved the video.

Wow- Thanks- I know it's very amatuerish but I wanted to get something out there beside still photo's.

That viv looks more and more stunning as it grows in. I apologize if this has already been mentioned, but what kind or nepenthes is that?

Also, I second (or third) the suggestion that a fly river turtle would be a bad idea in your tank. Besides wrecking your aquascape and plants (most people who house them in aquariums seem to go with relatively bare setups), I've heard a number of stories of FRTs suddenly taking chunks out of rays after long periods of peaceful cohabitation.

I'm not sure of which nepe's I have in there. There are a total of three Nep's and a few sundews as well.

I didn't say it wouldn't work, I said you are going to go through a lot of fly river turtles (aka pig nosed turtle. aka pitted shell turtle) before you find one that is going to leave the fish alone.

There are a couple of tricks one can try to make it work better, like taking the turtle out of the tank for at least 2 weeks and preferably closer to 3 weeks to a month to let the fish totally acclimate to the enclosure so they aren't acting panicky and scared but you are still going to have to try a number of them before it works.

Ed

Thanks guys but as neat and interesting as that turtle is it was never on my list. After researching it I realized that it wouldn't be appropriate for all of the above mentioned reasons.

Awesome !

Thanks!

That video and the last set of photos has officially rocked my world. I can't beleive how that whole thing has grown in. Just amazing!

I have been waiting for it to grow in and it's coming along nicely. I think about another 6 months will give it a better 'matured' look. Both waterfalls have completely grown over, the rock structure beneath is not visible.

dido, can't believe this wonderland

Thank you!

I had looked at this post before and thought, wow what an awesome viv but when I saw the stingray that pretty much made my day!

Cool!

It's to bad you couldn't get birds that would be so cool so would small monkeys but something you could get Is a fly river turtle they don't eat fish and i've seen them housed with rays in a tank smaller then yours they don't have claws but there verry hard to find and when you do the have a huge price tag

I seriously considered both as options and couldn't find any that would have been suited for the system. I even looked into pygmy marmosets, and various small species of tropical birds. I couldn't find anything that would be well suited for the system.

In fact- the more I research the less I find that "works". For instance- the PDF's are ideal but due to inadequate UVA &UVB light suppliments most other aboreal,diurnal lizards are out. The anoles are fine and constantly bask under the supplimental light I have but this is really not enough for other lizards that aren't as hardy.

I could go with other species of tree frogs but I have ruled almost all of these out for various reasons, cross pathogens etc etc.

I am fine status quo, a few anoles, a few PDF's, some vampire crabs(still haven't seen them), stingrays, discus, and other smaller species of fish.

If anyone has other suggestions-I'm all ears!

 

[Energy]

looks amazing, i for one woudl not put the big gold fish in there, if a frog happens to fall in it won't have a chance to come out, plus they produce a ridiculous ammount of ammonia.

You are right but I need a natural form of Duckweed control and this guy works the best. Since that photo he was taken out of the main system and placed in the sump(connected) to the main display. Just in case of another outbreak. I actually fertilize the system to help the aquatic plants grow and maintain balance. Sounds odd but I have to add more ferts than I work at removing. His ammonia production is welcome.

Stanley that things looks better every update!!

Thank you

 

[zcasc]

Awesome indeed...

It is so cool to watch a group of fish shoaling across a great expanse like that. Sure, they can do the same in a 20 gallon aquarium, but there's nothing like this kind of shoaling. Bravo again, my friend.

 

[carbonetc]

That viv looks more and more stunning as it grows in. I apologize if this has already been mentioned, but what kind or nepenthes is that?

The nepenthes in the last photo is an ampullaria.

 

[vivbulider]

i would get a tropical lily pad

 

[hukilausurfer]

Epic viv! So are there any frogs in it?