Sonny Disposition
Active Member
Since we're on the topic, I thought I'd post this link from the PVAS site, featuring an article from American Currents, NANFA's publication.
http://www.pvas.com/articles/ultimate_native_fish_tank.pdf
I've been intrigued by it ever since I've come across it, and was thinking about seeing if I could get it to work in my upcoming Malawi tank.
The author, Todd Crail, scooped up a little sand from a stream bed, and mixed it with play sand. It's patterned after a marine live sand tank, which is filled with inverts and nitrogen eating bacteria. In his freshwater version, Todd uses a lot of circulation, and feeds heavily, which is necessary for some of the slower feeding natives he keeps.
My thinking on the Maylasian Trumpet snails in the gravel was to clean up any left over food from the Malawians, which often accumulates despite my best attempts. I'm rethinking that idea though, as MTSs can really overpopulate a tank in a hurry.
If it wasn't for Malawi bloat, California blackworms would be a great organism to populate the sand with. (Non-Malawians could graze on them when they venture out of the sand, and keep their numbers down.)
I'll have to resume my search for a gravel burrowing invert, or, more probably, give up on the idea entirely.
http://www.pvas.com/articles/ultimate_native_fish_tank.pdf
I've been intrigued by it ever since I've come across it, and was thinking about seeing if I could get it to work in my upcoming Malawi tank.
The author, Todd Crail, scooped up a little sand from a stream bed, and mixed it with play sand. It's patterned after a marine live sand tank, which is filled with inverts and nitrogen eating bacteria. In his freshwater version, Todd uses a lot of circulation, and feeds heavily, which is necessary for some of the slower feeding natives he keeps.
My thinking on the Maylasian Trumpet snails in the gravel was to clean up any left over food from the Malawians, which often accumulates despite my best attempts. I'm rethinking that idea though, as MTSs can really overpopulate a tank in a hurry.
If it wasn't for Malawi bloat, California blackworms would be a great organism to populate the sand with. (Non-Malawians could graze on them when they venture out of the sand, and keep their numbers down.)
I'll have to resume my search for a gravel burrowing invert, or, more probably, give up on the idea entirely.
