So..setting up a hillstream tank at last

[palaeodave]

Ah yes, thank you. We're hoping the two powerheads should blow past the wood on either side, although I think we'll probably need to do a bit of experimenting. Not rushing this one!

[Jim Powers]

You can always tie bits of thread or dental floss on the powerhead outlets and even on the driftwood and run them with water in the tank to get an idea of the flow.
I do disagree just a bit with Graeme on keeping the flow totally clean. A few eddies behind rocks can create good resting and feeding areas for the hillstreams. I use those to place food for them so it won't get blown all over the tank. However, you wouldn't want to much of that so the flow is too disrupted.

[Graeme Robson]

Jim, i never suggested keeping the flow totally clean. I suggested keeping it clean and using 'owner' decisions for final preference.

[Jim Powers]

Well, I thought we only differred a bit, in our opinions, now I see we are in total agreement.

[helen nightingale]

i have found the juwel filter/pumps very unreliable. they are quite hard to get out, so have fun!

[palaeodave]

So we got a bit further along with this. The basic manifold was in quite a few weeks ago now:





Sand and gravel was put in last week and now we've got it full of water with the filter running.





One of the powerheads is intermittently rattly as hell.


Ok, the next major issue we have is lighting. I got a T5 ballast for this tank and have discovered that the official Jewel light tubes are shockingly expensive. Given the cost of the ballast plus two tubes, I'd may as well have invested in an LED unit!!! (And I'm putting serious thought into that now...) So does anyone know of a different brand of T5 bulb that sell them at 895mm?

[KhuliKhilla]

oh and there are going to be a lot more cobbles in there and plants too

[Graeme Robson]

Looking Good!!!!

[Jim Powers]

Nice!
What do you plan to stock it with?

[palaeodave]

Yes, I should have added that this is still very much a work in progress and we do not consider that to be the final product!

At the moment we're considering some of the following:

http://forums.loaches.com/viewtopic.php?t=17525

http://forums.loaches.com/viewtopic.php?t=17743

Hopefully we'll be overrun with cherry shrimp as well. Also thinking about Vietnamese minnows.

The original reason for getting this going was Homaloptera confuzona but I'm not sure we'll have room for them with the Crossostoma lacustre in there.

[palaeodave]

Actually, scrap the Crossostoma lacustre. How many H. confuzona do you think I could sensibly put in a 1 metre long, 180 litre tank?

[Jim Powers]

As cool as those Crossostoma lacustre are, I think you made a wise choice to go with the H. confuzona . They are among my favorites. (although I can never find them )
I would think you would be able to house up to 10 or so,depending on what else you want to add, the size of the fish and the number of available hiding places.

[KhuliKhilla]

pics on their way

we have it fully set up now and with some inhabitants

the Maidenhead Aquatics in Enfield had some very nice hillies in for £3.50 each including some very very nice G. ctenocephalus so fingers crossed they are still there in a few weeks when the tank is algaefied

[palaeodave]

Ta da!



Ok so the plants have a fair amount of growing to do but, over all, we're pretty pleased with it!









As per usual, my photography skills (or lack thereof) fail to show the colours on these guys. This next one is horribly blurry but at least shows a better representation of true colour.

[shari2]

Once that java moss takes off you'll be buried in cherry shrimp and whiteclouds!

Looks nice guys.