Nuts ´n´ Trash (today's pictures)

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wasserscheu
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Post by wasserscheu » Thu Jul 30, 2009 8:19 am

hehe ... I love that cartoon, fantastic :lol: yes, that's pretty much what those pipes are like, but they worked, to my surprise even the ones raisng 50cm more than 1,5') above waterlevel ...
4 of 6 G.rufas are now over at the big tank, one keeps enjoying the new pvc smell and won't leave the pipe.
The Bristelnose was in the former Q-tank next day - she is very quick and seems to have feed on algae the garras leftz over.

One Garra flavatra was seen this morning just a bit over the grey pipe on the right. That means to me, that they would enter a dark syphon too, as the 3' pipe (dark inside) needs to be entered via a 90° knee piece (put that on so too thick fish can't get around and get stuck inside).
Later on a tiger chased the G.flavatra almost to the top (middle of connection), the tiger was only sticking it's nose into the transperent area. When I got closer with the camera, both right away paniced back into the grey pipe. It appeared that the grown up Garra u-turned in the 1&1/4" (i/s dia) pipe :shock: :roll:

One G.rufa made it up through the dark pipes from the left (coming from former Q-tank), also he was high uo, looking down on me, a interesting feeling.

I have pic`s and video, but no time to upload yet.

It sure was worth the effort, even though it's just temporary, as my entire setup is only temporary (but unfourtunately for far too long already).
Wolfram

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Vancmann
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Post by Vancmann » Thu Jul 30, 2009 6:35 pm

wasserscheu, this is really really cool. I bet the loaches love this network.
Reminds me of my initial setup: initially I was going to have the 4" pipe vent at the tank's water level where the loaches could swim through. The pipe would be open on top but covered by clear acrylic and I was just going to grow algae there but I changed my mind and set it up for crops. If I were to include crops (which I have just started) it would not be possible because some plants do not like the continous flow of water.

Keep up the innovation.
120 gallon planted aquaponic tank with 10 clown loachs, first one since 1994, 1 modesta and 3 striadas.

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Keith Wolcott
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Post by Keith Wolcott » Thu Jul 30, 2009 6:40 pm

Beautiful Wolfram!

wasserscheu
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Post by wasserscheu » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:05 am

Trichopsis pumilus

Image
Wolfram

wasserscheu
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Nuts ´n´ Trash (how large am I?)

Post by wasserscheu » Thu Jan 27, 2011 2:40 pm

Never finished the above post, it was about 1/2" by that time, I blew up the picture. It is still alive, but back in it's parents tank, who may not live anymore - did not see them for a while. This chap I saw again yesterday. The special thing about it, is that it survived escaping from his parents tank, than worked his way through the large loach tank to finally grow up in another small tank.
Which brings me back to the subject of my tanks being connected with hoses and pipes. Here a video about a company doing similar things, got it postet at the German forum. There was a picture posted recently here, but I could not find the thread anymore. It is worth waiting for the video to start:

http://www.octopusstudios.com/aquavideo.htm

Here some of my recent long term trials, I was looking for the height where my water starts releasing gas. It starts creating bubbles somewhere after 2' above waterlevel.

Don't ask me why that clown is chosing the less than 2" hose rather than the 4" diameter one above it, it had a good rest in there for half a day and chicken as clowns are, he went back out backwards all the way. The clowns also use the larger pipe, mainly in the morning though. The Garras use the connections as roundtrip roads all the time, as if it were the most natural thing.
The reason for the trial, was the vision to get over the door frame and thus making it possible for the fish to cruise around the entire room ...

Image
Wolfram

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Vancmann
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Re: Nuts ´n´ Trash (the big trial-waterbridge)

Post by Vancmann » Thu Jan 27, 2011 3:15 pm

Imagine you could have clear pipes throughout the house where your loaches could come tour and check out the whole house.
120 gallon planted aquaponic tank with 10 clown loachs, first one since 1994, 1 modesta and 3 striadas.

starsplitter7
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Re: Nuts ´n´ Trash (the big trial-waterbridge)

Post by starsplitter7 » Thu Jan 27, 2011 6:52 pm

Wow! I have missed your posts. Please put up some more pictures. :)

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Keith Wolcott
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Re: Nuts ´n´ Trash (the big trial-waterbridge)

Post by Keith Wolcott » Thu Jan 27, 2011 10:03 pm

It is good to hear from you Wolfram. Your pipes are very cool! My Panda Garras also use the water bridge, but go through very fast.

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chefkeith
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Re: Nuts ´n´ Trash (the big trial-waterbridge)

Post by chefkeith » Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:03 pm

Very cool. I love the loaches and pipes.

NancyD
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Re: Nuts ´n´ Trash (the big trial-waterbridge)

Post by NancyD » Mon Jan 31, 2011 7:33 pm

I forgot how fun your tubes are, a nice update.
Image

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Vancmann
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Re: Nuts ´n´ Trash (the big trial-waterbridge)

Post by Vancmann » Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:58 am

Do they ever get lost and confused in the tube? I have a 5.5 feet tube and initially the loaches would try to get out through the walls. Now, they know to "walk back" or swim forward to get out. On average it took a loach about a month to figure out.
120 gallon planted aquaponic tank with 10 clown loachs, first one since 1994, 1 modesta and 3 striadas.

wasserscheu
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Re: Nuts ´n´ Trash (the big trial-waterbridge)

Post by wasserscheu » Thu Feb 03, 2011 7:29 am

Thanks for your nice comments, I need to setup the tanks new anyway, so there will be more update sooooomeday.
Vancmann wrote: ... On average it took a loach about a month to figure out. ...
I started the whole thing, as during the first water bridge the Y.caudipunctata and B.striata plugged the pipes the first night and did not even want to come out. So I discovered their acceptance. I watched carefully and noticed that within the same spezies of loach, there are very different personalities. Some just get through somehow and react surprised and partially even lost, that is why I caped the small loach tank (Sid's, Pangio, etc). From 16 Yunnanilus brevis 7 did move to the opposite (much larger) tank, where they can see the others of their original group - the amount stays pretty stable, that might mean they don't commute at all (never saws one). The ones in the small tank grew larger - less food competition, thats why one Y. caudip. visits the smaller tank to feed - he was smaller than the other 4, but caught up within a month.
Some other individuals, regardless whether Sewellia or Clowns investigate the pipe very carefully in very small steps, never swim through in one attempt, go a bit and return - go further and return again. Those are the ones that use the pipes to commute (collect snails in remote tanks) but live in the main tank. Clowns tend to use the big diameter to commute in the morning, both directions, but live in their home-tank, as the 6' tankist still pretty blank (a few wood pieces and knee-pipes but plants floating on the water). When clowns and similar use the thiner pipes they hardly ever take a roundtrip around the various possiblities, but walk out backwards, not minding step slopes.

The smartest is the BN-Ancistrus-girl, she is always the first one, hoping to find peace and quiet. Garras rush like fast traffic, or grase inside the pipes, all the time, rufa more than flavatra. Even the G.rufa babies are seen in all tanks in sizes less than 1/2", they need to swim against stream to get out of their possible 2 breeding tanks.
Wolfram

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Graeme Robson
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Re: Nuts ´n´ Trash (the big trial-waterbridge)

Post by Graeme Robson » Sat Feb 05, 2011 1:16 pm

That's crazy!! :lol: :P :lol:
Image

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Vancmann
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Re: Nuts ´n´ Trash (the big trial-waterbridge)

Post by Vancmann » Sun Feb 06, 2011 12:45 am

wasserscheu wrote: I watched carefully and noticed that within the same spezies of loach, there are very different personalities. .
I totally see and agree with the above.
This is the coolest project ever and it is really tempting me to try. Right now I have just clown loaches and they will need large pipes so it may not be feasable at the moment because i will need 4" Acrylic tubes at the height of or below the tanks. If I construct large tubes above my tank, with any power failure there would be a lot of water coming back down and overflowing the main tank.

Keep us posted on the stories
Vance
120 gallon planted aquaponic tank with 10 clown loachs, first one since 1994, 1 modesta and 3 striadas.

wasserscheu
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Re: Nuts ´n´ Trash (Garra rufa update)

Post by wasserscheu » Fri Feb 11, 2011 8:59 am

just a quick shot of one of the Garra rufa from the previous page as an update, they spawn regulary, mostly involving a group. In one "hot night" they spread eggs about 3 - 4 times, which provides a fantastic snack for loaches and all others, including themeselfs too.
Those are very friendly and contact seeking fish, it's a pitty they often are kept under cruel conditions in some "quick spas" (for nibbling on feet, etc). I do not want to generalize, there may be places which look after them nicely and it may be a good thing. However once "spas" even show totally starved and/or sick Garras on their homepage, that very well prooves, some don't even know what healthy Garras look like. Please do observe the quality of places before supporting animal abuse. Garra rufa can be very helpful in certain skin treatment as they can nibble off loose skin flakes, but they can not get anything off healthy skin (like callus) :!:

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Wolfram

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