YakontheFly
New Member
Greetings,
Want to introduce myself, and give everyone a understanding of where I am coming from with regards my piscatorial plans.
I have spent the last 35 years, in a career that has allowed me to travel all over the world. Sadly, this constant moving and travel, has resulted in my not being able to ever have an aquarium of tropical fish, let alone something along the concept of my dream plan.
I am an avid diver and angler, and this combination has allowed me to appreciate the world of our piscatorial companions, on this big blue marble, from a variety of perspectives.
Luckily, my career influenced, vagabond ways, are coming to an end. I anticipate a couple of decades in retirement in my adopted tropical paradise homeland, the Philippines.
I am having a new house built to accommodate this, and have extensive plans for a Japanese Water Garden inspired yard, with two large ponds (I have 250 sq ft to work with), several waterfalls and lots of colorful tropical plants, including water plants of all types (floating, bog, marginal and submerged)
The sound of waterfalls and ocean waves is cathartic to me. Which is the main reason for several waterfalls.
I plan on the aquascape (I know, a new word.) to be a diverse mix of rock, sand, gravel, caves and submerged logs.
I love the diversity and vibrant colors of tropical reef fishes, but am a realist, and know a salt water version of what I want, is too complex. Besides, I am close enough to the ocean to visit those on my frequent dives.
So, I have decided to populate the pond with lots of brightly colored freshwater fishes. I originally wanted to populate with South American Cichlids, especially Peacock Bass, because I find them so beautiful, and have fond memories of catching them on a flyrod, and returning them back. But they tend to get too large for smaller ponds, have a tendency to jump out of their tanks, and are super aggressive to other species in the tank. I want diversity, not just a couple species.
I then looked at the various Malawan Cichlids (Haplochromis) varieties because of the vibrant coloration, decent size (4-8" range), and their ability to live peacefully together. But, they make having water plants all but impossible.
Now I am looking at varieties of Rainbowfish (Melanotaeniidae), and although they are smaller, they do not destroy water plants.
My pond design, will be partially above and partially below ground, with natural lava rock (Another problem for Haplochromis), and a depth of up to 4 feet total (2' above and 2' below ground). I plan on having viewing panes in places where it is above ground, to give a aquarium type view, as well as top down.
Imagine this with a more natural rock frame.
The water intake for filtering and re-circulation to the waterfalls will be at the base of waterfalls from each pond to a intake under the Japanese style bridge (Which will be built to easily remove for access to clean filters, and conduct repairs.)
I know this is overly ambitious for a beginner, but what else will I have to do in retirement.
My questions are this:
1) Are there any other species I should look at that would do well in such an environment, and meet my desire for color?
2) Should I stick with the Haps, and remove all but bog and hardier floating plants?
3) Since the pond will be fairly large, is it possible I could have a few Mbuna Cichlids in the pond too, provided I build lots of cave and structure for them to populate, to leave the Haps alone?
4) Is it possible, due to the bog areas, underwater rock and plant cover, to have several species of food fish and freshwater shrimp, naturally living within the pond at the same time. An eco-balance per se.
5) I am planning on using a combination of pond liners, and rock that are cemented together with epoxy grout for the pond, and using excavated dirt to build berms.
6) Any recommendations, cautionary and suggestive, from the collective knowledge of these forums is greatly appreciated. I learned long ago, to seek out subject matter experts when addressing any project. You are my collective SME's.
Oh, and any recommendations for tropical water plants or fish species I have not mentioned previously, to consider, are appreciated. Especially if the water plants are edible, and I can use them to supplement by diet. (Like Water Basil and Lotus)
Thank you,
Want to introduce myself, and give everyone a understanding of where I am coming from with regards my piscatorial plans.
I have spent the last 35 years, in a career that has allowed me to travel all over the world. Sadly, this constant moving and travel, has resulted in my not being able to ever have an aquarium of tropical fish, let alone something along the concept of my dream plan.
I am an avid diver and angler, and this combination has allowed me to appreciate the world of our piscatorial companions, on this big blue marble, from a variety of perspectives.
Luckily, my career influenced, vagabond ways, are coming to an end. I anticipate a couple of decades in retirement in my adopted tropical paradise homeland, the Philippines.
I am having a new house built to accommodate this, and have extensive plans for a Japanese Water Garden inspired yard, with two large ponds (I have 250 sq ft to work with), several waterfalls and lots of colorful tropical plants, including water plants of all types (floating, bog, marginal and submerged)
The sound of waterfalls and ocean waves is cathartic to me. Which is the main reason for several waterfalls.
I plan on the aquascape (I know, a new word.) to be a diverse mix of rock, sand, gravel, caves and submerged logs.
I love the diversity and vibrant colors of tropical reef fishes, but am a realist, and know a salt water version of what I want, is too complex. Besides, I am close enough to the ocean to visit those on my frequent dives.
So, I have decided to populate the pond with lots of brightly colored freshwater fishes. I originally wanted to populate with South American Cichlids, especially Peacock Bass, because I find them so beautiful, and have fond memories of catching them on a flyrod, and returning them back. But they tend to get too large for smaller ponds, have a tendency to jump out of their tanks, and are super aggressive to other species in the tank. I want diversity, not just a couple species.
I then looked at the various Malawan Cichlids (Haplochromis) varieties because of the vibrant coloration, decent size (4-8" range), and their ability to live peacefully together. But, they make having water plants all but impossible.
Now I am looking at varieties of Rainbowfish (Melanotaeniidae), and although they are smaller, they do not destroy water plants.
My pond design, will be partially above and partially below ground, with natural lava rock (Another problem for Haplochromis), and a depth of up to 4 feet total (2' above and 2' below ground). I plan on having viewing panes in places where it is above ground, to give a aquarium type view, as well as top down.
Imagine this with a more natural rock frame.
The water intake for filtering and re-circulation to the waterfalls will be at the base of waterfalls from each pond to a intake under the Japanese style bridge (Which will be built to easily remove for access to clean filters, and conduct repairs.)
I know this is overly ambitious for a beginner, but what else will I have to do in retirement.
My questions are this:
1) Are there any other species I should look at that would do well in such an environment, and meet my desire for color?
2) Should I stick with the Haps, and remove all but bog and hardier floating plants?
3) Since the pond will be fairly large, is it possible I could have a few Mbuna Cichlids in the pond too, provided I build lots of cave and structure for them to populate, to leave the Haps alone?
4) Is it possible, due to the bog areas, underwater rock and plant cover, to have several species of food fish and freshwater shrimp, naturally living within the pond at the same time. An eco-balance per se.
5) I am planning on using a combination of pond liners, and rock that are cemented together with epoxy grout for the pond, and using excavated dirt to build berms.
6) Any recommendations, cautionary and suggestive, from the collective knowledge of these forums is greatly appreciated. I learned long ago, to seek out subject matter experts when addressing any project. You are my collective SME's.
Oh, and any recommendations for tropical water plants or fish species I have not mentioned previously, to consider, are appreciated. Especially if the water plants are edible, and I can use them to supplement by diet. (Like Water Basil and Lotus)
Thank you,
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