Setting Up A "shore" In A Tank Without Using Up Too Much Roo

[eschaton]

Hey all,

Not quite sure whether to put this in the brackish forum or not, but it's really a question of substrate placement and the like, I figure broader perspective might help.

I've been wanting to keep mangroves ever since I read more about them, and found the ideal tank: a 30 gallon extra high. It's ideal for two reasons. One, it has the same lid size as my 20 gallons did, so I can re-use the glass lid as well as the expensive plant light I bought at the time. Two, the height of the tank means I can fill it up halfway with water and still give the mangroves plenty of room grow within limits.

The third reason it's ideal is because I really want fiddlers or red claw crabs in the tank, and without a lid they'd easily escape. I don't have many other desired critters...I'm going to re-home some brackish-tolerant snails and maybe a livebearer or two, but bumblebee gobies will be the other main feature of the tank.

Anyway, the problem I keep running into is the crabs will need something to stand on besides clambering up the mangroves. Here the height of the tank works against me. The water line already turns the 30-gallon into an effective 15 gallon. When the sand is added in, the water quickly lessens. I'm fairly sure sand cannot maintain a slope of at least 45 degrees, and at minimum a "sandbar" of a few inches would be nice, meaning the actual water bit looks to be less than 1/6th the tank volume. Meaning 5 gallons tops...

I'm trying to think of the mechanics of increasing the total water area while maximizing the total sandy land area for the crabs to play around in. Some possible options

1. Put a bit of large plastic piping under the sand. Maybe even a flowerpot. In effect make a huge "cave" which will support the sand above but leave a big area open to water. Big negative is if it's big it will look unsightly, and they'll be a constant risk of avalanches blocking access.

2. Driftwood going up the tank. Hardly displaces any water. The negative is that Hermits like to scrounge through the sand on the surface.

3. An artificial "island" supported by poles in the middle of the tank. This would in some ways be the most useful model, but it would require tons of construction, especially to get in a manner that looks somewhat realistic. And again, the hermits will have to scale a near vertical rock face. Finally, I'm pretty sure they'd kick most of the sand off the tank edge eventually anyway.

Anyway, any tips?

 

[jayjay]

I would probably use a floating type raft, with a slope to the bottom in one corner, the floating beach around a corner at the surface.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

just put a few well placed stones sticking up out of the water on one side

 

[CFC]

There is a product called a turtle dock which is a floating styrofoam raft which is conected to the tank by suction cups on a frame, i have used them as land for crabs and mudskippers in the past.

The thing with mangroves is that they need masses and masses of light to get them growing, something like a 1500 watt metal halid lamp suspended above the tank is what is needed.

 

[Neal]

I'd silicone a peice of acrylic to the side of the tank, with a little lip around the edges and put sand on that.

Neal

 

[Fella]

Wedge in a piece of polystyrene. I'm going to be adding a shore to my brackish tank early next year, so I'll add in the DIY forum how I did it...

 

[annka5]

Huh, how come everyone is saying what I was about to? Are you stealing my thoughts??! I'd go for the same.

 

[eschaton]

The thing with mangroves is that they need masses and masses of light to get them growing, something like a 1500 watt metal halid lamp suspended above the tank is what is needed.

Really? Everything I've read suggests putting them by a window which gets good natural light, supplemented with normal plant lights, will probably be enough. I have a good spot by a window which is west-facing and gets excellent light in the afternoons. I plan on putting my two Coralife plant lights on top, along with my AGA lid. I would think together this should be enough for some growth.

The idea of a sticky/floating shore is a good one. My only concern is how crabs find their way to it. Do they need to have a branch or a pole leading to the surface?