# TobasB's Paludarium/Aquarium Build Up 40G Low-Tech



## RipariumGuy (Aug 6, 2009)

Perfect man! I really like the tank. I know alot of people say that a tank looks like a slice of a river, but this really actually is! 
Regards
Jake


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## chuukus (Jun 17, 2008)

I definetly agree with Jake, its Nice and natural looking. I love it!!! Keep us posted on the tanks progress.


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## J.farrand (Jul 12, 2010)

I love this site! People like you give people like me better ideas on how to set tanks up. They look awesome. Be proud of you work. It's nice!!!


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## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

Tank looks awesome. Great build.


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Thank you very much for the great comments guys! really appreciate it. Will get some more pics very soon!


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## dizzle 21 (Jul 8, 2010)

really nice lookin tank. looks like your swimming in the amazon! and btw the tank looks huge from the pictures. but only a 35g?


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## Dr. Acula (Oct 14, 2009)

Looks good, man. I was torn between a paludarium and classic aquarium when I set up my tank, but wound up filling it to the top myself. I think the the half dry route might have been pretty fun, but oh well. Also, I've always preferred the taller paludariums to longer, but yours is quite nice. It does look very natural, as everyone has said. Keep us updated.


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

dizzle 21 said:


> really nice lookin tank. looks like your swimming in the amazon! and btw the tank looks huge from the pictures. but only a 35g?


Thanks mate, yeah it 40 us gallons, but i see what you mean, ive double checked the dimensions and ran them through a different calculator and nothings changed.


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Dr. Acula said:


> Looks good, man. I was torn between a paludarium and classic aquarium when I set up my tank, but wound up filling it to the top myself. I think the the half dry route might have been pretty fun, but oh well. Also, I've always preferred the taller paludariums to longer, but yours is quite nice. It does look very natural, as everyone has said. Keep us updated.


Thanks also pal, you should drain it halfway and see what it looks like :tongue:


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## Dr. Acula (Oct 14, 2009)

Hmmm...don't tempt me.


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

So not updated for a while! having left the tank for a while now to its on devices while everything grows in abit it looked like this...










So i gave it abit of a tidy up and its currently like this!...






































Thanks for looking!


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## Kratos (Apr 25, 2008)

Great job! It truly looks spectacular from top to bottom.

Edit: Still admiring the last set of pictures. I can't get over how good this tank looks.


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Thanks mate! your too kind


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## VadimShevchuk (Sep 19, 2009)

I like the look of the longer paludarium. Have to agree with others on the river look!


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Hi guys, took these photos afew weeks ago and have been meaning to upload for a long time, added afew rocks ect... the tank atm though is in abit of a neglected state, so im currently working on it and bought some new livestock to give me some enthusiasm lol. Here's how it was, i do water changes out of my garden pond and have been doing for years, so excuse the duckweed.


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

I like it, very natural


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## Solid (Jul 19, 2009)

maybe a tad too much duckweed, but very nice! i really like it. Like O said, very natural looking.


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## Matty (Dec 4, 2009)

Very nice!


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Thanks for the possitive feedback guys! I've cleaned the tank up a little bit now and i'm acctually waiting on some plants throught the post which should of come today but no luck yet. Here are my new livestock anyway, can anyone guess what they are? i've got five of the little guys.


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## gregpxc (Jul 19, 2010)

do you know or are you asking for an ID? lol I have no clue but depending on the mouth, some sort of algae eater or some sort of hi fin minnow or danio... but then again, I don't think I've been in the business long enough for this


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Yeah i know just wondering if anyone can guess what they are, they are popular for eating at peoples feet!


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## Solid (Jul 19, 2009)

I thought it was some sort of Goby. But your last comments leads me to believe its a Garra Rufa?


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Yep Garra Rufa!


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## gregpxc (Jul 19, 2010)

any updated pics? lol I got a 20 High and plan on doing something similar. I need all the inspiration I can get


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## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

cool fish dude, i think the tank looks awesome, great work.


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Thanks for the kind words 
My plants came today so ill get picks tomorow when the water has cleared and ive finished tweaking things, i order a silly amount though got a great deal.
I have somthing to admit though, i was very bored yesterday and some frogs in my garden looked freezing so i decided to put to in my tank.... heres one in a cave and a smaller one just chillin catching a tan.


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Ok so there's been afew developments! My plants arived last thursday sooooo i put the frogs back to the garden, planted the tank and decided to fill the tank to the top i know its not a paludarium at the moment but no doubt i'll drain abit out in afew weeks. No picks of the tank at the moment as i'm just letting everying settle and grow in abit but here's the plants when they came and a quick snap of Macropodus erythropterus!
Thanks for looking


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## Superluminal (May 28, 2010)

Very nice tank. I am breaking down my 29G to start a paludarium build. I'm using your tank as inspiration.


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## Pri (Oct 20, 2010)

Very Nice tank and so natural...
In fact TobasB from Manchester, are you a United or City fan?


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Thanks for the kind words! 
Erm i don't really follow football to be honest, i guess i support bolton though if you've heard of them.
On the tank side of things it's winding me up abit, one of the paradise fish is bullying the smaller one and i dont have another heater for another tank so ive just had to put one in a container float and the most annoying thing is loads of the wood that was previously emersed has now floated to the top, it was fine for afew days submerged so i've had to rip it all out. So to sumerise the tank is doing my head in!


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## Pri (Oct 20, 2010)

Most of the person in Mauritius follow the English Premiership - Mostly Man Utd and Liverpool Fans.
Feel sorry for your tank - you'll restart the tank or just try to manage the actual scape? ... Your paradise fish are both males?


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Ahh right sweet, can't really afford to start again going to just persue the current scape, and not shaw on the sexing i think ones a female as she used to go very pale now and then which i read is a female ready to bread, the female is the bully and is a lot larger, guessing the other is a male as alot darker. Purchased them both at the same size nearly a year ago, it's only as ones got larger the bullying started.


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Ok so not updated in a while, just give the tank a clean so will get some pics up soon when the water has settled ect, one of the paradise fish has died thats about all that has happened. Some recent snaps!..


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Ok so this is how the tank looks at the moment! It's ok, not keane on the right hand side, looks empty but not sure what to put there, maybe a large amazon sword, i'm not sure yet, i've no hardscape that would fit so foliage would probubly be best!

Pics arn't the best! Could do with a few tips on getting better pics!


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

So recently recently i ran out of dried food so i've fed the fish on a diet of live blood worms and finely chopped cooked chicken for about 10 days, i got some flake food and pellets the other day so no more, but i did notice a big difference with the congo's, there colours are so much more vibrant now and most of all there fins have grown alot longer than they were, i've had these fish about 4 years and they've never looked better than in the past week or so, here's some pics..


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Whats everyone think of the tank at the moment, would love some C&C!


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## Pri (Oct 20, 2010)

Cool tank...look natural (as usual must I say!)...I love your congos...It took 4 years for the fin to grow like this? I bought 4 of them 3 months ago and I'm waiting to see the colors pop up and for the fins to develop. What is the size of your Congos?


My planted tank http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myTanks/2076-Pri.html
My Cichlid tank http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myTanks/2075-Pri.html
My DIY project Journal http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...88-125g-pond-river-waterfall-diy-project.html
My Betta Pico http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-nano-tanks/122780-black-white-planted-pico.html


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## Pri (Oct 20, 2010)

>


What's that???

*My planted tank *http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myTanks/2076-Pri.html
*My Cichlid tank *http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myTanks/2075-Pri.html
*My DIY project Journal *http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals-photo-album/121288-125g-pond-river-waterfall-diy-project.html
*My Betta Pico *http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-nano-tanks/122780-black-white-planted-pico.html


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Pri said:


> Cool tank...look natural (as usual must I say!)...I love your congos...It took 4 years for the fin to grow like this? I bought 4 of them 3 months ago and I'm waiting to see the colors pop up and for the fins to develop. What is the size of your Congos?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Well the finage has always been good but recently is has deffinatly improved from feeding them live foods and such. I'd say they're about 3.5"-4inch long at the moment, full size really 

And thats a water woodlouce* (*Asellus aquaticus) get them out of the garden pond, the fish love them! Noticed when i dissmantled my last tank though that there was acctually alot of them live under the bogwood in a little colony, gave me shivers!


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## chumlee (Nov 4, 2010)

kind of off topic but LOL I just did a search on woodlouse and a website came up with how to cook them...if you would like you could make some woodlouse sushi!

and nice tank...those congo's look great!


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Haha really?! That's grim, i think ill pass on that


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## seadreamer (May 6, 2007)

We spend all this money buying "aquarium safe" products and you just drag stuff in from your yard and pond? Dangit! 

Seriously, it's a thing of beauty. I've always adored "slice of river" type aquariums and have never succeeded in creating one. I love all the litter on the bottom and that bug thing....I just love this tank!

And those congos are jewels.


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## capn_kirkj (Oct 1, 2007)

nice variety of fish in there... how do those black fin tetras get on in the tank? Cheers...


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

seadreamer said:


> We spend all this money buying "aquarium safe" products and you just drag stuff in from your yard and pond? Dangit!
> 
> Seriously, it's a thing of beauty. I've always adored "slice of river" type aquariums and have never succeeded in creating one. I love all the litter on the bottom and that bug thing....I just love this tank!
> 
> And those congos are jewels.


Thanks mate, yeah just trying to create a very natural set up, been considering leaf litter but no shaw yet! 



capn_kirkj said:


> nice variety of fish in there... how do those black fin tetras get on in the tank? Cheers...


The black fin tetra are great, very peacefull fish, not very active but they don't cause any trouble.


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## Pri (Oct 20, 2010)

> Well the finage has always been good but recently is has deffinatly improved from feeding them live foods and such. I'd say they're about 3.5"-4inch long at the moment, full size really


I'll try to feed mine with live foods too. They are still about 1 inch long and the fins are not really well developped yet...


My planted tank http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myTanks/2076-Pri.html
My Cichlid tank http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myTanks/2075-Pri.html
My DIY project Journal http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...88-125g-pond-river-waterfall-diy-project.html
My Betta Pico http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-nano-tanks/122780-black-white-planted-pico.html


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## tuffgong (Apr 13, 2010)

Your tank is gorgeous. I love natural setups and you have hit the nail on the head. Keep us updated. The pics are inspirational!


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Hey guys so not updated for ages! Truth is I've not had much to update, I've been neglecting the tank really only doing the necessary feeding and water changes! So other day after staring at the sorry sight I thought i'd get crackin' and clear it out abit. I've added another small filter at the back of the tank out of sight and re-arranged and replaced the wood on the right hand side, here's some pics anyways...

Before...









During...









And now...


















Thanks very much for looking anyway and please leave your comments and criticism


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## anubiasnick (Mar 20, 2011)

love this setup ,but am not sure about the green cable sagging down ,can you not tighten it?


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Yeah i know mate and not really its fairly solid and has just bent like that over time and there is know where to pin it up


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## 2in10 (Feb 8, 2011)

Very nice tank, congrats


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Not a massive update, give the tank a bit of a clean ect everything is fine but not much growth. 

Got three of these guys, barely see them though, they're nocturnal.  Can any one guess what they are? Pretty easy one.










Also, i'd seen the cherry barbs breeding so I guess i'm doing something right, but i never expected the eggs to last with all the bottom feeders in the tank, but noticed two of these little guys the other night so i'm pretty chuffed.


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

LEMME GUESS! Striped raphael catfish? Did I win anything? I do have to admit this tank is pretty cool


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Haha spot on! And cheers mate, I'm working on getting all the pics back up from the build but flickr is being a pain!


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

Ok just spent ages re linking all the images so they should be working again now!


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## indigo (Aug 1, 2011)

wow gorgeous tank. any updates?


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

indigo said:


> wow gorgeous tank. any updates?


Thanks man! Yes updates! as its been a while. 

The tank got moved downstairs into the living room with a new-ish aqua scape. Fish are all happy apart from the two jittery Congos that I have left, need to get them some companions so they're not so jumpy but I'm not to interested in any more tetra's, want some nice barbs now. Got a Badis badis which is a lovely little fish. 

Also the Eheim packed up, although it took 15 years so really impressed. Was so impressed I've bought another but bigger. No decent pics as of yet though, will get some soon.


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## 2in10 (Feb 8, 2011)

Looks beautiful, great scape.


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## TobasB (Aug 11, 2010)

2in10 said:


> Looks beautiful, great scape.


Cheers man


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