Tang tank inverts and plants

[RelatedToTheFish]

Hi, I'm Ross. I'm setting up a 55gal Tang tank with my wife, Mere. I've been digging through plants and invertebrates that would go well in our new tank. Now it's my turn to ask for advice, tips and leads. We're not really looking for a total Tanganyika biotope tank (though that could be cool), and we're willing to bend rules.

http://forums.tfhmagazine.com/viewto...p?f=83&t=23710 - This is also a big list of Tanganyika native plants with suggested common aquarium plants that are native to the lake.

But really here's a list of what I've found that I liked and I was wondering if they're available and not a terrible idea (some of the plants that are native look like they are listed invasive):

Invertebrates

Tiphobia horei


Neothauma tanganyicense


Spongilla moorei





Plants

Nymphaea lotus (Tiger Lotus)
Substituted for Nymphaea lotus forma


Vallisneria spiralis



Potamogeton schweinfurthii



HYDRILLA VERTICILLATA * & **



Najas horrida


Myriophyllum spicatum **



Pistia stratiotes (Water Lettuce) **


Riccia fluitans



Ceratopteris cornuta


* Federal Invasive Plant
** Texas Invasive Plant



Also, thank you Sasha and Roy for all the help so far! They offered as possible candidates as easily available:

Inverts
Mystery snails (Pomacea bridgesii)

Plants
Vallisneria
Anubias
Java Fern (Microsorum pteropus)

[mistahoo]

Welcome to the box! When it comes to anything invasive, they are usually illegal. You wouldn't want to be caught with something you shouldn't have. There are a lot of substitutes you could use though.

[Totenkampf]

That would be a pretty unique tank for sure. i think we have talked about invasive statutes before and the plants are legal to purchase or trade within state lines?

[RelatedToTheFish]

That would be a pretty unique tank for sure. i think we have talked about invasive statutes before and the plants are legal to purchase or trade within state lines?

Unique can be good or bad. Hopefully it doesn't get ugly.

And I see the sticky on invasive plants and fish in the basics forum (and in the rules), thank you for pointing out it's around. I may have to get one of the guides.

So that brings me back to what's above board and can survive the high Ph in a Tang tank? I'd like to know what people have tried, what's worked for them, and what's possible.

Also, does anyone have locally or know if we can safely/legally import Tanganyika native snails or sponges?

[mnemenoi]

I have looked into the snails and although they are not specifically stated as illegal, most of my endeavors led to that as a reason for not allowing live importation. I have seen empty tanganyikan snail shells imported, but they are expensive and can be quite costly. I know most freshwater sponges simply die in captivity and are difficult if not impossible to keep alive.

As to plants, I have kept Anubias and Vals in my tang tank with no issues. I have some Tiger Lotus and Riccia in my other tanks at the same Ph so I imagine they should not be any issue as long as proper lighting is addressed. Myriophyllum, hydrilla, and water lettuce are all invasive and can not legally be kept, especially with how abundunt they are in Lake Conroe and even in Spring. The Ceretopteris, Najas, and Potomogeton have simliar species that are occasionally available and could easily be substituted should you desire to. Many are difficult in a High Ph tank without CO2 injection and this would lower the Ph.

As to the other Inverts available, there are occasional imports of the Freshwater crabs (Platythelphusa spp.) and there are some Limnocaradina and macrobranchium species rarely imported. I'll go over each family and my thoughts.

Platythelphusa - Very large and aggressive crabs, natural snail eaters in the wild. Could be kept in larger fish tanks, but would be a threat to anything within reach
Limnocaradina spp - (tanganyicae the only I have heard mentioned), smaller species that looks interesting, but very rarely imported. Appears to be more common in Europe.
Macrobranchium spp. - (Moorei most comonly mentioned) Larger shrimp that could be eaten and possibly eat fish in the tank. I have considered using the Red Claw Macro (Macrobrachium assamense ) as a substitute species and have seen it used in tang tanks for the same purpose. My concern would be molting as local keepers and breeders report it being fairly mild mannered.

[Chris.d514]

There have been the crabs posted on Aquabid lately. Here is a link to one of the auctions http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/aucti...rts&1348065014

[mnemenoi]

Indeed, that is one of the species, though I have heard from Invert specialists that they are notoriously difficult to determine to a species level and nearly all 9 found in the lake are nearly identical. There is one solitary Potamonautes platynotus that is found in the lake and outside the Platythelphusa clade. The Platythelphusa species are listed and described very thouroughly here. I have discussed this with a researcher in Chicago and he suggested that many imported into the aquarium trade are likely misidentified, though he was uncertain as to how many were actually imported. That retailer does offer them regularly and seems to have regulare access to them. They are the retailer I have seen offer the Macrobrachium moorei on the single time I have seen it for retail sale.

[sunkenmetal]

My tang cichlids ignore my red claws but My cichlids are small shell dwellers and Jullies

[mnemenoi]

Lol, just who I was thinking about when I mentioned the Red Claws. I suppose someone could try and collect some of the Macrobrachium rosenbergii if they wanted some true monsters in their tank...

[sunkenmetal]

mine have been breeding in the my tanganyika tank...

those are some big ones roy they give me the creeps

[mnemenoi]

They are farm raised here in Texas and have been accidentally released locally and are caught occasionally in some of the bayous. I have seen a few that I assumed were wild caught at a few lfs. They are very aggressive from what I gather and most of the macro family shares those traits. I am glad you have mentioned yours being very different, certainly makes me want to give them a shot in my tang tank... I think my only worry is the petricolas and the gobies when they moult and are soft.

[sunkenmetal]

yea when they molt they don't move for a while.

[RelatedToTheFish]

Crabs sound like they could be trouble to their tankmates, so I may hold out on those for now. As for the shrimp do you think the Julies or Gobys we're planning to get might eat them? Or that they could be a big menace to fry?

As for now our tank has its first inhabitants! Okay, maybe they're not all that exciting. But we have some Val and and two mystery snails: one blue, one black. Hopefully they can help with the tank cycling as the Ammonia in the tank bounces between 0.25 and 0.75.

Black Mystery Snail "Em"

Blue Mystery Snail

[mnemenoi]

Crabs sound like they could be trouble to their tankmates, so I may hold out on those for now. Indeed, there natural prey is actually the Neothaluma snails of the lake and their predation over the years have directly contributed to the excessively large shell beds that allowed for the shellies to adapt to!!!!

As for the shrimp do you think the Julies or Gobys we're planning to get might eat them? It is a distinct possibility, especially the younger shrimplets. With enough rockwork and crevices some should survive and moult without facing predation.

Or that they could be a big menace to fry? It is again possible, but highly unlikely given the pugnacious nature of most tang when spawning and around fry. Julies and Gobies are some of the most aggressive fish in the hobby for their size when it comes to attitude and security around ther fry. There are numerous tales online of them chasing anything else in the tank to the corners and not allowing them out until their fry grew larger.

[sunkenmetal]

My julies only bother my macro shrimp in they are in their territory....