Kioka Posted March 21, 2008 Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 (edited) Hello everyone! I am building a Solomon Island biotpe with a Crocodile Skink, a Skunk Gecko and a Solomon Islands Leaf Frog. I decided to do a project with a 36"x12"x18" to make a half-water, half-land streamside forest environment with Mosquitofish, trumpet snails and Indo-Pacific freshwater shrimps. Right now I am looking for: - Caridina spp. (Bumblee shrimps? Japanese Algae shrimps?) - Gambusia affinis (Mosquitofish) FOUND, thanks frogO_Oeyes - Melanoides tuberculata (Malaysian Trumpet Snails) FOUND, thanks corrisonjerry - Neocardina spp. (Cherry shrimps?) - Ceratobatrachus guentheri (Gunther's Triangle Frog, Solomon Island Leaf Frog, Solomon Island Eyelash Frog) FOUND - Gekko vittatus (Striped Gecko, White-lined Gecko, Skunk Gecko) - Tribolonotus gracilis (Red-eyed Crocodile Skink, Orange-eyed Crocodile Skink, Red-eyed Armored Skink, Orange-eyed Armored Skink) FOUND - Cymbidium sp. - Dendrobium sp. (Den Orchids) - Epipremnum sp. (Golden Pothos) FOUND - Eleocharis sp. (Hairgrass) - Hibiscus tiliaceus (Mahoe Hibiscus) - Malaxis sp. (Adder's Mouth) - Pteris sp. (Table Ferns) FOUND - Selaginella sp. (Spikemoss, Clubmoss) - Vesicularia dubyana (Java Moss) FOUND, thanks corrosionjerry - Andesite - Basalt - Pumice Progress so far: I realize the front glass panel isn't the cleanest right now. The animals: You can keep track of my progress here: http://www.edmontonreptiles.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1899 Edited April 21, 2008 by Kioka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
African_Fever Posted March 21, 2008 Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 This might be a dumb question, but wouldn't there be a chance of the herps eating the fish and shrimp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kioka Posted March 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 (edited) This might be a dumb question, but wouldn't there be a chance of the herps eating the fish and shrimp? Not a dumb question at all. The frog is completely terrestrial and the Crocodile Skink is semi-aquatic. However the Crocodile Skink only recognize beetle grubs as food. I don't see why the gecko would give up insects for fish and shrimps though... Edited March 22, 2008 by Kioka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corrosionjerry Posted March 22, 2008 Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 I can help you out with the trumpet snails and a chunk of Java Moss... Check with Sam Chiklets re the frogs.... He is into those critters and may be able to help you find some... Interesting project...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kioka Posted March 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 I can help you out with the trumpet snails and a chunk of Java Moss... Check with Sam Chiklets re the frogs.... He is into those critters and may be able to help you find some... Interesting project...... Thanks, Jerry! Will PM you soon. Yeah... I got two other projects in mind. Well... actually eight, but I only worked out three of them... Sulawesi, Solomon Islands biotopes, and my "Living Fossil" idea. But for the meantime...I am working on the Solomon Islands biotope, even though I am hurting to do a "Paleo" one with prehistoric fish and ancient lineages of reptiles and amphibians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kioka Posted March 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 (edited) Posted on another forum: http://www.albertareptilesociety.org/forum...read.php?t=1175 Did some major revisions in all sections. Most noticeable is the section covering freshwater mussels, aquatic snails and shrimps; the plant section is heavily revised as well. I will post a version of this once I get the aquatic section up and running. Edited March 25, 2008 by Kioka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arixonbarnes Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 I would skip the Gambusia affinis (Mosquitofish) as they are not native to the Solomons - they are native to the southern USA. They are also very aggressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kioka Posted March 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 (edited) I would skip the Gambusia affinis (Mosquitofish) as they are not native to the Solomons - they are native to the southern USA. They are also very aggressive. They are already established in the Solomons. It would not be fair to put an archerfish, a Celebes or Loach boy in a stream-like pond that is 11.4 gallon. from my calculations. The only thing from the Solomons that can fit in there is the Pipefish and Mosquitofish. The moquitofish can be found virtually in every body of water in the Solomons, and now considered naturalized, and Pipefish needs established aquariums. Edited March 26, 2008 by Kioka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slough Shark Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 This sounds like a very interesting biotope. I suggest you grab some Nomorhamphus liemi (Celebes Halfbeaks) instead of the G. affinis. These fish are much more attractive and are only 2 cm larger than the mosquitofish. I saw some at Big Al's a while back, so I imagine they get them in every now and again. Good luck, I am going to be following this topic closely! Taylor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kioka Posted March 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2008 (edited) Thanks for the head up. I was looking for those Nomorhamhus for my Sulawesi biotope, so I will inquiry about it, which I am hoping to complete by May. Anyway, I already got some Gambusia coming up to Edmonton by a guy who bought them from a local store in Calgary. Pipefish would be preferred over Gambusia, however. To give some perceptive on the Sulawesi... I am hoping for Halfbeaks, Ricefish (supposedly common to find in American petstores...), Kuhli Loach. I need to do my research to see if the Halfbeaks can co-exist with the other two... This sounds like a very interesting biotope. I suggest you grab some Nomorhamphus liemi (Celebes Halfbeaks) instead of the G. affinis. These fish are much more attractive and are only 2 cm larger than the mosquitofish. I saw some at Big Al's a while back, so I imagine they get them in every now and again.Good luck, I am going to be following this topic closely! Taylor Edited March 28, 2008 by Kioka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kioka Posted March 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2008 Thanks corrosionjerry for the Java Moss and trumpet snails. I uploaded a picture of the latest progress. The front glass panel is dirty, but I hope it's good enough for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kioka Posted April 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2008 Updated section 5 on ERAS and TARAS forum. Latest picture: I got Gambusia sitting in a holding tank in Calgary, some Java Moss and snails in a bucket, and i got some new ferns. Looking for Spikemoss, a young Hibiscus and a White-lined Gecko. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firestorm Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 Wow that's a very great project. I love how you obviously did so much reading and research into this biotope. I would love to help you out but the only thing I can come up with is for the plants, try out your local garden center, as for the gecko, have you asked a local store that carries reptiles if they can order one for you from somewhere? I know pisces here in Calgary carries a wide variety of reptiles and amphibians, and they will also do special orders on them if they can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kioka Posted April 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 No real specialty store here, and the chainstores don't do custom order. Although I am kicking myself right now because a few stores got the Gekko vittatus, but I didn't check on them everyday; a lot of them were already sold. Found Spikemoss at Home Depot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slough Shark Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 I must admit, I was a little skeptical when I saw all of that bare white stuff, but it's really starting to come together now! Keep up the good work! Taylor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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