Plants/Substrate for a Trout Tank

[Wy Renegade]

I've never used anything but gravel, but as I'm considering redoing my trout tank set-up, I'm looking for some thoughts on maybe a different substrate and/or some plant recommendations. Please keep in mind that this is a true coldwater tank, its kept about 68 to 70 degrees F. The trout are brown trout, which are primarily carnivores, and they will be starting pretty small. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[GlennJ]

Plants/Substrate for Trout

Find very few plants growing in the streams that harbor wild Browns in my area(Pennsylvania).Habitat generally consists of alkaline,fast moving water over gravel or bedrock limestone.The fish will hide behind rocks that stick up from the bottom which provides them a break from the current and an ambush sight to grab passing food.They also like to hide beneath undercut streambanks,especially if there are exposed mature tree roots to hide within.They usually seek out shade if possible.As far as plants,some the larger streams might contain Spyrogyra,Watercress,and Potamageton but haven't seen this the norm nor could I recommend commercial sources.I'd say good clean water,gravel for substrate,larger rocks for current breaks,driftwwood to mimic roots exposed by the cut of the stream,and subtle lighting.

 

[mattrox]

If you use Pool Filter Sand and spread round rocks of various sizes, not only will it look natural it will look great..... you don't have to pile pebbles and cobble stones high. Various size stones allow cover that fish hide behind. Pretty much how Glenn described.

A nice piece of drift wood would work in there too.

I never fished brown trout in limestone stream, I used to fish stony rivers where sand banked up on sweeping bends.

What length of tank do you have?

Google up Sunsun wavemakers (flow makers) you can get a nice water flow for a good proce.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Find very few plants growing in the streams that harbor wild Browns in my area(Pennsylvania).Habitat generally consists of alkaline,fast moving water over gravel or bedrock limestone.The fish will hide behind rocks that stick up from the bottom which provides them a break from the current and an ambush sight to grab passing food.They also like to hide beneath undercut streambanks,especially if there are exposed mature tree roots to hide within.They usually seek out shade if possible.As far as plants,some the larger streams might contain Spyrogyra,Watercress,and Potamageton but haven't seen this the norm nor could I recommend commercial sources.I'd say good clean water,gravel for substrate,larger rocks for current breaks,driftwwood to mimic roots exposed by the cut of the stream,and subtle lighting.

This is pretty much what we've done in the past, as streams here in Wyoming are also generally alkaline, fast moving water over gravel or bedrock (although here it's granite, rather than limestone).

If you use Pool Filter Sand and spread round rocks of various sizes, not only will it look natural it will look great..... you don't have to pile pebbles and cobble stones high. Various size stones allow cover that fish hide behind. Pretty much how Glenn described.

A nice piece of drift wood would work in there too.

I never fished brown trout in limestone stream, I used to fish stony rivers where sand banked up on sweeping bends.

What length of tank do you have?

Google up Sunsun wavemakers (flow makers) you can get a nice water flow for a good proce.

Some excellent suggestions there as well mattrox.

What do you all think about using CC gravel mixed with some aragonite sand as the substrate? I'll distribute a number of larger river rocks throughout the substrate and have a smaller pile at one end (hopefully eventually a hiding spot for a smaller black bullhead and/or some crayfish).

Can anybody suggest any sources of driftwood? I can find lots of old tree stumps, etc. around here, but they are usually pine and leaching is a big problem.

The tank is a four foot 55gal. And I'll definitely check out the flow makers. Although I'm wondering about accomplishing the same thing with a couple of larger Korila powerheads placed at one end of the tank?

The tank I'm thinking of using this time is drilled (I'm considering adding a sump). Maybe I'll throw some anacaris or something down in the sump to help use up the nitrates. I'll be running a canister filter (a Rena XP2), which is good up to 300 gallons, so that should keep the water clean. I've seen a number of posts on using purigan rather than carbon, is that a good idea in this case?

 

[BigJim]

There are some deals on driftwood on eBay if you're patient.

I think I'd throw more than just anacharis in the sump. I have a suspicion that anacharis doesn't use up all the nutrients. It leaves something that staghorn algae loves. Java moss does well in cooler water.

Why run carbon? I don't run it unless I'm trying to remove tannins or medication from the water.

 

[Wy Renegade]

There are some deals on driftwood on eBay if you're patient.

I think I'd throw more than just anacharis in the sump. I have a suspicion that anacharis doesn't use up all the nutrients. It leaves something that staghorn algae loves. Java moss does well in cooler water.

Why run carbon? I don't run it unless I'm trying to remove tannins or medication from the water.

Thanks Jim, I'll have to get ahold of some Java moss. Carbon removes organic nutrients, and as the trout get bigger I'm expecting waste amounts to increase significantly. With no plants in the tank to remove those nutrients I have to export them somehow. Do you think with the sump I'll get enough nutrient export to not need any method for nutrient removal?

If that is the case, do I need to run a canister at all, or do I need to instead just run a big HOB?

 

[BigJim]

I wouldn't worry about the carbon. If you're running a well-designed sump, that should be all the filtration you need. Google "Melev's Reef" and look at his sump page. It's very informative.

 

[Wy Renegade]

I wouldn't worry about the carbon. If you're running a well-designed sump, that should be all the filtration you need. Google "Melev's Reef" and look at his sump page. It's very informative.

Thanks Jim, I've actually checked it out before - I run sumps on my reefs, just never have done one on a freshwater tank before. So you're saying I don't need any other type of filtration other than the sump?

 

[BigJim]

That's exactly what I'm saying. There's very little difference between a FW sump and a SW sump. The protein skimmer is about it.

A good filter has provisions for the three types of water filtration:

Mechanical: Sponges, filter floss, etc. It catches the big particles.

Chemical: Carbon, etc. In a properly setup tank, you really don't need to run chemical filtration all the time. I suppose you could lump plants into the chemical filtration category. Nitrate removal can be handled by PWCs, but it plants don't hurt.

Biological: The usual ammonia-nitrite-nitrate process. While this is the most important of the three filtration types, you don't necessarily need dedicated biomedia. The beneficial bacteria will live on the mechanical filtration media.

That's all there really is to a filter, freshwater or saltwater.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Chemical: Carbon, etc. In a properly setup tank, you really don't need to run chemical filtration all the time. I suppose you could lump plants into the chemical filtration category. Nitrate removal can be handled by PWCs, but it plants don't hurt.

Biological: The usual ammonia-nitrite-nitrate process. While this is the most important of the three filtration types, you don't necessarily need dedicated biomedia. The beneficial bacteria will live on the mechanical filtration media.

That's all there really is to a filter, freshwater or saltwater.

Pardon me for being dense, but PWCs? Is that periodic water changes?

As far as the biological, while beneficial bacteria will break ammonia into nitrite and nitrite into nitrate, aren't the nitrate converters anaerobic and therefore not present in your normal gravel substrate FW aquarium?

 

[BigJim]

Close. PWC is partial water change.

Yes, there are nitrate converting bacteria that are anaerobic. This is the theory behind deep sand bed filtration you'll see in the SW arena. I've never heard of anyone trying anaerobic setups for FW. The whole thing seems risky to me. It's much easier to do a PWC to control the nitrate levels. Plants also use up nitrates and would be less risky than either microbial or chemical nitrate removal.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Thanks Jim, Glen and Matt - you guys have given me lots to chew on in preparing for this reset.