I'm starting my own river tank as well. All I did so far is buy a new 30 gallon tank. I'm going to construct it myself with plexiglass and silicone. Anyone know if standard Plexi-glass from Home Depot would leech anything into the water? I keep reading mixed reviews on creatures able to handle the environment. Some sites on the web say that anoles & geckos do fine, other people ( and mentioned earlier on this thread) say that they will fall into the water and drown.
Tree frogs & salamanders, toads & maybe a small turtle will probably end up being my choice. I'm also thinking about fiddler crabs (once again mixed web reviews on whether or not they will eat the fish ) or crayfish (same).
I'm also very interested in mudskippers, because they are just so unique and such interesting looking little creatures. The problem with them is that they are native to mudflats and mangrove swamps, and should be kept in 1.010 to 1.015 salinity, 8.0 pH environment. They should be kept in nothing smaller than a 3 ft tank. In actuality, they are a gobie, but their living requirements and personality makes it almost impossible to keep them with anything other than other mudskipper species, a few types of gobies, and perhaps some brackish shrimp or lobster. I think I have to steer clear of them, at least until I have more time, money, and space to devote a large tank to them alone.
For now I want to have a diverse collection of plant & animal species. Any suggestions/comments would be appreciated.
I'll keep you guys posted.