Piscivores can do well since they would allow invertebrate-plant communities
to establish some kind of "balance" with themselves and nutrient inputs
(feeders and feces).
In Aug 2003, another member and I set up three 200-gal tubs with sand
substrate, an airstone, and some floating plants (water lettuce & water
hyacinth). We innoculated them with a little ditch water containing
plankton and insects. Each tub was stocked with a single young-of-year
alligator gar. Two years later, the tubs and the gar are still going strong.
Maintenance is simple - 10-20% water change every 1-2 weeks, monthly harvest
(and destruction) of aquatic plants. Water quality is always good, although
clarity (from phytoplankton) varies among tubs and from one month to the next
(We once did a 90% water change to try and clear a tank - now we just live
with it).
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