1700 gallon stingray river

Are those Potamotrygon sp.? They look very nice and healthy! Congratulations!
 
Energy,
I would like to move into your tank; I have a small 1-person tent and me and my doggie would fit very nicely into a far corner. We don't smoke or make noise and we always pack out our own garbage....
 
Merriam-Webster says both definitions are correct.There is a difference between "the tropics", which refers to latitude (just as it would with the temperate zone, or the tundra [which is also used to refer to an ecosystem, not just a latitude]), with "tropical", meaning the warm and humid areas that are common within the tropics. But that is not the only ecosystem found there.
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There are several flaws with this argument:

First, and perhaps least important, modern English language dictionaries are not arbiters of what is “correct”. With perhaps over a billion native-speakers, who knows how many secondary speakers, over a million words, and usage on every continent and hundreds of countries worldwide, dictionaries only report common usage. As you well-know, common use or common knowledge does not make anything “correct”.

Of special importance, however is what the dictionary actually says. I went back to Merriam-Webster [online - I've no idea what versions anyone else consulted. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tropical], and found the following as the only relevant alternate definition for “tropical”:
b: of, being, or characteristic of a region or climate that is frost-free with temperatures high enough to support year-round plant growth given sufficient moisture
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That definition includes anything between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn which does not experience frost [or “winter”]. This means cloud forest, lowland rain forest, coral reef, swamp, river, or desert. Depending on the particular location, it could also include paramo or puna. Nowhere does it say “warm” or “humid”.

And NONE of this negates the simple fact that by the primary definition:
a: of, relating to, occuring in, or suitable for use in the tropics
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even locations which experience frost [or “winter”] are STILL “tropical” if they are between the tropics. This: ”There is a difference between "the tropics", which refers to latitude ..., with "tropical", meaning the warm and humid areas that are common within the tropics.” is also a false distinction, given the primary definition [from Merriam-Webster] of ”tropical a: of, relating to, occuring in, or suitable for use in the tropics”. This is the only definition provided in two Oxford dictionaries [”coming from, found in or typical of the tropics”], while a third adds “resembling the tropics, especially in being very hot and humid: some plants thrived in last year’s tropical summer heat”. It does in fact say “hot” and “humid”, but note that this is figurative and is used to compare situations outside of the tropics to sterotypical views about situations inside the tropics.

And third, how do you reconcile dictating that a “tropical” location is not “tropical”, without specifying exactly what you mean? You can't. If you wish to say “not tropical lowland rainforest”, then that's what you must say. However, even that would not be true, because there certainly are plethodontids in tropical lowland rainforests and other tropical lowland habitats [eg. Bolitoglossa colonnea, B.striatula, B.yucatana, B.mulleri, B.dofleini, many Oedipina spp. - just to name a few].

or the tundra [which is also used to refer to an ecosystem, not just a latitude]
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I have never heard “tundra” used to indicate a latitude, much less “just” a latitude.

Regarding the actual selection of species, my goal was to restrict the selection of animals to a smaller subset which includes potential species, not to dictate that all in that category were suitable, so I could have worded my recommendations better than I did. In terms of habitat availability, this environment is plenty big enough. Most of us house our animals in small plastic boxes or terraria of less then four square feet and two feet of height. This habitat is five feet, just front to rear, with multiple places where most of that appears to be terrestrial or riparian. As has been said by most though, the main concern would likely be temperature. Given a relatively cool room temperature, and heating mainly of the water itself, there could be some rather large gradients in there. That would require testing. The trouble remains though, that suitable species might simply not be legally or ethically available.
 
Well I wont get into the legality or websters definitions of tropical species.. but Energy that is one amazing looking tank (sorry if tank is the wrong word too hyper-technical people -_-). Are those rays burrowing species? Just wondering if they would benefit from slightly deeper/lighter (weight) substrate? Keep it up! That is truly a beautiful set-up
 
The rays bury but don't need much substrate -just enough to cover themselves. Most people keep them in barebottom set-ups. I like something more natural.
 
Energy said:
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Q: Why did the strauchii cross the road?
A: Alas, because he didn't see the 18-wheeler coming...




seriously, these stingrays are awesome. How big do they get?
 
Amazing setup Energy!

I saw your big thread a year ago on a fish forum. This is extremly hard work! Not only on the inside but also on the outside! I could never take me on something like this,and there are not many who can either.
 
Replicating a system like that would probably burn my pocket, possibly burn me along with it!

That is a wicked system man. You must be making fish keeping as means to make a living
to sustain a setup like that.
 
I just have to be nosy and ask...how much do you have in that tank? It is a beautiful system.
Chip
 
Thats an awesome set up! Is it brackish?
 
WOW! This is an amazing set up! I wish I had room to do something like this! One of these days... :happy:

Thanks for sharing!
 
obicat said:
Thats an awesome set up! Is it brackish?
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No Fresh water only-

freves said:
I just have to be nosy and ask...how much do you have in that tank? It is a beautiful system.
Chip
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Mostly time more than anything else.

arenaboy007 said:
Replicating a system like that would probably burn my pocket, possibly burn me along with it!

That is a wicked system man. You must be making fish keeping as means to make a living
to sustain a setup like that.
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Not at all.

grius said:
Amazing setup Energy!

I saw your big thread a year ago on a fish forum. This is extremly hard work! Not only on the inside but also on the outside! I could never take me on something like this,and there are not many who can either.
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Thank you!

Molch said:
Q: Why did the strauchii cross the road?
A: Alas, because he didn't see the 18-wheeler coming...


seriously, these stingrays are awesome. How big do they get?
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Between 12-20" disc size on average. Sometimes bigger 24-36"
 
If you're going to put anything else in that awsome tank of yours I'd suggest tree frogs, like red-eyed tree frogs for an example. also on a side note...MORE PICS PLEASE :)
 
Oh I love that tank!!!!! :'( I want it!!!
 
this is magnificent, a real achievement. i once thought that if i get a real job i might turn a basement into a rainforest, a dream of mine. You have done pretty much that in real life, i salute this masterpiece and im totaly fkn jealous. its better than my local zoo.
 
'tis a work of art. You could charge people admissions to come and camp out in front of it in a lawn chair. I'd sit there for hours watching those stingrays hoover across the bottom. I bet those frogs think they are back in Surinam.

The little dripping places - what kind of pump did you use? Is it a lifter-type drip pump or something? I'm setting up a bigger tank for my Pacific Chorus frog and would love to create a dripping place. Also, what kind of material did you use to build up the land part?
 
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