aquapetz.com

Finally finally I have got down to give some serious thought on how to create a Sunadrbans biotope. Project to start soon..this month
Here is what a typical Sundarbans biotope has:
1. Mudflats and no rocks: The Sundarbans delta is entirely created by tides, depositing silt, relentlessly carrying silt from one sode of the ban to the other. Further south, bordering the sea, one gets sandy beaches, but areas near Sajnekhali, Basirhat, Gosaba etc, it is all about mud flats. 2. Mangroves with superb root structures. There are various kinds of vegetation. However no tree are more than 20 feet height (from ground level). Dominant vegetation include Excoecaria, Excoecaria Cereops, Cereops, Avicennia-Oryza, Pheonix etc 3. Tides: Everyday Sundarbans witnesses twice….high and low tides. During high tides the water levels can rise upwards of 15 feet from the point where low tide water level is
4. The mode pH is around 8.0 and the salinity is around 20 ppt.
5. The mudflats are dominated by mudskippers: and fiddler crabs the water has ‘all you can name them’..from bull sharks and estuarine crocs to archer fishes, puffers!
And often swimming tigers! If you are sufficiently hooked on to Sundarbans…continue reading, https://www.facebook.com/bappaditya.muk ... 011&type=3
To follow the journal, hook on

Dada ....last pic ..did u take it by urself ???? It seems Sundarban is not safe for collection trip ...... awesome documentary

pinaki_pal wrote:Dada ....last pic ..did u take it by urself ???? It seems Sundarban is not safe for collection trip ...... awesome documentary

Nope, it was taken by my friend in WWF. The places like Henry Island, where normally you guys go to collect is safe (from tigers)...... However, tigers kill a miniscule percentage in Sundarbans, Bull Sharks, Crocs kill more, the list is topped by snake bites (mostly Kraits)!

Dada, what about next collection trip to Sundarbans in the mid of May?

would love to see the tank...blockbuster awaiting

Now the setup.
Placement of the tank will be in the first floor verandah. This receives direct sunlight (5-6 hours a day). To grow mangroves, I think receiving direct sunlight is a must.
Main tank: 72 (L) X 33(W). I am planning a 14-16mm glass for the main tank. The height will be 36 inches on three sides and only 18 inches in the front. A tank of that dimension can hold upto 700 litres of water. The tank will have a paludarium (half open front) setup so that reaching the back is easy. I intend to never let the water level rise above 15 inches… With the rest being covered by mudflats, I do not intend the tank to have more than 300 litres at any stretch.
A tide has to be simulated. That would mean, every day I will have to simulate ‘low tide’ (where approximately 100 litres) are there in the tank and simulate ‘high tide’ (where approximately 300 litres) are there in the tank. Effectively this means, a lowest water level of 6 inches to highest of 15 inches (assuming 50% of the tank volume will comprise of mud flat). That means a sump

Sump tank: Dimensions 36X24X24. This will be partitioned into 80:20. The 20% portion will be stuffed with filteration media. The 80% will hold water that will pump in to the main tank for high tide and store (after pumping out from the main tank) during low tide. The maximum volume this 80% will have is 300 liter ensuring never does anything overflow.

To simulate tide, will use two power heads, in the two different tanks. Will control the flow of each to about 30 litres per hour. Both will be on timer so that from 00:00-06:00 high tide (water flows from sump to main), from 06:00-12:00 low tide (water from main to sump), 12:00-18:00 high tide again followed by 18:00-24:00 low tide, thus maintaining the two tides cycle per day!
That’s my plan for now.
What suggestions friends?
What can go wrong?

SCORPIO wrote:Dada, what about next collection trip to Sundarbans in the mid of May?

dada will collect some this time when I go. The usual collection places (near Bakkhali) is where people from KAC go, I have never been there. Those are sandy beaches. Besides, May is never a great idea to be there given the unpredictable tornadoes etc!

bmukh wrote:dada will collect some this time when I go. The usual collection places (near Bakkhali) is where people from KAC go, I have never been there. Those are sandy beaches. Besides, May is never a great idea to be there given the unpredictable tornadoes etc!

I also want to visit along with some other members of the forum for a collection trip. What will be the favorable time to visit there. We can make a program of 4-5 members.

SCORPIO wrote:

bmukh wrote:dada will collect some this time when I go. The usual collection places (near Bakkhali) is where people from KAC go, I have never been there. Those are sandy beaches. Besides, May is never a great idea to be there given the unpredictable tornadoes etc!

I also want to visit along with some other members of the forum for a collection trip. What will be the favorable time to visit there. We can make a program of 4-5 members.

November-March

WaoW tgats some serious planning ..... Great build in making ... All the best