Venezuelan Diary Part 11 - Casa Maria (Attn: Shane)

mokmu · Post by **mokmu** » 22 Jun 2003, 15:22

Dear Shane,

I was just leafing through your Venezuelan Diary and found Part 11. In your 2nd to 4th paragraph you mentioned fishrooms and ponds of various sizes and shapes. Question. Did you ever get pictures of them? I would like to know how the fishrooms look like. I have been reading this over and over again and like you said, "A written description can hardly describe the paradise he has built on the posada's grounds". I have been wracking my brains trying to imagine at all how it looks like.

In the 4th paragaph you also mentioned a 20,000 gallon. How does that look like? I know this is too much to ask but can you post a rough sketch or a drawing of the set-up of this pond (if a picture is unavailable). I am really interested in how these set-ups/biotopes are done. The three feet tall and 10 feet long driftwood center piece really blows my mind. To think I was just imagining setting up a big pond/tank with half a fallen tree in there for the panaques to feed and rest!

Please give more details if possible. Thanks. Even the readings were exciting.

Regards,
Mike D.

Post by **Shane** » 22 Jun 2003, 22:32

Mike,
I'll look around for some photos. Maybe Jools will see this post and put some up as he was there as well during Expedicion Corroncho.
Norbert built his tanks by using a three sided patio. He built brick shelves on three sides with brick dividers spaced depending on how large he wanted each tank. In each "nook" of the "shelves" he bolted in angled aluminum pieces. He then siliconed in the glass. Given that he had limited space for filters, and that filter parts are not easy to come by in Bejuma, Venezuela, he went with under gravel filters.
The big pond was dug into the side of a small hill. It was then lined with stones and morter and a stone half circle wall was built on the downside slope. Into this wall he placed three large viewing windows. The filter was an old bathtub filled with lava rock and live plants.. He also directed all the gutters over his garage to empty into the pond when it rains. That way the pond gets a water change with every storm.
The next step, and what I would love to do, would be to route all of your home's gutters into your aquariums and have the tanks all plumbed together. This way during the afternoon rains (in the tropics anyway) you would get like 500 percent water changes daily in all of your tanks with no work on your part.
I saw a similar setup to this last week in Costa Rica. A restaurant had a small tile built pond (maybe ten feet by six feet) STUFFED with huge cichlids. He had routed the gutters of the building to empty into the pond and the pond then drained out back. Since it rains like crazy in Costa Rica most of the year, he basically had a continuous flow system. The possibilities are endless....
-Shane

mokmu · Post by **mokmu** » 24 Jun 2003, 13:49

Shane,

Thanks. I'll wait for the photos. I hope both you and Jools can find them.

Question for the mean time. You had mentioned gutters flowing towards the tanks. I had thought of that awhile back but was afraid to try it because:

1) our roof is made of metal sheets and most of the top is rusted. Even the top gutters that form around the roof is made of metal and is either rusted or have paint chips that have formed or warped from most part of the summer heat.

2) I had supposed that a lot of bacteria from bird poop, from dust (oh we have lots of that) and other toxic substances from factory pollution are found on the roof. If and when it rains, it will most likely be acid rain that comes down?

What I do is get some water from our downspout that has been flwoing for sometime during a storm and mix it with tap and some water conditioners. Even when I do this I get scared because when you look at the bottom of the bucket, you will see some black and brown rust-like particles (surely rust).

I get the impression that most houses and living areas are made of the same thing as in South America. Not only are both areas near or around the equator (thus both having a tropical climate) but also the Philippines and most of South America was under the Spanish and or Portuguese rule. I know for a fact that a lot of trade between Manila and some South American countries happened for centuries because the Philippines was also under Spanish rule. Anyway, don't they have problems like what I have or am I just over-reacting quite a bit? Or shall I try still try it but put extra"filters" or "particle stoppers" on the down spout of the gutter? Any thoughts? Thanks.

Regards,
Mike D.

Post by **Silurus** » 24 Jun 2003, 14:18

I have used rain water running from rusty gutters back in Singapore (actually, rusty gutters are a rarity in Singapore nowadays and only seen in old houses like mine), and I had no problems whatsoever.
I guess there is a greater danger of acid rain in Singapore than in the Philippines, because of all that urbanization, but I never had any problems with rain water in my tanks.

S. Allen · Post by **S. Allen** » 25 Jun 2003, 21:59

Er, shane, I've been wondering for a bit... What exactly has enabled you to travel like you do, and have the experiences you do? Is it part of some job, or... what? off subject, but...

Post by **Shane** » 26 Jun 2003, 00:11

In my day job I am a U.S. diplomat, or more technically, a Foreign Service Officer. By way of formal eduaction I am a Latin Americanist/Political Scientist. For HH, it looks like I am confirmed for Mexico summer 2004. I guess I will have to brush up on goodeids.
-Shane

mokmu · Post by **mokmu** » 03 Jul 2003, 14:28

Shane wrote:Mike,
I'll look around for some photos. Maybe Jools will see this post and put some up as he was there as well during Expedicion Corroncho...
-Shane

Any updates on those pics? It would be a shame not to be able to share those "slice of paradise" pictures to everyone. Thanks!

Regards,
Mike D.

mokmu · Post by **mokmu** » 03 Jul 2003, 14:30

Shane wrote:Mike,
I'll look around for some photos. Maybe Jools will see this post and put some up as he was there as well during Expedicion Corroncho...
-Shane

Any updates on those pics? It would be a shame not to be able to share those "slice of paradise" pictures to everyone. Thanks!

Regards,
Mike D.

2x <--- this is the number of times I have tried to post in this thread

Post by **Shane** » 04 Jul 2003, 22:25

Norbert's big pond...

Norbert's outdoor fishroom...

I still think Jools might have some better ohotos. Are you out there buddy?
-Shane

mokmu · Post by **mokmu** » 07 Jul 2003, 09:20

Great pictures. Its topics and pictures like these that give me a lot of inspiration to make my tanks look better. I wonder what other pics Jools has? Thanks a lot guys! The pics are much appreciated!

Regards,
Mike D.

YouTube · Post by **Jools** » 14 Aug 2003, 09:38

Hi,

I just found this topic! I do plan to upload many pictures from Casa Maria, but I just haven't found the time. They will be uploaded to http://www.dignall.com/gallery - I will try and do more soon but there are over 900 pictures from that trip alone!

Jools