• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Where The Jungle "Destroys" Red Rock Creek..

Thanks Guys!!. For the feel goods etc. :thumbup:
 
Looks incredible.
Love the little lizard on the chip too.....:eek::D:watching:
 
Wildlife emerging.. :)



First time i saw its web, it scared me because it isn't a traditional spiderweb. At first glance it more looked like spider mite web few mm over the substrate, hidden in the jungle at the back left behinds some wood. :eek: But i couldn't detect any mites and didn't notice the typical mite leaf damage. It took me a quite a while and intentionaly distroying the web a few times. It got fed up with me and it moved to the other side, more into the open, into the Echinodorus and now i finaly spoted the builder. I guess it lives off the springtails and occasional mosquitos. :) But it loves it in there, it keeps building a net and its going on for a few months now.
 
Looking great Marcel, Murphy looks right at home...is he Irish ? :)

Back in the 1080's there was a popular German Punk Band named Spider Murphy Gang. The name kinda stuck.. Ever since if i find a spider in my house i name it Spider Murphy. :) Looking at its small size and canopy web construction i think its a Brigittea latens.
 
Haha, knew there'd be a story attached :)
Does their distribution stretch over the pond to the UK? I'm sure I've seen those in my house as well.
 
Yes they seem to be native all over Europe. Don't get much bigger than 4mm in size. Only thing is their web isn't realy that decorative. As said first time i noticed i thought "Are you kidding!? Darn spider mites in my scape?" Fortunately not... :) But now i know i'm relaxed and leave it be and let it live in there if it wants to.

I had a spider Murphy pet before, I have a sort of service hatch in the wall from living room to kitchen or simply hole in the wall. One day in the spring a smalll brown Cross Spider decided to build a web in it. And i started feeding it all kind of insects i caught around the house. I kept it almost an intiry year as a pet till the winter, than i was out of insects and Murphy went away never seen him again. But it grew like mad from about 7mm to 2,5cm body lenght even bigger with legs. Learned something i never thought of before. Spiders do poop a lot, had to clean beneath the web almost every other day. :lol:
 
Only you'd keep a spider as a pet and actually feed it and clean up after it :rolleyes::)
My son has arachnophobia and gets extremely anxious around spiders so I'm often called upon to trap them and release them back in to the wild.
I'm sure the same enormous wolf spider keeps finding it's way back in somehow o_O
 
Well i do respect them very much and they are intriguing animals. But arachnophobia is something pretty common, must say if a big one gets to close to my fingers i pull away also. Still even tho knowing it can't hurt it gives me the chills, it likely is something instinctive. It's not that i realy pet them.. :rolleyes: But only accept them in my house.

As you say, impossible to keep out anyway.. As indeed the Wolf spiders can get relatively enormous for what we have. I also see them regularly in my house. Interesting are the females, when draging around the egg cocoon under their head like a small pingpong ball. :) I guess your son doesn't want to know how many baby wolf spiders you never see might live beneath the kitchen counter or in other damp nooks and crannies. :nailbiting:

Also Mission Bathtub is a spider farm, find spider webs around it on daily basis.. i always try to keep the webs undamaged working on it.
 
Short video impression on its development. :)


I guess it will take a year for the Jungle at the left to get bushy. :) But the rest is steadily growing..
DSC_0033.jpg


DSC_0035.jpg

DSC_0036.jpg

The temperaturs stay pretty stable, not more then 25°C water temp during the heatwave and added a small heater to keep it at 20°C.. Added 8 Oto's about 4 weeks ago.. And they are doing great.. 0 loss all are happy, active and have lots of apetite..
DSC_0037.jpg


Not 100% sure yet, but thinking of adding a small school of Pygmy Cory's.. :)
 
Winter is almost over and the sun is coming again to help me out. :) As expected the plants suffered some light and humidity issues during the first winter. Most mosses didn't make it except a liverwort that is growing unstoppable all over the place.
DSC_0355.JPG


What baffles me the most is the Cyperus (Papyrus?) at the right. I never bought it and in my recollection, i didn't plant it. But it's there and the biggest of all. Must be a sneak in somehow. I have no clue but i'm actually happy with it.
DSC_0356.JPG

Took out a large portion of the submerged Lilaeopsis and replaced it with Helantium tenellum parvullum, its still in transition.
DSC_0358.JPG


But all tho light issues and all plants didn't grow much foliage they rooted exceptionally well, i guess this coming summer with loads of daylight it will establish some more body and stored energy to go into next winter.

I guess its the Lilaeopsis rooted al the way down into the submerged section and creeping all over the place.
DSC_0365.JPG


At the edge of the rocks, it is already started carpeting submerged.. Didn't plant it there it came down on its own devices with a runner.
DSC_0360.JPG


Also, the fissidens is slowly spreading around on its own. :)
DSC_0361.JPG
 
Made a little addition to my water gully, due to plant growth the situation changed and it didn't really run the water where i wanted it.
So had to come up with some redirection.

DSC_0390.jpg


Used 2 pieces of Poplar bark, that is thick enough to route a gully in it. With a Dremel tool and a router bit in it.

DSC_0389.jpg


For now it works again.. :)
 
Small update on this experiment, some plants do very well especially the Cyperus papyrus, the Mexican dwarf cyperus still there but a rather sensitive plant. Others plants do less but still around and some don't like it at all indoors and wither away... I guess light issues... Have to take it as is or get stronger lights... But yet I don't and see where it ends... In the end, there will be plants left that take what they get.

IMG_20200918_095556963.jpg


Did stick a cutting in it from a Pachira aquatica, it took this plant over a year to establish some root growth and 2 new leaves. But finally, it seems to get a hold. The Echinodorus are bugging me, outdoors they do very well indoors they hate being there and shrink and stop. But the liverwort grows rampant, unstoppable moss I have to prevent it from suffocating what's left of the swords.
IMG_20200918_100014328.jpg


What surprises me the most is HC is still around, more submerged than emerged. :)
IMG_20200918_095638867.jpg


The small fake lizard got some company... :)
IMG_20200918_100603589.jpg


Little Damselfly larvae used its tail to skin and hatch... Unfortunately didn't see it happen and didn't see here fly off only found the dry skin, still, it looks pretty intriguing.
IMG_20200918_100810798.jpg
 
Back
Top