So, I think I've decided that I want to set my 55 gallon tank but up as a community tank instead of a species thank. However, I want to take it a bit further than that. Ideally, and I'll have to do some research here, but I'd like to create a biotope of a shoreline. More or less it would be set up like a frog/turtle tank with a shore at one end sloping down into the water. I want to make it as realistic as possible. I may put the turtle in there, too, although I'd rather do frogs or newts. And of course a couple schools of fish native to the area I'd be trying to display. Has anyone here done this? Any idea if it's even possible? I want this tank to have the full 9. Some type of frog/turtle/newt that comes up on the land, fish in the pond area, and lots of plants both in the water and out. I really want it to look like I took a slice from a river or pond from the banks into the water and put it in a tank. Any idea where to start?

Hmmmmm...you know what would be cool too is if you can seal a section of the bottom and make it into an ant farm as if the ants live under the ground under the water whatever. Or maybe I'll have an antfarm behind my tank as a background hmmmm

The easiest way to create something like that would be to collect it all yourself and do a local flora fauna tank. A 40g breeder tank would be easier to crate it in, theres more floor space and its shallower, so in the end your water area would be larger. With a 40 breeder you wouldn't have to worry so much about the structure of the shore, less slope than a 55g!
If you collect it all locally then you know its all from the same region, yes you will get a few invasive's but if you look them up I think it could work. You may have to purchase your newts and such, or you could collect a few tadpoles and go with frogs?
The good thing about a native tank is if it gets too big or aggressive you CAN let it go without causing damage.
I bet if you look up your local fish and wildlife you can get a list with pics and info on all of the natives.

Thanks, Fern. Yeah, I really wanted to go with a30 or 40 breeder. Problem is convincing the husband why I need a new tank with an empty, practically new, 55 here. I'm really regretting getting this 55 gallon. First I had a free 55 that needed a stand. Got the stand, not realizing I had an old Perfecto tank. So it wouldn't sit on the riser blocks. So, I got an AGA to go on it since the stand was non-returnable. Now I've got this way too narrow 55 gallon. I figure with this one I'd end up making it pretty shallow(maybe total water volume of 25+/- gallons) and could suspended a pendant light over the water filled end for the plants and to provide a heat gradient. I'm not sure if it would work though. I know this may not work but figured it be worth looking into before I nix the idea. Just not really much I can do with it. I tend to try to go for more unique themed tanks and species tanks. And right now, with 13 pets(including 3 dogs going through spays and vaccinations), money is tight so I need something I can build slowly over time.

Maybe something like this?

http://www.zebrapleco.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5470&hilit=biotope

A mudskipper would be awesome in a tank like that.

The shore would be tricky.... You would need a structure for your sand/dirt. Either wood or rock or a combo there of, some lattice work thing in there to keep the majority of it up....
I like the pendant idea, that or hang a double florescent shop light with some plant bulbs those work well for me!

I have 80 pounds of leftover landscaping pea gravel here. It's non-chemically treated and should be fish safe after many rinses to get all the dust and grit out of it. I've also got lots of slate, including several large peices, I can use to keep the beach from sliding. I'm starting to really like the idea of a local tank and I'm wondering if it might just be easier to set that up instead. I love to go dipnetting off the piers in the bay but so far all I've caught it lots of ghost shrimp, some tiny blue crabs, a few gobies(not sure of the species), and some kind of red sponge. I want to identify that sponge and see if there's any chance of getting it to survive in a tank even though I know chances are slim. I've heard of the occasional sargassum frogfish being found in the area. They're not native to the area, as far as I know, but there's apparently a small population at Rudey Inlet. There are also volitan lionfish establishing nearby, too, although I'd have to do some research to find out where. My chances of catching either are slim but it just gives me an excuse to go out more often. :) If I go with a local tank it'll probably be salt. I tried putting an beautiful little american flagfish in a tank once and that was a very bad idea. That way by far the most aggressive fish I've ever seen and I've worked at two LFS's!

Sounds like fun. I would love to dip net off the side of VA...or any shore for that matter. I did got on to google maps the other day and was looking from the satelite image for small ponds around in my area so I can get to them on foot. I found a few so when it cools down i will start a small adventure to see what I can find around here. Please take pics of your findings.

KMX, if you're ever out this way I'd be more than happy to show you where the best saltwater spots are for dipnetting. I've got a few freshwater but they're harder to come by, oddly enough. Really, the problem with freshwater here is that most of it is surrounded by private property, but there are a few spots left. My favorite spots are the piers at Rudee(misspelled earlier) Inlet and Willoughby Spit. And the second pier at Sandbridge is pretty nice. All of these, of course, are only good out of tourist season. Otherwise there's just too many people about and you aren't likely to find much. I've always found that to be odd in the summer. Till I realized that if I was a fish I'd probably run from the thousands of people that swarm these beaches every day in the summer. Night time is the best time to go.

If you drive just west alittle toward Richmond there are quite a few streams/creek of freshwater. I live in Richmond and have a creek behind my house I get mosquito fish from. They breed like crazy so I only take a male and a female. As far as the 55 I would glue a 5" to 6" piece of acrylic about 1/2" off the bottom to separate a water area and land area. Fill the bottom of the small area with a larger gravel so water can flow through. Then layer with pea gravel , sand, and potting soil topped with pea gravel. Then graduate your pea gravel form the deepest part a thin layer all the way up to cover the planted area. I did this in a 55 back in the 70's and it was a well balanced tank. I used Newt and feeder guppies because they were cheap and available at the time.

Ive always wanted to make one like this. Black Jungle is good site to learn, but the how to section is under construction.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29741813@N05/4251863967/in/set-72157623031340089/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29741813@N05/4251865481/in/set-72157623031340089/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29741813@N05/4251866017/in/set-72157623031340089/