While my water is aging, I decided to do some more research on keeping aquatic insects. Most of what I found were forums discussing what species work well together, but I was pleased to find a website from the University of Kentucky giving more set up details that I need.
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/bugconnection/petbugs/Kentucky/aquatic.htm
It noted that before adding insects to the tank, a filter should be ran and a fish should be introduced for a few days. The purpose of this is to introduce certain microorganisms along with algae to help maintain homeostasis later on. I'm thinking of borrowing a goldfish from my mom's pond for this purpose. I believe this to be a better plan than buying a pet store goldfish because one raised in a pond will have already coexisted with the type of microorganisms that would be present in a naturally occurring body of water and not to mention I would be able to return it to the pond after a couple days.
The utilization of plants within the tank was also listed at the website. This is still an issue for me because I would like to acquire plants directly from the habitat, but I am leery of introducing parasites, pathogens, and dipterans (fly larvae). I am planning on scoping out the plant selection at a few pet and garden stores for something close to what I need that hopefully won't cost too much. Ideally the plants I choose will provide both food and cover without introducing any kind of chemicals that might harm my insects.
Before I start any of this I still need to acquire some necessary pieces to the tank like the divider, aerator, and mesh to go over the top. My hopes are to have all of these and a fish in the tank by this time next week.
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