Bache River backwater, Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam

60th place in Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2016

russian_federation Russia. Tamara Baranova

Aquarium Volume: 30 L
Fish and invertebrates: Macropodus spechti
Plants list: Pistia stratiotes
Biotope description: In the aquarium there is a fragment of the natural biotope of Bache river during the flood. Bache is a fairly large river in northeastern Quang Ninh province of Vietnam. It flows through the county Bache from north-west to south-east, in a wooded area and has many small tributaries and creeks. Locals believe her to be a soul of all this land. The river feeds the surrounding forests and coastal bamboo groves. The climate of these places is humid, tropical. February to March here constantly drizzling rain floods bamboo thickets on the banks. It has weak current, is rich in floating plants, such as Pistia stratiotes, the favorite habitats of labyrinth fish black macropodus (Macropodus spechti). This is a very lively, interesting fish, more peaceful than other macropods. It prefers warm, shallow weakly marshy ponds with little oxygen in the water, because it has a labyrinth organ, allowing the fish to breathe atmospheric air. In shallow coastal waters during spawning males make bubble nest. Information about the original habitat of black macropods is quite contradictory in the literature, and the online resources. Apparently, it is endemic to northern and central Vietnam. Neighbors of black macropods may be Trichopsis pumila, Pangio myersi, Danio albolineatus, Dermogenys pusilus.
The aquarium decoration is intended for breeding of four black macropods, bamboo trunks of different thickness were used. Dark sand bottom covered with a thick layer of leaves. Floating plants diffuse the light and create a natural shelter for fish in the future, they will provide support for building nests.

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