Backwater in a forest channel of the Putumayo River basin, Colombia
84th place in Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2018
Russia. Anna Romanchik
Volume: 160 L
Dimensions: 80х40х50 cm
List of fishes: Erythrinus erythrinus, Poecilia reticulata (food)
List of plants: Vallisneria sp., Echinodorus grisebachii, Limnobium sp.
Description of decorations: I used fine river sand of grey color, large driftwood, which the fish uses as shelter, and the stones of different texture for the natural look of biotope.
Description of equipment: Internal filter AquaEL Fan 3, 2 lamps T8 by 18W, AquaEl EASYHEATER 100W.
Water parameters: The temperature is 24°C, pH is 6, dH is 9.
INFORMATION ABOUT BIOTOPE
Description of the area surrounding the biotope: Putumayo (Içá on the territory of Brazil) is a river in South America, the left tributary of the Amazon River. In the upper course it is the border between Colombia and Ecuador, on average course it is the border between Colombia and Peru; the lower reaches continue in Brazil, where the river is called the Içá. Its length is 1,580 km, the basin area is 123,000 km2. It starts in Colombia and flows predominantly in the Amazon lowland through humid equatorial forests. Average annual water consumption is 7160 m3/s. It takes water from rains. The high water period lasts from April to July. The river is navigable in the lower reaches.
Description of the underwater landscape of the biotope: Since the river flows through the evergreen forests, which are characterized by many levels and diverse composition of trees, the underwater landscape includes a large number of tree fragments, roots, driftwood, fallen leaves. Putumayo has muddy water of the color resembling coffee with milk, but the backwaters of the river and forest streams can maintain transparency. The bottom is slightly silted due to the almost complete lack of flow. A fragment of a quiet backwater is reproduced in the aquarium, where predators like Erythrinus erythrinus can hide and attack from ambush. Poecilia reticulata are put in the aquarium as a food, because the predator should hunt.
Description of the parameters of the habitat: The average temperature is 16-20°C, in the summer it is up to +26°C, pH is 5.5-6.5, dH is 5-13.
List of fishes and invertebrates occurring in the nature biotope: Acanthocoras sp., Hypoptopoma, Osteoglossum, Characidium aff. etheostoma, Characidium, Poecilia reticulata, Hyphessobrycon, Crenuchus, Nannostomus.
List of plants found in the nature biotope: Myriophyllum aquaticum, Eichhornia crassipes, Limnobium, Echinodorus amazonicus.
Threats to the ecology: The expansion of agricultural lands due to the reduction of tropical forests will lead to climate change in the region and will adversely affect the yields of forage crops. The Brazilian researchers predict a situation that may develop by 2050, when an increase in the area of crops will reduce the yield by 30%. Due to deforestation in the Amazon, a huge number of species of animals, plants and fishes will suffer. The aquarium was created to show the incredibly interesting inhabitants of the aquatic world, which people may lose in the future.
Sources of information:
Краткая географическая энциклопедия, Том 1/Гл.ред. Григорьев А.А
https://ru.wikipedia.org
https://www.rutraveller.ru/pla
Советская энциклопедия – 1960, с.564
https://www.fishbase.de
Aquafisher.org
Biotopfish.ru