Blackwater pond, Amazon River, Brazil
66th place in Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2017
Taiwan. William Chang
Volume: 81 L
Dimensions: 60x45x30 cm
List of fishes: Monocirrhus polyacanthus, Hyphessobrycon eques, Corydoras aeneus, Sturisomatichthys leightoni
List of plants: Echinodorus uruguaiensis, Echinodorus barsii, Echinodorus tenellus, Eichhornia azurea, Echinodorus horizontail
Description of decorations: The ecosystem of this biotope tank is based on the Amazon blackwater stream. For a realistic effect, few inches of dark sand and leaf litter (ketapang) used for the substrate. Pieces of drifwood laid on the bottom to show the impression of submerged roots.
Description of equipment: filter:Eheim ecco 200, 600/L, light:fluorescent lamp(FL20SSEX-D/18-X) 18Wx2
Water parameters: Temperature: 28〜31℃、PH=6.5 、KH=3.7
Description of the area surrounding the biotope: The Amazon basin drains an area of 7 million km2 . Its freshwater discharge amounts to 175,000 m3 /sec into the Atlantic, and carries about 20% of the total world freshwater runoff into the ocean . The Amazon River Basin contains several regions throughout South America, based on differences in chemical and physical properties of the water, scientist identified several types of rivers in the Amazon basin: whitewater, clearwater, blackwater, oxbow lake and rainforest stream, etc.
Description of the underwater landscape of the biotope: The characteristic of blackwater stream is based on the rainforest and thus have a great amount of accumulated leaf litter. The ecosystems show very slow water flow, dark substrate, high densely of decaying vegetation with low light. Because the water is slow-moving, tannins are continuously leeched from the decaying leaves which gives the water a transparent tea-colored hue.
Description of the parameters of the habitat: The water in a blackwater stream is typically soft with an acidic pH between 4.5 to 6.5.Temperature of the water is around27 – 30°C, and hardness of the water will be as low as 0-4 DH.
List of fishes: Paracheirodon axelrodi, Symphysodon discus, Pterophyllum, Laetacara thayeri, Hypselacara coryphaenoides, Fluviphylax pygmaeus, Ancistnus dolichopterus, Carnegiella marthae, Hemigrammus rhodostomus, Liosomadoras oncinus, etc.
List of plants: Heteranthera, Ceratophyllum, Vallisneria, Cabomba,etc.
Sources of information:
- Ning Labbish Chao, The Fishery, Diversity, and Conservation of ornamental Fishes in the Rio Negro Basin, Brazil-A review of Project Piaba(1989-99)
- http://amazonwaters.org/
waters/river-types/blackwater- rivers/ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=nguwFJDsq4M
Comments of the members of the jury of Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2017
Which pond? I recommend you to choose a specific location, first of all, reduced for your biotope. It “cannot be whole Amazon River.” If you do not specify a specific habitat for your biotope aquarium, it will be difficult enough to assess your aquarium for jury members. You have almost filled the entire aquarium volume with the material, I recommend you to leave more swimming areas for the fish.