Florida backwater
The 18th place in the qualifying stage of the Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2013
Russia. Anna Tetereva
Volume: 60 L
List of fishes: Heterandria formosa
List of plants: Bacopa caroliniana, Ceratophyllum submersum, Hemianthus micranthemoides, Hydrocotyle verticillata, Lemna minor, Micranthemum umbrosum, Riccia fluitans
Biotope description: The aquarium is set up as a shallow backwater biotope in Florida. Standing water, a lot of nutrition are good conditions for successful living of various species of swamp plants. Fallen leaves covering the bottom give a specific color to the water. Among the leaves and vegetation there are representatives of the smallest live-bearing fish: Heterandria formosa.
This actually was my second choice, and contrary to the 2nd Place, this one from Florida is really authentic 100%, fishes and plants as well as décor. (Probably some of the Judges have never been there).
I like the way the stemmed plants in the central part of the layout are “interwoven” with dead leaves. It looks very natural.
Another good entry in the category of North America. It is a pity that there is only one speies of small fish, maybe that’s why the aquarium looks empty. I’d like someone else, and a wealth of fish fauna of Florida allows to do it. The aquarium looks pretty biotope, but I’d reduced the number of leaves and I want more Hydrocotyle verticillata. In nature it often grows in long, winding paths, so I would very much like to see such a path in the entry. A large number of leaves in the aquarium is a large amount of decaying organic matter, you can certainly change the water frequently, clean the bottom and rests of the leaves, but you can just put less leaves. If many leaves are not needed for a comfortable life of fish, we can do without them, or put a few leaves, they will make biotope, but there will be less dirt. There are quite a lot of species of plants in the aquarium, but they are likely to grow like in aquaskape, not making large, dense enough groups. In nature Riccia is unlikely to grow at a depth attaching to driftwood, also the cosmopolite plant Ceratophyllum hangs over covering light. However, the aquarium makes very good impression.