Forest stream of the Bia river system, southwestern Ghana, Africa
31st place in Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2017
Russia. Anna Romanchik
Volume: 30 L
Dimensions: 30x30x35 cm
List of fishes: Fundulopanchax walkeri spurelli
List of plants: Bolbitis heudelotii
Description of decorations: River sand is light beige, river pebbles of different fractions, mangrove driftwood, thin branches, leaves
Description of equipment: Dennerle Nano Clean Eckfilter, lights AQUAEL LEDDY SMART PLANT 8000 K
Water parameters: Temperature 23°C, pH 6.4, GH 3, KH 4
Description of the area surrounding the biotope: The Bia River flows in West Africa, it is 300 kilometers long. Bia starts in Ghana, 40 kilometers west of the city of Sunyani. On the territory of Côte d’Ivoire, the river flows from north to south, it flows into the lagoon of the Abi of the Atlantic Ocean. Ghana is located in the subequatorial zone, where there is a constant alternation of rainy and dry seasons. In the south, the climate is humid, dominated by hard-to-reach evergreen tropical forests. In the rainy season, the south-west of the country is the zone with the greatest amount of precipitation (over 2000 mm per year). At the beginning of the rainy season, the water fills large areas, turning the flowing streams of the river basin into swampy waters. In such streams and channels, for the most part, killis live.
Description of the underwater landscape of the biotope: Forest streams during the flood slow down, the water is clear, at the bottom there is a little silted sand, driftwood, fallen leaves. Anubias grow in coastal wetlands.
Description of the parameters of the habitat: Seasonal flood, occurring during the summer rains, softens the water of the river basin, and the pH also shifts to the acidic side, which serves as a signal for fish to spawn. The water temperature is often low (22-25°C). Seasonal (near the coast) and off seasonal killi species can live together in a single water body.
List of fishes: Fundulopanchax walkeri spurelli, Oreochromis niloticus, Synodontis schall, Epiplatys bifasciatus, Ctenopoma kingsleyae, Hemichromis bimaculatus.
List of plants: Bolbitis heudelotii.
Sources of information: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%B8%D0%B0_(%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BA); http://aquafisher.org.ua/killifish/rod-fundulopanchax-4/; http://aquafisher.org.ua/killifish/killifish-v-prirodnyih-usloviyah/; http://wak.aka.org/Ref_Library/Fundulopanchax/Fp.walkeri.htm