Lake Amatitlan, Eastern Coast Of Central America, Guetemala, 140 L

Lake Amatitlan near Guetemala, eastern coast of Central America

76th place in Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2017

Turkey. Bilal Taha Tasdelen

Volume: 140 L
Dimensions: 83x43x40 cm
List of fishes: Archocentrus multispinosa, Amatitlania nigrofasciata, Thorichthys meeki
List of plants: Pistia stratiodes, Salvinia auricalata, lemna minor
Description of decorations: Vitasand Sand , Adist Aquascaping cosmetic sand , from the nature gathering branches, leaves, roots, bark and various natural materials
Description of equipment: 2 * 18 w fluorescent, 2* 20 w lamp, Eheim Filter, heater
Water parameters: Temperature 26,5 °C

Description of the area surrounding the biotope: Amatitlan lake is a volcanic lake in south-central Guatemala, fairly close to Guatemala City. It lies in the central highlands, 1,186 m (3890 feet) above sea level.Its maximum depth is 33 m (108 feet) and an average of 18 m (59 feet). The lake is 11 km (7 miles) long and 3 km (2 miles) wide; with an area of 15.2 square kilometers (5.9 sq mi) and a water volume of 0.286 cubic kilometers.This separated the lake into two water bodies with different physical, chemical and biological charac- teristics. The western basin receives all pollution loads coming from the southern part of the capital city as well as from the whole catchment area via the Villalobos River. The water of the same basin is drained by the Michatoya River, which is used for hydroelectric power generation.

Description of the underwater landscape of the biotope: Convict cichlids are native to the lakes and streams of Central America. In particular, the species occurs along the eastern coast of Central America from Guatemala to Costa Rica, and on the western coast from Honduras to Panama. Convict cichlids prefer moving water, and are most frequently found in habitats with cover in the form of rocks or sunken branches. Thorichthys meeki ; The natural spreading zone covers the eastern regions of Mexico, Belize and Guatemala, in the rivers of Usumacinta and Belize.

Description of the parameters of the habitat: The daily water temperature ranged from 26–29 °C (79–84 °F). LAKE WATER QUALITY *TRANSPARENCY [m](4), 1988. Secchi disc: Range; 1.00 2.75 (mean 1.75). Fig. NAM-41-3 Secchi disc transparency. *pH Range, 1988; 6.1 9.1 (mean 8.2 7.9). Fig. NAM-41-4: pH profiles. *SS [mg l-1](3) Range; 395 500. *Fig. NAM-41-5 Total solid profiles [mg l-1]. *DO [mg l-1](3) Range; 4 10. Fig. NAM-41-6: DO profiles [mg l-1]. *COD [mg l-1](3) Range; 1 9. *CHLOROPHYLL CONCENTRATION [mg l-1](4) 1988 Minimum: 0.37, maximum: 2.00, annual mean: 10.75. Fig. NAM-41-7: Chlorophyll concentration profiles [mg l-1]. *NITROGEN CONCENTRATION Total-N [mg l-1](4) Annual mean, 1988; 0.628 (dry season 0.433, rainy season 0.864). *PHOSPHORUS CONCENTRATION (4) Total-P [mg l-1] Annual mean, 1988 ; 0.44 (dry season 0.62, rainy season 0.32). *CHLORIDE CONCENTRATION [mg l-1](3) Range; 133 168.

List of fishes: Achirus mazatlanus, Agonostomus monticola, Alfaro huberi, Amatitlania nigrofasciata, Amphilophus margaritifer, Anableps dowei, Anchoa belizensis, Anchoa curta, Anchoa parva, Anguilla rostrata, Aplodinotus grunniens, Ariopsis assimilis, Ariopsis seemanni, Astatheros macracanthus, Astyanax aeneus, Astyanax fasciatus, Atherinella argentea, Atherinella guatemalensis, Atherinella guija, Atherinella meeki, Atractosteus tropicus, Awaous banana, Batrachoides goldmani, Batrachoides waltersi, Belonesox belizanus, Brachyrhaphis hartwegi, Bramocharax baileyi, Characidae Bramocharax dorioni, Bryconidae Brycon guatemalensis, Carcharhinus leucas, Poeciliidae Carlhubbsia kidderi, Poeciliidae Carlhubbsia stuarti, Ariidae Cathorops aguadulce, Ariidae Cathorops fuerthii, Ariidae Cathorops kailolae, Ariidae Cathorops melanopus, Ariidae Cathorops steindachneri, Centropomidae Centropomus ensiferus, Centropomidae Centropomus nigrescens, Centropomus parallelus, Centropomus pectinatus, Chiapaheros grammodes, Cichlasoma trimaculatum, Cincelichthys bocourti, Cincelichthys pearsei, Paralichthyidae Citharichthys gilberti, Cribroheros longimanus, Cribroheros robertsoni, Cryptoheros cutteri, Cryptoheros spilurus, Ctenogobius claytonii, Cynodonichthys godmani, Cynodonichthys tenuis, Cyprinus carpio, Dormitator latifrons, Dormitator maculatus, Dorosoma anale, Dorosoma petenense, Eleotris picta, Eleotris pisonis, Eucinostomus currani, Eucinostomus gracilis, Eugerres mexicanus, Eugerres plumieri, Gambusia luma, Gambusia nicaraguensis, Gambusia sexradiata, Gambusia yucatana, Gerres cinereus, Gobiomorus dormitor, Gobiomorus maculatus, Gymnotus carapo, Gymnotus cylindricus, Gymnotus maculosus, Heterandria anzuetoi, Heterandria attenuata, Heterandria bimaculata, Heterandria cataractae, Heterandria dirempta, Heterandria litoperas, Hyphessobrycon milleri, Hyporhamphus mexicanus, Ictalurus meridionalis, Ictiobus meridionalis, Joturus pichardi, Kihnichthys ufermanni, Kuhlia mugil, Lepomis gibbosus, Leptophilypnus guatemalensis, Lile stolifera, Mayaheros trispilus, Mayaheros urophthalmus, Microphis lineatus, Micropterus salmoides, Mugil cephalus, Mugil curema, Oligoplites palometa, Oligoplites saurus, Ophisternon aenigmaticum, Oreochromis aureus, Oreochromis mossambicus, Oreochromis niloticus, Oscura heterospila, Parachromis friedrichsthalii, Parachromis loisellei, Parachromis managuensis, Parachromis motaguensis, Petenia splendida, Phallichthys amates, Phallichthys fairweatheri, Poecilia butleri, Poecilia gillii, Poecilia kykesis, Poecilia mexicana, Poecilia petenensis, Poecilia rositae, Poeciliopsis gracilis, Poeciliopsis pleurospilus, Pomadasys bayanus, Pomadasys crocro, Potamarius izabalensis, Potamarius usumacintae, Pristis pectinata, Pristis pristis, Profundulus candalarius, Profundulus guatemalensis, Profundulus labialis, Profundulus punctatus, Pseudophallus mindii, Pseudophallus starksii, Pseudoxiphophorus obliquus, Rhamdia guatemalensis, Rhamdia laticauda, Rhamdia parryi, Rhamdia quelen, Rheoheros lentiginosus, Rocio octofasciata, Rocio spinosissima, Roeboides bouchellei, Roeboides guatemalensis, Scolichthys greenwayi, Scolichthys iota, Sicydium multipunctatum, Strongylura exilis, Strongylura hubbsi, Synbranchus marmoratus, Theraps godmanni, Theraps intermedius, Theraps irregularis, Theraps microphthalmus, Thorichthys affinis, Thorichthys aureus, Thorichthys meeki, Thorichthys pasionis, Trichromis salvini, Vieja bifasciata, Vieja breidohri, Vieja guttulata, Vieja maculicauda, Vieja melanura, Wajpamheros nourissati, Xenodexia ctenolepis, Xiphophorus alvarezi, Xiphophorus hellerii, Xiphophorus maculatus, Xiphophorus mayae, Xiphophorus signum

List of plants: Emerged macrophytes: Jussiaea peruviana, Typha, Scirpus, Floating macrophytes: Eichhornia crassipes, Submerged macrophytes, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Ceratophyllum demersum, Elodea sp., Phytoplankton, Cyanophyceae (Microcystis aeruginosa, Microcystis sp., Lyngbya limnetica, Merismopedia sp., Nostoc sp.); Chlorophyceae (Kirchneriella obesa, K. sp., Oocystis sp., Closterium sp., Staurastrum sp.); Dinophyceae (Ceratium sp.); Bacillariophyceae (Tabellaria sp., Melosira granulata, Nitzschia sp., N., acicularis, Diatoma sp., Surirella sp.).

Threats to the ecology: There exists an accumulation of non-biodegradable synthetic detergents in the lake.
Station F, on the western side of the lake, corresponds to the outlet of Villalobos River, and showed high pollution load in the river water .

Sources of information: