Lateral channel, near Zadubravlje village, Croatia

39th place in Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2018

 Croatia. Stjepan Erdeljić

Volume: 160 L
Dimensions: 100x40x40 cm
List of fishes: Rhodeus amarus, Squalius cephalus, Gobio gobio, Abramis brama, Rutilus rutilus, Anodonta cygnea, Viviparus viviparus
List of plants: Nuphar lutea, Potamogeton nodosus, Myriophyllum spicatum, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Ceratophyllum demersum, Alisma plantago-aquatica
Description of decorations: Gravel different granulations, sand, oak and poplar leaves, and driftwood.
Description of equipment: External filter Sicce EKO300, 900lph, Led light Blau mini lumina 90.
Water parameters: Temperature is 20°C, pH is 7, KH is 9.

INFORMATION ABOUT BIOTOPE

Description of the area surrounding the biotope: The Lateral channel is dug by the middle of last century which has the purpose of draining rainwater. The channel is long for 38 kilometers, 10 to 20 meters wide and is finally poured into the Sava River. Sava river is a great river that is rich in fish species so that fish from the Sava River migrate to the Lateral Channel. The Lateral channel is surrounded by agricultural land and forests of mixed botanical origin. The location I mention is located below the bridge over which the road passes and is 600 meters northeast of the village of Zadubravlje. Google maps: https://goo.gl/maps/k1udgiiYVMS2

Description of the underwater landscape of the biotope: The bottom of the bridge is gravelly with different granulations, while on the other parts of the channel, the bottom is earthy. The shore of the channel is covered with dense vegetation by water and non-watered plants that stretch across the water. The middle of the channel is also overgrown with aquatic plants such as Phragmites Australis, Butomus umbellatus and Typha latifolia, which grow above water. Below the bridge the water is somewhat deeper than in the other parts of the channel and there is less vegetation due to the lack of light that obstructs the bridge. On the surface are seen Nuphar lutes flourishing with tiny yellow flowers, Potamogeton nodosus, Lemna Minor and Lemna trisulca while beneath the surface are visible Myriophyllum Spicatum and Ceratophyllum Demersum. Beside the fish that can be seen while swimming, the snails of Viviparus Viviparus and shellfish Anodont Cygne can be seen at the bottom. The water level in the channel depends on the season. In the spring (February to May) the precipitation is highest. So the water level in the channel can grow up to 5 meters. The water is then extremely blurry and the water flow is strong. After that, the precipitation decreases, so in the summer months (July and August) the water level is reduced to half a meter. Below the bridge (described) the water level is 70-90cm. The water is then almost clear and the water flow is very slow.

Description of the parameters of the habitat: Water parameters are changing and they depend on the season.
During summer, water temperature is up to 29 °C, Ph is 7, KH is 10. During the winter, the water temperature is about 2-4 °C.

List of fishes and invertebrates occurring in the nature biotope: Cyprinus carpio, Esox lucius, Silurus glanis, Tinca tinca, Rutilus Pigus Virgo, Cobitis taenia, Misgurnus fossilis, Cottus gobio.

List of plants found in the nature biotope: Apart from these plants that I have put into my biotop, we can see in nature Trapa natans, Typha latifolia, Phragmites australis, Butomus umbellatus.

Threats to the ecology: Threats to the ecology of the biotope is the treatment of agricultural land near the channel. People treat crops with herbicides and pesticides. After rain falls, the water is washed out of the treated crops, which are directly flow into the Lateral channel.

Sources of information:

• I visited the location of the biotope and studied the whole place.
• Google maps
• https://www.dropbox.com/s/gljgzclfqgttxg1/nikon%20D7100.rar?dl=0
• https://www.dropbox.com/s/7p4qi474usuw2pt/pepi%20nikon%20manji.rar?dl=0