Orilla de un arroyo, afluente del río Tenixtepec, Papantla, México
_th place in Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2020
Volume: 223 l
Dimensions: 155 x 37 x 39 cm
List of fishes: Eleotris pisonis, Thorichthys maculipinnis, Poecilia Mexicana
List of plants: Spirodela intermedia, Ruellia simplex, Pontederia sagittata, Ceratophyllum demersum, Cabomba palaeformis, Najas guadalupensis, Riccia fluitans
Description of decorations: For the decoration, were used: river rocks with a cover of limestone, gravel limestone of the same stream, sand, leaves (Inga vera, Philodendron hederaceum, Guazuma ulmifolia), branches (Cojoba arborea, Inga vera, and Guazuma ulmifolia), roots (Philodendron hederaceum and Ruellia simplex) fruit of (Cojoba arborea and Inga vera).
Description of equipment: Filtration: double cascade filter Sunny Shf 1000, internal filter Sunny 650/720 L / H Spf 600.
Lighting: 2 LED tubes of 2400 lumens
Water parameters: Temperature 30 degrees Celsius
Ph 8.2
NH3 / NH4: 0 ppm
NO2 5 ppm
NO3 5 ppm
GH 160 ppm
KH 170 ppm
Additional info: Water changes: once a week from 25%
INFORMATION ABOUT BIOTOPE:
Description of the area surrounding the biotope: It is a small stream that originates in the sierra Papanteca in Veracruz, bordered by trees, mainly of Cojoba arborea, Inga vera, Guazuma ulmifolia, Ficus insipida and Pachira aquatica, and vegetation bordering the stream primarily by Acmella repens, Ruellia simplex, Panicum trichoides, Pontederia sagittata, Ludwigia octovalvus, Cyperus sp., Philodendron hederaceum, Xanthosoma robustum, Hydrocotyle bonariensis and Eleocharis sp. The biotope is located at a height of 50 meters above sea level with a temperature range between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius, and a precipitation range of 1100-1600 mm, with a warm sub-humid climate with rains in summer.
Description of the underwater landscape of the biotope: The stream has a bottom composed of stones that are covered by calcareous sediments, the substrate in the same way is mainly formed by calcareous sediments and some shells of snails, the bank of the river is covered, in some areas, roots that enter the same stream, finding also a large amount of leaves and dead wood and going from the shore to the center of the stream we found some Najas, Cabombas and a few roots of lianas that fall, where we stumble on some occasions, C. demersum and Riccias for example.
Description of the parameters of the habitat: The water is mostly transparent with a slight touch of amber by the tannins that release the decomposing organic matter, has a temperature of 28 degrees Celsius and a pH that is around 8.2 to 8.4, and a hardness GH of 160 ppm and KH of 190 ppm
List of fishes and invertebrates occurring in the nature biotope: Fish: Herichthys tepehua, Vieja fenestrata, Thorichthys maculipinnis, Astyanax mexicanus, Eleotris pisonis, gobiomorus dormitor, Xiphophorus variatus, Poecilia mexicana, Gambusia, Agonostomus monticola.
Invertebrates: Pomacea flagellata, Macrobrachium acanthurus, Melanoides sp.
Others: Trachemys venusta, Rhinella marina
List of plants found in the nature biotope: Cojoba arborea, Inga vera, Guazuma ulmifolia, Ficus insipida and Pachira aquatica, Acmella repens, Ruellia simplex, Panicum trichoides, Pontederia sagittata, Ludwigia octovalvus, Cyperus sp., Philodendron hederaceum, Xanthosoma robustum, Hydrocotyle bonariensis and Eleocharis sp.
Threats to the ecology: The aquarium biotope of the region of Tenixtepec, is created to raise awareness among the secondary school students, where I do the class Science 1 Biology and some friends of the aquarium hobby in the cities surrounding the place, about the existing life on this little creek of our region, trying to instill the idea of environmental care, conservation of these areas and the life that exists in this small and beautiful stream in the north area of the state of Veracruz, which is being affected, mainly, by livestock, agriculture and some spills of hydrocarbons, in addition to, that some local people sometimes remove aquatic plants manually to “clean” an area of the stream where they bathe or engage in recreational and domestic activities
Sources of information:
Espinosa Pérez et al., 1993. Wildlife listings from Mexico. III. Mexican freshwater fish.
Robert Rush Miller. 2009. Freshwater fish from Mexico.
Peralta-Peláez and Moreno-Casasola. 2009. Floristic composition and diversity of wetland vegetation in the interdunary lakes of Veracruz
Garcia Falcon. 2017. Ecology of the community of water plants in Tumillco, Municipality of Tuxpan, Veracruz.
Mauricio De La Maza Benignos. 2014. Systematic, zoogeography and evolution of the genus herichthys (pisces: cichlidae), in northeastern Mexico.
De la Cruz et al., 2017. Flora and vegetation of the municipality Alamo Temapache, Veracruz, Mexico