Rushes bank of Kepayang stream, rain season, West Kalimantan, Indonesia

22th place in Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2019

Poland. Adrian Szczepańki

Volume: 189 L
Dimensions: 120x45x35 cm
List of fishes: Sphaerichthys osphromenoides, Trigonopoma pauciperforatum , desmopuntius hexazona , parosphromenus anjunganensis
List of plants: Scirpus sylvaticus , Salvinia natans
Description of decorations: The whole substrate is made of peat. On top of peat there are roots, branches , leaves and dried sphagnum moss. The decorations decompose slowly creating a soft natural layer on top of everything.
Description of equipment: Sunsun hw-302 filter, Mixed LED floodlifgt with total output of 120W at the day of filiming, 50w Hanza heater.
Water parameters: Temperature stays at 25 -27C The ph stays at 5-5,5 PH , KH 0-2 ,GH 0-2
Additional info: I do 20% water change every two weeks plus top ups. Parosphromenus anjunganensis are present in the tank but they are super camera shy unfortunetly, Sphaerichthys osphromenoides breed here about once a month and fry is growing faster than the one i pulled out due to aquarium being rich in micro organizms. Fish on film might look a bit stressed due to additional lights added for filming.

INFORMATION ABOUT BIOTOPE

Description of the area surrounding the biotope: Kepayang Stream flows through tropical rainforest , peat bogs and fields near the town of Anjungan, then it enters the backwaters of the Kapuas River. Most of the time you can see a dense jungle or rushes next to the stream but currently oil palm plantations and deforestation sites are a common sight also.

Description of the underwater landscape of the biotope: Underwater landscape varies depending on the location. In the rainforest jungle the whole bottom of the stream is covered with leaves and branches, little light penetrate the dense tree crowns and reaches the water , in more open areas banks of the stream are covered with rushes and bog plants creating rich habbitat for fish.

Description of the parameters of the habitat: The parameters are the same as similar habbitats in the region. Water is coulred brown/red becouse its rich in tannins due to bottom of the stream being made of peat and leaves. The ph varies from 3,5 up to 6 depending on the season. Gh and KH stays at 0-1

List of fishes and invertebrates occurring in the nature biotope: Particular attention deserve endangered endemic fish occurring in habbitat:
Parosphromenus anjunganensis
Parosphromenus ornaticuda

Other fish present in the habbitat are common in these type of blackwater biotopes in the region :
Betta midas
Betta rutilans
Betta brownorum
Sphaerichthys osphromenoides
Neohomaloptera johorensis
Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus
Luciocephalus pulcher
Kryptopterus macrocephalus
Macrognathus circumcinctus
Belontia hasselti

List of plants found in the nature biotope: Cryptocoryne pallidinervia. Countless spiecies of terrestial and half terrestial plants that forms rushes or get submerged during the rain season.

Threats to the ecology: Unfortunately, the habitat is in great danger. Even when searching for information about the biotope, I discovered that some sources are no longer valid due to losses in habbitat caused by human activity. The heavy deforestation for oil palm plantations and urbanization led many spiecies , often endemic to this region at the edge of extinction. They will soon disapear if people responsible for these changes wont stop.

Sources of information:

http://www.kolumbus.fi/vuorela.antti/anjunganenglish.htm
https://parosphromenus-project.org/en/ornaticauda-wentian?fbclid=IwAR1bIWZvegpR4MWMbu7M0sGzCDgmgp1ZpS4h1n7PH67o2ruvTucuHox0BM8
http://www.weichwasserfische.de/Kapuas%20English%201.htm
http://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~borneo/bun/8.html
http://www.seriouslyfish.com
https://www.youtube.com/user/DiscoveryPlanetuk/videos

Comments of the members of the jury of Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2019