Shallow waters near the bay area in Taal lake, Batangas, Philippines

131th place in Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2019

Philippines. Vincent James Cabuang

Volume: 187 L
Dimensions: 120x40x40 cm
List of fishes: Amphilophus labiatus, Nandopsis tetracanthus, Cincelichthys bocourti
List of plants: Bouteloua dactyloides, Centella asiatica
Description of decorations: i use silica sand for my substrate with a bit of mud , dead woods in bothe corner of the tank to imitate nature. River boulders that i collected.
Description of equipment: Regent r-6000 liquid filter, NXLED led light 20w, sponge filter
Water parameters: 79°F (26°C).,pH: 7.5, Hardness: 10°H
Temperature: 73-79°F (23-26°C).,pH: 6.0-7.8, Hardness: 4-15°H
Additional info: Unlike Crater Lake, Taal Lake was once part of the ocean—it was an arm of Balayan Bay, which opens to the South China Sea. It’s not unheard of for bays to become lakes. After the last Ice Age, for example, it took centuries for the earth to rebound to its pre-glacier elevations in many places. Even Lake Ontario was part of the Atlantic Ocean for a while. But Taal Lake was part of the ocean just a few hundred years ago! During the 18th century, a series of eruptions filled in the entrance to the inlet, isolating it from the ocean except for one narrow river.
Unlike Crater Lake, Taal Lake was once part of the ocean—it was an arm of Balayan Bay, which opens to the South China Sea. It’s not unheard of for bays to become lakes. After the last Ice Age, for example, it took centuries for the earth to rebound to its pre-glacier elevations in many places. Even Lake Ontario was part of the Atlantic Ocean for a while. But Taal Lake was part of the ocean just a few hundred years ago! During the 18th century, a series of eruptions filled in the entrance to the inlet, isolating it from the ocean except for one narrow river.

INFORMATION ABOUT BIOTOPE

Description of the area surrounding the biotope: The breathtaking scenery at Taal Lake, on the Philippine island of Luzon, makes it one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. Located just thirty miles from Manila, Taal is the Philippines’ equivalent to Oregon’s famous Crater Lake, because it fills the caldera of a massive prehistoric volcano. But its geologic history is even more bizarre than that of its Oregonian cousin. Rainfall over the past three hundred years has diluted the salinity of the lake water, but that was enough time for many of its fishy residents to adapt to the new surroundings. As a result, Taal Lake is home to some unique fauna, including one of the only two known species of sea snakes that can live in freshwater. Until it was hunted to extinction in the 1930s, a population of sharks even made its home in the lake!

Description of the underwater landscape of the biotope: Taal lake is a protected area in the Philippines due to it’s active volcano.underwater landscape in the near area surrounding the volcano wasmurky and has a rocky substrate. near the bay area are more sandy .

Description of the parameters of the habitat: Stable water temperatures were observed at Taal Lake during the 12-month period of monitoring. The average recorded temperature is 26.15oC. The increase in temperature during Hot Dry Season is minimal and conforms to the standard set by DENR-EMB since there has not been a recorded increase of more than 3oC compared with the ambient temperature. In general, the increase in temperature in the Taal Lake for the whole year did not affect its situation since no irregularities have been monitored like degrading of environment.
Temperature between 17-25 , pH between 4-6 , Total hardness 12-14 , Alkalimetric title between 13-18

List of fishes and invertebrates occurring in the nature biotope: Oreochromis niloticus, Amphilphus Labiatus, Parachromis Managuense

List of plants found in the nature biotope: Caesalpiniaceae trees. Burseraceae sp

Threats to the ecology: Despite the national government’s declaration of the Taal Lake as protected area, number of illegal fish cages continue to increase. Approximately, there are 9,000 fish cages that contribute to its degradation (PCIJ, 2008). Likewise, some native fishes disappeared, the scenic view of the Lake is blocked, and its nature reserve put at risk.

Sources of information:

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