Small water stream near the Sipapo river in Venezuela

31st place in Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2017

poland Poland. Łukasz Barwicki

Volume: 144 L
Dimensions: 80x45x40 cm
List of fishes: Apistogramma hongsloi, Nannostomus eques, Nannostomus beckfordi
List of plants: Echinodorus tenellus, Eleocharis accicularis, Echinodorus latifolius.
Description of decorations: The drift wood is very natural i shall be look like in the nature, the substrate i used is claim under the sand and peat. Some leaf litters are necessery in this biotope.
Description of equipment: Aquael minikani 120, Hydor Heater for external canister filters, 2x 10W Aquael leddy slim plant and sunny.
Water parameters: Temperature is 28 C, ph 5,5, Gh 5, Kh 1

Description of the area surrounding the biotope: The sipapo river is near the boundary of Colombia and Wenezuela. The rivers  near the sipapo river are very small and slow moving. At the river banks grows many species of grass, eleocharis sp. and echinodorus species. Close to the river and near them grows many threes and moriche palms called Mauritia flexuosa. On the ground we can found many fallen leaf litter and moriche palm leaves and spikelets. They making the biotop more acidic. Fallen threes and palms are also a common view.

Description of the underwater landscape of the biotope: Shallow pool leaf litter fields, areas with many aquatic plants are the place where the fishes can hide. We can find some drift wood, algae and moriche palm spikelets. The sand have really small gradation from 0,25 to 3mm.

Description of the parameters of the habitat: The temperature is from 26 to 28 celsius, ph is under 6, Gh and Kh less than 10 mg/L

List of fishes: Apistogramma hongsloi, Apistogramma helkeri, Nannostomus anduzei, Nannostomus eques, Nannostomus beckfordi, Copella meinkeni, freshwater shrimps.

List of plants: Echinodorus tenellus, Echinodorus latifolius, Eleocharis sp, Tonina fluviatilis, Eichhornia crassiceps.

Threats to the ecology of the biotope: A lot local people are making space for growing chops and in this way they destroy the micro habitat of fishes and surrounding them ecosystem. We need to teach them how they can reach benefits from the clean water, and the flora and fauna.

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