Tributary of the river Mamberamo
The 5th place in the qualifying stage of the Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2014
Russia. Natalia Zakharova
Volume: 200 L
List of fishes: Melanotaenia praecox
List of plants: Nymphaea sp., Vallisneria nana, Microsorum pteropus
Biotope description: Dwarf rainbowfish (Melanotaenia praecox) is quite common in aquaria. But the area where dwarf rainbowfish can be found in nature is very small: a small part of the river Mamberamo flowing through one of the provinces of Papua New Guinea. In 1998, they were also collected in small streams and swampy waters of the river Tiroiva. These specimens differ from the representatives from Mamberamo by having horizontal red stripes between the rows of scales. Dwarf rainbowfish can be found not only in the fast streams of the main river, but also in the surrounding wetlands with slow current, where there are many aquatic plants, driftwood and submerged roots of coastal plants, and this entry presents such a habitat.
This again my introduction and often published is done accordingly but wrong is the fact that they do NOT ever occur in fast flowing water, nor NEVER in the main stream and Vallisneria nana is not found there. Still a deserved 2nd place.
Well lit, a with a nice combination of sand, wood and planting. Pulls the onlooker in to view more and study each part of the aquarium in more depth, searching out more livestock as one does so.
This work is very simple and real. But the aquatic plants could be better positioned. In the nature the bushes are not too formal and separated.
This entry is worth its second place. It is almost all biotope correct in it. But a number of fish should be tripled. Then they would change their behavior. It would be natural.
A beautiful biotope, healthy flora and fauna.
Sand bottom with light amount of thin black root debris on it, long green plants; it is the habitat! Well balanced layout!