Mountain creek near Li river in Guangxi, China

45th place in Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2017

 Poland. Dominik Woroch

Volume: 54 L
Dimensions: 60x30x30 cm
List of fishes: Neocaridina davidi
List of plants: Cryptocoryne Wendtii, Microsorum pteropus, Taxiphyllum sp., Algae, Lemna L.
Description of decorations: The bottom consists of a layer of peat covered with abundant amber quartz sand, currently partially naturally covered with organic material. Hard-scape consists of two pieces of woods (for aquarium use).
Description of equipment: Aquael minikani 80, 2x T5 6W, 2x Aquael leddy smart 6W.
Water parameters: Temperature is 21°C, pH is 7,6, gH is 13″

Description of the area surrounding the biotope: The Li River or Lijiang (Chinese: 漓江; pinyin: Lí jiāng) is a river in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. It flows 83 kilometres from Guilin to Yangshuo, where the karst mountains and river sights highlight the famous Li River cruise. The Li River originates in the Mao’er Mountains in Xing’an County and flows in the general southern direction through Guilin, Yangshuo and Pingle. In Pingle the Li River merges with the Lipu River and the Gongcheng River and continues south as the Gui River, which falls into the Xi Jiang, the western tributary of the Pearl River, in Wuzhou. The upper course of the River Li is connected by the ancient Lingqu Canal with the Xiang River, which flows north into the Yangtze; this in the past made the Li and Gui Rivers part of a highly important waterway connecting the Yangtze Valley with the Pearl River Delta. The 437-kilometre course of the Li and Gui Rivers is flanked by green hills.

Description of the underwater landscape of the biotope: Foundation sandy and rocky. The stones are in all colors, mostly light. River passes through a dense forest, there are many branches and driftwood in the water.

Description of the parameters of the habitat:
Water has fast flow, very clear , hard, pH varies from 7.0 to 8.1 depending on the season. Riverflows through karst mountains, what causes that in water is very much minerals. Temperature 13-20°C.

List of fishes:  Sinocyclocheilus microphthalmus, Neocaridina davidi, Vanmanenia xinyiensis, Yaoshanicus arcus, Oreonectes anophthalmus, Protocobitis typhlops, Silurus meridionalis, Bangana decora, Discogobio tetrabarbatus.

List of plants: Microsorum pteropus, Eriocaulon Cinereum, Nuphar Luteum, Limnophila Aromatica, Riccardia Chamedryfolia, Ceratophyllum Demersum, Rotala Rotundifolia, Ceratopteris Thalictroides, Acorus Gramineus, Cryptocoryne Wendtii, Taxiphyllum sp., Lemna L.

Threats to the ecology: N/A.  

Sources of information:

• https://books.google.pl/books?id=-bt9NUITiq4C&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=li+river+water+plants&source=bl&ots=8BmcaFnR6E&sig=kTbcqA8QAQW1y9a4rYehJqeRsNI&hl=pl&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjNlPq6xb7WAhUEIJoKHfWcBzQQ6AEIZjAM#v=onepage&q=li%20river%20water%20plants&f=false
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_River
• https://www.chinaodysseytours.com/guilin/when-li-river-limpid.html
• http://file.scirp.org/pdf/5-2.2.95.pdf
• http://eol.org/
• http://www.tropicos.org