Mouth of the Khotomlyanka river at the confluence with the Seversky Donets, Pecheneg reservoir, Ukraine

115th place in Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2019

Ukraine. Konstantin Radoutskiy

Volume: 110 L
Dimensions: 70x40x40 cm
List of fishes: Rutilus rutilus, Astacus astacus
List of plants: Ceratophyllum, Salix alba
Description of decorations: washed river sand of several fractions, leaves and roots of willow.
Description of equipment: 15W LED lamp, mounted filter 600l / h, phytofiltration by rooted willow shoots.
Water parameters:
Additional info: A distinctive feature of this aquarium is a two-level filtration using willow sprouts, which are located directly in the species tank and act as a decor. With regular feeding and a large number of shelters, crayfish do not attack fish. The presence of a large number of driftwood also contributes to maintaining a stable bio-balance, as plaque is formed on their surfaces in the form of algae and bacteria that contribute to the purification of water. Because of this, the water in the aquarium is constantly crystal clear. The aquarium in the photo is 3 months old. At the moment (12 months from the start), the aquarium continues to function in almost the same form, which proves the possibility of keeping crayfish with ordinary hydrobionts.

INFORMATION ABOUT BIOTOPE

Description of the area surrounding the biotope: Along the river bank willows grow. Thanks to their roots, the coast is quite deep and safe from erosion. The sandy bottom is covered with fallen leaves of coastal trees. The roots of plants form many shelters for crayfish.

Description of the underwater landscape of the biotope: Of all aquatic vegetation, only hornwort is present.

Description of the parameters of the habitat:

List of fishes and invertebrates occurring in the nature biotope: Rutilus rutilus, Astacus astacus

List of plants found in the nature biotope: Ceratophyllum, Salix alba

Threats to the ecology:

Sources of information: The aquarium is built on the basis of personal field observations of a real biotope.

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