Riverside area of the Rio Negro near Manaus, Brasil, South America

_th place in Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2020

Aquarium volume: 700l
Aquarium size: 185x65x60 cm
List of fish and invertebrates in the aquarium: Discus Heckel Rio Negro, Thoracocharax Stellatus, Corydoras Adolfoi, Hemigrammus Rhodostomus
List of plants in the aquarium: Nymphaea
Description of scenery and soil: Mangrove driftwood is very similar in shape and color to those found in a natural biotope. Fine river sand of yellowish-white color

Equipment description:

Biological filtration: Eheim 2080 1700 l / h, Mechanical filtration: FLUVAL FX 6 3500 l / h (2 of these filters), Ultraviolet sterilizer: Eheim UV Reeflex 800, Lighting FLUVAL Aquasky Led with sunrise / sunset function, Compressor: Eheim air pump 400, heater AQUA MEDIC 300w and with T-controller twin
Water parameters: Temperature 28 ℃, pH – 8, gH – 18
Additional information: Duct 10% per day

INFORMATION ABOUT BIOTOPE:

Description of the area surrounding the biotope: The Rio Negro is the second largest branch of the Amazon, with a total length of approximately 2,250 km. The mineral content of Rio Negro water is extremely low, the conductivity is only 8 μS, and it is very acidic, the pH varies from 2.9 to 4.2. Rio Negro, the largest black water river in the world. The flood season occurs from May to September, with a peak in July. The streams of water in the Rio Negro lasts from February to July, and the highest water level is in June. Many people live along the main part of the Rio Negro. There are many floodplains along the canals and caves (campinarana). During the dry season, there are large sandy beaches across the rivers. The river is rocky with pebbles and stones. Rocky outcrops and cataracts prove that Guiana’s shields are at the midpoint of Negiana. Black waters form Igapo forests, under the influence of rivers and environmental factors, this type of forest is annually subject to seasonal flooding and is weakly sandy, oligotrophic or nutritious. There are over 685 species in the Rio Negro Basin. Of the 11 orders, Characteriformes and Siluriformes represent about 74%.
Description of the underwater landscape of the biotope: The Rio Negro passes through the virgin rainforests of South America, in this regard, a lot of organic debris (branches, driftwood, leaves, etc.) gets into it, creating deposits of organic matter at the bottom of the river, due to the large accumulation organic waste, the river takes on a dark color due to the production of various substances. The river washes away soil from the Guyanese uplands, as a result of which it carries it with the current. The substrate is sandstone, fine sand of yellowish-white color. There are practically no plants, with the exception of rare bushes of eleocharis and echinodorus and other small plants.
Description of the characteristics of the habitat: The water is acidic, ph can drop to 3.5. Rio Negro is 2-3 degrees warmer than white or “clear” water due to the presence of black water. This is the reason why Solimões does not mix with this river. Solimões are faster and colder, the water flows at 6 km / h, while the hot and slow water of the Rio Negru flows slower than 2 km / h, and the temperature is around 28 ° C. Temperature is 27-28 ° C. pH 4.5- 5.0, conductivity 10-15 μS, microelements Na (mg / l) 0.380 ± 0.124, K (mg / l) 0.327 ± 0.107, Mg (mg / l) 0.114 ± 0.035, Ca (mg / l) 0.212 ± 0.066 , Cl (mg / l) 1.7 ± 0.7, Si (mg / l) 2.0 ± 0.5, Sr (μg / l) 3.6 ± 1.0, Ba (μg / l) 8 , 1 ± 2.1, Fe (μg / L) 178 ± 58, Mn (μg / L) 9.0 ± 2.4, Cu (μg / L) 1.8 ± 0.5, Zn (μg / L ) 4.1 ± 1.8, total P (μg / l)) 25 ± 17, total C (mg / l) 10.5 ± 1.3, HCO3-C (mg / l) 1.7 ± 0, 5, Al (μg / L) 112 ± 29.
List of fish and invertebrates found in the natural biotope: Osteoglossum spp. (Osteoglossidae); Anostomus taeniatus, Leporinus flaviatus (Anostomidae); Paracheirodon axelrodi, P. simulans, Hemigrammus bleheri, H. schmardae, H. vorderwinkleri, Hyphessobrycon socolofi, Elachocharax georgiae (Characidae); Copella nattereri, Pyrrhulina brevis, Nannobrycon unifasciatus, Nannostomus beckfordi, N. eques, N. unifasciatus (Lebiasinidae); Carnegiella marthae (Gasteropelecidae); Colossoma macropomum, Piaractus brachypomus, Serrasalmus nattereri (Serrasalmidae); Boulengerella Lateristriga (Ctenoluciidae); Corydoras robineae, Dianema urostriata (Callichthyidae); Phractocephalus hemioliopterus, Perrunichthys perruno (Pimelodidae); Peckoltia pulchra (Loricariidae); Aequidens diadema, A. pallidus, Apistogramma agassizii, A. gephyra, A. gibbiceps, A. hippolytae, A. pertensis, A. regani, Astronotus ocellatus, Cichla ocellaris, Nannacara adoketa, Pterophyllum scalare, Symphysodon Disceus) (Cichla ocellaris Eigenmannia virescens (Rhamphichthyidae), Discus heckel rio negro, Thoracocharax stellatus, Corydoras adolfoi, Hemigrammus rhodostomus
The list of plants found in the natural biotope: Cabomba Aquatica, Ceratopteris pteridoides, C. thalictroides, E. tenellus, Eichhornia Azurea, E. hyacinth, Hydrocleys Nymphoides, Hydrocotyle leucocephala, Maynobium laevigatum, Ludorthyllus fluitans, pistia stratiotes, Salvinia auriculata, Utricularia gibba

Comments of the members of the jury of Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2020