Slow stream backwater near Nadou in Chinese province of Hainan

25th place in Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2016

russian_federation Russia. Angelina Sporsheva

Aquarium Volume: 30 L
Fish and invertebrates: Macropodus opercularis
Plants list: Ceratopteris thalictroides
Biotope description: This aquarium was created based on the backwaters of a slow-shallow creeks in Dongfang city area in China’s Hainan Province, located in the western part of the island with the same name. In the coastal zone Cryptocorynes grow, that continue to grow during the rainy period. In shallow sandy bottom there is a carpet of the fallen leaves that give the water a reddish tint. There are tree roots and branches, including entangled floating plants (eg. Ceratopteris thalictroides), forming a good protection for young fish and the basis for building bubble nests of labyrinth fish. In this stream labyrinth fish coexist with rasboras of different types (eg. Rasbora steineri) and barbs (eg. Barbodes semifasciolatus), some species of catfish. But in this aquarium conditions were created to watch the spawning pair of ordinary Macropodus opercularis, so other species are not presented here. Fish placed in a specially prepared aquarium, adapted surprisingly quickly, and the male immediately began a colorful ritual of courting the female.

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