Nature Reserve Springs of Pescara, Popoli, Abruzzo, Italy.

_st place in Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2022

Volume of aquarium: 450l

Dimensions of aquarium: 150x60x50h

List of fishes: Gasterosteus aculeatus likes calm waters and I could not provide him with suitable living conditions, so I gave up on fish.
Procambarus clarkii allochthonous.

List of plants: Fontinalis antipyretica, Ceratophyllum submersum, Apium nodiflorum, Eleocharis palustris, Phragmites australis, Lemna minor.

Description of Decorations and Substrate: Hardscape is steeply sloping from 40 ° sand slope. I mixed the sand in colors so that it perfectly imitated the one from the biotope,
I also chose the same limestone bought online. The biotope shows two banks, the right one with growing Phragmites australis,
and the left one, Eleocharis palustris, over which I made an artificial floating water sheet of moss, lemna minor, algae and Ceratophyllum.
The center was planted with Apium nodiflorum creating dense colonies. Using a small pump and two plastic pot holders,
I created the sand effect of an underwater source. The depth was made with RGB LEDs and a matte foil glued behind the aquarium,
behind which I additionally placed dry decorative elements (Deep Shadow).

Description of Equipment: The filtration system is quite complicated two jebao 100w pumps with a total power of 24,000 l / h set at half power,
connected to a DIY PVC 32mm spray bar that surrounds the front windshield 360 °, evenly pushing the water to the back of the aquarium,
where there is a runoff in the middle with the media filtration. All this allowed me to obtain the effect of the underwater dynamics
of a moving image. The aquarium close to the window has a lot of daylight, Phragmites australis is additionally illuminated with Led Grow
35w 850Lux, and the aquarium with LED lamps 3x 30w 6500K.

Water Parameters: Temperature 22°C – PH 7,75 – NO2 0,00mg/l – NO3 0,00mg/l – KH°d 7 – GH°d 15

Additional Info: The water changes are 50% every 15 days, the crayfish are wild and after being caught and transferred to the aquarium,
they began to eat the next day.

Aquarium video:

Description of the Area Surrounding the Biotope: The Pescara Springs Nature Reserve was established in 1986 and protects a large spring area with numerous springs of water coming
directly from the Campo Imperatore plateau. The springs of the Pescara river make up a very important Nature Reserve for central Italy,
given that the source system of the Abruzzo river is one of the largest and most productive in the entire interregional area.
The great diversification of the landscapes also creates numerous very interesting views from the landscape point of view,
with areas that host many varieties of animal and plant species.

Description of the Underwater Landscape of the Biotope: Underwater landscape and a thousand rivulets that flow into a limpid and crystalline body of water,
with many shades of colors: numerous sub-river springs, which gush copiously on the bottom, give new and continuous life to this
basin which, with a constant total flow of 7000 l / s, represents the most important spring systems of central northern Italy.
The clarity of the lake gives life to a luxuriant submerged vegetation, creating a precious treasure chest of biodiversity and
turquoise waters.

Description of the Habitat Parameters: The water is crystal clear with temperatures ranging from 10 ° C in winter to 20 ° C in summer.
The parameters slightly oscillate within the limits PH 7,85 – NO2 0,00mg/l – NO3 0,00mg/l – KH°d 5 – GH°d 17.

List of Fishes and Invertebrates Occurring in the Nature Biotope: Gasterosteus aculeatus, Austropotamobius pallipes italicus, Lampetra planeri, Salmo trutta macrostigma.

List of Plants Found in the Nature Biotope: Fontinalis antipyretica, Ceratophyllum submersum, lemna minor, Nasturtium officinale, Apium nodiflorum, Typha latifolia,
T. angustifolia, Sparganium erectum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Carex elata, Carex pendula, Rumex hydrolapathum,
Eleocharis palustris, Schenoplectus lacustris, Potamogeton natans.

Threats to the Ecology of the Biotope: The Pescara Springs Reserve represents one of the last bastions in which you can discover the purity of the water,
pearl at the source, observe the wonder of biodiversity linked to the aquatic world, with the extraordinary and luxuriant
hygrophilous vegetation, rich in particular plants and birdlife , mammals, insects, blooms etc… An incredibly beautiful but
extremely delicate world. “It takes very little to destroy such an extraordinary and biodiverse landscape”, explains Pierlisa Di Felice,
director of the Reserve, “Unfortunately we are not yet aware of how much water is a bearer of life and beauty.

Sources of Information:
Snorkelling and an interview with the park director Pierlisa Di Felice.