January '06
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Photos & Descriptions |
January '06 - Arjan Haak's 300 L Colombian Biotope Aquarium. (Netherlands)
This month we feature a very interesting biotope setup, that brings together fishes and plants found in the Meta and Upper Orinoco River basins, running from Colombia through Venezuela. The ample use of rootwork and a few rounded rocks give a very distinct feeling of a river bank, hosting three representative species of that region: a trio of Apistogramma viejita brings in that personality touch that only cichlids can; another trio of the small, rare and curious little catfish Tatia perugiae, and finally a school of the rather uncommon Gymnocorymbus bondi which play the role of the "always visible" fish in the tank. In short, a carefully studied and skillfully executed project by the veteran Dutch aquarist Arjan Haak, well done! :-)
Owner: | Arjan Haak, 31, from Venray, The Netherlands, 20 years of fishkeeping. |
Setup: | October 2005. |
Dimensions: | 110x50x55 cm. |
Volume: | 300 L (nominal). |
Filtration: | Eheim filter 600 L/h. |
Lighting: | 4x30 W fluorescent. |
Substrate: | Sand (0.75-1.25 mm) + peat + clay as plant substrate. |
Decoration: | River rocks + bogwood + cooked tree leaves. |
Water: | Temp 25°C, pH 6.7, KH 4, GH 7, NO3 0, Fe 0.1 ppm. |
Maintenance: | Water change once every 2 weeks, about 25 liters. |
Fauna: | 3x Apistogramma viejita "red", 9x Gymnocorymbus bondi, 3x Tatia perugiae.
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Flora: | Ceratopteris thalictroides, Heteranthera zosterifolia, Echinodorus bleheri, Echinodorus latifolius, Hydrocotyle leucocephala.
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Comments: |
The pH and GH should be lower for this biotope. I just bought a reverse osmosis unit for that and started making the water changes with RO water. I feed the fish with mosquito larvae and shrimp. The A. viejita females have both spawned this week. Thanks for putting my tank on the website!
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If you'd like to submit an aquarium for Tank of the Month, just contact me.
Gymnocorymbus bondi occupying the open space of the tank
Biotope aquariums - "nature at home" concept at its best!
Photos taken by Arjan Haak and displayed here with his permission.
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