75g South American Biotope

[Shadow]

Bio-type of the Rio Sucasar, Peru [not exactly but still around the same area]

a small 'Pure Backwater' tributary near the confluence of the Rio Napo and the Amazon River about 5 hours downriver from Iquitos, Peru


This tank with have absolutely no rocks, and hopefully lots of drift wood. I'm going to use peat moss to get the nice tea colored water and almond leafs to get the leafy bottom. This tank will be covered in swords, jungle valls and have very little current. Ill subdue the lighting with some floating riccia. Which will also give the hatchets some hiding places.


The Canopy:

• Odyssea 2x54 watt 6500

Im looking for a DIY with 4 bulbs and a moonlight [anyone know of any for a first time light builder?]

The Tributary:

• Eco Complete
• Lots of driftwood
• Eheim pro II 2026
• 5/10lb CO2 tank
• Heater
• Air Pump

Vegetation:

• I have 25 swords on the way from Aquabid seller [Bayleesfishees]
• Riccia
• Algae Id like to grow some for the ottos [I know crazy]
• Vallisneria

Inhabitants:

• 4 German Blue rams [1m/3f]
• 30 Rummy-nose tetra
• 15 Corydoras aeneus [bronze/green cory]
• 5 ottos
• 12 hatchet fish

Has anyone ever tried using clay as the substrate?? Or is there any way of getting the "Orange/pinkish colored clay" look?






http://fish.mongabay.com/biotope_rio_sucasari.htm

[seds]

Clay is used in mineralized topsoil for it's iron content. Wether it is good alone is ... not known by me... but it isn't toxic or anything. You don't really NEED clay if you have leaf litter covering the ground (which is a source of CO2) because you can't see it, but how to keep a good amount of leaves on the bottom would be a concern...

South America is a CONTINENT, I am glad you did your research. At another forum, people just picked south american species and claimed it was a biotope. That'd be like having artic char and mexican tetras, with hippurus vulgaris and ludwigia inclinata 'cuba' for plants...

As far as I know, moss is a South -East Asia thing, but it is in north american streams too. So... most moss on the market is from Asia...

I don't think riccia is in south america. Correct me if I'm wrong... It will look cool in the end. Black-water always looks cool. Biotopes are hard to make accurate... I tried to make one but I got collecteritis. GAH! It is very hard to stick with one area to base it off of.

25 swords is a lot. Are you sure they will all fit? With that amount, you could be a commercial seller of amazon swords! (when they produce "babies")