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Pathway to Rio Negro 864L (biotope)

Cayambe

Member
Joined
4 Dec 2016
Messages
42
Location
Copenhagen
Right, I might as well get started on my Journal!

After 15 years away from the hobby my "comeback" project will be a rather ambitious 864L setup, with a focus on the Amazon. I'm still dusting off my fathers old aquarium books from the 70'ties, while trying to get up to speed with what have happened in the hobby. Which Is massive! And I'm humbled by why I have seen here.

While the aquarium is being built in Germany, I have visited every LFS in a 200km radius, to see if I could find some good driftwood.

Will be updated as I go along:
Aquarium: Custom built Diamant Aquarien Germany in cm: 180Lx80Dx60H (Free standing/room devider, with one of the ends against the wall)
Biotope/Theme: Rio Negro / Black Water
Filtration: Eheim 2180 Thermal
Heating: 500W inside the Eheim 2180
Lighting: 1x Econlux Sunstrip 70, 145cm, 101w. 28 PAR at 60cm
Co2: -
Fertilzer: Tropica Premium
Hardscape: 3 Large pieces of driftwood, and Botanicals from Tannin Aquatics
Substrate: "Light river sand" 0,3mm

Fauna:
L168 Dekeyseria brachyura
L183 Ancistrus dolichopterus
C. Duplicares
(maybe L114 - Rio Demini, Tributary of Rio Negro)

Flora:
With little known plants in the Rio Negro, other than flooded forest plants, I have decided on a compromise using the following:
Limnobium Laevegatum (floating)
Helanthium Tenellus (around roots)
Staugoryne Repens (around roots)
Vesicularia Dubyana xmas (roots)

(from alto)
I'd include some of the bigger Echinodorus
Bacopa australis
- nice small leaf for contrast, lovely color
Heteranthera zosterifolia is a good "startup" plant as it's very fast growing (assuming suitable nutrients)
Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo' - good carpet, it will grow slower in lower light but will usually still establish
Potamogeton gayi - this is another favorite
Staurogyne sp. 'Porto Velho'
Sagittaria subulata - this looks very good in a bigger tank


These are the first tryouts with the roots:
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I don't have any where near the experience of some on here, but I would advise you to reconsider using such big lumps of wood. Because they are just big lumps you will get lots of dead spots around them and underneath them which is not ideal for getting a good flow around the aquarium.
I think you would be better off just collecting some wood from a nearby forest with better shapes for scaping

Cheers
Rod
 
The roots are somewhat hollow, you just don't really see it at those angles. But I understand your concern.

I like the "shoreline" one too!! :)
 
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Two islands gets my vote. If this is a vote Although I'd like to see them moved closer together.

Also I'm totally jealous already!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Ok, I had another go with the setup. Painfully as it was to admit to myself, Rod might have had a point. It made me think that the two earlier layouts were a little "heavy".

After a few hours of trials and tribulations, this is what I came up with. I call it... wait for it... "Pathway to Rio Negro" :) Hope you like it

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What's the planting plan?

You should get 1000 tetras for this one. Should see some natural behavior!!
 
Sticking to South American flora, some initial thoughts are:

Echinodorus quadricostatus (Right)
Staurogyne repens (middle)
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis (Far left/foreground)
Vesicularia dubyana (On Roots)
Alternanthera reineckii (Mid/right)

If you have any ideas or suggestions, let me know. I'm no expert, to put it mildly.
 
I'd leave your Fathers books on the shelf & invest in new!
I returned to the hobby 4 months back after a 30 year absence & all my old books are just that "Old Books" No use what soever in todays hobby, Even the so called "Fishkeepers Bibles" are of little use these days.
With the root you can always saw them down the middle to give you two attractive pieces,
I do this often, two for the price of one so to speak.

One problem going for an Amazon Biotope is most of the Amazon & it's tributaries are "Blackwater" & due to depth, very little plant life, no rocks.

I've been investigating Biotopes recently ready for 12 Wild Discus (Rio Tefe & the Rio Nanay)
 
For me I'd go for the single block shown in picture 7? but then I'm looking at it from my perspective which is perhaps not the right one!

:)
 
Kipper, the thing is, you are right. If you threw a camera anywhere in the Amazon river, you would not come up with a perfect planted aquascape :)

Ive been lucky enough to have visited the Amazon, in both Brazil and in Boliva, and its mostly as you say. Only in the wetter months, when the waters rise do we see plants, but then, those are mostly low trees and bushes.

I'm still going back and forth between making a "true" biotope, or try for a more planted, and perhabs less authentic? setup. I bought these roots cos they were perfect for the plecos I wanted to keep. But then I saw a video of Takashi Amano, and everything I knew about aquariums went down the drain. I'm still trying to salvage whatever is left... Those are some majestic aquascapes.

If I end up going the "black water" route, something like this has given me inspiration:
 
Watch Ivan Mikolji videos of fish in their natural habitats - there are plenty of plant & fish zones, not discus of course (they aren't coming out of waters with neons & cardinal tetras ;) )
 
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To Biotope or not? :)

- that really needs a lot more research & sourcing/ordering of plants - often not typically available as aquarium hobby plants (for various reasons)

Of course if you're going to be rigorous about plants, then this should follow for hardscape as well (I'd think :D - sorry those African roots have to go :oops: )


Consider your goals for this project - once the lovely glass box arrives, will you want to get it up & running fairly quickly ... or do you love the planning/acquiring stages
(& what about any significant others :angelic: )

OTOH there's no reason not to get the tank up & running - sort out all the technical bits, including your level of plant interest/ability - then transition to a more "authentic" biotope



Sticking to South American flora, some initial thoughts are:

Echinodorus quadricostatus (Right)
Staurogyne repens (middle)
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis (Far left/foreground)
Vesicularia dubyana (On Roots)
Alternanthera reineckii (Mid/right)

pretty sure that Vesicularia dubyana is Asian, you want Vesicularia dubyana 'Christmas' (from Tropica) for Brasil origin

Tropica SA list
I'd include some of the bigger Echinodorus
Bacopa australis
- nice small leaf for contrast, lovely color
Heteranthera zosterifolia is a good "startup" plant as it's very fast growing (assuming suitable nutrients)
Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo' - good carpet, it will grow slower in lower light but will usually still establish
Potamogeton gayi - this is another favorite
Staurogyne sp. 'Porto Velho'
Staurogyne repens
Sagittaria subulata
- this looks very good in a bigger tank

In a bigger tank, contrast of leaf & color will help create perspective
It's also good to begin with an assortment of plants & find which grow "better" in your tank conditions

Of course this plant list won't create a "biotope" aquarium, but will do a SA themed tank nicely :)

Lighting: I suspect you're going to need something on the order of the Kessil A360 series to get even "moderate" substrate PAR - the multitude of (low watt) diode array type LEDS generally only provide high/moderate PAR if 30cm - 40cm water column depths.
Check with lighting manufacturers for type & intensity of emitters, request PAR data at 50cm - 60cm water column depths

I suspect that CO2 addition will also be required if you want substantial plant growth - take a look for tanks that are of similar depth (the volume:surface area significantly impacts passive diffusion)
 
Honestly, if you are anything like me, a true biotype aquarium is all well and good for a short time but then when everything grows in and you stop seeing change it might start to feel a little dull. If you go towards a less authentic biotype you can keep all of the good elements of a biotype but add stuff which would keep you interested and with the end result you will have something that will stand out to others than being specifically beautiful to you. :)
 
Just catching up, I too am returning back to the hobby after a few years...
Shoreline does it for me and you'll defo have some dead spots but I've found using a small circulation pump placed behind the wood aids circulation so easily overcome.
It depends largely on your plant scheme imo and the fish you're going to keep. Eager to see how you develop this. Good luck
 
I do have a rock I picked up in the amazon river! Guess it will take more to complete an authentic biotope though. And I agree, If i truly wanted to create a biotope why stop at plants.. why not get authentic driftwood and sand too. I have to make a line somewhere.

Some good and valid points though.

In regards to lighting I will have to get in touch with my LED provider and see if he can help out. Lights and the CO2 question still remain. But that has to come when I have figured out the final layout. Which could be any day now!

I'm from Denmark and Tropica is practically next door, so at least i have plenty access to their plants and products.

Will watch that video!

I have added a few pics from my last trip to the Bolivian Amazon..


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@alto I have found the PAR data on the Econlux Sunstrip LED lights I'm working with. Could you enlighten me of what I would work for me, If I go the at least partially planted tank route?

I'm thinking about adding 4x 850mm strips. Thats 28 PAR at 60cm pr. light as per the diagram. (If I go black water, I'd just add 1, but wider.)

I'm considering going low tech and not add any CO2.

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I had another go at "Shoreline". It might be the most "balanced" of the 3 setups so far. I guess it will be a lot easier to see when the aquarium arrives.

Its inspired by one of Amano's creations, and If I do "shoreline" I will try and use that as a guide.

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