Amazon Biotope

[Griz]

Borelli are a beautiful fish and are generally recommended as a good choice for a first apisto. I like your choice of tankmates too, sounds like a very nice group.

 

[Krib Crazy]

Thanx for the complement. Ive been trying to find peices of stump to go into my tank do anyone have anyplaces to buy these things of the internet?

 

[lucky62]

You could try ebay or aqua bid , if you're in the US

 

[Krib Crazy]

I getting my apisto after christmas. I cant wait then the real work begins. Are the borelli easy to breed? because im used to african cichlids and having a steady supply of babies I can care for. These are gonna be the centerpeice for my tank.Another question are apisto agressive to cories?

 

[Griz]

You should have little trouble breeding Borelli. Fry survival will be a differernt story in a community tank however. Corys will go after the eggs and tetras will pick off the fry. Corys and apistos will usually get along OK but the apistos will chase them from the vicinity of the nesting site. No harm is usually done to them though. My cacatuoides breed often and it is interesting watching the females care for them. Eventually they are picked off, but I do have a young 1" female survivor. If you wish to breed them I would suggest using a seperate breeding tank.

 

[Krib Crazy]

Would you guys happen to know where riccia originstes from I am thinking of getting some if I could for the tank/ biotope?

Thanx as always

KC

 

[sylvia]

Riccia fluitans LINNAEUS, 1753;

Crystalwort.

Synonyms: Ricciella fluitans A. Braun; Riccia franconiae Lorbeer.

Natural Distribution & Ecology: Worldwide; An amphibious species; can be completely aquatic, terrestrial in moist settings, floating to rhizoid-anchored.

Physical Description: Masses of interlocking pale to dark green dichotomous "branches" that are thin (1/16") ribbon-shaped, linear to forked, forming interlocking ball-shaped colonies.

Taken from here: http/www.wetwebmedia.com/PlantedTksSubWe...livrwrtsags.htm

So, yes, riccia would fit into your biotope but, realy, it should be used as a floating plant (or you could always just pretend it sunk on its own ).

 

[Krib Crazy]

I just ordered my borelli and a 65 watt coralife light and I cant wait until they get here!!!!!!!!

P.S. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!!

 

[Krib Crazy]

Got 2 peppered cories and 2 angelfish.

Still to come:

Fish:

3 more angelfish at least till they pair up
3 borelli apistos 1m 2f
10 red-finned tetras
4 peppered cories
6 hatchet

Plants:

- Echinodorus amazonicus
- Dwarf sword plant (Echinodorus tenellus)
- Hair grass (Eleocharis acicularis)
- Amazon sword (Echinodorus paniculatus)
- Cabomba
- Myriophyllum
- Fanwort

Sounds good?

 

[mattpage]

Hi guys,

Just happened to stumble across this site, and this thread whilst doing some research on Amazon Biotopes

I'm about to restart my 4ft bowfront, and have decided to go with an amazon theme (not strictly a biotope though).

At the moment I have 1 large angelfish, 1 bristlenose pleco and 1 chinese weather loach in a smaller tank whilst the large tank is planted and once the ammonia cycle calms down.
I'm planning on adding plenty of wood, and trying to recreate root effects. Plants will be mainly vallis, java moss and java fern.
The fish I plan to get are:
20 cardinal tetra,
5-10 silver hatchets.

I'm hoping the cardinals get on ok with my angelfish, he was fine with a previous school of neons, so fingers crossed.
I'm going to be using blackwater extract which should help everything inside. I'm also hoping the pH will drop slight (to between 6.5 and 6.8) with the addition of bogwood.

Can any see me having problems, will my loach be ok with blackwater?
I know he is a coldwater fish (well i didnt when I got him, but I know now) but he seems to be thriving in the warmer water, he's grown at least 2" since I got him.

I'm not exactly a beginner, but my knowledge is limited, so any advice would be gratefully received.

 

[Krib Crazy]

If u want to lower the ph could filter with some peat. It will lower the ph and it will make the tank a nice tea color.

 

[CFC]

A little tip on the black water extract is to make your own which saves money.

Get some 100% organic peat from a garden center, a bag full of brown fallen oak or beach tree leaves and some small pieces of bogwood from the lfs, the little broken bits at the bottom of a box of wood are great for this and they usually let you have them cheap.

Place all the gathered ingedients into a large old pot, and i mean old as your GF/wife/mother wont be happy if she finds you using her best saucepans for this, and pour in enough water to completely cover the ingredients, R/O water is best and can be obtained from most fish stores that deal in marines for a few pence/cents but tapwater will do if you cant get R/O water. Bring the pot up to boiling point and then turn it down and leave on a low simmer for 1 hour. After one hour check on the mixture, if the water is a lovely earthy smelling and dark black concoction (spelling?) then its ready, if not then let it simmer for a bit longer. Once its ready allow it to cool and then strain it through a fine seive or old pillow case and transfer into plastic bottles which can be stored in the fridge or somewhere cool like a garage/shed until they need to be used.

 

[mattpage]

Great tip!
Cheers for that.

My only question is whats R/O water?

Another quick question, I know bogwood can stain the water, and they recommend you soaking it first.
But if you want tea coloured water, can I just put the wood straight in?

 

[CFC]

R/O = reverse osmosis, an advanced form of pre filter that removes 99% of trace minerals and any contaminents in the water leaving nothing but pure H20. Its most commonly used by marine and discus keepers who need their water to be as pure and toxin free as possible and can either be made at home by buying your own R/O unit which is plumbed in under the sink (or other convienient place) or purchased from a lfs.

Bogwood can be added directly to the tank with no adverse effects, ive never soaked or boiled a piece in my life as i actually like the yellow colour.

 

[Krib Crazy]

Thanx for the tip you jus saved me some money.