Amazon biotope

[delphina]

I have recently been given a 5 foot tank that had been set up for over three years. With this tank, I'd like to fix an Amazon biotope.

I saved the original gravel and kept the filters guts in tact, so I'm ahead of the game and the tank is set up and running - but barren.

I have two Fluval cannister filters. And two heaters. And small to medium sized natural gravel.



I'd love suggestions on fish and decorations as I'm not overly sure of myself on this dramatic undertaking. I'm a novice, but a fearless one.

If anyone knows of sites with pictures of Amazon set ups, that'd also be swell.

I'll take pictures and maybe I can post them here when I'm finished.

 

[Kossy]

What family/s of fish are you interested in? Well amazonian hey well bogwood for starters...a lot of vegetation. Many types of fish including tetras and many chiclids (What family do you like?) Also smb asked me this question do you prefer aggressive or passive species

 

[CFC]

Any amazonian biotope would have to have catfish as one of the main species as they are probably the most prolific fish in the amazon. Personally for a peaceful set up id scrap the gravel substrate and go with sand, then i could stock the tank with eartheater cichlids (geophagus species), a couple of pairs of angelfish (or discus if your up for the challenge), 2 male and 6 female dwarf cichilids (appistogramma species), good size shoals of cardinal tetras for the middle of the tank and marbled hatchet fish to occupy the surface area, 2 groups of different corydoras (say 5 of each species), a few medium sized peaceful catfish like hoplosternum species and up to 20 otocinclus (dwarf algea eaters) to clean up any algea problems, could have one or two fancy plecs in there too if you wished.

 

[KnuckleHead]

Personnely, if I was to do a true amazon tank I would first have the following. Lots of plants like swords, a few larger pieces of bogwood to similate the black water of the amazon, a combination of natural gravel and black sand. The background would either be a darker shade of blue or one of those tape on backgrounds. As far as what to stock it with, 3 to 4 Altum Angels to start, A nice size shoal of Buenos Aires (not the most colorful but great fish none the less) and Cardinal Tetras, approx 6+ panda cories, 2 golden apple snails and lastly a gold nugget pleco. I hope this helps you some, CFCs' suggestions are great as well and you couldnt go wrong there either. Looks like I talked myself into getting a setup like I suggested. Gee thanks the wife is gonna flip out when I do it .

 

[CFC]

Just a word of warning on the buenos aires tetras, they are avid plant eaters and will rip any plants in the tank to shreds everytime your not looking.

 

[delphina]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Since I already have natural gravel, I'll go with the gravel & sand mix. I'm not sure how to go about that though. I guess either one end just sand, or sand in the center, with gravel on either end. With it being a fairly long tank at five feet, which do you guys think will be better?


As for the fish, I hadn't really known much about Amazon species of fish, so these suggestions helped. I saw some interesting redhook pictures here, but also read they riped plants..so they are out.

I'll tell ya, I really like the search function!

 

[KnuckleHead]

You could put the sand in the middle with the natural gravel at both ends. Looks very nice in my opinion. Of course Im biased because this is how mine is done.

 

[cory]

Have you considered maybe doing an Amazon rain forest acid pool?


You could take your existing natural gravel and work in some small black gravel and peat moss. Be sure to leave it heavier around the base of your bogwood to simulate rotting debis. Use lots of bogwood, I'd think even heavier than with an Amazon stream environment.

For plants, you could go with amazon swords, dwarf swords, water milfoil and even fanwort.

In recreating an acid pool type of environment, you can go with lemon tetras, black phantom tetras, farlowella(twig catfish), some really pretty rams and since you have a big tank, you can add a fairly large schoal of cardinal tetras(20 to 25 or maybe more?). Oh and a whole bunch of adolf corys!



You could use some peat in your filter each time to help maintain the acidity and color the water(though some people prefer crystal clear water).


This is just an idea that I had kind of toyed with at one time, so if anyone has anything to add or if I'm off on something, feel free to jump in.....I'd hate to steer Delphina wrong.

 

[cory]

I just reread your initial post and yes, redhooks most definitely would be a bad idea in a planted tank.



Now I have to go and see who's got redhook pictures!

 

[delphina]

Ooo.... I hadn't even considered an acid pool. I remember seeing something about these in an aquarium book at a local book store.






I'm loving all the suggestions so far! And all of the friendly replies!







THANKS!!!!

 

[Cian McLiam]

A great addition to a Amazonian tank is some leaf litter and twigs for a really natural biotope. If you plan on gettin tetras and dwarf cichlids this would be ideal.
Beech or oak tree leaves that have been boiled with absolutely no green bits are a good choice. Sand is great for dwarf cichlids if you intend to breed as the wrigglers tend to get stuck on or in gravel.
If you plan on Discus or oscars then plant lightly or not at all as this is more natural for them, but lots and lots of cover for the discus with bogwood, some plants wont do well in the low light conditions discus and tetras such as cardinals prefer...


Good Luck!
Ken

 

[cory]

Wow! I had no idea you could do that with leaves. I'll have ta look into that.



I think that in trying to be helpful, I've talked myself into an Amazonian acid pool biotope.