Amazonian ecosystem

[Sean_Buckley]

OK, I'm planning on making an Amazonian ecosystem for school, and I want plants and fish from the same area, the Amazon River, obviously. It will be a 5-10 gallon aquarium, will have sand substrate, DIY CO2, an internal filter, fish, and plants. What I need help with is choosing fish and plants from the same area. I want Neon Tetras for sure, and I was wondering what were some other fish from the same area that will be fine with the neons. Would Ghost Shrimp work, as well as some other fish? Also, for plants, I wanted an Amazon Sword, but I was wondering what were some other native plants for the ecosystem. Any suggestions?
Sean

 

[CFC]

Believe it or not there are very few true aquatic plants which grow in the Amazon and its tributaries, in most cases the water is too acidic and heavily coloured with tannins for plants to grow well. About the only aquarium suitable plants you will find growing under the water are Echinodorus species (amazon swords) and Riccia which will need to be fixed to wood. Floating plants such as water lettuce, Pistia stratiotes; and Amazon frogbit, Limnobium laevigatum; are common but will need a reduced water level to be of any use in a aquarium.
With a amazon biotope tank you want to concentrate on the wood and substrate to acheive the right look, fallen Beech and Oak leaves which have been cleaned and boiled make a great substitute for leaf litter and dried fallen branches of Beech can be used to imitate the roots of trees entering the water from the river banks.

 

[Lateral Line]

Having collected in various parts of the Amazon basin, I can assure you that there is no single "Amazon biotope". It varies from blackwater with a pH of around 5 or less, crystal clear but the colour of coca cola zero hardness, zero mineral content and very high temperatures, to cloudy milky coffee like pH 7.5 but still soft, normal trop tank temperatures, and sometime both within a few meters of each other!

Neons originally come from a more blackwater environment then the milky coffee.

 

[Timmy]

have a look at this:

http/www.mongabay.com/fish/biotope.htm

 

[Dubby]

Heres a nice link with pictures, choice of plants etc. Amazon Biotope