On this page I will give an example of a set up you might want to try. For statistics on many
individual fish, click on any fish picture. To view a list of plants suitable for the home Aquaria visit the Plant Statistics page.
Suggestions for fresh water Biotope Aquariums.
Black Water Aquaria for Southeast Asian Fish
Allepey backwater, India
Photo by: Raj Sivarajan
Rasbora
Nuphar Japonicum
A tank for the more experienced hobbyist, as the fish are sensitive to water quality.Size
A fifty-five gallon or seventy-five gallon the longer the better.
Set-up
The bottom substrate should be fine textured and dark,
to a depth of at least two inches. A substrate fertilizer should also be added. Provide pipe-shaped hiding places made up of pieces of hollowed out Bamboo cane about three or four inches long. Place drift-wood and bog roots in the back with some of them reaching the tank surface. Here are some native plant suggestions:
Cryptocoryne wendtii
Cryptooryne nevillii
Pista stratiotes
Hygrophila polysperma
Nuphar japonicum
Ceratopteris thalictroides
This set-up also needs only slight water movement from one
end to the other. It should have moderate lighting and
two fluorescent tubes will be fine.
Water requirements
pH of 5.5 to 6.5 with a Carbonate Hardness of 4dCH and a total hardness of 8dH, water temperature in the upper
seventies to low eighties.
Fish
A large school of twenty-five or more Danios maybe from
the family Rasbora, with Rasbora Heteromorrpha being one of
the favorites. Six to eight of the highly prized
Clown Loaches and a couple of pairs of the Pearl Gouramis. This is a lively tank!
Clown loaches.
This is only one example of tanks you can try,
Biotope aquaria are only limited by your research and
wallet and can range from the most remote areas of the
world to the ponds right in your backyard. Try one!
