Badman's Tropical Fish


Biotope Aquariums


Tropical Fish


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.

congo waterfall


Tropical Fish


Suggestions for fresh water Biotope Aquariums.

South America

Slow moving or stagnant backwaters of Argentina and
surrounding areas.

lake
Lago-de-salto on the Argentina and Uruguay border.

catfish
L Dorsigera
sagittaria
Sagattaria species

    A set-up for a wide variety of plants, fish and invertebrates. You can pick and choose what you want, but check for compatibility as their size and temperament all vary. this is a true Biotope.
Size
    A standard 40gal or 55 would be fine, or smaller if you stay with the smaller animals.
Set-Up
    The substrate should be sand or mud, if using sand enrich it with Laterite. There should be some driftwood as would be found in any stagnant pool, little or no rockwork. Here are some native plants that would be found in such an area.
    Plants
    Emerged:
  • Reed Schoenoplectus sp.
  • Saggitaria species
  • Echinodorus grandiflorum
  • Thypha sp.
  • Pontederia spp.
    Submerged:
  • Egeria sp.
  • Elodea sp.
  • Ceratophyllum sp.
  • Pontederia spp.
    Floating:
  • Limnobium laevigatom
  • Pista statiotes
  • Salvinia sp.
  • Duckweeds
  • Eichhornia crassipes
  • Pontederia
egeria

    There should be little or no water movement and a small flow filter can be used. The lighting should be bright but not overly intense. Two standard full spectrum tubes will be sufficient.
Water Requirements
    Not too soft, pH around neutral temperature 10 - 30 degrees C with 25c being fine.
Fish and Invertebrates
    Most of the South American fish families would be represented in this biotope. This is a list of fish that would be appropriate for this geographical location. remember not all these fish are compatible and research what you choose.

  • Cnestedon decemmaculatus-Ten-spot Millionfish
  • Phalloceros caudomaculatus-Caudo
  • Cheirodon interruptus- a great fish!
  • Astyanax sp.
  • Cichlasoma facetum -a monster.
  • Laetacara dorsigera -Red-breasted Flag Cichlid
  • Jenysia lineata -Brown stripped Livebearer
    small and mean!
    Catfish could include:
  • Corydoras paleatus -Peppered Cory
  • Ancistrus sp.
  • Pimelodeia sp
  • Hypostomus commersoni -Beautiful when small grows very large.
    Native Invertebrates:
  • Shrimp from the Macrobrachium sp.
  • Palaemonetes argentinus
  • Ampullaria sp. snails
  • Biomphallaria spp. snails
  • Aegla Crayfish
peppered cory

    This biotope is based on the research and knowledge of Gustano Alcides Concheiro Perez I thank him for his contribution. You can learn more about him and his research at his Home page( under construction ) Please visit.


Dorsigeria
L. Dorsigera


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!


Glossary

biotope
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Tropical Fish

Email: badman2nd@hotmail.com