#113: 125L Biotope Aquascape Upper Orinoco White Water Pool at San Fernando de Atabapo

Philip M. Chang Toronto, Canada

Awards and Comments

Third Place
Although the fish seem to be in great health and the biotope hardscaping (substrate and wood) is accurate the plant choice is not accurate for this biotope nor are the ones present in good health. Furthermore many of the fish in this aquarium aren't from the Orinoco River system. Nonetheless it is a nice general representation of a typical South American river biota of characins catfishes and cichlids.
— Carlos Sanchez
A bright attractive tank with a nice selection of fish. The swords may be a bit of artistic license for the areas where these fish are typically found. I would like it even better if your wood was not quite so heavy looking with all the sawn-off ends.
— Karen Randall

Aquascape Details

Dimensions 80 × 35 × 45 cm
Title Upper Orinoco White Water Pool at San Fernando de Atabapo
Volume 125L
Background Flat Black
Lighting 7keysolutions Custom 3-stage Fully Adjustable Lighting - 120Watts During Peak Periods - 20watts Colormax High-Red Dawn/Dusk Period - 20 Diffused Moon-Mimic White LED Moonlighting
Filtration -7keysolutions Custom 15 Gallon Sump
- 7 gallon sediment and TSS containment
- 4L Seachem Matrix Biomedia (50% Wet, 50% Trickled-Filtration)
- 3.5 Gallon Mechanical Filtration Via. Sponges

-Ehiem 2213 as Secondary System
Plants Echinodorus bleheri
Echinodorus amazonicus
Animals (6) Cardinal Tetra - Paracheirodon axelrodi
(6) Rummy Nose Tetra - Hemigrammus bleheri
(Pair) Cupid Cichlid - Biotodoma cupido
(Pair) German Blue Ram - Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
(3) Otto Cat - Otocinclus sp.
(Pair) Butterfly Pleco - Dekeyseria sp. (L052)
(2) Clown Pleco - Panaque maccus
(1) Hypancistrus inspector - L201
(1) False Clown Pleco - Peckoltia sp. (L147)
(1) Common Bushy Nose - Ancistrus sp.(3)
(1) Gold Spot Bushy Nose - Ancistrus sp.(3)
Materials - Natural Sand Substrate, light "dusting"
- Variety of High-Density, natural driftwood
- Both "Branchy" and "root" types
- No rocks present in this biotope
Additional Information Tank is a Hagen Euro-Frameless

3-stage lighting is on a fully adjustable mechanical timer system. Lighting is used to keep fish calm during day/night transisiton and simulate a natural-habitat for the fish.

Amazon Swords were planted at varied depths to produce a more natural, less flat aquascape. In nature plants will grow where they can, not always on the substrate, quite often near the surface where wood and particulate has been captured.

Water Conditions:
Temperature - 84F
Ph - 6.98, not constant
TDS and TSS kept as low as possible through frequent water changes (sometimes multiple times every week)

Water at San Fernando de Atabapo is pristine, three main rivers intersect here, a colletion of water just off of the main junction would likely have more plant life and wildlife than the main rivers themselves. These waters are characterized by clear, sandy and slightly tinted water from tannins.

With all the driftwood added, I would have expected more tint in the water, but after a year of frequent water changes the water is becoming considerably transparent.

No fertilizers or special plant-growing susbtrates, additives present in the water.

I did have some foreground Plants Planned, but they become uprooted easily with so many catfish and a thin sand substrate.

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