Dimensions 40 × 35 × 25 cm
Title Aeneus nursery underneath the Mangrove roots in a small tributary to the Amazon river in northern Brazil
Volume 35L
Background Black sunscreen film (as used on cars/windows etc)
Lighting Aquael Leddy sunny LED, 6W, 6500K.
Filtration Aquael Pat Mini Filter 4w, Sponge filter with flow of 50-400 l/h. In combination with biological filtering using a Dennerle corner nano filter capable of 150 l / h.
Filters are not run on max capacity. I increase the flow as the fry grow to what I would estimate total filtration of 10 times water volume per hour as maximum.
Filters removed for the photos
Plants Sagittaria subulata
Animals Corydoras Aeneus
Materials The larger piece is one part of a Mangrove root combined with a mixture of broken parts of mangrove root. The base layer is fine river sand mixed with rounded river stones of small to middle size pebbles of Granite.
The hardscape tries to create a natural environment for the fry to grow up in by trying to resemble a part of the triburary where the flow of the current have carved the riverbank to a safe haven for preditors.
Additional Information This is my nursery for my Corydoras Aeneus fry. I place the eggs in this tank and raise the fry until they are about 2 cm long. Then they move to a larger tank to rejoin their parents.
General Impression/Faithful Reproduction of Biotope:
I do not feel that this is an accurate representation of a 'mangrove' habitat. "Northern Brazil' is a large place. By 'small tributary' I could assume that you are referring to one of the river systems flowing off the Guyana Shield on the northern side of the main stem of the Amazon River or that you are referring to a small tributary in the estuary region where one would expect to find mangroves. The presence of rounded granite pebbles suggests powerfully flowing rivers with rushing flood waters at the foothills of mountains which are more prevalent along the foothills of the Andes Mountains. The mangrove forests of Brazil are huge but regionally located in the estuary region with very silty bottom even in the areas with less tidal flow.
Accuracy of Plants and Animals for Biotope:
Since C. aeneus is a tough one for location... The type locality is actually Trinidad (long way from Brazil or the Amazon). They are more commonly associated with the rivers de La Plata Parana and Acre all of which are a long way from the north drainage of the Amazon. The S. subulata could exist in the coastal regions of the Amazon.
Accuracy of Hardscape:
See comment above.
Condition:
A biotope aquarium competition is still in its base form an aquarium competition. As such the the aquarium water should be clear glass clean and photography sharp.