Dimensions 61 × 30 × 33 cm

Title Igarapé do Daracua, the small forest stream of Rio Negro river, near Barcelos, Brazil.

Volume 60.2L

Background Black paint

Lighting 2×12W LED Bulbs

Filtration BOYU SF-100 Sponge Filter (Small)

Plants Vallisneria nana (to represent sunken grass)

Pandanus amaryllifolius

Animals Paracheirodon innesi × 5
Hemigrammus rhodostomus × 4

Materials The roots and branches I have used are branch woods. I have used 2 types of woods, couple of them are thicker branch woods & couple of them are thinner woods.

The leaves I have used are Indian almond leaves which is abundant here. There are some broken leaves which makes a messy layer over ground level as we can generally see in this region. The substrate is a mixture of gravel and river sand.

There are some branches which are fallen from top, as we can see in the amazon rainforest. Also, to replicate ‘tea colour’ water in this area, Indian almond leaves do the job of making tea coloured ‘blackwater’.

Additional Information Rio Negro is the second largest river in South America with many river tributaries that eventually end up with smaller forest streams. One of these forest streams is Igarapé do Daracua in Brazil and is named after the village of Daracua, which is located near Barcelos.

During the rainy season the water level rises and is poured into the surrounding forest. This is a time of abundance, because the fish migrate into the submerged forest where abundant food sources are found and the breeding begins. Forests represent a major source of plankton and other natural foods necessary for young fish, as well as for adult ones. Other than providing  natural food for fish, forests provide them with the shelter from predators and create the shadow above water, thereby preventing overheating and even excessive drying during the dry season. The soil is sandy and with almost no mineral content. A large amount of leaf litter forms a dense carpet, along with the roots of the flooded forest and branches. Water carries a large amount of detritus. Detritus contains decomposing organic matter, including animal remains, plant residues, waste products, and bacteria and other microorganisms associated with them.

During the rainy season (starts September 6 and lasts for 8.7 months, ending around May 29) the water is considerably colder and temperature is about 23 °C, water pH is about 6ph. During the dry season (starts around May 29 and lasts for 3.2 months, ending around September 6), the water level is reduced and warmer, the temperature of water is around 28-30 °C. Due to the low water level and the large amount of leaves and branches, the water contains a large concentration of tannins, which adds a dark color like “Tea color” and the water pH is low and is about 3.5-4ph.

The logging of the Amazon rainforest presents a serious threat to the natural habitat of this biotope.