Biotope Questions

bobVillanueva

bobVillanueva

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
Oct 16, 2007
1,787
297
122
Philippines
www.youtube.com
Hi guys,

Im planning to set up 3 big aquariums that are just on stand by here in my house. They used to be my quarantine tanks and now i wanna make them more presentable if not displayable.

Here's the idea re the biotopes I'm trying to emulate:

One will be lake Victoria/african, one would be south east asia and the last one would be south america.

Any tips re plants, rocks drift woods and substrate?

Also, the main theme and color is also that of what i haven't decided yet.

However, the tanks are all black background save for 1 viewing panel.

Im not yet certain with the current for each tank.

Inhabitants would probably be (for the mean time)

African:
Polys and fronts or aba aba

South east asian:
Catfish or channa micro or giant gourami

South american:
Cichla or arowana with hooks and loaches

Pics as pegs would really be appreciated.


Sent from my iPad using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
E.C.

E.C.

I'm looking at your soul
MFK Member
Jun 28, 2013
903
5
16
in the Living Water
Suscribing to this, better show us some good pics of this prized biotypes! Well can't give any thought cause I have no idea. :hitting:

I'll just watch.
 
J

jadedreams

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jun 13, 2011
461
0
16
Oklahoma
My thoughts on the African tank (if you go with Fronts & a Tanganyika biotope) would be sand with lots of rocks for structure, no plants. I've got my Fronts in a 6' 150 right now with some leleupi and syno's but you could also add some julies and comps, maybe calvus. They tend to prefer low light and a slightly darker color of substrate versus a bright white. As for the rocks -it's best to create several cave structures, avoid sharp edges and allow for swimming room in the top half of the tank.

I'm currently switching my front tank over to sand from gravel, hopefully will be done soon and will post a pic then. Good luck and look forward to seeing your tanks when they are setup!
 
David R

David R

Blue Tier VIP
MFK Member
Apr 26, 2005
5,025
228
320
42
New Zealand
+1 to aclockworkoranges post.

Are you talking about a biotope true to a particular location in a lake/river, or just a continent-specific themed tank. I'd suggest looking up the species you're interested in on a site like fishbase.org and find out where they're from, do some research on that habitat, and see what else comes from there that you're interested in. You might be struggling to find south american loaches though...
;)

bobVillanueva said:
South american:
Cichla or arowana with hooks and loaches
Click to expand...
Just offering some random suggestions here as examples [assuming tanks are big enough for the fish etc];

General SA themed tank: Black arowana, smaller bass or a group of eartheaters, either rays or plecs or other large catfish (or a mix of) for the bottom dwellers. Scape with fine sand, rocks, and natural branch-like wood. (in other words very similar to my 2000L tank! :) )

Asian river biotope: longer tank, not necessarily wide or tall (8x2x2' would be a good size), large group of clown loaches plus other mid-swimming fish such as barbs or sharks. Strong current, sandy substrate, tangled wood, perhaps some plants.

African rift lake: big pile of rocks plus a large group of one variety of Tropheus.

Smaller African riverine tank; smaller bichirs/ropefish (nothing much over 12", delhezi, palmas, senegal etc), school of congo tetras or other large african tetra, ctenopoma, pantadon butterfly, scape with sand, wood and african plants like Anubius.
 
bobVillanueva

bobVillanueva

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
Oct 16, 2007
1,787
297
122
Philippines
www.youtube.com
Thanks a lot guys! Keep em coming:)

I actually did the fish base thing:)

For the SA, im leaning towards orinoco.:) yup, cichla galore with a single arowana (might be a black or silver) and a motoro or leo pair or maybe a ripsaw. However, upon browsing over pics of tanks, i often see people use red lava rocks, i saw them too in the 50k mega tank.

Why do people use them and are there benefits? If i use them, there goes the rays:( pro and cons?

Im thinking of fly sand (reddish sand with driftwoods and the plants aforementioned.

For the SOuth east asian tank, its more of mekong biotope. I am now leaning towards pangasius or wallago. I realized that if its the wallago or the channa micro, id rather have them in a solitary tank and it would be boring. Hence, im thinking of pangasius with barbs and tigers? Sorry for the loach confusion:/ i assumed lol.

Re the substrate, upon research again, i observed like as per the one in berlin, it looks like a (pardon for the term) desolated-ish tank. Not ver clean at all.:( dark colored pebbles with drift woods and a few rocks and plants?

For the african tank, Nile:) buttikoferri? Tilapia and birchirs. Would that work? Or should i go congo on this? Tigers and cognicus? Would that work as well? This might also be a temp for my nile perch as well. 8".

I figured the aba aba would stay in another african tank. Way more docile than that of the other. Rocks and a few wood.

For the african tank, pebbles or sand?

Im really concerned with the substrate of the tanks above all as it would make or break the tank. i it would also set the general "color" of the tank given they are all black background/sides.

What I want is as naturAl as possible without overkill on decors to give enough space for the fish to grow. "Minimalist+natural looking"


Thank you so much guys:)


Sent from my iPad using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store
Top Bottom