Natural Aquascaping?

[Buphy]

So I understand that it can vary widely depending on location, but I'd like to redo my aquascaping as natureally as possible form where my fish can be found in the wild. Tanks are as follows:

125 gallon Amphilophus Lyonsi tank:
This one is particularly hard because, to my knowledge, there are few if any left in the wild. That being said, what type of area did they used to populate? Also potentially looking for other "dither" fish for them to go with. I love my tiger silver dollars but I'm just trying to go for a very natural feel.

125 gallon SA community tank:
I know that's super broad, but I currently have Geophagus sp. redhead tapajo, a super red severum (not exactly natural...), a (I believe) heros efasciatus, as well as some lemon tetras and denison barbs (not SA, I know). May also be adding a heros notatus soon. Anyways, what would y'all recommend as far as natural aquascaping for them? Or any species substitutes to bring them more in line with an area specific tank?

75 gallon Green Terror tank:
This one isn't top priority since he's by himself and he's more of a wet pet, but if y'all feel like leaving some input here to.

Again I know this is super broad but I feel like mixing it up and would like y'all's input.
Also pics always nice and helpful!

 

[Stanzzzz7]

A,Lyonsi has been collected from the rio coloradito in Costa Rica, another cichlid found in these waters is Tomocichla seiboldi.
There are also tetras from the astyanax families however I am unsure exactly which ones although I would guess mexicana would be amongst them.
The river is typically very rocky so large rocks should dominate the tank.From footage I have seen the substrate is a mix of sand, stone and gravel.
The shore seems to have thick dense jungle so it makes sense to assume leaf litter and fallen branches would also be part of the natural habitat.

Your s/a tank would typically have sand, roots and branches and dead leaves.
Severums like to hang around fallen trees and overhanging vegetation.So lots of dead oak branches and dead oak, beech,or hawthorn leaves on a sandy bed would complete the scene.

Green terrors can be found in habitats not to dissimilar to the Severums environment.
They are found namely in the rio esmereldas and the rio Tumbes.
Biotope correct tank mates are quite hard to find or grow too big or aggressive to keep together in all but gigantic tanks.
Found in these waters are
Wolf fish
Large sleeper gobies
Brown banded knife fish
There are also species of ancistrus catfish and hoplo catfish.
The three spot leporinus can also be found.
This is how I set up my tank to try to mimic the green terror environment.

 

[DBLN8]

Great looking tank stanzzzz7.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

Great looking tank stanzzzz7.

Thanks DBLN8.

 

[Buphy]

A,Lyonsi has been collected from the rio coloradito in Costa Rica, another cichlid found in these waters is Tomocichla seiboldi.
There are also tetras from the astyanax families however I am unsure exactly which ones although I would guess mexicana would be amongst them.
The river is typically very rocky so large rocks should dominate the tank.From footage I have seen the substrate is a mix of sand, stone and gravel.
The shore seems to have thick dense jungle so it makes sense to assume leaf litter and fallen branches would also be part of the natural habitat.

Your s/a tank would typically have sand, roots and branches and dead leaves.
Severums like to hang around fallen trees and overhanging vegetation.So lots of dead oak branches and dead oak, beech,or hawthorn leaves on a sandy bed would complete the scene.

Green terrors can be found in habitats not to dissimilar to the Severums environment.
They are found namely in the rio esmereldas and the rio Tumbes.
Biotope correct tank mates are quite hard to find or grow too big or aggressive to keep together in all but gigantic tanks.
Found in these waters are
Wolf fish
Large sleeper gobies
Brown banded knife fish
There are also species of ancistrus catfish and hoplo catfish.
The three spot leporinus can also be found.
This is how I set up my tank to try to mimic the green terror environment.

View attachment 1186533

View attachment 1186534

Great advice! Any recommendations on how to treat leaves or where to safely get them? Actually really like that idea...

 

[Stanzzzz7]

You can collect anywhere there are oak trees.
I get mine from the woods while walking the dog.
The best time to collect them is late autumn, just after they have fallen.You may still find some in woodland areas.
There is no big deal to treating them.I just wash them and put them in.If you boil them you can leach out some of tannins if you want to.They will break down quicker in the tank if you boil them.

These are oak leaves in the pictures below

 

[ECW]

Very nice. I'd bet your fish appreciate all your effort!

 

[duanes]

If I don't want tannin stained water, I boil old fallen leaves and let them sit in buckets, changing the water every couple days, until water runs clear.

I have used oak, maple, and magnolia leaves from my yard, and because I never sprayed or used pesticides, I was fairly confident about it, but if a neighbor was spraying, I would be very careful.
They do break down after a while, crumble, and can cause turbidity.


If I wanted tannins, I'd lightly boil, and when cool, toss them in the tank.
Here's a biotope from southern Mexico, with Astyanax tetras, Parachromis freidrichsthalii, and feral Tilapia.

and another of rocky habitat a little further north

 

[darth pike]

Has anyone used Japanese Maple leaves before? The color would be interesting but I am not sure if they are safe since they are a different species than our normal maples.

 

[duanes]

The maple leaves I used, and from a Japanese maple in my yard.


The leaves do fade rather quickly from red to brown, but still a nice look, and great spawning medium for small fish, like Madagascan killi's.