Request for Amazon River Info

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Dread

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 6, 2007
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Happytown :)
So here I go again on a journey for information to further my knowledge about the fish I keep, and would like to keep later on down the road. I've been hoping back and forth and back and forth over what I would like to do. Well now, I have an idea in mind. The test subject will be a small 10g tank, and once I get everything situated, and money for the project, I'll slowly scale it up. I've decided to do a total Amazon biotope. I've seen some amazing Biotope aquariums (one of which I've posted pictures of under the DIY Section. A thread called "Stump+Overhanging Plants"). On the other hand, I've seen so called "Biotope" tanks that are really just a group of fish that could live together in the wild, and very likely do.. however, plant species, substrate, etc tended to still be pretty off. While the tanks look nice, I can't imagine they're too accurate. So for this little bit of research, I want to find the most information I can on the Amazon river. If anyone can help me with this, it will be greatly greatly appreciated, and if it gets turned into a reality I will certainly be posting pictures of my progress. So if anyone would be willing to supply me with links, factual personal knowledge, and especially pictures, I'd be more than thrilled. Here's a list of some things I'd like to know, in-depth as much as possible. I don't want to skimp on details. So, here's that list:

  • Fish Species (Both Blackwater and Whitewater)
  • Plant Species
  • Surrounding plant life (ie, non aquatic plants grown around the river)
  • Abundance or Absence of other "Decor" (Driftwood, sunken leaves, etc)
  • Minerals in the water if possible
  • Habits and Captive Care Requirements of fish/plant species
  • Light Penetration In Water (ie, is it black 10ft down from the surface?)
  • Natural Diet Of Said Fish









Basically, I'm researching for the ultimate Biotope aquarium. If there's a section of the river that has glorious amounts of Monkey dropping in the water, it looks like I'll be shipping Monkey turds from South America (exaggeration of course, but this is the kind of details I'd like to have).

As Many Under-Water Pictures As Humanly Possible Please!

I know this is a giant undertaking and it could take a long time to gather alot of information, and hell, in the end the project may not even be scaled up past a 10g tank. But if for nothing else, it could definately help other hobbyists who would like to learn as much as possible about some of the fish they keep from the Amazon, and their natural habitat. Thanks in advnace, and remember, ANY information is helpful as long as it is backed by facts. Links, Books, Magazine Articles, Research Papers, and ESPECIALLY pictures (of the River, under the waters surface, different species, surrounding areas, plants, videos, documentaries, and other "what have yous") are much appreciated. Thanks very much in advance for those who take the time to provide me with information, even if the information is common knowledge (ie, "Cardinal Tetras live there!"). Every little bit will help me. Thanks very much. :D
 
How would one answer without having to write a book? Give an example of a response you would give to such an inquiry and maybe we could help more. Other than that it sounds like you have an outstanding level of input already. IF you find the answers yourself this could be a sticky or at least a good reference. It is ALLOT of stuff to ask. Like the leaves, what would you do? Get them shipped from Central America? It is a good idea but almost impossible to answer without dedicating an hour to a single post. That is effort you could put forward to get just a shaving of what you are looking for. Sorry I have just read it a couple times now and it is just a hard question(s) IMO


P.S. What would a biotopes filter be?
 
bigspizz;1069784; said:
P.S. What would a biotopes filter be?
Click to expand...

Interesting this. I have always wondered, in frshwater systems, how does poo and debri not have any effect on the ecosystem. From what I hear, there is 0 Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate etc, all the bad stuff. Everything gets broken down immediatly. How?
 
Surface area in the wild for the gas exchange.....in a home? is why I ask, and further shows why this impossible to answer (or do) question remains as is........
 
bigspizz;1069784; said:
How would one answer without having to write a book? Give an example of a response you would give to such an inquiry and maybe we could help more. Other than that it sounds like you have an outstanding level of input already. IF you find the answers yourself this could be a sticky or at least a good reference. It is ALLOT of stuff to ask. Like the leaves, what would you do? Get them shipped from Central America? It is a good idea but almost impossible to answer without dedicating an hour to a single post. That is effort you could put forward to get just a shaving of what you are looking for. Sorry I have just read it a couple times now and it is just a hard question(s) IMO


P.S. What would a biotopes filter be?
Click to expand...


It's not like I'm asking for a book from each person, if anyone at all. Granted, it's a very very heavy topic, and if you wanted to cover it all, it would need to be a very very long post... but a paragraph on a fish (like a little "Profile" of Cardinal tetras, for instance) would be helpful, and a simple little sentence that is informational could be easily done. In 5 seconds on TV I was able to discover that the Amazon River in a certain part is almost entirely surrounded by Ficus trees, and in one area the specific kind is Ficus insipida. If someone would've mentioned that it's possible theres Ficus insipida leaves in the water, it's really really easily done for an aquarium. Most suburban subdivisions here happen to have many Ficus trees growing in their yards for aesthetic reasons.

And I'm not specifically looking for only members info. Insted of trying to explain how hard these questions are to answer (which yes, I admit they are) it would've been easy to contribute and direct me to a very known sight, Mongabay, for Biotope ideas. Biotope of Rio Sucasari on Mongabay. Quick and easy information, and very much of it. It's a very detailed description of a South American Blackwater Creek, specifically a small "tributary near the confluence of the Rio Napo and the Amazon River about 5 hours downriver from Iquitos, Peru."

And of course, for the "biotope filter" question, I can't really just filter my water the way nature would while still being productive elsewhere and I can't import a monkey to hang from a branch above my aquarium, and I can't get a Jaguar to paw at a fish in the water every now and then, but I can have a small shoal of Cardinal Tetras zipping in and out of foliage and sticks, while some hatchet fish prowl the top area of the water looking for something to snack on in tea-colored water. This is my idea, and I'd just like to get some information on it, that's all.
 
I'm not trying to make you look bad I'm just trying to understand how to answer you best. A link like the one you already know of or a general websearch, is all you can do. The info is solid, I would love to see pics and updates often. Maybe someone has a "biotope" just have to spend some cash on chems if you can't get native water/stuff in the water to make it like it is. Your idea is great.....
 
bigspizz;1069869; said:
I'm not trying to make you look bad I'm just trying to understand how to answer you best. A link like the one you already know of or a general websearch, is all you can do. The info is solid, I would love to see pics and updates often. Maybe someone has a "biotope" just have to spend some cash on chems if you can't get native water/stuff in the water to make it like it is. Your idea is great.....
Click to expand...


Oh, I know you're not trying to down the idea or make me look bad. Infact, I probably was a little vague and it probably did seem as if the questions were inanswerable. I'm sure there's many more websites like Monga bay out there. If not, there is always documentarys about the Amazon River, and magazine articles and what have you.

And although it may have came off a certain way, I'm not really looking for a cataloge of every fish species in the amazon. I know this is impossible to do, especially on a forum. Scientists have spent decades on it, so I'm not really counting on that.. but something like a list of Corydoras species that inhabit the Amazon would be helpful, as I imagine they'd be in almost any Amazon river biotope aquarium.

And sure, this is a kind of a mean feat, and very well may prove to be useless in some ways, if everyone contributed just a little bit (a paragraph or so on a certain fish, section of river, personal idea, a picture) this could be a really great topic to gather useful information from.
 
try and download a few documentaries about the amazon? mite be best place to look if u wana see stuff.... and always loads of info in them too... could start with amazon abyss by the bbc... but there are many others on the amazon too...
 
Mystix212;1069822; said:
Interesting this. I have always wondered, in frshwater systems, how does poo and debri not have any effect on the ecosystem. From what I hear, there is 0 Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate etc, all the bad stuff. Everything gets broken down immediatly. How?
Click to expand...

Yea something that Ive wondered about too. The only thing that comes to mind is that in the wild fish are oppertunist feeders and eat erridically so most likely produce less waste at a time than those in our aquaria, Coupled with the high turn over of water(im sure someone will know how long it takes to turn over water from the top of the amazon to the bottom). Also In the wild I imagine that a single fish like a midas or O or JD may have a few thousand gallons of water as his terratory as opposed to say 100g in the home setting.
 
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