How to Set Up A Colombian Biotope Aquarium
I have been milling over the idea of creating a Colombian River biotope in my
53GAL tank. I have the fish species (Emperor Tetra, Otocinclus affinis,
Peckoltia pulcher and Skunk Corydoras) and some of the water params but I am
at a loss for;
1) Aquatic Plants (what are they?)
2) River type (fast flowing, slow, moderate)
3) River biotope (does it flood rain forest?, does it dry up on occassion?)
I have noticed that your site seems to have volumes of information on Brazil and other South American countries. Any leads or information would be appreciated.
It really depends on what specific part of Colombia you're looking to recreate. I've never been to Colombia so I can't give you specific details, though there are rivers in some regions that flood while in others they may run dry during some parts of the year. You're going to find rivers that run the gamut from fast-flowing to being virtually still -- it really depends on what you want to create.
It also depends how picky you want to be about your biotope because technically, the fish you name aren't found in the same waters:
Emperor Tetra: Rio San Juan and the Rio Atrata of the watershed of Western Columbia
Corydoras arcuatus: Ecuador, Rio Napo River system; Peru, Rio Yavari and the Rio Pacaya.
Peckoltia pulcher: South America; sections of the Rio Negro near Moura (Brazil).
Otocinclus affinis: South America; rivers with heavy vegetation is the Rio de Janeiro area (Brazil).
Colombian fish:
http://www.mongabay.com/fish/data/ecosystems/Magdalena.htm
http://www.mongabay.com/fish/data/Colombia.htm
Here are some sites that might help: http://www.pvas.com/catfish/ShaneLinder.htm
http://www.planetcatfish.com/shanesworld/geography/index.php
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0205/feature4/index.html (this might give you a hint on a possible setup)
For plants take a look at http://www.tropica.com/default.asp
http://aquabotanicwetthumb.infopop.cc/eve/ubb.x
New plant research by Gary A.MacDonald:
Heteranthera dubia
Heteranthera zosteraefolia
Heteranthera limosa - Mudflower
Mayaca fluviatilis
Echinodorus latifolius - Broad Leaved Dwarf Amazon Sword
Echinodorus cordifolius - Radican's Swordplant
Echinodorus horizontalis
Echinodorus magdalanensis
Echinodorus quadricosta - Dwarf Amazon Sword
Eichhornia diversifolia
Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Ludwigia palustris (red) *
Ceratopteris thalictroides * PanTropic - Water Sprite
Vallensiria spirilis
Ludwigia het. - Floating plant with red leaves
By Rhett Butler
, Mongabay.com
1) Aquatic Plants (what are they?)
2) River type (fast flowing, slow, moderate)
3) River biotope (does it flood rain forest?, does it dry up on occassion?)
I have noticed that your site seems to have volumes of information on Brazil and other South American countries. Any leads or information would be appreciated.
It really depends on what specific part of Colombia you're looking to recreate. I've never been to Colombia so I can't give you specific details, though there are rivers in some regions that flood while in others they may run dry during some parts of the year. You're going to find rivers that run the gamut from fast-flowing to being virtually still -- it really depends on what you want to create.
It also depends how picky you want to be about your biotope because technically, the fish you name aren't found in the same waters:
Emperor Tetra: Rio San Juan and the Rio Atrata of the watershed of Western Columbia
Corydoras arcuatus: Ecuador, Rio Napo River system; Peru, Rio Yavari and the Rio Pacaya.
Peckoltia pulcher: South America; sections of the Rio Negro near Moura (Brazil).
Otocinclus affinis: South America; rivers with heavy vegetation is the Rio de Janeiro area (Brazil).
Colombian fish:
http://www.mongabay.com/fish/data/ecosystems/Magdalena.htm
http://www.mongabay.com/fish/data/Colombia.htm
Here are some sites that might help: http://www.pvas.com/catfish/ShaneLinder.htm
http://www.planetcatfish.com/shanesworld/geography/index.php
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0205/feature4/index.html (this might give you a hint on a possible setup)
For plants take a look at http://www.tropica.com/default.asp
http://aquabotanicwetthumb.infopop.cc/eve/ubb.x
New plant research by Gary A.MacDonald:
Heteranthera dubia
Heteranthera zosteraefolia
Heteranthera limosa - Mudflower
Mayaca fluviatilis
Echinodorus latifolius - Broad Leaved Dwarf Amazon Sword
Echinodorus cordifolius - Radican's Swordplant
Echinodorus horizontalis
Echinodorus magdalanensis
Echinodorus quadricosta - Dwarf Amazon Sword
Eichhornia diversifolia
Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Ludwigia palustris (red) *
Ceratopteris thalictroides * PanTropic - Water Sprite
Vallensiria spirilis
Ludwigia het. - Floating plant with red leaves
By Rhett Butler
, Mongabay.com
