bam Easy level

The Imo River tributary, Nigeria

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Nigeria, Lower Niger, Imo Department

In this biotope are kept species from the channel in the lower Imo river, Eberi province, Lower Niger. All the information was obtained from the book Bleher’s Biotopes.

Submitted by
Nicolás Luchoro
Approved by
Ad Konings & Michael Salter
GPS
5.1025920, 7.2119422
Geographical region
Western Africa
Drainage Basin
Golf of Guinea
River catchment
Imo River
Water body type
Creek
Water body name
Nameless
Water body part
River mouth
Water body course
Lower course
Water body: tributary of
River
Tributary name
Imo

Videos above and below water

Water Chemistry

Water information

Water type
Fresh water
Water color
Clear water
Water transparency
High
Concentration of sediments
Low
Water temperature
26,9 °C
Water flow/curent
Slow

Chemical parameters

pH
58
Conductivity
18
GH
5 mg/l
KH
1 mg/l
Dissolved Oxygen
60 %

Aquarium information

Aquarium description

Set-up date
February, 2020
Aquarium decoration

Round, light-colored rocks with white silica sand and some pieces of wood, leaves and husk.

Aquarium equipment
  • 6000 ° k led lighting
  • 2000 l/h external filter.
Fish care

Feeding 3 times a day with fresh and dry food.

Fishes:

  • Brycinus longipinnis 10
  • Pelvicachromis sacrimontis 2
Plant care

No special care.

Plants:

  • Nymphaea sp. 2
  • Anubias barteri 6
Water care

Water changes every week from 25% to 50%.

Dimensions

Length
90 cm
Depth
45 cm
High
45 cm
Volume
180 L

Substrate in aquarium

Sand
Beige
Pebble/Gravel
Beige
Stone
Beige
Stone form
Roundish
Silt/Mud
Beige
Leaves
Few
Driftwood
Few
Submerged terrestrial vegetation
Yes

Bibliography

Comment by the expert

Ad Konings:

Criteria 5: The aquarium is too small for 10 B. longipinnis as it grows to at least 15 cm. Also P. sacrimontes will not be able to raise any young.
Criteria 6: Never been to the Imo River drainage but if the GPS coordinates are correct the creek looks like an isolated meander of the river (oxbow), which means that there is negligible flow and very unlikely to have round stones in it or at least exposed like they are in this aquarium (but Heiko Bleher can correct me here).
Criteria 7: Aquarium looks very attractive but doubt this is a replica of the natural.
Criteria 8: The chemical composition of the water is incorrect. PH probably should be 5.8 (not 58); the GH and KH are the values really mg/L or do you mean degrees? Dissolved oxygen should be close to 100% for the large tetras to survive, and is probably much higher than the 60% given with a huge 2000L/hr filter.
Criteria 9: Brycinus shown for 7 seconds, 120 sec for pair of Pelvicachromis. All in close up. No video of entire aquarium.

Michael Salter: Only the link to Heiko Bleher’s BIN was provided, with no elaboration whatsoever. Water parameters provided are very inaccurate. The authenticity of this biotope is dubious at best, as is often the case for West African biotopes. Where is the detailed BIN to support it? It is purely imaginative. The size is far too small for the fully matured inhabitants long-term.