Peru, Loreto, Iquitos
During an expedition to the Loreto region of Peru, I had the opportunity to observe the Río Nanay firsthand – its blackwater, white sandy bottom, and dense tangles of submerged roots and leaf litter. This aquarium is a direct result of that experience. A tall aquarium format was chosen specifically to suit Pterophyllum scalare (Río Nanay strain), a deep-bodied species that requires ample vertical swimming space.
The fish community includes Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma (Bleeding Heart Tetra) as a midwater schooling species, together with Corydoras loretoensis and CW123 (Río Nanay Corydoras) occupying the sandy substrate. The décor consists of driftwood branches, aerial roots of a Ficus tree, small Ficus branches with green leaves, dried tropical leaves, and blackwater extract to replicate the soft, acidic water conditions of the Río Nanay. The aquarium remains faithful to the natural biotope where the fish were collected.
- GPS
- -3.8549149, -73.4607925
- Geographical region
- South America
- Drainage Basin
- Amazon
- River catchment
- Upper Amazon
- Water body type
- River
- Water body name
- Rio Nanay
- Water body part
- Channel
- Water body course
- Lower course
- Water body: tributary of
- River
- Tributary name
- Amazon
