bam Easy level

Rio Pacaás Novos, Rondônia, Brazil

Sponsored by
The Home Aquarium Brand

Brazil, Rondônia, Guajará-Mirim

The aquarium represents a part of the stream close to the shore that forms vegetation like meadows. A very dense root system is created out of terrestrial and semi-aquatic plants like Hydrocotyle leucocephala for fish to thrive.

In places near the meadow floating plants like Eichhornia crassipes can be seen. The current does not have the same strength everywhere and the sandy bottom of the stream is covered with organic material, especially where the flow is limited.

Especially interesting to observe is the ierarchy in Apistogrammas trifasciata and Nannostomus trifasciatus, where the dominant male is a lot larger and more vibrantly colored than the othersPontederia crassipes. Territorial disputes between different species are scarce, only when a female Apistogramma is caring for its eggs and both her and the male are driving other fish, especially Mesonauta, out of the brooding territory. A schooling fish Aphyocharax rathbuni was selected to provide balance and harmony to the aquarium.

Submitted by
Konstantinos Gazos
Approved by
Roberto E. Reis & Flávio Lima
GPS
-11.2359438, -64.4750900
Geographical region
South America
Drainage Basin
Rio Amazonas
River catchment
Rio Madeira
Water body type
Rio
Water body name
Pacaás Novos
Water body part
Meander
Water body course
Middle course
Water body: tributary of
Rio
Tributary name
Mamore

Videos above and below water

Water Chemistry

Water information

Water type
Fresh water
Water color
Black water
Water transparency
Medium
Concentration of sediments
Low
Water temperature
23 °C
Water flow/curent
Slow

Chemical parameters

pH
6.6
Conductivity
140
GH
6 mg/l
KH
3 mg/l
Dissolved Oxygen

Aquarium information

Aquarium description

Set-up date
October, 2021
Aquarium decoration

The driftwood that was used resembles a big branch that broke off and fell into the stream. It was collected from a forest near a river. The botanicals that were used consisted of Magnolia leaves and pods and 3 other types of pods of tropical trees. It’s common that pods and seeds end up in the lakes/streams. The sand used is the usual river sand found in most tributaries of Rio Mamore.

The root structure took more than 6 months to grow into a thick-meadow-like-carpet and it consists of 2 aquatic plants and one terrestrial. The leaves and smaller branches were left to settle down according to the flow of the filter which resembles a natural river flow.

In the same place, most organic material and other sediments are found. On the right side of the aquarium grows Sagittaria subulata as happens in some creeks. All the fish species can be found in the same region and their behavior between them is as natural as it gets.

Aquarium equipment
  • Filter is an Eheim 2080 filled with 6L of Siporax with maintenance every 3 months.
  • Heater is a titanium sheggo 600watt which is connected to an STC – 1000.
  • Lighting: An LED fixture that measures 120cm and is 6000 kelvin.
Fish care

The aquarium has many different kinds of hiding spots while also providing an abundance of swimming space. At the top, the meadow-like structure is a favorite spot for Nannostomus trifasciatus and also a feeding spot for Aphyocharax rathbuni and Mesonauta festivus.

At the bottom among the leaves and pods, Apistogramma trifasciata males have established territories and guard them while letting females have smaller hiding spaces. The feedings are different for each day of the week. In addition to feeding frozen artemia, cyclops, and bloodworms and high-quality pellets and granules containing probiotics and essential vitamins, the fish are also fed live buffalo worms and Drosophila.

The temperature in the summer is around 27°C and around 21°C in the winter as it also is in the biotope. The flow is standard and strong on the one side of the aquarium where usually Aphyocharax rathbuni are seen.

Fishes:

  • Apistogramma trifasciata (Cichlidae) – 6
  • Aphyocharax rathbuni (Characidae) – 60
  • Mesonauta festivus (Cichlidae) – 4
  • Nannostomus trifasciatus (Lebiasinidae) – 12
Plant care

Wetland plans:

  • Hydrocotyle leucocephala (Apiaceae )

Aquatic plants:

  • Sagittaria subulata (Alismataceae)
  • Pontederia crassipes (Pontederiaceae)
Water care

The water is changed every 10 days, 30% of it approximately. It is a mix of treated tap water with reverse osmosis. After every water change Fulvin+ is added.

Dimensions

Length
130 cm
Depth
55 cm
High
70 cm
Volume
400 L

Substrate in aquarium

Sand
Beige
Pebble/Gravel
None
Stone
None
Stone form
Silt/Mud
Black
Leaves
Many
Driftwood
Few
Submerged terrestrial vegetation
Yes

Bibliography

Sitography

→ Portal do Governo do Estado de Rondônia
→ Brasil Turismo
→ GBIF
→ FEOW
→ Native fish
→ YouTube

Comment by the expert

Roberto E. Reis: Beautuful tank, with lots of plants, few branches, and smaller items. Four or five fish species identified.

Flavio Lima: The biotope is probably relatively accurate although the lack of subaquatical images/videos precludes a more full assessment.