Biotopes of South America - Clear Waters - Clearwater

5. Clearwater

source: http://all4aquarium.ru/en/events/jbl-biotope-contest-2013/entries - Vyacheslav Veriga, Russia

Physicochemical parameters of water:

• transparency – over 150 cm
• general hardness – 5-12 DH
• pH – 4.5-7.8
• temperature – 22-28 ºC
• electric conductivity – 10-20 μS/cm
• water color - bluish-green

Minimum tank size – 100 l, longer than higher

Biotop description:

• greenish water color;
• clear water;
• substrate: light sand or very fine, light gravel;
• virtually no plants, vegetation arranged on the sides of the aquarium or in its background (recreation of coastal vegetation), mosses covering the wood or stones in the aquarium;
• open spaces;
• bottom covered with round stones of different sizes, closer to the "shore" single branches or roots (areas with slower water flow), can also arrange the bottom in the form of cascading stones (areas with strong water flow);
• water flow from moderate to strong;
• well-oxygenated water;
• scattered lighting, moderate to strong;
• efficient filtration;

Example species of fish:

• guppy family: Poecilia reticulata (guppy fish), Phalloceros caudimaculatus (one-spot livebearer);
• headstanders family: Sartor respectus, Abramites hypselonotus (marbled headstander), Leporinus falcipinnis, Leporinus maculatus, Leporinus desmotes;
• hatchetfishes family: Gasteropelecus sternicla (silver hatchetfish);
• characids family: Hyphessobrycon cachimbensis, Moenkhausia heikoi, Astyanax guianensis, Hyphessobrycon heliacus, Hyphessobrycon loweae, Hyphessobrycon heterorhabdus (three-lined tetra), Microschemobrycon elongatus, Inpaichthys kerri (blue neon);
• Auchenipteridae: Tatia intermedia;
• piranha family: Ossubtus xinguense, Myleus schomburgkii (striped piranha), Myleus setiger, Metynnis maculatus, Acnodon normani;
• Erythrinidae: Hoplias curupira;
• corydoras family: Corydoras apiaka, Corydoras bifasciatus, Corydoras gracilis (brown banded cory), Corydoras ornatus, Corydoras xinguensi;
• Armored catfishes: Ancistrus ranunculus, Baryancistrus chrysolomus (catfish L-047), Baryancistrus xanthellus (catfish L-018), Harttia dissidens, Hypostomus soniae (catfish L-137), Hypancistrus zebra (zebra pleco, catfish L-046), Leporacanthicus joselimai (catfish L-264), Oligancistrus punctatissimus, Parancistrus nudiventris (catfish L-031, L-176, L-300), Peckoltia compta (catfish L-134), Peckoltia feldbergae, Scobinancistrus aureatus (catfish L-014), Scobinancistrus pariolispos (catfish L-048), Spectracanthicus murinus, Spectracanthicus zuanoni (catfish L-354), Panaque armbrusteri (catfish L-027), Panaque nigrolineatus (black striped catfish, catfish L-190), Pterygoplichthys joselimaianus (catfish L-001, L-022);
• Corydoradinae: Tenellus ternetzi;
• Cichlidae: Aequidens epae, Aequidens michaeli, Apistogramma arua, Cichla kelberi, Cichla melaniae, Cichla pinima, Crenicichla percna, Chaetobranchopsis orbicularis, Geophagus altifrons, Geophagus argyrostictus, Symphysodon aequifasciatus (Green Discus), Teleocichla centisquama, Teleocichla prionogenys, Teleocichla proselytus, Dicrossus filamentosus (Checkered Dwarf Cichlid), Krobia xinguensis, Heros severus (Red-eyed cichlid), Uaru amphiacanthoides (Royal Uaru, Uaru Cichlid), Pterophyllum scalare (Sailfin Angelfish), Mikrogeophagus altispinosus (Bolivian Ram), Biotodoma cupido, Satanoperca jurupari;
• Potamotrygonidae: Potamotrygon leopoldi, Potamotrygon orbignyi;
• Hemiodontidae: Hemiodus gracilis (Slim Hemiodus);

Examples of plant species:

• Alternanthera aquatica (Water Alternanthera), Bacopa australis, Bacopa lanigera (Furry Bacopa), Ceratopteris thalictroides (Water Sprite), Cuphea anagalloidea (Rotala araguaia), Echinodorus decumbens (Lanceolate Dwarf-swordplant), Echinodorus inpai, Echinodorus macrophyllus (Large-leaf Chain Swordplant), Echinodorus major (Giant Dwarf-swordplant), Echinodorus palaefolius (Oblongleaf Chain Swordplant), Echinodorus paniculatus (Bleheri Echinodorus), Eleocharis acicularis (Needle Spike-rush), Eleocharis sp. "Xingu", Hedyotis salzmanii, Lilaeopsis macloviana, Ludwigia helminthorrhiza, Mayaca fluviatilis, Staurogyne stolonifera, Tonina fluviatilis (River Tonina);
• mosses: Ceratopteris richardii, Azolla cristata, Leptodictyum riparium (Giant Vesicularia), Philonotis hastata.