Biotopes of South America - Floodplains

6. Floodplains

source: http://all4aquarium.ru/en/events/jbl-biotope-contest-2013/entries - Jurica Sostar, Croatia

Physico-chemical parameters of water:

• transparency – 15 – 100 cm
• general hardness – 0-15 DH
• pH – 2.9-7.9
• temperature – 22-35 ºC
• electrical conductivity – 1-140 μS/cm
• water color – from clear to tea-coloured

Minimum tank size – 60 l, depending on fish stock

Biotope description:

• water color from clear to brownish-tea;
• water from turbid to clear;
• substrate: any (preferred sand, fine gravel), covered with a thick layer of forest mulch (oak leaves, beech, walnut shells etc.);
• from moderate to large quantity of plants: dense clusters, turfs, mosses covering roots and stones, aquatic vegetation;
• open spaces;
• lots of roots imitating tree branches, fallen trees, twisted support roots etc.;
• branches;
• water flow from weak to moderate;
• water oxygenation: 0.05-7.0 mg/l;
• lighting scattered, moderate to strong;

Fish species:

• all fish that can be found in the Amazon Basin, as well as Orinoco - during the rainy season the Amazon is connected to the Orinoco by a natural channel that allows fish to migrate freely;
• Sample Amazon River fish species: Acestrorhynchus altus, Acestrorhynchus minimus, Gnathocharax steindachneri, Heterocharax leptogrammus, Heterocharax macrolepis, Heterocharax virgulatus, Hoplocharax goethei, Abramites hypselonotus (Marbled Headstander), Anostomus anostomus (Banded Leporinus), Anostomus ternetzi, Leporinus affinis, Leporinus fasciatus (Banded Leporinus), Leporinus friderici, Leporinus pellegrinii, Leporinus striatus, Leporinus y-ophorus, Pseudanos gracilis, Apteronotus albifrons (Black Ghost Knifefish), Sternarchella schotti, Centromochlus existimatus, Centromochlus perugiae, Tatia dunni, Brochis multiradiatus, Corydoras acutus, Corydoras agassizii, Corydoras ambiacus, Corydoras arcuatus, Corydoras armatus, Corydoras atropersonatus, Corydoras elegans (elegant corydoras), Corydoras eques, Corydoras fowleri, Corydoras gomezi, Corydoras griseus, Corydoras hastatus (Hastatus Corydoras), Corydoras julii (Leopard Corydoras), Corydoras leopardus, Corydoras melini (False Bandit Cory), Corydoras napoensis, Corydoras narcissus, Corydoras panda (Panda Cory), Corydoras pinheiroi, Corydoras punctatus, Corydoras rabauti, Corydoras reticulatus, Corydoras semiaquilus, Corydoras sodalis, Corydoras splendens (Emerald Cory), Corydoras trilineatus, Corydoras weitzmani, Corydoras zygatus, Dianema longibarbis (long-barbel corydoras), Dianema urostriatum (Flagtail Catfish), Megalechis picta, Megalechis thoracata (hoplo catfish) ... [translation continues for the remainder of the species] green), Symphysodon discus (discus fish), Symphysodon tarzoo, Taeniacara candidi, Tahuantinsuyoa macantzatza, Uaru amphiacanthoides, Crenuchus spilurus (rainbow aggressor), Odontocharacidium aphanes, Poecilocharax weitzmani (neon tetra), Boulengerella maculata (spotted pike-cichlid), Cyphocharax spilurus, Agamyxis pectinifrons (doras catfish), Platydoras costatus, Carnegiella marthae (small hatchetfish), Carnegiella myersi (Myers hatchetfish), Carnegiella schereri, Carnegiella strigata (striped marble hatchetfish), Gasteropelecus sternicla (silver hatchetfish), Thoracocharax securis, Hemiodus gracilis, Hemiodus unimaculatus, Iguanodectes spilurus, Piabucus dentatus, Copeina guttata (dotted lebiasin), Copella arnoldi (spraying characin), Copella nattereri, Copella nigrofasciata, Copella vilmae, Nannostomus beckfordi (Beckford's pencilfish), Nannostomus digrammus, Nannostomus eques (equs pencilfish), Nannostomus harrisoni (golden spotted pencilfish), Nannostomus marginatus (marginated pencilfish), Nannostomus trifasciatus (three stripe pencilfish), Nannostomus unifasciatus (one-line pencilfish), Pyrrhulina australis, Pyrrhulina vittata, Pyrrhulina zigzag, Acanthicus hystrix , Ancistrus dolichopterus (blue ancistrus), Ancistrus hoplogenys, Loricaria simillima (Ecuadorian suckermouth catfish), Otocinclus hoppei, Otocinclus macrospilus, Otocinclus mariae, Otocinclus vestitus, Otocinclus vittatus, Panaque nigrolineatus (royal pleco), Peckoltia vittata (striped peckoltia), Pseudacanthicus spinosus (spiny false cactis pleco), Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps (sailfin pleco), Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus, Pterygoplichthys pardalis, Rineloricaria fallax (dwarf whiptail catfish), Rineloricaria lanceolata (lanceolate whiptail catfish), Osteoglossum bicirrhosum (silver arowana), Osteoglossum ferreirai, Pimelodus maculatus (spotted pimelodus), Pimelodus ornatus (blue pimelodus), Poecilia parae (Para molly), Micropoecilia picta, Monocirrhus polyacanthus (bearded), Polycentrus schomburgkii (american butterflyfish), Potamotrygon motoro (ocellate river stingray), Semaprochilodus insignis, Semaprochilodus taeniurus, Anablepsoides atratus, Anablepsoides derhami, Anablepsoides iridescens, Anablepsoides limoncochae, Anablepsoides ornatus, Anablepsoides rubrolineatus, Anablepsoides urophthalmus (Amazon molly), Anablepsoides waimacui, Aphyolebias peruensis (Peruvian aphyolebias), Aphyolebias rubrocaudatus, Laimosemion geayi, Laimosemion rectocaudatus, Pterolebias longipinnis (long-fin killifish), Catoprion mento (red-bellied sucker), Metynnis argenteus, Metynnis fasciatus, Metynnis hypsauchen (silver dollar fish), Metynnis lippincottianus (black-rimmed silver dollar), Metynnis luna, Metynnis maculatus, Myleus asterias, Myleus rhomboidalis, Myleus schomburgkii (striped piranha), Mylossoma duriventre (silver mylossoma), Pygocentrus nattereri (natterer's piranha), Pygopristis denticulata, Serrasalmus hollandi, Serrasalmus rhombeus (speckled piranha), Colomesus asellus, Colomesus psittacus (Brazilian pufferfish), Vandellia cirrhosa (Amazon vampire fish), Pimelodus pictus (dwarf catfish);
• example species of fish from the Orinoco River: Corydoras brevirostris, Corydoras concolor (one-color corydoras), Corydoras delphax, Corydoras habrosus (tiny corydoras), Corydoras osteocarus, Corydoras septentrionalis, Axelrodia riesei, Cheirodontops geayi, Creagrutus melasma, Ctenobrycon spilurus, Gymnocorymbus bondi, Hemigrammus micropterus, Hemigrammus newboldi, Hyphessobrycon epicharis, Moenkhausia intermedia, Paracheirodon axelrodi (Axelrod's tetra), Paracheirodon simulan (green neon tetra, blue tetra), Acaronia vultuosa, Aequidens metae (yellow acara), Andinoacara pulcher (electric blue acara), Apistogramma hoignei, Apistogramma hongsloi, Apistogramma iniridae, Apistogramma macmasteri (Macmaster's dwarf cichlid), Apistogramma velifera, Apistogramma viejita, Biotoecus dicentrarchus, Bujurquina mariae, Cichlasoma orinocense, Geophagus dicrozoster, Geophagus taeniopareius, Hoplarchus psittacus, Hypselecara coryphaenoides, Mesonauta egregius, Mikrogeophagus ramirezi (ram cichlid), Satanoperca daemon, Satanoperca mapiritensis, Uaru fernandezyepezi, Orinocodoras eigenmanni (yellow-banded catfish), Thoracocharax stellatus (giant hatchetfish), Bryconops caudomaculatus, Bryconops giacopinii, Iguanodectes geisleri, Copella compta, Nannostomus anduzei, Ancistrus gymnorhynchus, Ancistrus macrophthalmus, Ancistrus triradiatus, Baryancistrus beggini, Dekeyseria pulchra (striped loricaria), Hemiancistrus guahiborum, Hemiancistrus sabaji, Hypancistrus contradens, Hypancistrus debilittera, Hypancistrus furunculus, Hypancistrus inspector, Lasiancistrus tentaculatus, Leporacanthicus galaxias, Pseudolithoxus dumus, Semaprochilodus kneri, Semaprochilodus laticeps, Pterolebias hoignei, Renova oscari, Terranatos dolichopterus, Colossoma macropomum (black-finned pacu), Myloplus rubripinnis (redhook myleus), Piaractus brachypomus, Pristobrycon careospinus, Pristobrycon striolatus, Pygocentrus cariba, Serrasalmus irritans, Eigenmannia virescens (green knifefish)

Plant species:

• Aciotis acuminifolia, Alternanthera aquatica (Water Alternanthera), Alternanthera reineckii various varieties (Alternatera Reineka), Ammannia latifolia, Apalanthe granatensis, Azolla cristata, Azolla filiculoides, Bacopa australis (Southern Bacopa), Bacopa lanigera (Fuzzy Bacopa), Bacopa monnieri (Small-leaved Bacopa), Bacopa myriophylloides (Circular Bacopa), Cabomba aquatica (Water Cabomba), Cabomba furcata (Brown Cabomba), Ceratopteris pteridoides (Floating Watermoss), Ceratopteris thalictroides (Rod-Shaped Watermoss), Cuphea anagalloidea, Dieffenbachia spp., Diodia cf. Kuntzei, Drepanocladus aduncus (Curved Moss), Echinodorus amazonicus (Amazon Swordplant), Echinodorus bleheri (Bleher's Swordplant), Echinodorus decumbens (Swordplant), Echinodorus grandiflorus (Giant Swordplant), Echinodorus grisebachii (Grisebach's Swordplant), Echinodorus horizontalis (Horizontal Swordplant), Echinodorus inpai, Echinodorus major (Giant Swordplant), Echinodorus palaefolius (Spatula-Leaf Swordplant), Echinodorus paniculatus (Panicled Swordplant), Echinodorus subalatus (Winged Swordplant), Echinodorus tunicatus (Membranous Swordplant), Egeria najas (Narrow-Leaved Waterweed), Egleria fluctuans, Eichhornia crassipes (Water Hyacinth), Eichhornia diversifolia (Varigated Water Hyacinth), Eleocharis acicularis (Needle Spike Rush), Eriocaulon sp. "Mato Grosso", Gymnocoronis spilanthoides (Leafy Gymnocoronis), Hedyotis salzmanii, Helanthium bolivianum, Helanthium bolivianum "latifolius", Helanthium bolivianum "Vesuvius", Heteranthera zosterifolia (Striped Heteranthera), Hydrocotyle leucocephala (White-Head Pennywort), Hydrothrix gardneri, Hygrophila costata (Lake Hygrophila), Hyptis lorentziana, Leptodictyum riparium (Great Foamflower), Lilaeopsis macloviana, Limnobium laevigatum (Creeping Frogbit), Ludwigia helminthorrhiza, Ludwigia inclinata (Tilted Ludwigia) and its varieties, Ludwigia sedoides (Anchor-Like Ludwigia), Mayaca fluviatilis (River Mayaca), Micranthemum umbrosum (Round-leaved Micranthemum), Myriophyllum sp. "Roraima", Myriophyllum mattogrossense (Red Myriophyllum), Myriophyllum sp. "Guyana", Najas conferta (American Water cabbage), Najas guadalupensis, Nymphaea glandulifera (Glandular Waterlily), Nymphaea rudgeana (Rudgeana Waterlily), Nymphoides indica (Humboldt's Fringed Lily), Paspalum repens, Philonotis hastata, Phyllanthus fluitans (Floating Phyllanthus), Pistia stratiotes (Rosette Pistia), Ricciocarpos natans (Floating Flymoss), Rotala mexicana "Goiás", Salvinia auriculata (Auriculated Salvinia), Salvinia minima, Salvinia molesta, Salvinia oblongifolia (Long-leaved Salvinia), Staurogyne repens, Staurogyne sp. "Porto Velho", Staurogyne stolonifera, Syngonanthus cf. Inundatus, Syngonanthus macrocaulon, Tonina fluviatilis (River Tonina), Wolffiella welwitschii

Remarks:

• This is the most frequently reflected biotope by aquarists, and at the same time the most diversified one - offering even unlimited arrangement possibilities, both in terms of the selection of decorative elements, plants and fish.