Biotope Aquaria

[Tempestuousfury]

Pretty self-explanatory, I think.

 

[drobbins27]

Definition of Bio-Tope?

 

[jaywings19]

Definition of Bio-Tope?

Definition: habitat of a community of plants and animals (biocoenosis) with uniform conditions which can be delimited more or less clearly from its environment.

Basically, it means creating your tank to include the natural water conditions, plants, substrate, and fish of a specific geography.

 

[Annastasia]

My 20,30,5 and 1 are all biotope. I am working on making the 10 like the others. I only started making my aqauriums biotope about 2 months ago. I decided to make my 30 biotope, and then I liked the way it looked, so I am converting all my tanks over.

 

[modernhamlet]

I said no, because my definition of a biotope aquarium is pretty strict. Being new to fishkeeping, I didn't trust myself with a true biotope and decided with a regional community tank. All of the fish and almost all of the plants in my tank are native to the Malay Peninsula and Thailand. Basically, I'm a big fan of the idea and will certainly have many biotope tanks in the future.

I proposed a Biotope discussion area recently, but there don't appear to be many folks interested. I guess it's a niche.

 

[CFC]

Two of my tanks are in the process of being converted to biotope aquariums, the decor is there i just have to get my other tanks set up so i can seperate the fish out. One is a amazon biotope with bogwood roots set up like tree stumps that have had their foliage and bark stripped by the acidic water, slate no plants and will be stocked with catfish and large characins found in the main river plus a few cichlids. The other is a west african river biotope with bogwood large pebbles and some plants such as anubias and tiger lotus, this tank will stocked with a pair of kribs, dwarf ctenopoma species, congo tetras, dwarf girraffe catfish, african butterfly fish and upside down catfish.

I also plan for a asian swamp biotope for dwarf snakeheads.

 

[Morrgan]

I can't say it's exactly a biotope, but my 26 gal has an Asian theme. The fish are all Asian, but from slightly different parts. Well, will be, for at the moment I only have harlequin rasboras but I'll get honey gouramis and kuhlii loaches as well. The plants will eventually all be Asian too (the Vallisneria in there right now is from South America, I think).

 

[waterwatereverywhere]

I voted that I'm starting one, although it'll have one or two things that probably shouldn't be there.... it's going to be South American; all the fish will be from there and nearly all the plants, but I'm having some mini-hairgrass as well which I think is Asian, I shouldn't I know but I like it!

 

[Fish Buddy]

I really like the idea of creating biotopes but I can't get comclusive information on all the fish that I like about where they live and such. Where did you get your information?

 

[modernhamlet]

I really like the idea of creating biotopes but I can't get comclusive information on all the fish that I like about where they live and such. Where did you get your information?

http/www.mongabay.com/fish/biotope.htm

http/badmanstropicalfish.com/bio-type.html

http/www.aquabotanic.com/aquamenu.htm (scroll down to Biotopes)

And check out the Biotope forum here:
http/aquabotanicwetthumb.infopop.cc/eve/ubb.x

And just because it's super cool:
http/www.mongabay.com/fish/images/big_tank.jpg

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I would love an amazonian biotope but I got my fish without learning enough about them and so on. I would like to do it at some point though.

I just like really, really planted tanks!!

 

[CFC]

I would love an amazonian biotope

I just like really, really planted tanks!!

If you love planted tanks then a amazon biotope is probably not for you, true amazon biotopes have no or very few substrate rooted plants plants in them as the water of the amazon is so acidic it burns the leaves of plants and the dark sediment filled water blocks sunlight. The only time the amazon is lush with plants is when the river floods into the jungle during the wet season and covers the marginal plants which grow along the rivers edge, which is the reason why plants such as amazon swords often are reluctant to grow and have short life spans under water.

If a heavily planted tank is what you really fancy then a asian cryptocoryne stream or swamp biotope would probably be more appealing.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Really? I have seen people's pics of their "amazonian" tanks (I think Ryan has one) and they are always really planted with tall plants.

 

[CFC]

I know Where the idea that the amazon is a lush jungle of underwater plants comes from i do not know. I spose you could have a "amazon wet season biotope" which would be heavily planted but for the true look of how it is for the majority of the time apart from a few floating species plants are out.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

D'oh!

Well I want a jungly aquarium with an external filter and sand. How's that?!