Just Wondering Bout A Amazon Biotope?

[channing]

hi i was wondering how to make amazon biotope? could someone suggest plants please? also i know angels and dicuss dont usually work out but i think we might try it because i have a tank the angels can go in if it doesn't work. then tetras in groups of six. and rams any other suggestions? it won't be for a whille. we need to move first but i want to start researching now. kinda leaning towards a 125gallon tank. maybe bigger have to see when we find the house we want. any other bright fish or clean up crew? want them to all come from the same place. snails or shrimp? any good websites or pics to get ideas form.

thanks a bunch in advance

 

[thegnu]

These are pics of my S.A. Biotope juwel400. On the right hand side there is the internal filter that came with the tank and i have added a Eheim 2224 external. On the left hand side i had to take out some plants so my discus had a place to hide and sleep although its surprising how quickly they can disappear where ever they take fright.
Fish;
4 discus (brilliant turks)
8 rummynose tetra
4 harlequin rasbora
12 cardinal tetra
1 Pair Of Blue Rams

Plants;
Pistia stratiotes
Nymphaea lotus or African tiger lotus
Salvinia natans
Anubias barteri
Anubias barteri v. nana
Cabomba caroliniana
Cryptocoryne beckettii
Cryptocoryne wendtii
Echinodorus bleheri (paniculatus)
Echinodorus subalatus
Echinodorus amazonicus (amazon sword)
Vallisneria spiralis Tiger
Java fern
Java moss
Micranthemum umbrosum

Absolutely no ferts have been used in this tank, lighting the original two fluro T8 38W tubes
Substrate Aqua-grit
Absolutely no CO2
Water;
RO/Tap/Peat
pH5.8
KH & GH Never Tested
Nitrate 10PPM - 40PPM - When i get lazy!

 

[channing]

thats really cool!!! do you use gravel or sand? or i found black mud stuff for planted tanks would that work? also how many gallons is your tank? sorry i can't convert that stuff easy!!

 

[thegnu]

In that tank i have used a small size of gravel so it's easy to gravel vac, on my breeding tanks i use silica sand.
The tank holds about 88 imperial (UK) gallons, about 106 USA gallons.
Its a very low tec planted tank using plants that grow well in soft acidic water and ones that dont need much light and the tank is not over stocked

 

[channing]

Absolutely no ferts have been used in this tank, lighting the original two fluro T8 38W tubes

whats a fert?

 

[Waterbox]

I just wanted to say nice tank.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Absolutely no ferts have been used in this tank, lighting the original two fluro T8 38W tubes

whats a fert?

Fertilizer.



Whoever told you Discus and Angels don't work out was feeding you rubbish. Keep the Angel numbers low, and in a bigger sized tanks, they flourish together. Pterophyllum Altum are also great tank mates! These are a different type of angel. These are harder to find and cost a little more, but are really cool!

 

[channing]

Absolutely no ferts have been used in this tank, lighting the original two fluro T8 38W tubes

whats a fert?

Fertilizer.



Whoever told you Discus and Angels don't work out was feeding you rubbish. Keep the Angel numbers low, and in a bigger sized tanks, they flourish together. Pterophyllum Altum are also great tank mates! These are a different type of angel. These are harder to find and cost a little more, but are really cool!

thanks for clearing all that up!!! just about everyone has told me no way on the discus and angel mix. what mix would be best im thinking maybe 5 discus so would 2 pair angels be to much?

 

[jayjay]

Angels and discus aren't recommended as tank mates. Some have success, but probably just as many don't.

As for altums, they get much larger than normal angels, you'll want a tank at least 2' tall for altums, they will be fairly expensive (cheapest I've seen in an LFS was £25 for a 1-2" one) and also are more difficult to give the correct conditions.

'thegnu' yours isn't really a biotype, fish and plants from Asia and Africa in there after all

 

[channing]

Angels and discus aren't recommended as tank mates. Some have success, but probably just as many don't.

im going to try it though. i have a 29 gallon the angels can go in if it doesn't work.

 

[thegnu]

Oh jayjay you found me out. Alright the harlequin rasbora comes from Thailand and some of the plants come from Africa, Asia and Central America but i like the harlequin rasbora and there is hardly any plants six months of the year in many parts of the Amazon, especially where the discus and cardinals come from because the water is so soft and acidic that there isn't enough minerals to support them, in the dry season the fish here swim around tree roots that grow along the bank, its only when the rains come and everywhere floods that the fish get to swim around plants, Land Plants, leaves basically

 

[The-Wolf]

the only reason a lot of people say not to keep angels and discus together is
angels can carry a parasite, that although harmless to the angels, is
deadly to the discus.
for this reason many people won't risk putting in angels that cost a few
pounds with discus that cost upwards of forty pounds.

If it were me, I'd not risk it either but each to their own

 

[doubledee]

There's a list of amazonian species here that should give you some pointers.

Take a look at PlantGeek as it lists plants by region. Other sites like plantedtank.net and mongabay list details on biotope aquaria.

 

[james nash]

nice tank m8 i have one a little bit smiler but i keep discus cichlids and its working out fine?