Tips for an Amazon Biotope

[GallonsOfFun]

Hey all, decided to start a new project. Going to do an Amazon Biotope (blackwater river) in my 55 gallon come the new year. Right now I'm just in the preliminary/research stage and wondered if anyone has any tips or recommendations regarding this type of biotope.

The tank will be heavily planted with plants from the area (amazon swords, et al.) and will likely have eco-complete as the substrate (I have sand in there now but I doubt that'll bode well with plants). Of course, it'll also contain a lot of driftwood.

In terms of stocking (and I'd like recommendations here, too) I was thinking somewhere along the lines of:

2x angel fish
6-10x cory (warm water species)
10-20x cardinal tetra (I know the angels may eat them - anyone recommend a better amazon schooling fish?)
3-5x oto
6x hatchetfish (possibly)
*Feel free to add species to this preliminary list

 

[CleverBs]

I am doing an Amazon Bio as well however mine is with big fish because the tank is a 220g.

Stock list:

Silver Arowana
Royal Pleco
Teacup StingRay
6x Geophagus alrifrons
5x Gold Vail Angels

I wouldnt worry about the angels as long as your cardinals are of a nice chunky size they wont be food. You would have to get 2 full grown angels and some very small tetras for that to be an issue.

I have sand as well but if you are going to heavy plants I would use a plant substrate. I just have 2 Mother colony Swords that are about 16" wide and 32" tall. Sand works just fine for me but I only have to worry about 2 plants.

Instead of Otos I would get a Smaller Pleco thats found in the area. There are tons of plecos that would stay small enough for a 55g just dont get a comman or a royal.

 

[hencoloots]

How about some rummynose tetras? They school very tight. I have 10 in my 90 gallon with 5 angelfish and all is good

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[GallonsOfFun]

I am doing an Amazon Bio as well however mine is with big fish because the tank is a 220g.

Stock list:

Silver Arowana
Royal Pleco
Teacup StingRay
6x Geophagus alrifrons
5x Gold Vail Angels

I wouldnt worry about the angels as long as your cardinals are of a nice chunky size they wont be food. You would have to get 2 full grown angels and some very small tetras for that to be an issue.

I have sand as well but if you are going to heavy plants I would use a plant substrate. I just have 2 Mother colony Swords that are about 16" wide and 32" tall. Sand works just fine for me but I only have to worry about 2 plants.

Instead of Otos I would get a Smaller Pleco thats found in the area. There are tons of plecos that would stay small enough for a 55g just dont get a comman or a royal.

Nice to hear from you, I've been following your thread...looks to be coming along nicely! Why do you suggest a pleco over the ottos? I know the ottos can be hard to introduce to a new aquarium but aside from initial sensitivity I would've thought they would've been a better option than a pleco due to reduced bioload?

 

[GallonsOfFun]

How about some rummynose tetras? They school very tight. I have 10 in my 90 gallon with 5 angelfish and all is good

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Rummynose tetras were actually my second choice. Don't they reach the same size as neons, though? Or are they less likely to get picked off not due to that but due to their tighter schooling?

 

[Pseudomugil]

They are more active and school tighter, so are less likely to be food.

 

[GallonsOfFun]

They are more active and school tighter, so are less likely to be food.

Thx, think I'll go with 15-20 of them.


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[GallonsOfFun]

So I was at the LFS today looking at driftwood and whatnot and I was looking at the tetras and felt as though I could get away with schools of both of them. Do you guys think this would be overstocked or not? Just looking for second opinions already plugged it into AqAdvisor and such.

55 gallon:
15-20 cardinal tetra
15-20 rummynose tetra
6-10 false juli cory
2x angelfish
1x bristlenose pleco OR 3-5 ottocilinus catfish


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[Pseudomugil]

So I was at the LFS today looking at driftwood and whatnot and I was looking at the tetras and felt as though I could get away with schools of both of them. Do you guys think this would be overstocked or not? Just looking for second opinions already plugged it into AqAdvisor and such.

55 gallon:
15-20 cardinal tetra
15-20 rummynose tetra
6-10 false juli cory
2x angelfish
1x bristlenose pleco OR 3-5 ottocilinus catfish


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I think it's possible.

 

[hencoloots]

It could work. Have you considered penguin tetras? Also a great schooling fish

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[CleverBs]

Nice to hear from you, I've been following your thread...looks to be coming along nicely! Why do you suggest a pleco over the ottos? I know the ottos can be hard to introduce to a new aquarium but aside from initial sensitivity I would've thought they would've been a better option than a pleco due to reduced bioload?

I suggest a Pleco over Ottos because when I think of the amazon river one of the first fish that pops into my mind is a pleco. Also if you have driftwood you can get a pleco that eats drift wood and it will keep the wood nice and clean. I also think they are a good way to put a unique fish into an aquarium because there are SO many different types of plecos you could get one that makes your aquarium different then everyone elses. That was at least my goal in my bio. I wanted to make a tank that i havent seen before. Something with a unique group of fish that arnt in everyone elses aquariums. Understand though that I came back to freshwater from saltwater. Saltwater is so much more unique and really stops people in their steps when they see a large reef aquarium. So it was important to me that I was able to recreate that "Wow!" when people saw my freshwater aquarium. I tried to put a unique group of fish together that you dont see every day along with a nice aquascape. I havent been loving mine so much lately I think it needs more but Im just not sure what. But thats part of what makes this hobby so much fun, the constant search for perfection in your aquariums.

 

[GallonsOfFun]

I suggest a Pleco over Ottos because when I think of the amazon river one of the first fish that pops into my mind is a pleco. Also if you have driftwood you can get a pleco that eats drift wood and it will keep the wood nice and clean. I also think they are a good way to put a unique fish into an aquarium because there are SO many different types of plecos you could get one that makes your aquarium different then everyone elses. That was at least my goal in my bio. I wanted to make a tank that i havent seen before. Something with a unique group of fish that arnt in everyone elses aquariums. Understand though that I came back to freshwater from saltwater. Saltwater is so much more unique and really stops people in their steps when they see a large reef aquarium. So it was important to me that I was able to recreate that "Wow!" when people saw my freshwater aquarium. I tried to put a unique group of fish together that you dont see every day along with a nice aquascape. I havent been loving mine so much lately I think it needs more but Im just not sure what. But thats part of what makes this hobby so much fun, the constant search for perfection in your aquariums.

I like the pleco's just not their bio load! Prefer not to have a crapping machine on a sand substrate as well! Why haven't you been loving yours? Update us with a pic on your thread and maybe we can help!


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[CleverBs]

I like the pleco's just not their bio load! Prefer not to have a crapping machine on a sand substrate as well! Why haven't you been loving yours? Update us with a pic on your thread and maybe we can help!


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Oh I just feel like it needs more not sure what. Ill figure it out haha. Yeah a big pleco is going to have a big bio load but a small one wont. There are 40+ plecos at LEAST that dont get larger then 3-4"