# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Borneo biotope



## vidar vekve (May 24, 2004)

I'm trying to collect info that has relevance for setting up a Borneo biotope.

It seems to me that finding fish that will fit in is no problem and a school of Clown Loaches will play the leading role in my tank.

But when it comes to plants I'm having problem... The definition "Habitat South East Asia" is not good enough for me, I actually want plants that grow on the iceland of Borneo.

I guess this must be the right place to ask for help.......


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## vidar vekve (May 24, 2004)

I'm trying to collect info that has relevance for setting up a Borneo biotope.

It seems to me that finding fish that will fit in is no problem and a school of Clown Loaches will play the leading role in my tank.

But when it comes to plants I'm having problem... The definition "Habitat South East Asia" is not good enough for me, I actually want plants that grow on the iceland of Borneo.

I guess this must be the right place to ask for help.......


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## imported_Creature (Feb 6, 2003)

As for setting up a biotope tank of a certain region, you will find that the region of interest usually contains several distinct types of biotopes. As for the island of Kalimantan, or Borneo as it used to be called, there exists 3 major aquatic biotopes: the coastal mangrove forest, the lowland swamp forest and the highland or montane biotope. Each has it's distinctive flora and fauna and water chemistry, though there is some overlapping of some species in each catagory. Then there is the seasons to consider. The rainy season tends to flood a forest, encompassing surrounding vegetation for many months out of the year. This is also part of the biotope of lowland riverine systems.

Simply referring to a borneo biotope would be the same as referring to a southeast asian biotope, i.e., species are chosen as a representative of the region of interest to simulate an environment. Sometimes this is all we can do unless we go there on expedition ourselves or read about it from others. Below is an example of such an expedition. Finding aquatic plants from Kalimantan may be difficult enough and finding which ones occur in which specific biotope on the island may be even harder. I'm not trying to discourage you, you may well be up to the task of researching the environment you wish to simulate, it's just that it may take some time to acquire the specimens you desire. I myself have been interested in a lowland forest of Cameroon biotope for some time, yet I've not had to patience to continue my research.

So do I settle for a West African lowlands forest biotope instead? Perhaps.

Good luck in your research!

Gil

http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/travel/Shim_collecting_%20borneo.html


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## budak (Mar 13, 2004)

Try this site for some good information: http://www.geocities.com/rasbora2004/

Clown loaches are more large riverine fish (although the young may enter sheltered forest streams). In the lowland peat swamps one can find many rasboras, bettas, liquorice gouramis, chocolate gouramis, barbs, small loaches, while common plants are crypts, barclaya motleyi, blyxa, java ferns, mosses, limnophila, hairgrasses......


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## skylsdale (Jun 2, 2004)

> quote:
> 
> As for the island of Kalimantan, or Borneo as it used to be called, there exists 3 major aquatic biotopes: the coastal mangrove forest, the lowland swamp forest and the highland or montane biotope. Each has it's distinctive flora and fauna and water chemistry, though there is some overlapping of some species in each catagory.


Those are more habitats than they are biotopes. Within those three habitats mentioned above there are numerous biotopic setups that could be created (e.g. a peat swamp found within the lowland forest, as well as a swift or slow moving forest stream, or perhaps a sun drenched pool between riffles, etc.) Simply replicating a montane stream is still a pretty wide scope.


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## Rhett (May 9, 2004)

Vidar,

Creature, budak and skylsdale have provided some excellent information. Definitely check out the web sites they mention. http://www.geocities.com/rasbora2004/ in particular has some good pictures of wild plants/fish.

For ideas on a montane stream biotope (which could be replicated with Borneo species) take a look at:
http://www.loaches.com/river_tank.html

>From my trips to Borneo:
montane stream & lowland forest
http://travel.mongabay.com/malaysia/

Hope this helps,

Rhett


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