# Asian biotope, stuck and need solid info



## Bellcross (Jun 17, 2014)

Hello, recently my cousin called and asked if I wanted her aquarium cuz she does not want it anymore. 
What do you think was my answer  ? The thing is about 140 something liters with dimentions as follow 
70/45/50 centimeters. 
First question that popped in my mind when she asked me if I wanted it was what would the design of the stand that I will have to build be like . 
Anyway, setting that aside I started planning what would I actualy want to do with this aquarium. So I decided I want to do a biotope. I started doing my research and the more I read the more uncertain I became. I must have read and checked a hundred times this site http://fish.mongabay.com/biotope.htm and still I don't find what I'm looking for.
My criteria are the fish and plants to be actualy from the same river, I don't want a geographical aquarium. I want when I look at the thing to be certain that those plants and fish have a chance to be at the same 20 meter stretch at one time.
Also the fish to be hardy and not pretentious.
Given the length of the aquarium I gues a river biotope is out of the question so a swamp will do, I preffer it actualy because I think it has dencer plant growth so I can get away with more green.
I think 2 to 3 species would be enough so here are some ideas:
I love tiger barbs but I can't get a definitive information about a second species to go along with the main attraction.
I also like Trichogaster trichopterus, but I can't find a suitable easy and small rasbora to go along from the same place. Colisa lalia would be nice to go with a school of barbs of some sort but still can't find the right ones. At first glance the odessa barb(puntius ticto) was a good candidate but he preffers colder water and the summers here reach 35-6 C, in the house is more like 27-30.
At that point I have given up on bottom dwelers seen as the loaches are in the streams and rivers and they are too big for a 140 anyway.
I was thinking to maybe have snails Melanoides tuberculata to add more diversity and use the leftover food.
As for plants, I will choose whatever is from the biotope of the selected fish. 
I would realy apreciate some insight to help me choose. I'm open to any good suggestions!


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Seriously Fish http://www.seriouslyfish.com/ usually (but not always) has good information in each species entry for other species that are found in the same habitat. You could try searching each species that interests you, and checking the habitat and compatibility notes.


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## tgkink1 (Mar 30, 2014)

I don't know where you live, but have you considered a native biotope of fish and plants from your area. There are many beautiful fish and plants in North America. They would be acclimatized to your area and wouldn't need to worry about temp. and water conditions. You could do a small stream or lake habitat.
Good luck with your tank. Check out the North American Native Fish Association and threads on this site for info to start.


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## Bellcross (Jun 17, 2014)

Well I live in Bulgaria. I have checked some american biotopes with docile cichlids but they don't offer what I want from the tank. 
The site Seriously Fish helped me a lot with my choice. I forgot to mention that I will most likely be dirting the tank so I can do less water changes with heavy planting. I know whater change replenishes the tank with new trace elements alongside removing part of the nitrates but at times I won't be able to tend to the tank for 4-5 months a year so it is easier to make my brother do a water change 2-3 times for that period than doing it every week. 
So beeing an asian biotope dense planting is part of it and it won't look out of place. 
Right now I have decided it to be a biotope of the Mekong River. 
Botia sidthimunki - 5-6.
Trichogaster trichopterus 2 female + 1 male as suggested in seriously fish
Puntius partipentazona 8-11 
I'm still not sure about the botia, thou they are small the tank ain't that big either.
For plants I am still researching and the list is not yet finished. The finished design must utelize the depth of the tank and create the illusion of more. 
Right now I'm looking into lighting a 60cm double led tubes 10w each (6000k/ 1050 lumen). I am still researching on the hight on wich they should be above the tank, 10-15 cm perhaps.


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## Bellcross (Jun 17, 2014)

Ok, here's where I've gotten up so far on my research.I'm still liking the Mekong biotope idea, Instead of Trichogaster trichopterus I'm considering Aplocheilus panchax. As far as lighting goes the led tubes are out of the equasion due to their monochromatic light - plants need more than white color light. So it's back to 2xT8 18w fluorescent tubes. The other alternative would be building led lighting system out of 1w diodes matching 2000-2200 colective lumen for the entire tank. Don't have that readily available in the shops here so the fluorescent looks the obvious choice.
As for the choice of plants here is where I get realy puzzled. Seeing as this will resemble a biotope not too many species of plants should be present as it will look more lika a garden than a biotope. 
So I'm thinking 3 species would be enough. For the background I see Hygrophila polysperma as an eligible candidate. Maybe Nymphaea lotus stuck in the corner to provide some dimmed light when it reaches the surface and I have no idea what to put in the midground, I want there to be a front patch of none planted area but nothing symmetrical. One third of the front to be planted with something and the other just bare. I'm open to suggestions.


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## Bellcross (Jun 17, 2014)

Well thanks anyway. After a lot of fruitless digging I found some species that can definitely be found in the Mekong river :

Blyxa echinosperma
Ceratophyllum demersum
Ceratopteris thalictroides
Hydrilla verticillata
Limnophila heterophylla 
Najas graminea
Ottelia alismoides
Vallisneria gigantea
Cryptocoryne crispatula var. crispatula

Floating

Lemna sp.
Eichohornia crassipes
Salvinia cucullata
Pistia straliotes
Azolla pinnata

Seeing as I did not specify the "asian biotope" I would like to research at least one more biotope. 
I am currently looking into an environment where Trichogaster leeri and Puntius Pentazona can be found together. So far I've found a few possible locations such as Peninsular Malaysia, more specificly the swamps in Sarawak. If anyone can specify aquatic plant species from there that would be great.
On the side the popular Puntius tetrazona, suggest a location and plant species so it can be more like a biotope and less like a geographical aquarium.
Regards.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

I've researched plant lists for biotopes several times, and it is surprisingly difficult to find accurate information, and different sources often contradict each other. Good luck, and please keep us informed.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

http://junglemikey.blogspot.com/2013/10/visiting-cryptocoryne-in-central.html


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## Bellcross (Jun 17, 2014)

Hello again, thanks for the link.
I contacted Heiko Bleher and asked for his advice. He responded that probably in September he will be releasing a new book with over 500 biotopes around the world with all possible details, everything he found in each biotope. Untill then he suggested I pick from Limnophila indica, Microsorium pteropus, Potamogeton, Uttricularia and Myriophyllum species. And possibly some floating plants as Salvinia, Riccia, Azolla species. That is in regards to the Trichogaster Leeri, Puntius Pentazona biotope.

No doubt I will be getting the book when it gets out, until then, this will suffice. I will do another update after a few months when the tank is up and running.


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## junebug (Aug 5, 2013)

Asian biotopes are incredibly hard to research. I feel your pain. I set up a ride paddy biotope which I think was one of the easier ones to find info on... I just looked up the name of every plant I found to see if it was considered a nusciance in rice paddies in Thailand lol. Took forever but it eventually worked. That was after I found the fish, of course, which ended up being sparkling gouramis and bettas (well one betta, obviously).

I just wanted to let you know, there is a tiny catfish species native to SE asia. It goes by many names, but mini moth catfish or asian stone cat are the more common. You might be able to find references to locating that fish in the Mekong river, though I'm not 100% sure.

Also, and I'm sure you saw this when you were on Mongabay, but the fishbase list of species found in the Mekong river:
http://fish.mongabay.com/data/ecosystems/Mekong River.htm

You'd have to do lots of work narrowing it down by type locality, but it's a place to get some more ideas


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## Bellcross (Jun 17, 2014)

Funny, I found most of the plants in the Mekong river from a report about pests clogging up their watering systems  Anyways I just want it simple and "honest", to be proud that it resembles the environment of the fish. Knowing that Heiko's book will be comming up this year gives me comfort. I did a lot of reading and like you, I checked a lot of plants . I don't understand why would people not describe the species of plants along with the fish they find along with them. Seems logical but I have the feeling that with this new movement of "all natural, healthy, organic, fibers" and the sort is creating a demand for things to look and feel "real" so the era of biotopes is just beginning in my oppenion.


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## junebug (Aug 5, 2013)

Yes, I expect in the next few years, we'll see a large increase in the information available on specific biotopes  It'll be nice and a lot easier to find information lol.


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