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30-40 Gallon Long Amazon Biotope


EndlersBoi
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hey guys, i'm planning to do a 30-40 gallon long amazon biotope kind of aquarium and wanted some help with stocking ideas...

i plan on having it heavily planted, possibly with some passive CO2 injection (Using Fluval 20g passive CO2 system, basically bicycle CO2 cartridges into an upside down cup)

i plan on having 4-6 bolivian rams, 10-12 rummy nose tetras, a bristle nose pleco, and for a center piece, i'm thinking an Electric Blue Acara? i was also thinking of doing a decent school of oto's to help with algae when it gets there, but A.) i'll have a pleco and B.) i'm worried the acara would slowly eat them.

any other ideas for a centerpice fish or other clean up crew?

I also wanted some help with plant choice? i know swords are out bc of the pleco... any other good background plants that wont get destroyed? i do plant on some dwarf sag carpet, anubias, crypts, etc... also wanted to know if there are any readily available aquatic plants that come from the amazon, to make it as natural as possible.

thank guys!

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Whew! Sounds exciting! But 4-6 rams already sounds like a lot for a 30-40 gallon. I haven't kept them, but the guides I've seen say 30, minimum, for one ram, and 5-10g more for each after that. From what I know about them, I'd choose between either a mated pair of rams OR an accara, to go with all those other fish.

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49 minutes ago, EndlersBoi said:

hey guys, i'm planning to do a 30-40 gallon long amazon biotope kind of aquarium and wanted some help with stocking ideas...

i plan on having it heavily planted, possibly with some passive CO2 injection (Using Fluval 20g passive CO2 system, basically bicycle CO2 cartridges into an upside down cup)

i plan on having 4-6 bolivian rams, 10-12 rummy nose tetras, a bristle nose pleco, and for a center piece, i'm thinking an Electric Blue Acara? i was also thinking of doing a decent school of oto's to help with algae when it gets there, but A.) i'll have a pleco and B.) i'm worried the acara would slowly eat them.

any other ideas for a centerpice fish or other clean up crew?

I also wanted some help with plant choice? i know swords are out bc of the pleco... any other good background plants that wont get destroyed? i do plant on some dwarf sag carpet, anubias, crypts, etc... also wanted to know if there are any readily available aquatic plants that come from the amazon, to make it as natural as possible.

thank guys!

I always enjoy helping out with planning biotope or habitat oriented aquariums! Here goes nothing!

Are you planning a true biotope aquarium, or just a collection of fish from the Amazon river basin/rainforest? If the former, what specific region or river might you be interested in replicating? Just choose one and I can help you get started. If the latter, here are a few suggestions on stocking:

  • An Electric Blue Acara might not fit perfectly into an Amazon biotope aquarium, mainly due to its distribution. The wild form (the blue acara) lives in Venezuela and Trinidad, so not quite within the main Amazon river basin. Also, as you mentioned, the acara might eat the smaller fish like the otos or smaller cories and tetras.
  • Keep the Bolivian rams in as mentioned above. They would work great in this style of tank. Other options in replacement of the rams would be any common Apistogramma species.
  • The rummynose tetras are also going to work quite well. Of course, when doing an Amazon themed aquarium, virtually any South American tetra will work out fine. Generally smaller species will work better, as in the many tributaries of the Amazon (and their respective tributary steams) the tetras will be found in huge groups weaving amongst the marginal and aquatic vegetation. This means many of a single species would be ideal. Tetras I would recommend other than the rummynose are the cardinals, neons, glowlights, and pristellas to name a few smaller species.
  • What is an Amazon themed aquarium without Corydoras? There are hundreds of species to choose from, and it just happens to be that the genus Corydoras is the largest genus of fish in the Neotropical realm (basically Central and South America). In your aquarium any species would work, so get creative!
  • The otos and bristlenose would certainly both work.

I am not an expert on plants, but I do know that swords, vallisneria, sagittaria, Amazon frogbit, and more come from the region. Crypts and anubias are native to Asia and Africa, so unfortunately these would not fit with the full Amazon theme.

Hope this helps!

Edited by CorydorasEthan
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46 minutes ago, CorydorasEthan said:

I always enjoy helping out with planning biotope or habitat oriented aquariums! Here goes nothing!

Are you planning a true biotope aquarium, or just a collection of fish from the Amazon river basin/rainforest? If the former, what specific region or river might you be interested in replicating? Just choose one and I can help you get started. If the latter, here are a few suggestions on stocking:

  • An Electric Blue Acara might not fit perfectly into an Amazon biotope aquarium, mainly due to its distribution. The wild form (the blue acara) lives in Venezuela and Trinidad, so not quite within the main Amazon river basin. Also, as you mentioned, the acara might eat the smaller fish like the otos or smaller cories and tetras.
  • Keep the Bolivian rams in as mentioned above. They would work great in this style of tank. Other options in replacement of the rams would be any common Apistogramma species.
  • The rummynose tetras are also going to work quite well. Of course, when doing an Amazon themed aquarium, virtually any South American tetra will work out fine. Generally smaller species will work better, as in the many tributaries of the Amazon (and their respective tributary steams) the tetras will be found in huge groups weaving amongst the marginal and aquatic vegetation. This means many of a single species would be ideal. Tetras I would recommend other than the rummynose are the cardinals, neons, glowlights, and pristellas to name a few smaller species.
  • What is an Amazon themed aquarium without Corydoras? There are hundreds of species to choose from, and it just happens to be that the genus Corydoras is the largest genus of fish in the Neotropical realm (basically Central and South America). In your aquarium any species would work, so get creative!
  • The otos and bristlenose would certainly both work.

I am not an expert on plants, but I do know that swords, vallisneria, sagittaria, Amazon frogbit, and more come from the region. Crypts and anubias are native to Asia and Africa, so unfortunately these would not fit with the full Amazon theme.

Hope this helps!

yep! exactly what i was looking for! i love valisneria, dwarf sag, and frogbit (frog bit grown like gangbusters in my pea puffer tank so i'll be sure to transfer some over)

i looooovvee pygmy corydoras... might have to do a big school of them 

i knew the E. Blue acara was a morph, i just cant seem to find any regular blue acaras... i'll probably ixnay this idea.

maybe i'll do a nice cacatuoides trio (i wouldn't mind spawning these guys) as a center piece kind of thing

thanks for the informational reply!

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As @James Black said I've been keeping an Amazon inspired 75 gallon tank for a while now, heavily planted, 15 Rummynose Tetras, 35 Cardinal Tetras, 6 Bolivian Rams, 9 Otocinclus, Tiger Nerite Snails, Red Nerite Snails, Black Military Hemet Nerites, the occasional Bladder Snail hitchhiker, and very prolific Blue Dream Neocaridina Shrimp, and several Amano Shrimp.

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I too would advise against the Blue Acara, also if you want Tetras you'll be able to see at other times than while you're feeding in a heavily planted tank then Rummynose probably aren't the best choice, they tend to do what they like to do in their natural habitat and that is hide in the big plants when they are available. My Cardinal Tetras are out in the open all the time and schooling nicely, the Rummynoses tend to hang out among the crypts, Lobelia Cardinalis, and Ludwigia. If you want a pair of Apistos in a 40 gallon, I would add one pair of Bolivian Rams at the most and even that might be pushing it depending on Apisto species. With the six rams I have in my 75 gallon they seem to get along fine most of the time, but even here I can observe quibbling over territorial boundaries and the occasional chase now and then.

If you are looking for plant advice take a look at my tank thread to see what might inspire you. I list all the species in my tank:

 

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