# Rain Forest



## Nuno M. (13 Feb 2014)

Hi everyone,

This is our other big passion besides planted tanks, we maintain two biotope aquariums were we breed Apistogrammas. 

I will show you guys our main Biotope tank

This one is inspired by Tom C and Mike Wise collecting trip in Pebas, Río Orosa and Río Shishita 2008.
So this tank only has native fish and plants from Shishita River in Peru, simulating a sand river bed with fallen driftwood/root system .

The tank was created to give the best conditions for a wild caught couple of Apistogrammas Bitaeniata sp. ‘Shishita’ to breed,
for that we had to ensure the water parameters were perfect for reproduction this meaning that the dGH had to be aroud 0-1 degrees top’s, and the pH around 5 for maximum eclosion rate.
This could only be achieved with RO water and dry salts.

It was with great pleasure that the past year we ranked with this Tank on the top 10 AGA 2013 Contest on the Biotope category, we almost diden’t believe it ...

Here goes the setup started on April 15 2013 hope you all like this dark water scape 

Tank:
180L (90x45x45 10mm glass by Vidromoldura)

Lighting:
Hailea 2x39w T5 HO
1x Osram 840, 1x Radium 865

Filtering:
1x JBL e901 greenline

Heating:
TMC V2 Therm Digital Heater 200w

Other Equipment:
TMC V2 Pure 50 Advanced RO System

Hardscape:
ADA Colorado Sand, 3x Red Moor Wood Branch, Oak and Terminalia Catappa Leaves

Fertilization:
We only had dry salts on water change day do assure the fish and plants have the essential minerals to thrive . (CaSO4, MgSO4, K2SO4 TNC Trace)

Fauna:
2x Apistogramma Bitaeniata sp. ‘Shishita’ Wild Cougth
50x Nannostomus Marginatus

Plants:
Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum)

And Pics from the the tank lots and lots of them since its start to de little apistogrammas now growing, hope you all enjoy …


Rain Forest


Rain Forest


Limnobium Laevigatum


Apistogramma Bitaeniata Sp. 'Shishita'


Apistogramma Bitaeniata Sp. 'Shishita'


Rain Forest


N. Marginatus


N. Marginatus


Apistogramma Bitaeniata sp. 'Shishita'


Apistogramma Bitaeniata sp. 'Shishita' with free swimming Fry


Ap. Bitaeniata sp. 'Shishita' - 5 days free swimming fry


Ap. Bitaeniata sp. 'Shishita' - 11 days free swimming fry


Ap. Bitaeniata sp. 'Shishita' - 15 days free swimming fry


AGA 2013 Biotope Aquascape - Rain Forest - Apistogramma Bitaeniata Sp Shishita (F)


AGA 2013 Biotope Aquascape - Rain Forest - Apistogramma Bitaeniata Sp Shishita (M)


AGA 2013 Biotope Aquascape - Rain Forest - Nannostomus Marginatus


AGA 2013 Biotope Aquascape - Rain Forest - Rio Shishita Biotope


AGA 2013 Biotope Aquascape - Rain Forest - Rio Shishita Biotope


Ap. Bitaeniata sp. 'Shishita' - 32 days fry


Ap. Bitaeniata sp. 'Shishita' - 32 days fry


Ap. Bitaeniata sp. 'Shishita' - 32 days fry


Ap. Bitaeniata sp. 'Shishita' - F


Ap. Bitaeniata sp 'Shishita'


Ap. Bitaeniata sp 'Shishita'


Ap. Bitaeniata sp 'Shishita'


Ap. Bitaeniata sp 'Shishita'


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## Ryan Thang To (13 Feb 2014)

Wow! So many frys. Good job


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## pariahrob (13 Feb 2014)

Top work. Love apistos and those are beautiful!


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## Arne (13 Feb 2014)

love it!


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## Edvet (17 Feb 2014)

Great Job. realy nice set-ups


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## darren636 (17 Feb 2014)

lovely picutres, its good to see some very nice biotopes here


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## BigTom (17 Feb 2014)

Great tank. Love the simplicity but still has loads of impact, and obviously a great home for some very nice fish.


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## Nuno M. (17 Feb 2014)

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all your positive comments and likes, it's an experience that I recommend to you all ...
Fish behavior and colors are superb in this kind of environment. 

It's really a pleasure to have this kind of scape, almost like having a little slice from a far away river in your living room 

More news to come soon, maybe I'll show you our raising tank were the little apistos are now growing, or maybe a video ...


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## LondonDragon (17 Feb 2014)

Nuno M. said:


> maybe I'll show you our raising tank were the little apistos are now growing, or maybe a video ...


Not maybe, due it already Nuno, great tank, parabens


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## GlenFish (17 Feb 2014)

Lovely tank, great fish choice, was there any spawning activity from the pencilfish?


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## Nuno M. (17 Feb 2014)

LondonDragon said:


> Not maybe, due it already Nuno, great tank, parabens


 
I will try Paulo, maybe I'll join both threads here in Rain Forest and change the main thread name 





GlenFish said:


> Lovely tank, great fish choice, was there any spawning activity from the pencilfish?


 

Hi Glen,

Tanks for your kind words, regarding the Nannostomus, there's plenty male showoff , but I think they need more plants for the spawning to occur.
I will try this in the near future, I will let the Amazon Frogbit Take Over the water surface and see what happens ...


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## Phil Edwards (18 Feb 2014)

Nuno, I remember seeing this tank in the biotope pre-screening process.  It's very nicely done!  Bitaeniata is my favorite species of Apisto.  Excellent choice.


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## Nuno M. (18 Feb 2014)

Phil Edwards said:


> Nuno, I remember seeing this tank in the biotope pre-screening process. It's very nicely done! Bitaeniata is my favorite species of Apisto. Excellent choice.


 
Thank you Phil,

It gives us great pleasure, just sitting and looking at it 

A. Bitaeniata is also our favorite Apistogramma species specially the ones from Shishita River, we also had another spectacular specie on our Planted Tank with fantastic colors from the Bitaeniata family, Apistograma Eremnopyge sp. Fresa

You can see some pics of the male on our CristalRio journal

Thank you for your comments, on our AGA 2013 entry ...


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## TOO (18 Feb 2014)

Thanks for sharing, great to see some biotopes on here...

Thomas


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## Deano3 (18 Feb 2014)

stunning biotopes  may try one in future


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## Lee Sweeting (18 Feb 2014)

Great tank, and loverly fish too. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Robert H. Tavera (19 Feb 2014)

it looks extremly natural, even the algae looks perfect in your tank. beautiful golden water. cangrats nice job !!!!


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## Filip (19 Feb 2014)

Great set up and Apistos. Yes! Yes!
I will set up black water tank in near future.


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## BruceF (19 Feb 2014)

This is great.  I have a few of these A. Bitaeniata I got from M Wise a few years ago (second generation) but I haven't had any luck breeding them.  I am in Colorado so I recently got to hear him talk about this last trip at out local club meeting.


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## Nuno M. (12 Mar 2014)

Hi everyone,

Some pics from today of our raising tank '' Wood from Above'' with 5 month F1 fry from our wild Ap. Bitaeniata sp. 'Shishita' 

Hope you enjoy ...


Ap. Bitaeniata sp Shishita | F1 


Ap. Bitaeniata sp Shishita | F1 


Ap. Bitaeniata sp Shishita | F1 


Ap. Bitaeniata sp Shishita | F1 


Ap. Bitaeniata sp Shishita | F1


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## Martin in Holland (13 Mar 2014)

I simply love this tank...I am often thinking in getting Discus in my next scape but always feel that plants and discus don't really mix well...this would be the way to go


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