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The Biotope Aquarium Experience!

© Douglas DuHamel

For all you hobbyists out there that have done everything and bred everything, the biotope aquarium could be the answer to your boredom. This involves setting up an aquarium as closely as possible to the actual environment and stocking it with only the material that is native to a particular area.

A biotope aquarium, is set up with the idea of duplicating a natural habitat, be it lake, river, or stream. The fish, plants, water and furnishings are the same as the natural area that you are trying to simulate. Before you consider setting up a biotope aquarium, always check the compatibility. Some species from the same habitat are not suited for the same tank. Remember, the tank is much smaller than a river or stream and there will be fewer hiding places. Always research before hand what species you intend to put together.

In this article I will explain how to set up a biotope aquarium to represent Lake Malawi in Africa since these are the fish I am most fond of.

Conditions for a Lake Malawi Biotope Aquarium

PH for the water should be around 7.8 to 9.0. Always get the PH reading of the tank the fish are coming from.

DH should be 10 to 15.

Temperature should be between 73 degrees to 84 degrees.

The minimum size of aquarium should be a 72 gallon, This can be done in a smaller tank but it will be little more difficult.

The plants in your Lake Malawi Biotope aquarium could be Vallisneria , Anubias and Java ferns. All of these plants are suitable for African cichlids because of their hardiness. These fish like to nibble on plants.

There are products on the market that simulate the natural conditions of the lake water, as in PH and chemical composition. I've used these products and find them quite good.

There are three major habitats of Lake Malawi:
Habitat Number One
The sandy zone, which occupies the largest area of Lake Malawi is found along 60% of the shoreline. In this zone some plant life can be found but it is sparse.

Habitat Number Two
The rocky coast is a prominent feature of the lake but only takes up an area of 10% of the lake. This area houses the most species of fish yet it is the smallest area.

Habitat Number Three
It is called the intermediate area where the rocky shoreline meets the sandy zone. This area takes up 30% of Lake Malawi and the water starts to deepen. Most of the smaller fish don't go into this area due to more predators.

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