My Favorite Biotope Aquariums
With Apologies to Dr. Ted C.

By Rick Bolger
As published in the North Jersey Aquarium Society Reporter, April 2000
Aquarticles

Ahh, the wonders of the biotope aquarium. The rocky, rift lake simulation...the inky black water replicating the Rio Negro. These are highly popular, and rightly so. There is nothing quite as captivating as tropical fish going about their business in their natural habitat.

Unfortunately, the leaders of the biotope movement - one of the most visible is our own Ted C. - look down their noses at certain habitats. Personally, I've always found this to be a bit hypocritical. Granted, some of the biotopes I'm referring to are less attractive than a Southeast Asian mangrove biotope, and they are unlikely to ever grace a glossy spread in TFH. But it is my dream that a few members will experiment with these tanks and discover the joys of a holistic approach to aquatic presentation.

One that seems to be gaining in popularity is the Dade County Canal biotope. This movement began right here in New Jersey as a result of the sketchy but inspirational descriptions of similar Florida waterways as related by Chuck Davis and Ricky Geis. Davis, who presented a highly regarded white paper during the 1998 NJAS Extravaganza Banquet (including some helpful slides of the environs) is now a resident of that area. Geis, who has spent less time in country than Davis, returned from his Florida expedition with some intriguing tales and t-shirts.

Based on these accounts and documents available from the US Fish & Wildlife Commission on Non-Native Species, aquarists have been able to piece together a fairly accurate biotope. In the Dade County Canal biotope, the substrate should be composed mainly of mud. If you can get your hands on a few hunks of a broken concrete culvert, this makes a nice addition. In my tank I have a hubcap from a '68 Coupe de Ville, which serves as a focal point and provides a kind of Tonya Harding "gestalt".

Appropriate livestock includes, but is not limited to, snakeheads, tilapia, tiger cichlids (Nandopsis urophthalmus), giant gourami, and lots of large plecos. For a complete list of livestock possibilities, look at http://www.nativefish.org/ERP/index.html. You can enhance your enjoyment of the Dade County Canal biotope by wearing white prescription sneakers and belting your powder blue trousers at chest level.

A Biotope from the "Me" Decade
Perhaps my all-time favorite is the Skippy Fletcher tank biotope. In this biotope, the aquarist seeks to replicate the tank owned by Skippy Fletcher, one of my boyhood pals. While the end result of this tank is similar to the Dade County Canal biotope, the muddy look must evolve over a three month period in order to remain true to the original.

A good Skippy Fletcher biotope aquarium begins with a 20 gallon high tank and a small bag of rainbow colored gravel. Aeration should be provided by one of those sunken treasure chests that opens and closes, but this is not important since Skippy usually unplugged the pump in favor of one of those electric football games that goes "bzzZZZttzzzzbzzzttt" as the players vibrate around the field. The football game is essential, since it doubles as a tank cover. The only other decoration needed to complete the biotope is a Penn-Plax skull, or possibly a pirate with genitalia drawn on with a magic marker. Some eyewitnesses recall seeing the head from a Rock 'em Sock 'em Robot floating at one time, but no further data is available.

When stocking the tank, keep in mind that this biotope adheres strictly to 1970's pet shop fare. Your shopping list must include 3 oscars, 3 Jack Dempseys, 1 gar, 6 firemouths, 4 kissing gouramis, 6 angelfish, 6 zebra danios, and a few neon tetras. As you can guess, it would be ridiculous to stock all of these at once; Skippy's allowance simply did not provide enough working capital in 1973. In fact, one of the true joys of this biotope is the sense of discovery you can experience by stocking randomly from the above list on a weekly basis.

Diet plays an important role in achieving balance in this biotope. Flies (wings mostly removed), legless ants, sowbugs and Skittles provide the bulk; Lemonheads serve as vacation food. Some contend that Skippy fed earthworms via hook and line; others state that warmed Charleston Chews were offered. One of the nicest aspects of this biotope is that the aquarist is afforded a lot of freedom to achieve the desired effect, specifically, a roiling, translucent bubbly water column with occasional glimpses of chaotic, semi-deformed fish.

Replicate, appreciate!