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Style guide
Biotope
A faithful slice of one real place on Earth
A biotope tank replicates a single real habitat — an Amazon tributary, a Lake Tanganyika shoreline, a Southeast Asian blackwater stream — with the actual plants, fish, wood, stones and water chemistry found there. Nothing in a biotope should be out of place.
Key principles
Research first
Every element must come from the target habitat: same fish species, same plants, same substrate, same water parameters — even the same leaf litter.
Water chemistry matters
Blackwater tanks are soft, acidic and stained by tannins; Rift Lake tanks are hard and alkaline. Replicating the chemistry is part of the craft.
Function over composition
A biotope is judged by authenticity, not by aquascaping rules. Layout follows how the real habitat actually looks.
Strict stocking
Only species from the target location — no 'similar looking' substitutes. This is the style's defining rule.
Who is it for?
Hobbyists who love research, authenticity and natural history more than artistic composition.
Getting started
- 1
Pick a specific habitat and research it: water parameters, substrate, wood, plants, fish, light.
- 2
Gather the correct materials — real driftwood, sand from the right particle size, leaf litter if used.
- 3
Match water chemistry precisely and keep it stable.
- 4
Stock only fish and plants from the target biotope.
- 5
Document your choices; biotope hobbyists love sharing the 'why' behind every element.
