2024 biotope category

#103 Susukan Pasirluhur by Flea Aldriawadha, Indonesia

Aquascape Details

Dimensions: 60 cm x 30 cm x 25 cm

Title: Susukan Pasirluhur

Volume: 45 L

Lighting: T5 Warm White

Filtration: Undergravel + Aerator System

Plants:

Live stock: Snakehead (Channa Limbata)

Hardscape Materials: River Stones , Rasamala Woods , Lava Sand

Background: Black Scolaite

Substrate: Lava Sand

The display has a naturalistic feel to it, and I appreciate the attention to detail in the use of the decor. The substrate does appear a little too much like plant soil but perhaps represents best the muddy conditions of the habitat. As in the previous year’s contest, there is an ethics concern reagrding tank/fish sizes. This species reaches 20cm as an adult and the aquarium here is only 60cm long. While this is not a typically ‘shoaling’ fish, this tank is too small for the animal long term and that has seriously impacted the overall impression. Once again, it is the duty of the judges to educate: the tank needs to be suitable for the animal for the entirety of its life. Recommendations for C. limbata are for a 120x45x45cm display (243 litres). This creator has used a tank of 60x30x25cm (41 litres). This means that while the display may be authentic, a knowledgeable viewer could and should feel uncomfortable at seeing the fish maintained in such conditions.
— Tai Strietman