Skip to content
ankily
Log in

Tapajos River, Clearwater

The crystal-clear waters of Brazil. As clear as glass, with a white sandy bottom. Home to the giant Altum and the Geophagus.

Description

Brazil's "clearwater rivers" (Tapajós, Xingu, Tocantins) are clear and slightly acidic, unlike the Río Negro (dark) or the main Amazon River (murky). The riverbed consists of white sand and rounded rocks. Vegetation is sparse but present.

Parameters

ParameterValue
pH6.0 – 7.0
GH1–5 °dGH
KH1–3 °dKH
Temperature26 – 30°C
ColorTransparent

Decor

  • Substrate: White quartz sand (very distinctive)
  • Rocks: Round, granite, quartz — non-calcareous
  • Wood: Scarce, bleached logs
  • No leaves or tannins (unlike the Río Negro)
  • Plants: Scarce along the banks — Echinodorus in shallow areas

Representative species

  • Pterophyllum scalare (Amazonian angelfish — wild form)
  • Geophagus surinamensis, G. tapajos (sand-sifting cichlids)
  • Heros efasciatus (severum — wild, green-and-gold form)
  • Satanoperca leucosticta (humpback cichlid)
  • Corydoras sterbai (orange-spotted corydoras)
  • Anostomus anostomus (red-nosed pencilfish)
  • Leporinus fasciatus (striped barbel)