1st Place
Petra Bašić (Zagreb, Croatia)
Australia & Oceania. Burster Creek, Jardine River wetlands, Cape York, Queensland, Australia
Prize: certificate for 650 Euro
Biotope description: Cape York
peninsula is the largest unspoiled wild area in northern Australia and
one of the last remaining ones on Earth. It has many swamplands with an
extraordinary biodiversity of flora and fauna. The Jardine Complex with
Jardine River is the largest wetland on the peninsula. Pseudomugil
gertrudae and Iriatherina werneri are found in small creeks, swampy
marshes and rainforest streams with a lot of plants, woody debris, leaf
litter, and sandy or muddy bottom. Melanotaenia trifasciata occurs
almost in every slow-moving water and clear river here. Dense vegetation
protects these rainbowfishes from predators like Scleropages jardinii.
This aquarium presents such place, small refuge for rainbowfish in
wetlands around river Jardine.
Fish list: Iriatherina werneri, Melanotaenia trifasciata, Pseudomugil gertrudae
Plants list: Blyxa aubertii,
Hygrophila corymbosa angustifolia, Limnophila aromatica, Nymphaea
stellata, Riccardia chamedryfolia, Salvinia natans, Vallisneria nana
2nd Place + Audience Award
Svetlana Kirillova (Saint Pertersburg, Russia)
Africa. Slow flowing forest duct of the Nun River basin, in the north of Bayelsa State, Nigeria
Prize: certificate for 550 Euro + 150 Euro (Audience Award)
Biotope description: Nun River is
the longest (160 km) continuation of the Niger River. The Nun River
begins near the village of Aboh, where the Niger River splits in two,
forming Nun and Forcados, flows through the rain forests, swamps and
mangroves, and empties into the Gulf of Guinea. Flooding from monsoon
rains lasts from June to September, then the water level drops, and in
February, with the arrival of the flood waters from the Niger River,
rises again. Forest rivers and streams of the Nun River basin are home
to many species of fish and other aquatic organisms. Although oil
production causes serious damage to the local nature, yet in clean
rivers significant biodiversity can be found. Mainly semi-aquatic plants
grow in places where sun can reach the earth surface through the trees.
Fish list: Gnathonemus petersii, Hymenochirus boettgeri, Pantodon buchholzi, Pelvicachromis pulcher, Chromaphyosemion bitaeniatum
Plants list: Anubias barteri angustifolia afzelii, Bolbitis heudelotii, Ceratopteris thalictroides, Crinum calamistratum
3rd Place 
Víctor Manuel Ortiz Cruz (San Lorenzo Cacaotepec, Mexico)
North America. Subbasin of Valle Nacional River, Oaxaca, Mexico
Prize: certificate for 450 Euro
Biotope description: Valle
Nacional River feeds the Papaloapan River (the second largest in
Mexico). The shown biotope is a bank stream on Atlantic slope. On its
bottom there are grayish and slightly reddish oval rocks and sand
sometimes covered with organic matter and leaves from trees and plants
growing on banks. Submerged roots and branches provide food and shelter
for the fry of Thorichthys ellioti, which often cohabit with Cichlasoma
salvini and Poecilia sphenops. Near the banks there are more wood and
leaves on the bottom, while rocks are predominant near the middle with
no organic matter in the current. There is almost no aquatic plants
here, only small patches of Eleocharis sp., Fontinalis and Fissidens
mosses and riverine grass in some parts of the river.
Fish list: Cichlasoma salvini, Thorichthys ellioti
Plants list: Eleocharis parvula, Fissidens fontanus, Fontinalis sp. "Willow"
Víctor's comment about the contest: The
contest is an excellent opportunity to show the beauty of natural
waterbodies to the world, but also it allows us to point out the
problems we may face, as in the case of most rivers and streams in
Mexico, where there is a great biodiversity, but often it is threatened.
That's why the contest is a platform to promote environmental awareness
among the aquarists. Personally I am very grateful to UNITEX, JBL and
other sponsors that support and promote such events so that more people
can participate. Thank you very much for the opportunity. I hope to
participate next year. Greetings from Mexico.
4th Place
Vyacheslav Veriga (Vladivostok, Russia)
Eurasia. Tamnang River, Si Phang Nga national park, Province Phang Nga, Southern Thailand
Prize: certificate for 350 Euro
Biotope description: Tamnang
River starts on the western slopes of the mountain range, flows through
ancient rainforests and empties into the Andaman Sea. Typical
decorations here are partly smooth stones, lots of live roots and
driftwood. There are no aquatic plants here, except for the fern
Microsorum pteropus, which often grows above the water because of the
high humidity. Along with shallow rifts there are deep parts in the
river where big barbel Neolissochilus lives. The river is home to
smaller fishes: various carps, e.g., Puntius lateristriga, Puntius
aurotaeniatus, and representatives of Devario species. They are good
swimmers and do not avoid areas with a rapid current. Such place is
shown in the aquarium.
Fish list: Devario cf. aequipinnatus, Puntius lateristriga
Plants list: Microsorum pteropus
5th Place
Ivan Frank (Zagreb, Croatia)
South America. Llullapichis River, province Huanuco, Peru
Prize: certificate for 250 Euro
Biotope description: Llullapichis
(Yuyapichis) River is a 52 km long white water river starting in Cerro
Sirra and ending in Pachitea River in Huanuco, Peru close to the western
slopes of the Andes. Because of blackwater creeks, rifts and palm
swamps its water is almost always murky. Its current vary from very fast
to slow. River bottom consists of sand, rounded stones, roots, branches
and leaf litter with different plants. Corydoras like sand the most and
such is shown in the aquarium. Other species living here are Ancistrus
sp., Carnegiella marthae, different Nannostomus, Otocinclus and
Apistogramma sp., etc. On southern bank of the river there is a famous
research station Panguana. Like almost all rivers of Ucayali system this
one is in danger of pollution because of gold extraction and logging.
Fish list: Corydoras panda, Prionobrama filigera, Rineloricaria sp.
Plants list: Echinodorus
quadricostatus "magdalenensis", Echinodorus parviflorus Tropica,
Limnobium laevigatum, Myriophyllum mattogrossense, Pistia stratiotes
Ivan's comment about the contest: Since
I'm in this hobby I have always looked for natural look of my aquaria.
When setting up my tank for Apistogramma I got introduced in setting up a
biotope. Gathering information in the web, I found few books available
and mostly contacted people who research and collect fishes. It is hard
work, but very satisfying in the end. Making real a picture of natural
environment in a tank and watching fish acting like in a real stream,
river is just fascinating, and best reward you can get. BADC is getting
bigger every year and its demands are higher. The jury of only finest
and world known people in the hobby couldn't make any mistake. Getting
invitation to the finals was a big surprise for me. It was great
experience where I have learned a lot from other participants, and of
course from judges. Organization was on top level and I would like to
thank all the people involved in this competition in any way.
