Rocky J. Squirrel Presents GEMS+H: The Stories That Bind Us
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Amazonian Living Ecosystem
From a Childhood Aquarium to Brazil—and Back Again
My fascination with aquariums began long before I ever considered creating an Amazonian living ecosystem in my own home.
When I was a child, my family had a small 10-gallon aquarium. One of my most memorable childhood aquarium stories actually comes from a major winter storm.
During what I believe was the Blizzard of 1979, I was living on Long Island. Power was lost throughout much of the area, and many of the surrounding streets were without electricity. School was cancelled, and with my father out of town, my mother, sister, and I went to stay with my best friend's family because they still had power.
When my father eventually arrived home, his first question to my mother wasn't, "Are you okay?" or "Are the kids okay?"
It was:
"Are the fish okay?"
My father explained that he could tell my mother was fine—and if something had been seriously wrong with the kids, he knew she would have been hysterical, screaming and shouting. So, naturally, he wanted to know about the fish.
That little aquarium was one of my earliest connections to the idea that an aquarium isn't simply a container with fish in it. It's a living environment—and something worth caring about.
A Lifelong Interest in Aquariums
As I grew older, aquariums continued to find their way into my life. Over the years, I've kept several different types of aquariums, including freshwater tanks, a saltwater aquarium, and even a koi pond in my backyard.
Eventually, my interest began to move beyond simply keeping fish. I became more interested in the environment itself—how plants, water, substrate, lighting, filtration, and aquatic life could come together to create a living ecosystem.
That eventually led me toward a particular environment that had already made a lasting impression on me: Brazil.
From Brazil Toward the Amazon
My fascination with Brazil began during my college years, when I had the opportunity to travel there on a mission trip. That journey introduced me to a country, its people, and its culture in ways that left a lasting impression on me.
The trip also connects directly to another interest featured on this website: ham radio.
The missionary I worked with in Brazil was the same ham radio operator who first showed me how amateur radio could connect people across enormous distances.
During our time in Brazil, we traveled by bus from Fortaleza to Belém, experiencing the country far beyond the typical tourist destinations. In Belém, we spent several days with a national pastor and had the opportunity to experience a part of Brazil much closer to the Amazon.
Although Belém isn't located at the exact point where the Amazon River meets the Atlantic Ocean, the river's enormous estuary is only a short distance away.
That journey left a lasting impression on me.
From Brazil Back to the Aquarium
My experiences in Brazil eventually influenced the kind of aquarium I wanted to create.
For a short time while living in Texas, I built an Amazon-inspired aquarium. After moving to Ohio, I continued keeping aquariums, but now I'm ready to create another Amazon-inspired ecosystem.
This time, I want to take what I've learned from years of keeping aquariums and combine it with my lasting connection to Brazil to create a 20-gallon Amazon-inspired living ecosystem.
My goal isn't to recreate the Amazon rainforest in a glass box.
Instead, this aquarium is an opportunity to draw inspiration from the aquatic plants, natural environments, and biodiversity of the Amazon region while creating a living environment of my own.
It is another way of keeping a connection to Brazil alive—and another opportunity to explore something I've enjoyed since childhood.
The 20-Gallon Ecosystem
The foundation of the project is a 20-gallon aquarium.
The tank currently contains substrate topped with rocks and a piece of driftwood that provides structure within the aquascape.
At this stage, the aquarium is being established primarily as a planted environment. Fish will eventually be added as the ecosystem develops.
The goal is to create an environment where the plants and aquatic life work together as part of a functioning miniature ecosystem.
The Plants
The plants are an important part of the project because they transform the aquarium from a container of water into a living environment.
The current planting includes:
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Amazon Sword — a prominent plant that helps establish the foundation of the aquascape.
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Pygmy Chain Sword / Dwarf Sagittaria — low-growing plants being used toward the foreground.
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Staurogyne repens — fifteen plants that will gradually spread and help create a dense planted area.
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Two taller background plants — currently believed to be Brazilian Pennywort, pending confirmation of their identification.
As the plants grow, the appearance of the ecosystem will change. Part of the fun of the project is watching that transformation happen over time.
Creating the Right Environment
The aquarium is being developed without supplemental CO₂, using ordinary tap water and natural plant growth.
The lighting will eventually be upgraded from the aquarium's original hood to a Hygger aquarium light, providing a better environment for the plants.
The filtration system is also likely to be upgraded. The current filter sits inside the aquarium, but I plan to replace it with a Hygger filtration system as the ecosystem develops.
These changes are part of the learning process.
Rather than simply assembling an aquarium and considering it finished, I'm interested in understanding how changes in lighting, filtration, plants, water, and eventually aquatic life affect the environment as a whole.
From Plants to Aquatic Life
The aquarium currently has no fish.
Eventually, I plan to introduce fish and other appropriate aquatic life as the ecosystem becomes established.
That will add another dimension to the project.
The goal isn't simply to add animals for appearance. I want to consider how the aquatic life fits into the environment being created and how the different elements of the ecosystem interact.
Observing a Living Ecosystem
One of the things that attracts me to this project is that it connects with several of my other interests.
Like my weather station, the aquarium gives me an opportunity to observe and record change over time.
Like my interest in history and genealogy, it encourages me to look at connections rather than isolated pieces.
And like my experience with ham radio, it reminds me that seemingly separate things can become connected through a shared experience.
The aquarium may occupy only twenty gallons of space, but it represents something much larger: a continuing connection to a country and experience that made a lasting impression on me.
Why the Amazon?
My connection to Brazil began with a journey.
I traveled through the country, met people, experienced its culture, and saw places that were very different from my home in the United States.
The journey from Fortaleza to Belém was particularly memorable, and being so close to the Amazon region left an impression that stayed with me long after I returned home.
This aquarium is one small way of keeping that connection alive.
It isn't intended to claim that every plant, rock, fish, or piece of equipment comes from the Amazon. It is inspired by the Amazon—by its aquatic environments, biodiversity, and the sense of exploration that I associate with my time in Brazil.
The Ecosystem Continues to Grow
The aquarium is still a work in progress.
Plants will grow. Equipment will change. Fish will eventually be introduced. The aquascape will evolve.
And as it does, I'll continue documenting what I learn.
What began with a journey to Brazil has become another opportunity to explore, observe, learn, and tell a story.
A 20-gallon aquarium may be small, but the story behind it reaches all the way back to Brazil.
Explore My Other Passions
Hamilton Railfanning
Following the Rails, Discovering the Stories
A lifelong fascination with railroads that began in childhood and continues today from Hamilton, Ohio, and beyond.
Hamilton Weather
Watching the Weather, Recording the Story
A personal weather station and a continuing interest in observing, recording, and understanding the weather around Hamilton.
Ham Radio
Connecting People Across the Airwaves
An exploration of amateur radio, communication, technology, and the people connected through the airwaves.
Amazonian Living Ecosystem
Creating Living Ecosystems
An exploration of aquatic life, living ecosystems, and the inspiration behind creating an Amazon-inspired environment at home.