AGAIAC 2026 / Biotope

#1418 Thung Teao Forest Nature Park Wetland, Krabi, Tailand

Thung Teao Forest Nature Park Wetland, Krabi, Tailand

Arif Hikmet Başeğmez • Türkiye Sivas, Türkiye, Türkiye

5 rank

Thung Teao Forest Nature Park Wetland, Krabi, Tailand

About This Aquascape

Rodrigo Silva is the amazing underwater video producer who inspired me to create this aquarium. The natural water resources and biodiversity in the Krabi state were magnificent. I constructed the aquarium with stunning images reflected in Rodrigo's camera lens, and I recreated it for a group of espei rasboras accompanying a 5-member vittata family.

Biotope Information

Emerald Pool (locally known as Sa Morakot) in Thailand is a world-famous natural resource pool located in the province of Krabi, known for its mineral richness and vibrant ecosystem. The water's captivating turquoise and emerald green color is caused by the dense calcium carbonate (limestone) and other rich minerals from underground thermal springs. The color of the pool varies from light green to blue depending on the angle of sunlight and weather conditions. The waters of this environment, rich in minerals and carbonates, have dissolved salts above 300ppm tds, pH ranging from 7.9 to 8.4, and high K and pH values. There is rich biodiversity with betta simplex, gurami species, rasboras, moss species, limnophila, ferns, and cryptocoryne species. It is surrounded by rainforests. Based on the videos I watched, I shaped an elevation formed by a shoreline extending from the coast to the lake, composed of soil and rocks with intricate root systems and plant root clusters. The plants, substrate, and dry botanics were positioned to mimic the natural behavior of the fish. PH: 8.2 kH: 13 gH:14 tds:287 https://pickyourtrail.com/attractions/krabi/the-emerald-pool-krabi https://iucn.org/story/202508/planet-will-never-see-species-again-fight-save-krabis-endemic-betta-fish https://youtu.be/wsRQmSDA93Q?si=ogM6lghG8WdsB8-J

Arif Hikmet Başeğmez

Sivas, Türkiye, Türkiye

Quick Stats

Style: Biotope
Size: 70x50x30 cm
Volume: 105 L (27.7 gal.)
Plant Species: 2
Fish Species: 2

Biotope Location

Thung Teao Forest Nature Park Wetland, Krabi, Tailand (7.904170,99.227829)

Judges' Comments

A well-constructed and carefully considered habitat, providing a good environment for its fish. Some of the planting feels a little contrived rather than entirely natural, but the overall display is effective. I particularly value the attention given to the fishes’ habitat requirements.

— Tai Strietman

This is a beautiful and unique biotope, and I appreciate the time, effort, and care you put into recreating this natural habitat. I particularly love how you have positioned the hardscape elements throughout the aquascape, creating an interesting and visually appealing composition. One area I would suggest refining is the Limnophila sessiliflora, which currently appears somewhat uniform and structured, making it look less natural and lacking depth. When trimming in the future, I would recommend using a more layered approach, allowing for variation in height and density to create a more aesthetic appearance.

— Kapil Mandrekar

A beautiful and creative recreation! I particularly love the sloping bank and the dense network of branches, which convincingly represents the fine roots of trees growing along the water's edge. The beautiful blue hue is also very characteristic of this habitat and adds greatly to the realism. However, I think the Limnophila needed more time to grow in before the final photograph. Denser planting, and perhaps incorporating other plants like Ceratopteris, would have improved it further. The Christmas moss is also a reasonable substitute for a similar moss found naturally around Krabi. Overall, a very thoughtful recreation with a great sense of place and some lovely details!

— Rodrigo Silva

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