Fishalicious

Just Fish....

2009-10-22T22:40:00.001+02:00

Due to health & personal reasons I have not been keeping this blog up to date <shame on me> I do miss blogging about my favorite thing in the world.....

All my fish are well and there have not been a lot of changes...other than frequent fry which keeps things interesting ;)

A newish harem I have are Apistogramma Panudro....having kept loads of different Apisto's over the years I can wholeheartedly say these are the feistiest ones I have ever kept.... the dominant female is queen of the tank and can reduce all of the bigger fish into bibbering babies...when she get's in one of her moods all the fish are clumped in one corner (60cm) and she has the rest of the tank (1 meter) to herself LOL

The dominant Apistogramma Panduro female RiRi

The other female who as you can see has had a few run in's with RiRi - Rita

The Male....he cannot handle RiRi but quite likes Rita - Randy

The Keyholes had little ones a while back and they are now scattered throughout the tank waiting for a new home....1 of the little ones will still not leave the parents sight and follows them all day long.

Another little one...

The Ramirezi's have also been busy....here's a little one (female)..now 1 month old

A quickie but hopefully a cute one seeing I posted baby pics <grins>

Have a great day xxxx

Just a Quickie on the Big Tank...

2009-04-23T19:38:00.001+02:00

I have just gotten back from Scotland again ... and discovered Blue Green Algae in the big tank - arghhhhhhh Everytime I go away I come back to a disaster! I am now treating it and hope to be rid of it soon...

Anyhow...this is the big tank at the moment....

The Celestial Pearl Danio's have their first little ones swimming around - just too adorable at that size.

My photo came in third at the big Vivarium Fair 2009 in Utrecht - woot! (see blog below)

XXX

Busy Weekend

2009-04-02T10:59:00.001+02:00

Hi Peeps <waves>

I have had no time whatsoever to keep this blog up to date and really want to apologize to those who keep asking for updates.

Everything is fine in the Fishalicious underwater world ;) I managed to get a couple of wild caught Ramirezi's and am struggling to get them on frozen food at the moment.

I had a really busy weekend working at the Vivarium Beurs (fair) 2009 in Utrecht - I was hired by a company to aquascape 2 tanks for their stall at the fair as well as help out. I was a little worried about speaking Dutch and folks understanding me all weekend but it went well ;)

A short video showing some of the fair:

This was the stall I helped out at

www.aquaplantsonline.nl

One of the tanks I did:

It really was a fun filled weekend with lot's to do and see in the fishy world - Oliver Knott also did some live aquascaping and Christel Kasselmann came by and even said my tanks were very nice - that was me over the moon for the rest of the day ;)

I also had the honor of being picked with one of the top 10 pictures in the photo contest - it was brilliant to see one of my pics blown up as a poster hanging there - here were the entries:

I don't know if I have won yet as the public had to vote on their fave piccy...I doubt it very much but I was just really happy to see my picture up there - woot!

I fell in love with this moss tree

And here is the smallest tank that was at the fair

My fave tank had to be the saltwater tank with all the Clownfish

I really wish you guys could have all been there....fun was had by all xxxx

Plant of the Month - Microsorum pteropus

2007-11-05T22:13:00.008+01:00

Microsorum pteropus / Java Fern

Very undemanding plant which is perfect for those dark corners in the tank where the light does not reach or for low light tanks with no C02 or added nutrition. Actually in high light the leaves of this beauty can burn... this is a plant that anyone can keep easily.

This plant does not even need soil - it grows at it's best on a piece of driftwood or stone...just attach it with some fishing line or rubber band and within 2 weeks the roots will have attached to it.

It also propagates very quickly and easily. It is also not very fussy when it comes to water parameters - so if you have ever fancied trying a real plant in your set up this is the one to go for as it will not let you down.

In search of the true Siamese Algae Eater – get ready for the confusion!

2008-11-24T20:40:00.001+01:00

So we know the true Siamese Algae Eater is the Crossocheilus siamensis which is often confused with the Flying Fox (Epalzeorhynchus kallopterus) and not so similar Chinese algae Eater (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri) as well as a fish known as the False Siamese Algae Eater (Garra cambodgiensis) which prefers fish food to algae.

Garra cambodgiensis

Epalzeorhynchus kallopterus

Often they are found in the fish store in a tank labeled – Algae Eaters which then house an array of fish that all look like a true Siamese Algae Eater.

Lots of shops mislabel these fish so Siamese algae eaters can also often be found under Flying Fox as well as other names.
The names in shops:
Algae Eater, Thai flying fox, Siamese flying fox, colorful flying fox, Epalzeorhynchos sp, trunk barb, Chinese catfish as well as an array of wonderful other names.

The only real gem for planted tanks is the Crossocheilus siamensis as this is the one that WILL eat brush algae (red algae) unlike most other fish…. All others also rather eat fish food and will not touch any algae.

So how do we tell them apart from a false Siamese algae Eater? Well the rule so far has been that the fins should be be all clear and the black horizontal line goes all the way to the tip of the tail. Sounds pretty easy but it seems one of those things so many get wrong…including publications (Baensch Atlas has a picture of a fake SAE instead of a true SAE in the book) and the internet has an array of wrong images listed under Siamese Algae Eater.

You may now smugly look at your tank and think ‘YES, I have a true siamensis’ but don’t get excited yet. Even if you have eliminated the chance of it being a flying fox, garra, or chinese algae eater there is more to come……

Intrigued as to how so many people can be confused a little research was needed…
It seems a whole group of fish who look very similar and near identical all swim in the same habitat and these are all caught up and labeled as one of the above names and sold in the shops.
So even in one tank in the shop you can have a mix of near identical fish who are actually different fish – yes it is so confusing but it gets even worse…

Here it comes… what you think may be a genuine Crossocheilus siamensis may actually be :-
Crossocheilus oblongus
Crossocheilus Langei
Crossocheilus atrilimes
Crossocheilus citripinnis

WHAT?????
Yip these guys all swim around together in a habitat and believe me they all look like the real deal…but don’t act like the real deal when it comes to Algae.

Crossocheilus oblongus

Crossocheilus Langei

Crossocheilus atrilimes

Note that in images the coloration varies depending on stress as well as lighting etc.

There is a whole art to telling these guys apart which comes down to shading in a certain light, the exact millimeters of the horizontal stripe as well as the barbels or lack of. To make matters worse the one and only TRUE named Crossocheilus siamensis very very rarely is imported and nearly does not exist in our tanks.

So who is the imposter you thought was your true Siamese algae eater?

If you are lucky it is the Crossocheilus Langei which I believe we all label as and know as the true Siamensis – these guys are the only real brush algae eaters. All the others prefer fish food….

If you are unlucky you have the Crossocheilus atrilimes who favors soft plants and moss which makes sense to me now…. some people report their SAE eating moss etc. whilst other say they don’t touch theirs.

If you have a Siamese Algae Eater and are curious as to which one you really have now here is an excellent link:
http://math.muni.cz/~niederle/tabulka.html

After a head breaking hour I have discovered that I have 2 x Crossochelius Langei & 1 x Crossochellus Oblongus & 1 x Crossochellus citripinnis

Two of mine I believed to be Siamensis - the back one is a Citripinnis and the front on is a Langei (note the coloring is the same but the snout is different)

World Ranking top 27 Aquariums - PLANTS LAYOUT CONTEST 2008

2008-11-24T20:39:00.003+01:00

The winners have been in a while but thought I would share some of my favorites from this years top ranks.

Although there is no denying they are all amazingly beautiful I tend to lean towards the more dense set ups purely as I believe fish don't enjoy the sparse all low plant set ups and fish always come first with me ;)

I love the 'branches' in this

I could look at this all day...just beautiful and natural looking - My personal favorite and it came in 14th place

This reminds me of a real forest

The depth and roots in between the foreground plant are lovely

To feast your eyes on all the winners please visit:

International Layout Contest 2008

Low Light Aquarium Plants

2008-11-24T20:39:00.001+01:00

So on a follow up on the blog I did about plant nutrition a few days ago the questions are flowing in on do I need CO2?...are my lights strong enough?..etc..etc...

If you have never ventured into the world of aquarium plants as you are scared and cannot be bothered with all the hassle of special ferts, high lights, CO2 then don't bother with all that!! There are enough beautiful and interesting plants that are happy enough in a low maintenance every day lighting kind of tank.

Here is a list of EASY and LOW LIGHT plants

Anubias are great and undemanding...only condition is not to plant these but rather attach them nicely to some rock or wood.

Anubias barteri var. barteri which also comes in an array of versions like marbled etc.

Anubias barteri var. nana - same as above but mini version & the nana version comes in some varietes"
Anubias bar. var. nana 'Yellow heart'
Anubias bar. var. nana 'petite'

Normal Anubias barteri var. nana

Anubias barteri var. nana 'Marble'

So there is an Anubias for e very size tank as well as lot's of nice variations - just remember the name Anubias Barteri and you can't go wrong ;)

For mid and foreground nearly all Cryptocoryne also work great! and they come in all different kinds of leaf shapes & colors.

All Microsorums - Java Ferns will also work and there are variations - it takes a disaster to kill these in the tank...even with no light for some weeks they do great.

For backing plants in the scape you cannot go wrong with:

Hygrophila Polysperma (please note illegal in some countries/states)
Hygrophila Tiger Sp.
Ceratophyllym demersum

Bacopa australis
Bolbitis heudelotii

To finish off the whole look of a low light tank you can add some nice drfitwood with moss attached....mosses are also easy and can look very effective and impressive in a scape.

HAPPY PLANTING!

Update on Apisto Cacatouides Fry and Angel Fry

2008-11-09T15:46:00.001+01:00

Pictures say more than any words LOL

Back & Lost some fish...

2008-11-08T13:28:00.001+01:00

Holidays are always risky as a fishkeeper...you can leave a manual for someone to take care of your fish the size of the bible but things can still go wrong. Only you know your fish the best and know when something is up. Unfortunately I lost some friends whilst I was away...

Rhett my Apistogramma MacMasteri was the most painful - he was a true beauty in character and looks. R.I.P little friend.
Also lost some hemigrammus bleheri and my discrossus filemantosa male Anakin.

The lifecycle continues though... on my return the Angels promptly welcomed me with a nest

and since yesterday the Apistogramma Cacatouides Triple Reds are free swimming

The show tank had turned into a jungle LOL

So I spent a good while pruning it right back - a bit drastic but it will grow in nicely within a week or two plus it is nice to see some of the fish again <grins>

Caring for your live plants - Nutrition

2008-11-08T13:27:00.001+01:00

Get to know your aquatic plants like you get to know your fish…watch its growth, coloring and read about its needs in a book or reliable Internet site. I am going to try and outline the needs and deficiency’s here as simple as possible.

The Major nutrients needed for plant growth are carbon, nitrogen, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and sulfur.

As with everything in life though it is about balance and finding what you need for your individual tank as every tank is different add to that the fact that many of those substances are toxic to the plants & fish in very high amounts – eeeek!!!

Java Fern is undemanding and grows in any light

I am one of the first to agree that it all seems scary & frightening as there is a lot of information to take in at the beginning but once you have found that beautiful balance it is just a case of throwing in the right amount of the right nutrients every week with your water change – easy peasy!

So where do we start…
Too little nutrition and the plants suffer and too much nutrition you get an algae outbreak – but not every tank needs added nutrition to sustain healthy plants. Every tank already has small amounts of the needed nutrition on its own. The nutrients in your tap water and in your tank substrate make up what you already have.

1st Rule - check your set up and lighting and chose your plants from there as this can stop a lot of heartache from the word go...there are hundreds of aquatic plants available so definitely some for each tank set up.
If you put a high light plant in a low light tank no amount of nutrition is going to turn it into an amazing plant and vice versa….stick a low light plant in a high light tank straight under the lighting and it is just doomed to be covered in algae in no time and may even suffer leaf burn.
Remember to check the plants preferred pH range also when looking for your tank and match it to yours.

2nd Rule - don’t spend hundreds on special substrates – check your chosen plants needs but basically all that plants need are a not too compact substrate (anaerobic) which allows the nutrients to get to the plants easier.
Yes I am going against what the advertisers tell you LOL All that specialized substrates do are allow the nutrients to chelate more (Chelators - These are organic “coatings” that keep the nutrients from binding with other substances which the plants cannot access. Plants break down and use these chelators, the Bacteria in your tank also release small amounts of the nutrient into the water over a period of time)
Most bottled nutrients or tabs have chelating agents in them so I don’t see the point in doubling up. Upside of specialist substrate is that you may need less nutrient supplements over time but I would like to add that peat & humic acid are natural chelators so if you put a little of either (really just a little bit) if your tank that is not meant to be a High PH tank you have a wonderful and cheap way of cutting the costs of nutrients also.

3rd Rule -Check where your plants get their nutrition as every plant is different.
Heavy root feeders such as Echinodorus, Cryptocoryne or Anubias spp. Don’t really care about the liquid ferts….for these use root tabs.
Most stem plants & floating plants are leaf feeding so love the liquid stuff but a root tab here and there can also help them a lot.

4th Rule – Before throwing any ferts in check the bottle/packaging.
Good companies will list all the goodies on the packaging – Nitrates & Phosphates are a no-no!!! Instead check it has supplemental potassium and possibly magnesium as well as other trace elements.
You can make it as complicated or as easy as you like… some companies bring out a separate bottle for each supplement and others have good all round in one supplement.
Don’t always stick to the dosing on the packaging!! Every tank is different – a 10 Gallon tank with 2 plants is going to need a lot less than a 10 Gallon heavily planted set up.
Use common sense…. The companies go by the average… if you only have a few plants use less if your tank is overflowing with plants use more or spread it over 2 times a week.

5th Rule – Don’t start throwing in nutrients like a mad professor… when you first add the plants don’t do anything other than maybe a few root tabs here and there!!!
Watch them for a while – a lot of them will be fine. If they do start to wither away don’t panic – plants are strong and pick up really quickly again.
It is a lot easier to add what is needed rather than start cutting things out (which the plants may need) and you end up in a vicious cycle.
Plants take a little while to bounce back after a change as with everything in the aquatic world it is about patience. If you do start to add something give it a good month or two before abandoning it and trying something new or adding something else. Usually at the way the plant is withering you can tell what it is lacking.

6th Rule – Don’t panic if your newly purchased plant starts to change color or wither away.
Most plants need to adjust to the new water and substrate they are being put in. Many aquatic plants are also grown out of water so need a period of time to adjust to being underwater in which time they can first wither away or dramatically change in appearance. Some High Tech LFS’s have recently been keeping aquatic plants in CO2 tanks – if you don’t have a tank with CO2 then the plants have to adjust.

7th Rule - Low Light tank: If you have a low light tank and suitable low light plants your regular water changes and fish feeding are probably giving your plants all they need – if you add nutrients algae can take over as that is all you are feeding. Usually the only problems that arise are iron or magnesium.
8th Rule - The higher the light the quicker the plant growth the more nutrients the plants need – simple huh?
If you are adding CO2 or/and have high lights the chances are very high that you really need to use a schedule of dosing every week to keep up with the plants demands.

9th Rule – Don’t make it all so complicated for yourself… relax and take your time with plant choice, nutrition etc. Your plants are your guide – if it isn’t broke don’t try to fix it. It is not a science and if I can do it so can you!

10th Rule - Fish come first - plants last!!! Don't do anything that could harm your fish in any way in the name of having a beautiful planted tank.

So on to the deficiencies remember many symptoms are possible..these are only indications of what could be going wrong but are a good guide to start with to track down the problem.

Carbon dioxide deficiency – small leaves, very slow growth, white deposits on leaves.
Nitrogen deficiency – Old leaves turn yellow and in very high light tanks reddish. Leaves die off very quickly.
Phosphorus deficiency – Very similar to Nitrogen deficiency with leaves dying off Small dead areas appear on the leaves. Leaves can turn dark green and stunted growth.
Potassium deficiency – Yellow spots, withering tips on older leaves. Pinholes also appear and slowly enlarge
Calcium deficiency – deformed new leaf growth (bent, cupped, curved). Damage and die off of growing points. Yellow margins.
Magnesium deficiency - Yellow spots on old leaves. Often appears similar to iron deficiency since mg deficiency prevents a plant from properly using iron. Yellowing of old leaves starting from edges while major veins remain green
Sulphur – yellowing of new leaves or reddish in very high light set ups. Similar to Nitrogen deficiency.
Iron deficiency - Leaves grow in pale or yellow, Greenish nerves enclosing yellow leaf tissue. First seen in fast growing plants and the leaves can look transparent.
Manganese deficiency - in new leaves yellow areas between veins, while the veins themselves remain green. The tissue between the veins then dies, producing elongated holes in the leaves. These symptoms can also be seen in the presence of excess iron because this condition can block the uptake of manganese.
Copper deficiency — The tips of the new leaves die and margins wither. Excess copper will kill a number of plants, including Vallisneria, Ludwigia, Sagittaria and others.
Zinc deficiency — On old leaves yellow areas appear between the veins, on the margins and at the leaf tip on older leaves.
Boron deficiency — In new leaves growth tips die. The plant produces side shoots, but these also die quickly. Similar to Calcium.
Molybdenum deficiency — Yellow spots between veins on old leaves first. This is followed by brown areas along leaf margins. Flowering is inhibited.

Off to see Nessie

2008-10-11T23:37:00.001+02:00

I am off on Holiday folks... going back home to see Nessie my little friend at Loch Ness

Be good to your fishies as always until I get back... I will be stopping at lot's of fishy places so get ready for some snaps when I get back ;)

Aquasketcher - Design a Tank

2008-10-11T23:29:00.003+02:00

Very cute and fun set up - got no money for another tank or dreaming of putting together your dream planted tank then this is really fun - a nice way also to try new things

Aquasketcher

A few examples:

Woohoo! Won another Photo Competition

2008-10-11T23:29:00.001+02:00

This is my 5th win with a fishy piccie - I can only say it is thanks to having such handsome fish <grins> Prize is about $30 to spend at a LFS this time....

Here is the winning snap of Squinty my Male Ramirezi - Handsome little chap huh?

Photography is quickly becoming a second passion for me besides fish so much so I am currently doing a photography course to get better at it.

Fish & Shrimp Friendly Bug Trap

2008-09-30T20:20:00.001+02:00

This works great for MTS (Malaysian Trumpet Snails) or Planaria and any other bugs that love to hang out in the gravel... not that MTS are bugs but they can overrun a tank pretty quick if you feed too much. It is completely fish and shrimp safe (especially bugs in a shrimp tank are hard to remove without catching some baby shrimp) and I have heard horror stories of other traps trapping fish and them dying.

All you need is a cleaned bottle (I just use a water bottle) - Slice off the top and the bottom and chuck the middle in the bin unless you are into plastic bracelets. Remove the lid from the top half... this is where the critters are going to crawl in..

Now something to lure the little bugs...bloodworms are perfect as nothing I know in the fishy world can resist them but any fish food will do - pop it into the bottom half of the bottle

Slot the bottle top onto the bottom - make sure there are no gaps between the two

Now just put it in the aqua - shove it slightly into the gravel/sand - the bugs are going to crawl up under the gravel into the bottle neck and onto the yummy bloodworms

After just 15 minutes a lot were already trapped

Planaria:

Malaysian Trumpet Snails crawling via the bottle neck into the trap

Happy hunting and let me know how it works for you xxx

Why are fish so shiny?

2008-09-30T20:19:00.005+02:00

And no it is not so beady eyed birds can catch a fish supper more easily...

Beautiful shiny scales with metallic sheen that fish possess have made for endless discussions over the years that can now finally be put to rest.

It is due to a sophisticated system of crystals that enhance light reflection and may help fish hide from predators in the wild, scientists in Israel are reporting.

In the new study, Lia Addadi and colleagues note that researchers have known for years that guanine crystals in the skin underneath the scales of fish reflect light to produce a mirror-like sheen.

This silvery reflectance acts as a form of camouflage that helps protect fish from predators as fish swim near the water's surface

Full Story

Silly tanks...

2008-09-30T20:19:00.003+02:00

Yip what's a fish blog without some more wacky and silly tanks..feast your eyes on these monstrosities

Female Fish to take over the world!

2008-09-30T20:19:00.001+02:00

World domination is at their fins thanks to us..well water domination then...

Hermaphrodite fish are on the rise, thanks to the birth control pill and other natural and unnatural forms of estrogen that have made their way into the water. Feminized fish were first found downstream from sewage plants in the United Kingdom. Before you let out a huge sigh of relief and think your big butch Oscar male is safe..this is also happening to your aquarium fish as there are also estrogen levels in the drinking water.

Full story

I Miss Blogging

2008-09-30T20:18:00.001+02:00

Yip so get used to some new posts and a lot more coming thereafter on a regular basis again! Now go weep about it or rejoice in joy <smiles>

Goodbye Pinky

2008-08-02T20:46:00.001+02:00

Today was a very sad day in my fishy world....my Ram female Pinky passed away. From what I can see it was from old age... I had the joy of having her in my life for 4 and a half years nearly which is double of what most Rams reach.

The above photo was taken just last night...she had lived so long I thought she was going to live forever....

She has always been Queen of the tank and I also notice today that all the other fish are looking for her... she was always the first one to greet me in the morning and could never be bothered waiting for the frozen food to melt in my hands in the tank and just eat from my hand.

I could write a blog about her and the funny things she did every single day for at least a year...she was such a character and an amazing mother to her offspring.

One of her funniest quirks was when she would go in the huff...if she had a fall out with any other fish she would really go into a huff like a human..she would sit in her corner pouting like mad .. she would be so grumpy at these times that the other fish quickly learnt that the pouty lip meant she was in one of her moods and stayed clear...the only thing to lift her mood usually was food.

Just look at that bottom lip!!! LOL Pinky in the Huff

She will be missed so dearly.... I hope she enjoyed her time with me as much as I did with her xxxxx

Been a Bad Bad Blogger!!!

2008-07-31T00:35:00.001+02:00

Now don't get a fright...yip I am still alive <smiles> I have been soooo busy lately with everything that I haven't had time to keep up my beloved blog...I have about 50 articles to get posted on here but every time I plan on doing so something else pops up. I promise to try and be a bit more regular again and take the time to keep everyone updated with fishy news in the world etc. This is just a quick photo blog to update some folks that have been mailing asking for piccies. I hope to get back to proper blogging soon.

The newest tank in the house at the moment:

It is the ever changing tank as since owning it (2 months) it has changed every few weeks LOL

Some new fish since last blogging:

Microgeophagus Altispinosa

Cleithracara maronii

Panaque Maccus

Apistogramma eremnopyge

Sadly my male Ramirezi died of old age or bullying from the Angels not sure which but there is a new man in town:

Dicrossus filamentosus

There are more other new fish but many are bred - at the moment I have a spawn of 30-40 Diamond Tetra Frt which I am the most excited about...I wrote a little while ago about how they are endangered in the wild.

The Angels breed every month on cue and usually just as I want to do a water change...I swear they do it just to annoy me LOL I got a quick video of the last spawn they had which are now happily swimming in the tank.

What else is going on...mmmh I am breeding Celestial Pearl Danio's, Apistogramma's and anything else that is in the mood LOL

There are new shrimp in the house which I am also breeding although they do that all by themselves:

Blue Pearl Shrimp

And Green Babaulti's

On other news I am now Moderator on a Fish Forum which is taking up a lot of my time but I get to talk about lovely fishies all day long which is never a bad thing.

I think these are the most important updates out of the way.... will be back soon.... I promise xxxx

Perfect Fish for the Nano

2007-08-20T21:58:00.001+02:00

You have seen them everywhere ... little cute Nano tanks of 27 Liters/5.5 Gallons/ 7 US Gallons .. mmmh might look nice on your desk or your other half might not notice it too quickly and have a freak out about yet 'another' tank in the house

By no means do you have to settle for the usual boring fish ... most peeps seem to think they are only good for guppies etc. but there is a whole world out there with little fishies - you can create a complete mini community tank!!! Remember though peeps you stil have to check compatibility and also make sure the fish doesn't need a wide swimming room.... this is a list of the little ones and there are some real stunners!!!

One of my faves the Boraras Brigittae (I have 12 of these)

Here goes:

Livebearers:

Heterandria formosa 3cm

Neoheterandria elegans 2,5cm

Xiphophorus pygmaeus 4cm

Zoogoneticus quitzeoensis 3,5cm

Micropoecilia amazonica 2cm

Poecilia amazonica 2cm

Micropoecilia bifurca 3cm

Micropoecilia branneri 3cm

Micropoecilia minima 1,6cm

Micropoecilia parae 3cm

Micropoecilia picta 3cm

Limia rivasi 3cm

Poecilia vivipara 4cm

Limia tridens3cm

Pamphorichthys scalpridens2cm

Poeciliopsis presidionis3,5cm

Pamphorichthys minor 1,5cm

Phalloptychus januarius3cm

Pamphorichthys hollandi 2,5cm

Pamphorichthys hasemani 2,5cm

Poecilia elegans3,6cm

Cnesterodon decemmaculatus 2,5cm

Limia dominicensis 2,6cm

Poecilia caucana 3cm

Poecilia chica 3cm

Xiphophorus couchianus 4cm

Poecilia dauli 1,7 cm

Quintana atrizona 2,5cm

Sticklebacks:

Indostomus crocodilus 2.5cm

Killie Fish:

Epiplatys annulatus 4cm

Nothobranchius eggersi 4cm

Nothobranchius korthausae 4cm

Aplocheilichthys normani 4cm

Simpsonichthys magnificus 4cm

Rivulus torrenticola 3.2cm

Fluviphylax pygmaeus 2 cm

Pseudepiplatys annulatus 4cm

Aphyosemion georgiae 3,5cm

Puffers:

Carinotetraodon travancoricus 3,5cm

Catfish:

Hyalobagrus ornatus 2,5cm

Aspidoras pauciradiatus 3,5cm

Corydoras gossei 3,5cm

Corydoras gracilis 2,5cm

Corydoras griseus 3cm

Corydoras habrosus 3,5cm

Corydoras hastatus 3cm

Corydoras pygmaeus 2,5cm

Corydoras robineae 4cm

Hara jerdoni 4cm

Otocinclus vestitus 3,5cm

Corydoras duplicareus 4cm

Tetras

Carnegiella marthae marthae 3cm

Carnegiella myersi 2,5cm

Poecilocharax weitzmani 4.0 cm

Hemigrammus elegans 3,5cm

Hemigrammus micropterus 3,5cm

Hemigrammus tridens 3,5cm

Hemigrammus tukunai 2-3cm

Hyphessobrycon amandae 3cm

Hyphessobrycon amapaensis 3.5cm

Hyphessobrycon albolineatum 3.5cm

Hyphessobrycon axelrodi 3.0cm

Hyphessobrycon arianae 3,0cm

Hyphessobrycon eques 3,5cm

Hyphessobrycon peruvianus 3.2cm

Hyphessobrycon compressus 3,5cm

Hyphessobrycon haraldschultzi 3,5cm

Hyphessobrycon minimus 3cm

Hyphessobrycon minor 3cm

Hyphessobrycon stegemanni 3cm

Hyphessobrycon tropis 3,5cm

Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi 4cm

Hyphessobrycon micropterus 3,5cm

Hyphessobrycon roseus 3cm

Moenkhausia colletti 3cm

Moenkhausia hemigrammoides 3,5cm

Brittanichthys myersi 3,2cm

Brittanichthys axelrodi 2,8cm

Odontocharacidium aphanes 1,7cm

Inpaichthys kerri 2,8cm

Pencil Fish:

Nannostomus anduzei 2cm

Nannostomus espei 3,5cm

Nannostomus mortenthaleri 3cm

Nannostomus marginatus 2cm

Nannostomus minimus 2,5cm

African Tetra

Neolebias ansorgii 3,5cm

Neolebias axelrodi 3cm

Neolebias kerguennae 3cm

nannocharax micros 3cm

nannocharax parvus 3cm

Elachocharax pulcher 3cm

Elachocharax Geryi 2cm

Neolebias powelli 1,6cm

Dundocharax bidentatus 1,9cm

Neolebias gracilis 3,9cm

Neolebias lozii 1,8cm

Neolebias philippei 2,9cm

Congocharax spilotaenia 3,3cm

Neolebias trilineatus 3,3cm

Rainbows

Kiunga ballochi 3cm

Pseudomugil gertrudae 3cm

Pseudomugil mellis 3cm

Pseudomugil tenellus 2,6cm

Pseudomugil reticulatus 2,8cm

Pseudomugil pellucidus 3,1cm

Pseudomugil paludicola 3,0cm

Labyrinth

Parosphromenus paludicola 3,7cm

Parosphromenus parvulus 2,7cm

Parosphromenus bintan 2,6 cm

Parosphromenus deissneri 3.0 cm

Trichopsis pumila 3,5cm

Betta persephone 3,2cm

Parosphromenus linkei 2,8cm

Parosphromenus anjunganensis 2,6cm

Parosphromenus allani 3,5cm

Parosphromenus filamentosus 4cm

Parosphromenus ornaticauda 1,8cm

Parosphromenus paludicola 3,7cm

Parasphaerichthys lineatus1,9cm

Parasphaerichthys ocellatus 4cm

Cichlids
Dario dario 3cm
Dario hysginon 2.1
Dario dayingensis 2.2
Apistogramma nijsseni 4cm
Elassoma evergladei 3,4cm
Nanochromis minor 2,5cm
Nanochromis transvestitus 4cm
Nanochromis minor 3 cm

Cypriniformes
Danio kyathit 2,5cm
Danio choprae 3cm
Axelrodia riesei 2.5cm
Axelrodia stigmatias 2,5cm
Axelrodia lindeae 2,5cm
Trigonostigma espei 3.0cm
Chela dadiburjori 3.0 cm
Sawbwa resplendens 2,5cm
Barboides gracilis 2cm
Barbus hulstaerti 3,5cm
Barbus leonensis 3cm
Barbus stigmatopygus 2,5cm
Barbus sylvaticus 2,5cm
Barbus venustus 4cm
Barbus jae 4cm
Boraras brigittae 3cm
Boraras maculatus 3cm
Boraras micros 1,3 cm
Boraras urophthalmoides 4cm
Boraras merah 2cm
Oryzias Latipes 3,5 cm
Horadandia atukorali 3cm
Microrasbora kubotai 1,6cm
Microrasbora rubescens 3cm
Microrasbora erythromicron 3cm
Sundadanio axelrodi 3cm
Rasbora axelrodi 3cm
Rasbora beauforti 2cm
Puntius masyai 2,5cm
Trigonostigma hengeli 4cm
Rasbora chrysotaenia 3,5cm
Rasbora jacobsoni 3,5cm
Rasbora beauforti 2cm
Rasbora amplistriga 3,5cm
Horadandia atukorali 3cm

Others:
Gobiopterus chuno 3 cm
Neohomaloptera johorensis 2 cm
Kottelatlimia pristes
Gulaphallus bikolanus 2,0cm
Gulaphallus eximius 3,5cm
Gulaphallus mirabilis 3,3cm
Gulaphallus falcifer 3,4cm

I myself have a Nano with 3 Dario Dario, 1 Hara Jerdoni & 12 Boraras Brigittae - love it!!

Pleco invasion ravaging natural habitat

2008-04-18T22:31:00.003+02:00

The Usumacinta river, Mexico has been completely ravaged and destroyed by a huge group of pleco's - it is unknown if the were introduced or if it was through a irresponsible or/and ignorant hobbyist doing it. In less than six months thousands of adults (over 60 cm as reported) plecos had invaded the river where they had never been seen before.

Locals have even started calling them “Pez Diablo”

A video giving a good idea of how bad the situation is

Sexing Microgeophagus ramirezi - German Blue Ram

2008-04-18T22:31:00.001+02:00

So you've decided to buy a pair of these gems... maybe in the hopes of breeding ... but even then ...they are lovely to keep as a couple as a male & female... even if they don't breed they will happily live alongside each other and stay together pretty much all of the time. We all know how things can be if you put two females or two males in a room after a while <grins> That is not to say that these characteristic little guys never have a 'lovers' tiff - mine often get the hump with each other but usually make up again pretty quickly.

So your in the store and you see a tank full of these cuties... usually if you can get comfy and the store owner is not bothering you too much you can watch their behavior and pick out a dominant male pretty quickly - even when they are young... a dominant male likes his ladies and will have picked his favorite in the tank... by observation and patience you should be able to see 2 rams that have taken a shine to each other as they will stay together quite a lot... usually this is already a good sign that it is a male and female... but you have doubts niggling in your head so to be sure here are some signs.

The female:

Will have black stripes going though her pelvic fins (this is a great one to remember as when they are very young this coloring already shows if all others fail... the stripes are usually also apparent in a stressed colorless fish)
If she is a happy little gal and shining then you can see that her shiny blue dot's cover her side black marking.
If she is a very happy little gal then her belly will show a pink hue to let those men know that she is ready for a mate.

Sorry for the horrible pic of her.. (she'll kill me if she see's this on the net) but it shows nicely all the above points

Males:

No black lines in the pelvic fins
The black marking on the side is solid black
Bigger built and the dorsal fin will be longer and spikier
Not a pink hue in sight on the stomach area

I hope this helps some peeps who are going to treat themselves to a pair of these beauties or those who have some doubts on the ones they have.

Moenkhausia pittieri - Diamond Tetra's scarce in the Wild

2008-04-18T22:30:00.003+02:00

It seems one of my favorite tetra's are becoming quite rare in the wild which is really sad news... one crew went out looking for them and it took them 3 years until the finally found them in the wild with even rumors they are close to extinction. Well I know what fish I am breeding next!!!

All My Birthday's & Christmas's at once - new tank

2008-04-18T22:30:00.001+02:00

I have to send big love to the best mum in the world - awwwwww - yip and that mum is none other than my own! She decided to feed my MTS (Multiple Tank Syndrome) habit and give me a new tank for my upcoming birthday - now if that doesn't qualify her then I don't know what will. She knows my biggest passion and knows how much pleasure it gives me.

Anyway's before you all grab for the buckets here is the new tank in it's entire empty gloriousness.

Some Specs:

160 x 60 x 60 (576 Liters) - 5.3' x 24 x 24 (153 US Gallons) - (126 UK Gallons)

4 x T5 80 Watt lamps

An aquarium computer that fully automatically dims the lighting individually at different stages (sunrise to sunset), cloud , rain, lightning simulation. Automatically measures all water parameters and has a CO2 shut off.

CO2 - Dennerle Pro Set

Filter: Eheim Pro III 2128

A backing wall is being delivered next week - as it is going to be a Amazon biotope tank I have chosen an Natural Amazon looking backing.

More updates to follow as it is all being built up ;)

In other news at home the Pseudomugil Furcatus babies are still growing slowly but they are looking like proper little fish now

The male at the front is now 3 months old and the smaller one behind is now 1 month old. In all there are 27 little ones now and it seems the majority are male from what I can tell.

My Angelfish are still laying eggs on a weekly basis - shame there is no big market for them as I would love to let them carry the breeding through to fry but unfortunately they are so cheap here and most people do not have tanks large enough to house them that I am worried I will be left with a tank full.

The Apistogramma Erempoygne have also had a few nests but it has not come to any free swimming fry yet - the beginning is there though... very excited about these.

So that was the little update... and mum if you are reading this:

LMMT NMW x