Fishalicious

Just Fish....

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:40:00 +0000

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...

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:38:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:59:00 +0000

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

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:40:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:39:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:39:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 14:46:00 +0000

Pictures say more than any words LOL

Back & Lost some fish...

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 12:28:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 12:27:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:37:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:29:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:29:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:20:00 +0000

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?

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:19:00 +0000

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...

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:19:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:19:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:18:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:46:00 +0000

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!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:35:00 +0000

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

Pleco invasion ravaging natural habitat

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:31:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:31:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:30:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:30:00 +0000

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

A Man After my Heart - Heiko Bleher

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:18:00 +0000

I could write a book about this man... actually volumes...we have so much to thank him for in the fishkeeping hobby today

He has had the most fascinating life and still has and continues to do so and enrich our hobby.

Here is just a fraction about this wonderful man

Heiko Bleher was born on October 18, 1944 in a bunker in the ruins of Frankfurt on Main. He was the fourth and last child of Ludwig Bleher and Amanda Flora Hilda Kiel. Amanda’s father Adolf Kiel was the well-known “Father of Water Plants”, a pioneer of the modern aquarium who established the world’s largest plant and ornamental fish farm in Frankfurt.

At 4, he saw his first discus at an aquarium fish exhibition in the still ruined Frankfurt Zoo. Later he traveled with his mother to Africa then, aged 6, throughout Europe collecting plants and fishes. When he was 7, his mother took him, his elder brother and two sisters with her on his first discus hunt – a highly adventurous exploration trip deep into the “green hell” of the of South American jungle. They reached areas inhabited by unknown Indian tribes, some of whom had killed and eaten 4 missionaries shortly before. They lived with the natives for over 6 months, sampling 60 new aquatic plant species, countless fishes and many other animals. Still a child, Heiko learned to live like the Indians, eating the same food and collecting fishes and plants in the Mato Grosso, He learned about the life and behavior of fishes, and became familiar with the amazing variety of fish that exist in unspoiled nature. He also discovered the wimpel-piranha

In Rio he opened Aquarium Rio and started his own collecting in Brazil. He first opened several compounds in the interior, others later in other parts of South America. At the end of 1964 he discovered the first new species to be named after him – Hemigrammus bleheri, the brilliant rummy-head tetra, now one of the most widely-sold aquarium fishes

A photo of one of my Hemigrammus Bleheri

He also discovered the “Royal Blue”, his first new strain of discus, now world famous along with many other species. Some years later Heiko explored many new, uncollected areas, and by 1967 he moved his company Aquarium Rio to Germany, returning monthly to Brazil and South America to collect.Over the years, generally alone, Heiko penetrated jungles in all South and Central American countries. He also travelled to the Amazon area as many as 10 times a year in search of discus and others species. In the 1970s he expanded his operations to include Africa, Asia and Oceania (Australia, New Guinea, etc.) and began to give lectures around the world. He made his first Discus-TV film, “Expeditionsziel Aquarienfische” with the German ZDF and made many TV appearances in different countries

His first documentary film “The Wimpel Piranha” was made In 1983, followed by films on freshwater fishes in New Guinea, Australia, Central America and Brazil then four films on discus in the 90s. Until 1997 from Frankfurt he supplied wholesalers world-wide with new species, including new discus variants every year, mostly from his own discoveries.

Between 1965 and 1997, besides introducing most of the wild discus variants into the hobby – directly or by means of the breeders – he introduced more than 4,000 aquarium fish species he had discovered (or re-discovered). This includes the variants such as “blue-headed Heckel”, “Alenquer”, “Red-spotted greens” from the “Coari” and “Japurá” regions and the famous “Rio Içá” discus, and also rainbowfishes such as Melanotaenia boesemani, M. lacustris and M. praecox (most probably now one of the most sold aquarium fishes), angels such as Pterophyllum altum, dwarfs such as Nanochromis nudiceps and Steatocranus bleheri or Channa bleheri. Among other fishes attributable to Heiko’s explorations are also many loricariids (as many as 800, at the time of printing), new Corydoras species, almost countless tetras and dwarf cichlids from West Africa and South America, knife fishes, puffers and flounders.

His life is dedicated to fishes, aquatic plants, flora, fauna and the conservation of species threatened of extinction worldwide.

Can you tell.... I'm in love LOL LOL

To read more about this marvelous man - Heiko Bleher

And Heiko if you read this -

THANK YOU!!!!! for all you have done & discovered x

Amazing Arowana Breeding

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:18:00 +0000

Just beautiful!! One lucky owner managed to catch it on camera... I am amazed at the size of the eggs