Aquarium Livestock
Maintaining Aquarium Temperatures for Fish Health
Jan 26th
Maintaining proper aquarium temperatures is essential for the health and well-being of your fish. While aquarium heaters do a pretty good job at this, the probability of fluctuations from fall through spring tends to be greater and possibly more detrimental. You may not even realize how much the temperature of the water changes through the day or day-to-day until you’re faced with ich or some other problem in your aquarium.
The Threat of Cool Temperatures
Remember the cold snap in Florida last winter? While our aquarium fish will rarely if ever be exposed to near or below freezing temperatures in the safety of your home (hopefully), fish farmers in Florida can attest to the immediate and lingering problems that can come with even short exposure to cold temps. Exposure to temps below 60 F can create chaos in a tropical tank, so you can imagine what freezing temps do to tropical fish housed in an outdoor setting. Sensitive fish may be killed outright from the shock of extreme temperatures or fluctuations in temperatures. Others face blows to their immune systems and the increased chance of being infected by opportunistic parasites, fungi or bacteria. These organisms take advantage at the slightest sign of stress on the part of tropical fish, and can decimate the population in a short amount of time. Cooler temperatures tend to make normally active fish lethargic and slower to react, making them more open to predation if outdoors. Similar problems can occur in the aquarium if smaller or more sensitive fish are not able to hide or escape the curiosity of larger, hardier tankmates. More >
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Loading ...Predatory Pacu in Papua New Guinea?
Jan 11th
A few days ago, I came across a curious story in the aquatic news feed regarding fatalities of local swimmers/fishermen in Papua New Guinea. Though the reported fatalities occurred in 2001, the unusual events drew famous monster fish angler Jeremy Wade to Oceania to investigate and nab one of the possible culprits.
There were apparently two fatalities in 2001 during which the two men had their genitalia bitten off as they pursued their aquatic activities. Both bled to death (these were two seperate occasions) after being bitten by a mysterious, human-like predator in a remote area. As it turns out, the culprit was a large Red-bellied Pacu. More >
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Catfish From the Rift Lakes
Jan 4th
We all know how colorful African Cichlids are, but did you know that there are also other fish in the rift lakes like catfish, crabs, eels? We are going to talk about some cats this time around. I have kept plecos with most of my African Cichlids and most other people do too, but fish like the “Cuckoo Cat” and the Petricola are more adapted to these kinds of tanks. Although they won’t eat algae, they will feast on flakes, pellets or any other frozen food that you may feed your cichlids. Below I’ve listed just a few of the species that are found in the rift lakes, and some may not be found in pet shops.
Lake Tanganyika
Claroteidae – there are at least 62 species in this family, but we will talk about a few that have been bred in the aquarium and may also be found in pet shops. More >
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Marimo – the Tale of Mysterious “Moss Ball” Colonies
Dec 20th
A few years ago our plant suppliers introduced new items for sale that were just too fun and interesting to pass up. They were simply called moss balls. If ever there was an aquarium plant with personality, this would be it. They have a certain character, and can almost become like a pet in the aquarium even if they aren’t dazzlingly colored or active like the fish we keep. The vague nomenclature was accurate enough, but the story of where and how these mysterious moss balls come to be is as interesting as they are to look at when you place them in your aquarium.
Marimo, Japanese for “ball seaweed”, were named by a Japanese botanist decades after they were originally described by someone else in Austria around 1820. They originated in shallow areas of a few freshwater lakes in the world including several in Japan, Iceland, Scotland and others. In the trade they are referred to as moss balls or Japanese moss balls, but they also have several other names given by those who encounter them in their native waters. The name seems fitting…each ball has a velvety, thick, fuzzy texture much like a mound of filamented moss. However, moss balls aren’t really moss at all. These unique formations are actually colonies of the filamentous algae Aegagropila. They were previously classified as Cladophora aegagropila, but modern research proved that they actually belong in genus Aegagropila. Don’t let their classification as algae scare you, this is a fun, non-invasive kind! More >
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Hatching Triops as Pets
Dec 14th
Every generation grew up with their alternative pets – ant farms, Sea Monkeys, pet rocks, Tamagochi’s, Furbies – but there are still others out there that are just waiting to lure in the next generation. One of my favorites of these is one that, in my opinion, doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves; they are MUCH cooler than the brine shrimp known as Sea Monkeys, at the very least! So what are these new little pets you can put under the Christmas tree instead of a pony or a puppy? Try Triops, aka “Sea Monsters”! More >
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