That Fish Blog – Aquarium Advice and Information

This coming weekend, That Fish Place/That Pet Place will celebrate its 37^th year.  Our Anniversary sale is more than just great specials and deals.  One of the great features of our spring event are the free seminars and workshops that we have offered over the years.  This year Julian Sprung, renowned author and aquarium expert, will be here on Saturday April 17^th to do two presentations for us, and on Sunday April 18^th our very own Cory Shank, will host a workshop for our customers. Read More »

Spring is upon us and with the air of the Easter season lingering, many of us are still thinking about cute little bunnies. It seemed obvious (ok, not really obvious) that I should write about the snails from the genus Tylomenia. Why write about them? Because they are known in the hobby as Rabbit snails!

When I first saw these snails on a website, I was pretty intrigued. Tylomenia snails are from the rugged mountain lakes of Sulawesi. Sulawesi is one of the larger Indonesian islands and, because of its topography, boasts some very beautiful shrimp and snails that are known only to live on that island. Rabbit snails come in a pretty amazing spectrum of colors and patterns. Some are orange, some are canary yellow, and some are black, while others are black with tiny white speckles.  They have long cone-shaped shells that vary in coloration and pattern from species to species. Some are black and heavily textured, while others are more smooth and have a rich golden or brown coloration. One thing that all of the Tylomenia snails have in common is that they have one of the most oddly shaped “heads” of any snail I have seen. With long drooping antennae and a long thick mouth, they certainly have one of the most original and distinctive looks of any snail.   Read More »

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  Sharks are not for everyone, but many marine aquarists are tempted to give them a try at some point.  Among those available in the trade, the Indo-Pacific’s white-spotted bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) stands out as one of the best.  Two slightly larger, boldly-marked species, the brown-banded bamboo shark (C. punctatum) and the epaulette shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum), are also worth the attentions of serious fish keepers with ample room. Read More »

Shipments in the past couple have weeks have led to an increase in the diversity of marine organisms you can see and purchase at That Fish Place. Typically when we get something new and from a new collection point, it can come with a steep price. But with the recent additions, this is not so much the case. I thought I’d take this opportunity to introduce a few of the new arrivals.

I think one of my personal favorites is the juvenile Blackbar Hogfish (Bodianus speciosus). The majority of its body has a pink/lavender color that is unlike anything that I have seen in the hobby. Though he’s only about 3 inches now, this fish does get large (around 20 inches), so it will need to have at least a 150 gallon. We also received an Anchor Tuskfish (Choerodon anchorago) which is another large fish, but will bode well in at least a 150 gallon aquarium with larger. This is a moderately aggressive fish, but it has understated beauty, prominent teeth and a curious personality. Read More »

Hi, Dave again. This past week I attended the annual Global Pet Expo in Orlando. Global is the biggest pet trade show in the U.S., where many vendors show of their new products for the year, as well as show off some prototypes for thing to come down the road.
When you think of new products, fish don’t exactly jump to mind, after all we don’t make fish…or do we? Captive bred fish have been the driving force in freshwater aquariums for many years, with many manmade fish on the market, freshwater and saltwater. Fish like the many types Fancy Goldfish, Bloody Parrots, Flowerhorns and more recently the bioengineered “Glo Fish” are common to the freshwater aquarium hobby. Selective breeding and hybridization have resulted in many manmade fish over the years. Read More »