That Fish Blog – Aquarium Advice and Information

Anyone who has ever experienced a flood first hand will have very few (if any) positive things to say about the disaster after the water recedes. Recent flooding in the northeast left thousands to bucket mud and sediment from their homes and some lost their homes entirely. Floods for us are rarely a benefit, but for fish and waterways, flooding performs vital work. Despite the unfortunate individuals that find themselves stranded in backwater pools and puddles (most of which are picked off by advantageous predators), the fish that remain or find their way nack to an adequate stream or river can thrive after these events. Lets explore how wild fish respond to flooding and how these events can relate to some species we keep in aquariums.

We see destruction when we see floods occur, but for fish in natural waterways floods provide rather regenerative qualities to the native habitat. The swift water flushes sediment and debris out of pools and runs allowing fish to hide and move about more freely. Depending on severity and degree of the flooding, the layout of streams and rivers can go through dramatic changes. Rushing water can carve new and deeper pools in creek beds. Rotting wood and roots may be washed downstream, but they may be replaced with newly fallen trees and branches which create new places to hide. Sediments may fill in some shallow pools and create new gravel beds and sand bars where fish can feed and reproduce. New sediment beds are also prime real estate for scuds and other macroorganisms to colonize, creating a rich food source for other species. While the fish find refuge in underwater nooks and recesses their community gets a makeover! Trash and pollutants can also be swept away, leaving a cleaner environment once the water clears. Read More »

While LED lighting is still relatively new to aquariums, practical applications of new LED fixtures have shown the effectiveness of this technology for growing plants and corals. But what about cost? It’s common knowledge that LED’s use much less energy than metal halides or compact fluorescents, but did you ever consider their overall longevity and cost advantages they also offer? Well, let’s take a look at the numbers to see how popular lighting types stack up.

Consider this: Read More »

The adaptations developed in the waters of our world are some of the most amazing in existence. From bioluminescence to specialized mouths built to feed on certain foods, the fish and invertebrates living in Earth’s oceans, lakes and streams have some of the most unique traits found anywhere. What is even more interesting is how two life forms that are completely different and unrelated can develop a near identical solution for a problem.

I have always been fascinated by the strange and the odd. From fish that mimic pieces of driftwood like the Chaca chaca to the lobe-finned and air-breathing Polypterus species, I have had the pleasure of keeping many unique fish species. Recently, I received an email from Frank Indiviglio that contained a link to some weird starfish.  After reading it, I immediately saw a parallel to another article that I had read a couple of days earlier about a new fish from Lake Tanganyika. Read More »

Reef keepers know that the hobby goes through phases in regards to “hot” species on the market. Over the past few years we’ve seen trends in acros, montis, polyps and acans, just to name a few. Reefers can’t seem to get enough…crazy colors, one-of-a kind patterns, endemic color variants. The next big thing for reef enthusiasts may not be a coral, but and anemone – Stichodactyla tapesum, the miniature carpet anemone. 

Affectionately referred to as “Maxi Minis” these little guys are related to the much larger true carpet anemones that have been popular for decades. Maxi-mini carpet anemones have recently grown in popularity. Unlike true carpets that can grow to a massive diameter (more than 18 inches across), they only reach a size of about 4-6 inches in diameter. The are found in the rich tropical waters from east coast of Africa across the Indo-Pacific to the Great Barrier Reef and southern Japan. They occur in a wide variety of vivid patterns, and specimens of every color of the rainbow can be seen in a single colony.  The appeal is easy to see when you witness their beauty and diversity in person.

Besides the general care of these anemones, not much is known about them.  They are hardy and adaptable, easily acclimating to new aquariums. They require good lighting, such as T-5 or LEDs and decent water flow.  Actinic or lunar lighting will enhance their appearance, causing some colors to fluoresce. The more they are fed, the faster they will grow and the better color they will have…we recommend feeding at least three times a week. These little anemones are easy to propogate, and will probably split if given good environmental conditions. 

You can put multiple maxi-minis in a single tank, making for a fantastic color display.  I have not put them in with any corals, but I have read that others have placed them in stocked coral tanks with no problems. Their sting is rather strong, however, and we have not seen clowns approch these anemones as hosts. They are serving as hosts to anemone shrimp and crabs in our holding tanks though! Anemones usually move around the tank until they find a place that they like. The few maxi-minis that we have stayed in one spot for a majority of the time they have been here, and they seem to prefer a hard surface whether rock or glass to attach to. That’s all for now…but, keep an eye out for these eye catching anemones the next time you’re here. They may be your next obsession.

Thanks,

Sam

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  While new fishes occasionally enter the trade (much to our delight!), it’s not often that an entirely new species is created by breeders.  But that’s exactly what happened in the early 1990’s, when the incredible Flowerhorn Cichlid burst onto the scene.  Since then, “fine-tuning” has resulted in a fish with perhaps the most complicated parentage of any hybrid – 7 to 10 species have contributed their genes!  Read More »