That Fish Blog – Aquarium Advice and Information

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.

The subjects of this article are often sold in pet stores as “curiosities” to be added to aquariums housing typical tropical fishes.  Unfortunately, due to their unique dietary requirements and feeding methods, none do well in such situations.  As most hobbyists are unaware of their fascinating behaviors, tanks are rarely set up solely for these creatures, and most perish in short order. 

I recently set up a tropical West Africa themed exhibit for a public aquarium, based on similar tanks I have maintained at home and at the Bronx Zoo.  It was a big hit and generated many inquiries from visitors who wished to have a similar aquarium in their homes. 

The aquarium I’ll describe here is similar to that exhibit.  It houses animals from the same region of Africa, and includes two of the pet trade’s most interesting and overlooked fishes, a social shrimp and an active, aquatic frog.  All follow different lifestyles and utilize unusual feeding methods, yet they co-exist very well.

General Considerations

The animals described below hail from West Africa, and all prefer heavily planted aquariums maintained at 78-80 F.  They are quite sensitive to water quality, so be sure to choose a filter that is of an appropriate size for your aquarium, but avoid strong currents (from the filter’s outflow) within the tank.  A comprehensive water test kit  should be used regularly to assure that pH is held between 6.8 and 7, and that the water is moderately soft (water softness is not a major concern, but is best monitored).

Due to the feeding habits of the elephant nose (see below) and the desirability of establishing a lush growth of plants, I suggest that you use Porous Clay Gravel as a substrate.

Peter’s Elephant Nose or Elephant-Nosed Fish, Gnathonemus petersi

This first recommended member of the aquarium is truly interesting in appearance and behavior.  It uses the greatly extended lower jaw from which its common name is drawn to root in the substrate for aquatic worms and insects, its main food source.  Organs near the tail discharge electrical impulses that allow the elephant nose to navigate, hunt and, according to recent research, to communicate (please see the article referenced below).

Feeding and Observing the Elephant Nose

The elephant nose is a confirmed live food specialist, and rarely feeds before nightfall…hence it is always out-competed for food when kept with swordtails, platys and other typical community fishes.  A heavy growth of live plants will encourage it to move about by day; Moonlight Bulbs  are great for use in observing nocturnal behavior. 

Although only small specimens are usually seen in the trade (adults do not ship well at all), the elephant nose can reach 10 inches in length – a group of adults foraging in a large aquarium is a very impressive sight.  Live blackworms can form the foundation of their diet, but you should endeavor to include live bloodworms, glassworms and other such invertebrates regularly.

Click: A Community Aquarium for Fishes, Shrimp and Frogs – West African Oddities – Part 2, to read the rest of this article.

Frank Indiviglio.

The Marine Bio staff That Fish Place gets a lot of questions about husbandry of fish and inverts in aquariums. When adding any new inhabitant to an aquarium we recommend researching the conditions, max size, and temperament of the species you are interested in to ensure that it will be a good fit for your tank and the other creatures you may already be keeping. And, as always, quarantining new additions in a separate aquarium is highly recommended.  If in doubt, we’re always here to answer any questions you may have so you and your aquarium continue to stay happy!

 One question recently submitted was from Al in New York:

 I’m going to be starting up my 55 gallon set-up with blue rams. My questions are what will make good tank mates? What water conditioners might I need? Should I use live plants, and if so which do you recommend? How many rams should I add?

 Marine Bio Responded:

There are several fish you can keep with rams. Lemon tetras in a school of 6-10 would be nice. Serpae tetras in a large school of 8 to 10, or Brilliant rasboras in a similar school would also work well. These are fish (introduced gradually) that I would start with once the tank is established. Rams should not be added to the tank for at least 2 to 3 months after the introduction of your first fish. So you can maybe start with 6 Serpaes or Brilliant rasboras, and let the tank run for with nothing else added until the cycle is complete.

During this time, you can certainly add plants if you wish, but do not add more fish. I am a proponent of live plants in aquariums. They make for a beautiful and healthy environment, and many fish will do very well in a planted tank that is similar to their native waters. Plants that you can add may include Rotala, Ruffled swords, Ozelot swords, dwarf sagittaria, and Bacopa. These are all nice plants to start with, and there are others you may prefer, it is all according to taste and the lighting and conditions you present. Just make sure you add Flourish Iron or a similar product to your tank to help your plants to stay healthy.  

After you cycle your tank with the tetras or rasboras, you can add some Corydoras Catfish in school of 5 or 6 to help keep the bottom clean. Some smaller pleco species may also be considered.  Rubbernose plecos, for example, are great algae eaters in planted aquariums, as are Bristlnose and Medusa plecos. Gold nugget plecos and Queen Arabesque plecos would also work, and they are really attractive. When you are ready to add rams, I would think a small group of 5 or 6 would work out great for you, maybe 1-2 males and the rest females.

Water conditions? Well, rams prefer warm, soft water. So you want your temperature to be in the range of 80 to 82 degrees, and your pH should be around 6.5 to 6.8. You may need a buffer to maintain the keep the water at this pH and there are several available to choose from and keep on hand for water changes and maintenance including Seachem Discus Buffer.

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.

Please see Part I of this article for information concerning typical brackish water plants and algae.

A number of well-known freshwater aquarium plants adjust quite nicely to brackish water.  Given the great variety of species that are available, I’m sure many others will be found.

Experimenting With Freshwater Plants

If you are of a mind to experiment, first research various natural habitats, keeping an eye out for plants that thrive along coastlines, estuaries and in other such situations….these might be exposed to salt water during floods or at high tide.  In general, freshwater plants with waxy leaf and stem coverings make the best prospects with which to begin.

Bear in mind that the change from fresh to brackish water is an extreme one, and can easily shock your plants.  Treat them as you would a new, delicate fish and increase their exposure to brackish water gradually.  For untested species, you might consider dripping brackish water into the plant’s tank via a section of airline tubing during the acclimatization period.

Anachris (Egeria) densa

Much favored by freshwater aquarists and a standby for grammar school science experiments, Anachris is very hardy and highly recommended for use in brackish tanks.  Most agree that it is the most likely of all freshwater plants to thrive in this foreign environment.

Anachris grows well as a rooted or floating plant and, in strong light, can add an inch or more a day to its length.  Cuttings taken anywhere along the stem will grow into new plants.

Temple Plant, Hygrophila corymbosa

This most attractive of aquarium plants does very well in brackish water, but is considered a delicacy by snails, hermit crabs and many fishes.  It and related species, which are native to South and Southeast Asia, can be propagated from cuttings and grow best under bright lights.

Cabomba aquatica

Another popular freshwater plant, this South American native has delicate leaves which cannot withstand the attentions of herbivorous fishes and invertebrates.  However, when housed with halfbeaks, mudskippers and others that will not molest it, Cabomba makes a fine addition to the brackish aquarium.

Aquatic Grasses – Sagittaria and Vallisneria

Sagittaria, relatively impervious to salt water damage and unpalatable to most organisms, is one of the best freshwater plants to use in brackish systems.  The widely-available grass Vallisneria does very well also, even under subdued lighting, but is considered a tasty food by many aquatic animals.

Hornwort, Ceratophyllum demersum

Reaching 10 feet or more in length in the wild and equally at home in cold and warm water, this hardy survivor is an excellent candidate for brackish water tanks.  It can get by in dimly-lit aquariums, but in such situations its foliage will pale considerably.

Water Sprite, Ceratopteris thalicroide

Even in such an unnatural environment as brackish water, this plant will grow quite vigorously if kept warm and under bright lights.  It can be maintained either floating or rooted, and in different situations will develop rounded, bulky or fern-like leaves.  Water sprite’s prodigious rate of growth often compensates for the attentions of plant-eaters.

Chain Swordplant, Echinodorus tenellus

This attractive plant spreads rapidly via runners (hence the “chain” portion of its name) and is fully grown at 4 inches in height.  As is true for its larger relatives, the chain sword requires warm water and a well-lit environment.

Further Reading

Anachris (Egeria) densa is widely introduced in the USA and elsewhere.  The University of California has posted an interesting account of its natural and unnatural history at http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/datastore/detailreport.cfm?surveynumber=182&usernumber=43.

Please write in with your questions or to relate your own experiments with aquatic plants.  Thanks, until next time, Frank Indiviglio.

Hey folks Jose here, we are going to talk about one of my favorite bad boys (and girls), the Dovii, also known lovingly as the Wolf Cichlid. The Dovii  hails from Central America in Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Males can reach sizes up to 28 inches, while females are much smaller at 15 inches. In the wild, the species is an opportunistic piscivore, feeding on smaller fish. This is an easy fish to keep, as long as you have the space and get a compatible pair.

In juveniles, sexing is tough but can be done.  When I picked out my pair at 2 inches, the male was a little larger and he had black dots below the lateral line where as the female had none. In the store’s aquarium, the male was tough on the female, but a week after they went into my 40 breeder, the roles were reversed. They were shy at first, hiding under the caves that I provided for spawns.

Feedings are a blast. They eat everything! The main diet I feed consists of a marine pellet food made by Pretty Bird called Color Up, Prime Reef flakes, and the occasional (once a week) feeding of live crayfish. Now let me tell you how fast they can grow.  The male was 2 inches long and about an inch and a half high when I got him. I have had him for about seven or eight months, and feed them 2 to 3 times a week, and now the male is about 6 inches in length and close to 3 inches in height! They can really fill out fast!

So now they’re spawning. The spawning was not as bad as I thought it would be. The female was almost gold-yellow with dark barring, and close to her vent she started to take on a black coloration. The male’s coloration became a lot more vivid, but the most striking feature setting him apart from the female (wow) was that his lips and fins turned blue!  The Wolf Cichlid’s courting and mating dances consisted of a lot of gill flaring, head shaking and jaw locking.

I provided caves and PVC pipe for them to spawn on, but the female decided  that she was going to lay the eggs on bare glass. OK with me, because they’re easy to spy on there.  I think I’m on batch number 7, and in each batch (laid like clockwork around the end of the month) she numbered close to 200 fry. Not bad for a 3 inch female, though adult females can produce up to 1000+ eggs at a time. The parents are very protective over the fry, even attacking my hands when I’m working on the tank. Oh, did I mention the Dovii live with two Synodontis catfish that happen love the taste of fry? I have not saved any of the prior batches because of space limitations, but my roommate let me borrow his 10 gallon planted aquarium this time, so I was able to net out 30 fry to grow out. The fry are fed crushed flakes, crushed freeze dried brine and crushed freeze dried mysis shrimp. As of right now, it looks like another batch of eggs is on the way!

Until next time,

Jose

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.

The culture of live algae and plants in brackish aquariums has not been given much attention, and few plants native to estuaries and similar environments are commercially available.  However, as with fresh water tanks, live plants add a whole new dimension to aquarium-keeping, and are extremely interesting in their own right.

In brackish exhibits at the Bronx Zoo and in my own tanks, I have experimented with several varieties of algae and plants.  In addition to mangroves, Java ferns and other such estuarine-adapted species, a surprising number of plants and algae that are typically thought of as either “marine” or “fresh water” can be acclimated to brackish environments.  Following are a few of my favorites.

Acclimatization

Plants and algae should be introduced carefully to a brackish water aquarium…treat them as you would a fish or invertebrate.  Particularly as concerns fresh-water plants, sudden changes in pH can wreck havoc with osmotic pressure, causing cell rupture and the death of the specimen.

Marine Algae

Marine algae are commonly referred to as “seaweeds”, but they are in actuality not true plants.  Single or multi-celled, algae lack roots, stems and leaves, but have evolved equivalent structures. For example, holdfasts act as roots in anchoring them to the substrate, but do not absorb nutrients…that role is taken on by the leaf-like portions of the organism.

Caulerpa prolifera

This is the most commonly-available marine algae.  It ranges from Florida and the Caribbean southward, and is commercially cultivated.  Caulerpa spreads via rhizomes, or runners, and, although a true marine algae, it adjusts well to brackish environments.

Like all algae, Caulerpa may leak fluids when pruned, so be sure to clip only a tiny amount at a time if trimming is necessary.  Related species, with rounded, pointed or fern-like shapes, are sometimes seen in the trade.

Other Types of Marine Algae

A number of other types of marine algae are sometimes available.  While not as well-suited to a brackish water existence as Caulerpa, several will adjust if care is taken in the acclimatization process.

I and colleagues have had varying degrees of success with sea cactus (Udotea flabellum), Codiacea spp., mermaid’s cup (Acetabularia spp.), mermaid’s shaving brush (Penicillus capitatus) and several types of red algae.

Brackish Water Plants

Java Fern, Microsorium pteropus

To my knowledge, the Java fern is the only true brackish water aquatic plant that is regularly available to aquarists.  In well-lit tanks it will proliferate rapidly.  A number of fishes favor Java fern leaves as food, but its rapid growth rate can accommodate this in many cases.

Red Mangrove Seedlings, Rhizophora mangle

Mangrove seedlings, or propagules, are semi-aquatic, with the roots usually submerged and the plant itself growing above water.  The red mangrove is often sold in the trade and is commercially propagated in Florida, where it also occurs naturally.  Red mangroves are extremely wide-ranging, being found along coastlines in many of the world’s tropical and subtropical regions.  At home in estuaries, salt marshes and along river mouths, they are adapted to fluctuating salinity levels, and fare well in brackish water aquariums.

Mangroves can be planted in mud or wedged into limestone, and, because of their semi-terrestrial nature, are best kept in aquariums housing mudskippers, fiddler crabs and other creatures that utilize both land and water areas.  They excrete salt on the surface of their leaves…this should be washed away with fresh water every few days.

Mangroves often grow slowly in the aquarium, and stay at a manageable size for some time.  There are a few techniques for dealing with tall plants…please write in if you would like further information.

Eelgrass, Zostera marina

Eelgrass is one of the only true plants to live an aquatic existence in marine environments.  It is not commonly kept in aquariums.  I have had mixed success with it, but have observed healthy stands in commercial aquariums (if you are interested in this plant, please write in and I’ll make some inquiries to public aquarium contacts).

Eelgrass populations have plummeted in the northeastern USA and elsewhere, and I encourage those with an interest to work with this plant (please note that collection is prohibited in California and elsewhere).  An incredible assortment of unique fishes and invertebrates, such as pipefishes, dwarf seahorses and eelgrass-shaped amphipods, are always found in association with eelgrass beds.

I commonly observe eelgrass in estuaries, lagoons and other brackish habitats, and it thrives in true marine water as well.

Next time I’ll discuss some of the many fresh water plants that can be acclimated to brackish conditions.  Please write in with your questions and comments.  Thanks, until next time, Frank Indiviglio.

Brackish environments are home to many fascinating fishes and invertebrates that do well in aquariums.  Please see my article on Mudskippers  for a look at one of the most unusual.