Biotope One A Study of Flora and Fauna

The greenhouse for Biotope One is rather small by most means.  The lack of funding makes it difficult to purchase and run a better setup at the moment but we are making do with what we have.  The greenhouse is a lean-to design with polypropylene sheeting and stick-built framing. The …

Plant tissue culture couldn’t be practiced without sterile vessels to hold your media and plant material. Luckily there are many types of containers that can be used which are easily sterilized and used. Most of them are also reusable and can be found easily to repurpose. Being creative when looking …

We are journeying to Brazil, to the Rio Tapajos and Rio Jamanxim. Among the whitewater regions scattered in the rocks, we find our elusive target. The most popular of the Peckoltia genus, the Imperial Tiger or Leopard Frog pleco (Peckoltia compta L-134). They are quite popular for many reasons, namely color, …

This morning we travel to the Western coast of Australia, to the twin port cities of Dongara and Port Denison in the shire of Irwin. They are both sleepy crawfishing spots with small populations. Here locals all have a favorite creek to collect at so we follow a local. Among …

Tonight we will become investigators on a confusing case, that even I am not positive where the answer lies. Its a tale of two nearly identical fish, and its still going strong. It begins in 1908, on the Island of Dutch New Guinea (currently West Papua) when Weber describes an …

Plant Tissue Culture: A Home-Based Guide (How to Practice Plant Tissue Culture on a Budget) explains in more detail what is needed to start plant tissue culture at home. Grab a copy from Amazon today! Plant tissue culture has many aspects of the advanced scientific world.  Autoclaves and chemicals being …

Today we travel to the verdant forests of Eastern Nigeria, following the meandering path of the Cross River and its associated systems. Dense rainforests envelop this area, the humidity creating mists and fogs. Here is one of the last bastions of Cross River Gorillas, only fully described in 2000, first …

I get made fun of for many things but one of them is my disdain for “low tech” planted aquariums. It’s not the tank, it’s the actual term “low tech”. It’s misleading in my opinion. It doesn’t mean necessarily cheap or low maintenance. Limited Supplementation System, Enriched Systems, and High …

Today we return to Galveston, our Island to the south. Here among the sargassum and flotsam, we pull our nets, being sure to catch any wily fish that might slip free once we pull the mass from the water. Among the tangle is a strange plated fish with a horse-like …

Today we travel to Cilicap, Indonesia in Central Java. We have left civilization far behind. This is a dense rainforest area and guides are your best bet for finding our quarry. We trudge through the dense undergrowth, looking for a lower spot in the forest that might hold water from …