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 …
Read More »A Confusing Case of Glossolepis Incisus and Pseudoincisus Rainbowfish
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 …
Read More »Lyretail Killifish of Mbarakom, Cross River, Nigeria
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 …
Read More »The Reality of High Tech and Low Tech Classes of the Planted Tank
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 …
Read More »The Vampire Crabs of Indonesia
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 …
Read More »Emergency Fish Care For Power Outages and Natural Disasters
Some parts of the country are prone to power outages, especially where hurricanes and tornadoes are more frequent. Other areas are more prone to wildfires, floods, and earthquakes. Scheduled and impromptu power supply interruptions are also common in the workings of the power infrastructure. Fishkeepers must be prepared, or at least …
Read More »What Dreams May Come Planted Scape Build
Years ago I found this beautiful movie: What Dreams May Come. It was not only the idea about an afterlife but the way it was shown. Great scape, great colors, a place made by yourself and for yourself. And then I saw the house. That was the moment when I started to …
Read More »Igapó Rio Negro Amazon Biotope Aquarium
Aquatic plants, fish, substrate, and hardscape. Technical description: Blackwater Rio Negro shallow water aquarium biotope. Tank Dimensions: 24″ * 12″ * 12″ (l*d*h) Lighting: Finnex FugeRay Planted+ Aquarium LED Light Plus Moonlights Tannin stained dark water is not easy for light to penetrate the water column. To get enough light to grow …
Read More »Sandy Sedimentary Bottom Area in Ndole bay, Zambia Lake Tanganyika
by Walter Vázquez Aquatic plants, fish, substrate, and hardscape. Technical description: A biotope aquarium thought to be maintained over time can have a constant evolution from its initial planning because the more we investigate about the chosen biotope the more we want to approach the visual aesthetics and its naturalness. …
Read More »What Does Biotope One Mean?
What does Biotope One mean? B1 A true biotope. In the hobby it’s an aquarium or display with fish and plants that occur in the same area or body of water, where they share a specific habitat. B2 A watersystem. This is a little more broad. It contains fish and …
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