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 …
Read More »Breeding Rare Badis Assamensis of India
Badis Assamensis was originally thought to be only endemic to the river Brahmaputra in Assam, India from its 1937 discovery. Later it was found in another location in the northern region of West Bengal. This species of aquarium fish comes from slow-moving stained water with sand substrate. Water lilies and …
Read More »Wabi Sabi For the Planted Aquarium Made Easily in a Few Minutes
Wabi-sabi, also coined wabi kusa, can be an easy and fun project. These small plant balls are easy to make with most any plants available. Only a couple simple tools are needed, and only a few supplies are needed as well. Netting is needed to hold the substrate in and …
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