ROPES AND KNIVES; THE KEY TO BEGINNER ODDBALLS ae dae] Naa Veen) freshwater Shrimp care Se OLE UTE | BL a Cee Firs ssh Tote Ls) Uttar Reta Perey Al en PE ary The sub-tropical // “yf Bata aril dem Coes Bee Ua i ie en ‘ = as. a! TAU a . Nae a Oe ad SN 97 | cosa | Vad PEC RCC RTE LEAL PCE EUV C40 Sa | aa TT) Pm Urs egOASE ORGANIX is one of the highest quality fish food: et een cece nen ace) gently and sustainably off the u eo ae car Rae ice ANC ORGANIX you feed the pure power of nature. POSE Ihg Bee eee a ae Eee aes) Me Cece Ta Brome een cay Pree Cd ninNEW YEAR, NEW TANK! Subscribe to Fishkéeping and receive advice from industry experts and keep up to date with all the latest news in the fishkeeping world. 2 YEAR OFFER 1 YEAR OFFER thet of specials feedes Stow and curnberscrne, hard o spt and uikey care and breeding of smal Sil he beautfuly ugly aquarresome child with rglish ace well wrth a34 Rehoming laches, when to ‘add edut Mbure toa albino hs and lows of frog a cate. New ccrtnibutr Tom from his awn time greening Uphis freer some wisdom Sne of te most commen ‘aos in th ty, and most aquerts’ introduction 1 breecing is he humble Werder whiptit, Adrian yess verdant Xingu habitat extoration an We lve cur hebby, and cfer nope to keen al hat we can as fat as we can, But sit time tht we stopped and thought about he longterm implications IST over yer? Can come back out? is 2020 safely tucked behind us? ‘Yeah, what a year that was, huh? Brexit AND a global pandemic. Thingis, Ihave my arto the ground and 1 know justhow close wwe came to not rica gi cage sf yent radu at ate {n't such a lucrative industry for shop owners, with ‘any living a perpetual state of financial hand-to- ‘mouth, Ifthe industry hadn't gained an exemption to continue trading under the ‘essential retaler' umbrella, I speculate that — and this is conservatively, to0 — around two thirds of the UK's aquatic stores would Dave permanently closed, Imagine that; a future where ‘you couldnt browse a store, couldn't even pick out an individual guppy. Butt gets worse. No shops means n ‘wild collections, and the conservation that supports No. farms. No R&D for new products, Be grateful we pulled through, my friends, and embrace new hope for 2021! nae) ‘Nathan Hill, Edior W Era sat editenlGpracticelishheeping.co uk Weteh ue yout comnlaserecticlistheesiig ©: usat , |ON THE COVER. noma costal sting cre by abr Rena WWAPRACTICALFISHKEEPINGCO.UK 5oer as TROPICAL Salminus } ro & Ceo ke 7ANDEAN _ - - PIEDMONT... Wire Ace ONON om rare CULO ar-T ANY CCUEL COMM OTL STO) POOR O UMMM CMU TALON 8 IMMTeTUTUSM CONSUME LE SMU NENW predatory Sa/minus of South America: SOEs—,_ TROPICAL» Salminus ‘These juveniles soon display @ preference for their own company, and develop into the solitary young fishes usually observed in nature, relentlessly chasing any smaller ‘individu ise, itis rare see young Salminas behaving gregariously innature. Adults, while equally gressive towards conspecifics, star to tolerate fishes of equal size and can then be seen in groups —on occasion, at east. This antisocial lifestyle continues until breeding season, when dorado assemble and start to travel upriver in Inuge schoob, Like many freshwater fishes, the breeding season ushers in migratory stage oftheir lives, an armada of adults traveling in unison "upstream to spawn high inthe headwaters ofthe rivers ABOVE: Zones of murky water are preferred hunting grounds. BELOW: Sm: totrs are ‘abundant, and easy prey In their native rivers they carry the appearance of amenacing fish, and its obvious that they are very much apex predators. Despite this itis common to see Individual dorado stowly cruising in and out of schools of other fish ‘mostly the Pirapitunga, Brycon hilar, and Curimba, Prochfodus jineatus, that occurin huge numbers in the Bonito region. “This relationship isnt benevolent, and any injured or siower individual risks becoming a meal for the dorado —the large, rzor-toothed jaws arenit just for show, and the fish are capable (of ewallowing prey of up to half of. their own size For the younger dorade, the menu ‘ant strictly restricted to fish, and the abundant crabs found in theirhabitat are also potential food Prime estate ‘The largest of the dorado often ‘occupy and monopolise the best, habitats For thern, this means the region where the river gots narrow, forming a larger poo, ideally in the shadow of a sunken tree or in high ‘current under the floating meadows Large individuals stay loyal to their territory only occasionelly leaving their preferred spot to hunt during the day. They are opporcunists, sa any disturbance or novelty in the habitat attracts them. A person ‘swimming, large animal cuming lover rocks, ora fish injured in a territorial dispute will nstantiy bring some inquisitive dorado tothe area, looking to score an easy meal Capuchin monkeys, Sepajus {biinosus, feeding trom trees overhanging the river, often drop,seeds and uneaten fruit into the ABOVE: These or Trai, Hopias malabaris, ‘watez This‘mannaffom heaven’ __characins ere -_willelsohave their hunting activites atvacts huge schools of Prapitunge offen solitary. turbo by the fastor Sans, ina feeding ferzy, a distraction that Jooking to steal thet prey inthe can make them easy prey forthe chaos of the hunt. prowing dorado ‘At dawn and dusk the dorado Other large predatory fsh such become more active, hunting across as Fike cichlids, Crenichl vieoa, arg sector ofthe river. Tank feasibility Itisno surprise thet these large, active fish are challenging to keep in the aquarium, When exported they FACTFILE GOLDEN DORADO ‘Solr ae ete ‘trem ots danon ct Sie er od ‘trp pc at Page Ata ‘tesEaycnanttn eb ia Base noon pinay rege ‘to tase eas napa Coreg stone 225 ed lh src centr bots es Fete Scan natin AS ‘crab, prawn, whol trot, whole herring TOZU I- on sie anl casei vnanaonaeegute iron op ya fou oie ees DCD WOWPRACT are usually from aquaculture facilities, small and of around an even size. Aquacultured young fish are usually SS francscanus, not S.brasttens' but the two species are very similar Their schooling behaviour is short ved, and they are dificalt aquarium that require a lot of attention to water conditions, and considerable room —rotwehstanding their dedicated predatory behaviour Before you even consider an atvempt at keeping any dorado, an aquarium of atleast 30cm length should be eveilable— and that’ rom the point of acquiring a juvente. Even though these fish rarely reach fullsize in en aquarium, their active swimming style and aggression require space “To keep cxygen tevels high, and organic load low, the aquarium should have plenty of current, an oversized fiter and weekly wa changes of at least 50% Keeping a dorado with other fish i ciicuk at best, but if you were adamant about i then the ish best suited fora commanity tank would be the lange dora catfish like Megalodores and Oxydores, a well as Paeudoplatystome, and larger Pacu. Like the Affcan tiger fish, Hydrocymus sp. the dorado isa fish best lft to public aquariums @ ALFISHK’ NGCOUK 9& nemo Ba a shrimps AN _INTRODUCT| (oleShelled inhabitants have Cee Ia) aquarium popularity. TaN Hem eC Oe ULES leggy crustaceans. oer age et ey fe eee eee ret eens to two years), for example, making them ill-suited to those who cope poorly with deaths. Worse stil shrimps eta co tees Perea r ea eee eee eee ee eee are particularly sensitive to certain chemicals, but even scent candles or air fresheners could eause troubles. Some imported aquarium plants are treated with insecticides — buprofezin, Jmidacloprid end trichlorfon — that are lethal to them. Nicotine from cigarette smoke. Flea spray. Even aquarium medications can kill them. eee ee ee eine ‘gravel cleaning is a must, despite the shrimps’ reputations as cleaners. re eee es thick substrates can accumulate toxic gases, which may kil the shri ‘when released, Avoid substrates deeper than 2cm and add a couple of | Pete eta)ROPICAL hwater shrim Shelling out deaths is a failed moulk, grow, they shed their hard x and then pump up hell underneath like a dead shrimp, Moulting requires energy and is, tresful forthe shrimp, so it’s our task as keepers to provide them the best environment to minimise + with incorre hardness, or ow mineral a calcium content can hinder the formation of the new shel. “Many fishkeepers forget this and rate on their Total Dissolved aD instead. T never steady, and it can increase, Ceara and accumulation or the addition of salt Both of these could result in an ostensibly ‘correct’ TDS, but neither shrimp. None of the dedicated breeders | know think that is good for ‘TDS is that important, many of they all agree is that ust be spot on. Ripe cherries "The most fequently encountered shuimp is the Cherry shrimp, Neocardna david The wild form brown, but the common name refers to the fir quark Since th have dev forms, Incuding yellow, blo, brown, black orange or green ‘cherries ntroduction, aquarists ‘The got ABC rmoulted shell will aways be Uansparent colour, every Neocantdina ew requires similar water parameters They are quite undemanding them in neutral water of pH6 5-8, Cone etd cnFO rs pane Par ae microorganisms and particles of food from the irrents with their fans-like apr no prebi ° The drip method transit for ‘After dim the contents of th ‘ ; able container — a small plastic > i ve tank or a bucket. Be careful not to ufo itoo much, 2s this may release and increase the toxicity of any ’ 6 6p ‘ a Se e to the shrimp ws fs any ammonia present. m, reed wets eact 20a length of airline. controller to start a slow siphon from the aquarium into the wth the shrimp, aim for 3 shrimp, but th the origina simple-loo entangjement) te the shrimp and transfer them to the aquarium, beto ding the water and topping the aquarium back up with fresh, treated water. 7 you wil et plent emote ° IF you want to He strains ‘pure’, remove the BMA low-quality oTROPICAL Freshwater shrimps Buzzing bees -Asecond shrimp group contains two Carina staple species: the Bee shim, Carina fogemanni, aed Tiger shrimp, Caridina marge, 28 well as thelr numerous hybrids You may be familar withthe popula Crystal ed shrimp and Crysial black shrimp varieties, and possiby the Taiwan bee shrimp varieties hike King Kong and Panda They ereatvely easy to recognise and identify but even seasoned shrimp keepers can get lost among the recent Tibee (TigerkBee), TaiTibee (TlbeeXTaiwan bee forms, swith new types appearing almost ‘weeldy with names such 28 ‘Galaxy fshvone’ or ‘BOA, Some come with eyewatering price ags, touching the £2000 marc Obviously, ese are not aimed at beginners, but those on a tight budget could stil find some beaut (and bards) Bee shrimp to keep They'rea bit more demanding regarcing water coneitons than ae Neacariina, referring sightly iy cooker (18-25°C) soter (5H, (0-2°KH) and more acai (6.6.89) ‘wate, but they arent really dificult. you're interested in creating To maintain these parameters, | esting pattems and colours advise specialist shrimp sollsinstead_ you could mie ther. Ifyou prefer of sane, which helpto stabilise the uniformity then just keep one pH owera longperiod Some of variety your tank Porat Nal these ace substrates may leach Re ener ammoniafore couple of weeks, Other options pene eee z somake sure that the aquariums Other Cardia species ae avaiable thoroughly cycled before putting infrequently, with varied popularity, your shrimp in. Ihave JBL ProScepe One is the much-revered Amano Shrimp soilin most of my tanks, ag shrimp, Carina mui ee aan Cena ces FT a eM ee & ‘doesn’ produce any ammonia, Recent observations suggest that allowing me to repopulate my the ‘common’ Amano shrimps doing aquaria quickly. the rounds could bea mixture of BELOW: dust some As opposed to the cherie, several species. Even so, they ocean Caridina species do not revert back remain strongly built algae-grazers shrimp foods to a ‘wild’ form if erossed, 90 if ‘and bottom-sweepers. aaileble,Specific disease CrerLt Erle) WesTROPICAL Freshwater shrimi their care requirements are imilar to many community fsb, Amano shrimps are a per leaner-ctew for everyday tanks. The colourful Sulawesi shrimp species also belong to the Carin genus, requiring relatively soft (3°), yet alkaline (above 7.5pH) and varm rater. Because of these almost paradoxical needs, these hhrimps aren't recommended for novices but can be a great project for those wanting to try out something di For wellestablished community aquaria you could also the Bamboo. rons, of the ry looking gent catch microorganisms and particles (of Food from the currents with their ofthe internal filter, fishing Ina new tank aquariums without proper flow they ‘may starve to death, o delay your purchase until there is enough f for ther. You can keep these primps in a wide range of water conditions, just tal Setting up Although some shrimp can be kept ith certain ish, they fare (end breed) betterin a dedicated shrimp tank, Te doesn’t hve to be large, and dwarf shrimp species are perfect nano aquaria. Just as with ch, the Digger the tan you can offer, the re stebe twill be. nee you've decided on a shrimp to keep, you can setup the aquarium, using the appropriate inert or active substrate. IF your tapwater flow in nitrates and ld use itd Forsoftwater Caridina species tk icarbonate) ray carbonate hardness as wel, ICAL FISHKEEPINGDecoration w willbe plad to hear that solution) onto the rock. unless you want ‘bubbles it has How lots of who allow their Hinomaru Cried Se Ce Cor Cy. Ceres| TROPICAL eg LT Rules of acquisition You definitely need a good fte My preference is for ait-driven sponge fi perfect grt or the youn rimplets, but if the b too disturbing an external power fte ice, You should cover gril of the filter with a stocking to imp getting nto the er Alternatively you can products ike the erfiter oF the JBL Martenfiter After properly cycling the tank its time to get your shrimp. Unfortunately, the selection available Before buying from anyone, join a couple of shrimp social media groups and ask members about their with any particul # dodg looking for quick profits by sel nported, non-quarantine shrimp can disappear and under new names, so st the reliable, long specially i they ‘other option to buy shrimp is to find local br shrimp in Try adapt much more easily. They may not look as stunning as fully matured ‘adults, but will live rmuch longer and you could have the satisfaction of atching them getting more and ‘more beautiful dailyINSET: Eggs are carried under the tail BOTTOM LEFT: ieocaridina ‘Sitt shrimp. Feeding quality fares ensures the balanced diet required for moulting and breeding. 1 JBL and Hikari nettle, dandelion, spinach) and vegetables (courgettes, cucumber) feur shrimp per tank, I only feed them every her day, leaving the shrimp graze on the bioflm growing on the decoration between meals. Shrimp babies Ir kept well shrimp begin breeding when they reech around six months image. Females develop eggs, which canbe easily visible as yellow ‘saddles’ on the back of some shrimp. When these ready-to-breed females moult they release se pheromones, which will ma Di all the males inthe tank behave a litle crazy ‘males swimming ‘ll around the tank tall soon, ‘The spawn will hatch in about three weeks’ time and the developing shrimpler be newly hatched babies of Neccaridina and many of the Cardina species med and is encugh biofilm inthe tank Altematively finely powdered Spirulina can be added to feed them as an intl food supely. “True Amano shrimp and the fi feeders produce less-developed larvae which require saline conditions to survi them ina tankis difficult, ‘Shrimps can breed monthly tank you will have plenty of them. Just remember: don't get t00 ai an individual, as shrimps Cima or ao ai i coyay Buxeya(er Va eel) ropes & Loelel ye) See TCMOACT MON Ce RUC CRUMBS ICT TOTO | eet OO ATTAIN i Werle aa cei lenlen eS suggests two species to sta EON ck ea mae new budding aquarist. Quite kay, the first thoughts which pop into Sree a tas Peer Peete eect ane rire "Bae Cera an "a ‘) lives behind a rock and ventures out only to| r eet eect vwhen applied to some ofthe more urusal species Sas ~ Cet ee ee ees cee ee ered ere eee eee een thas to fit a few criteria before being referred to as such. ee etn Eat eee ene es ee eee ese ee Pecan ee ea eee a rae Crete nt ty nents Pe eee ae ga ‘oddest species, such as requirement fora specialized diet Pace SC eee meen oes Seu oa re ted Ronee eee teen ingtco dificult (or pricey) to keep SUC Sey nme ere emngos err) ees ete rere eey Re ee ed Pierre tte ere ot ere eRe ig cera eed oe em Ed Pee eer Peeing ew tea bana skies ees ese eee enna aE Aen - rn Tin,* A ee ees Sty cca Ea ea ees ee eee era ' Pees Sa a acquire these fis or you. co ee pe teeta = ee et ets Sue ONS Pee gece cerca ern Dae ean) reas Cerentino” Are Beige eset Tea cs La ae eee ed Sea aes -"TROPICAL fit nto a broad community tank. ‘Are never on view —mary ‘odballs have a reputation for remaining hidden, While this can be they feel all tims Dangerous — some fish can mess up. Electric eels and stingray prime examples of fish that can rain your day, but a majority of aquarium ‘oddballs on sale can do little more ‘than stick fn spine in you if you mishandle them, You're more at isk 7 \aaras Sn re on eee 6 ie: T 3c il oy 20m in aquana Ac cen erat detis Re Ce erg eee Reel Cena Prien Oe eed aes een Fee ee erro ts) Pause Crs Petcare ener rin) from an everyday acuarium catfish of the fish here are not delicate and ‘could even be referred to as hardy, provided that water ‘extremes are avoid and g quality is ahways provided. Now we can take a look at a couple of my favourite oxeballs. Hailing from Affica, and each happy to be kept withthe other, a biotope could be created as the two are sometimes found within the same waters, ‘where their atu ranges overlan aa “The first species isthe African leifeish, Xenomysts igri, which has Knifetish lack character. ‘The African lnifeich poctural in nature, and during caylight hours iturks in the naturalthe water 39. hideouts that are ‘abundant in its sluggish watery home. It’ ikely to bbe more active during the day ‘f cover s plentiful, the waters deeper, and petheps more silt laden. eromystus i one of many fish that ate electroreceptive, sensitive 10 electrical charges (such as these ‘generated by muscle movements) that help ie hunt in dark or murky ‘water It's an opportunistic feeder ‘and few grube, larvae or other water ‘bome animals are tamed dawn, Movement is mainly provided by undulating anal fin that connects to the caudal fin, giving it the ability to quickly reverse, as fast backwards as itis forwards, and waile it has pectoral fins thas no dorsal or ‘ventral fins [Most knifetish species are found in South America witha few in Asia, Dut none are as easy to care for than Xenomystusnign Wile specimens reach amaximum length of 30cm, though aquarium specimens mare than 17-18em are rare. [ve mainvained ten in a 600-tre ‘aquarium from youngsters for five ‘years, all of which are now identical in sie at usta smidgen under 15cm. Tarecommend e group of at least eight individuals toa starter, which may seem alot fora 120x45x30em ‘aquariurn, but with good filtration and maintenance this is achiovadie. Many authors mention problems ‘with aggression in smaller groups 66 Te ny despite oct bh ay out and alata the bast ther'y wvelly ales ys comple oneview inching heir way trong a Why not consider some of these? CATFISH — from the quirky Upsidedown catfish to the cryptic sand-dnelling Banjo cats, many mid- sized silurids are odballs in their own rights, with ‘unusual shapes and lifestyles. ‘ener, ‘SPOTTED CLIMBING PERCH — sCatepeas cacutivostre isa shy and tiring predator that thrives in exactly the sort of layout the Readfish ‘and Kifefish enjoy. Attractively marked, not too tricky fo feed, end with a real ‘perch’ fecl about them, these 15cm midwater dwellers could be a perfect centre reaching macurky, however in my ‘experience the aggression shown has ‘been zero, and I really mean zor. Part of this could be due o the large ‘group, 2s there seems to be a fine line between a shoal anda few rivals J suspect that another secret of success is hidey holes My equarium is absolutely rammed with intricate ‘chunks of bogwood, creating amaze ‘of nocks and crannies within their hhome, which {highly recommend prospective knlfefish keepers try, Regular trips tothe surface reveal the fish need to take in atmospheric air, even in well oxygenated ‘conditions. As for accounts of them being noctumal apart from when feeding my observations couldn't be further from the truth, My fish are, and always have boon, cut and about ‘constantly Admittedly my aquarium {snot brightly lit, and {assume this ‘encourages daytime activity, but Im ‘certain that the large shoal and myriad hiding places gives them SPINY EELS — Macrognathus eels — not the latge Tyretrack or Fire eels of Mastacembelus — have cheeky characters and are forever exoloring. Just keep the tank well covered as they'll find any small openings and meke a dash for it, ‘added confidence. fle eg as Tied up in knots nig. My knifefish aren't housed alone, and shate their tank with no less than seven Redfish, or Ropefish Enpetoichthys calbarcus. Like the knifefish, these are also able to take in atmospheric air but ‘with more specialised breathing ‘equipment, Reediish are related to the bichirs (Pobpter a prehistoric ‘group of air breathers that contain in their ranks some voracious and costly tank busters. WWEPRACTICALFISHKEEPING CO.UK 23= 7e7ree TROPICAL Colles price tag than bichirs, and tank size requirements are the same as thos for knifefish, Their wiléerne habits are also prey similar, though their prey is usually alittle snk mates. Anything das food willbe ignored, though ‘Maximum length of these snake like oddball seems to be around the en I've kept for the last five years range The common expectation is fora ish tha lives in perpenual hiding. In ence, despite n ‘out and about usualy always aking their Poise tens ‘makes a nice contrast to the pain dark brown of the knives, as does for swimming, there's some mention of increased ‘aggression as they age, while other ‘authors claim ther tobe peaceful at times. The latter has been my own with no aggression noted h other or the knife ‘These almost reptilian fsh with their ancient, fleshy lobed fins are fascinating, but coupled with their calm nature and low demands they make a great introductory specie into the world of oddbal As for feeding, both these fish have milar deta FACTFILE Seite name: Ep 5Pronunciton:Ur-pt