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    74 views116 pages

    English - Tropical Fish Hobbyist.11. 2010

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    English.tropical Fish Hobbyist.11. 2010

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    of 116
    Rploroosncs, pa Vs RIGHT FOR YOU) ‘HOLIDAY ollaz tally soz | if Freshwater & Ponds The most economical way to maintain perfect water conditions. coo i) / hy ru oe | ec@ Fillies rates ks If not yet available at your local fish store, tell us you found us in TFH and get a special 10% discount when ordering online. Offer good through the cover date of this issue. Aqua Craft Products” 22960 Bernhardt St. Hayward, CA 94545 USA £ Consumer @ Tel: 510-785-3939 €) Fax: 510-264-1501 “8 Email: info@aquacraft.net & www.aquacraft.net YI 20 MARINE CO Th lo" Formula Flake Foods Key ingredients include: salmon, pacific plankton, squid, kil, clams, kelp, herring, brine shrimp, minerals, vitamins and carotenoid pigments. Frozen Formula Foods™ are unique solutions from Ocean Nutrition. They are the best in fish nutrition as they combine the freshness of Frozen Foods and the completeness of Formula ONE pellet Formulated Foods. They are blended with the finest for the carnivorous/omnivorous fish. natural ingredients. Available in many Varieties to meet your fishes needs. Nottnon; icra ae ened mem ars Formula TWO pellet for the omnivorous/herbivorous fish. USE OUR FEEDING CLIPS TO CREATE A ~ FEEDING FRENZY! AVAILABLE VARIETIES: GREEN, Nano Reef Coral Food Nano Reef Fish Food Micro-encapsulated High quality slow sinking formulated food with pellet food for marine fish. probiotic bacteria, esac ential Cee Freshwater & Ponds The most economical way to maintain perfect water conditions. If not yet available at your local fish store, tell us you found us in TFH and get a special 10% discount when ordering online. Offer good through the cover date of this issue. Aqua Craft Products® 22960 Bemmhardt St. Hayward, CA 94545 USA Consumer @ Tel: 510-785-3939 ) Fax: 510-264-1501 “® Email: info@aquacraft.net & www.aquacraft.net Marine Fish & Reef The finest items for every need and budget. Qualified Dealers benefit by buying factory direct. Shops provide a copy of your business license and buy at distributor prices. International Agents Wanted Trade Only @ Tel: 510-264-1500 J Fax: 510-264-1501 “® Email: sales@aquacraft.net ALL ITEMS ARE MADE IN THE USA Ce Cet ene Ce eee aC CS ce ee es ates. Seachem offers several solutions for accom- See Ree on ie Carbonate™, but now i's easier than ever to provide eres ee nn eae Peet eed Cee eg Oe TOR rae aL Ree ee gee Rea Pe Ea Reef Fusion™ 1 & 2 . Even easier than 1, 2, 3 on RC ad ee eee es Ce ee ae Ce as gee Re ed pee eae ee ea designed to restore and maintain alkalinity in the reet Ce eee ry Geer Ler Cee eo nner eee el Se ee re De eg Cee es Reef Fusion @ The most concentrated two Pee CuR aurea] Reef] Ree iene fusion! fusion EI Two Part System Maintin fM_ Two Part System Maing Calcium & Alkalinity ey Calcium & Alkalinity Len =O AER) Raises Raises S| ere q @ 100,000 mg/L of calcium SU ne ane usu} Ce Ee on Me ne ee cal november2010 ‘Our Soth Year «Volume LIK « Number 3+ #656 features Driftwood Layout Techni for the Nature Aquarium “his month the mass of aquarium pions decusses the creative se ‘of cifwoad fo shengithen vaual mpact ond evoke « naitza feelin the ‘tly panied oquaxcope. Takashi Amano 62 Aquatic Gardening Nano Style Tiny aquatic gordens are ol the rog8—pertect forthe caus with Integ space, oF fo nose who simpy enjoy the aesthetic of “scale moder” pianted layout, with al the benefls and challenges that ‘come with Keten A. Randal 68 Going for the Goldifish) Despite their reputation os ploin-ooking “bow! fish." golsh ore not small, shored fsh whan cored for comectly, ond thelr wide ary of shopes and colors provices «choice for just bout any taste, Maddy Hargrove 14 _Joumey to the Land of the Clown Loach ‘An international explore avals to Indonesia to seek out the native ‘wotes of the beaut! clown loach, visting colectors ofong the tivo where the majestic Chramabotia macracanthus mokes iis home, Karel Zahrédka 80 8 Fun Gobies for Aquariums of All Sizes Join the goby craze! An international aquarium aticionade reports ‘on sight great old and new favorite gobies that make colorful and hntoreting editions to aquariums of al types. Neale Monks ke Beneath the Waves of the Gulf of Mexico A variely of popuiar aquarium spacimens inhabit the Gul Coos! of the United States. cregion that hos faced serious threats from both natural and man-mode environmental disasters in recent yaors ‘hati Horowitz 92 Mediterranea Discus 2010 {An impressive lineup of discus was on dsplay, each vying o be ‘chosen os the best in ther respective classes, at his popular ‘aquarium show in beauttl andihistorc Lecce. Hy Francesco Denitfo, PhD le The TFH Breeder's Challenge Part 11 ‘The hare fougnt breeding contest may be neating is end, but the ‘action ios intense os ever—find out who's In the lead now as the Ccontestonts approach the fina leg of he race. Ted Judy and Mike Hellweg 80 columns 28 Ask Jack ek Wig _30 Livebearers Unlimited Une oe 34 The Planted Tonk _38 Adventures in Aquascoping “san Gita 42 Import Report 46 The Reefer ‘Snafu cco nnn te oes ey eiatnsiepractonnacy oneness Simin svonssrasparnsamionae departments _8 From the Editor 10 Contributors 12 Freshwater Q&A 20 Saltwater Q&A 37. Aquoti¢ Plant of the Month _52 Marine Invert of the Month _54 Fish of the Month 56 On the Cover 98 Holiday Product Showcase 107 Meeting Place 110 Classified Ads 112 index to Advertisers ROPCLFISH TFH Magazine Edilorial & Design corsung seroredton Waren Buges FFD Nec Pon contbuting econ Jamas Fotneree, Se 8 Ferner Advertising Subscriptions ‘Ariga M. MeFesy:customeropertattncem reesase 2038 FH. Publications, Inc ovocutve vice present Mon Jonnson from the editor Planted Tanks love looking at planted tanks—who doesnt? Tm hardly an aquatic gardener, however, Compared (0 award-winning designs, my aquascapes” are weed fields But masterpiece or mess, a planted tank has an appealing natural beauty. Aside from the plants in all their forms and colors, it is fun seeing fish swimming among the leaves, pecking at tasty tidbits only they can see, or hiding out and ‘waiting for potential rivals or mates to come near, have dozens of tanks, most of which are utilitarian and not planted, but seven of the eleven tanks currently in my office are. Here, where I see the aquaria all day, 1 prefer to look at planted tanks, The only unplanted ones are those holding fish I also like, but which would clther Immediately rip up or eat any plants. (Sorry, for me, oscars and tilapia trump plants!) I actually have an eighth planted tankin here, fyou count hair algae—I have collection of Doichirs and ropefish that slither through entanglements of hair algae. That’ balanced by a tank fof trees: a brackish paludaciumm with a stand of live mangroves, mollies, and mudskippers, Another is a marine tank “planted” with vatious ‘macroalgae, This tank would definitely be called a weed field by most marine aquarists, ‘but this hobby has room for all types of aquarists and all types of setups Some people think that dropping a bunch of anacharis with the zine weight still on into the tank qualifies as a planted tank, while others require a carefully aquaseaped secup with nutritive substrate, high-intensity lighting, and CO, supplementation— like our cover aquascape crafted by Mr. Takashi Amano, who has been at the forefront of the burgeoning growth of the aquatic gardening hobby with his Nature Aquarium concept wovwaphmagazine.com Our exclusive association with Mr. Amano helps ensure that our readers get the latest and most precise information about high-tech planted tanks each month, But what if you're between the dropped-in anacharis and a Nature Aquarium? ‘What if you want a nice aquascape but don’t want to invest the ‘ume and money required for « high-tech planted tank? Well, maybe a planted nano is right for you! The small size of a nano aquarium (usually much less than 10 gallons) ‘makes it much easier to supply the necessary lighting, and this simplicity attracts a lot of people who want to try a planted tank but want a low-tech version, Some aquatic gardeners have taken the nano concept to the extreme, creating aquascapes so small that they can house only tiny plants and no animals—the ‘ultimate nano planted tank, There ate, however, plenty of ways to enjoy a nicely planted tank with fish in the nano aquarium category, as aquatic plants expert Karen Randall explains in her article “Aquatic Gardening Nano Style” (p. 62). ‘While we're ulking about planted tanks, the Aquatic Gardeners Association (AGA) is a great place to gather with other enthusiasts ‘and learn about all sorts of plants. This year they are celebrating their convention in Ft, Lauderdale, Florida on November 11-14, and Karen Randall and Jason Baliban, both featured contributors this ‘month, will be attending as AGA presenters, Whether you're an old hhand or just starting out, the AGA, is a great source of information, plants, and aquatic fellowship. The event atiracts people from around the world, a testament to the universal appeal of a planted tank, If you haven't tried one, maybe now's the time! ‘And even if you're not into plants, we still have plenty of ‘exciting things for you this month, from a look at the great sgreat-great-granddaddy of aquarium fishes—goldfish—to the latest on our Breeder’ Challenge contest, plus much more ‘Whatever your aquarium interests, you're holding in your Ihands the best, most authoritative source for the latest information and advice about them Enjoy! ured) David Boruchowitz Editor-in-Chief ‘Topical Fish Hobbyist November 2010 Add Depth to Your Living Work of Art PetSmart Can Help fai hae Ree o late aoe: 1a) rere ae EM MaVale UNia oe OV a ele cry och taiccmene ernie coi or create a base to build on as your interest grows. Gn Cees ues eeu cou DPYieacole osc Wie MMe Ac cour stores and we'll test it for free. Nienege Seas eMoe hep noma information or to find a store near you contrioutors TAKASHIAMANO ses ann . nas x manages enargmsetieg beuletearedacisteees | (OIUMINS & ‘Shs doveocng he quote port oj rshed"Nonve Aejolan:ync comin Ns een EpariMenis ‘Sonerce ni convetan rote cna nese Seay 99 or NSD ens Sabeagnancnote to. aoohosoes crpeicer oes} FANCESCOCEN ITO mroisavisogyeseacneatne usty ct Sderioin OVE NON cn Lnece ty Duo bngia egasnrca veneer sernoncpetbeiceaa Teh aeuch ee no eo rows al he wold ui wel anes pubes Net Tocnsov aca trae rd norcioa oquaur nagar ets oc cunet EY thus ho href otcig Georg ans Shouty Cacaeeson tons che ase jason baliban MOCAYNOALQTOVE ,ocomsmaanvawurerevsenternaiosea | oiMlnnnhonsniaa cea ol asa To we ee a Mees durmiose hes bon ens sate ee sue toe ened ee ae a ee ee an SE eee eran acs MIKENEIWED resneo oxaasitsteeas eenanvia sees extn ‘Gime exclshaly win fos hat mature at inches oresin is 7 or. Wf neath 22D specs fom 2Vfamlies fe he tp anked Grand Mosier Roeder ofa te infisiocd cb. Mi hx sarved os Presider ofthe Misous Aquarum Soca, Vee Chatman of he Amerean Unebeare Asocinion ‘on Histor fore Aquos Gotan Awocioton Ha Nos wan ova Deter vsous oC pubicaions and cureniy ons and opercies rela sh busines, SHAVINOFOWIZiso poste ot pout Cologe ot azo te Sot hort Now Jonoy wre ab carat sa h mate Saby Sa condo oy ocomn Sutin tn copepod of ho Got Boa ol af oen ru ef Guerre eo trot hooe hess wea gos Sv os wen ond eed re DOW oa gas Sidon mower owe ste nest Tencns ea ew oy Cores he aso Estar th Magasin Sos bon ord sabo cver once! Sass fe oh ie kearit (ECU an og win vr 25 oon fhtoning ond th brooding exoterca. Ho to ‘generat who enoys cl fypeso fi, fom anabonts a eas and aways figs plenty of space Re trvoom for pects torn West Arco—especay the dor ced Teg hos serve on fe 80006 ‘ct ustes of he Amereon Cohid Asociaton ane on actve meme of ne Mivoukee Aquos Sccey Ho bo martors the webites won tedsihioom cam and wun frum opSogtryna com. DEISMONKS ras oon teoang aq mere an ys, bth hs tovon been pateuaty hated f busta Wht boo Boston Wor er Coe Pboton ty wos owvd ter fhe Boon Wise: Aaseon Notng Nee Ades {Dog of he Une of soocsen scone! which roe woreebrety cho ate oth Glow enngha mon cuore Nad sy Mean Lon8 KENTON + orrienatinoty ecoprees expat on ported aque ond Ihe duty ond popopan of satin pons fanny tovaed Ww Sauk om Corel Resa ‘lord ond he sadhem Unies Stes 1 cy aaucte paris ond oss few et reseed phecgopy hve boos poo tegucpar sro crrTisfme sano foto o he aware Gogenes uocatan GG aha row Net icrcal ecto. oe het fog sed cro age ir sh fhe AGA haxacvouong Coed cnt Rave Desig Anos Tbe sce Pon ays Cove KOVEIZANTOCKO sex von » toque 082 a «aia ptesna Ho Pos beer on aqua! sos ne ape of at hs Soon agony Ns tn exc long Tetons tne eos sles anol couch erseay con Hotere ets ing Soot , ‘300 ters (60 gallons). After Commurism felin the Velvet Revolution of 1969, he often spent vacations rhonda wilson Salelngphahcot Als iitronoale good urls iter etngeet Hhoncte ls faniaye uni Sige omnotos pay ciostrtuchefordyaran oes Ssrabercro en wwwefhmagaine.com November 2010 Tals Va Bot Water Purification systems Bilas Q&A tesrwaier 2 gota question? Send your questions about the freshwater side of the aquarium hobby to "GBA." TFH. Publications, PO. Box 427, Neptune, NJ 07764, fr submit vio e-mail to ector@tin ‘com, For answers to fore Tine fenslive questions, opinions on your setup, oF just fo converse with ihke- minded members of the aquarium ‘community, please visi the TFH Forum at forums Hf mogazine.com, Surprise Firemouth Fry U have 46-gallon tank with five silver dollars, three firemouth cichlids, wo Corydoras catfish, and a plecostomus catfish, Two days ago, 1 noticed that the firemouths had babies! 1 didnt even realize they had laid eggs in ane ofthe cichl stones Ihave in the tank There are hundreds of fry that are being cad for by both parents, The fist day the fry were contained within the stone cave, and the next morning I could only sce afew at the bottom ofthe eave. When | got home that evening, they were all out schooling ‘mid-tanke with both parents, one of which vas keeping the other adult fish away At no time did any of the silver dollars or the third adult cicid try to gobble up any of the babies. This morning was day two, and all ofthe fry were once again al collected atthe bottom of the tank under a rock formation, like the two parents had ‘wrangle them al in for bed. Tim fascinated by this behavior and by the fact that my other large fish are not cating the babies, im wondering if there is anything {need to do, oF if should just let things be? T haven found much info ‘on this particular type of cichlid and their breeding habits, Thanks! Tara Langdon Minneapolis, Minnesota Fm not to surprised that none of the adult fish in your tne have succeeded in gobbling up your firemouth fry so far, but ic isnt Jor lack of trying. As your other fish quickly Tearned and as you've observed, firemouth ‘Thorichtbys mecki pairs provide excellent parental care and, white relatively peaceful as cichlids go, will fiercely protect their offspring against would-be predators. As the {fry move more freely ino the aquariua, there ‘may be some losses, but i isnot unusual fora woe nafhmagazine.com cichld par to raise a large brod successfully ‘na community aquarium [At this point you face a decision: Do you ‘want to maximize the numberof fry raised? With several hundred in one spavening it can be aficule wo find homes fr them all. While local dealers or other hobbyists may be willing to take some off your hands when they reach marketable size, they probably wont want more than a dozen or s0. Of course, many aaquarsts prefer to observe natural parental care and are not concerned about raising the rmaximuon number of fx. While the results ane much less certain, leaving the fry with the parents will give you a fascinating display to ‘watch for several weeks. f you do not sant to leave the fry in withthe parents for « few weeks, you ean transfer them to a separate grov-out tank to raise as many as possible. (The fy can be gently siphoned out rather than netted.) Aside from predation issues, its much easter to feed sufcient quantities of appropriately sized foods tothe fry in a separate, smaller tank—the food is concentrated in a smaller space. Also, heavy feeding can quickly pollute the water, so a bare-ottom tanke makes it much easier to siphon out uneaten food with frequent water changes Whether you remove them or not, free= swimming fry necd suitably sized food tems. Newly hatched brine shrimp and powdered flakes are good first foods for T- mock fis, ut there are also many excellent frozen and freeze-dried commercial products designed or feeding young fr ‘One note of caution: You've already got ‘quite a heavy bioload for a 46-gallon tank, even without any firemouth fry growing up. Depending on which spectes of silver dollar ‘you have, you can expect each specimen (0 reach somewhere in the vicinity of 6 to 8 inches. Some so-called silver dollars get even larger than that, bu the most consmonly sold species are in that general range. Some of the so-called plecostomus catfishes (many November 2010 different species are casually lumped wnder this common name) can get quite enormous— up to 2 feet!—as well. You might keep a tank upgrade in mind for the future Trichogaster Terror U have a 20-gallon freshwater tank that contains one male and_one female blue three- spot gourami and thee albino cory catfish T'was told by my dealer that ouraimis are very peaceful and thatthe wo should get along fine im my tank, However, the male constantly chases the female into the back upper comers of the tank. Everytime she tiesto come out, he chases her right hack Um afraid if this continues: much longer she’ going to die from stress. Ive heard that separating the par fora few weeks and then putting them back together can help restore peace. Is that true? Edwin Weiler via email Tm afraid your dealer may have piven you some misinformation, Trichogaster trichopterus, the species of gourami that you mast Tikely have, can be very aggressive, especially toward members of is own species. Usually, Us che males ofthe species that cause the most trouble, but Ive scen female T. trichopteras, specimens behave very aggressively toward conspecific tankemates (especially smaller foes) as well In your case, part of the problem is the fact thatthe gender ratio of your gouramis is, wrong. With just one specimen of cach gender inthe tank, its virtually assured thatthe male will torment the female to distraction and, very likely, an early death, When keeping ‘mates and females together, its est to keep at least three females to one male (and only ‘one mate per tank). Unfortunatly, you can't realistically house that many T.trichopteras, specimens in a 20-gallon tank, Separating the pair and then putting them back together again wort solve the problem ether The aggression will almost assuredly resume after the ovo are reunited. Given the sie of your tank, 1 would recommend seturning one of the specimens to your dealer and heeping only one. Dither Fish vs. Target Fish Tm new to aquarium keeping and Tm starting to develop a keen interest in cichlids, Tve been dolng ‘Tropical Fish Hobbyist Three-spot gouramis Tichogastertrichopterus can be very aggressive foward memibers of research online on how to breed certain species, and I've come across the terms ‘dither fish” and “target fish’ different sites and forums, Are U two different ways of describing the same thing, or are dither fish somehow different from target fish? Sharon Potter Burnaby, British Columbia Though you'll often see the terms “dither fish” and “target fish” used inierchangeably, the ‘oles they play in the aquarium fre actually quite different. Dither fish are typically active schooling spectes introduced {for the purpose of coaxing timid cichlids out Into the open. To the cichlids, che presence of 4 schoo! of fish swimming unafraid in open worweafhmagazine.com ‘meir own species end should either be Kep! singly or one male with hres or more fomales water suggests that no danger—e., a hungry predator—is in the immediate vicinity, so they feel less inclined to stay in hiding or (o dash for shelter whenever the hobbyist ‘approaches the tank. Target fish are introduced for an entirely different reason, Their purpose isto encourage the formation of a pair bond andor to redirect 4 males aggression away from the femate and onto the target species so she docs get beaten up too badly. In simple unite the pair against a common enemy. In onder for this to work, though, the target fish must be viewed as a competitor, so hobbyists employing this technique will often introduce more individuals of the same species or a closely related species. Large, fast-swimming species that can stay out of the cichlids way like barbs or danios, are also used. The target erms, they B * Expert Advice Real-time Feedback + Exciting Contests Article Discussions For Beginners to Experts forums.tfhmagazine.com eyeless form of the Mexican tetra Astyan livgein total darkness in ts natural nab fish can also be divided from the pair with a ‘transparent partition of some kind so they can be seen but not physically atackee. (7% Blind Cave Tetra Cc ) I have a few questions about ef) tie cave teas. ts it true that eK « some ate nor? Are they completely blind? If 0, how do they find food and how do they vim around without bumping into things all the tine? Clemeth Richards via email fe of them are blind and AA t's tre that thee are ovo DY, forms of the specs. Astyanax ‘mexicans, those that have eyes Wand skin pigmentation and those ‘that lack eyes and pigmentation. As the common name “lind cave tetra suggests, the epeess, colorless form is found only in dark caves, The eyeless frm i completely blind However, these fish arent born that way For the fist few weeks of life they do Ihave eyes, but the eyes gradually degenerate Though they lack vision, dese tetas have a highly developed sense of taste and lateral line system COhe row of sensory pores that runs along each side of the fish). The former helps this species lacate food very easily. The later detets very subtle pressure changes in the water surrounding the fish, thereby aiding in ood location as well as making it posible Jor the fish to navigate easily through its cavironment in spite of is blindness. tn the ‘aquarium they scem to behave no differently from sighted fish, and itis fascinating to Swatch these natural marvels -™ Lake Superior C ) Rocks: =~ | Rucrium-sate? PE 60 a trip to Lake Superior, | wwyefimagazine.com ‘mexicanus, known as the blind cove tetra collected a number of rocks to add to my aquarium. I'm wondering if its a bad idea If not, how should 1 go about cleaning them? Thanks! Jenny Aluni via email Generally speaking, its much safer to purchase rocks and other ‘aquarium decor from a repuiable ‘aquarium store rather than collect them yourself, That way, you can be fairly confident thatthe rocks dont harbor potentially Fharmyul microorganisms or contain toxins that ‘might leach into your system to the detriment of your livestock Ff course, regardless of how you acquire the rocks, you must also be cognizant of hhow their natural composition—toxins and ‘microorganisms aside—might aljeet pH and other aspects of water chemistey. For example, ‘a chemically inert rock, such as granite, should Ihave no impact on your water quality, provided it isnt somehow contaminated, whereas caleareous rack, such as limestone, cam cause the pH of your aquarium to vise (depending on ‘what its level was to begin with). That may or ‘may not be « problem depending on the type of fish you plan to keep, but i important to be ‘enane ofthat potential If you're fairly certain that the rocks you've collected haven been contaminated—and that’ 4 pretty big “if’—and youre able co verify that ‘the composition ofthe racks wont wreale havoc with your water chemistry, i will prbably be safe to use them afer a thorough cleaning To clean the rocks, first scrub away any dirt cand debris from their surface using a stiff wire brush. Then, to kil off any harmful bacteria or ‘other microorganisms, boil the rocks for several ‘minutes or soae them in a 10-percent bleach? Water mixture for 10 t0 15 minutes. If you decide to use the bleachhvater method, be sure to rinse the rocks thoroughly afterward. Then, November 2010 soak them in water treated with declorinor to neutralize any remaining chlorine. Finals allo the ros 10 air-dry completly: Repeat the rinsing, soaking, and drying procedure if any leach odors stil detectable on the rocks Hole-in- the-Head? [bought an oscar this morning, for my T5-gillon freshwater tank. After getting it home and looking at it more elosely, | can see numerous tiny holes fn my oscars head. Could they be the star of hhole-n-the-head disease, or are they normal? [ried to takea digital photo of th fish’ head to send with my question, but it wont stay sill long enough for me to get a clear image. Donald Upton Plano, Texas Oscars Astronowus ocellatus. do Ihave tiny sensory pores on their head, and these are mest likely what owe sedng. However, oscars ave also very susceptible o holein-the-head disease (also lewown as hoad-av-ateral-line ersion, or HILLE) and these sensory pores are often one of the fist places where this discase manifests itself GEF YOUR MINI NOW: ASK FOR THE HYDRO-SPONGE MINI S900 Tropical Fish Hobbyist Jn a heathy specimen, these pores will be uniformly. pinhole sized (approximately) and ‘aang in small clusters. n specimens with hole- inahe-head disease, tke margins of these pores nay begin oer, causing the pores to increase in sige, overlap ane another, and eventually become rather proneunced, ugly pis “The exact cause of hole-nthe-head/HLLE has rot heen established (Some possiiles include poor water quality, Improper diet, vitamin Healthy oscars Asironotus ocellatushave small sensory pores of uniform size on thelr heads. deficiencies, and bacteria infection), but Lan say ‘with some confidence that the best way to prevent 1t from happening to your escar is to provide exceptional water quality though fequent partial ‘water changes and oferta varied, nutritious dt Texas Cichlids Lrecently purchased four small ‘Texas cichlids in the hopes of geting a pair. One is 3 inches, AQUARIUM TECHNOLOGY, INC PO, Box 33623 Deca, CA 30033 Phone: 04850-2638 Fax 04973-2912 and the rest are 2 inches. They are kept by themselves in a 125-gallon tank with plenty of driftwood and clay Mower pot caves. 1 intend 10 keep one pair and no other fish in the tank dve to their large adult size, They ate striking fish and very interesting. 1 have read that they should be kept at 75°F because they are not tropical cichlids and 1 ‘wanted to know if this is to0 cool evolution eee I would also like to know, is there any way to tell the gender of these fish as they get older? Even with the huge amount fof room they have in their 125-gallon aquarium, all they do ts chase each other around, and after two weeks of this activity, none of the four have pair-bonded, Luis Alvarez via emai ' = —_ better than ever before! ‘Hydors response ro the continuous demands of the flung aquatic market en the wave ofthe Karoo succes © new concept of reulaion pum LZ no ing 2% pon cmapton™ He atcny ps aro Nw Designs S&S ~~ rete rons rarer RYdor HYDOR USA Inc. en ng eect oes ae nat eg: ‘variate xo “Kerala 7504S opb Kerala 10505 -W 1050 qnh Kerala 1006 W400 gph *ongandl pean mae oie 24 ‘compan enone wos 10) Ph, 916 920 5222 + Fax. 916 920 $622 + email: hydor.usa@hydor.com + www. hydor.com 16 ww wufhmagazine-com The Texas cichlid Herichthys cyanoguttatus can tolerate a Jairly broad temperature range, ‘with the low end of that range ‘dipping down inta the 60s, so your specimens will do just fine in a tank kept at 73°F As youve observed, sexing Texas cichlid juveniles is not so easy tothe casual observer: As they mature, however certain defining physical characteristics should begin to assert themselves. Males of the species tend 1 be larger than females of the same age, develop «hump on their forehead (known asa nuchal Ihump), and tend to develop mote elongated ‘and pointed dorsal and ventral fins. Females usually have a dale spor on the spiny part of ‘the dorsal fin No Trouble with Tribbles! recently walked into my local fish store and sav a new plant in stock. They have begun to sell marimo ball moss Cladophora acgagrophila, which | know is native o Japan, Im curious as to the ideal conditions for keeping such a plat Angie via email is funny you should ask about Cladophora aegagrophila was just reading about this alga, You must have read my ‘mind! C. aegagrophila forms attractive, light-green, mossy bails that, to any Trekkie in the hobby, will bring to mind the tribbles ‘that multiplied fo plague proportions on the starship Enterprise. Indeed, “tribble” is one ‘of the common names applied ta this species. But I digress Although C. aegagrophila can be treated as ‘an aquarium plant, i actually « macroalga (a type of algae that forms complex structures rather than living as single eels). tis tolerant of wide range of pH and hardness values and prefers moderate to bright illumination This relatively slow-growing alga appreciates regular fertilization, and its growth rate can De enhanced with CO, supplementation, To ensure even light distribution, which helps to maintain their spherical shape, i a ‘good idea to rotate the moss balls ona regular Dasis. To prevent detritus from accumulating ‘on the balls and detracting from their beauty, all you have to dois rinse them in a bucket of ‘aquarium water and wring them out as you would a sponge. As far as placement is concerned, you can put the clumps in your tank and allow them 10 November 2010 in‘dom fat een ee a at BI cant find anything on them, Could you tell me where to find more information them, or could you provide i? Thanks fr your help Fermando Gallegos via emai The specles that appears in that TEH subscription ad (in BA phowo by Mr Takashi Amano ‘of one of his exquisite Nature Aquarium layouts) is Sawbwa resplendens, commonly sold under the name Sawbwa barb, rummynose rasbora, Asian Burmese rummynose, and other epithets. The specimens visible in the photo are all mature males, evidenced by their overall blue coloration and the red tinge to the nose and ‘caudal fin tips. Females are silver to olive in : ‘overall coloration with transparent fins This Asi ‘eyprinids natural ra setile wherever the current takes them, or you ig includes Inle Lake in Burma (Myanmar) and the can anchor them to rocks, driftwood, or other surfaces if you prefer. Anchoring will also none of Takashi Amano’ — surrounding swamps, and appropriate water prevent the balls from floating up in the water . aquariums featured in the parameters for the species include a pH of 7.0 column when they are pearling (producing so Yatest. Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine 0, adil of 9 to 19, and a temper much oxygen that it appears as tiny bubbles). subscription ad, there are a number of — 70° (0 77°F To propagate C. aegagrophila, simply divide beautiful rasboras with a red head, red tips _S. resplendens is a schooling species the clumps. fon the caudal fin, and a solid-blue body. hat is best kept in groups of at least six Pe CUR tena uty Pee eich ae cer) CN Cun ek eM Nae ol using an easy to change carbon cartridge. Oc ce ururs Peon ae ee eae) Rec cake ue ctin lal eee eeu etc Cee ee Ce ea es Cuneo Commie er Serer Peet Snecaings oa BR ERS cer eee} ane LET a ee mete) 18 ww wifhmagazine com November 2010 Coming ‘and, ideally, in a singlespecies aquarium. A densely planted aquarium wil make this Hale barb (reaching only about an inch in total length) feel right at home, An ommivorous species, S. resplendens should da variety of small meaty and A 20-gallon tank should be considered minim hese fish le-based foods. using fora school Weather Loach Tankmates am currently in the research aquarium (fll from jing a 40-year abs While in for sale some Misgurmus a guilicandatus, ‘or weather loac After some light definitely considering these la These were goldens, aline investigation, 1am but active and friendly fellows lor my soon-to-be tank. However, | found little mention regarding, how well they behave with smaller ‘and ‘community fish, such as rasboras, te danios, Would it be possible for such a mix, ‘or should the tank? Thank for supplying, Diana Manko via email hes be kept to a spec information, 3 Tiopical Fish Hobbyist 1m cooler habitats thon most tropl ‘onguilicaudiatie do well af temperatures Inthe upper 60s 10 ow 70s Fahrenheit. fish, weather loaches Misgurnus We're glad you lke the magazine Misgurnus —anguillicaudatw: typically gets along fine with smaller fishes as long. as they arent bite-sized. is tural diet consists of small invertebrates, such as worms, mollusks, crustaceans, and insects/insect larvae, so piscine tankmates usually arent seated os 1 never completely rule out this p ger fish ae kept with significantly smaller ones However, keep in mind that M. anguillicaudatus does best at cooler water temperatures—say, in the upper 60s to Towe 3 tankmates that are'relatively co well. Good examples of suitable tankimates would include White Clow! Mountain minnows Tanichthys albonubes, various danivs, and paradiseish 70s—so you would want Macropodus opercul Ideally, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus should be hepe in a group of atleast thre specimens. each individual having the reach about 10 inches in length, an aquarium of at least 40 gallons is the recommended anni housing. Thi sa burrowing species vwwwefhmagazine.com SAR Free Sample ete re) Le Aeon En ord HORMONE FREE CL COE ae De en adc Le Herring and Fish meals with Ce cM Lat hae CLL a ee ka surface feeding community fish, Co aE da ata ede Ca COMMMAMN TY) Ask for us waw.xtremegreen.com Be Q&Asaliwater gota question? Send your questions about the foltwater side of the aquarium hobby to "OBA," FH, Publications PO. Box 427, Noptune, Nu 07754, fr submit via e-mal to editor@ith com, For answers to. Mee Ferstive questions, opinions on your setup, or just fo converse with Bo- minded members of the aquarium ‘community, please visit the TFH Forum at forums tmagazine.com, 20 Send In Another Clown? have a 40-gallon marine tank. currently housing a Clark's lownfish, sixline wrasse, flame hawklish, and a raccoon butterflyfish. I would like ‘add another species ofclownfish, preferably ‘tomato elownish, to the tank. !m hoping the Clark’s and tomato clownfishes are different enough in color thatthe two won't see each other as rivals and fight all the time. What do you think? Perry Darrow Charlotte, North Carolina 1 would definitely discourage putting a Clarks clownfish Amphiprion clarkii and a tomato clownfish A. frenatus in the same tank, Both are quite pugnacious, ‘and neither will tolerate the other’ presence, ‘especially when they reach maturity, 30 ‘you'll have no end of squabbling. (chat is, uml the weaker one dies). To be frank, 1 really wouldn't recommend adding any other

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