Fish Folk

Thanks! I’m planning on buying mini pond plants very soon, and will check on its availability. What zone are you in? We’re on the edge of 6a / 6b… Also… in its full growth, would you describe this plant as a dynamic “thriller,” and over-the-edge “spiller,” or a nice looking “filler” plant?

This has been suggested to me — both feeding fry, and roe / eggs. Honestly… I do not generally breed or raise fish in order to feed them to others purposefully. You are 100% correct that darters probably do gorge themselves on fry in the wild. My goals, at this point, are pretty lame: (1) breed fish (2) get BAP points (3) beat my son’s BAP score 😂 As for the Hydra, I think they tend to just eat the brine shrimp at this point. But if there’s anything to watch out for, I’d be interested in learning.

Here is a look at this batch of Southern Redbelly Dace fry hatched out in home aquaria…

Kind of a rare bird for our area. My son photographed this Prothonotary Warbler late this afternoon.

Ah yes . . . the vertical ! Angelfish are so 2001 Space Odyssey with their adoration of vertical monoliths...

I would not care much about SAEs, but mine are in with my Discus and somehow they manage to be a satisfying contrast.

This is indeed one of the more frustrating aspects of breeding angels: sexing a pair. Typically, you buy about seven, and wait for a pair to form. If you’re an experienced “hunter,” you can probably find what you want here. You’ll want to contact a breeder by e-mail and really explain what you’re after.

I’m ORD, but I appreciate this! I’m a gigantic fan of Cichlids, but they definitely have a unique personality that only works with certain aquarists. I’ve enjoyed branching out. Keeping Killis has introduced me to a whole other disposition in fish. Goodeids, too, are kind of funny to watch. Goldfish are hilarious too! Most interesting to me, lately, have been my US Native Darters. They’re altogether different…

Love this! You are headed for MTS. (Multiple Tank Syndrome) Oh the places you’ll go… My wife, too, has mastered the art of bargaining against new aquarium purchases. We’ve settled in at 18 tanks, 10 jugs, 3 outdoor mini ponds 😂

I totally get this. And there’s other reasons to dislike Discus. They are funny-looking! But I will hasten to add: I do not find Discus to be hard to keep. Basically, if you can keep Rams and Cardinal Tetras happy, I think you can do Discus.

@Brian thanks so much for sharing! Looks lovely. It’s always interesting to me to see how aquarists roll once they’ve hammered out a reliable system. Good tip too on finding a local breeder! There’s a guy in our club who breeds Discus, snd sells them at different ages / stages of growth at very reasonable prices.

Mission Impossible (1996) "Meet at location Green in one hour. I'll meet you there myself." Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) meets his CO at "The Akvarium" restaurant. The feature aquarium of which, if you recall, he shatters the glass of with an explosive designed to melt door locks...

I was just flipping through an online magazine featuring aquatic garden items, and noticed a nice pond photo with Koi. This got me thinking: though I deeply respect the fish and can agree with others that it has beauty and many nice qualities, I really don't personally care for Koi. Now I do appreciate Goldfish a bit more . . . but I am not inspired by Orandas. For me, the only Goldfish I really like are common fantails. Thinking about other species . . . I get the appeal of little Endlers, but I've never been able to get personally invested. My love affair with Bettas comes and goes. I am stunned by the playfulness of the Featherfin Catfish, absolutely love watching it -- but only in other people's tanks. I don't think I'd ever keep one myself. Now, I'm in love with my Discus. But my friend who specializes in Native US species could care less about them. I'm curious about my fellow NERMs: WITH RESPECT, WHAT FISH DON'T YOU LIKE?

I am very excited to have learned today about a landscaping company locally that sells aquatic garden plants! One tip that Ted Coletti recommends is to buy local. People selling garden plants in your zone KNOW YOUR ZONE! It was great. I called today, and must have sounded like the giddiest customer on the phone. I'm going to go with the gravel basket method, stacked like this... I hope to try some Iris, Cattail, Water Hyacinth, and a Water Lily. All plants will be selected for their hardiness given our zone (6a / 6b). Maybe I can get some Star Grass or Aquatic Mint . . . I like the way Dr. Coletti categorizes selections: "THRILLERS, SPILLERS, & FILLERS." I take up pencil and paper here to try to imagine design . . . Much more impressive in my head than on paper 👨‍🎨 But it will be fun no matter what! I hope to definitely try out these Guppies in the pond...

I just ordered some foam to serve as matten for a river-steam style temperate tank I'm setting up. I love dividing tanks that way. I've heard some folks complain that the foam allows fry through, but I doubt discus are as much of a risk that way as other species might be. I got these for no more than $25 each. Ok. I maybe spent $50 on one of them. But honestly, I get them young and cheap. None of these are from the high-end places either. All of these are from the big wholesale farms in CA or FL.

Awesome! Well, I’m hoping to start breeding. Just haven’t got my R. O., breeding tanks, or grow-out space set up yet.

‘Tis a 55 gal.

Here’s the long way. Doubt your LFS will allow you to check like this 😬

My new Frogbit just melted away in my 83°-F Discus tank. Water lettuce does great in tanks with _no heater_. Loved our Goldfish tank…

Happy Discus Awareness Ya NERMs 😎

Any of you who live in the range marked by iNat sightings here could see some of these native emeralds in a creek, stream, river, etc. Etheostoma zonale, Banded Darters. Here’s my tank today…

Right! Lepomis are gorgeous, but need much more space. I get mine from a NANF dealer in OH.

Here’s four minutes of my favorite “subtle tank boss” for smaller NANF aquariums. Enneacanthus obesus…

My crazy boys would have dumped every living thing into the pool from that tub within minutes. Guaranteed.

Rainbow Shiner fry hatched… look closely…